On My Mind

कहानी पुरानी नहीं है, आज कल ही की बात है | यह कहानी मिसाल है बदलते हुए ज़माने की | भिन्न- भिन्न प्रकार की साग सब्ज़िओं में फ़ैल रहे जातिवाद की निर्ममता को बढ़े आसानी से दर्शाती है ये कहानी | कुछ विद्वानों का तो यह भी मान ना है की यह कहानी आर्य पुत्रों का द्रविड़ समुदाय के ऊपर वर्चस्व ज़माने की दास्ताँ है | यह कहानी है चावल की | भारत के उत्तरी भाग में स्थापित जो समुदाय है, उसके भोजन करने का एक अलग ही अंदाज़ होता है | एक आम दिन में ये लोग जो खाना खाते हैं, उसका विभाजन कुछ इस प्रकार किया जा सकता है : सर्व प्रथम होती है दाल | इसको ब्राह्मण का दर्ज़ा प्राप्त है | गरीबों की पहुँच के बाहर इसकी अलग ही एक शान है | रोटी के साथ बढे करीने से इसको खाया जाता है | बुद्धिजीवियों का मान ना है की यह प्रोटीन का एक अच्छा स्त्रोत है, कुछ अकड़ शायद इस बात की भी है |  इसके बाद बारी आती है माँस की | इसको क्षत्रिय का दर्ज़ा प्राप्त है | खेल के मैदान में या युद्ध भूमि पर झंडा फहराने वाले बढ़े फक्र से मांस का सेवन करते हैं | गरीबों के लिए ये यूनिकॉर्न के सामान है, सुना सबने है, पर देखा किसी ने नहीं |  भ...

Nothing represents the essence of Delhi like its metro. It is chaotic while being passed off as orderly. It is hustling and bustling with all sorts of people from all walks of life. But it has something which emboldens you. In its own ways, it prepares you for the life ahead. More importantly, it empowers you to be what you could only imagine once. The subtle transition of human beings from the solid state outside the metro coaches, to the gaseous state inside, trying to squeeze in whatever little is available in the name of space, is mind boggling. On an average day, I find many characters inside the metro. This one guy always jumps the queue, saves 7.6 seconds and then waits for his bag to come out of the X-Ray machine while you collect yours before him, because, well the conveyor belt doesn't allow the bags to jump. Once you check in and wait for the train to arrive, you see another guy. He has identified his coach and he follows it. If need be, he will walk miles to get ...

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it has happened. Yet again, a promising young man has sacrificed himself at the altar of peer pressure.  We are at the spot where this happened - Nikhil's room. Nikhil was a promising young man with a real life, outside the social media and beyond office gossips. So much so, that after office hours he had enough time at his disposal to study and read. But that's true no more! He was smart since his college days. Be it the urge of smoking, or the ridicule for not watching Game of Thrones, he didn't give into things he didn't like because of peer pressure. However, his spirit has finally been broken. The desire for quick promotion took its toll over him.  As we discuss his situation, he is in a room. Away from the world, he is binge watching the 7 seasons of GoT, learning about Football leagues, and more importantly, learning to hate Bieber and Chetan Bhagat. He has already picked up Ronaldo over Messi. It is possible that he direct...