Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

There she was lying quietly on her bed lost in her world of thoughts, remembering how she reached to this day. She wished she could be a little child again, who have a care free life.. always having fun, playing and lost in world of dreams n thoughts, just busy playing without thinking about past, present or future. But times change, life changes, we need to move ahead and grow to become what I am today? Was the question she was asking to herself, thinking how could she move ahead by stepping on a dream which she had from years. She lied their wondering why is she so sensitive and emotional? Why could she not stand with what she had dreamt to be since a kid. So what if a designer needs to do lot of hard work to have worldwide recognition and what if tomorrow no firm hired her for accounts or if the firm took her then who takes the guarantee to let her go and join it while her parents being so conservative and protective about her?

Fate did not show her anything but her own deeds did. Always remaining quiet, not participating in any kind of discussions at home or with relatives made her so quiet and shy that no one could ever understood what she wanted to do or have in life. Everyone took her silence as an assumption to her yes or no whatever they wanted to take it as and kept on moving ahead, not looking back, not even for once, not asking why is she not reacting or saying anything. Even it wasn't that she never spoke or she never wanted to but whenever she tried to say anything she got her feelings hurt.

Ruby remembered how she and her brother Ryan used to sit and play when kids. Laugh, enjoy, irritate each other and then when Ryan hit her while playing and she went up to her mother crying, complaining and Ryan got scolded. How hurt she was that day thinking Ryan got scolded and cried because of her. Since that day she stopped complaining and grudging about small-small fights and reduced her complaints for Ryan. But what happened when Ryan complained about her? She grinned over it, went back to old days, he often went up to mother with a complaint and Ruby got slapped most of the times he had complained about her, then she used to cry for the slaps she had got and more because Ryan laughed at her teasingly while she was crying, getting hurt, thinking in her heart that she will get Ryan scolded the same way but could hardly do. This continued for long till one day when they visited their cousins place and Ryan again started teasing her, as Ruby had stopped reacting in the same way to tease or to reply, Ryan continued until she cried for help to stop him. Then came Mrs Arman angrily and started scolding Ruby but that was a different day, Ruby had her cousins with her who saw everything going on and when they told Mrs Arman that it is Ryan's fault not Ruby's then Mrs Arman stopped, looked at both of them and scolded both for not repeating any non sense stuff outside.

Ruby went outside room, cried for sometime as she got a realization confirmed that day. A realization which she had from years, that her mother loves her son more than her. Every child gets hurt to know this that his/her mother loves his/her brother/sister more, thought Ruby. While Ruby was a normal sensitive kid she got hurt too but not as much as to develop any kind of hatred or anything for anyone. She had a pure heart which had love even for the ones who hated her. She has never learned to retaliate in hatred and never did she do any such thing till today. At that time they were kids but now they are grown ups. Her mother's concern more for her brother has never pinched her after that day rather that day made her understand why his brother is not scolded in the same way as she was.

She thought why the hell cant I stay on what I want to do? Why should I not answer their questions and stand for myself but then letting her thoughts out made her feel ripped off, ripped off everything she is wearing. Still after that she managed to stay on what she had thought for almost a week before she said yes for accounts. Her mother Mrs Arman, a lady with a heart of gold, having love and respect for everyone, determination to make her children study as high as their abilities could take them. But in all this she forgot that her own daughter had some other dreams in some other field which interested her more than anything else in this whole world. Ruby wondered how many times have I asked from mom but could never find a satisfactory reply to her questions. She had no idea why is her mother saying that this field is not good for her.

For almost a week her mother didn't talk to her, didn't care if she had eaten something since morning or not, didn't ask anything from her, if ever said anything then that was in complete anger. How cold Ruby, a person who has not learned to retaliate, to fight, who has not seen such anger ever in her life could tolerate her mother's anger for long. To have peace at home and bring back all the things to normal at home for her and her mother she had to say yes. With a firm belief in Krishan ji and her mother she said to herself its a beautiful world. A world where every thing has a reason to happen, if this has not happened according to her wish then its something best happened for her which will surely lead her to success. She knew that even the darkest cloud has a silver lining in it so there cant be anything dark for her, never in this world.

Though she was saying all this to her, her Heart was not ready to listen and why should it be? Its not easy to make a broken heart smile, a heart which was broken because its dream was gone forever. While she was lost in all these thoughts she heard her mothers voice calling her for lunch. Wow! That's the most beautiful voice on earth, she exclaimed with joy. She smiled by hearing the smile in her mother's voice, wiped off her tears and went to have lunch.

Do you think Ruby was on wrong terms with her heart? She knew she cant smile from inside but still she had a bright smile on her face? May be this is what is called the smile which you sometimes get by making others happy, after all not everyone in this world gets a chance to make their parents smile. What do you think?

Ruby's Dilemma

Can we say that being in dilemma is being in a fix? More, specially when we are offered choices that we hate to choose from? Why does this happen that we are often made to kill our interests by our near ones only to work on something that they think is good for us. All right and all fine.. agreed to do all this but then why why in the world they don't even care to think that I might not have any interest in what they are saying me to do?????These were some of the questions which were running in the mind of Ruby. Ruby who used to be a sweet innocent and shy girl when she was a kid but her shyness and her innocence had today brought her to a point where now she stands waiting for the future to unfold itself. Ruby had always been full of life.. Wishing to enjoy every moment which came to her, when she used to laugh it looked like the whole world is smiling and laughing with her but now she don't even dare to smile.

Ruby just finished her high school studies and was now to choose a field which would decide her future. She with her full heart wanted to be a designer but her parents wanted her to go with accounts. She could not understand why is something like accounts is being forced to her specially when she has no interest in doing it. "Why the hell should I do it?", she asked herself. She remembered her father telling her long back that he had so much passion for electronics that he left chemical engineering within an year and did a diploma in electronics instead of getting a degree in chemical and see how happy and successful he is now.

Ruby always looked up at Mr. Arman, her father as her role model, someone who is so successful and so very helpful to everyone who went up to him. Everyone in the family had always stopped or felt irritated from his habit of trusting anyone blindly and helping them to the full. Many a times his this nature had brought him lots of loss financially but he never stopped trusting people and helping them. This aspect of his has kept Ruby's spirits so high and made her totally frank in front of him. Sometimes Ruby's friends used to be so surprised by seeing her talking so coolly and calmly with her father that they used to ask her how are you so friendly with your dad? And there she gave them a bright smile of hers with a beautiful spark in her eyes.

But today, today is completely different. There is no spark in her eyes. She is just sitting and crying with thousands of questions running in her mind trying to find some words and space in this world full of people in and around her from whom she wants to ask so so many questions. "Will there be anyone to answer them ever? Will I be satisfied? Why why cant I do what my Heart wishes me to do? Why papa? Papa you also did not complete your degree because you had no interest in those subjects, then why are you saying me to do so? Why Krishan ji? Why?" These and many more questions were going on in inside her. Waiting for her to just open her mouth once and all these will be fired out. But only tears came down from those two beautiful sparkling eyes who were loosing their sparkle by getting filled with that salty water. She really wished someone to help her out, someone who could understand her, someone who could listen to her slow voice which was murmuring for help, which was saying to let me live my life my way but none. She felt there is none except her best friend who will listen to her.

Lord Krishan whom the whole world looks up as God she looked up as her friend. The only friend she had for almost 3.5 years of her late school life. No one bothered if she is sitting in class or if she is not. So numb as if her presence made no difference to anyone. Wanting to talk to everyone, longing for friends she found none so she made Lord Krishan as Krishan ji, her best friend. Krishan ji with whom she used to talk every single thing on this earth while sitting alone. If someone would have looked up to her at that time she would have easily got the title of a mad person.















While words were waiting to come out of her mouth her father and uncle aunt were pressurizing her to say yes for accounts and start studying for the entrance tests. She stopped crying for a minute, thought something and finally said,"Okay, I will do it." Till now she was not going with the wind but now she gave herself and her future, her career, her whole life to the unexpected. She gave off her interests at that very point, stopped expecting anything from anyone got depressed and dejected but decided to live to see what else is in stored for her in the coming future, as that's the way to live a life which she has learned from Mr Arman, the never say die attitude.

Ruby and her father then left for their house. All the way to home, there were thoughts roaming in her mind, what would have happened if papa was forced to complete his engineering? Would he have been so successful, happy and satisfied with his life as he is now? With so many unanswered questions fighting in her mind, they got a push when car stopped but only tears came out. With the first step in kitchen Mr Arman said mission successful, she will be doing accounts, hearing this brought smiles on everyone's face and tears in Ruby's eyes.

She went in her room and got lost in a world of thoughts again and asked herself is this called being in a fix or is this choosing in a dilemma? She had learned to fight from her dad and so she will fight her unanswered questions and make them silent by giving them a blow of smiles, her one yes, had brought on every member's face in her family but she had no answer for the tears she had brought in her own Heart.

What do you think? Was Ruby's decision correct? Should she have fought with her parents for something she never wanted to do? Is it right to fight and go against your parent's wish?

Ponds on Roads

I know am very late to show up with these photographs, but somehow the irony didn't turned out the way I thought (Thank God) and when it rained, though I clicked these pics but forgot to put them here. But as said its better late than never so am here.. LATE (trust me,I hate to be) as usual..

The picture above is not a scene of an old rotten road of a countryside but instead, to be specific its a scene of roads on rainy days in Jalandhar and in general this case prevails in almost every city in India.

I cant say whom to blame for all this mess but what I do know is we cant clap with one hand. Its not only the municipal corporation and its not only we people. Its we both. If, we as people understand our duty well, perform it to 50% of what we are doing these days then the condition around will be far better and you know what, we wont have to depend on corporation to clean up the mess. We just need to be careful by not throwing trash specially poly bags on roads but instead use community dustbins. If we perform our responsibilities well and don't let corporation have a chance to blame us for the increasing pollution then the roads wont be ponds anymore. Its we who can together make a difference so its us to decide where to live and in what conditions.

Decide yourself which place you want to live.. place like <----- this or place like the one below

Certainly we all will choose a beautiful place like the one above. When we move to countries like America, England then, after spending some years out there when we come back to the place where we have spent our major years of life we just don't like to be in a stinky dirty place. But is that the first time we are seeing or feeling it? When we know that place is dirty then what are we doing to make it a beautiful heaven except to condemn it? It is our Mother Land so cant we do a bit of effort to keep it clean? When we follow all rules and regulations in other countries then why cant we follow them here in India? Why do even people coming from abroad forget that not to spit or throw trash on roads? Only because its India and there is no one to fine them? Why do these people make fun of us when we try not to litter on roads and to stand up for India?

Its high time now.. we all need to wake up and show the whole world that we are far better than what they are. Don't depend on anyone for things which you can do yourself. Just learn to stand up for yourself and for your surroundings. Get united to fight the menace of not only environmental pollution but also of the bad habits which we have developed in ourselves of keeping our surroundings unhealthy. Trust me and trust the voice of your heart this World is a very beautiful place to live in and India is a Heaven on Earth so get together and try to make this place what it was before.. A Real Heaven On Earth.

Excerpts of Village Life

There are many amongst us who have never been to a countryside and others who have not breathed in a clean green environment which gives the pure 'mitti ki khushboo' or heart warming fragrance of our Motherland.

Here in this post I will try to take you in a village of Punjab and bring in front of you some excerpts from village life. Last to last weekend I went to village Dhaliwal, near Noormahal, Punjab. Was good to see that there are still villages which are far from the city/industry influence yet uses all the modern methods of farming. Inspite of using modern methods it has such a clean pollution free environment that I loved to be in that environment in first breath.














Don't believe me?? What else can be a better example to show than this photograph I clicked. Just have a look and lets see if you can guess what is it. Anyone guessed? Looks like a pond isn't it? But wait.. its not a clean pond of water .. its a place where in village all the waste water is collected and you wont believe I could stand near this waste water collection(called as 'chappar' in Punjabi) for hours without covering my nose or making any sort of faces. It wasn't stinky at all.. And another good thing I would like to mention is that we stepped out of our car at the place this photograph was taken and I just loved my pollution free first breath :)

The very next thing I had my eyes on was a 'gadda' better called as bullock cart. Bullocks are attached to its front and they move pulling this wooden frame to carry the load. First I thought that people here still use this old way of carrying load but was relieved to find out that this is not used much and is used to carry some stuff from house to farm and why not its easy and pollution free way to move load for small distances. Moreover it doesn't require any sort of petrol.













Just beside that gadda was a shed made where cows were merrymaking in their own houses.. Yes you guessed it right someone has made shed for its cows near his farms. And if you are wondering what are those machines used for in the photograph, then let me have the honor to tell you that those are used to make food for cows. Its feeded from the back end and the round wheel is rotated manually by hand which contains sharp blades that cuts the feed(or pathe as we call). Its really a good physical exercise to do which keeps people fit and healthy and its fun to do too. Aaahh.. i remember my childhood.. We all cousins used to get together and had to have a race to see who does faster and longer and prepares feed for cows. Wish to relive those days once again. :)
















Now before I get lost into my dreamland its time to show you what the lady is upto in this photograph. If anyone one of you is wondering if thats the shit she is working with then you guessed it right. Its cow dung.. source of manure in fields and source of fuel in kitchens. The lady here is making 'pathis' thats what is called in Punjabi. As you can clearly see the shape given to them, as some of the cowdung is given a shape of a pathi its kept aside to dry. Once dried in sun its used as fuel in kitchens. Just in case if your thought process is wondering then let me quench your thirst and tell you that yes, I have even worked like the lady in this picture when I was a small kid who loved to help her grandmother.














This one clearly shows what it is. A farmer ploughing his fields with a tractor while the white migratory birds are resting peacefully. No wonder birds love to go to villages than to stay in cities. I wish I was a bird who could easily breathe in a clean fresh air. Uncle whom we visited also told that there were two peacocks often seen somewhere near this field but my tough luck.. there was none seen that day :(


















You all might have seen this hut shaped kind of structures in fields while traveling. These are known as 'koop' in Punjabi. The seeds from crop is removed and the leftover remains or stalks of that crop are collected and stored in it(leftover is known as 'tudi' in Punjabi).

This kind of structure protects it from eroding away with rain or wind and is used for many purposes one of the major one being mixing in cows feed.













How can I not tell you about the plane shaped water tanks made on roof top in many houses in villages. Houses whose sons are gone abroad can be easily identified.. you just need to check the roof top if it has a plane shaped water tank. Of course it isn't the case with everyone but yes most of them are like that.

But I was astonished to see this plane of Air Canada, and am sure you will also be.. Why? Because its not just a water tank shaped plane, its a room. Yes, a room made in the shape of an airplane . Strange yet true. A flight not to be missed!















We don't need any water purifiers!
I am not saying this but this photograph is. Carefree and life full of physical exercise leads to a healthy health. These children and all other villagers who dont have any purifier but a handpump in their houses dont require any aquagaurd. They drink natural and pure water. Aren't they leading a healthier life than us?

By the way what does a child want? No restrictions and full time masti.. that is to live a childhood full of kiddish things.. No stopping from anything just letting children to be children.. I wonder if I have spent such a care free life. Have you?

We and our government are lazy but villagers are not. Have you ever seen rain water harvesting anywhere? I have and its always been in a village not only because people have a lot of space over there but because they know the true value of Water.

All of us have seen a brick factory and for those who haven't can see it in this photograph. But what many of you might not have seen is water collected before it. This is not done through pumps and stuff but its rain water which is collected. Does this not sound great?















Finally we started from village for entering into an unpeaceful environment which is full of educated intellectuals but lacks the basic sense of living to keep our environment clean and beautiful.

Wonder why we call ourselves as educated when we could not even do 25% of what villagers do to live in a healthy and pollution free environment saving all what they can, not only consuming but also trying to return to Mother Nature all what they can.

This was a small excerpt of village life from my and my camera's eye. My experience in being a village had always been excellent. There are a lot more things which occur in a daily village life. I didnt had time to capture all those but I tried all what I could to show my readers.

Have you ever been to a village? How was the experience? Do share your views/thoughts/experiences with me by just typing it out in the comment box.