Reproduced Imagery

“If you see the world in black and white, you’re missing the important grey matter.”

Similar is the motif. Journalist Sydney J. Harris once quoted as saying, “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”

The line may seem complex on reading once or maybe twice, however isn’t so abstract after the third. Looking into the mirror one may get eyeful of oneself, which limits our view to become a social evil, to become full of “me”.

However, education makes us clairvoyant. It fades the mirror to become window, provide with the much needed perspective and an outward look. The view of the horizon of opportunities, through the window of education is serene, (Yes, despite of the concrete monsters, having a tendency to block the view) just like the opportunities one gets on gaining higher education.

However, the students now know failure isn’t an option but an inevitable truth. We all are set to chase down our dreams, to become leaders of tomorrow.

Abhishek Mantri

SPC, Pune

abhishekmantri9@gmail.com

Are all Engineering Students Bath DEPRIVED!!

When was the last time you took bath? Asks a friend of mine to a fellow student and instantly came the reply four days back (instant as in he had already taken note of the number of days!). Welcome to the world of an ordinary Engineering Student where taking a bath is a luxury!

The first few months in college obviously starts with following the good habits that our parents have inculcated in us over time. I still remember the very first morning in college when I woke up at 6 in the morning, took my stuff and went straight to the washroom, by 6:30 I was ready and did my small offering to god, read the newspaper and by then it was time for breakfast. Today, I don’t even remember the last time I went to mess for breakfast!

The first years are still better off as they at least take the pain of bathing in a couple of days! My seniors are the true reflection of what we will be in days to come. It doesn’t take long for a couple of days to change into a couple more or sometimes into a week. For most, it has converted to a symbol of pride and a matter that needs no discussion. Exam days means a week, Class Days means a couple and Weekends obviously never!

The maximum loss because of this very unacceptable phenomenon is to the poor soap manufacturers who are doing their business on the assumption that all men take bath daily. I think they must come up with a strategy (advertisement or awareness or something out of the box) that focuses specifically on student community taking bath daily. I am sure they are bound to experience rocket growth in their sales.

Over years our position in society has been redefined again and again by factors like strength, knowledge, power and money but all these things hold little value in college. In college what defines you is the frequency of your trips to washroom (for bathing purpose only!). While I think there can be a thesis on the correlation between Bathing and academic performance, I will better leave that to the more interested people.

Never in my life had I devoted so much time on thinking about something as trivial as bathing but then again that was before I came to college. I don’t know if this is a new phenomenon that is being created or this is an age old secret (that our parents never told us about). I don’t know if this happens with only engineering students or this is a phenomenon common to all forms of study. I don’t even know if this is just India or it’s realized worldwide. But then I think it is high time we know this, after all we are talking about BATHING!

Sanchit Kumar

Vellore Institute of Technology

वही पुराना स्विच बोर्ड

पहले दिन जब हम ट्रेनिंग के लिए दूरदर्शन भवन पहुचे तो सरकारी कार्यालय के सोते हुए सिस्टम ने हमारा स्वागत किया और पूरा एक घंटा सेमिनार हॉल में व्यर्थ बैठने के बाद हमे ज्ञात हुआ कि हमारी सारी उत्साहिकता पे बड़े ही प्यार से पानी नहीं चाय फेर दिया गया था | इतने लम्बे इंतज़ार के बाद कहीं जाकर एक महोदय आये और उन्होंने आधे घंटे का लेक्चर दिया जिसका एक अक्षर भी हमारे पल्ले न प ड़ा क्यूँकि उन्हें ये भी नहीं पता था की सामने बैठा बैच कौन सा है |खैर लंच ब्रेक हुआ तो हमने कैंटीन की तरफ रुख किया | बाहर से एक मामूली सी कैंटीन दिखने वाला उस भवन का वो कोना बाद में हमारा ट्रेनिंग पे आने का soul reason बन जायेगा ये तो हमे पता ही नहीं था, भीतर जाकर जब हमारी नज़र रेट लिस्ट पे पड़ी तो हमारी आँखें खुली की खुली रह गयी, मात्र दस रुपये में लजीज आलू के परांठे, सात रुपये में CCD की कॉफ़ी, २�¥ ¦ रुपये में मसाला डोसा इत्यादि | एक बार फिर हम हर्षोल्लास से भर गए | कम पैसों में भर पेट खाना खा कर इतनी ख़ुशी हुई तो हमे लगा ज़रा अपने दोस्तों को भी इस बात से अवगत किया जाए. धडाधड़ whatsapp का प्रयोग किया गया. रेट लिस्ट की फोटो भेज कर हम ऐसे प्रसंचित्त थे जैसे हमारी वहां नौकरी लग गयी हो. फिर तो हर निर्धारित दिन पर कार्यालय जाकर पहले जितना ज्ञान समेट पाते समेटते और फिर पहुच जाते थे कैंटीन| एक दिन हमे पता चला कि भवन के दूसरे तल पर भी एक mini canteen है.हम ऐसे कैसे किसी भी खजाने को हाथ जाने देते तो अगले ही दिन हम वहां भी पहुच गए | पता चला की यहाँ तो ज्यादा अच्छी कॉफ़ी मिलती है, फिर हमारा अड्डा ज़रा शिफ्ट हो गया | उस मिनी कैंटीन में काम करने वाले भैया काफी मिलनसार हैं| एक रोज़ यूँ ही वो हमे कुछ रेगुलर कस्टमर के बारे में बताने लगे, हम भी बातूनी कम कहाँ हैं हमने उनकी बातों में रूचि ली तो वो �¤ �र खुल कर बातें करने लगे और बातों बातों में हमने पूछा कि आप यहाँ कब से काम कर रहे हो ? 
” पांच साल हो गए हैं .जब मैंने यहाँ काम शुरू किया था तो आधे से ज्यादा कमरे और फ्लोर खाली थे तब DD NEWS नहीं था इनके पास. फिर धीरे धीरे सरकार ने और पैसा लगाया और लोग बढ़ते गए. हर फ्लोर के हर कमरे में रूम डिलीवरी करता हूँ. यहाँ कोई ऐसा नहीं होगा जो मुझे ना जानता हो | दिन भर में हर कमरे में चक्कर लग जाते हैं| अब तो इन के साथ काम करके इनके जैसा ही हो गया हूँ| जब नया नया आया था तो बहुत परेशान हुआ था, लग�¤ �ा था इनके पास पर power है इसलिए डरता था पर अब पता चल गया है कोई power नहीं है इनके पास| अब अपनी मर्ज़ी से काम करता हूँ| एक साहब ने आधे घंटे पहले कॉफ़ी मंगायी थी अब तक नहीं ले गया, बैठे होंगे वो इंतज़ार में.”
ये बोल कर वो बड़ी ही बेबाकी से हँस दिया |
हम हैरान थे हमने कहा आप जाकर उन्हें कॉफ़ी दे आइये वरना…
हम अपनी बात पूरी भी नहीं कर पाए थे कि वो बोल उठा ” वो मेरे काम में गोली देते हैं तो मैं उनके काम में गोली दूंगा. इनके हाथ में कुछ नहीं है, एक स्विच तो लगवा नहीं सकते ये | कितना बोला मैंने कि coffeemaker के लिए एक नया स्विच बोर्ड चाहिए पर सब को सिर्फ दुसरे पे काम टालना आता है. हर बड़े अफसर के अचानक से हाथ बंध जाते हैं और खुद को सबसे powerful कहने वाले अफसर को अचानक से ऊपर बैठे आला अफसरों की याद आ जाती है. मुझे कोई डर नहीं है इनका.”
जिस तरह वो उन सारे बड़े अफसरों को “इनके” कह कर एक पल खुद से छोटा सिद्ध कर दे रहा था वो हमारे लिए आश्चर्यजनक था. कुछ देर पहले जो आदमी हमे रोज़ आने जाने वाले बच्चो के मजेदार किस्से सुना रहा था वो अब हमे अपनी आखों से देश का सिस्टम दिखा रहा था. 
एक बार जो उसने बोलना शुरू किया तो लगा जैसे सालों से एकत्रित किया सारा गुबार वो आज निकल कर ही मानेगा | फिर तो उसने कई ऐसे कच्चे चिट्ठे खोले | उसने हमे बताया कि कुछ साल पहले vacancy के नाम पे दो पोस्ट निकाले गए थे जिसके लिए डेढ़ लाख से भी ज्यादा फॉर्म आये थे पर उन बेचारे डेढ़ लाख भारतियों को कहाँ पता था कि उनके फॉर्म महज समोसे खाने के काम आये थे क्यूँकि जो दो vacancy निकली थी उनके वारिस तो पहले ही र ोजाना उसी भवन में पार्टी कर रहे थे |
“मैंने तो फॉर्म भरने के बारे में सोचा भी नहीं क्यूँकि मुझे पता था कि कंप्यूटर पे जिस तेज़ी से “number of applications ” बढ़ रही हैं उतने ही ज्यादा इन अफसरों की शाम कि पार्टी का इंतज़ाम हो रहा है. मैं ही तो कॉफ़ी, चाय , सूप बना कर ले जाता था | मैं यहीं सही हूँ कम से कम सबको इमानदार coffee पिला कर ख़ुशी तो मिलती है ! इनके बीच इनके जैसा काम मुझसे ना हो पायेगा| “
इन सब हकीकतों से हम वाकिफ तो पहले भी थे पर इस तरह से कभी किसी को बोलते हुए नहीं देखा था | एक आम कॉफ़ी बनाने वाला हमे हमारे ही हाल से रूबरू करा रहा था. हमे कुछ बोलने कि ना तो ज़रुरत पड़ रही थी न ही वो हमे मौका दे रहा था. 
” फॉर्म तो मैंने भरा भी नहीं , भर भी देता तो कुछ ना होना था और वैसे भी हाई स्कूल फेल इंसान को कौन नौकरी देगा | पढाई तो मैंने तब छोड़ दी थी जब मेरे TC पे उन्होंने लिख दिया था ‘फीस न जमा करने के कारण नाम काटा गया ‘| “
वो कुछ देर के लिए शांत हो गया |
हमे लगा शायद उसे इस बात का पछतावा है या शायद गम है कि गरीबी के कारण फीस न जमा कर पाया और पढाई अधूरी रह गयी|हम अपने मन में कुछ राय बना ही रहे थे कि वो दुबारा बोल पड़ा..
” अरेफीस ना पूरी दी होती तो क्या बोर्ड से मेरा परीक्षा पत्र आ जाता | वो तो तभी मिलता है जब कोई फीस बकाया ना हो. मैंने कहा उनसे कि मेरी फीस पूरी जमा है पर किसी ने मेरी एक ना सुनी. प्रधानाचार्य तक के पास गया कि सर ऐसा क्यूँ कर रहे हो पर उनके पास भी कोई जवाब नहीं था.” 
उसकी आवाज में झल्लाहट साफ़ झलक रही थी, गुस्सा था पर पछतावा नहीं | 
” नवी क्लास में इतना होशियार था मैं पढने में very good था, हिंदी इतनी अच्छी थी कि सब तारीफ करते थे पर पता नहीं किस बात का बदला ले रहे थे| बस तभी मैंने पढाई छोड़ दी. कसम खा ली कि अब कभी नहीं पढूंगा”
हमसे रहा न गया और हमने बोला ” पर भैया इससे नुक्सान तो आपका ही हुआ न जिसने ऐसा किया उससे तो कोई फर्क भी नहीं पड़ा. पढाई कितनी ज़रूरी है…”
और एक बार फिर उसने हमारी बात काट दी ” उस TC को लेकर मैं जिस भी जगह जाता सबको यह लगता या तो ये कोई गुंडा बदमाश है जिसे स्कूल से निकाल दिया गया या फिर इतना गरीब है कि फीस नहीं दे पाया तो कॉलेज की फीस क्या भरेगा” विद्या का महत्व पता है मुझे पर विद्या केजब मुझे धोखा दे दिया तो अब मुझे दुबारा कोशिश नहीं करनी यहीं ठीक हूँ मैं. यही हाल है UP का | आज भी वो कागज का टुकड़ा है मेरे पास जिसपे लिखा है ‘ फीस न जमा करने की वजह से नाम काटा गया ‘ , खून खौल उठता है उसे देख कर “
उसकी आवाज में दर्द था, आँखों में गुस्सा पर होंठों पे एक बेबाक सी मुस्कान | 
हम अब हर तरह से निरुत्तर हो चुके थे | गुनेहगार कौन था ये तो ना उसे पता था ना हमे, कोई “वो” था जिसने एक आम आदमी के भविष्य के साथ घिनोना मज़ाक किया था | उसने कोई जवाब नहीं माँगा था पर हम सवालों से घिर गए थे, उसकी बातों ने हमारे मन में इतने प्रश्न चिन्ह बना दिए थे कि हमसे कुछ बोला ही नहीं जा रहा था | तभी वहां कुछ कस्टमर्स आ गए और वो आदमी जिसने अभी अभी हमे अन्दर तक झकझोर दिया था, अपनी कुर्सी से उठा और आर्डर के अनुसार लेमन टी बनाने लगा. वही पुराने से स्विच बोर्ड का बटन ऑन करके वो अपनी ज़िन्दगी में वापस चला गया और हम बस “कल फिर आएंगे” कह कर वहां से चले गए.

~~ हमने ज़िन्दगी से न कीमती खजाने मांगे थे
ना बेवजह खुशियों के बहाने मांगे थे
रात हो तो चैन की नींद आ जाये जहाँ 
ले दे कर कुछ ऐसे ठिकाने मांगे थे ~~

Arzoo Jaiswal

KIET Ghaziabad

Just Ordinary

Wat to do wat not to….
When ol d pressure is on you…..
D work put on me is wat I cant do…..
So plz turn me into a function onto…….
I M NOT EINSTEIN…..I M NOT NEWTON….
I m just an ordinary kid with dreams of buying BENETTON……
I miss my mom…I miss my dad….
But that doesn’t make…. my maths glad…….
I can play cricket…ol day long…..
But not in physics which asks change in momentum of the ball……
I M NOT PASCAL…..I M NOT BERNOULLI….
I m just an ordinary kid wid dreams of buying RED FERRARI…..
I still try..i still pray….
But my determination is not up to d way…..
I feel lonely..i feel ditched….
When ques of limits result in no ball wicket fixed….
I m hungry wid fading hunger….
Hope my hunger doesn’t make my IIT DREAM blunder……
Coz I M NOT GAUSS….I M NOT IMTIYAZ….
I m just an ordinary kid wd dreams of a happy family mere yaar….. 

Delhi Technological University (DTU)

I am a Wo‘man’

Many renowned philosophers have written impeccable thesis on how a woman is indeed a powerful creation of god. Thousands of poets and authors have done there bit in the past and are still working on proving that women are no less than men. Here I am trying to unfold a woman’s life through my eyes.

Woman the word itself says wo“man”. Only a woman holds the dual power to take the charge of being a woman as well as a man. Have you ever wondered why a girl is called “beta” (boy in Hindi) at times while the boy is always the “beta” and never the “beti” (Girl in Hindi)? That is because only a beti can be a beta for her family as and when required. 

From the moment the doctor cuts the umbilical cord and announces “It’s a baby girl” take it as a blessing of god because only a girl can be a boy when it comes to protecting her family, only a girl can be herself when it comes to making her parents proud, only a girl willingly supports her family even when she gets married. Hence, only she has the power to act as “he” as well. 

From high school she learns how her first relationship (which she thought was love) was just a trailer of the rough life ahead. She laughs out loud hiding her tears behind, learning to move on. Only she knows how it feels while taking the 7th phera, leaving all the memories behind and accepting her partner’s last name for the rest of her life. 

She has it all, from being a baby girl to a daughter, from being a wife to a mother, she has the power to keep the universe alive. She is the source of life and one can never underestimate her importance. This one is to all the beautiful women for being so patient and devoting all your life and to all the men who must value her for being an unconditional support throughout their life. 

Tanvi Mahajan

Kirori Mal College

शंपा

A message from those young married hearts

Everyone has the right to dream but this is not true for millions of girls in many states of India. Today we are talking and debating on girls right to education and health, what about their right to dream?? Shouldn’t that be dealt with first? Before they can even begin to realize their aspirations, they are forced into marriage. At the tender age of 14-15 they are expected to be a wife, sexual partner, mother, & daughter-in-laws. One third of the marriages in India are child marriages. We all are aware about the statistics, and never fail to quote them, without realizing their actual implication and effects on the poor little child. Sadly, we fail to see the plight of the child bride. What about getting physically, mentally and sexually exploited every night and being unable to object? What about getting pregnant as a child yourself, and facing multiple abortions? These are much greater than the daily stresses that we face in our own lives. In many states of India sex ratio is strikingly low. A girl child either gets killed by forced abortion or if she somehow manages to be born she will be killed by boiling milk, by being buried alive or being suffocate to death in earthen pots. Resulting into the groom’s family giving money to bride’s family because very few girls are left for marriage and it becomes more like auctions, considering that the parents are normally economically weak .The parents then force their daughter to marry. This poem is about a girl called Shampa in conversation with her mother, forcing her to get married. The question I raise is- “Is it a curse being a girl? Because either you will die on the day you are born or luckily if you somehow survive your dreams will be killed every single day.

पेड़ की टहनियो से झूलते हुए,

और दूर से ढलते हुए सूरज को देखते हुए

ये सोच रही थी शंपा

हूँ में बापू का बोझ?या माँ की मजबूरी?

क्या छोटू गुस्सा है मुझसे? या मुनिया है रूठी ?

ना तो माँ से ज़िद की थी चूड़ियों की,

ना बापू से माँगा रुपया.

फिर क्यों भेज रहे है उस गॉव मुझे,

जो ना जानू में किस दरिया के पार.

ये सुन माँ बोली ,

सुन री छोरी,

ये तो रीत हे कोरी.

तेरे ब्याह से जो पेसा आएगा,

छोटू तेरा पढ़ जाएगा, मुनिया तेरी पढ़ जाएगी.

घर पे छत भी दल जाएगी, ब्याज भी अपना उतार जाएगा.

यह सुन शंपा माँ से बोली,

मेंने पैर दबाए थे तेरे जब छोटू नही माना था

स्कूल जाना छोड़ा मेने, मुनिया का बचपन सवारने को.

ब्याज चुकाने के लिए, मेरा सौदा कर,

मुझे तो खोया तूने मूल चुकाने के लिए,

मुनिया को ना तू खो देना

यू तो भोर हुई थी,

सूरज आया था चढ के,

पर दूर से पेड़ की टहनियों से झूलती हुए

शंपा देख रही थी उसे ढलते हुए ….

उसे ढलते हुए……

Meenal Choubey

National Law Institute University Bhopal

meenal.choubey2292@gmail.com

Intern days

Hello folks! Here i am all set to share my internship experience. I believe i got a once in a lifetime opportunity to intern in IIT guwahati last summer. Just after the month long end semester exams ended, i was all set for my internship. Being a day scholar in my college, it was for the first time i was moving to the hostel with two of my friends. We were excited and skeptical at the same time. After shifting to the hostel, we started our project from the very next day.The professor who was our guide had to leave for a conference in IIT bombay, so he assigned us the work that we had to do in our project. We worked under one of Sir’s PhD students. We were allotted computers in the laboratory where we mostly worked.It was in this lab where we did all our work. We used to get assignments and every time we simulated an assigned circuit, we got a new one. Trust me it was very interesting! The joy that one gets after the long tried and discuss ed circuit simulates perfectly is just awesome. Writing the codes, fixing the errors, obtaining a perfectly simulated circuit was the sequence that repeated itself with every new program. It felt as if i was really enjoying my work. Every time we got stuck somewhere in our work, bhaiya(phd student) was always there for the help. His patience was incredible! This is all about the day time. Evenings were another fun part. We took long walks around the beautiful and serene campus, ate good food, chatted about almost anything that hit our eyes,laughed a lot and were always there for each other. In the night we used to try to finish off any assignments given to us and if we didn’t have any, we watched movies. Everyday just got better than the previous one. It was for the first time, i was learning some real good stuff(my project), enjoying and loving everything that happened to me at the same time. These were some of the best days of my life! For all those who are yet to intern and aspire for it, wish u all the best!!

Laxmi Chachan

Assam Engineering College

A big fat Indian wedding…

India.. When u ask a foreigner friend of yours that when he/she hears this word, what’s the first thing which strikes his/her mind? You might think he/she would say Bollywood, Indian dishes and spices, Indian Festivals or if not these then Kama Sutra, but surprisingly, while having a conversation with a friend of mine, i was startled when she ignored all of these and answered, Indian weddings! After that conversation, i kind of got curious and looked for the divorce rate in India. I was surprised to find that India has the lowest divorce rate in the world! Now most of you would say, Yeah.. It’s because of our culture and traditions and Vedas and we raise our children in such a way etc etc.. Well all these might be most of the reasons but these aren’t all of them. We are missing a big reason which from decades has saved the Indian marriages and you like it or not, it’s none other than the dowry system. In next few lines, I would try to summarize what happen s in most of the North Indian weddings. 

So it starts off with the relatives of the soon to be bride say A, saying, Awww… now A has come of age, it’s the right time for her to marry. The clever relatives know that now A’s parents are going to ask if the relatives know of some decent guy for their beautiful daughter, so they’ll come prepared with a list. In few modern families, the parents would also ask if the girl already has got a boy friend and if she’s willing to marry him and few would look on matrimonial websites as well. After short listing few candidates, just like hiring process of a company, Interviews would be conducted. Both the parties would try to enquire about each other just like the policemen do when they come for background check of the person who has applied for a passport! After making sure that the other party is of the same caste, same or more stature in society, then they’ll (only valid for upper middle class and high class families), ask for the confirmation of the soon to be bride, A and groom, B. Now comes the dowry part, If B is an engineer/doctor, then the bid will start from about 10 lakhs. If he graduated from a good college, then 15 L it is. If his package lies between 5 and 10 LPA then the amount of dowry rises by another 10-15 lakhs. The amount keeps on rising keeping the academic qualification and groom’s income in mind and finally after negotiations, an amount is fixed say 40 lakhs n a sedan and 40 lakhs 1, 40 lakhs 2, 40 lakhs 3, done! With this, the lifetime rent for the bride who can now occupy her new home after the wedding, has been settled now.

Now the day of wedding arrives preceded by lots of other pre marriage functions but let’s not deviate from the topic.. A big banquet hall, lit up by spectacular lights! Big dining hall having at least 15 different types of dishes, 5 different types of breads, 20 different types of desserts and tens of other food items, helping the count of food items to cross a century! The bride’s party would be busy in making sure the groom’s party and the guests taste each n every item and few hungry kids would be lurking at the banquet hall’s wall, hoping that at least one dish is left and then thrown in the garbage so that at least today they don’t have to go to bed, i.e. the footpath, with empty stomachs.. On the other hand the guests, who when prepare maggi at their homes, lick the entire plate, will today just take a bite of every item n throw the rest because it’s their right as they have paid the ‘Shagun’ (It’s a custom in India to give m oney as a gift if you are invited for a marriage). On the dance floor, you’ll find drunk uncles of the groom and the bride who think they are dancing like Prabhu deva but are actually dancing more like Dharmendra! The guests after eating 10% food in their plates and throwing the rest 90% in the dustbin would now sit and stare at the soon to be married couple and gossip about who’s better looking, out of the two and would keep on estimating the amount of the dowry. The groom would be wearing a Sherwani of more than 50 grand and shoes of another 10 grand, that too just for the first and the last time! After the marriage, it’ll be hung like a sword is hung in a museum which would be seen every now n then but would never be used again. The bride’s clothes and jewellery would be worth at least 10 times that of the groom both in value as well as in weight.

After the dinner, when the remaining food has been dumped in the dustbins, it’s time now for the traditional Indian wedding ceremony. A priest would initiate the havan, also called as Yagya (Yajna), in simple words the priest would light up a fire in a container and ask the groom to put that much amount of ghee in the fire, which is 10 times the amount an average poor family can get in an entire month! Then the priest would chant and would keep on decorating the container with rice, wheat, sweets n what not. If you are thinking that all this food would later be eaten by someone then well.. that’s not going to happen at any cost because according to the priest, God wants him to waste the food in this way so that the couple always stays healthy n wealthy, certainly a logic, which I’ll never understand.. Now after completion of every sentence priest would utter Swaahaa which means it’s time to put Samagri (a mixture of wood shavings, ghee, leaves and few othe r things) in the burning container and most importantly it’s time now to take out a 100 rupee bill, at every Swaaha, and hand this hard earned money to the priest. After few minutes, no one would understand a word what the priest says but like a trained animal, they’ll keep on putting ghee n samagri in the fire n money in priest’s pocket. Now after the vows have been taken, the bride’s party would complete their part of the deal i.e. gift the Sedan to the groom and the remaining items of dowry as well. Someone would go to drop the priest to his temple as his pocket is overflowing with money and he’s feeling a bit uncomfortable in carrying it. The groom’s party, will leave with the bride, hence marking the successful completion of the deal. 

Now except the dowry, wastage of the food and money given to the priest, marriages are similar in the rest of the world too. But still after this, so many divorces occur in the rest of the world but not that much in India. Why? The answer is.. Dowry! Now after going to the groom’s home if the girl finds out about the cruel nature of her in laws, she has no other option other than to fulfil each n every wish of her husband and her in laws because if she bails out from the deal now, the investment which her parents made, would give zero returns!! So few fight but most of the brides accept the miserable life and slowly get used to it.. 

I didn’t plan to write this article at all initially, but then something happened.. There’s a friend of mine. His sister just like most of the girls, had dreamt of a fantabulous marriage. She would be wearing magnificent dress which would be appreciated by everyone and she would be loved and adored by a handsome man who would respect her and his parents would treat her just like they treat their own daughter. Finally the most special day of her life came. She couldn’t have wished for a better day and all her dreams were coming true. Then as per Indian traditions, it was time for her to part from her birth parents and be a part of a new family and hence the deal completed. But after few days, they started harassing her. Her husband whom she thought would be her saviour, turned into a demon. Her in laws, whom she tried to obey like her own parents, made her life like a living hell.. What could’ve she done at this point of time?? If she would have tried to br eak off from the marriage, it would have brought a bad name to her parents and moreover not even a single penny out of the hard earned money which her parents gave to her in laws as dowry would come back to them. She had already tried the other option of making the marriage work by bearing all the brunt herself, but that hadn’t helped as well.. Helpless and tired of trying all the available options of working out the marriage and to further avoid the pain her married life was causing to her, she committed suicide… The dreams which she n her parents had seen for the past 25 years, since the day she was born, took less than 25 days to get smashed up. What good did that huge amount of money do, which was involved in this marriage? Instead of making everyone happy for the rest of their life, it became the cause of her death!!

I’m not saying don’t celebrate or don’t spend money on the marriage at all but all i’m saying is be logical and ask yourself why and is it worth it?? Don’t be a miser all your life just to save enough money and waste it on the day of your child’s marriage. I know trying to find the perfect groom for your daughter, who will accept your daughter not in lieu of money but for who she is, isn’t going to be easy, but I would say instead of saving lakhs of rupees for last 25 years and then spending it all on that single day, try to invest in your daughter’s education and her endeavours so that just like the guys, even she can earn on her own and stand on her own feet. Giving a huge amount of dowry and spending lakhs in her marriage is not going to help her earn self-respect and happiness in her new family, but making her self sufficient, definitely will. A married couple is like two strong pillars holding the roof of their relationship. For av oiding the roof to fall, both the pillars need to be similar. If not, putting a pile of money over one of the pillars just for the roof to be in balance, might help temporarily but just a spark is enough to incinerate the entire relationship…

Sarvesh Allawadi

BITS Pilani

sarvesh.allawadi@gmail.com

To follow one’s dreams? Or to follow what’s ‘safe’?

So I’ve been told quite frequently these following words – “ This guy, no matter how many times you try to talk sense to him, his thick skull always gets in the way.” Well, most of the time it’s in Tamil, sometimes in English, and once or twice if memory serves well, in Hindi.
Now, the context for them all vary. In one case, it’s like insults. Ranging from yo-mama jokes to insults about my appearance, gender, math skills (Shut up and stop laughing, I still passed so HA! ) and mostly academics. Most of my close friends already know that unless I’m unsure or ask for advice myself, I wouldn’t take their advice, even if they’re right. I suppose you could call me stubborn, dum, short-sighted, proud, egoistical etc. And maybe I’m all of that , or none of that.

But here’s the real thing, every bit of advice I get, whether It’s good or bad, I always listen. I may not follow, but I always listen, and consider what would happen if I do follow it. Most of the advice I receive from my friends are always centred on trying to help me, or shield me from mistakes I could be making. It’s quite heart-warming to find that even though I could be a condescending jerk at times, they still look out for me and blah blah. But I wonder, what if I said that the only reason I don’t follow their advice, I don’t share their concern is because it doesn’t make me happy to follow them? That even though my actions right now could be making me happy for like a month or two, and end up hurting me for a year later, I’d still do it?
Well, If you’re going to ask why on earth would anyone do something as stupid as that, I’m going to give you a cliché answer – “Life is about being happy”

I know right. Lame. Unrealistic. Unlike what we were trained to think since childbirth.
“Life isn’t about being happy, life’s about being smart, surviving, and coming out on top.”
And let me ask you. Why? Why about survival? Why do you guys want to get high end jobs? To give you comfort in your old age? You’d rather waste 40 years of your life with specialized education and working night shifts in your office to earn 2 lakhs per month so that when you’re 60 you can retire and spend the twilight years of your life in a fancy arm-chair?
Well, I have nothing against that plan. It’s a good plan actually. Insurance. Certainty. You’re sure to lead a comfortable life with 20 servants looking after things for you and your family. If That’s what makes you happy, go for it! I’d be the first guy who would support you if that‘s what makes you feel worth it. But ask yourselves this – How many people like you have already achieved that, and when they’re old and tired, how many have regrets so deep that carrying them alone kills them?
“I wish I could’ve become a professional paint-ball champion”
“I wish I tried climbing the Himalayas”
“I wish I became an ethical hacker”
“I wish I followed my dream of being an international guitarist”
“I wish I could’ve become a gym-trainer”
“I wish I became a director”
“I wish I became a pilot”
“I wish I became an artist”
“I wish I could travel around the world”
“I wish I became a masterchef”
Oh I could go on forever.
I ask them, “Why couldn’t you?” They answer – “It was a stupid dream, not really useful in the real world.”
Then why are we still carrying on like this? Are you really going to blame it on the system?
“This education system is the issue! They make engineers and doctors seem like the best! The mindset of society that if you’re not an engineer you can’t win in this country.” Go ahead then. Do whatever the society tells you. Be AFRAID of adversity. Be AFRAID of disappointment emanating from people you care about. Let that fear guide you to do what others want you to. Don’t take risks. Be smart. AVOID the consequences ENTIRELY.
Makes so much sense when I say that right? It’s because it’s not the society’s mindset, it’s YOURS. There are people all around who make it amazingly well even thought they don’t follow engineering. Maybe they got their B.Tech degrees, or even masters, but in the end, it’s always only a backup for them. They don’t be people they don’t want to be. They follow their dreams, and as simple as that, they achieve them. Sure you could say it’s not that simple. There are always pitfalls and stuff. OBVIOUSLY. Do you think you’re so special that people would give you whatever you want? You’re nothing. You mean absolutely nothing. You always did. Don’t let anyone tell you different, because it’s a lie. And if you want to be something, be the one who wants to be something. That’s the start.
I want to show you guys a small video, my friend Saran Rishi in my class made about his upcoming short film the perceptionist. He’s a B.Tech student btw,and not that attuned for it either. He wants to be a director. And his passion is so strong, you can almost feel it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atWWHSaKd2o

Obviously, I love it. I think it’s pure genius. And for a B.Tech student to come up with this with a limited budget, a hostelite who has very little time outside campus (college rules), he made this just like that. Oh, he didn’t need a B.Tech degree for this btw. Just saying.
I want to be a guitarist. My main genre of interest is metal. My own mother thinks it’s noise and not worth playing. More than 90% of my friends think what I’m playing is crap. A few know that I worked hard to get my skill at this level. I don’t have inborn talent. But with over 90% of people telling me to stop, why am I continuing making ‘Noise’? Because I like it. I know that I’d get very little appreciation. I know that I may end up being called a guitarist wannabee, hell I bet some people already call me that. Over 3.5 years of playing the guitar, and THIS bullshit was my first recording.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H72LbAuTm1E

I myself think its crap. Not even worth replaying. But I uploaded it anyway. Why? Because I worked hard to be able to confidently play something like THAT. I have NO inborn talent. I have NO high speed learning potential. I’m just an average guy who plays the guitar because he likes it. I touch my guitar, All I can think of is just what I can play, how I can play, and why am I thinking this when I could be playing? I cant express what I fell when I do play my guitar. It’s content, happiness, joy, everything is just beautiful, amazing, and I feel so happy, it’s almost unrivalled.
I don’t want to loose this feeling to something as mundane as a fancy arm chair made of sandalwood. I don’t want to lose it to be able to order 20 servants around to pick me up and carry me up the himalayas, I don’t want to lose it to wasting my life working for a company to whom I’m just an investment, and not even human. I want to keep it. And I will. To the grave.
I just hope You guys can understand what I want to tell you. I have so many things I want to get out of my head to tell all you guys. People who care about me, or not.
Dream on.

Srihari S

Amrita School of Engineering

s.srihari@outlook.com

http://ssrihari.wordpress.com/

Trying to find neverland….

Mar. 28, 2013 No Comments Posted under: Uncategorized

What next? Argh. Don’t you just hate that question?

I Got into Media College based on a decision I made during the last term of school. But that kind of easy last minute decision-making is not going to do it this time and I know that for sure. One year from now, I will be done with college and then what? What do I really want to do? I fear the answer is “ I’m still thinking about it and I’m going to figure it out through the course of next year”. But that answer is no more valid I hear.

I walked into mum’s office today and asked her “What do you think I am going to do after I am done with college ma?” and she stared blankly at my face and said, “I don’t know, I have to think about it…” I finally picked myself up and asked her “amma, are you okay with me studying anywhere outside Chennai, within India?” Somehow I expected her to say “of course, its your decision” but she said “I need to talk to your dad about it, give us tonight and I will tell you tomorrow.” I said, “okay” with a face that I was trying so hard to keep happy. I also told her about the colleges I had in mind. And she said “okay I will get back to you.” and then I asked her “amma what if you say no and that I cant study away from here..? I need to find alternative colleges here also right?” and she turned to me with a look that I interpreted said “exactly that. Go figure tha t out”.

I walked out of the room and walked up the stairs, got into my room, put my bag aside and lay down on my bed and then slowly I began to realize that I was crying. I don’t know why, but I’m guessing it is that feeling of uncertainty that comes with youth, as people say.

All of a sudden being clueless upsets me, especially for a girl who decided to celebrate her confusions, as she had time. And time is what I don’t have right now. I was up until today never afraid of a blank page, but do I still feel the same way about blank pages, not knowing what to write about or what to write further? Questions are easy, answers are difficult. I am so desperately trying to give myself answers and just when I seem to be on the verge of finding something, my blood people don’t quite see what I see. Ironic right? Actually…no. Pathetic is the word for how I feel. Especially since all my friends know exactly what they are going to do after college.

Going with the flow was and is never my type. I believe in “prepare and fight head on” but I failed at what I believe in. I am not prepared and I don’t know what or whom I am fighting. Is it the pressure of turning 20 and racing towards adulthood that I am terrified of or is it the want not to disappoint people? Is it the feeling of growing into something that I have only seen other people become? I don’t know. All I know is I hate change and I hate having to grow up.

And all of a sudden I wish I was peter pan, who was young, is young, and always will be young. Forever.

Sruthi Laya

AAT media college

http://cookielaya.blog.com/