Sick Leave

        Thanks to my superb metabolism,amazing mom and laziness,I have always been a healthy child!(Laziness because lazy kids don't go out to play in the rain,and hence don't catch horrible colds!)I hadn't been to a doctor's in like ages.In a perfect world,i wouldn't have had to,ever(nothing against my doctor buds,you guys earn an honest living,it's just my chronic fear of syringes needles and well,hospital smells);but this world is far from perfect,and thats how my "sick leave" began!
        It was the worst possible start i could imagine,to the new semester!Or maybe it wasn't so bad after all,considering i got free attendance for over a week,so,can't really complain acads-wise!THe symptoms are all the same;so much are the similarities that now I've started prescribing my meds to people when I see an "unwell" status on whatsapp!It's a viral fever they say,just another passing thing,all because of the mousam!It's the whole package actually,if you ask me,not just the fever..there's cough and cold,and then there's pounding hangover-y headaches(only ten times worse) and weakness!You catch this,book a bed and your favorite blankey for a week atleast,because you wont be able to,and wouldn't want to,move around!God forbid,but I have an uncanny feeling that a substantial number of eyeballs scanning this are connected to feverish,aching heads(minds)!
       So,that's what I caught a week ago.It was pretty normal stuff after that:Go to your GP..him prescribing stuff,you skipping a dose or two!Mind you,if you ever get viral fever,DO NOT SKIP MEDS!(shouty capitals;because I did it,and it landed me into an even bigger mess!)So,there I was,unwell again,even after my course was all done(albeit a day late),and the doc told me to get a bloodtest!Just like that,I go from meek-sickly-kid mode to panic mode in a second!Well,the thing is,I am not usually a scared cat..but one cannot be blamed for fearing inevitable pain.(I know,I know,all you tough people out there scoffing and raising eyebrows,citing ant bites and bravery:boo yaah)Only those who are afraid of the needle will understand my trauma!Unluckily,mum's not one of them,and it was a really messy trip to the hospital,when it was time to get my tests done!
      Thats how I went in,in mortal peril,with half a mind to just turn tail and run to the safety of home sweet home,but to no avail!My way of reassuring myself-"Shhhh!They say its just an antbite..don't make a fool of yourself".The moment of fleeting reassurance however turned into horror when the nurse strapped that belt-y thing to my arm and readied the needle(God!Im getting goosebumps while writing this!#scaryshit).This is how it went:
Nurse:Hold still,stop acting like a kid!
Me:OHH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT NEEDLE DONT STICK ME WITH THE POINTY END THIS IS GONNA HURT OWWWWHHHH
Enter three more hands to grab me.

      Needless to say,it was a very painful affair!two agonizing minutes later,it was all done.And trust me when I say this:It does NOT feel like an ant bite,unless you were talking about scary alien ants in the first place!*scowls*Also,no exaggerations with the time as well,it was a full two minutes!(felt like an eternity);but I DID NOT cry'!I am not making it sound like a major accomplishment or something,but I did not!Neither did I howl in pain all the way back home *pat on the back*It will sound all goody-two-shoes now,but I did actually feel this:While waiting for the bloodshed,I glanced through an issue of the Mirror-Gory images of four-year olds,all covered in blood,innocently staring at the camera,all the way from gaza!In a very selfish way,I say that they gave me strength,The episode during the act was inevitable,I am only human;but I could avoid all the (unnecessary) drama that would've usually followed!It just did not feel right,to howl in misery over something so trivial,when they were dying out there,for no particular fault of theirs!Its not my place,nor my interest,to go into the politics of it all,but in a purely humanitarian way,all I ask is:How much more?!!!!Stop the carnage,for theres always a peaceful,no-lives-lost way,if we look hard enough!
    Closer home,yours truly is writing this because she has no other gainful employment at present.An entire week of rest,being wrapped in blankets and poked and pierced finally came to this:I have a low WBC count,and that spells doom,not because of the low WBCs;but because I will have to go through the entire "bloodsucking" episode again!(Vampires have lost a bit of my love;newfound respect for bella(she is still dumb,though!),elena and all the other vampire-ladies).I hope I miraculously mature up or something by the time:dar ke aagey jeet hain>_< !I am finally going back to college tomorrow,to catch hold of new topics for you lot,till then,please refer puppy face above;),and stay fit!Sick people,take care.Thanks for reading,comments and criticisms are always welcome(Go easy on me this time around,though),may peace prevail!
P.s:Its international friendship day today,So..Thanks for being my amigo,much love!Cheers:)

Being Human...

Its been raining non-stop for the past couple of hours or so,here in Mumbai.It might be the ickiest feeling to walk in the rain,with the mud splattering at your ankles and all,but watching it rain from windows is an entirely different affair.Sitting at the window,just taking in the atmosphere,the gentle spray on your face and the wind working its magic,fighting to cool off that steaming hot cuppa of coffee before you finish it!Boy,one has to be a cyborg to not "feel" THIS amazing in this atmosphere!
  So,thats what I was doing,sitting at the window,drinking it all in,from the comfortable confines of my humble abode;And I saw a kid running out into the rain-He was a shabby boy,must have been ten years old,with dirty old clothes and a ragged appearance.Needless to say,he had no umbrella or rainjacket on him.Intrigued,I lean out further to see what he is doing out there in the rain,for the boy did not frolick about in a childish manner,and did not seem to find any particular pleasure from the downpour.Infact,he was looking about in a very determined manner,very unlike children of his age.He finally found them stuck in a puddle,two sick little puppies all drenched to the bone,and carefully tucked them under a car,on a tarp which was there by some divine intervention.(I think he put that there too).The answering smile he gave to the little barks coming from under the car was so dazzling,it made this little guy look so angelic that I HAD to capture a photo!As I finally found my phone after rummaging through lots of stuff and pointed it at him,he caught sight of the camera and scurried away shyly!
  You must be surprised why I wasted your time with this surprisingly strange incident,but read on,it will get you thinking,as it did to me.We gaze at the outdoors from our cozy havens and compose poems about the beauty that nature bestows upon us.The next second,our precious phones ring,informing us of a change in plans,which were not-so-important to begin with,and we grumble,thinking we are the only ones who have got it bad!Life always deals us a poor hand right?!But do we ever stop and think about the shabby boy on the streets who ventures out to do a kind deed,not even bothered about catching a cold in the deal!Has kindness really become so expensive?Wait,how could the poor little kid afford it then,when we can't?Somewhere in a remote shack,a girl is fighting against abuse and misbehavior.Fighting,I say,fighting bravely;while a girl with well-to-do parents attempts suicide next door,just because she doesnt get to go clubbing with her friends!An angry drunkard beats his hungry kids to sleep,frustrated even under the foggy daze of alcohol clawing at his mind,because he cannot feed them;and passing by on the muddy Mumbai roads is a young couple on their new motorbike,distraught because their toddler barely knows them and snuggles up to the babysitter who takes care of him when mum and dad are busy making money!Even me,I am afraid I have got a touch of this as well,(Fact is,we all have),I searched for my phone but wouldnt have gone out myself for those puppies.Even in those beautiful instances of humane actions,I acted like the materialist the world is trying to forge me into! These are just some examples,and I'm sure there will be more like these.We are becoming a cold,calculating species,ruthless in our endeavours,tireless in our efforts,to reach that one ultimate goal of personal economic gain,which keeps on increasing as we reach closer,and swallowing all other "human" emotions except the very basic ones,of greed and lust for power.Animal instincts kick in,and money seems to be the only motivator.Ironically,the day the national budget is announced,I wouldn't speak fiscal deficits and GDP,for that surely is not my place.But yeah,we have all wondered at some point whether there is a point to it all!Whether all the running,the competition,the ruthlessness are going to pay off,and whether we will be around to reap the fruits if they do pay off!
"You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you"I read that somewhere,and isn't it so very true?!People dont need money,money can be made.Its love and happiness they need!(Yes I AM saying this,at the risk of sounding like the cheeziest individual on the planet,but i'll take it.)So this rainy evening,why dont we just stop and breathe for a while?Lets just enjoy the simpler pleasures of human existence,marvel at the wondrous creations of God that we all are,express our love,share our joy,do a kind turn,help a fellow in need...!Anyways theres not much to do except surfing the internet or watching television right now,with half of Mumbai rushing back to their nests,(or already there),and the other half huddling around in streets looking for shreds of warmth,dry surroundings a distant dream in their eyes;right?
  P.S:This is another sudden outburst,it can have something to do with the fact that I am all puffy nose,blotchy eyes and throbbing head-the effects of a terrible cold.Sometimes the weather makes a person gloomy,sometimes it makes them rant!Or this sudden burst of perspective might be the after effect of watching TFIOS!Our problems seem nothing as compared to theirs!And the best adaptation I have seen till date,it just brings the book alive onscreen.Watch it.Comments and criticisms are always welcome.Thanks for reading,stay blessed.
xx

One of the boys.

  She hops and jumps into a room,opposed to gliding in gracefully.She is not your regular blondie,she is actually smart,for a change.Given the chance,she might even show you that she is actually a lot smarter than you,if she cares to!She wears no (or minimal amounts of)make-up,doesnt squeal at the sight of every insect on the planet,doesnt cry over stupid things,and is not the prettiest,daintiest of them all!She actually gets all of your dirty jokes,she has the dirtiest mind of them all,and the girls look at her in that weird way,gossiping among themselves like hens!She is irrationally loud,doesnt care about appearances,and knows everything there is to know about everything!Beware if you get into an argument about even the most boyish of things(sports,say),she might as well give you a run for your money!She knows not just the hotties of the sport,but also the techniques and trivias of the game.
  Aye sir,she is what other girls call a bit "tomboyish".Well.she isn't actually afraid to be "one of the boys"!(Hence,the title)Yes,she grew up with boys,maybe,or maybe she's just not that into the phoney,"girly" (no offence meant) lives of the other girls..she behaves in her own erratic way,acting first and thinking later.Sarcasm and wits are her accessories,and she flaunts them at will.Every once in a while,she falls for a guy,random guy,or maybe her best friend,or some girlfriend's brother;and she is not the bitchy types who would ditch you if they were pursued by hotter guys.She really likes him,but he thinks of her as just another bro,a comrade in mischief,and she pines all along,all the way.No one ever stops to think that this bindaas girl,might be the most delicate of them all..might be the cheesiest romantic they ever will meet...might be the most passionate and loving of then all!Her friends advise her to "Girly up,sweety!"She tries to,but she is smarter than half the guys out there,and the other half is too smart for their own good,those pompous jerks who think they deserve supermodels for all their smartness!She outranks them all in low self-esteem though;she needs someone to tell her how awesome she is,every once in a while!(Not in a vain "Mirror who's the fairest of them all?"way but more of a kind-reassurance);but there's no one to do that for her,most of the time.And so she always stays behind the scenes,alone but not lonely,waiting for someone,for all she needs is somebody to love!
  Girls,if you think you belong to that precious kind I just described,despair not mi lady,for the world IS as you believe it to be!Dont tone down that wild streak of yours,dont try to become someone you are not,dont tame that naughty,spirited beauty of yours!For he is coming,the one you have waited for all your life,and he will fall for you;not all the other beauties around,but plain ole you.For once,you will be THE one,not the third wheel,and this time it will be for keeps!And trust me,he is going to love you for who you are:that wild streak,the natural beauty,the cool "I-dont-give-a-fudge" attitude!The way you like to run around and climb and shout and play instead of just others sitting around worrying about their pretty dresses and elegant hairdo's!Then,it would be way better than all the bimbo-jock relationships you see everywhere around you,and nowhere near as phoney as theirs!Guys,look around,open your eyes,for if you fail to notice her while you are busy chasing away the sexy queen bees,you might just miss out on the truest and fiercest love you might ever get!For there are two things in the world you never have to chase:true friends and true love!
P.S:I was looking at my last one and i was like:"Ohh God!Thats So BIGGG!"(article,focus.)So this one is purposefully trimmed,so that you might finish this one in a go!Also suggest a better title if you may.>_< For those who want me to get a purpose,trust me dearies,am on it.This is just a li'l something I punched out because I couldn't sleep!Thanks for reading,adios.Have a great day.

Technology That Empowers Me

After 90 minutes of absurdly beautiful,(some may call it witty,others,wicked)defense,the game was tied at nill-all,that fine day in brazil.Extra time begins,and there comes leo messi in all his glory,breaching the iran defence as they had done a number of times before;only failing to convert shots into successful conquests,and the only question is:will he outwit haghighi one time?!With bated breath and crossed fingers,football fans all around the globe watched the moment;next moment: pandemonium arose in a single uproar:GOALLLL,amid cries of dismay and glee alike,the slogan #WeAreOne resounded loud and true,as my beautiful game reunited people all around the globe,yet again!

        Well,technology that empowers me:that’s what I am talking about today(writing,rather).One might think what yesterdays fabulous Iran –Argentina clash had to do with it,but  the joy it provided to millions(and disbelief and disappointment to the Iran fans,offcourse;they did step up well),would not have been possible but for the amazing technological advantages that we have now,which help us watch the matches from the comfort of our couch,in real-time!(Now that’s not exactly working out for us Asian fans,but,apart from the black ,droopy eyes and sleeping at work,we ain’t complaining!)Even in the matches,the goal line technology is proving to be a boon.Not just football,technology has helped in almost each and every sport,making it undeniably better!Now,how does that empower me? Well, cutting edge sports technology doesn’t,actually!Nor do high end sports cars or science fiction stuff like Glass,or robots,not now atleast,but it’s a pleasure to ogle at,anyways!We all love a bit of sci-fi action,a world so beautifully futuristic (AWESOMEs the word),yet attainable,very much possible to own for ourselves in say,the next decade or two!If you don’t,just wait for Friday,grab a coupla tickets to Transformers:Age of Extinction(couple of them because you ain’t likely to shut up about the tech after,and it would be a favor to others who haven’t  seen it yet!),and then we’ll talk.

    For technology that empowers me, I could cite a million different examples(Well not really, but one can only exaggerate so much!)It can be the simple alarm app which won’t shut up until I perform the stupid tasks it sets me to,or it could be as complex and innovative as siri or cortana,”my personal assistant”!It could be the brilliant HD selfies for people who consider the number of likes on social networking sites as a measure of popularity,or it could be the maps and weather apps that guide many a weary traveler to the comfort of an homely inn!It could be the tablets and PCs of business professionals,those number scrunching,never-complaining assistants  who make the days of many a haggled accountant invariably easy!But this ain’t empowerment in the true sense of the word is it?This is more of an easy dependence,a habit which cannot be kicked off!Well,you could call it empowerment when these technological inventions help a million of us engineers(IT fields and otherwise) to earn our bread & butter!

   Okay,so I suppose now we have reached that point where you are getting that “Aye,what crap is this?Am I reading a particularly witty highschool essay(thanks;)) or a blogpost?” expression,so beloved readers,straighten up those pretty faces,and read on!I have a fair bet that you have already guessed what  I’m gonna talk about next,technology that empowers me ofcourse  (Na Na no rotten tomatoes or shoes at me please,can’t a writer even fool around for a bit with her own people?)Okay.Its this:The blog,yes.This is the the one thing that really empowers me!I can do a million things here:voice my opinions,rant at the top of my lungs(not really),try the kind of stupid humor like the stuff above,get back at people in a not-unlike-Taylor-swift kinda way(only difference:she writes things that rhyme,me,I am more of a sarcasm person!),post pictures,express myself as a teen(which,in itself is kinda rare in our hindustaan!),get the appreciation and love of readers(Oh I love ya all for that),and the criticisms and comments as well(“Get  a purpose””You are kinda getting off track here(a blog doesn’t have a track bud,as far as I know)"”You will get better:someday”and “Your effing blog sucks bitch!(Thanking the old gods and new I haven’t got that one yet!)),I love you sweetlings as well,thanks,you help make it better!

                      It all began a year ago,and today “Expressions”has become an integral part of my heart!That sense of pride and love I feel when someone walks to me out of the blue in public  places and appreciates the blog,has been the same amazing feeling I first experienced an year ago,even today,and I know it will continue to be so,even in the years to come!Not bragging or something,but this did happen to me!It is said that “what you give,you get back”,but that is so not true in this case!In return for a few hours of furiously tapping away on my laptop,this virtual space on the internet has given me exponentially in return!For me,this is empowerment,this is the technology I love best,the one that has changed the perception of “me” in myself,from “just  another awkward teen” to a “developed human intellectual,a budding writer,a person confident enough to bare her innermost thoughts to the world(however stupid,cheesy or plain pointless they maybe!)”.That surge of inspiration when I get a new idea for a blogpost,that feeling of commitment and concentration when I actually sit down to write one of these,that sense of quiet pride and accomplishment when I publish them,they are all beautiful emotions which can’t be explained in words!People ask me why I write.To that,I have never managed to come up with a materialistic answer yet,and I highly doubt I ever will.That deeply personal and enduring  feeling of creating something,something which will last,in this fickle world,something which is your own in all entirety(ofcourse there are influences,both social and psychological,but I am only human!)is one that can convert an absolutely low day to a definite high!And anything that can do that,is absolutely the most powerful,magical talisman of “empowerment” I have at the moment! I wouldn’t know where to direct my gratitude to-it might be the people who came up with the idea of weblogs,google for giving me a website,a teeny bit to myself for thinking these things up,my brain ofcourse,it could be doing a million other things,but its doing that one thing that matters the most:functioning properly;and ofcourse you me amigo,you peering down at your cell phone or squinting at your PC screen,giving a few minutes of your precious time to read this!Most of all,to you readers,you make me want to write as much as my erratic temperament does!Thanks,from the core of my heart,Thank you all!

P.S:Speaking of empowerment,watching the latest episodes of Game Of Thrones on torrents when others haven’t!How intoxicatingly powerful  does that make you feel aye,armed with a truckload of spoilers for the not-so-privileged others?!:)I sure am gonna miss that high,for the next ten months!So long,so good!Thanks for reading,once again,have a great day!

Baarish....

Ahh I know I know,everyone knows it rained today(yesterday?) and my dear readers would be fed up of monsoon statuses and fb-updates and what-nots..but read on...not because it is anything unique,ain't gonna be revealing any secrets or stuff,but just do..hope it will make you feel as good as it made me.
   After a sweltering summer,with temperatures reaching new highs everyday,and the examinations going on(double-trouble,yeah) it finally rained!;and what timing!What impeccable timing I say,just when we could take it no more,it rains on the day the exams end!Beautiful coincidence,aye?(Maybe,it's not,but well I am happy..and you know me,so erm that explains it!)The day began with vicious winds clawing at... everything,basically.People feared sandstorms.I wished for rain(I guess everyone did),but nope,it doesnt rain,and half the day is gone.we finished our ordeal,which makes me particularly happy,hahhahhh flabbity jabbity jap(Ohh excuse me once again,but when you finally get your vacations when everyone else is getting back to work,the feeling is "flabbity jabbity"indescribable!)Coming back to the topic,it did not rain.People went on with their party plans and outings,secretly wishing that rain would play spoilsport.But it did not rain!
  Finallly,when the kids returned to their nests,all tired to the bone,the wind starts blowing!I ran to the nearest window I could run to without knocking stuff over(by stuff I mean a lot of stuff,laptop,bag,books,soft toys(yes,soft toys!I still wuv em),but come on,your room's a mess too!)So,I yanked open the window and ohhh sweeet heavens,"It's RAINING!!!!",I screamed,although,it was a pretty obvious fact,obviously!Such is the joy of first rains!It drives you crazy with happiness.It makes you feel all goofy and mushy inside.It turns men into poets,women into graceful dancers,kids into stupid drench-balls!It makes you write all sorts of things on your blog!(yeahh...thats what this is,don't blame me if you dont like this one.Blame the joy of first rains)Forgot to mention that heavenly smell of drizzled earth,yea,remember it?That one.Makes you feel its all good and warm in the world!Only one complain though,I couldnt go be a stupid kid out in the rains today:mum wouldn't let me!Gaah,sometimes I wish I was a tree instead!(On second thoughts,no,lightning strikes trees,or so I have heard,so might as well just be plain ole me:p)
 I could go on,but I have got better things to do,like watching the rain,or the match,and you would also like me to stop the jibber-jabber.So,thanks friend,mate,buddy,amigo for bearing with all the stupidity up there and actually liking some of it(I hope you did ehhe;p)Have a good day,happy monsoons!Hope its raining there(or whatever else you consider pleasant weather!)
On the side:Fifa fever is all this month's about,enjoy!Ohh and before I forget,watch tom cruise starrer "Edge Of Tomorrow" atleast once,it's "source cod-ish"(the movie duh!) and a bit frustrating in the beginning,but it sure gets a grip on you by the interval,and then you are hooked!
Thanks for reading,stay blessed!Comments and criticism always welcome,lemme know if you find something worth rectifying;reason:notice the timestamp below;)
-sagarika
02:08 hours
#WeAreOne

One down,Three to go!

  It's been a year!
Kinda strange to begin with such a statement,I know,especially in the middle of june!Yes,its been a year though,exactly an year ago(well not exactly but you know...blame the long and tedious admission processes for that!),yours truly started on this journey people called ENGINEERING.
 Today,two semesters,a handful of subjects,a bit more wits,a billion experiences and a gazillion coffee cups later,here I am!I must admit the year(academic) hadn't begun to my liking(it never does unless you are sarthak malhotra,(agarwal,sorry)no offense dude,well done!)!
that's another story though;After making friends in my new institution,and acquaintances too,by the truckload,won't be exaggerating if I say that we hardly make two real friends to every dozen acquaintances we make!Pardon me,I am drifting off topic here,but when you watch season four of Game of Thrones dusk till dawn,you do get a bit groggy,and well,whats-the-word-for-it, not-focused!speaking of,I wont shut up about westeros and meereen and bravos and yungkhai if I got started,so it's best to not let me get started on it!Pardon the writing skills if they seem a bit off-color too,it has been a while,and they are a bit rusty!
 So,back to the topic,as I said earlier,the year did not begin as I wanted it to,and they seldom do.If they did go as we wanted them to,we would want other things,better things from the years!#HumanMinds Well,I for one,am the panicky kinds,thought the year would never end,that things would have to be changed(by things i meant my immediate surroundings)but kaboom!they did change on their own.Things do change for the better,they always do,never forget that!
Looking back,it turned out to be one heck of a year!I made new friends,learnt to tell a backstabber from a person who'll always have your back,forged some bonds that would last a lifetime!I learnt a lot of things(nothing technical or remotely engineering related that I didn't already know,I assure you,not yet),a lot of new interests,new ways to copy notes,new ways to finish last minute assignments,new disciplines.All in all,It was what I would call a good year,and I hope,nay,I know that the remaining three will be atleast as good,if not better,as well!And I am saying this after surviving two entire semesters unscathed,that means a eight hours of college,almost the same number of hours devoted to fun,last minute learning,referring blueprints to get the passing combination right,copying assignments by the bucketload,attending three hours of classes after college and what-nots!
  No,this isn't bragging.I am a modest person,by all means(dont smirk.I am.)The 12th grade results came out a week ago,and unlike last year,when many scored average marks,and a few scored low,I hear the situation is a vice-versa.So this one was just for all of you out there...do not panick.Despair not,for however difficult the situation might seem,it always ends up better and a lot brighter a year later.This is not mere talk,but experience speaking,so keep calm and watch the brazuca!For my friends who did not have to face the boards ordeal this year,well it would always do us a lot of good to take a trip down memory lane,and cheer for the successful year we have had!adios..take care,keep smiling.
P.S:I really am sleepy right now and cant really distinguish my A's from my Q's.I do not know what sudden burst of inspiration compelled me to write this one,but its an obsessive-compulsive thing,so just had to write it out!comments and criticisms welcome,tell me if you spot any mistakes,would be ever so grateful for that!Thanks for reading,have a good day:)

Beat the Heat

     Let me begin by stating that the title has no relation to the content whatsoever(well,maybe some,in a way,but yeah!)So,yours truly has been suffering from a mild case of writer's block lately,or maybe its just a splendid case of lazyness overloaded.The Mumbai heat does that to you;makes you lethargic!On sweltering afternoons like this all one wants to do is lie around in the heavenly coolness of home sweet home.More about that later,because sadly,life calls,and other important,seemingly "not-so-important-rightnow-ughhh" things,or rather tasks,need our attention!(Completing assignments,submitting journals,giving tests,gathering notes,collecting hall-tickets and what-nots!and studying ohh yes that too-_-!)Yeppp,you guessed it right,it is the dreaded exam season,the end-of-sem period for all of us engineers!When everyone else is out vacationing,this is what we do!So,I should probably be studying my brains off(literally) instead of doing this;and you too,probably,if you are not lucky enough to NOT be an engineer(No Regrets!)..but,here goes...

       Let me begin(yeah,I know it "began" like a para ago;but still,bear with me here,please),with a story about a girl.Class Valedictorian,Certified Nerd,Always the Topper in her class...she was always the smart one;the studious one,the "genius",if I dare say!Years progressed,and Smarty got into college.Well this is India you see so Smarty had to study reallly hard to get into a good college,what with the competition running in lakhs and lacs of other "smarties"(whichever lac is proper>_<)!So,Smarty studies,gets into a good college.Two years later,its another entrance exam,Another Merit-check that will now decide Smarty's future.College life has definitely done her some good,and she has changed,not in a bad way either,but the spark still remains.So,Smarty goes and gives this entrance exam(s)..she doesn't have big dreams;just decent,manageable ones!Two blissful months later,the results are out.Needless to say,everyone is screwed;yes,including smarty..this is not a fairy-tale;she manages to just get past,not with flying colors,but not with disgrace either!Her marks are like pretty much her entire life:decent.
   Then comes the great Indian Circus,the process of admissions;and that's when the real bombshell drops;Smarty,you see,was aiming for atleast a decent college in her city(her definition of decent being,"atleast A grade")but she has only decent marks,an almost minimal amount of patience bordering on zero,a stupid self respect that morally bans the bribe way for her,and a touch of bad luck!Plus,she doesn't fall under any category,so no reservation fellas,no perks!
   Six months later,Smarty has found her way into a decent (not by her definition of the word!) degree college;but all she feels is regret,most of the time.Regret when somebody asks her about her education,and gives her "the look" when they hear:an almost pathetic,we pity you,kinda look with that unkempt hatred and sort of superiority mixed into it that says:"haah!look where you landed despite of all the studying,pompous ass!".Her friends,she doesnt have anything AGAINST them,but she does envy them,for they have secured better positions in way better colleges,and not on the basis of merit;but on the basis of caste reservations!although she can't help it,she can't help but mope around about the great perhaps..(yes,this is a John Green,Looking for Atlanta would be my guess)and no amount of positive thinking helps in those dark moments when she thinks of brighter,better have-beens!
   All of us know of atleast one such Smarty around...maybe from our locality,maybe from college,maybe from somewhere else;some of us might have gone through the above mentioned torturous process themselves!We humans,if I dare Say,can be a very sadistic lot at times!We never are quite satisfied with what we have:we would rather caress broken dreams long turned into dust,than look at whats right in front of us!This is not a direct hit on the reservation system,people who actually need it do need it,but not everyone!What I am trying to say here,is that something has gone horribly wrong in the original system devised by Dr.Ambedkar fifty years ago!(with all due respect,and I mean no offence to all my buds who actually benefit from it,kudos to your luck:)!)Isn't it time to even the playing field a little,when students from open categories are the only ones who have a difficulty in securing admissions?!What i am trying to get through to people here,is that we need change,big time!The Education system,at least,should be precisely perfect and productive,for a Nation of India's scale,with a youth power as great as that of ours!This recent buzz about polls,with everyone advertising their goods,flashing glittery manifesto's got me thinking..What if?What if all institutions admitted young people solely on the basis of merit,zero reservations and/or no extra fees involved?I guess Dr.Kalam's dream of the new India would no longer be a dream then!
  Hope this li'l piece got you thinking as well;but only THINKING about it won't help!voting would have;though!I am so proud(and I mean it)of all my fellow Indians who went out there and voted!I did not,(Ahh no condescensions please,i wish I could;But I am underage you see!bummer),and I so wish that I could.Then a

gain,when I went out today,I was actually looking out for inked fingers,and was baffled to see that there weren't that many of em out there!No surprise,when the voting in your area has just been a meagre 51%.No condescensions involved,but I think more people should have voted;the masses set a standard for the upcoming generations.If my mum and dad treat poll-day as a holiday,I would go out and do the same without bothering to give it a thought!It is dissappointing to a degree,when everywhere you go you hear complaints about bad governance and the likes,and on the only day that your say would have mattered the most;the turnout is this poor!Just saying.Until next time then;looking forward to cast my vote as well,and looking forward to good governance!
  P.s:That writer's block?guess it was just lethargy because I managed to churn out a pretty okayish article if I may say so,on impulse!Had to just open that lappy and start off!Thats not so difficult now is it?....and that applies to everything in life doesn't it?you just need to Get It Started!
   Let's end this on a better note,with a quote,which occured to me out of the blue...You simply can't wade through everyday life with that veil of  Romanticism on your eyes.Sense prevails!
 Bit depressing yeah,but good sense prevails!This a spur-of-the-moment thing,not pre-planned in anyway,so comments and criticisms welcome,but do be darlings and avoid judging me hard!Much love,stay blessed.