Aaja Nachle!!

I was in Logan last week end to attend the international banquet – traditionally an annual event usually overshadowed by Diwali on the USU campus. This year however, I made a point to attend it since my friend Poonam Thimmaiah was performing as part of the event. And so it was with a sense of great anticipation that I travelled the 50 miles from my home to the university. And I am happy to say I wasn’t disappointed.

The USU TSC Ballroom, if used properly, is an excellent platform for staging important events. The people who put together the International Banquet deserve to be complemented for making good use of the venue. The ambience was that of a medium-high restaurant ‘dinner-hour’, round tables conveniently spaced and separated, it allowed the audience to enjoy a comfortable meal and have a relaxed view of the stage. The soothing melodies from different cultures definitely set the stage for a great multi-colored event.

After much pomp and filler, I was relieved when the hosts finally introduced that the next event would be the Bollywood medley from my friend. Poonam and Aarti were going to perform a combination of four songs. I knew the songs before hand – and so was dying to find out how the dances turn out.

The performance started with ‘My Lips are Waiting’ – a western – Indian fusion that pretty much captures modern India in a snapshot. I remember the lyrics of the song say .. “India’s the place to be ... India sets you free” and I thought if someone hadn’t been to India, looking at Thimmaiah dance, he would definitely want to go and explore things........ that’s euphemism for saying ..... check out gals. The part I enjoyed the most was watching the perfect silhouette of my friend move gracefully on fitting music pieces when she held her back to the audience. I in fact distinctly remember a certain person on my table actually stop eating and staring with an open mouth. I had mixed feelings of pride (for my friend – Oh! Shes drop dead gorgeous) and anger (but this xyz no one besides me shouldn’t have stared like that). But...... the songs were moving fast – and so I hastily focused back on the stage...

Their choice of costume had to be lauded. Traditional full length skirt with a spaghetti top made for a perfect blend - sexy yet non vulgar dressing. Incredibly sensuous.

She was nervous at first ... happens when you go on stage and her moves were subdued ....... hesitant and conscious ......but in the third song when she just let go. Boy! It was a sight to see! She captured Madhuri’s spirit completely! The hands expanded their range and the moves came in with much more Oomph – as if she was saying “Hey! I am beautiful and I shouldn’t have to apologize for that!!!” Much like the voice of a good singer which cannot remain caged for long. Her eyes sparkled and the million dollar smile could have easily lit up Chicago!

After ‘Aaja Nachle’ had set the mood, the audience was taken to a climax by ‘Babuji jara dheere chalo’. The audience was cheering and whistling dropping all pretense of civility.

In ancient India dance was primarily a means to offer prayer. Only the most beautiful, physically fit and chaste females were chosen - in the prime of their youth - to be dancers to the temple – dancers to the Gods themselves. From that traditional form, dance evolved to be a mode of expression and became a primary form of entertainment for the masses... After a week’s hard work, villagers would gather in public places and sit on the floor ... eagerly anticipating the dancers ........ to the eyes of the commoner, the dancer was a real life personification of the mythical ‘Apsara’ ..... the most beautiful of all peoples – not of the human world – residing in the heavens and who descended on Earth only rarely.

In fact, Lord Indra was said to have the first of the chosen dancers in his own keep and on one occasion had Menaka successfully seduce and distract the great sage Vishvamitra from his meditation. Parts of the mythological origins still remain in modern day India. For example – it is said that a child is blessed with one heavenly deity at birth. If that really holds true – you can’t help but wonder that Poonam must have been blessed by Menaka herself. I say that not as a flippant complement but from experience, for she does embody the archetypal ‘Apsara’ in body and spirit. Beautiful, bold and uninhibited, the Apsaras routinely enjoyed threatening the power of the Queen herself – part of that mischievous spirit definitely survives in Thimmaiah.

I remember that the songs shifted to ‘Mahiya Mahiya’ and then to ‘Aaja Nachle and Babuji jara dheere chalo’ – but that shift in songs was registered only subconsciously as I was completely hypnotized by the enchanting presence of Miss Thimmaiah. I was surprised – its not like I hadn’t seen her before or that I didn’t know how beautiful she could look – but for some reason that evening - I remember being completely caught in a trance – wishing she would never stop. It is with considerable embarrassment that I confess the fact - that during those 8 minutes my feelings weren’t far different from a teenage boy nursing an impossible crush. But if the great Vishvamitra could be tricked, I think my humble mortal self should be excused.

My mind came back into perspective only when the dance ended. Well, what more can I say ....... if the song had asked “Sabko nachake nachle” ................ it certainly did!

- Sanket

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The Wincing Heart!

Soon a year would have passed

Since the time you last held my heart

The streets have changed

The people have changed

And yet my mind searches ...

Wandering down familiar paths

Long have I bled and hard have I suffered

I should feel anger,

Or I should feel vengeance

And yet, I feel neither.

The days have been numb

And the nights, sleepless

The eyes remain moist,

The Breath, restless .

Nothing can be changed

And Nothing can be done

Yet the heart listens not,

It asks Why and It wonders How?

It doesn't know the answers will never unravel

For questions not be asked

When the day has wound down

And the world is quiet

In the silence of the night

I can still hear your voice.

So fair, so clear

As if you were in my bed - still besides

With the body still living

You took the life out

In return of love, I might have expected many things

But this, I did not imagine

This, I could not

They say forgive and forget

I know not where to start

Should I forget the way we fought?

Or the way you laughed?

How do I remove the scent of your hair

Still coursing, the veins of my heart

I do forgive you

In such a way as I can.

Yet this I promise,

Though far away you may be

Now, in someone else’s arms

On some unexpected evening

In an unguarded hour

You will see the sky turn crimson red

And remember me in that hour.

Remember the smiling eyes

Of a mischievous, yet innocent boy

The boy who gave beyond giving

The man you widowed, without marrying

And you will have to return into his arms

For your sake, I hope truly

He can love you as I once did

As love should be, As I would have!

- Sanket

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POONAM THIMMAIAH - Indeed a Full Moon!

What can I tell you about Poonam ??? That she was disarmingly beautiful or that she was unquestionably confident, unapologetically bold, naturally assertive and an incredibly strong personality. 

I met her while auditioning for our annual Diwali fest. At the time, I had recently gone through a break up and had taken a spontaneous India trip to elevate my moods. As it turned out, the mood elation was quite superficial. Once back in town, and faced with the brutal familiarity of city streets and restaurants, horrible memories of dinner conversations riddled my mind and I decided to engage myself in campus activities. Academically, it was the most unsound decision I had ever taken. Whoever, knew of a student hosting Diwali in his defending semester! 

I had gone to the audition confident and assured but jaded and fatigued just the same. And, before we knew it, we were faced with a problem of finding a suitable female host. Poonam and Shalini – it turned out were quite the inseparable friends…. I had interacted with Shalini before, and so knew that she could do the part well – and so wasn’t thrilled at the idea of losing her…. And so I suggested why not have them both do the event ?? 

I still distinctly remember the clarity of my logical mind undoubtedly challenged and muddled by the beautiful spectacle of Miss Thimmaiah. Half way between considering the pros and cons of having two hosts for the event, my stupid mind went ……. “How the hell did I miss her on campus!!!!!” She was without a doubt the most appealing sight from main street to Old Main Hill…. I could only come to the conclusion – that the break up had indeed hit me hard and that my natural radar was sorely in need of immediate repair.. 

My recent experience with female beauty led me to believe that she would most certainly be ….. the attitude filled princess, the kind of person one becomes when used to undiluted attention from an early age. As our practice sessions progressed, I was delightfully proven wrong ….. princess she was … no doubt, aand she had a healthy share of attitude as well but she had many other virtues which justified her perks.

The first thing you would notice about Poonam would be her oval face. I have seen beautiful faces before, but this wasn’t quite the same. In that unlike most faces, Poonam’s face continued to surprise you time and again … may be it was the infinite range of her expressions or the natural actress in her persona… Her face had a transparency that flawlessly portrayed a perfect underlying bone structure, coupled with amazing functionality. Many of us do not readily remember the primary function of the human face …….. communication. A task at which her face was unmatched in its clarity. 

If you can move on ahead past the engaging face and her naturally well defined physique … well – you should be complemented for a more than average intellect. And I can assure you – you wouldn’t be disappointed. 

I am quite sure she doesn’t realize this – but her gifted beauty is quite intimidating to both men and women alike… Men – for it makes them assume an ‘act-to-impress’ attitude and Women – cos it makes them just plain jealous…. 

I was therefore most happily enchanted when I discovered just how human she could be.. I still remember (quite fondly) the time when sitting at the library cafe – she described how her advisor was taking undue advantage of her and how she had in her child-like innocence assumed that she would be paid more money than was promised. 

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to cry. Her expression was one the funniest things I will ever remember. The very fact that I can not keep myself from smiling even now – months from the time the incident occurred – stands testimony to the superlative communication abilities – that I have ascribed to her face before. 

As I choked over my coffee - I was intrigued – the person in front of me was unmistakably honest and genuinely human …… I was hooked ….. may be there was more to this princess – than I initially thought …. 

As our friendship grew, I realized that she was quite versatile in her professional experience. And, so I asked her to consider my job as a technical programmer after I would leave the university…. 

My work experience with her – was no less rewarding than recreational … she turned out to be one of the most fertile intellects I had encountered …. Needless to say it was a delicious pleasure teaching a sharp student. What she lacked in depth of knowledge, she more than made up for with exceptional powers of deductive reasoning. 

At this point – she would be wondering what the hell am I talking about??? To put it simply, she had the uncanny ability to learn from examples – while still remaining unsure of the underlying concept. A talent which comes in handy in ones life as a graduate student. I for one never had this ability. Until I researched deep and wide into the intricate workings of a concept, I could never learn from examples. I envied her. 

My initial jitters and worries about how she would get things done at my job were soon allayed. The IT industry lends itself naturally to people who can learn from examples. 

Aside from the physical and intellectual shades of her personality, Poonam was blessed with a multitude of delicate little idiosyncrasies that made her unique. 

One thing was very clear – this was one woman you would not want to mess with! Her enthusiastic perseverance at revenge could make the most hardened souls tremble. This was one girl who could quite deliberately cause a rift in her ex-boyfriend’s love life and walk away without a trace of guilt. But like all things thimmaiah, she could perform each evil act with as much finesse and class as the rest of her individuality. 

From an honest to GOD party soul to the most astonishingly fresh fashion sense Poonam was ages ahead in the evolution curve as compared to some of her peers.

If you were however, lucky enough to be one of her trusted friends, you could hardly find anyone more compassionate and friend worthy as her. Poonam possessed the most zero-tolerant down-to-earth attitude that I have ever seen. A quality that comes in handy amongst ones friends. Given a tough situation, she could reliably block out meddling emotions to make the correct decision. A quality rarely seen in women. 

Courage is the traditional virtue of the male gender (hardly true), yet if you knew her long enough you could find an underlying reserve of rock hard courage in this girl. Be it traveling unfamiliar roads to Canada at 3am or accepting a new job with significant challenges, I have never seen her courage falter. While she was not unsusceptible to fear – she was gifted with the ability to control it. A virtue – which I dare say I have rarely seen my male friends.

I could go on and on ….. but in a nutshell Thimmaiah was 1 part Man 1 part Woman and 2 parts Cat. She would walk gracefully and you may think her to be a kitty – but beware of her claws! She knew how to hunt and would use it if she had to :P

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With Your Shield - or On it!!!

Yup! I saw it and I loved it! Zack Snyder's movie 300 - Aand it may be a lil too late to write a blog on it, but this thing has been bugging my head ever since.

There is a concept from the movie that fascinated me ........ Sparta as a city had its own unique method to imbibe courage. I have seen it in nature ...... and I suspect that the working principles behind the concept have its roots in nature itself.



The concept is that of "forced fight" ..... in essence it means, putting someone into situations where one is left with no choice but to fight ... its hard at first ...... but after a while, the results are unmistakable.

Let me start with a few analogies from nature where this occurs. Imagine a bird chicken ... just barely able to stand and flap its wings ... the whole existence of a bird is to be able to fly ... But when the wings are yet untested .... how does the bird gather courage to leap into the open .... with nothing but just the trust on ones instincts .... I've seen a baby bird walk in indecision on a branch ... and then leap with decision ... flapping its wings wildly .... striving with its life to make it through. When penguins jump into ice water the first time, they have never been taught how to swim - but they jump anyways - and trust - that some how they will make it ..... many of them don't ... there are seals and other faster predator lurking in the waters below ... hungry and waiting .... but despite the danger of the unknown, the penguins dig up the courage it takes for a virgin jump.

It was the same concept used in Sparta! From the time a boy was born he was constantly tested ... put into situations where he was forced to fight .... to hurt ...... to run ...... to evade ...... and if necessary even to kill! There was no room for the weak in Sparta! If a baby was born sickly looking .... it was discarded .... if the boy was too weak or incapable ..... he would never survive the Agoge!

The whole existence of a Spartan soldier was to be able to fight - and if needed sacrifice his life for the state ..... if a male couldn't do that .... he wasn't allowed to exist. And it worked too ..... even today ... Spartans are considered to be the finest warriors the world has ever seen. Absolute killing machines!

In Sparta! When a soldier went to war, it was customary for the wife to bid farewell with the words ...... " (Return) With your shield or on it! " Such was the extent to which Spartans were dedicated to war and fight that even the women were taught never to show any weakness when parting with a husband on the verge of death. For Spartans! once deployed, there was no choice but to win ..... or else to die in the effort.



It may sound harsh.. but when you look at it, it makes perfect sense. History never remembers the weak, nor does it ever consider excuses for loss. If you look at school textbooks and history documents from all over the world, no matter what the time .... they have always recorded success stories. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, in real life there IS no excuse, you either succeed or fail. No one gives a fuck - why you failed. And, thats the way it should be. If history started nurturing failure, the very ideals one holds himself to would be tainted .... mankind would go into an early grave.

So, my message from this blog is ..... give it a try! We don't live in pre-historic times where you can put on a shield and armor and go to battle. With advances in society, the battles have changed, today it is securing a new job, or advancing at your career place, or winning a football match ..... whatever your battle maybe... when you get up in the morning, get ready and are about to head out ..... as you look yourself in the mirror, tell yourself .... "SPARTAAAN! Come back with your shield ...... or ON it!"

No Excuses! I tell you ..... works like a charm! :)

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Fidelity

I was in the internationals office today, completing one of my many formalities to graduate with my Masters degree. And stupid as it may sound, it was only after I saw official proof on paper - that it struck me - that Well! This is it! I am graduating!!!

For two years, this University was my home - a place that took me in - gave me an enduring education - gave me friends - gave me a job and resurrected me from one of the darkest hollows of my life. And so it was with a little trepidation that I contemplated the idea that I am not going to be a part of this home anymore. That before I knew it - the time had come for me to move on.

And so I am excited - Yes! for sure I am excited. I go to bed - every night - with dreams of me cruising beach side California roads in a two seater sports car - returning to an amazing duplex apartment and preparing for an evening of party - of socials and looking forward to meet some really smart exciting people. But most of all - dream about working at a place where I can find people loving what they do - where I can find people with .......... well - substance.

So I ask myself, 'How do I define - people with substance?' - How would I define myself??

I think when childhood is past and you come to a sense about who you are - what are your abilities - and what do you want to do with your life - is when you should be defined - is the place and time when you get ........... well - substance.

Life - is an amazing journey - that is a favor and a most generous gift - by sheer definition. And so as a receiver of this amazing gift - you need to make a deal - with God - with yourself - with your closest buddy - anyone - but make a deal - which details what you will offer in exchange for receiving this gift - to show that you are not un-grateful - to show that you have substance.

And so I think that each Life should be complemented by its receiver with a promise! A promise to never forget the fidelity to enjoy each moment - to dig deep and find ones own talents - A promise - to paint newer shades of a virtuous personality - to pledge ones allegiance to a set of morals - to truth - to courage - to duty - to integrity. A promise - to acknowledge the pleasures of knowledge bestowed by this world - a promise to make the place you were born in - better - than what it was before you!

I am finishing my thesis right now - and though it may not be a groundbreaking discovery, it certainly is original work - contributing to my field of study and certainly a first step - towards keeping my promise.

And so it is that I decided to dedicate my thesis - to my parents and my sister - to my friends and teachers - and to every person who has pinned his hope on me - to myself - as a first in a series of returns - towards keeping my promise. A promise I made with the 8th grade Science teacher - with my mentor - with my closest friend and buddy - to make the best use of my talents - to drive scientific innovation - to build - to create - to make lives better - to live beyond life - to be remembered in spite of time. And hopefully to inspire someone to do the same!

Life! - Its a promise! Whether you succeed or not - is easy to measure - ask yourself - have you kept your word?

- Sanket K

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