I Stand Alone

I stand at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the vast limitless sea.

Looking down I see the waves crashing against the rocks and then receding back.

The wind blows against me with its majestic force hurling against my frame.

The Sun shines bright and tries to unsettle my gaze.

I stand alone.

My mind surpasses the sea in it’s vastness.

The peace in my heart mocks the wind.

The dreams in my eyes shine brighter than the sun.

The blood in my veins rivals the waves.

I stand alone.

I stand alone and see the power of God.

I stand alone and see the humility in that power.

I stand alone and see the beauty in that power.

I stand alone and see the might in that power.

I stand alone.

I see a reflection of it all in me.

I stand alone in the image of that power.

For a moment I look up into the heavens and feel the gaze of God.

This here is my temple and my life is the worship that I offer.

I stand alone.

I stand alone and see what can be achieved with that vastness.

I stand alone to live my dreams.

I stand alone and acknowledge the truth that is me.

I stand alone and envision the journey that lies ahead.

I stand alone to create my destiny.

I offer no hope, I offer no strength.

I draw no hope, I draw no strength.

With every realization of my soul I stand alone.

With every atom in my body I stand alone.

Till I meet life’s horizon I stand alone.

In the memories that will remain of me, I stand alone.

I stand alone.

I stand alone.

Love At First Sight

The bus stop was crowded enough and so was his mind; crowded with the thoughts of a beautiful face that he had met a month ago. She looked so beautiful that day dressed in elegant pink smiling down upon him. It was love at first sight .It surely was love for it had lasted one long month and still showed no signs of leaving.

The rushing passengers trying to board the arrived bus interrupted his thoughts. Our man too got in. After all this was what he had been waiting for. The earlier overcrowded, old rattling bus had suddenly turned into a heavenly chariot that took him to his beloved. Not only was this the reason for his love for the bus but also this was the very place where he had first met his love. He had been seated next to her and lost in his thoughts of social reform, which young men usually are in, when just occasionally he had turned sideways to look into this epitome of beauty. Instinctively almost instinctively he had asked,” What’s your name”? And it had begun from there. Every day from that day onwards they had met, coincidentally for her but sometimes a coincidence is well arranged. He had found every possible reason to meet her. One rainy day he had stood outside her office waiting for her to come out just to steal a glimpse. Though there had not been any rain that day, but then the effort was more important.

Surely it was love, there had to be no doubt. Today he was going to propose to her for marriage. He knew it was a bold step but then he would have her for always. For the past four nights, he had had no sleep although he had travelled a lot. He had travelled with her to the golden deserts of Andaman and Nicobar and the lush green valleys of Africa. Well geography was not a major issue in love. Even the desert sand would feel like snow with her. Oh how much deep can a person fall in love?.

He had already thought of where they would marry. Back in his village in Bihar where he knew his friends would envy him so much. They had all been married to village bumpkins whose beauty lasted only a day or two after the marriage. After which they would either turn out to be deaf or handicapped. After all their parents had to dispose them off. In India it is common practice .In fact parents pay money to the bridegroom for taking away their daughters.

But our man was not like all. He was a young enthusiastic Indian youth who believed in bringing revolution into the society. He loved only the girl and not the money. Though he did not earn enough for himself, he was sure she did. As far as love was concerned it didn’t matter much who earned more. He was in love, true love that was more important.

Busy with these thoughts, he just looked sideways to find out the whereabouts of the bus. At that very instant he thought he had seen an angel. Sitting next to him was the most beautiful girl he had seen in his life. Dressed in an elegant pink she looked like a goddess. Instinctively, almost instinctively he asked, “What’s Your Name?”

Entering a new phase

I am back to being unemployed. The full impact of which I could gather only when recently I had been to landmark and much against my wishes I couldn’t muster the courage to buy a brand new VCD of the American Gangster. It was priced at a whopping 299 Rs, a price which until recently had never bothered me. But now I was without a job and hence without any inflow of money. Quietly I just turned the other way and walked out.

Up until June I was earning in excess of 40k per month. Although lower by the standards of the banking industry, it was sufficient to live a luxurious life. At least luxurious enough to be able to buy dearer things without a second thought. It’s funny and ironic that I never really understood what saving means until that very moment when I was looking at Denzel Washington as the ruthless gang lord depicted on the VCD cover. I left my job for a glorious future that I see in educating myself in the arts of pricing sophisticated investment products. I wish to be a quant, the education for which I can not procure in India. The simple reason being no such course exists here. I guess they never really bothered about education in India anyway except for those nerdy few who make it to the IITs and IIMs and for the fortunate 50% who have a definite reservation in every place that can impart any education at all. So here I come America. Which means a tremendous expenditure and an even tighter wallet.

Although i ended up watching a desi flick on TV instead of the much acclaimed American Gangster, i was content with not having spent the money. I am looking forward to a new phase of life now, for which buying a pressure cooker takes priority over purchasing VCDs. I guess American Gangster will have to wait until i am able to figure out the valuation of derivatives.