Multitasking and driving on Indian roads.

Disclaimer: Read this article only if you have a sense of humor. Only a handful of each ‘species’ of drivers has been examined, hence no offence is meant to anyone in particular. Driving is not a pleasure in India. Everyone knows why. But who cares! Remember the oft-quoted proverb? “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Once you’ve made up your mind to enjoy your ride/drive, there can be no stopping you. We can vouch for that! Take a look around and see how people enjoy every minute of their drive, hurtling down the narrow by-lanes or zipping down the expressways. There are some truck-drivers, honking at everyone and anyone, to get their ‘birth-rightful’ passage of way, glaring at over-takers, swaying to decibel-defying folk-music beats or other lewd ‘item number’ tunes, playing on their music systems, leering at every skirt passing by, or swearing at ‘slow’ drivers in colorful language. Then there are some car drivers, who’ll try to receive or make a call on their cell-phones, access the internet or SMS on them, while dexterously maneuvering their vehicle across crowded thoroughfares; munching apples as they’ve skipped that all-important breakfast for that all-important business meeting, lady drivers drying that last-minute coat of nail-polish (where’s the time to do so at home, you see!). Did I mention the conscientious car-driver who opened his lap-top and got busy at a traffic signal when it turned red? Yes, time is money and if this was not time-management, what else could be! Next on the list are some two-wheeler riders, who can feel the air in their hair. With the adrenaline, sufficiently pumping in the veins of these speed freaks, no one or nothing (read obstacles) is daunting enough for these go-getters. ‘Speed kills’ reads the signboard flashing by, but these people have just sped past. The signboard is just a blur! ‘Speed thrills’ is their motto. An off-shoot of this breed are some stunt-bikers who consider themselves as the reincarnations of the super-heroes—Superman, Spiderman and Batman, all rolled into one gravity-defying, pulsating entity, who gives a damn about his precious life, and that of others! Who else can stand, sleep, eat, drink and perform acrobatics on that lowly two-wheeler, except them! Unfortunately for them, the circuses won’t have them, preferring the furred and feathered ones to these ‘monkeys’! If the superstars in movies are not scared of performing dare-devil stunts, why should we be left behind? wonder the stunt-bikers. The insurance companies are obviously not amused! They classify them in a separate category as ‘Extra-risk’ (Read avoidable risk) and charge a hefty surcharge on their premiums. Well, everything comes at a premium. Why worry? Then there are those who catch up on the previous day's news on the newspaper, TV or radio, while driving. One must keep pace with all developments in the local, national and global scenario; as well as get to work on time! On a journey from Mumbai to Pune by bus, I witnessed the bus driver and an off-duty driver of that bus, enjoying a lively conversation, while the driver drove furiously in the gathering dusk and later darkness, as night fell; keeping us passengers on tenterhooks about the fate of that bus due to his reckless speeding. In the meanwhile, he remembered his folks at home and called them on his mobile. After lots of laughing and talking, he again turned his attention to his buddy and was soon lost in deep discussion, on assorted subjects. We only hoped and prayed that he remembered where he was and what he was doing. But he was a great multi-tasker, speaking and driving at equally great speeds, while our hearts were in our mouths; as he swerved and dodged other vehicles with great dexterity. Some of the rickshaw- wallahs (rickshaw drivers) are a breed apart. Savvy and swift, they corner all the prime spaces in the traffic jam, jabber with each other when they pass by, do their own shopping while ferrying passengers; “Just a minute saab (Sir)”. And no one dares complain, if the fares are slightly higher, as ‘waiting charges’ have been charged to you. The talkative ones among them have an opinion on everything under the sun! They even expect you to give your reactions (not opinions!) on the spot. Spitting is a fine art, perfected by most of them. Not a drop on their vehicles, but a shower on the other unsuspecting ones. Last, but certainly not the least, some of the cyclists don’t wish to be ever left behind. They are forever racing along with the other vehicles on the streets. They gesture to their friends, ride without holding the bars, talk to their pillion riders and are generally foot loose and fancy free. Trrng, trrng, they go. Signals be damned and the traffic police be frowned upon. They have no rules and no scruples. They can hit and run at will, for they have no number plates, but do have a license (invisible) to kill! Several years ago, my mother was walking when she was knocked down by one such maniac who didn’t bother to tend to her afterwards. Fortunately, she only suffered some bruises and a swollen ring finger with a ring that refused to come off. If only we could’ve caught hold of that brat…… ************************************************************************************** The copyright of this article is with Mrs.Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Trust your partner

One of the most difficult things in this world is to trust someone. In this world and in this age of shallow values and shifting morality, trust has become a casualty. It is indeed difficult to rely entirely on anyone or anything, even if your life depends on it! One person who could be your soul-mate in trying times could be your partner or spouse, that is, if you don’t suffer from ‘Trust Deficit Disorder’. 

Some people find it very hard to trust their life-partners because of deep feelings of insecurity and doubt. The bond of friendship is weak and the level of trust at its nadir. The fault may lie with either partner and they must take adequate steps to step up their comfort level and compatibility so that they can become confidantes in the truest sense of the word. 

  Keep your sensors on: Keep all lines of communication open at all times. Your spouse must feel confident about a good hearing from your side. You must keep your eyes and ears open, so that even if the problem is not openly sounded, you pick up the drift from the body language or demeanor of your partner. If something is wrong your senses must be fine-tuned to it. You could then ask your partner about what is troubling him or her! 

 Sadhana was being hounded by her dominating Boss in office and she was resenting it and wanted to resign from her job but knew that they couldn’t afford to live on only one salary as they had huge EMIs to repay on their housing loan. So she suffered in silence and appeared dull and depressed all the while. When her hubby Gunjan gently asked her to confide in him one day, she broke down and narrated her tale of woe to him. He promptly told her to resign from the job if she so wished. She could look out for another job or he would take another part-time one to supplement their income. There, he had made it sound so easy. It made Sadhana guilty as she hadn’t trusted and confided in her dear hubby who had so readily solved her dilemma. She had needlessly suffered for a whole year! 

  Keep the green-eyed monster at bay: Don’t always try to prove the adage, ‘Jealousy, thy name is woman!’ Of course, men can be equally jealous and resentful! When one is jealous; spite and venom cloud one’s reasoning beyond repair. If you are jealous of your partner’s success you can never live peacefully together. One-upmanship will claim all your energy and your sole aim in life would be to trip the other on your way to the top. Remember, it is very lonely at the top. Who could be a better person to give you much-needed company there, apart from your beloved partner? So it would be wiser and more fun if you continue your ascent hand-in-hand. 

 George was a Senior Manager in a reputed bank. When his wife Nancy, who worked in the same bank, was promoted to the Branch Manager’s post in that same bank and transferred, George was blinded by rage, fuelled by jealousy. He started picking up quarrels with her on flimsy pretexts and even accusing her of ‘buttering-up’ the Bosses. Fed up with his insinuations, Nancy considered two options. Either she could leave her job or leave him. Being very level-headed, she chose her job over him. Their divorce was a result of her husband’s inability to withstand healthy competition. 

  A word of caution: Don’t place blind faith in your partner and risk being taken for a ride. Keep your ‘danger sensors’ on high alert and take the necessary steps if you encounter a philandering partner. Have tabs on your joint bank accounts and investments regularly to avoid quiet withdrawals by your unscrupulous partner. Don’t be a victim of forgery or fraud by your spouse. 

  Commitment is a must: When two mature people are in a relationship, it must always be for the long haul. Promiscuity and infidelity spoil most relationships, even the ones that appeared reliable and strong. Needless to say, the onus lies solely on the cheating partner. Trust is the main pillar of a happy alliance. Here it would be pertinent to state that a partner who unnecessarily suspects his/ her partner of infidelity should be taken to task and reformed. After all, how can one feel safe and secure, if one always has a doubting partner around? 

He/she must be made to confront his low esteem and insecurity, gently, yet firmly. Meena was a nagging wife with an inferiority complex, who pestered her hubby Santosh about his late hours at his office. She would make numerous phone calls to him and hamper his work, throughout the day. She suspected him of having an affair with his secretary. Her baseless allegations and nasty remarks had her hubby at the end of his tether. One day, he gave her an ultimatum. Improve or get out. He even offered to take her to his office and meet his staff. He advised her to take up a job and keep herself busy. Only then would she realize the work-pressures! She relented and begged his forgiveness on seeing his sincerity at removing her unfounded doubts and fears. 

  Learn to take betrayal in your stride: Whenever you feel that you’ve been let down by your partner, talk to him/her and explain your hurt feelings. Be sure to vent your feelings in a rational and polite manner. Don’t let things get out of hand by taking impulsive decisions that you may regret later. After all, what is life but a compromise? Talk it over and stand up to your decisions. While one cannot always have one’s way, if the other is repentant and promises to mend ways, surely all is not lost. 

 Hope always strengthens bonds and efforts to mend a fraying relationship means that the relationship means more to you than just some rough bumps on the way! Think of it as a pot-holed road on which one has to travel come what may. Do we leave going to work just because we have to commute on that same pot-holed road twice daily? No, we will first try to fill the pot-holes and only think of a detour if it fails! 

A home means adjustment, understanding and an unfailing commitment to continuing the relationship. Here a counselor or even close friend or relatives can help in mending bridges. Hence rule out the easy way of taking a short-cut and abruptly ending a relationship that was meant for keeps! 

 Thus we can trust our partners and lead enriching and fulfilling lives or wallow in self-pity and lead miserable lives. The choice is ours! Let us just remember that a journey is enjoyable only with a good and fun-loving companion. Only infinite trust will gift us such a companion! *************************************************************************** 

The copyright of this article is with Mrs.Priya Ramesh Swaminathan

My entry in the photo-contest/exhibition organized by MSBB

"Divine beauty, Rare bounty!"

I participated in the photography contest organized by the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board (MSBB). All the entries were displayed in a splendid exhibition at the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Art Gallery at Sahakarnagar in Pune; on 22nd May, 2013. This exhibition will be traveling all over Maharashtra State in India.
My entry was that of an exotic, rare bloom, the Brahmakamal, which flowers in a pot on my apartment's terrace. It grows directly out of a leaf. This flower has a mild fragrance and only flowers in the rainy season. It blooms at night and withers in the morning. It shows how beauty can be so transient, yet so delightful to behold! Yes, beauty may fade but its memories last forever, constantly giving joy.
It reminds me of the saying that my paternal grand-father used to make me recite everyday,as a child;"An ideal life is to grow as a flower grows!" The caption for my photo was "Divine beauty, Rare bounty!"
I am posting that photo for your pleasurable viewing.

The copyright for this write-up and photograph is with Mrs.Priya Ramesh Swaminathan

Silence

SILENCE 

When words fail me, I prefer silence.

 

 When I’m sad, hurt or angry, I am silent. 

 When irrational words clamor for my attention, 

 Silence quiets me, calms me and soothes me. 

 Isn’t it better to be silent and meaningful, than to be raucous and vacuous? 

 When I disagree, I’m cautiously silent. 

 When I’m lonely, I’m pensively silent. 

 When I don’t want to disclose secrets, I am zealously silent.

 

 When I’ve an ace up my sleeve, I’m triumphantly silent.

 When I’m up to some mischief, I’m gleefully silent. 

 When I’ve had enough of anything, my silence screams. 

 For me silence is a mike, a brake, a lever, a pulley, an anchor 

 It steers me out of awkward situations 

 Helps me ignore the vicious insinuations 

 Makes me get the most and the best out of life!

*************************************************************** 

 The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Vouching for marriage

“Marriage is for the staid and living-in is for the fun-loving, broad-minded people.” This is what most live-in partners try to suggest, most of the times. In my opinion, nothing can be further away from the truth. The truth is that marriage can be a truly fulfilling experience, when the spouses try to pitch in each others’ time and efforts at making their marriage ‘one for keeps’ and helping their relationship blossom and mature. Now that even in the West, which vociferously espouses the ‘live-in’ culture, more and more couples are going in for marriages, it’s evident that in these uncertain socio-economic times, one wants to be at least certain about one thing; which is his/her partner in life. And what better way, than to tie the knot! Though marriage is a gamble, in the sense that one is never certain whether it would always work, the fun is in the going, the experience and the continuous endeavor to make it work. One could achieve freedom and space even in a marriage between two mature partners. Both must be sensitive to each others needs and aspirations. Once equilibrium is achieved, it has to be maintained. Trust and faith, combined with love helps to maintain this equilibrium. Marriage is a commitment to be faithful to each other in mind, body and spirit. To share each others’ joys and sorrows; create a family bonded by love. Besides, the children of legally married partners don’t face any problems in getting admissions into schools, or any ragging by peers when they grow-up, unlike children of live-in parents who are often subjected to mental torture by insensitive people who brand them as ‘illegitimate’, for no fault of theirs! Living-in partners often adopt a ‘no-strings’ attached policy, where each is free to do his own thing. They believe that marriage doesn’t offer freedom, personal space. They believe that they’ll be relieved from the spouses’ nagging, suspicion and bullying. They walk out on each other for flimsy reasons without second thoughts. Often, living-in turns out to be just marriage, without legal sanction, as the woman ends up doing all the chores for her partner who often takes her for granted; and has a great time outside the house with other females, due to his carefree attitude. The partners in the live-in relationship are often insecure, as they feel that their relationship is not permanent and often wonder whether they would have been better off had they married! Many live-in couples end up marrying when the lady partner conceives; just so that the child may get a legitimate father’s name. These couples just don’t have the guts to proclaim to the world, that they are the parents, who never married! In short, the social sanction accorded to marriage and the security which it provides, makes it still relevant in the current times. It’s an institution which has withstood the test of many centuries; and will definitely last till eternity. ************** *** This article's Copyright is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan *** *************************************************************************************

Websites that have selected and display my short stories

Hello friends, Please refer to the following two websites that display premium content published by writers, which have independently selected my stories. 1.http://connection.ebscohost.com/ This is a U.S.A based, search engine host for premium written content that is published in publications world-wide. The writings are made available to members of local libraries that have this connection with them. 2.www.contify.com This website searches for and provides premium published content matched to various industries, such as Advertising, etc. Have a nice day! Mrs.Priya Ramesh Swaminathan

The Magic of Shimla

The Magic of Shimla, the Queen of Hill-stations An elevating experience
“Porter Sir, porter. Please let me carry your luggage.” The entreating voice belonged to a wiry, lean man, with weather- beaten, angular features and penetrating eyes. Clad in the local dress, a pathani dress (a loose, long-sleeved, collared top with pajamas) with a thick blanket thrown across the shoulders to keep the biting cold at bay, armed with a long, thick rope, the man was among a horde of other similarly dressed and armed porters; who greeted us at Shimla railway station.
“No, thanks, we prefer to carry our own luggage” so saying, I and my husband started walking down the platform, towards the exit.“You won’t be able to carry your luggage Sir. It’s a steep climb uphill to the Mall.”The same porter had followed us. Soon enough we realized that what he said was true. The road wound upward at a very steep gradient. There was a board stating that no vehicles were allowed on that road. Of course, no vehicle could possibly climb up that way without sliding backwards! When we saw other people engaging porters, we too allowed the persistent porter to carry our luggage. The price for the work was haggled over and brought down from sixty to thirty.
The porter then proceeded to tie the 4 pieces of our luggage securely with his thick rope, into 1 huge load. With 2 ends of the tied rope held in front of him, across his chest, he heaved and hoisted the entire burden over his back. We set forth for our destination—the guest-house booked for our stay in Shimla; on the Mall Road.
As we puffed and panted our way on the hilly, steep road, we were glad that we had engaged a porter. After about 10 minutes, the porter suddenly sat on a way side stone bench for a breather. As he gulped in some air and felt fresh, he started talking.“My name is Mohammed Yusuf.I hail from Kashmir.I’m a graduate in Urdu from the Kashmir University.I was jobless so I came here and started this work.” He spoke in halting English and sounded very earnest."Why don’t you stay in a hotel, comfortably? I can get rooms arranged for you.” It was obvious that he got a commission for bringing customers to the hotel. “No thanks, we’ve confirmed reservations for the office guest-house;” we said.
Once we reached the guest-house, we found that it was locked. The porter asked us to go to the office, which was just closing and enquire about the care-taker’s whereabouts. Seeing our hesitation at leaving our luggage with him, he assured us saying “Don’t worry Sir. There are no thieves in Shimla. You are like my sister,” he said turning towards me. “Trust me.”
When it was time for settling his dues, he took 50 instead of 30. I too, handed the requested amount over, without a murmur. For all his exertion (and his loss of commission!), he deserved it!
In fact, throughout our stay in Shimla, we noticed how the hard-working, poor porters lugged huge logs of wood, gas cylinders and even an entire full-size Godrej cupboard on their backs up and down the hilly roads! We wondered about how their spines were so erect and unaffected by those heavy burdens; and also about their camaraderie and cheerful faces, even while they were about their tasks. They were uncomplaining, honest and very simple, easy-going people.
As our porter had informed us, each porter at Shimla is given a token no. and a badge. Only such designated persons were authorized to carry luggage.
On our first day in Shimla, we went on a sight-seeing tour conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. We watched the beauty of nature and drank in the unpolluted air, as the bus sped along narrow paths with cliffs on one side and steep valleys on the other side. These valleys were filled with forests of pine and deodar trees.
At one place, we were asked to alight to view a ‘point’. This was Fagu point where the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas could be seen in an unending semi-circular stretch far in the distance. Of course, as we didn’t have binoculars, we could see only as far as our line of vision could allow.
Then, at another point, we saw ‘green valley’ a valley densely forested with coniferous trees. There was a small temple nearby dedicated to a goddess which had an interesting legend behind its origin. The priest of the temple briefed us about it. “This temple was built 2 years ago. Before that, all vehicles plying on this road used to meet with fatal accidents. The drivers of these vehicles would think that there were 2 roads here, instead of the one that is actually here. At this point, they would be deluded by a police-man to go by the other route and invariably plunge into the valley to their deaths. The police-man was in fact, a spirit. It was after many such accidents, that this temple was built here by the local people. After that, no such accidents occurred.” A slight shiver ran up my spine; even as I was listening to his narration; thinking that we had just traveled along that road.
Shimla has many orchards of peaches, almonds and apples. A visit to an apple orchard was mentioned in the sight-seeing itinerary. We were very excited at the prospect of actually seeing these fruits on the trees, which we could otherwise only buy off carts.“Please get down for a visit to the orchard” said the tour guide. All the tourists alighted.“As this is a private orchard, outsiders are not permitted to enter it,” the guide said. Then from the road only, he started pointing out to some trees saying that, that tree was a peach tree, that one a cedar and this one an apple tree. ‘This one’ had small green apples hanging from its branches. “The apple season is from August to September. Then you’ll actually see huge red apples here,” the guide said.
Far in the distance, in a deep valley, we saw bright blue polythene sheets covering some trees. When we asked the guide about them, he said that they were cherry trees and the sheets were used to protect the cherries from birds.By now, some co-tourists were getting irritated and restless, as the ‘sights’ that they longed to see were actually nowhere in sight.One such person caught hold of the guide and asked him about why he had not shown us better ‘points’. He told him that tourists actually wanted to enter orchards, experience the feel of the place, whereas the sight-seeing only consisted of getting down for about 5-10 minutes at some places and watching ‘next-to-nothing’. The guide quickly pointed out that he was just an employee of the H.P.T.D.C and that the tourists, if dissatisfied with the sight-seeing tour, should speak to the Public Relations personnel in the office.
Once back in Shimla, all of us hurried to take the lift up to the Mall Road.Each of us had to pay a small entry fee and was given tickets as there were two connecting lifts to go up to the Mall Road. This, by itself, was an experience to savor, as this was no ordinary lift in a building, but a lift to connect the areas at different heights, as Shimla is characterized by undulating steep hilly roads at different levels.
Most of us went to the tourism department office to complain about the unsatisfactory sight-seeing trip. What the person-in-charge said silenced all of us in one stroke. ‘Shimla is famous for its scenic beauty, ladies and gentlemen. You must learn to appreciate nature, which you must have noticed all along in your trip. Besides, there are no man-made points here. All that one can see here is views which are very panoramic at specific places. These were pointed out to you during the trip.’
Thus chastened, we decided to savor the scenery of Shimla in the true sense, instead of hankering about ‘points'. Needless to say, the rest of the days of our trip went off like a dream! ******************************************************************************
P.S. We, i.e. my hubby and my self, visited Shimla in May 1998. ****************************************************************************** This article's copyright is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
 

Dear friends,
From the 27th of September, 2013, I've started 2 new blogs dedicated exclusively to original short stories and novels written by me. I'll be pleased if you could post your comments and let me know your invaluable feedback.
You may also tell me whether the story could've ended differently or if it was perfect!
Please visit www.creativepriyasvision.blogspot.in and www.radiantpriyasvision.blogspot.in and read my stories and novels. If you like them, you may recommend the blog to your friends and contacts.
You may also view my latest blog at www.uberrimafideslicindia.blogspot.in. This blog deals with my R.T.I. case and lone crusade to get the repudiated wage revision arrears' payment and payment of difference in retirement benefits, from L.I.C. of India, for all the resigning ex-employees of the Corporation.