The Quality of Mercy

 

The quality of mercy is not strained

It droppeth as a gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath

It is twice blessed, it blesseth him that gives and him that takes...

These lines from Portia's speech in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice have been a personal favourite since Class IX I think, when I first read it as part of my school curriculum. Over the years, life has moved on, times have changed. And yet, for the last few days, these lines keep coming to my mind for god-knows-what reasons.

The speech was written centuries ago, but what a speech! Mercy, for one, cannot be forced on anyone. Is it not true? One can be merciful only if one wants to, not otherwise. You can pity someone, but to have mercy---would take a lot more. It would mean forgiving and forgetting.  

 At certain times in life, we are at a crossroads and face a situation where we need to choose pity or mercy. With pity, you deject the person who has wronged you. But the grudge remains. It is only mercy that can help you get over all hard feelings and forgive someone for his/her wrong-doings. And this is not true only in the case of a husband-wife or a love relationship. It can happen in friendship too.

Sometimes, we get to know a person and acknowledge friendship within moments. At other times, it may take years. And the choice between pity and mercy surfaces when you realize that the friend you considered second to none for over a decade lets you down at the drop of a hat! It is then that we need to decide---mercy or pity!
  
Tough and complicated I say... but what is life without these little twists in the tale?

So, whenever you are confronted with such complex philosophies, turn to nature and animals. They don't ask for mercy and you don't need to pity them.

They let you be and embrace you unconditionally.

 

Streaks of Madness?

Have you experienced this yet? Everyone at some point in life experiences streaks of madness. I cannot tell about the frequency though. In my case, I often come under attack and quite enjoy it. Sometimes, I get this runaway syndrome. Within minutes, I turn into this seriously impulsive person with variant streaks of madness.

At least, I am human enough to realize the madness and write about it. How many people can do that ;)?

I feel like giving it all up and heading to the Himalayas. Running through lush-green meadows (no, not only to bump into SRK!) till I reach the endless vastness of the sea--- that is one of my favorite dreams. I love nature I guess and appreciate the hues of green and blue and often shades of bright orange, fiery red and golden yellow. Sunflower would be a flower which instantly makes one smile and rose is one that can evoke emotions of love and pain at the same time. But of course, none of the colors would look so gorgeous had queen color white not complemented each of them. Sea waves without the white madness would be dull. Isn't it?

The reason I am writing all this?? Well., the runaway syndrome as I mentioned in the opening paragraph. The writing will have a disconnect, the mind will be set free, without any restraints or constraints anywhere. I realize I enjoy Neruda's poetry much more during these unannounced bouts of craziness. 

People sometimes mindlessly binge on junk food, ice-creams, chocolates et al. Not that they are always happy or depressed. They may have the 'streak of madness' in them. After all, not many people would think of jumping from a 32 floor building for sheer fun, and not be suicidal at all. They may not attempt it, but the thought will strike nevertheless.

Madness is best enjoyed when you have company. People who share the same passion for madness often do crazy things. The joy is doubled when you have company.

But again, there are people who put a break to your madness and bring you back to life. They come in the form of parents, spouses, children, friends, colleagues, and siblings. It is healthy to have such people around you who value a balanced life. They help you keep your checks and balances intact.

Having said all that, a roller-coaster life is still more fun. It is true that there are low-lows, but the high-highs are what make life worth living :). It is lovely to be on a high or feel tipsy without a drop of alchohol- to let your mind wander and dream all day without feeling guilty.

Simple joys of life like being by the sea, listening to the birds twitter, sensing the flowers breathe (try observing), soaking in music 24X7, or enjoying 'dogspeak' (language in which dogs communicate)---can refresh and pep-you up in no time.

The most precious things in life are for free. You just need to figure out a way to savour them.

Guzaarish… love is thy fate

I am not an active blogger... rather I am not a 'blogger' in the true sense of the term. I am more of a 'pen and paper' person and like to scribble notes in my diary and keep it for publishing in print for some book I plan to write some day.

However, there is some energy that tempted me to attempt writing a review of this 'oh-so-marvelous' movie Guzaarish. I am completely smitten by the movie in its totality. We often make a big deal about falling in love. But this film is all about 'rising in love' and 'diving into life'.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali hits the bull’s eye with this one after a bouncer of a Saawariya. Notwithstanding some forgettable loopholes in the movie as the drama unfolds, Bhansali creates ‘magic’. And he scores an ace with his debut as a music director too.

If you are thinking why you should watch Guzaarish when it may be a disturbing emotional drama, I would say it is the opposite. The life of a quadriplegic and the issue of ‘Euthanasia’ have been portrayed sensibly and sensitively. The narrative is tenderly woven with love and gives a different dimension to this weirdly worldly emotion.

Hrithik Roshan has lived up to his name yet again. Hrithik's acting, killer-looks, dialog delivery, dance moves—his overall screen presence will touch your heart, as if Ethan Mascarenhas is indeed Hrithik Roshan. And so far, critics who have maintained that in any movie, Hrithik outgrows the protagonist's character will have to revisit their stand now.

If someone plans to make a Hindi movie on Jesus Christ, Hrithik or John Abraham should be the obvious choices, I guess.

If Hrithik impressed all, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been the true 'surprise package' in Guzaarish. Ash did it with her expressions, her histrionics, and of course her divine looks. She was so believably incredible that I wondered if she is really in love with Hrithik!

Aishwarya sizzles gracefully in the song sequence 'Udi'. Sunidhi Chauhan's soulful rendition and Sofia’s performance, especially when she enacts the song, before doing the lip-sync is remarkable. And, though not a Rai admirer (before Guzaarish), I am sure no other actor could have done justice to this song but Aishwarya. As a kid, girls often have this huge crush on the mirror and like spending hours enacting song sequences in front of the mirror and admiring themselves ;). In this scene, Ash reminds me of those crazy, uncanny moments when we shed all inhibitions and emphasize on the child-like innocence within us. Ash performs with such ease and dexterity, that this scene becomes the ‘it’ moment of the movie... to me, at least.

At another level, Aditya Ray Kapur impresses again as the 'cute-boy-next-door'. Even the characterization of Shernaz Patel as Devyani is noteworthy.

Well, to sum it up then, if you have laughed, if you have cried, and if you have felt love while watching the movie, that is the true success of Guzaarish. Sofia loved and lost, but she loved nevertheless. Timeless, selfless love.

If I had the power, I would probably rename the movie as 'Mutthi bhar zindagi'. Please go watch Guzaarish now, if you haven’t already.

Some things are destined not to happen---don’t mess with them

Well… people often talk about destiny and of things that are destined to happen.
But have you ever thought or pondered why something did not happen? It is not because you are unlucky or because god does not love you. Perhaps, it did not happen because it was destined not to happen… or never to happen.

First, we come across someone and fall in love, almost instantaneously. Second, we give it some time to understand if it is the real thing or just a fling. Finally, by the time you actually realize it is love, it may so happen that the other person does not feel anything anymore. This is a classic example of something that is destined not to happen. If he does not feel for you, he does not feel. No signs can make him feel something for you overnight. It is destined not to happen.

You keep thinking, take signs from emotions and coincidences and circumstances in life. But finally, the serendipity like feeling does not hold ground. Each time you think true love is round the corner, you miss the bus.

You may feel intuitive, interprete signs or even smile at a 'good omen'. But the problem starts when you want to hold on to that 'state of mind'. Usually these intuitions fall flat. They start with unrealistic expectations that end relationships on a bitter note. It is upsetting, but with age, we learn to accept it gracefully.

BUT...this does not mean you give up on 'love'. It is impossible to stop loving. Restraining emotions is not in your hands. What, however, is in your control is to stop misreading the signs. Acceptance is the greatest solace for the mind. When you learn to cope and accept the fact that "it will not happen because it was never meant to be", the mind is at peace.

As an extremist, I would say, destroy any indications of any sign the moment you have any visibility of it 'coz it is never going to happen. The universe conspires only when someone as iconic as Paulo Coelho decides to write ‘The Alchemist’. The universe conspires only when Karan Johar decides to make ‘Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna’. In everyday life, there is nothing that can make what is ‘destined not to happen’ to happen. 

Love is all about feeling. If you feel, you have loved. It may be unrequited, but you are at peace and in sync with yourself. On the contrary, if you are building hopes that your signs will lead you to your lady love, it never happens that way.

Two people must love each other to make love happen. Love is true. Signs mean nothing.

Got a Minute?

As we grow up, we realize that the most valuable gift we can 'gift' a loved one is TIME. The time spent in the company of a friend or a loved one is invaluable.

As adults, we feel the most guilty when we cannot make time for people who matter. We feel guilty and think of new ideas as often as we can to cover up the guilt. Take the example of busy parents for instance. I've seen many parents who will buy expensive gifts for their kids. It is their way of apologizing for the inability to give 'time' to their children or 'dote' on them.

Gradually, this becomes a habit - for both parties. The child gets used to the gift and gets cranky if it goes missing. The parent, on the other hand feels less and less guilty for reaching home late and is satisfied at having pacified the child with a 'material' gift.

Now, that's what I think is the real cause of concern. Sadly, the miniscule amount of patience that we have these days is what makes us look for quick-fix solutions all the time.

Is it so difficult to make an effort to at least honour a commitment or make time for a loved one? Is the memory span so less these days (due to over-dependence on gizmos) or has our conscience just taken an indefinite sabbatical?


As they say, we always find time for things we want to do. We always make time for people we want to spend time with. So, why postpone it to tomorrow, when it can be done today?

Take the first step to a happy and fulfilling life now.