Rama Moondra

 I listen to my heart more than my head.True! I mean it. Long ago, I realized, I am more emotional and less logical. (Though I know, if my boss reads it, he would disagree) Being emotional gave me a lot of anger and resentment too but emotions make the world a better place to live. They penetrate me through various means. A drop of tear on someone else’s cheeks, A cute child meeting first time in a shop and making friends with me, A blind girl marrying another physically challenged person, A rain-filled weekend and missing my loved ones, the last friend in the town migrating leaving a feeling of dullness, the list is endless.

With life showering rain and sunshine with shades of grey and gold interwoven, I have grown up as a mature woman outside. In this materialistic world out liars, white liars and cheaters are in abundance, insensitive people and advantage taking in name of charity and breaking my trust is a routine, I still have managed to keep a portion of my heart intact, not immune though I wished it to be so.

I have given money to people knowing it would never come back, I help people who cheat and I have been good to many who in turn have embarrassed me. But I still continue to be same. “Why” -Because, I do not want a single genuine person getting crucified because other nine betrayed. I think it is sin to do so.

 And life has ways to pay back. I have been blessed by great assignments, loving family and friends in every corner of world but what makes it worth listening from heart is, I have received help from unbelievable sources just when I needed,. Every time when a dark corner lights up, I know a prayer is answered. Someone somewhere has prayed for a loved one.

 And god listens from heart to heart just as love does.

Honestly, if you watch this one, you will end up hating all kind of Love stories. I did not think of this flick at the first place. So, I had turned down a close friend already. But Ashish does not take” No” for an answer. Saturday night show happened just out of blue. (Left me blue after that).

Imran is not a lover boy Bolly wood can take pride in. Sonam has advantage of being born as Star -daughter. She has nothing apart from that. The movie has all past dialogues of Shahrukh Khan, distorted by a TV artist. Long ago, Videocon had launched PIP TV. Picture in Picture is what this boring choking stuff has.

The first half makes you sit through in anticipation of,” something new might come up.” By the time one sees Intermission written on screen, one gears up for another predictable love story. I probably would have done away with that. The repetitive dialogues coupled up with same number played endlessly during hero moping through his doleful late realization were not enough to kill.  The hero going on crazy aka Devdas did. (Why do not men in Hindi fillums grow up?) Our teenagers do.

 Can someone tell me where to find a man the ways Bollywood lovey-dovey are?  Travelling continents and proposing the way only 1920′s heroes did.  And I think any sane woman will dislike a man going on his knees with drop of a hat every time he sees her. But our cine star women are known to be no brainers.

My patience ended before movie did. On my way out, silently, I paid my tribute to Yash Chopra. He gave Rishi Kapoor and Shahrukh Khan, best lover boys to Indian women.

. The write up is for my dear Bosseeebee. He likes watching movies and plays, though through my lenses. If not anything, it brings a smile worth the movie tickets.

Ashish, thanks for standing by all thick and thins. Also such movies.

Standing in my verandah, I felt raindrops falling on my open palms. I travelled back in time zone.

 I still remember running out from my home to pouring sky as a child. My mother would be scared of me slipping and breaking my bones. Don’t think it ever occurred to me as danger ever in those days. My friend and next door neighbor Jessica used to get freshly baked banana loaf and under a pouring tree, for years together we sat and ate trying to save it from raindrops.  Like many children, I too made paper boats and prayed for them not to sink before Joyen and Jessica’s boats.

  Life has moved on and made me the person I am  today.  I am a grown up,successful  professional now.

Surprisingly, I still stop by a bakery sometime to feel the fresh aroma of banana loaf on a rainy day.

I broke my bones badly but not to rainy evening. It does not sound dangerous even now. I know how it feels.

And I still pray for my boat to sail through life. The only thing different now, the boat is of glass. Fragile but immune to disturbing winds and rainstorm.

So this evening, when a friend whose car was running on his dreams and Maruti’s goodwill without fuel, asked me to pray for him to reach safely, I did. I knew his would be heard ,not mine. Mine was”" Wish I could still go back to the paper boat days. Glass boat is scary.”"