Mavericks-The rebels

Well I hope all of you have noticed that the name of my blog is Mavericks.Now oxford has a definition of the word maverick.The word apparently was coined after the name of a guy called Maverick…who was…well….a maverick.In this post let me tell you what the word maverick means to me.

The first requirement of being a maverick is that you have to be crazy.Now by crazy I don’t mean lunatic asylum crazy.You have to get ideas and do things which will make people say “You’re Crazy!!!You have lost it!!!You are off your rockers!!!You have lost your marbles!!!”….ok,that’s quite enough..I hope you get the point.In other words you have to be able to dream impossible….and be stupid enough to try it.

The second most important point is you have to be unconventional.You have to do things,others wont dream of doing.Suppose you get an rank 30 in the IIT’s….and you enroll for English honours.YES!!!THAT MUCH CRAZY…TAKE THE UNCONVENTIONAL ROUTE….THATS WHAT A MAVERICK DOES.

Mavericks are born,not made.You can’t become a maverick.Because taking the unconventional route will not strike you unless you are a maverick.People laugh at mavericks because they are different.Mavericks laugh at people because they are all the same.

Last but not the least,A maverick is the very best at what he does.He is the damn best….otherwise in this cut-throat world..he wont survive taking the alternative route.But if you are a maverick,you will be the best.You know why?Because you enjoy what you are doing….the fear of failure disappears from your mind.You give a damn to rules.HELL A MAVERICK PLAYS THE GAME BY HIS OWN RULES.!!!HE REWRITES THE RULES OF THE GAME!!!

There are a lot of mavericks around us.In cricket you see this guy called Virender Sehwag.He hit technique and footwork out of the park for a six.The experts are perplexed.They don’t know how their theories could be wrong.But that’s what a maverick does.He wipes the smirk right off their smug faces.He brings them down from their high horses and prove them wrong.

Another guy is the director Anurag Kashyap.He refused to take the formula masala bollywood route..And he also refused to take the “look-i-am-rituparno-ghosh-and-I-make-intellectual-movies” route as well..It resulted in movies with great cinematic values which have become hugely popular with the masses.

All in all….all I want to say is….MAVERICKS RULE!!!!!ALL HAIL THE REBELS!!!!

The Common Man

Before I begin this post,let me tell you 1 thing.My previous posts have been somewhat frivolous in nature,attempted tongue-in-cheek perspective of things.Let me tell you in this post there isn’t going to be any jokes or humour-because this topic is the one very close to my heart.

Yesterday I watched a movie called “A Wednesday” where a common man fed-up with the hopelessness of things around him,decides to take things into his own hands and gives the terrorists who have ended countless lives a fitting reply.During the climax of the movie he refers to himself as the “stupid common man”.This movie touched me a lot and got me thinking about the common man.

Firstly who is a common man??Practically anybody Irrespective of caste,creed,nation,religion,states, financial status.The common man is the most abundant creature on this earth.Each and everyone of us is a common man.Just another face in the huge and vast crowd.

That wasn’t a very convincing definition of a common man-isnt that right??Let me think…let me think…

Oh wait.How about this one??

A common man is the most exploited class of the society.He depends on everybody….and he is afraid of everybody….he depends on his employers for his livelihood….and they exploit him…even when he knows he is right…he cant fight back…because he cant afford to….he has a family back home…

When some political hotshot wrongs him,he cant fight back…but accepts it as a part of life….because he cant fight back…his life would be hell….he cant go to the cops…because he knows they are allied with the political leaders….his life would be hell….

The banks exploit him….they charge absurd interests on his loans….and he better pay up…or else the bank’s pet goons are gonna make life hard for him…..

Even education is not cheap….if he cant cough up the dough….his children can do without education….

The recession begins….and they are the ones worst affected by it…even those who escaped the cut…they are afraid that it may be their turn next…

The common man…what a strange race of people….with such a lot of threats they should be worried and depressed…yet look at them…..

They aren’t afraid…..they are happy with what they have….with so many forces crushing them down…they would have been dead and buried by now….yet look at them….they are still going strong….stronger than ever…..and they wont give up…

They are the ones who engineered every revolution in the past…when the tyranny became unbearable they are the ones who rose in arms….and restored order by using chaos…..

We are living in the worst possible times….when humanity has reached the lowest point….when struggle for existence is the main priority of life….

Yet the common man is not worried…Because he knows…however tough the going gets….he will be back…he always is….and he will bring judgement…..the stupid,ordinary,struggling,afraid,ever-smiling common man…..

What is love?

Warning:The following topic is has been rated R for graphic boredom and severe head-aches.

Well,firstly let me make it clear.I am not a romantic or sensitive person.I don’t read romantic novels and sigh…or watch romantic films and cry.Now before you people,who are romantic start hurling abuses at me-let me tell you I don’t think that being romantic is wrong or anything.I am not the type..that’s just it.That is the reason I am writing this…whatever it is I am writing.I want to understand what love is.

For finding out I conducted a survey among various people from various paths of life.Here are the results:

Kalyan,my friend who studies in IIT Kharagpur said “Love is an obsession you have with a pretty girl…who has rejected you…and it lasts until you meet the next pretty girl.So basically true love doesn’t exist.”Maybe this is the point of view of a single guy.

Rudraneel the actor said “Kabiguru (!!!!) Nachiketa has said-bhalobasha mane pituitary-r khela…amra bokara boli prem(love is the game of our pituitary glands..we fools call it romance).”That’s right,go ahead-blame it on the hormones…..

Sumit ,another friend,says “love is all about sacrifices….”wow…that must mean it hurts a lot…so if such a lot of people fall in love all the time…they must be damn stupid….or maschoists….

Rahul,yet another friend,says “love isn’t about sacrifices-its about keeping that special someone happy….”yeah right.i wonder if he will love his girlfriend if she dumps him and finds happiness with another boy…

Surinder Sahni thinks love is about seeing god in someone…

So this survey shows that people have varied ideas on what love is….and rather than providing me with an answer it confused me even further….to get a clearer picture I took the help of movies and watched some romantic movies over the next few days.

I didn’t get any answer but I did develop an aversion towards any sort of romantic movies or novels or songs for some time after that.To help me relax I started playing Fifa and Cricket 08.Man,these games just seem to get better….you can sit with them for hours at a stretch…and yet never get bored…I just love these games….

Hang on-what did I say??I just love these-

THAT’S IT!!!

I have got my answer.I now know what love is.Here’s my definition of love-

Love is something which gives you happiness and enjoyment.When you love something or someone you never get bored of that person….or thing.I love games and comics.My friend swarnali loves chocolates…this is what love is….ha ha ha….

OH HELL….BABEL MISSES THE GOAL AGAIN…GODDAMN PROGRAMMING…..HEY GUYS….SEE YA LATER….I GOT SOME LOVE TO DO….

GUILTY CONSCIENCE:A PARODY?

OK so this is not the first time this has happened.And I can bet my lunch for a day that this wont be the last time either.I mean can you guys believe it?How can anyone do this?oh sorry…I should have explained.

Ok this is what happened.I never attend Maths classes in college.I mean its not that I hate maths(basically there is nothing to hate about maths….its a very lovable subject…if you hate it…it means you suck in maths)I just hate the teacher and the way she teaches.I still remember the 1^st day I attended her class.She droned on for 90 DAMN MINUTES FOR GOD’S SAKE!!that day I told myself-I wont attend her classes and if any of my friends does…I will make that person my sworn enemy and do everything to make his life miserable..I mean come on…some teachers are horrible but damn gorgeous!!This one looks like Suniel shetty if he put on 40 more kilos and wore a sari.So you can see that I was very much right to bunk her class.

But you know there is a Bengali proverb-“shukhe thakte bhuute kiloy”….literally meaning that when you are happy a ghost punches you…but basically meaning that when there is no problem in your life you yourself invite it.So today morning I had gone to college…bunked the class,and sat down for a game of cards(ok…ok….OK….I know they don’t let me play coz I am a horrendous player…but I sit with them everyday ok??) when suddenly I had an attack of conscience…I will refer to my conscience as Anish idiot and myself as anish….here is the conversation between us…

ANISH IDIOT:HEY YOU….WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING??

ANISH:WHO IN THE BLOODY GREEN WORLD ARE YOU??

AI:I AM YOUR GODDAMNED CONSCIENCE…

A:HEY ARE YOU ALLOWED TO SWEAR?

AI:I AM YOUR CONSCIENCE NOT SOME GODDAMN PRIEST…AND YOU DIDN’T ANSWER ME…WHAT ARE YOU DOING??

A:CANT YOU SEE OR ARE YOU BLIND AS WELL AS DUMB??I AM TRYING TO GET RONY TO GET UP SO THAT I CAN PLAY IN HIS PLACE…

AI:YOU HAVE BEEN TRYING THAT FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS WITHOUT SUCCESS….MAYBE IF YOU USED THAT TIME TO STUDY YOU WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY MANAGED TO AVOID THE SUPPLI….

A:OH YOU JUST HAD TO BRING UP THE SUPPLI DIDN’T YOU??DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PAIN THERE IS IN MY LIFE??DID YOU KNOW-

AI:HERE HE GOES AGAIN…1 CHANCE…NO…JUST HALF A CHANCE AND HE IS STARTED…HEY I KNOW YOUR TRAGIC STORY OK…MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONSIDER SELLING IT TO A TOLLYWOOD FILM-MAKER….YOU COULD HAVE A SUPERHIT POTBOILER “JIBONER DUKKHO BAROI SUKKHO”(THE PAIN OF LIFE IS VERY SUBTLE) WITH PROSENJIT ACTING IN YOUR ROLE....

A:WHAT YOU DARE TO MAKE FUN OF ME???DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PAIN-

AI:AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH…….YOU KNOW YOU ARE MORE LETHAL THAN OSAMA AND DAWOOD PUT TOGETHER….YOU CAN JUST BORE A PERSON TO DEATH……ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TELL THEM YOUR PAINFUL STORY…OVER AND OVER AGAIN…AND AGAIN….AND AGAIN….

A:JUST GET TO THE POINT OK??HOW COME YOU REMEMBER ME AFTER SUCH A LONG TIME….I MEAN THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU WAS IN CLASS 10….WHEN YOU WERE TO TRYING TO RUIN MY EXAM BY STOPPING ME FROM COPYING….

AI:YEAH THOSE WERE THE GOOD DAYS….REMEMBER THE TIME I MADE YOU CONFESS THAT YOU STOLE AND ATE TWO EGGS FROM THE FRIDGE…OH THE SPANKING YOU GOT….

A:HEY,HEY,HEY IF YOU ARE HERE TO RUB SALT…..

AI:OH NO NO NOT AT ALL….I AM HERE TO HELP YOU….

A:HOW…ARE YOU EVEN SOLID??IF NOT THEN HOW THE HELL ARE YOU GONNA GIVE RONY A KICK UP HIS BACKSIDE??

AI:NO I AM NOT HERE TO GIVE HIM A KICK UP HIS BACKSIDE…I AM HERE TO HELP YOU REDISCOVER YOUR PRIORITIES…..

A:HEY IF YOU THINK YOU CAN SOUND SERIOUS BY USING DIFFICULT WORDS….THEN YOU ARE MISTAKEN MY FRIEND….

AI:YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY???YOU THINK YOUR FATHER GOES TO WORK EVERYDAY AND WORKS HIMSELF OFF SO HIS SON CAN HAVE A NICE TIME SITTING ON HIS BACKSIDE PLAYING CARDS??YOU KNOW HOW MUCH DAMN MONEY HE SPENDS ON YOU AND HOW HARD HE WORKS TO EARN IT???DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH HE SACRIFICES JUST SO YOU CAN HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION???YES YOU DO!!!YES YOU DO!!!AND YOU DON’T CARE!!!YOU CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT!!!

A:I…I DIDN’T MEAN TO…I MEAN…I TRY TO….I AM SORRY…..YOU ARE SO VERY RIGHT….I AM REALLY SUCH A BAD BOY…..

AI:OH NOW DON’T START WHINING AGAIN…JUST GO AND ATTEND YOUR CLASS….

A:YES OF COURSE…..

And after that I came to attend the maths class.While doing the class there was a feeling of elation in my heart.I am finally doing it….I am finally getting my priorities right….I am-

“ROLL NO 7-ANISH DUTTA!!!”

I stood u and responded-“Yes Ma’am”…

“Well according to my attendance register this is your first class…did someone hold a gun to your head and send you to attend this class?”(chorus of laughter from my idiotic classmates).

And then I saw him….Mr Anish Idiot… standing behind that fat ma’am(yeah yeah..i know I am fat too)….and laughing the hardest….how I hate this &^%$#@!!!

But at least for 1 day…if only for 1 period….50 minutes…he gave me some hope of redemption….