Life and Lies of M R Maiti

She was a pretty girl. He was a stupid boy. And they had a thing In their salad days. Then he chose to leave, Lured by ambition And the wonders of the world. He couldn't help it. He was born this way, Itching to wander After a brief stay. The unknown was exciting. The familiarity eventually faded away. The dingy lanes made way For concrete pavements. He traded his cozy home For a rented apartment. Then wandered around, Beyond the serene blue lake Surrounded by the dewy meadow, Past the fiery blossoms Under the moonlight glow, Through the deserted lands, Through the wintry snow, Always carrying along her fragrance Wherever he chose to go. However, upon his return, When he met her, A sad realisation Slowly crept up on him. She was a pretty woman. He was a stupid man. And they had nothing. His chapter had ended in her story. And when he bid her goodbye, He saw himself Receding in her eye, Wishing to become heartless To avoid living with a broken heart. *** Liked what you read? Leave a

"Have you heard about the trolley problem," asked Sheth who was sitting beside me. Yes, I had, but I did not reply right away. I looked around at unfamiliar faces surrounding me and found a mixed bag of people of Slavic, Eastern and Mongol origins. There wasn't an Indian in sight except, of course, my friend Sheth. An hour ago, he and I had landed at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan and were waiting for our connecting flight to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. There was still an hour to go and I had nothing to do. There was no internet. Our SIM cards were not of any use. We would buy the local SIM in Bishkek. I hadn't brought a book with me or downloaded any movie/TV series on my mobile. Even if I weren't shy and wanted to talk to someone, language would have failed me. Neither I knew Kazakh nor Russian. Therefore, to pass the time, I decided to humour my friend and replied, "No, I don't. Tell me." "Imagine a train moving forward on a track," h

"Who's the baby?" "She's my niece. I have loads of cousins and by extension, a lot of nephews and nieces." "It's a nice picture." "Thanks. You cannot imagine what was going through my mind while I was holding her." "Can I guess?" "Sure, why not." "She’s so cute you could eat her." "Haha... obvious guess, but, no. I was thinking about the theory of Twin Paradox." "Interesting. Care to explain." "In Twin Paradox, one of the twins goes on a space voyage and the other stays put on Earth. When he returns, he discovers that his Earth-bound counterpart has aged considerably compared to him. I do not have a twin. Nor do I have a vehicle capable of space voyages. But I do live away from my hometown and normally return after long intervals. This time, on my return, I found out that one of my nieces I once used to rock to sleep and carry around in my arms has now become a teenager, taking se

"Nitin, where did you get lost again," asked Mukesh. On the Saturday preceding the Diwali holidays, Neil, Nitin and Mukesh had a get-together before leaving for their hometowns. Everyone had turned up in their traditional attires. And for once, Neil looked like a civilised person without a drink in his hand. "Nothing," replied Nitin. "I was just thinking that every year, we celebrate Diwali on the eve of Lord Rama returning to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. He went to such great lengths to rescue her wife only to exile her later whereas Sita Maiya chose to accompany him, as a dutiful wife, during an exile imposed only on him." "Not many people realise this," said Mukesh. "But the real protagonist of Ramayana is Sita Maiya, not Rama or Ravana." "That I can agree on." "Ravana had the mental might of ten brains. Still, he wasn't wise enough to let go of his ego. He ended up squandering everything because of his arroganc

Mountains and rivers Are for some, An escape from daily life, And for others, A part of it. Either way, I'm Always left bewildered By both nature And human spirit. I sat motionless, yet Soared high like a bird, Flowed gently like a stream, Stood resolute like a mountain And drifted aimlessly like a cloud. Beauty and the beholder, What is one without the other? Upon my return, The cherished moments Found their way Without fail, Into my treasure chest, My source of sunshine On a gloomy winter day. *** Liked what you read? Leave a comment! Pic captured by me on Gaumukh Tapovan Trek 

Gaumukh Tapovan Trek -  Part 3 of 3 Click to read Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Part 1 of 3: The Bhagirathi Sisters Click to read Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Part 2 of 3: A Hearty Submission "Did you sully my good name again to justify your coming here?" "The mountain is named after you. It wasn't that long a shot." "Why can't you stay in the city like a normal person? Plan your life ahead. Get married, have kids, and so on." "When I was a kid, we had this clay modelling class where the teacher expected us to combine earth and water to build statues of God. I always ended up with a dried lump of clay." "That's your take on marriage? Doesn't science tell you that life arose from a mixture of earth and water? Nature gave that a chance. Why can't you?" "Why are you asking me questions you already know the answer to?" "I know almost everything. That doesn't mean I can't delight myself with a conversation now a

Gaumukh Tapovan Trek -  Part 2 of 3 Click to read Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Part 1 of 3: The Bhagirathi Sisters Click to read Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Part 3 of 3: By God's Grace It was very early in the morning, but Bhojbasa campsite was already abuzz with activity. Everyone was up and about by 5:30 AM; bags packed, tents unhitched, breakfast done and lunch packed, in that order. If only I could continue to remain so disciplined back in the city. The Sun was yet to rise. Still, the snow-covered Bhagirathi sisters glistened, a halo of light forming in their background. A few stars hovered over the peaks. I immediately searched for Orion. It was finally here after two days of absence. That was a good sign for the day. As expected from Hemant's briefing yesterday, we found a long waiting line at the trolley point. It was not just us, but other groups of trekkers, porters, and kitchen staff along with their equipment. And the trolley could fit a maximum of six at once, along with thei