A Nightmarish Reality

Losing a person as young as you, who grew up as your shadow, but now is in a place that's far away from you. Sleepless nights, and if any sleep at all, visions where you see them again, outlandishly terrorized of what has happened to them. Whispering your name, asking you to have a look at their moist wounds, to help them tell everybody it's not for real, and that they are coming back to everybody who is already mourning their premature departure.

And then that drifting away til they finally dissolve in hazy air that appeared out of nowhere, arm out-stretched as far as they can to not let go of that one last grip, which will be all that you're going to remember. How you couldn't hold them close to you when you had that chance.

You try your best to picture how would have that 9-year-old bubbly-beautiful girl with short hair and bright eyes turned out to be after her adolescent years. How would she look like if she were with you today, after 10 years of her demise? You try your best but only find yourselves desperately looking for inklings from their siblings, parents and yourselves, failing desolately.

When you think about the relationship you used to share and what possible difference, if any could've 10 years made. If they would've graduated from the same school as you, be living in the same city as you. If they'd have grown up to become a person with same philosophical ideology as yours. Shared similar avocations as yours.

Death leaves a headache so fragile that it never really goes away, but is always there reminding you of its actuality. A heart so heavy and a depression that rises in your throat, pounding hard inside, leaving your heart wrenching in waves of turmoil. That first time you see them so pale, so cold, that's the last you'll ever get to see of them again. That'll be how you're going to remember them for the rest of your life. A vivacious soul that went to sleep, eternally. That girl with captivating persona who turned pale, inanimate.

Isn't it the most painful kind of death when you have to bear with the mourning in your heart for even longer than the days of their life?

Craay-zay Misconceptions People Have About Deserts.

It's very obvious for people to have their own set of curiosities about places they've never been to. But here's a list of insane questions I've been asked about my native place- The Thar Desert.

1.     Have you ever seen rain?
For a sec, even I hoped the inquirer was referring to the song by the Creedence Clearwater Revival. But nooo. This is the most outrageously absurd question I've come across til date. And it has to be. He actually meant if I'd ever seen the sky pouring, as if the clouds get sucked out of the space just because there're sand dunes down on the clod! *Facepalm*

The Thar Desert, just like any other part of the world experiences the 4 seasons including monsoon. There're even hailstorms and floods that destroy crops, like other states of India.

2.     Can you sustain winters?
It's a fact that deserts are subject to extreme temperature changes as freezing nights alternate with blazing hot days. Rajasthan has it's very own hill station too- Mount Abu, a part of the Aravalli Range. Mount Abu has a pleasent climate thanks to its rich dense green forest cover, In summers when typical temperature of desertious Rajasthan is around 44°C, Mount Abu's temperature is 31-34°C. In winters the temperature ranges from 10°C to-8°C (in Night).

My own city has witnessed temperature extremes of upto -2°C many a times in the winter season. So yeah, our winter wardrobes are pretty much brimful, just like your's! Hahh!

3.     Is everything made of sand?
Now I wouldn't complain if people ask questions because of the bias of photographic record. I've been asked if Rajasthan's railway tracks and highways actually look as depicted in the poster of the movie PK. While it's true that you'd find sand dunes around but that does come with a little vegetation, plain surface, 4/6 lane roads and flyovers as well. If you're planning to visit the state and expecting to find mounds of pure sand everywhere for your photoshoots, you're wrong. You would only find them in limited parts of the desert.

Don't be surprised if you find more landforms other than desert. Yes, there'll be hills & uplands, forests, more than a dozen lakes, 2 dozen plus rivers and lush green farms. Unlike the normal perception, there is vegetation even in the driest, hottest parts. You'll find these keekar trees almost everywhere, as far as your sight can go.

4.     Do you spot camels roaming around at any hour?
I'm not sure about the Middle-East and Sahara deserts, but we do not use camels as our means of public transport (other than exceptions of tourist activities). It's possible that you might spot a herd of camels in the sub-urbs or near village mandis. But no, we do not have our personal camels to pet or ride.

Normally, new borns' celebration acts do not include speeches naming 40 camels to the baby and property wills do not constitute of distribution of a herd of camels amongst the offsprings.

5.     Do you guys actually witness fights over water sources?
There are some parts that do get hit by water crisis in summers. But the situation is much better after the Indira Gandhi Canal Project was completed in the 1980's. Besides, there are ground water reserves and you'd find hand-pumps in villages and sub-urbs catering to the water requirements of peeps. However, most of the big towns and cities hardly face any crisis, and we've got abundant water supply for all our needs even in summers.

6.     You guys eat that dish, Daal-Baati, right?
My mother can serve you a plate or more of the most delectable daal-baati choorma you've ever had. But do not walk-in anyday of the week without prior notice expecting to join us over a dinner for that! We do eat some vegetables that you're unfamiliar with, like saangri, pattod and we eat baajri ki roti more often than you do. But other than that, we have usual food like you do.

*based on actual incidents.

Do we need to Employ a Police Jawaan for every single Woman and Girl in Delhi for their Safety?

It's so convenient for us to blame the administration whenever the law and order situation seems to take a toll. Undoubtedly politicians, followed by the police are the first ones in our list.

Now it's true that politicians do spice up the situation with their statements, often leaving the citizens in a mental frenzy about whom to blame next! But when it comes to the police force, especially Delhi Police, it has always been a soft target for any political party.

As known to us, unlike other states Delhi doesn’t have a full statehood. Meaning that its government has no home minister to defend it from the gratuitous political onslaught. Which explains why Delhi Police has become merely a force of "thulle" for our political leaders.

But why does every nasty crime in the National Capital Region of Delhi close the curtain on our 'jawaans' as being solely responsible?

Tweeting "Delhi police is criminals in uniform" somehow intensifies the issue.

It seems like CM Kejriwal scans the media and latches on to the fact that crime incidents take place under the homage of officers. Often launching an array of disrespectful verbal attacks on the Delhi Police.

Hailing from the police force of NCR, where every second person is a VIP or his relative, employee or associate of a VIP, these people sure have 'duties' are must be downright unconstitutional. It becomes even more difficult owing to the dreadful police-population ratio.

Capital cities have always witnessed a high crime rate because of several factors, most of which are not under any one party's control.

Based on my experiences with the Delhi Police, I am highlighting a very serious point here:

The police helpline number in the capital city is tremendously effective. Any call made to the number - 100 - automatically gets logged in a computerised system and a PCR van reaches the scene of crime, given that it is reported!

It's a quite common practice in India to play Holi pranks on relatives, neighbours or even strangers and pedestrians on the roadside. It's okay to some extent, when done in a friendly way. But, for a person like me who's never ever celebrated the festival or indulged in any pranks for personal reasons, getting a water-filled condom smacked at you by a gang of some 20-something goons is A VERY BIG DEAL.

Consider this: you're commuting with a girl-friend by an auto in a very crowded locality. All your clothes, hair, wallets and mobile phones get drenched in water all of a sudden. Your friend's liner literally gets washed off and it takes a while for you to realise that a whole bucket full of water has been splashed on you.

Would you still call this a prank? Well, I don't.

I asked the auto driver to halt the vehicle there itself and dialled 100. (Mind you, a prank isn't just a prank when a crowd gathers around you, gazes at you, mocking your wet clothes and laughs at your face)

Also Read: Dealing With the Coronavirus Pandemic Anxiety in 2020

To my surprise, I got a text within a matter of seconds after hanging up. It contained details about the police van's vehicle number, the constable's mobile number and asked us to stay there as help would be made available shortly. In under less than 10 minutes, a police van reached us. Meanwhile, they also called us a couple of times to ensure we were safe and still there at the spot.

Of course, the pranksters and the local elderly who tried convincing us into letting go of it had fled the scene by then. I couldn't let it go standing drenched in water, in the middle of a crowded locality, with everyone around ogling at our wet bodies and clothes.

It was the third time I had been aimed at by pranksters and I was not gonna let go this time because being ogled at my wet body and clothes in public makes me uncomfortable and I'm not a coward to let them make me feel like an easy target for their definition of 'fun' activity.

Delhi Police's action as soon as I reported the crime:

In-spite of no proof or identification of the guys, the policemen escorted us near the police van and asked us to give any information we had about them. He then called up for a backup team and within 5 minutes a team of 5-7 constables reached the site and went inside the residential area to search for any hints about the pranksters.

One of the children who happened to be playing in a park nearby led us to the house of one of them. The boy's family and a crowd of 30-40 people of the colony who'd gathered there by then were warned by the officers. An FIR written by me was followed by this and the local vendors were warned to either give information about the guys or to remove their stalls from the site altogether if they ever fail to report to the police of any such activities in the future.

Turned out that this specific locality was infamous for these incidents despite being a very crowded place. The team of policemen then proposed to halt an auto for us to drop us home safely.

We were provided help in every way possible by Delhi Police:

They just served their duty towards 2 girls who had reached out to them for help when we felt unsafe traveling in the city. Notice the fact that how easily the police could've let it go given that Holi pranks is a very common scenario across the nation.

We asked for help, we received it. And I am grateful to Delhi Police.

Just one question, to everybody who lashes out on Delhi Police everytime a crime happens. "Do we need to employ a jawaan for every single woman and girl in the capital for their safety? Are these policemen and their superiors themselves raping women?"

A crime doesn’t take place in isolation. All criminals, victims, citizens (and policemen) are a part of the same society. They (victims) live among us, (criminals) commit crimes among us, and (policemen) work among us.

All that we have to do is, be aware citizens and actively participate in helping policemen in maintaining law and order of OUR society. If a crime is not going to be reported ON TIME by eye-witnesses, how can we expect any action against the culprits?

Also read: Could the Internet have Dealt Better with Sushant Singh Rajput's "Death"?

Police is not meant to act as our bodyguards, but to take action against those who do wrong within our society.

What I've shared here, wasn't exactly a crime. But given the tiny-winy intensity of it and the splendid display of dedication of the policemen towards their duty, imagine the extent to which their work can influence the law and order of the city.

Not every recruit in Delhi Police has done something to get bashed collectively with the spiteful comments that it is showered with time to time. This was one of my many experiences with the police of NCR. There've been numerous other times when I asked for help and received it. Sadly, it doesn't make to the headlines because it's just their 'job'.

To sum it up:

Please do not ever verbally abuse a policeman, because they take up their duties much more professionally than those in power. Like every other respected field of work, they deserve an applause for being true to their work. This blog-piece was just one attempt in that direction.

Do not become ignorant fools by believing everything that these power-hungry men want you to believe. While the police is out there, taking up their responsibilities seriously, RESPECT THEM FOR IT and understand your duties towards the society as well by helping police maintain law and order. That institution alone is not responsible for whatever is happening in the city. We all are. And together, we have to fight the evils and anti-social creatures.

Instead of following the sheep-herd mentality and ruling out the possibility of any help reaching out to you, try having an iota of faith. Do your part as a citizen. Report crimes when they happen in front of you.

Who is your favourite TV series character and why?

Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) from One Tree Hill.

She starts out as a rather slutty cheerleader who isn't good in school and likes to party... a lot! Her character grows as the show goes on and makes everyone fall in love with her, in the most realistic and honest way possible. She has her share of ups and downs, but the way she bounces back is so appealing!

She is a proof that your past does not define your future.

She held out for what she deserved. Any time any man treated her less than what she deserved, she made sure he knew it, and then ended things with him. (That's the way you do it ladies!)

She was always there to listen and gave great advice…

…but she also had sassy comebacks ready for anyone who deserved one.

Brooke was open about her fears, but refused to let them cripple her. She fought back… 

"Being a Bitch Is Okay if Your Heart's in the Right Place."

She went after her dreams fearlessly, but success didn’t change her.

She successfully handled both a career and a family.

Some Brooke Davis quotes

-And once you lose yourself, you have two choices: find the person you used to be... or lose that person completely...  

-Someone once said; "It's the good girls who keep diaries. The bad girls never have the time." Me? I just wanna live a life I'm gonna remember, even if I don't write it down.

-(To a reporter) You should be ashamed of yourself. There are kids inside our school fearing for their lives right now, terrified that someone's gonna put a gun in their face and pull the trigger and you want to know how I'm feeling? Our pain is not a commodity for you. It's not a news bite to boost your ratings because tomorrow or the next day or the next week when we go back to school changed forever by a day that will never leave us, where are you gonna be? At the next tragedy thrusting your microphone in the face of the next fractured person asking them how they fell? Lady that is not journalism. You are not contributing anything to society. You are buzzards circling the carnage but you prey on the living. That is how I'm feeling but something tells me you're not gonna air that.- *noticing a computer featuring a magazine cover with a very skinny girl* Guys. Absolutely not. There's no way she gets on the cover of my magazine unless she gains ten pounds minimum. She looks unhealthy. Anorexia is a disease, it is not a fashion statement. 

-(to Principal) When I was a freshman, I wasn't a very good person. I mean sure I was popular and dating seniors but as a person I was pretty lost. And over the last four years I've been forced to grow up. I stopped letting boys define me and I started believing in myself and in my potential and I ran for student council president and I designed a clothing line and somewhere along the way the lost, little, party girl became the girl on the wall of honor. And I know what I did was wrong, I know, but the girl I was when I came to this school? I'm not sure she would have. And isn't that the point of high school? Isn't that what you guys have been trying to teach us for the last four years?

Jat Agitation: Educated Indian Youth Openly Support Vandalised Protests in Favour of Reservation

Delhi University is one of those institutes of India that have the cream of India’s best academic 10+2 pass-out students. With such qualitatively shortlisted bunch of minds, we often happen to believe that this set of students are very promising to the development of our nation.

However, from what I’ve observed, our education system isn’t exactly shortlisting that cream as intended. In fact, it’s maliciousness is leading to a cycle of no hope. I’ve time and again raised my voice against the reservation system of India.

Jat Reservation Agitation 2016

As one of those students hailing from the prestigious University of Delhi, I have felt hopeless by coming across the opinion of some of my own classmates when it comes to reservation. When educated youth claim that protesting is a "legitimate constitutional" right, they seem to forget that rights come with certain set of duties.

More so, if they are getting access to a great education at subsidised fees!

Anyway, the point of this article is to point towards the attitude of 'best-minds'. I have attached some screenshots below (with names censored to avoid any bad consequences on me).

Is our education system blindly promoting individuals with medieval ideas of caste-ism and rioting to get their demands met?

By 25 February, the riots caused a whopping estimated loss of ₹340 billion (US$4.8 billion) in northern Indian states including Haryana and its neighbouring states. The then Railway Minister told in Lok Sabha, that the total loss suffered including damage to property and cancellation of tickets during the agitation was about Rs 55.92 crore!

Also Read: Social Media Sins: Blaming the Entire Sects of Communities Whenever Something Goes Wrong!

And do note the fact that by 26 February, 30 people had been killed in the violence! As a student of Delhi University, I am not proud of what my seniors and classmates believe in. But this is the raw truth:

To my surprise, all the inconvenience caused on the NCR highways was just another celebratory achievement for my own classmates. This, when there had been reports of people dying in the ambulances that were stuck in traffic jams caused by the protestors.

This method of demanding reservations cannot be justified, right?

These screenshots are only meant to draw the attention towards how educated youth impact the very fabric of societal morals. I am not posting them here to defame anyone. Belonging to the very same community, my entire nuclear family is against reservation.

However, this is not true for our closest extended family members who do opt for reservations to secure seats in educational institutes & government jobs. I have rejected this special quota that we are only entitled to based on the fact that we come under a certain caste.

The Solution:

I have always felt that consensual rejection by certain privileged members of communities is the only way reservation can truly serve its intended benefiters. What is your opinion on caste based reservation? Do let me know in the comments below!

Social Media Sins: Blaming the Entire Sects of Communities Whenever Something Goes Wrong!

In light of the on-going Jat Reservation Agitation, here's an urgent appeal to everybody using social media: blaming entire sects of communities will not help! Please don't contribute towards spreading hate for the entire Jat community!

We're all equally angry about what happened in Harayana during the protests!

Now that the violence and riots are slowly starting to diminish, social media posts are wildly surfacing targeting Jats for the violence. Before sharing any such content, make sure you know the entire truth before spreading it like wildfire!

There are posts with downright disrespect towards a certain community. Don't be a fool and believe only what's shown to you. It leads to inter-caste hatred and that is the last thing our nation needs right now!

1. Every person hailing from the community does not support riots

Every Jaat was not involved in triggering vandalism. Some are as unhappy as the rest of the country. Stop sharing any content that disrespects a certain community that's in news for a controversy.

Things can turn very ugly if this doesn't stop right here. A very large part of the community everybody's spitting hate about is a part of the Indian Armed Forces that protects every Indian day and night from foreign forces. So, obviously they're gonna feel bad coming across collective hate, right?

2. Every rioter was definitely not a Jat

India has a lot of frustrated youth that take up to hooliganism every chance they get. Why? To just release their tensions! There are cases where Jat youth collected and acted as security for not letting any outsiders enter and ruin THEIR city, irrespective of the communities that reside in it.

A jat dharmashala has been destroyed in Jhajjar district and obviously the jat community cannot be behind this, ruining their very own property! Other groups WERE INVOLVED. Specially political fear-mongers of the country.

If you've shared any such content, please remove it ASAP and do not contribute in creating a further divide between communities. Don't draw conclusions based on the very obvious that's fed to you.

Media and the political parties are also trying to give this a whole new direction altogether:

1. the 'non-jat Chief Minister- Manohar Lal Khattar' angle,
2. comparison between communities by ONLY mentioning the sikh and other help groups, and
3. being totally ignorant towards how some jaat-groups have also aided the affected people and places.

These issues are more sensitive than you think. With such widely spread and used social media, there's an urgent need to take such posts down. What happened was wrong but have faith in democracy and our judiciary. Those who are responsible will be made to pay for it.. whether jats or non-jats.

Please do not take these sensitive issues lightly!

Also Read: Educated Indian Youth Openly Support Vandalised Protests in Favour of Reservation

The ||DESI कोल्डप्ले|| Controversy

The second single from the band Coldplay's new album, which goes by the name "Hymn For The Weekend"  directed by Ben Mor in India, featuring Beyoncé and guest starring Sonam Kapoor is in controversy for "cultural appropriation".

With the on-going debate on social media about the controversy, some are confusing the main issue for "portraying the poor side of the nation" and all of us know this is nothing new for Indian butthurts, as in the past, Slumdog Millionaire has been in news for the same reasons. So before discussing about this further, let's understand in detail what is meant by "cultural appropriation". As I understand it, it's a situation of adoption or use of elements of one culture (generally speaking, cultural minority) by members of a different (majority) culture. In this case, some intellectual *ahemm-ahemm* Indian reviewers are accusing Coldplay and Beyoncé of PROFITING from misinterpreting the Indian culture.

Let's take a look at the music video shared by Coldplay Official On YouTube.

The video is beautiful and the song is amazing, looking to positively capture celebrational aspects of the city's culture, specifically India's Holi festival, cultures associated with Hindu religion, with kids dressed up as the deity Hanuman. Coldplay is commendable for choosing Indian Devnagri scripted theme.. and all of this with soothing music and vocals given by the artists. I've gone across the video, analysed the lyrics for a number of times now, and I don't understand where the butthurts found a misinterpretation of the culture.

In the past, Iggy Azalea's Bounce and Selena Gomez's Come And Get It have been accused of the same. So let me get this straight, whenever an artist flies in from the west and gets inspired with our culture,  wants to put it on record, we've just got to critisize them right? Criticizers themselves have zero clue about India's culture and diversity. Often culture is 'appropriated' and shown disrespectfully in our own movies! Remember Chennai Express? There were many instances of downright disrespectful to South Indians. Instead of doing it for our beloved bollywood industry's Munni Badnaam Hui and Hua hokra Jaawan Re, we point those out who devise the right away to do it, just because they're outsiders! *slow claps*

Oh, and the fact that, Beyoncé, a black woman, is offensively appropriating, is far from my understanding. She was wearing the traditional clothing with other women in the actual culture. How is that wrong? If it had been a Desi artist, she'd have been invited to invest and appreciate our culture.

Is Bikaner a good city to live in?

There was a question on Quora "Is Bikaner a good city to live". Here's what I answered.

"I've been living in the city for 18 years now (BTW I'm just 18 -.-) and here's my take on this-

People-

• The people are very simple and warm hearted. It wouldn't be surprising if you land up at 3 here in the night and find a group of people (Decent people, not the drunkards slash potential rapists) sitting up and chatting. Credit the "Pata culture" for this.

• They can guide you very well unhesitatingly if you've lost your way or perhaps even drop you securely to your destination.

• WARNING- People can get too interfering (read very very very very interfering) sometimes, especially the non-working groups of locals i.e. housewives, old ladies, pokey unemployed uncles.

Food-

• You will find all sorts of Bhujia-Papad-Namkeen and their variants since Bikaner is the hub of Bhujia. Try googling "Bikaji" and its origin, and you'll know what I'm talking about.

• Bikaner is even famous for its "Rasgullas" and other sweets. You must've seen "Bikaner Sweets" shops in street markets of Harayana and UP. (IMP NOTE: They cannot beat the original Bikaneri taste, not even close to that trust me)

• Make sure you carry extra Bhujia packets with you while returning. For those who know about Bikaner's excellency in Bhujia crave for them as you won't find them at such low costs anywhere else in India!

• For street food lovers, "Junagarh ke saamne" is the ultimate adda to hang out, be it South Indian or Chinese. 

• FOR GODS SAKE, Do not, I repeat, DO NOT miss out on Chottu Motu Joshi ki Kachori & Pyaaz-Kachori & Samosa & Paneer-Kofta & Mirchi-Bada *sigh*. 

•  My roommate's special note- *BK School vale ki Kachori zyada achchi hoti hai*

• However there's a price you'll have to pay for Bhujia. Zero fast food MNC outlets. Yes you read it correct. Zero. No MacD, no Dominoes, no Pizza Hut and no KFC. Luckily there are some good restaurants that come as a relief.

Hospitals-

• We've got an excellently equipped PBM government hospital with most of the hi-tech machines and experienced medical staff available.

• Though it majorly lacks cleanliness, but rest assured it's the best hospital in the entire region of the state for anything as small as a cut/bruise to complex surgeries.

• Apart from that, there's one district satellite hospital and numerous private hospitals and clinics.

Schools- 

• We've got good schools upto 12th standard for English and Hindi medium, CBSE as well as RBSE.

• Though I won't say the faculty in every school is satisfactory, but some sure are result-oriented.

• Co-curriculars again, are a mere formality and come as a huge disappointment!

Colleges- 

It's a myth that Bikaner has good colleges.

• Even after having it's own university, MGSU, the condition of the colleges isn't satisfactory AT ALL.

• Especially for courses in Arts and Commerce, that too for girls specifically, Bikaner lags behind other cities with a gap of about 2-3 decades.

• There is NO STUDY MATERIAL provided by the university itself for English medium students. Lack of faculty in English medium again, is a major setback.

Bikaner needs hell lot of improvement in this one field!

Markets-

• There are MNC outlets of some of the major clothing brands but if you're into window shopping, try your luck after a decade or so.

• However if you dig a little deeper into the shady lanes of "Bhairuji ki Gali" you might find something worth your likeness.

• No doubt the traditional and handicraft market is worth appreciation.

• Also the local utensils and jewelry commercial units are commendable.

Places to hang out/Addas-

• If by hanging out we mean going out with friends in the evening to freshen up your mind and mood a little, subsequently being followed by unwanted lecherous creatures all the way to your house, JNV is just the right place.

• Warning- Do not send your daughter out in that place alone unless she knows how to handle hardcore perverts.

• Public Park in the Civil lines area is accommodated by people from all social spheres and can be considered once in a while for a family outing, especially tods.

• Some other places include Junagarh Fort, Sagar and Husansar Dam on the outskirts. However, the latter are not recommended for children and teens from safety point of view.

Traffic Problem-

• By traffic problem I don't mean the lengthy jams of vehicles at traffic lights since we don't have (working) lights except a few.

• Bikaneris are known for their reckless driving skills. Well, not just the autowalas because that's the same for every Indian town.

• But the common men here won't wear helmets or follow the basic traffic rule of being on their side of the lane. They'll stop anywhere on the road anytime when they'll feel like checking out a girl or aunty (yes, aunty), peeing or puking. So be careful.

• And oh! I forgot to mention the jams of peddlers at the very crowded KEM Road train intersection gate. Beware, you can even get struck up for hours in the scotching heat amongst those scary glances by pervs in the crowd.

Connectivity-

• As far as the road connectivity is concerned N11 connects Bikaner with Jaipur and the journey is 5 hour long. 

• Bikaner to Delhi is a 9-hour journey via Nh11 and Nh8.

• Bikaner is even well connected with Delhi and Jaipur by rail route.

• And for heaven's sake please don't think we've got Nal Airport open for public use as you might have heard in the news. Credits to previous CM Ashok Gahlot who very proudly inaugrated the Airport couple of years ago but forgot to make sure if it's in a working condition. _/\_"

*EDITS:
1. FOOD. Last year god-knows how Dominoes opened up an outlet on outer circle of Panchshati Circle. Yayy!
2. COLLEGES. Last year itself, Bikaner was blessed with it's first ever private university. xD

PS- Suggest edits if any.

A closer look at how things go for an average teenager in India

Identity. [SHORTFILM]:

By KlikSmith

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What you need to learn from the Rajasthani Gujjars

What's up with this "Hard work + Dreams + Dedication = SUCCESS" thing? Doesn't "Protest + Blackmail" spell the same? Why do you and I even work hard for our future? We should learn something from Rajasthani Gujjars.

We should collect in groups and vandalize railway tracks whenever we feel like doing it for our selfish interests. Yes, let's march to the nearest tracks and uproot them. Let's spoil the Indian Railway's routine, disturb the schedule, put 1000's of running trains and the passengers into danger because it's just not our business that by how much even a 10-second delay increases the possibility of accidents on the tracks. It won't even be our fault but the government would be held responsible if anything unfateful happens. Because we are unemployed and we just want jobs by hook or crook so let's just do it.

So what if the Indian Railways has to suffer a loss of over ₹100 crores? So what if the passengers travelling by the rail-route have to delay or perhaps even cancel their journey no matter what importance it holds in their lives right now? It should just be the government's headache if the travelling kids that had to cancel their tickets further protest for not being able to appear for their important examinations because of the delays. It should be the government's trouble if any emergency takes place within the train-compartments and help cannot be provided because it's just not my business.

If the Gujjars constitute 7% of Rajasthan's population and can demand 5% reservation of seats in government jobs, and further succeed in doing so, I should do the same. The fact that 70+ other castes also coming under the OBC quota were even more backward than them is not the Gujjars' problem. If they want reservation as well, let them protest for themselves just like the Gujjars did. The strategy is to get reservation in education and jobs equivalent to my caste's share in the population. It's not my responsibility to look into the matter if I actually deserve it or somebody else who deserves it gets the job or not. My ancestors couldn't acquire jobs and were illiterate and I as the 21st century youth choose to be the same.

I am a citizen of India and my country's constitution states that I am eligible to protest against anything that troubles me. I am a citizen who elects a government who is responsible to look after my economic needs. I am adamant to get a job and I can do whatever it takes to achieve that. The government will be obliged to hear what I say because it has to look equally after every sect of the society no matter how stupid and illegitimate their demands might be. It is their responsibility, not mine. Because I am a citizen who refuses to think logically but I am a citizen who deserves equality :)

The Most Exciting Conversation I've Ever Had -With A Stranger -In The Middle Of A Forest.

Few days back I was on a roadtrip with my family and we made a last stop at Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur while returning. 18 of us hired rickshaw-pullers to show us around the park. Most of the rickshaw-pullers were trained local Sikhs.

I was sitting with my 8 year old cousin and a 15 year old friend and our rikshaw-puller, a fellow with a yellow turban rode us through the park. He was around 60 but, very active and was conversing with us the entire time. He had perfect knowledge about each and every detail about the park, its history and every bird specie, native and migratory, that visit the park round the 12 months.

As soon as we spotted the first bird, a Green Bee-eater, he started telling us about the species from its diet to average age to the tail that distinguishes a male from female, and I was dazed at the amount of knowledge the man had! But it wasn't just that yet. As we made our way deeper into the forest, it was the same for every bird and animal species! There were times when neither I nor my friend or cousin could spot a bird even with a pair of binoculars but he did with naked eyes!

After having spent some 20 minutes in the park, we spotted a bird that protects the eggs of other birds when in danger. At this, our rickshaw-puller commented that it is the same with every other thing on this planet. At first I couldn't make out what he was talking about. To this, he added "Agar Shaitaan hai, to Bhagwaan bhi hai (If devil exists, even God does.)" Things took an interesting turn from here on..

"I have observed this in the Park itself. 75% people are a form of devil. And the lies they tell are believed but the truth told by remaining 25% isn't ever. But God has an interesting way to justify things. Saints' lives never go wasted. Neither they feel pain when they die. 

My father came home one day when I was still a little kid and said it was time for him to go. And the very next morning he was gone. Then after an year my mother went. The same way. Two brothers were gone too. I was left alone. But I told God, don't call me yet. I have to grow up, have a family, earn a living for them. And I did. 

I have 4 kids. Two young boys and two girls. Married off both the daughters in well-to-do homes. Got a pakka house built for both sons. One is in the medical field and the other in engineering field. Everybody is content with their lives right now."

It was interesting to listen to him talk about such random things. I asked him quite a few things myself..

"I passed 8th grade many years ago. I went to Bikaner for a 6-month training to join this Park. I learnt many things there. I learnt English. Now I've been working here in this park for 20 years."

Then he started talking to us about his visitor friends from across the globe. Some from Russia, others from Spain, France, Germany and little 11 year old Rahul from Gurgaon with his large pair of binoculars. He said they visit every 6 months and prefer us (rickshaw-pullers) and not the sanctuary guides.

"We have many languages here in our Bhaarat (India). Maarwadi, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati. It is the same for this world. My Spanish friends talk to each other in Spanish-English. I keep asking them about the meanings of the words they use. Now I can sometimes make out what they talk about and even try to answer them in their language."

On our way back there was a huge black pipe off the right side of the road, nearly 20cm wide, water escaping its mouth and the sight appearing to be nothing less than a mighty waterfall falling from the heaven itself. For as pretty as it looked, one can't help but yearn to imbibe that beautiful sparkling water. Our rickshaw-puller seemed to have guessed my excitement and told us to hop off. He told us not to forget to splash it on our faces. And boy! did that feel good!

As we moved ahead of that huge pipe, we entered the part of the forest where there were a number of Jaamun (Blackberry) Trees. That heavenly scent of the trees was so refreshing that we asked our rickshaw puller to stop there for a while. He told us that Jaamun trees' scent is known to cure diseases over time.

When we were about to finish our trip to the forest, he started talking to us about Partition of India back in 1947 and talking about how large his native state Punjab could've been had it not been for that unfateful holocaust in 1947. He even told us about the story of the historic Bharatpur Fort and the braveheart Jaat rulers that are credited for successfully withstanding numerous attacks by the British forces and protecting their subjects. He exclaimed "Padha likha nahi hu lekin itni baate to jaanta hu, beta! (Though I'm not educated but I do know about these things!)

And then when we finally reached our destination, he climbed out of his rickshaw and said with a pleasant smile on his face "Bas khatam hua raasta, ab thakk gaya hu mein (Journey's over , I'm tired now)" I asked him to pose towards my camera for a picture and he unhesitatingly did! :D