The Small Voice

Today is Independence Day for India. Right since childhood, this was a special day for me and I often wondered how great and powerful India would have been if not time and again ravaged by foreign mercenaries.  I read “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” by Mark Twain roughly at the same time I got introduced to the concept of Time Travel. The two themes were too exotic for me and I loved to imagine all sorts of adventures I could get into, if only I could get my hands on a working time machine. One of my favorite daydreams were how I would visit ancient India and warned and prepare them of the impending attacks of the Mughals, the Nadir Shahs, the Mahmud of Ghazni and later the Europeans who would in due course of time attack and plunder the wealth and land of India and become a hero. I naively imagined that I, a kid, would walk upto the great Kings of the past, like Ashoka, Harsha. Chandragupta Maurya etc and advice them to build up their armies, put st...

The Independence Day is drawing near. Pretty soon the usual media crescendo will build up with patriotic songs, discount sales, movies, TV soaps & programs on “ our brave Jawans” etc. I frankly admit that all this does give me a nice warm & proud feeling about this great country of ours. But before we get all sappy and emotional on the marketing overdrive, I ask myself, am I satisfied and happy with the state of my nation today? Some recent (and not so recent) events shake one up : Brutally high inflation High prices of even essentials like pulses, onion, milk, vegetables making them disappear from the common man’s plate Cruel jokes like one can eat full lunch with “Re 1”, “inflation is good”, "theek hai" etc. becoming daily occurances The sacking & transfers of non-pliant IAS/IPS officers like Durga Shakti, Khemka Continued manipulation of agencies like the CBI etc leading to complete loss of faith and credibility in the eyes of an Indian citize...

Date: 21 June, 2013: D-day arrives. 6 AM: Woke up, but was still groggy. Jumped up to silent the jarring alarm, and promptly plonked back to sweet and warm bed. Almost landed on the wife who growled menacingly at me.  Best  (read safe)   to keep a lady in good humor in her ninth month. She is happy and I am healthy. I slink away. 6.15 AM: Alarm blares again. This time, i have no excuses. Get up to get ready for the big day ahead. 7.30 AM: Reach Fortis Hospital, Vashi with wifey and my dad in tow. We get her admitted. The endgame begins. 10 AM: I am shooed out of room as the nurse prepares the patient i.e. Wifey. Try out the bland "kanda pohey" in Fortis cafeteria. Karisma Kapoor in "judwa" movie playing in the cafeteria helps me gulp down the miserable breakfast. 11.02 AM: Preparations over. Wife is on medications now to induce the baby. The attendant Aunty-ji in adjoining bed is a bit too assertive. Giving me instructions ad nauseum. Howev...