Here is a useful TED India video. It is about English language and its different uses in the international sphere. As the world is but a comity of nations dependent on each other for various needs and requirements like financial, political, economic, social, bilateral or multi-lateral nature the language of English is but a useful bridge to help foster international friendship, mutual understanding or multi-lateral talks. The speaker is Jay Walker and the video is a part of the series of talks by TEDtalks.
Well, no more. Here i go.
Right from the second week of October I could not update this blog and this is going to be the first post of November. Thank you for bearing this recess. As told i was writing a novel as a part Of Nanowrimo challenge. Here is my profile url. Let me share with you the very first chapter of my novel for you people to read. This is but a crude version, without any editing or grammar checking as generally those things are done at a later stage after completing the manuscript. Now i have completed the novel. So here i go.
“What do you think me, a stringed puppet or a programmed
robot,” Akash fulminated at his father Vidya.
When Akash showed his anger, her mother Nirmala with whom
Akash had no talking terms was listening from inside a room. Her mind was
seething in anger and many answers and questions were popping up in her wicked
mind.
“What do you mean by that?” his father asked.
“Look, you’ve done enough to devastate my life
thoroughly. Please for God’s sake, stop
here before I burst and do something unexpected and awkward.”
“I just could not know, what exactly you meant?”
“Look, father, it is Akash.
Had it been some other person, you might not be in a position to ask
these silly questions. My wretched
present is for you people only. Shit!”
Akash was not able to sit on a chair but his father was so
composed that he was sitting in complacency and had no idea of the story
weather that is going to sweep the earth below his feet.
“Akash, you’ve become so tough in the meanwhile,” his father
said.
“What tough? You people have transformed me into a mound of
stone; a stone without any feelings, a stone without any voice, a stone without
any tears or sensation. The ossification
of this Akash is solely for you two people.” Akash for the first time clubbed
his mother directly with his father.
“But why don’t you want to marry now?”
“Oh, stop this nonsense.
Can’t you allow this stone to remain attached to a particular piece of
the earth? At least spare me to my fate.
Don’t play football with me.”
“But we have given words to the bride side,” his mother said
entering the whirlpool of the stormy weather.
“What!! This was the last nail in my coffin. I was mistaken that though you are my enemy
no one, you were not supposed to do this to me.
But I rue now. Without my knowledge,
how come you have gone to that extent?
Amazing indeed. You are so
arbitrary that you didn’t think it suitable to ask me before advancing to that
distance. I was completely routed and bruised,
that’s okay. But now you are playing
with the life of an innocent girl, who is no way related to you. You have been dribbling me like a football as
I am your son but that naïve girl… Oh you even didn’t spare her too. You’re parents or licensed butcher, I could
not make out,” Akash thundered and showed his loath towards his parents.
His father had no idea that his son Akash can be so tough
and brusque. “How come you can utter such derisive and brusque words with your
parents?” asked his father.
“Derisive? Dictionaries of the world lack a befitting terms
to describe parents like you,” Akash replied.
“Speak up your mind and unload yourself,” his father said.
“What will happen then, my lost time would not return. Can you return my time? No, you cannot. The greatest irony of my life is that I am
not even allowed to speak frankly and guard my interest because I am a
plaything in your hands,” Akash argued back.
“Hmm….”
“Take deep breath… the only friend of mine in
loneliness. You people just ensured my
devastation thoroughly,” said he.
“Goodness me… I had no idea that in the meanwhile there
happened a great transformation in you.
You are not the same son for whom I was proud of. Now I think I had done some mistakes in your
upbringing,” his father said.
“Upbringing… I can say that you had done no mistakes as it
was for your appropriate upbringing I was silent till this time and witnessing
my drowning. When much water was flown
from the Ganges, I had opened my mouth.
You have failed as a father.”
“Failed and me?” His father showed his amazement.
“Yes, a complete failure.
Look, the forty-fourth springs of my life is approaching. You have spoiled my life. Despite knowing my sapping from within, as a
part of my duty towards you, I didn’t even utter a single word about my
marriage, did I? Now, when marriage means straight suicide for me, all of a
sudden you people remembered your son.
Bah! You’ve reduced me to a mocking object and have made my life
miserable. Still for what I have been
living, don’t know. Now, at least do me
a favor and forget your parental responsibility. Please, allow me to die a peaceful death,”
Akash requested.
“You’ll not understand, Akash.”
“Oh shit! Look, don’t pressurize me to forget you. At 43 you just cannot say like this to me. I know everything. My friend just want see a portrait of you
people in the State Museum as you are great parents. You doused my fire and when it is in
tranquility, you are firing that again thereby ensuring another round of ravage
on my life.”
Someone knocked at the door of Akash. “Yike.
Who is there?” His dream was disrupted before coming to the logical
conclusion. He woke up rubbing his
eyes. When five minutes passed in the
meanwhile, the door knocked again though gently.
“Akash…Akash, you there, man?” a familiar voice
reverberated.
“Ye…yes, coming,” Akash replied.
He opened the door.
“Oh, you…Raj… Come in, come in,” he said trying to maintain his usual
smile. Both entered inside. He provided a chair to Raj.
“What happened…your cell phone is switched off?”
“Switched off…no way.” He picked up his phone which was
beside his pillow. “Look, it is switched
on. Signal is vibrant.”
“Oh, I see. Might be a
network glitch.”
Akash went inside and washed up his eyes and face. “Raj, what do you want, tea or coffee?” he
asked from the kitchen.
“Oh, come on Akash.
Thanks for asking.”
“No formality. Just
asking. By the way, I need a
coffee. Coffee will do, I am sure?”
Akash asked.
After sometimes, Akash returned with tray, with two cups of
coffee. Both shared coffee.
“Akash, yesterday was your rest day. Your eyes tell your dating with…” he smiled.
“Yes, for quite sometime, a McDowell No 1 bottle was lying
unused. Whenever I would go near or open
my cupboard, it would ask me to embrace.
I just wanted to avoid for what reason, don’t know.But finally
last night’s weather just egged me to embrace.
“Look, Akash I don’t want to advise you but don’t know why,
my inner self wants to ask you some questions to you,” Raj said.
“Like…” paused Akash.
“For how long, will you lead this lackluster and wretched life?”
“Interestingly, I too ask the same question to my self but
sadly I cannot get any answer. Raj, it
has become a poser that lacks an answer, I think.”
“Coffee was tasty and strong. Thanks.
Your wife would feel happy finding a husband like you. Or, a cook to say precisely. Lol”
“Ha…ha.”
Both smiled and Akash said, “Come on, I’ll be relaxing, if
such a day would come. This is too
much. I have been cooking for the last
eight years,” he said and became gloomy. “My parents have just reduced me to this
position. What shall I say?”
“I see.”
By that time he had become so saddened that he would pick up
any subject matter and would repeat the same thing that his parents have made
his life miserable. Raj realized his feeling.
“At this age what’s the use of marrying and destroying a
life of an innocent girl.”
“What your parents are doing man… really inscrutable. Aren’t they doing anything to fix marriages
of your rest two sisters?”
“My father is neutral but my mother has got different design
in her wicked mind.”
“Means…?
“Look, my father goes to various places searching for
proposals for my sisters. But my mothers
as usual would show her objections on each and every proposal. She is the real mover and shaker. My innocent father just follows her meekly.”
“What is brewing in your mother’s mind?”
“She wants a proposal who would take fewer amounts as
dowry. She wants a proposal within
Prayag Nagar. This she does to ensure that her daughters would be available on
call, as she knows very well that I would not like to stay with her as we have
no talking terms and I don’t like her. She knows very well that I am not going
to be beside her after marriage nor my wife would stay with her to help.”
“This is ridiculous.
Everything to one’s interest just is not possible friend. Marriages happen in India solely for compromises
between the bride and groom’s party.
Unless there are such compromises, I don’t think one can fix one’s
marriage. When one belongs to the
bride’s side then one will have to play second fiddle to the groom’s side. Means one will have to compromise more,” Raj
said.
“My father is such an uxorious that he would not do anything
that my mother does not want. She would
not like to part with his hard earned saving, nor would like to take money from
me. What’s the use of my money when it
is not used? Nothing.”
“Your story is really interesting and tearful.”
“When everything would be unfolded what would happen to you
God knows.”
“Okay, I will share that with you but on some other day.”
Cell phone of Raj ranged. “Lo, your wife
is calling you,” Akash said smiling.
“Okay, I am coming,” Raj said to his wife over phone. “Okay, Akash good night.”
“Good night man.”
Akash accompanied Raj till the end of the stair. He returned and began preparing for his
supper.
