A World Full Of Introverts

A World Full Of Introverts

Every relationship in this world is propelled by emotions. Emotions that we express to other people, emotions that people have for us. Love, hate, fear, anger, animosity, care, ignorance are all part the various relationships that we come across while we are on this journey of life. Some relationships last forever, some die an untimely death while some just fade away from our lives with the passage of time. The clarity of every relationship lies in a person's ability to express the true emotion to the other but then there is a group of people who are just not equipped enough to do the same, the INTROVERTS.

People usually mistake introverts as numb-hearted. They are seen as people who not only are failures in expressing their own emotions but also as the ones who fail to sympathise with others. When we segregate people on their ability to express, we usually place the extroverts (the ones who express overtly) a touch above the introverts, we also rate the extroverts higher on the emotional quotient while many of us see introverts as just cold, emotion-less.

But this is how the world has been functioning since its inception, by judging a book through its cover. No matter how deep and insightful the book be, we will not start reading it until its cover attracts us. This is the case with introverts, they are like a book full of emotions that is kept on our book shelf but we hesitate to pick it up and start reading it. 

This is where I would like to put up a question to everyone.

Aren't we all introverts?

While some people are introverts all the time, others become one according to situations. An extrovert may be a book with a fancy cover that becomes a best seller and everyone reads it but it still has that one chapter which is still oblivious to its reader. That chapter most of the time obliterates the real meaning of the book. It does convey a meaning to the reader but only the author knows that the inclusion of that one chapter would change the tone of the book completely. Yet the introvert-ial forces working inside a complete extrovert person makes her want to hide this from the world. 

This brings me to the point where I would categorise people into three categories that we usually find around us.

COMPLETE INTROVERTS - These are the people who never let an emotion come to their face, they do have a lot of emotions building up inside them but their channel of getting out those emotions is not their face. The world is oblivious of their sufferings and see them as numb-hearted.

SITUATIONAL INTROVERTS - These are the people who are called extroverts by others but they still have things inside them that they would not share with the world. The world sees them as people who are inside out to everyone but in reality they are not. There are situations when they become introverts but it goes unnoticed.

PSEUDO EXTROVERTS - Now this is a category of people I haven't mentioned before. Some people who appear to be extroverts but are not. The cover of this book is completely different from what its contents are. They are seen as people who can articulate their expressions but in reality the things they are able to put forth are just to hide the turmoil going inside them. To me these pseudo extroverts are the real introverts. 

The crux of what I wanted to say is that, everyone is an introvert. No matter how good we articulate about what we feel, there is still that one thing inside we would not share with anyone but us and that makes us an introvert, maybe of a lesser degree. 

Even and extrovert is an introvert who knows how to express some of her feelings. This world then is full of introverts.

Agree or not, but this something I believe.

THINK!!!!!!

At The Behest Of Time

At The Behest Of Time

As I rummaged through the pages of my journal, I was brought vis-a-vis to a version of myself that was hitherto unknown (even to me). As ambiguous as that may sound, the only thing that struck my mind was the passage of time. 

In 2010, The main goals of my life were to become a better cricketer and in the process get a girlfriend or two, show the world how flamboyant my personality was (it was a complete opposite of that) and I was living in this illusionary world even when I was talking to myself. 

In 2011, the cricketer dream took a backseat and I was acquainted with the world of books. I read romantic novels, saw films of the same genre and I wanted to fall in love.

2012 changed my life completely. I was encumbered with responsibilities and in the process I wanted to write, write about the year after which I saw the world in a different light. Cricketer dreams went completely obsolete.

Now in 2013, I am contemplating my past years as they bring a smile to my face. 

It is true that over the years I have grown from an imbecile to a less imbecile person but back then I never knew I would be laughing at myself. Some years from now I would be laughing at this as well. 

But that is how time becomes a teacher in our lives. We all learn with each second that we live on this Earth. Time teaches us that life in not a simple train ride taking us from one station to another, it is a roller coaster ride that shows us the vicissitudes of it. 

When we sit back and reminisce, we don't remember that simple train journey but we never forget the roller coaster rides we have been on. 

I did not know the person I was back then, but not knowing is the beauty of it. Now that I read my journal (which I prefer calling my time machine to the past) I have things to remember, laugh at them and even cry.

The reminiscing into the past through my time machine also informed me about the times I have been brought to ground and I got up. Not only that they tell me about the capricious nature of life but also about courage which the more immature version of me had.

Whenever I am at an impasse, I remember the time I had tackled one with efficiency in the past. 

We all have a past, a past we are partly proud of and partly embarrassed. But the past remains ours. People say one should forget the past as it hinders the growth. But sometimes, just look into your past and see how much you have already grown, it will surely bring a smile to your face, like it brought to mine.

Homosexuality in India

The moment I woke up today, I was shocked. The apex of judgement in India, The Supreme Court had ruled out section 377 and hence from now on two people of the same sex engaging in consensual sex is illegal. Social Media since then had been flooded with hate messages and disappointment.

What triggered this retrograde judgement then? 

Over the time I observed the behavior of our society and it is very similar to what the judgement has been, Regressive.

What is the first thought that comes across your mind when you see a HOMOSEXUAL ?

You think of the person as an outcast, demented, queer and intimidating or you think of him/her as a normal conventional person with a different sexual orientation?

The above question becomes rhetoric for most of us because accept it or not most of us start producing repelling waves as soon as we see a homosexual in sight.

In colloquial terms, we throw words that describe homosexuals as abuses. Why do we discriminate between the heterosexuals and homosexuals? Is it because  Homosexuality does not have the privilege to reproduce and that is unnatural?

NO, it is because we are being taught form Day 1 that marriage is a sacrosanct institution between a man and a woman, no one left the room for an exception. People might even argue that it is something the modern world has developed but various ancient sculptures and paintings are a proof that homosexuality existed since the inception of Human race.

That takes me to another question, What is the definition of love?

Is it a feeling that is limited for a woman towards a man and vice-versa? If so, then your love towards the people from your own sex is nullified, this might include your filial relationships as well but if love is an exclusive inter-gender matter then even that category of Love is illegal.

The homosexuals battle for their rights around the world, the battle to accept them into this world. They are not asking for special privileges but for the world to accept them.

This brings me to another question, Why do the society cares so much about a person loving another one of the same sex?

This hypocritical society does not question the sanctity of marriage when a man and a woman gets divorced, they don't ask the question to the person who has liaisons with women, they do not disapprove polygamy but when it comes to accepting Homosexuality they disapprove.

Think of the pros if Homosexuality is accepted in our society,

The children abandoned after the "SACRED MAN-WOMAN" marriages would be easily adopted by these couples, The people who are covertly living with their partners would come out in open and live a free, dignified life.

I would end it with one thing, Homosexuals are GAY, they are happy and no one on this earth has a right to take away happiness from a person. They are asking us to accept them in the society, so the next time you are acquainted by a homosexual person, don't be afraid because you are much safer with him/her than the perverts who are heterosexual.

THINK...!!!!!

Return of FRIENDS

This is an article I wrote almost 2 years ago on F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Now that the NBC has confirmed that there will be an 11th season in 2014, I can, in a way say that what I wanted when I wrote this has come true. I hope these are not rumors.

In 1994, 6 friends began their journey on the small screen & ended it 10 years later but not before multiplying themselves into millions. This super successful TV series had many viewers & moreover, tons of admirers which helped it reach the place it is today. The always Sarcastic & funny ‘Chandler’ (Matthew Perry), The smart paleontologist ‘Ross’ (David Schwimmer), The hot imbecile actor ‘Joey (Matt Le Blanc), The uncanny blonde ‘Pheobe’ (Lisa Kudrow), The sweet & sexy ‘Rachel’ (Jennifer Aniston) & the scrupulous ‘Monica’ (Courtney Cox) formed the cast of the show.

The show aired its’ 10 seasons & yet we wished there were more. FRIENDS keeps you glued to the TV sets and the popularity of the show can be judged by the fact that the repeats of it are still being shown on TV. The series is a situational comedy which revolves around the lives of 6 friends & how they tackle the various problems in the battlefield of life without drifting the plot away from the genre of the show i.e Comedy. Keeping a smile on their faces they also ensure that it remains there on the face of the audience.

In one decade that belonged to FRIENDS, it changed the orthodox rule of having friends. Everyone now craved to have a group like the one in FRIENDS. Apart from the group, they probably wanted a girl friend as hot as Jennifer Aniston or have a sense of humor as breathtaking as Matthew Perry. The curtain to the show fell in 2004 but the essence of it is still felt in the air. Watching FRIENDS is still as enjoyable as used to be before. But we, the die-hard fans won’t mind if a season 11 comes showing their lives 8 years from where the story ended.

Possible things that we would love in the new season would be Chandler & Monica facing a financial crisis which lands them back to the famous apartment of FRIENDS which is there in all the seasons. Joey despite growing old is still single and living his Casanova life, the “How You Doin’ ” of his is still as charming as ever. Rachel & Ross are married but still have that empty void that can only be filled by the group. Phoebe who was married to Mike is feeling lonely as Mike stays out most of the time after being a famous pianist. These circumstances lands up all of them together again to “Central Perk” where it all began.

Over the years after FRIENDS went off air, many sitcoms were made and were hits as well but still FRIENDS remained the quintessential sitcom. Even after watching the repeats it feels as if it’s your first glimpse at the episode. The joke you heard so many times that you can even consider giving a title of a cliché, sounds incredibly funny just because it was from Chandler. Some people (like me) are really obsessed by this TV series & would want this to be immortal. A new episode of FRIENDS everyday is something that will be similar to oxygen for my body.

Delhi Elections

For the initial 18 years of my life, I had been oblivious to politics in Delhi. The answer to the question 'Who is the CM of Delhi?' Was a spontaneous Sheila Dixit. 

It is time to change that.

I have been to rallies, heard all these experienced politicians and pondered upon their claims yet they failed to persuade me.

An year back I heard about this political party formed by social activists who before that played a major role in one of the biggest public protests post-independence. I never heard their leader at any rally, never met any of their volunteer or supporter yet I was convinced to vote for them. 

All the other speeches delivered by all the powerful leaders were hollow to me in front of this idea of a political party giving power to the 'Aam Aadmi'. 

As an individual I was impressed by the power of this idea of a party that convinced me to vote for them while the speeches and promises of others didn't.

I as an independent voter of India would like to give them a chance. 

The Sky Is The Limit - Unmukt Chand

The only important thing that helps a story take the shape of a book is the author's belief in it. 'The Sky is the Limit' is all about Unmukt Chand's belief in the word 'Believe'. This book beautifully captures the whole journey of this World Cup winning captain from the 4 year old Unmukt who believed in the power of the bat and holding it, to the 19 year old Unmukt who believed in his team and brought India its first U-19 World Cup outside Asia. 

For people who doubt the power of the word 'Believe', I think this is the one book they should read. It inspires, it takes you on a journey of self-discovery moreover after realising that this book is written by a 20 year old who has already become a household name, the reader will feel that nothing in this world is impossible.

'The Sky is the Limit' Unmukt's debut book is published by Penguin India. 

Read, get inspired and inspire this writer to write even more.

Go grab a copy and take 'The Sky is the limit' beyond the skies.