Dreams... What do they tell us?

All of us have dreams. Not the one about wanting to do something in life but the ones that come from no where when we are deep in our sleep. There are times when you wake up in the middle of the dream and even if you know it's time to get out of bed, you still go back to sleep just to complete your dream.

It's mysterious that when one's five senses are at rest, we actually see images and pictures- sometimes with sound and conversation. No scientist has as yet discovered why these happen. A lot of theories have been written like it's our subconscious mind or imagination that creates these pictures.

Yet, there are many stories in the holy books like the Bible and the Quran that prove that dreams have a message.

Let's take the story of Joseph. (Prophet Yusuf- Peace Be Upon Him). While he was in prison, his two cell mates saw a dream. One saw himself serving wine to his master while the other saw birds eating from his head. They told this to Joseph who interpreted their dreams for them:

1. The one who saw himself serving wine will be set free and will indeed serve his master
2. The one who saw birds eating from his head will be killed.

True to his words, the incident came to be.

Then comes the dream of the King of Egypt. He saw seven full cobs of maize and healthy cattle. He then saw seven dry cobs and thin cattle. He called his advisors and expert dream interpreters to decipher the message of his dream. His subjects were however confused with the jumbled dreams and could not make out what it meant.

That is when the man who was in prison with Joseph mentioned unto his master about Joseph and how he had interpreted his dream. Joseph was called forth in the presence of the king. The king narrated his dreams to Joseph.

"There will be seven years of healthy harvest and good cattle. Thereafter, seven years of drought will follow" Joseph further advised the king to harvest and store the crop of the first seven years and use very little so that it will last them during the drought.

The king was impressed and made Joseph in charge of the granaries. Thus, Joseph saved Egypt from the cruelty of the drought.

When looking at this piece of history, one can't help but conclude that our dreams are meant to tell us something. But, the sad part is, there is no reliable source to interpret the dreams for us. God taught Joseph the interpretation of dreams... and today, you can't trust dream tellers just as you can't trust fortune tellers. (With their green parrot and zero bulb bowl!)

I did read once that the devil also plays with us through dreams. He has the ability to create images that will disturb us. Therefore, it is advised that when one sees a bad dream, he should not tell it aloud but rather spit dryly three times on his left and say a quick prayer.

Unfortunately, fortunately even though we have guidelines and abstract knowledge-

...dreams still remain a mystery for mankind

Modes of transport in Bangalore

I got the bike's puncture repaired... Thank God for that. One is rendered immovable without a vehicle in Bangalore. There are 5 modes of transport in this city

a) Bus N Walk
b) Auto
c) Two-wheeler
d) Car
e) Walk

If you happen to be among the majority using the bus- Most of your time goes in WAITING for one. It would be unfortunate if you miss your bus by a few minutes or seconds... coz the next one passing your route will come in another 20-30 minutes.

I said Bus N walk coz you need to walk from the bus stop at least a km to where you are going. Roads are one-ways, your bus stops at the next lane stop. when you ask someone at that bus stop they say 'Nope, that bus stops further down at the next stop'. Therefore, Bus N Walk.

Auto- You need to be as lucky as a man is to be a millionaire as you are to find a good Auto. When you stop an auto to take you to your destination:

a) They shake their heads and drive away
b) They will DEMAND a fare higher than that of the meter (that they are suppose to follow)
c) They will demand extra money to COME BACK or at least to the nearest highway coz in your area, they won't get passengers!
d) If you have a tiny piece of luggage (on your way back from the next town) they demand around ten rupees extra to carry his Highness, your bag!
e) The driver may turn out to be rude and pugnacious
f) If he has no change, your money is his babe (I once paid 30/- for half a km!!- Normal rate is Rs.6/km)

Two-Wheeler- The best for any single person or those with a wife. It’s also best for college kids, working professionals. You can cut through the traffic, get past 2 ft of space.

The disadvantage - There are high chances of an accident, being hospitalized, crippled or die.

Car- Comfort surrounded by traffic. If you have all the time in the world, go by car. If you are in a hurry, a meeting in 15 minutes... forget it... hop on a bike. If you travel long distances > 30 km, good for your back (A bike will break your backbone in a week)

Be ready to struggle for parking and also PAY a min of Rs.10 for even 15 minutes of parking.

Walk- If you are few of the lucky one's to stay within the vicinity of your school, college or work place, you are blessed in Bangalore. Not only do you save time (Waiting for a bus or get an auto) but you save on transport cost. It benefits your health and keeps you in shape.

If anyone plans to work in the city for even a few months - Get your bike! It's worth the pain. Bus and Auto will eat up the time and serenity of your life.

My new friends

I got myself - completely unplanned - a set of beautiful friends.

Who are they?

A pair of blue lovebirds. The most beautiful ever. They are adorable!

Namrata and I were stuck in this one mile of traffic on the way home and well I saw the pet shop. I remember seeing it earlier when I was riding behind my sister and I asked her if we could get a bird. But my sis would rather see birds flying. She is right of course - everyone should have freedom and at the same time its not wrong if you take care of birds- domestic and not wild- and give them your love...

As the traffic was stagnant, I jumped down from my bike and went to the pet shop - just out of curiosity to find out how much a bird would cost. I saw fish! Relatively it's difficult to take care of fish. My cousin in NJ has fish and I thought they were adorable. Well anyways, just like that (thanks to a little encouragement from Namrata) I got my new friends. I got a lovely cage, some seeds and I am soooooo happy.

My room mates asked me to name them but I prefer not to. I call them baby girl and baby boy at times or blue girl and blue boy or sweetie or lovey or cutie pie. I have all the names. My baby girl let's me stroke her soft feathers but at times she bites me..lol her beak is so small and not at all sharp. My baby boy is scaredy birdy. He just flips his feathers and runs. Very suspicious of me! I hope with time they also learn to trust me and you never know - love me!

On my professional front - I am on Hybernation mode. My project partner is almost getting a heart attack, pleading me to turn on my system. I don't know why and for what this happens. It's been with me since childhood. My mom and dad are scared of only one thing about me - My mood swings. At times I will be hyper active and times so passive that one won't notice me in the room. Right now, I have turned on my system..lol and it's booting.

My roommates are leaving this wednesday and I don't know if I feel sad. I feel happy that my home will be clean and tidy. I feel anxious to get another room mate coz I don't want to stay alone, I want to stay alone and just study my heart and have no interference and no 'Let's go for dinner or let's catch a movie' or the 2-3 hours chit chat. But I would agree that they were wonderful. They are young and charming and smart. I will miss them.

Well, Its time for me to go and work on my project. I hope I finish it by tonight. Wish me all the best! :)

Forthnight Digest

Life has been a roller coaster ride the past two weeks.

1) I went to Coimbatore for diwali vacations with my roommates. We stayed at Lakshmi's place and had a great time. I got to burst crackers the first time in my life ever. I even held the sparkling rod one.. it's called phuljeri in hindi.

2) Aunt and Uncle (Lakshmi's parents) took us girls for a day to Ooty, a favourite holiday spot in south India. It's a small town built on a mountain (Hill station). I had come to Ooty last with my Mom and my extended family back in '89. I remembered Ooty as boating and lovely fruits. This time, I wondered what fun we actually got in boating a peddle boat! Man you slog so much and never realise you've moved an inch. The best experience I had was on the speed boat to Zanzibar... Awesome! Well, we had fun at Ooty and returned back at night almost midnight. The next morning we went to an Asharam famous for meditation. I really wonder if people get peace coming from Europe, USA and far off to India to meditate?! One of the guides was from Scotland. She came later on to our tiny group and asked me if I was a muslim. I proudly replied 'Yes, I am' "Are you a practising muslim?" "Oh Yes, I am" I gave a beaming smile! "Coz I come from a muslim family but I am irreligious- I don't believe in any religion" "Oh Ok" What else could I say? I warm and friendly but I felt sad for her.

3) We went in the night to watch 'Sawaariya" and I told myself in 5 min of the movie "This is going to be a big flop" and Gosh I was (plus my roommates) in shock the first half. I couldn't believe Sanjay Leela Bansali had made such an 'Artificial' movie. There was nothing one could relate to... even the songs! The only time I felt good was when Rani came on screen. I love that actress. I think she's great! As for Salman Khan, I think he was taken just to scare people with his eyes. The new Hero? He is a kid! The Heroin has a script that lasts some 10 giggles. We all were totally disappointed

4) Back to work, and this time I became a director, script writer, editor etc... not for a movie but for our documentary film on rural marketing. We had selected Gobi Chettipalayam as our location which is a semi-rural community 85 kms from Coimbatore. We got an excellent guide who would interpret the tamil language to us and I loved the place. The people were friendly and helpful and we got a good footage for our film. I saw a village for the first time in my life (or actually walked through one coz I may have driven past a few). The president of Kugalur village, Erode district, TN was so helpful and friendly and they must have given us 5 cups of tea! I don't drink tea but that day I drank every cup for it was served with so much love. While I was in Gobi, I got a premonition that my cousin would have gone in labour so I gave her a call and yep! She voice was filled with pain and she told me she was on drips in the hospital. I was praying for her safe delivery and voila! in the evening, my aunt called me and told me I had a beautiful baby niece.

5) Bangalore - and I am in love with my cutie sweetie niece. You know if she cries and I hold her.... she stops crying!!! lol, she is the most beautiful baby I have seen after my other nieces and nephews. We are going to name her tomorrow evening and I am like the Maid of honor.. In case of deliveries, this maid of honor takes care of the new mom and runs up and down with soiled nappies and chicken soup ;). My cousin looks half dead to me... to think that once my mom went through all this for me. Love you mom!

Now this amateur director of a badly edited film has a business plan to make and have a first day show...lol Gosh it's laughable. Another main lesson MBA thought me-

"You can learn anything and You can do everything"

What am I made for?

Life is strange. Half way through it you drift about, sad and angry that you don't have any specific goal, a goal that makes you wake up in the morning and makes you get out there and achieve your goal.

The other half is spent defending your dream if you are one of the lucky one's to believe in one.

I am about to complete my MBA is another 6-7 months. When I joined MBA, I told myself I was going to learn all there was to doing business. I learnt. A small town girl who has no business roots at all. But somewhere my heart told me, I can do it. I can be an entrepreneur.

The next question was what? What did I want to do? Was it a bookstore, was it a restuarant or may be a steel and iron as shop our community is famously known for.

What was it that I could be passionate about?

I thought I'd find the answer by now. I might have found it.

What I didn't realise was...

It's one thing to search for your dream, for what you're made for

but that once you realise it, you'd have to have the courage to pursue it

The fact is, I don't even know whether the idea i am playing with is truly my dream. If it is, I know it's going to be tough. Tough for the rest of my life. Now I am searching and praying for the courage that would not make me step back.

What am I made for?

"Didi! Nice Dress!"

Sometimes in life you are busy running around when a stranger taps on your shoulder and says "Hi, I think you're beautiful" makes your day?

Today a little school girl made mine.

I was riding my bike, on the way home from college and there was a school bus in front of me. A few school girls were at the back. One was looking out of the window at the rear. I was in my own thoughts when suddenly I heard:

"Didi! (Hindi for elder sister, called out of respect) Nice dress!"

I had my helmet on so I couldn't yell out "Thank you!" but I raised my hand and gave her a friendly wave.

The bus took a turn and with it the stranger who liked my dress.

So what was I wearing?

Jeans?

Dress?

Salwar?

Nope.

A sea blue veil with yellow border and yellow flowers.

Nice dress ;)

It's another story that a little ahead near the lake, an eagle dropped a fish on me!

Movie Review: Dorr

I got to know about Dorr during some award show where it was nominated for a few awards. I got to see the movie yesterday. Namrata had it among her Cd's and what can I say, like how I want to write a book like Khaled Hosseini, I'd like to direct a movie like Dorr.

The story is based on two women. A muslim woman in Himachal Pradesh (Zeenat - Gul Panag) and a Agniwashi woman of Rajasthan (Meera - Ayesha Takia). Both their husbands go to Saudia Arabia to work and stay together. Both the husbands become friends and once in a tussle, Meera's husband Shankar falls off the balcony and dies. Aamir, Zeenat's husband is accused of killing Shankar and the only way the Saudi Government will let him off from being hanged would be if the widow of Shankar, Meera(Ayesha) would forgive him and sign on the mafinama or forgiveness statement. The catch? The external affairs minister does not know where to locate Meera as the address on Shankar's passport was false.

Zeenat goes out in search of Meera to get her to sign the papers. She doesn't not know where she will find her but that she is somewhere in Rajasthan. She has two months before the Saudi government hangs Amir. She takes a ride from a truck driver and gets to Rajasthan. The only clue she has is the photo Amir sent her of him and Shankar.

On her way, Zeenat meets a topi-baaz, (Shreyas) whose acting is amazing as it was in 'Iqbal'. He stills her bag and she is left stranded. Her money, possessions are all in that one tiny bag, but most importantly, her husband's life, in the mafinama papers. She spends the night on the street and is accosted by two men in the wee hours. Its there when Shreyas ( now I realise he didn't have a screen name!) returns and saves her. In turn, he offers her help in tracking down Meera and they finally do.

Zeenat meets Shankar's family and requests them that she needs to meet Meera. When they realise that her husband is the one accused for killing their son, they spit on her and ask her to get out. Zeenat has to find a way to meet Meera, who is reduced to a widow, working all day long and wearing a simple navy blue widow attire. Shreya spies and finds out she leaves the house once every day to go to the temple.

That is where the Zeenat meets her. She wants to tell her the truth, but she is scared that Meera would refuse her like her in-laws did. Meera's in-laws did not mention Zeenat's visit to her and dismissed her as a beggar. Zeenat decides to befriend Meera so that she can win her trust and tell her later on, the real purpose why she needed Meera's help.

The suspense I'd leave for you is... Will Meera, whose life has been stolen, who at such a young age made a widow have the compassion to sign the papers or will she refuse, as it's her right to do what she wants.

A beautiful climax that makes you appreciate the complexity of emotions, ego and pride. A movie that makes you want to celebrate women and make you believe, there are strong women, good women. The refreshing element was the beautiful friendship portrayed between Zeenat and Shreya's. A movie that communicates 'You have the choice to do whatever you want... and to bear the consequences'

In the movie, the two women are so stark different. One who is bold and brazen, who speaks to the point and has the courage of a lion. Another, who is as soft as the water dew on the early morning petals, who has so far lived a life beneath her gungath and came to life when she was with her husband- a husband who is no more. A widow expected to remain sad all her life.

Gul Panag surprised me with her strong character. I have seen her on TV as the bubbly mischievous anchor and I was taken back by the strengh of her performance.

Ayesha Takia wins your heart with her innocence and her soft voice. She makes you want to protect her and save her from her misery.

Shreyas is just amazing with his rajasthani accent and naughtiness. He is a superb actor and I hope so see him get good signifacant roles in future.

My verdict - This is cinema. Bare and fact. The two women wore no make up, there wasn't a love story, there wasn't songs, there wasn't NY or London- there was only the raw beauty of reality.

I rate it 4.5/5 , must watch movies

A few words of encouragement... can change a person's world

Today I received a call from my colleague. He told me Prof. Sunil (My senior marketing professor from IIM-Ahmedabad) asked me to call him. I did immediately and sir said

"What is this I hear? You applied for planman?!"

"Yes sir, I did"

"Why? An intelligent student like you should go back home, do something there or go to UK or USA. Why do you want to get stuck here?"

He went on to say he wanted me to meet him tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the library to help him out in writing a paper. I told him I surely will meet him and thanked him for his kind words. He told me he valued me as a student

He renewed the faith in me. Thank You Sir! :)

Planman is out

Planman is out coz apparently I they don't want a teacher and I didn't get all the GK questions right. I also won't fit in the culture as everyone dresses up in suit and boot while I go in with my colorful veils which puts people off..hehehe. Just joking, but beneath all the sugar coating I can make out the clear reasons.. and don't forget.. I'm not perfect either ;)

I mentioned this to one of my very good friends and she said a few words that have really boosted my spirit:

"keep praying that u get thru a company thats good for u, ur life , ur religion and Aakiraah as well!"

Amin to that and now I have a wide variety of options to choose from! :)

A Job I'd love to do... Teach.

Plan man, the consulting branch of IIPM came to campus today। Actually Planman offices is in the same building of IIPM। It's amazing that you could do crore rupee business in one compact building that not only houses the B-school IIPM but also it's consulting firm Planman, It's placement division and various other SBUs like Planman Media, Planman Motions etc। The PPT was conducted by my Ex-Comm faculty who is also the vice president of Planman Consultancy Mr।Vikram Tanwar।

As far as marketing goes, I must admit that I have not seen any B-school, consultancy market itself as PM & IIPM does। The whole audience was captivated by how far and wide Planman has expanded and diversified। My interest however, was on the one thing I wanted to do since १२थ् grade - Teach। Therefore, I applied for IIPM Academics where when I get selected, I'd have to be trained in the academics department for two years before I get my first real class। In the mean time I handle the administration part which is the low end, no one wants to do it job (me neither)। The plus point is that one get's to be part of any project team and I can write articles for our publications such as ४प्स्, Business & Economy, journals like Need the Dough and so on। This way I get to remain a student my whole life and who knows, InshaAllah I will get to do my PhD and one day publish my own book।

I had to write a write-up as to why I wanted to join IIPM Academics and my area of interest। After that we sat for a GD। Thankfully, I was in the first group and it went O.K। I didn't come up with extraordinary great points but I made a good start। Let's see what happens। My heart tells me that I have a ५०-५० % chance of getting through। My placement officer told me I'd be an asset to IIPM but then, what the VP and All India Dean think is a totally different issue।

Tomorrow the shortlisted candidates results will be announced। We shall then proceed to the interview round and from there... it's gonna be either 'You are hired' or 'We will get back to you' ;)

Back from my great vacation

My Eid dashed past as I went to college after attending the Eid prayers and from there home where I did my last minute packing and rushed to join my uncle in his auto mid-way, parking my bike at my cousin's. We met a terrible traffic jam and there was 50-50 chance that we would catch our train. We did and we were off for my cousin's wedding in Khandwa, a small industrial town in the state of Mandya Pradesh.

The wedding was excellent. We met all our relatives, cousins and second cousins from all over India. It was a small and simple wedding and I told my aunt I'd like mine on the same lines. After blessing my sister and wishing her all the happiness of married life, we rushed to Burhanpur where we did Ziarat, paid our respects to our past leaders and again caught the train to Jalgoan, my mom's hometown. Here we ate Kulfi - Ice lolly made of thickened milk and cream and it was out of this world. My uncle turned a little boy having one after a another! We did Ziarat of my grand mom, uncle and extended family. Prayed for their souls and for a good akherat... and again we were off... this time to Ahmedabad, the capital city of the state of Gujrat.

The first thing that struck me was 'so many people!' It's true for all metro's but I never felt that when I went to Mumbai or Delhi but in Ahmedabad I couldn't help noticing it. My cousins joined us in the evening. My uncle had gone to collect them at the airport. We were all frazzled out and somehow I found myself sleeping soundly even during the day! I don't have a habit of sleeping during the day but travelling does something to you.

We left the next day for Syedi Hasan Pir Shaheed's ziarat, paid our respects and then from there to Galiakot, Rajastan to pay our respects to Syedi Fakrudeen Shaheed. The best thing that happened here was we got to share our car drive back to Ahmedabad with an Amil Saheb and his family. I made most of the opportunity and asked him all I could of all the saints. I never knew that Syedi Fakhrudeen Shaheed was killed at only 27 years old while doing dawah in Hindustan.

At Ahmedabad, Amil saheb was a guide to us. Just like we have a guide who takes us around historical places and museums. The other people were a little surprised to see our tiny group. He gave us a brief history of each Dai in Ahmedabad and the opposition they faced, their courage and achievements. May Allah Taala be pleased with them all. Amin.

This was my short trip though by the 6Th day I was dying to get back to Bangalore. Our flight was quite good. I travelled by Air Deccan the first time. It's quite similar to Indigo but here, I enjoyed reading their in-flight magazine. I think it's the best in-flight magazine I have read, combining both domestic and international airlines. It didn't have just ad's of super exclusive luxury products, but relevant and interesting articles like 'what to ask your potential employer' and tourist information. Another thing I noticed was that they had printed ad's on their seat covers. When a person is seated, he looks front and sees the seat cover of the chair in front of him. This was a fantastic idea coz this is one time when a traveller has enough time to stare at whatever comes in front of him. Brands should note of this new avenue of advertising. It'd be ideal for tourist firms, hotels and high-end product manufacturers.

Eid Mubarak

5th term

5Th Term MBA has begun and I am lost. Lost because both the finance classes have been combined into one class of 100 students. Out of which hardly 50 attend. Some have taken up placements and moved on to the career phase of life and others have no inclination - for whatever reason. That makes me one of the very few students who is still interested in completing her studies. The atmosphere in the last semesters of any education programme (be it BCA or MBA) is that of 'take-it-for-granted'. It surprises me at the level of post graduation where one has invested so much not only financially but also mentally, the students become careless at the last moment.

If I were to draw a student graph, at the moment I am going into a slump. When we began MBA everyone was so excited, enthusiastic and eager to learn. As time went, all the three came down and now it's like everyone just wants to move on to the next stage even though there is 8 more months to formally wind up the programme. Its similar to the analogy of a relationship or a new job. One is excited during the first few months, everything is new and exciting but once you fall into the system, then it becomes monotonous, boring.

One studies so much that the cycle repeats itself at the beginning of every trimester so we know the pattern. The struggle to understand, the reading needed, the presentations, the assignments, the tests and finally the month-long exams. It's fixed, predictable.

What can one do to make it more exciting? Especially when you are a one-man army trying to maintain the zeal (that you don't feel) and want to make the most use of your academic years. Therefore, I have come up with a few heuristics to follow in my 5Th term

1. Read, Read and Read

2. Don't rely too much on classes

3. Drown out the noise of disinterested students and focus on the lecturer

4. Be positive

5. Start practicing aptitude and logic

6. This time take part in organising events, seminars and become active on the co-curricular front

7. Don't get distracted by the companies coming to campus - the salary, the profile might tempt but most important goal is to learn.

I suppose since I have the industry experience I am not so eager as my colleagues to get back so fast. The freshers are dying to start working and earn their own money. Understandable. That is how most of us feel during our student years. Yet when you are in the industry, you get the taste that it's not a play ground out there. There is real work to be done and it's actually playing the game. Therefore, I bought my time to learn the game and I am going to use it to the maximum. When one goes in the industry, it's a whole new cycle of learning the ropes.

In the sea of confusion I am trying to hold tight to the steering wheel and remember my aim, mission, vision to take up MBA was to learn.

Man plans, but Allah is the best of Planners

There are times in life when you see the trials, the examinations your brethen has gone through that truly makes you understand the verses of the Quran where Allah Taala says that though we plan, Allah is the best of planners.

I was doing my tasbhi when the lady sitting next to me began a friendly conversation. She told me about her work as a teacher for special children and her husband. He is suffering from a rare disorder Werner syndrome which happened to him around two years back. A disorder that made him loose 40 kgs in a year and he lost his flesh and muscle plus various organ functionalities.

From being the a dynamic production manager of an international garment company to a clerk's job. From a self-respected man who stood on his two feet to the mercy of his wife and two small daughters. From a six figure salary to searching for a reasonable flat. A wife who had dreamt of having a mansion and a smooth life to working night shifts, sending her children to school, cooking for her husband and making the rounds to the emergency room. A wife who left a glamour world, an ambitious career to a future that seemed happy and secure - only to find her faith in God tested especially when the doctors told her 'It's time to call the family'

We sat there listening to her while uncle kept quite. I could feel his pride and I am sure he had been a proud man. We came to give them company. I took a friend along with me as I knew how lonely aunty had felt. She had managed to blink her tears in a second when I offered to come visit her and meet uncle. She told me how lonely she felt, her large family she had left behind in Mumbai and how she missed them.

It made me realise that no matter what we plan, God has already planned our lives. He has set aside the various tests, either through sickness or through other ways He will test our patience. It takes for Him, hardly a moment to make or break a man. To bring him down from his proud post to that of a humble servant praying for redemption. Redemption of past sins, of actions, of disobedience. Praying to relieve him.

May Allah Taala help uncle, relieve him of his sickness and grant him health again. May He show him and his family good days after these days of trial.

Amin.

The wisdom of Syedna Ali (A.S)

Syedna Ali (A.S) was the cousin of Prophet Mohammed (SAW). He was brought up by Prophet Mohammed and he, the Prophet SAW loved to him to a great extent. He taught him everything and according to Syedna Ali, He was to the Prophet as a baby camel is towards his mother. He followed the Prophet's footsteps and as a child, the prophet fed him with his own hands.

Prophet Mohammed SAW had declared during Ghadir-e-khum, while returning from the last pilgrimage (Hajj) "For whoever I am his Master (Moula), Ali is his Master (Moula)"

Syedna Ali - My Master, My Moula.

I'd like to share with you the two wonderful narrations I heard today in the sermon about Syedna Ali and his knowledge.

1. According to the inheritance laws, three persons were supposed to get their shares in the ratio of 1/2, 1/3 and 1/9. The inheritance was 17 camels. When the three people sat down to divide the camels among themselves, they were at a loss. 1/2 of 17 was 8 and 1/2. They couldn't divide a camel! So they went to Amirul Mumineen, Syedna Ali.

Syedna Ali asked one camel to be brought from the Baitul Maal. (State Treasury)

Now there were 18 camels and he divided them among the persons.

1/2 of 18 = 9
1/3 of 18 = 6
1/9 of 18 = 2

Total = (9+6+2=17 camels!!)

Thus he divided the inheritance - 9:6:2 and the 1 camel was returned back to the treasury.

MashaAllah!

2. A man died and his will (Wasiyat) was read. In it he mentioned three things.

He had a daughter and three slaves.

He wanted one of the slaves to marry his daughter and have half his wealth
He wanted one of the slaves to have only half his wealth
He wanted one of the slaves to be killed

He had not mentioned which slave in either of the cases.

So the slaves went to Amirul Mumineen, Syedna Ali and presented their case to him.

Syedna Ali told them that since the man had a daughter, his whole wealth will go to her. If they wanted their share, they would need to kill her.

One of the slaves got up and said "I will go and kill her"
The second one said "I will accompany you, but I won't kill her"
The third one said "How can I kill the daughter of my master. He took care of me and treated me well. I will not take part in this"

It was at that moment that Syedna Ali told them

The slave who was ready to kill the daughter - was to be killed.
The slave who was ready to accompany him - was to get half the wealth
The slave who was not ready to kill the daughter - was to get half the wealth and marry the daughter.

MashaAllah.

May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet and his family, the good, the choosen, the pious.

My God it's tough to get two people married!!

I have become a consultant too early in my life. Gosh, the doubts two people get when they plan to marry is almost hair tearing! I might have celebrated my friend's success prematurely. Man, I have to motivate him to keep thinking positively and picture the happy picture. Doubts about how will I support her, it's going to take me two more years to complete my studies, far distance etc etc.

Seriously everyone in this world should become Forrest Gump!!! - DON'T THINK!

I am on a mission to get three of my friends married. One who happens to be so shy that he won't talk to another girl less even glance at her. Another is this 'full of fears' and thankfully a sweet girl friend who is open to proposals. She is the most easiest to motivate and you feel happy when someone is colaborating.

I know you will ask what are their parents doing? Well they are also searching but you know this age! One listens to friends more than parents. I am doing my best to keep them positive and it's taking every ounce of energy.

Why is the thought of marriage so terrifying that one needs time to think about it? The doubts, fears and insecurities that eat up a person is darn bugging. In a way I realise how my relatives feel when they are talking to me...lol. I guess this is pay-back time.

Anyways, I have done my best and now the rest is in their hands. At the end, if it's in their kismet, takdeer, naseeb - they will marry each other else someone else.

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The changing Indian youth

If anyone of you still thought that India was still traditional and maintained it’s culture especially when it comes to ‘No love between boys and girls’, welcome to the new India, not only urban but rural as well.

Seven years back when I started my degree studies’, talking to a guy friend was frowned upon. Having a group of friends was fine but you shouldn’t be particularly attached to anyone and complete no-no to private calls, meetings etc.

Today, it’s the in-thing to talk about your boyfriend. Descriptive graphics of how the fairy tale began and what are the hurdles that the two have to face – clash in castes, in languages, in religions. How the two meet secretly if they are staying with their parents and how openly they go out if they live in hostel.

During my college days, we used to frown upon the girl flirt. The girls doing their masters were addressed as ‘Didi’ – sister and they used to take care of the first years, fresh out of home. If they found some guy talking too much to a girl, they would talk to her indirectly and give her hints- just because she was away from home and found new freedom, she didn’t have to go the bad way.

Indian upright women are traditional, uphold their culture, their religion, are hardworking in their studies and profession, have good friends and settle for a partner their parents would be happy with. They marry the man their parents select for them, with their approval of course (I’m talking about the positive scenario assuming no coercion); having a boyfriend is beneath them. It’s illicit and it does not go well on the values that they have been brought up on.

After all, if having a boyfriend was an okay thing, then why would the girls hide it from their parents? Why would they feel out of place among good girls who have a clean background? Why the sudden sense of shame when their elders find out about it? Why all the justifications they need to make as to why they have a boyfriend. Why the doubts that they may/ may not marry their boyfriend?

At the moment though, the tables are turning. These forward girls are proud they have someone to call them, pay for their bills and supplement their pocket money. They show off that they are hotter, more in demand then those who don’t have one. They boast of how they met and how he proposed and what all they do. Some girls ditch men regularly and think of them as past-times. ‘Honey, show me the money’ is an unconscious selection criteria.

Observing the girls who have boyfriends, one tends to notice how easy it is for the girls to lie, to go green with envy, to not trust other girls, to have false pride and gossip! They can gossip from anything to everything. The tantrums they throw and the attention they constantly crave. It amazing that their boyfriends don’t see through them. But then these men themselves are of questionable character.

The trend is high in the north and picking up in the south. Today’s 60% of India’s population is getting affected by the western values. Though some still think arranged marriage is better they constitute of a small number of youth. Media, magazines have gradually influenced India’s youth – Media itself has changed from the conservative covers to nude pictures even on daily affairs magazines like India Today. Movies have become sick double meaning films with sodomy jokes the latest flavor.

In rural India, the boys and girls are maturing fast. The misconception that since they are least exposed to the media doesn’t mean they are naïve. As told by a friend of mine, in the villages, the illicit relationships start from 5th standard!! I nearly fell from my chair.

Is this a cause to worry? Will India in another 20 years become another west where the chances of a marriage succeeding after years of living in, is 50%? Will every third child be illegitimate and cities flock with single mothers?

Will being honest to your parents cease and will the Indian values that have survived for so many generations start depleting with this new generation?

A blessed Ramadan

A lot of good things are happening this Ramadan-

A few months back, a friend had called me and requested me to pray for her. Her family was looking into proposals and things were not matching. A proposal she had recieved last year was again back and they were looking into it. A few days back she gave me the good news that her engagement was fixed... to the same guy! :) Alhamdullilah.

Operation marriage - Success. The friend I was helping to get the girl he wanted to marry said yes to him! He is on 7th heaven and well you can guess the rest...

My marketing professor, Prof. Sunil Pevekar (he is from IIMA and a bank of knowledge) submitted a case study abstract to the University of Pennsylvania and it got approved! The case study was based on my Internship trimester project on franchising of pre-school education where I had done a study on their sales structure and success. Prof. Sunil is very glad and he called me and THANKED me! It's the first time, any teacher has thanked me. My throat is chocked with emotions. I pray the case gets prominence so he might get the chance to personally visit Pennsylvania and attend their forum.

and finally, I have still returned alive from the exam hall... hehe

Alhamdullilah, Thanks to God for all the good news.

What am I doing?!!

If there was a fairy and she was to grant me a wish, I'd ask her - "Make me study". Honestly, seriously that is the only thing I want. I want to study. I want to study 12-16 hours a day and learn so much. There is so much in the world to know, to understand, to appreciate and to write about (especially in exams!!)

As you might have guessed, I returned from my exam and what do I say? I am not sad that I won't get through but I haven't done to my best (Get through(pass mark) has never ever been in my vocabulary. It's always 80% and above.) Why?

I don't know.

At one end I fight my 'switch off' mood that comes to me like an enemy just before my exams. I would have worked on a paper the whole trimester religiously but at the end moment, when all I have to do is revise - Bang. The electric current of my brain switches off.

I am honestly tired, angry, and frustrated at myself. It's ok if it happens once and you learn how to handle it but in my case it's a repetitive pattern that I just don't know how to break it.

As of now, while typing this, I realised that the only way to avoid complete black out is to be with my friends and study partner. Even if my mind goes 'Stop', they'll be there to push some bit of information here and there and who knows? I might just achieve my target.

Somewhere I read - United we stand, Divided we fall - so now I'm going into a united strategic alliance with my classmates. I no longer trust my own resources and capabilities. My core compentency will take off when I sign a joint venture, even though I might be the stronger company but I need a partner who back up power for the exams.

How Ramadan changes a person... or brings out the true person

I have been conciously observing myself and my friends ever since Ramadan started. In this holy month, the shetan are chained. They can not tempt men or whisper in their ears to do a bad thing or not do a good thing. This is a blessed month where the true person, the true soul is seen...

In the other months for a person to get up and pray fajr is difficult. He on one hand fights his sleep, his tiredness and on the other, whispers of satan to make him go to sleep. 'Pray later or not pray at all'. In Ramadan though, the person will set the alarm and wake up even before it rings. His heart anticipates that it's time to get up and glorify his Lord.

In other months, telling a lie would come easily and one could walk away without feeling guilty but in Ramadan, one avoids lies. In a situation where he is stuck he will give a vague answer but be conscious that he does not lie.

In other months, if one has not had food he cannot concentrate. His mind constantly rings 'I have to eat! I am hungry!' but in Ramadan, a peace decends on him. His mind is on his work, his prayers, his family...

In other months, being messy, throwing your clothes on the bed thinking you would fold them later or letting the wash basket overflow before doing the laundry would be okay, but in Ramadan, the moment one enters, he consciously keeps his stuff neatly, his bed clean,his cupboard arranged and his clothes washed and pressed.

In other months, one can waste away moments, minutes, hours chatting, playing games, but in Ramadan one prays, reads Quran Shariff, does tasbhi, dua every spare moment, to make use of every opportunity, every second before this month slips away.

In other months, giving charity is tough. One thinks twice before giving but in Ramadan one hurriedly removes not coins but notes to give to a poor soul.

In other months, calling guests, cooking is a once in a while occassion, but in Ramadan, people compete to have rozdars at their home, to eat and drink in their homes, to pray for them and have their past sins forgiven.

In other months, school work, job, career, ambition take the front seat but in Ramadan, it's only God and God alone who is our first thought and last thought.

In other months, it's so hard to complete the Quran Shariff, but in Ramadan it's so easy. People read each ayyat eagerly, knowing one full Quran Shariff sawab has been recorded with every verse read.

Truely Ramadan is the most blessed of the blessed months

The most beautiful of the sacred months
The month when the true and good nature of our brothers is seen

A month I pray that lasts long and it's effects, it's junoon remain with us for the rest of the year, till inshaAllah, next Ramadan. Amin