An Excerpt From 'The Little Mermaid'

Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's tale of The Little Mermaid, the following verse has been composed by me. It describes the last part of the story - after the mermaid has traded her voice with Ursula for legs...Hope you enjoy reading this!

Brushing her curly tresses with her long fingers,
The mermaid emerged from the sea.
Trying to balance on her newly formed feet,
She was blissfully unaware of the struggles that paved her path.

Blinded by the desire of possessing her amorous lover,
She ignored the insults that came her way;
And insults – there were many
For the mermaid knew not the ways of the world...

Not knowing clothes, she was not draped in any…
Her bare skin was flawless and gleamed of the silver light that shone from the moon.
Not knowing anybody, she walked past everybody…
While her eyes searched for the lost soul that had ignited the fire of passion in her heart.

A kind-hearted old woman covered her in a blanket,
And tried enquiring of her whereabouts:
“Who are you, fair maiden?
What is it that you are looking for?”

She walked past the old man
And entered the roads that led to no home -
She peeked inside a few houses,
And then, what she saw, froze her heart.

Her Prince Charming was lost in an embrace
In the arms of another woman.
She pulled at her hair and beat her chest
And opened her mouth to let out a scream…

Her lips moved up and down
But no sound came.
Alas! She had forgotten that she had no speech -
Her voice, now, belonged to Ursula!

Without another word, the mermaid turned towards the shore
And ran like the wind.
She was in front of the ocean in the blink of an eye…
She threw the blanket aside and entered the turbulent waters.

There was no looking back now…
The mermaid swam as fast as she could, far away from the pain.
She kept running away from the emptiness that filled her heart
Until she swam towards her death.

The "Don 2" Experience

As I was booking tickets for Don 2, a little voice in my head kept asking me, "Why are you booking tickets for the 3-D show?" Another tiny voice quipped, "After Ra One, are you sure Don 2 is worth taking a risk?" How I wish I had listened to those voices! 


The entire movie is centered around Don wanting to  become a billionaire by stealing some plates that print Euros - and it is for this sole purpose that we, the audience, is made to sit and stare at the screen for a good two hours. The movie starts off on a rather funny note: the Don who claims that "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai" actually gets himself arrested only to free Vardhaan (Boman Irani) and escape with him from the prison. To add to this, we have Mr. Hrithik Roshan in a special appearance where he successfully passes off as the undercover Don! No, I am not kidding! And if you were thinking that the movie could not get any more ridiculous,  you were proved wrong again! You have Priyanka Chopra who, in the movie, has always been portrayed as someone whose entire life is dedicated to finishing Don, actually refusing to shoot him because she is in love with him!  While Shah Rukh Khan has always been popular as a romantic hero, it would have been best for the audience's sake had the love angle between Roma and Don not been forcibly inserted. For a moment in those five minutes that this undesirable chain of events unfolded, I actually got scared that there was going to be a romantic song in a dream sequence as is typical of many Bollywood movies but thank god for small mercies! Nothing of that sort happened. Like the original, the sequel has its share of twists and turns. Unfortunately, the audience is so used to them by now that none of these twists actually take you by surprise. The ending is exactly how you would have guessed it to be - there are chances of another sequel happening and I am hoping it will be better than this one...


Don 2 lacks a good story-line. Even the music does not match up to the original. Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Om Puri, Kunal Kapoor play their parts with utmost ease. 
Some of the action sequences are good and so is the cinematography but I really wish Farhan Akhtar, the director, would stand and pull  his socks up!
I will not say that Don 2 is an awful film. The problem is that it is nothing great either. One need not waste money watching it on 3-D but if one has managed to watch movies like Bodyguard, Ra-One, this year, then Don 2 is definitely not a bad idea! 

Mama Mia!

I love discovering new places to eat. One evening, as I was shopping down Hill Road, Bandra, with my friend, I was in for a surprise! Tucked neatly in a corner, we spotted Mama Mia! My friend said that she had heard a lot about this place but had never dined there. Being the impulsive and starving creatures that we usually transform into after shopping (shopping definitely builds up my appetite for food!), the two of us decided to give it a shot!

 What struck me first as soon as I entered the place was the brightly done up interiors! Everything was nice and colourful and, most important, clean! Going through the menu, I was glad to see that the restaurant had a wide array of food items - pizza, subs, burgers, salads, to name a few.

Garlic Bread Supreme

Since we were starving, we ordered a Garlic Bread Supreme and two eight inch pizzas (Partita-A-Quatro and Hawaiian Fiesta) along with fresh lime soda.

The Garlic Bread Supreme was generously laid with cheese and oregano and eating it was a real treat!

The fresh lime soda also tasted just fine!

As we waited for our pizzas, the place was slowly getting more crowded. It was interesting to see a mixed bunch of people - office-mates, college-students, mothers and children - all, dining in at this fast food restaurant.

Hawaiian Fiesta

We crossed our fingers and hoped that when the pizzas arrived,they would taste good; and, guess what? They did! The Partita-A-Quatro tasted heavenly - it was spicy with generous amounts of juicy barbequed chicken on the pizza with green peppers! The Hawaiian Fiesta, however, could have been better - I wished that the pineapple pieces on the pizza would have been fresh!

Partita-A-Quatro

Apart from that, I must say that the pizzas were indeed very filling! My friend and I relished each and every bite!

I was rather disappointed, however, to hear that they were out of desserts. I hope to visit this place again really soon and sample the desserts. Hopefully, they will be 

Service was good. I felt one really got the value of one's money. I would definitely recommend this place to students and other people who just wish to hang out and eat a good meal without burning a hole in their pockets! 

Meal For Two: Rs. 400
Rating: 3.5/5.0

A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee!

Gitanjali looked out at the streets as she sat at her usual spot in the café, drinking her usual espresso. She had just survived another long day at work and was relieving her exhaustion by immersing her senses into the intoxicating power of caffeine. 

It was a typical day in the month of July in the city of Mumbai. The sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds until a point when it completely disappeared. The clouds growled and the light drizzles, in less than a minute, transformed to heavy droplets of thundering rain. Gitanjali stared out of the window eyeing the rain drops. All her colleagues at work always kept complaining about how terrible the Mumbai rains were…but the rains had always fascinated Gitanjali. 
“Would you mind if I sat down next to you? It’s raining cats and dogs outside.”
Gitanjali turned and found that the grave, husky voice belonged to a dark, lanky fellow with unkempt black hair. He was wearing a yellow shirt with sleeves rolled up over a pair of jeans. He looked like he was in his late thirties.
“The table over there is available. Why don’t you go there?” pointed Gitanjali in the direction of an empty table.
“But if I occupied that table, I’d be compelled to place an order! They won’t let me just sit there…this place is getting crowded,” came the earnest reply.
Gitanjali looked around and, indeed, the once empty coffee-shop was, now, crowded with people sheltering themselves from the pouring shower.
“So…may I?” asked the young man.
Gitanjali sighed and merely nodded in agreement.
“Thank you,” smiled the man as he sat down.
Gitanjali did not reply. She sipped her drink and continued staring out of the café window.
“So, what do you do?” quizzed the man.
Gitanjali felt irritated. “Not much,” she replied curtly.  She was not in the mood for engaging in polite conversations and she hoped the man would get the hint and sit quietly.
“Same here!” he replied, much to Gitanjali’s indignation. “I run my father’s business. It is very boring – there isn’t really much for me to do. My name is Kabir, by the way.”
Gitanjali could now clearly see that her wish for a quiet evening all by herself was definitely not going to happen. She decided to go along and drag the conversation forward. “I am Gitanjali.”
“What a beautiful name! Pleased to meet you, Gitanjali. So, what brought you, here, to Mumbai?” asked Kabir.
“How did you know that I am not originally from this city?” asked Gitanjali, with raised eyebrows.
“It was a lucky guess!” laughed Kabir. “So, where are you from?”
“I am from Kolkata.”
“And what are you doing, here, in Mumbai?”
“I’m…” and suddenly Gitanjali found herself tongue-tied. Kabir’s innocent question seemed to have transported Gitanjali back in time. It had been more than a year since she had left the comforts of her home in Kolkata. She, like several others, had believed that it was only in the City of Dreams that she could achieve all that she aspired; and without giving that belief a second thought, had embarked on the journey of fulfilling her wishes. This is why she had left the luxuries of her home behind. That was why she was in Mumbai. “What am I doing here? It’s such a simple question, isn’t it?” mused Gitanjali.
Kabir smiled, “And what is the answer to this simple question?”
“I had a dream and I wanted it to come true. That’s why I am here.”
Kabir looked at her intently. He could see that she was a little uneasy. There was something about this dusky-skinned beauty with long, black tresses that intrigued him. “It’s nice to hear that. One should never give up on their dreams,” he, finally, said.
Gitanjali’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
“I’m sorry. I did not mean to upset you. Do you want me to leave?” asked Kabir in a concerned tone.
“No, I am alright. I am sorry. I just lost control. It’s just that I don’t see my dream transforming into reality anytime soon. I don’t think it ever will. I am losing focus and I don’t think I can ever go back to being the believer I used to be,” sniffed Gitanjali.
“I understand how you feel. I, too, had a dream. I was eighteen years old and madly in love. We, both, dreamed of travelling the whole world together. We got married and life seemed to be just perfect. However, my happiness was short-lived. In less than two years after our marriage, Naina was hit by a car and she passed away. It’s been almost twelve years since she has gone. I still miss her,” said Kabir.
“I’m sorry,” said Gitanjali, empathetically. She looked at the man before her and she could sense the hurt in his voice.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. My story does not end here,” winked Kabir. “Do you want me to continue?”
Gitanjali nodded.
“After she died, I was at a complete loss over what to do. My life just seemed to be over! I plunged myself into a sea of work and hoped that I would remain submerged inside and never come out. My friends kept telling me to not give up on my plans – they told me to travel the world but I kept pushing them away, stating that it just did not seem right without her. Of course, that wasn’t entirely true…”
“What do you mean?” interrupted Gitanjali.
“The truth was that I was scared. I had forgotten what it was like to be alone. She had become such an important part of me that I did not know what it was like to face things without her. I hardly spoke to my parents. I stopped going out and having fun with friends. I just shut myself up from the whole world. Visiting new countries and seeing new continents sounded too far-fetched and impossible an idea to work on…If I could not visit my own folks without her, how could I survive a foreign land filled with strangers?
One day, however, I said to myself: enough is enough. I realized I cannot continue like this. I packed my bags and made plans to travel to Europe. I visited France, Italy, Greece and Belgium. Initially, I felt a little awkward. After a while, however, I got used to it. No one knew me in these new lands. I was all by myself. But I actually did not feel I was alone. Throughout that journey, I felt an invisible force holding my hand and always walking by my side. I know Naina was there with me. I felt her presence. She was with me in Europe. She will always be with me. She is even here, with me, in this coffee-shop, at this coffee-table” ended Kabir.
“That is the most beautiful story I have heard in a very long time,” smiled Gitanjali, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “For as long as I can remember, I had only enjoyed one thing – that was narrating stories. I knew that when I grew up, I would write down all these tales and become famous! I finished my Masters in English and came to Mumbai in order to chase my dreams. Things, however, did not really go as I had planned. Once I arrived, I realized there was no one here who had the time to read the works of an unknown entity. Publishing them was, therefore, out of the question! I tried looking for internships at newspaper agencies and other firms but none of them were well-paying. I was slowly running out of money and I could not bring myself to ask my parents for more. Finally, I had to put my dreams of becoming a writer aside and settle for a job that came with a decent pay.
After a while, I think I just became comfortable. I got used to the office. I got used to my boss and all the other people who work there. I made friends. Life became complacent and, I think, at some level killed the writer in me.
Today, when I sit down with a pen and paper, I just do not know what to write. I feel everything I want to write has already been written about – there is nothing original and nothing new. I don’t think I will ever be able to write again,” Gitanjali sighed.
Kabir grinned, “You mean to say you have the writer’s block?”
“I don’t think it is that. I just don’t have any new stories to tell. There is nothing extraordinary about my writings. There are no new stories to tell – all stories have already been told.”
“Look around you. There are so many people. All of them, here, live in a world of their own. Each of them has a story to tell. While their stories may be a narration of events that happen to everybody, it does not mean that their tales are not worth being told, is it?” Kabir mused. “All of us may have had similar life-experiences – we, all, have, at some point of time or the other, hurt someone we cared for, lost a loved one, given up on our dreams, made a lot of money, been broke…There are lots of us who have done nothing exceptional or brave in our whole lives. But just because our lives are plain and simple, it does not mean you cannot write about us?” pressed Kabir.
Gitanjali’s eyes lit up. She was beginning to see what Kabir was leading her to. “I think I know what you are trying to tell me. Instead of searching for inspiration by looking out for astonishing people, I should look at the ordinary people and the mundane things and try discovering the surprising elements in them!” she exclaimed.
“Ah, yes! A good writer tells an ordinary story in an extraordinary manner – he or she does not narrate an extraordinary tale,” grinned Kabir.
Gitanjali looked radiant as ever. She excitedly screamed, “I am so delighted! My mind is now churning with so many ideas! I haven’t thought this way in months! Thank You! Thank You So Much!”
“You are welcome,” smiled Kabir. “…And look – the rain has stopped. I should take your leave.” He got up and left. Gitanjali looked at him walking past. She gazed at him from the window and he turned around and waved at her. Gitanjali also cleared the bill and left in a while.

Ten months passed by.
It was a Sunday morning. Kabir was returning home after his morning jog. As he was passing by the book-store on the way, the title of a book and its author caught his eye. Was this real? He entered the store and looked around. The whole store was stacked by that new release – it was a book titled “It’s Just Another Day” by Gitanjali Sen. The back of the cover had her picture. It was indeed her! His face broke into a smile as he read the second page:
This book is dedicated to a stranger who made me see the wonder of the small things in life. Until I met you, Kabir, I never thought a cup of coffee would change my life.

Kabir went to the cash counter and purchased that book. He, then, staggered back home.

 As soon as he opened the locked door and stepped inside, he was greeted by a message from his mother on the answering machine asking him to call. After placing the book on the coffee-table, he headed towards a chest of drawers and glanced through all its contents. A heap of travel brochures along with his passport were inside. Kabir’s eyes glistened with tears as he looked at those. Perhaps, it was not too late. He too could try fixing his shattered world. If Gitanjali had had the strength to take a risk and achieve her dream, he, too, could muster up courage and go see the world! He, too, could turn his wishful thinking into a reality! He felt the urge to just pick up the phone and call a travel agent when he looked at the photo of Naina on the mantelpiece. The picture reminded him of happier times. As he stared at the picture and vanished into his land of memories, he let out a sigh - Kabir knew, he was not ready…No, not yet. Kabir closed the drawers, put the book away, and slouched on the couch before the television set, and started surfing through channels.  Life was going on – he would catch up later…

In Search Of Paradise

The cherub looked down at the earthlings below,

While enjoying the comforts in the kingdom above.

She wondered where had love disappeared;

What was happening to all the people?

To find these answers, seated on a bed of pink cloud,

She began her descent to the land of mortals…

Thunder struck! Lightning flashed!

The sky wailed over the loss of its purest soul.

Darkness faded. The sun started to rise...

In the early hours of morn,

A young mother wept

While holding her new-born bundle of joy.

She became the glowing light in everyone’s darkest hours…

She smeared bright colours into their dull, boring lives.

In the midst of all earthly existence,

Her presence was, indeed, divine. 

Her playfulness caused sadness to vanish into thin air.

Her blind faith in all defeated fear!

Happiness magnified to leaps and bounds,

Whilst anger watched over her and waited for the innocence to fade.

She mesmerized all those who crossed her path

With her smile and elusive charm.

Always a helping hand she lent,

Whenever trouble made its presence felt.

One afternoon, she entered the thickets.

Amidst various sights and sounds,

She allowed her mind to wander free,

Until she realized she was lost!

In agony, she searched helplessly around,

Looking for clues that would help her return.

To her relief, she spotted some people,

Enjoying a picnic by the brook.

Alas! Their wicked glances, she ignored,

When directions to return they gave.

She moved deeper and deeper into the woods

Until she realized that home had, now, become farther away.

With a cry of despair, she retraced her steps;

And luck was on her side!

After some hours of tough struggle,

She finally reached the track from which she had strayed.

Ragged and bruised, she heaved a sigh,

When the sight of home met her eye.

But her series of misfortune had only just begun…

For a while, it intended to stay.

The Devil saw this as an opportunity

To take over this angelic child…

Through His own crafty ways,

He intended to discreetly bring her to his side.

Exhausted and beat, the young lass retired to her bed.

Hoping for a good night’s sleep,

With all her guards down, she closed her eyes;

Thereby allowing the Devil to enter and steal her happy thoughts.

The next morning, her head was heavy

And nothing in the world appeared to be nice.

She became silent and looked through everyone;

No one could transform her frown into a smile.

What’s wrong with her?

What happened to her?

These questions, the folks dismissed,

And went their own, various, ways.

Leaving her alone to her state

Is what they deemed to be the best.

No one made right this grave folly,

The damage that happened was preordained!

With no one around her, she felt miserable.

Everything was topsy-turvy. Her mind was a whirl!

With no one to remove the turmoil within her, she questioned,

“Whatever happened to the kind-hearted souls?”

The Devil seized this chance

To teach her His ways of the world.

In the guise of a benevolent confidant,

He sat beside her and offered the poisonous apple.

Forlorn and hurt, she lapped the attention,

And took lavish bites of the forbidden fruit.

Her insides rolled in a state of frenzy…

Oh! The devil had tainted her soul!

Feeling strange, with new sensations churning her gut,

She let her emotions sprint like wild horses.

She marched past her folks with her nose in the air;

She walked on with her head held high.

With the newly attained realization that not everyone in the world is good -

She only wanted to stand on her own feet.

So what if she had to tread on others’ toes

In order to accomplish this!

Guilt and shame, soon, entered her gates,

Preying on her sweet dreams and leaving behind nightmares;

Fear and anxiety became her dreaded companions -

They never seemed to leave her side.

She woke up, one morning, and eyed the mirror…

Her own reflection she could not recognize.

Something needed to be done! She needed to be helped!

The fair maiden needed to find herself!

Where should I begin?

Where do I go?

At a complete loss over what to do,

The distressed damsel waited to be rescued!

Having shut herself from everyone

By constructing huge walls around,

There was no one present to respond to her pleas;

No one heard her from up her tower.

Strolling sadly in the meadows,

The fair lady spotted a young couple lost in an embrace.

Their souls were ignited with the fire of passion,

As they looked deep into each other’s’ eyes.

Eureka! That is it!

True love is the key to finding bliss!

When this knowledge, in her mind, resurfaced,

The heart of the dismayed woman leapt with joy!

The Devil remained undeterred

By these new advancements.

After all, selflessness had ceased to exist, long ago;

No fool had time for love.

The young lady searched everywhere -

But everyone’s heart was of stone.

When she peeked inside her soul,

She saw that even she did not possess the heart of gold.

As this stark reality hit her,

She was determined to defeat this catastrophe!

More strong-willed than ever before,

She continued her quest for love.

Getting used to her new and changed self,

Which had become a part of her,

Was the first of the many steps she took.

Despite the amount of time that passed, she never lost out on hope.

She travelled to the place where transformation had hit -

She went back into the woods!

An aimless trekker saw her pass,

Intrigued by her, he followed her trail.

His heart was exploding with foams of amorous desire…

Who was this enchantress who had captivated his soul?

His old life, currently, held no meaning.

This was, definitely, the start of something new!

The sound of the footsteps alerted her…

She abruptly stopped, and turned around.

He sheepishly smiled and waved,

Signaling her to pause till he caught up with her.

She returned his smile with a mysterious gaze.

Without saying a word, they walked together,

And in this silence, she, inexplicably, found

Answers to all her questions.

When it was time to part,

She kissed him good-bye and expressed thanks;

He held her hand and asked to wait,

This meeting, for him, wasn’t over.

She was no mere mortal -

He recognized her as a celestial being!

His one touch electrified her soul;

And she knew she was his forever!

He was her saviour,

Unchaining her from the bonds she, herself, had created!

She was now free to return to the world,

She was like a phoenix reborn from ashes!

He was the star that shone at night -

A vision she could always enjoy, but never own!

This was their only spell together – a fact that they, both, realized,

For living happily ever after had existed only once upon a time!

Despite the parting, she felt complete,

The whole experience had seeped into her soul.

She had felt loved like never before,

Finally at peace, she was liberated.

The Devil realized He had lost!

And he fussed and fumed with fury!

She had never owned her lover;

Which is why he could never be stolen from her!

The miracle of love had made her wise,

There was nothing left in the finite world for her to learn…

The angel grew her wings and returned to Heaven;

Leaving her new-found paradise on earth behind.