TOUCHSTONE

January,2012

MATRIX

MATRIX presents

Touchstone
Editorial
MATRIX events this semester have covered a wide spectrum of thought and we thank you all for the overwhelming response. Our first event this semester was the open forum discussion on the hugely anticipated Jan Lokpal Bill which was followed by the short film festival. After that MATRIX had a book review on the classic novel To kill a mocking bird. The details of this event were printed in the Times of India on 21st October, 2011. After this we had an event in collaboration with Nirmaan titled The pros and cons of charity. It was a very fruitful discussion and special thanks to Nirmaan for their wonderful participation. Then we had an event in collaboration with Celestia. It was based on the book A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. This event also was very successful. It was followed by a star gazing session in the tennis court. Our 2 nd issue of Touchstone was released in September. We have also had a writing contest the best from which have been included in this issue of Touchstone. Keep Reading!

Team
Gaurav M. Jha Dipti Sengupta Aishwarya Tiwari Harman Singh Zenith Meera Haridas Nikita Raina

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CONTENTS Introduction Indian Middle Class Its Definitely better to give than receive.. Life on the Edge Censorship iTribute Keep the spark alive What if God was one of us? Old Twine The Cute Smile Which Says It All Drowning Udaan Reviews Kane And Abel Revolution 2020

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Introduction
"So what clubs are you in?" "Well there's the Matrix.." "What's that?" "It's a club of course." "Is it? I mean. Do you have events?" "Umm, ya. We actually probably had more events last sem than any other club on campus. Like, 8, I think. Maybe more." "Cool. So are you like a fanclub? Of the Matrix movies?" That was a conversation I had with a friend at the beginning of this semester. That one didn't have as much of an effect on me though, as the next one did. This was something a random member from a performing club remarked when she noticed my T-shirt: "Dekho yaar. Matrix jaise clubs ko shirts mil jaati hai, humari ab tak nahin bani." Hmm. Hard to react to that in a way that's both apt and polite. So I laughed. It's what I always do when faced with Matrix jokes. I laugh the loudest. Because admittedly, it IS funny. It's hilarious how one club can work hard and put out more events than a majority of the other clubs combined and still not merit recognition beyond what I've just recanted for you. Every group has an Alan Davies, so jokes can be shared at his expense. We are yours. The Matrix. It stand for Mind And Thought in Radical Information Xchange. A backronym if there ever was one. The club, if that's what it is, seeing as it doesn't come under the CSA, was originally conceived in Pilani. In effect, that makes it a society that's a bit older than our campus itself. Somewhere along the way though, we acquired a rather sad reputation as an inactive club. And while our current hustle speaks against any such ideas, the perception continues to follow. Somehow, its members sometimes feel grateful for its reputation. Maybe we think the lack of prestige around our name is what pushes us to work hard. Maybe we think that, should the day ever come when we get accepted as a club equal to any other, then that would be the day we become as laidback and lazy as so many of said others. Truly, I like it this way. The Matrix was originally to be a bookclub, but gradually expanded to cover fields such as music, films, news, sports politics, Turkish stock markets, everything. We are a club without a definition. Our discussions are blends on all forms of speaking. The lectures stop when the debates begin and vice-versa. Today we've brought to you the academic year's second issue of Touchstone, the Matrix magazine. Popular opinion dictates that this will be in vain. People continue to assure us that nobody will ever read this (not true, my mother will). But perhaps that's something good we've got going for us. Perhaps with no pressure on us at all, you could pick up an issue of Touchstone and be surprised at what you find in it. Hope you enjoy this edition of Touchstone. This issue aims to show how ignorant our club is of definition of any kind. We bring you essays, opinion pieces, pictures, stories, poems in two languages, everything you could possibly ask for, assuming you won't take me up on the Turkish stock market claim. Then again. No pressure. Maybe we could pull that off too. We are the Matrix. We could be nothing. Or, by the same logic, anything. Then again. No pressure. Maybe we could pull that off too. We are the Matrix. We could be nothing. Or, by the same logic, anything.

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The title is more of a paradox than a poser, meaning there are no answers but only opinions and perspectives. Before we proceed to the joust of different paradigms, one ought to beg the question, what really is the Great Indian middle class.* The west often derides us Indians as one of the awkward class of people, and yet we walk with all the indifference in the world or the more self-righteous of us, even reproaching with the apparent lack of morals and family values of the westerners**. But the point and the offence persist. Why does skipping the queue give us immense pleasure? Why in fact, doesnt it offend our sense of righteousness? Why dont we vote? Why do we have such serious hygiene problems? Why are we penny wise and pound foolish? Why are we obsessed with everything phirangi? Why do we find it hard to trust people? Why are we, whatever we are? It is the social makeup? A mental disease? Why, even genetic makeup? One can go on ranting about the unique Indian traits endlessly and not even begin to answer the questions, because it is utterly challenging to point out, one reason, why we are what we are. Author V.Raghunathan quips that it is quite pointless to ponder over the question, to use a clich, we are like that only. Yet, a humble attempt to understand the question, if not answer it, has to be made. The question takes more dimensions, especially when the said middle class is becoming more educated and empowered every day. All of us come out of the premiere institutes, very adept in every bit of technology that flummoxes the west, but at the end of the day, we refuse to vote, we shy away from politics, we even refuse to respect our own heritage. What then, sets us apart? One can easily see that, very little is achieved by education if it fails to teach the insight to understand the greater good. The ramifications are amplified so much more in a democratic country like ours where a good chunk of the population is the middle class. One perverted/misguided vote bank can only do so

Indian Middle Class

are?

Why are we, whatever we

Supriya Kajjidoni

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much harm! That now brings us to one of the classical debates viz. democracy vs. dictatorship. Here, however is not the place to digress into that. At this point, I must make a distinction between the educated and the literate. With some insight, one can see that both are not the same. Perhaps, it is not very preposterous to suggest that most of the middle class is literate, not educated. True education cannot teach us that our good lies with the greater good. On a final note, I cannot help myself from reflecting on how the great Indian middle class, however misguided, however gullible is one the most powerful deciding factors of our economy. Because when it comes to the numbers it outnumbers the population of America, it is therefore one of the most copious markets for the basic commodities. Expert opinion is that, we are largely driven by price vs. utility vs. quantity, in any deal we make, with little or no regard for the quality. For a land full of resources like India, its quite counter intuitive. Countless foreign enterprises are trying to understand this mentality and encash it, few even have had lot of success. We cant even help over-paying some of the well established companies simply because of our hesitancy to check other options. I can merely quote Nokia And rest my case. Its freakanomics down to the last bit! * When I say a middle class person, the reference is not to the financial definition of the middle class, but simply to an average Indian.

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Do you treat your helper as nicely as you treat your boss at work?

Its Definetely better to give than receive

~Pallavi Muktesh

The honest yet obvious answer that most of us would give is NO. This might seem to be a funny, strange and probably a stupid question to many of us, who would simply ignore it! But the point here is that most of us are living a shallow life where we are, or at least wish to be, at the receiving end. The blatant truth is that we dont interact with people who arent of much use to us. And this is how we choose our friends and acquaintances. In this modern world with innumerable advancements, man has made himself a slave of materialistic things. He has joined the rat race to reach the top and acquire them. Money, power, status and fame have led to his selfishness which has gained priority over his giving and benevolent nature. The constant habit pattern of ones mind to crave for more has destroyed the humanity. This has forced him to always desire to receive more and give less .It very important to break this habit pattern of mind and come at the giving end instead. Most of us have everything we need in life to survive well and have abundance of everything to give. But our state of mind is such that it never gets satisfied. And to satisfy our wants we crave for more, become misers and give less. The happiness or the pleasure we get from these materialistic things is at very apparent level. We convince ourselves that we are happy but the fact remains that we are never really fully satisfied or content. If we save the money instead and invest it on people who really need it, we can bring beautiful smiles on hundreds of faces. This happiness then gets multiplied and comes back to us, now in a better form .This is because of the way we feel in our heart and mind. We not only become a better person but also rise to a higher level of spirituality. Hence, by giving we are not depriving ourselves of anything but gaining in many ways. At a personal level, it gives me true happiness when I do anything, even if it is a small deed for anybody around. This way, me, the giver is naturally awarded at the same time the deed is performed .Then why not be at the giving end than receiving! Being

.invest it on people who really need it, we can bring beautiful smiles on hundreds of faces.

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a giver and having a big heart is an incredible quality. We must have realized in our daily lives that we always get good vibes from people who are givers and people whose conscious efforts always make others around them happy. The aura around such people makes the environment very positive and lively. Each one of us has the capacity to think beyond ourselves and lead a meaningful life. This has been best exemplified by fine personalities like Mother Teresa who gave her shoulder to every needy person. Instead of seeking such men why dont we try to be one of them! Come; lets learn the language of love and the art of giving, because it definitely is better than receiving!

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Living On the Edge

~Basanti Nashine

We all have our stories; some of us just have way more interesting stories than others. The thing with stories is that they all have an ending. I mean whether the story is good or bad, long or short, usual or unusual there has to be an ending .The story of life has the same ending for all of us. We all die. Life might be fair to some and unfair to others but death treats everyone in the same way. Whether we are treated differently after death, well I surely dont know the answer to that. Anyways the thing is, there are two things that make one remember a story The uniqueness of the story itself and the uniqueness of its ending. At least one of them should leave an impression on you. Living on the edge means different things to different people. To some it is about all the nerve-racking sports like mountaineering, deep sea diving, hunting etc. It might be gambling, drugs etc for others. For some it might be leaving what they are doing for what they love doing. Dropping out of college before your graduation because you no longer have faith in it and you actually want to do something more meaningful with your life can be considered living on the edge for about three-fourth of our nation. So I guess living on the edge is not everyones thing otherwise 90% of my batch mates would have dropped out of college by now. This comes as little surprise because most of us never want to leave our comfort zone. People tend to choose security over the unseen. Whether they are content with it or not thats a different matter. All I know is that there are only a few people who are actually happy with their lives. A few years back a man climbed Mt. Everest without oxygen or any other special aid. When he came down people asked him why he went up there to die, he replied I went up there to live. For the observers it seems crazy to put your whole life at risk just for getting your heart pumped up and get adrenaline rushing through your body but for the ones who do it, it is the only way to feel alive. Well we all arent the daredevil kind of people but living on the edge just isnt about that. It is about having the guts and passion to live the life of your dreams and

Life might be fair to some and unfair to others but death treats everyone in the same way.

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and not settling for anything less than that. It might seem totally stupid and crazy at times but sometimes you just know that it is the right thing to do. Of course we dont always have a choice. Sometimes you need to choose your responsibilities over your passion but if one is passionate enough he/she always find a way to keep the passion alive. When you actually do have a choice, make the most of it. You dont need to jump off a cliff but just take a leap of faith. Our life is the story we create for ourselves. Since we already know the ending we better make the story worthwhile, after all it is us who have to live the story we create. Many people live their life as if they have another one waiting for them. most people do almost everything to have a secured life. These are obviously the safe choices but are they the right ones too? For a few the answer maybe yes but for the rest of us I say even if you dont want to gamble it all at once at least play the small stakes once in a while, for living a few moments is better than surviving a millennium. Hope u make your story a memorable one.

I went up there to live..

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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it -Evelyn Beatrice Hall

Censorship

~ Swarali Karkhanis

(in The Friends of Voltaire-Biography of Voltaire) So, well we have been hearing a lot about censorship over the last few months, owing to some new censorship attempts being made in India and abroad. What exactly is censorship? Censorship is the suppression of content in any form of communication that may be considered sensitive, harmful or objectionable. The term, censor which originated in Rome for shaping the character of the people, took a violent turn in the years that followed, thanks to the monarchs and the Orthodox Church and their attempts to gain control over the society. A censors job ranged from burning of the books that challenged the prevalent ideas and rituals in the society, to casting out or even assassination of free thinkers. The need of censor remains a highly debated issue even today. Those in favour of censorship think of it as a moral check on the society while those opposing it term it as infringement on peoples right to expression. In cases like nations security, censorship probably finds a well qualified place, however it gets controversial when it comes to cases like arts, literature and media. Not to forget its misuse by government and publicity-thirsty producers alike. So the question we return to is Does censorship really help? As far as young minds are concerned, yes, they are impressionable- but it would be wrong to think that one could control a child's perception by just removing a few scenes from a movie or beeping the bad words.

moral check on the society or infringement on peoples right to expression.

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It could be just an ordinary bus ride that could teach him about chain snatching, absolutely atrocious language and inappropriate behaviour- do you, then, stop him from taking the bus? Wouldnt we teach him to aware of these bad tendencies instead? And for a learned person, unless he is not convinced that some censored act is immoral, he might just find some way to do the same. This occurs due to clashes between peoples conception of what-is-right and what-is-wrong. So moral education by parents and by society is need of the hour, because a man becomes what the society makes him. It will be only then that we shall be ready to get rid of censorship. After all, the freedom of expression that we value so much is nothing but the will to be responsible to ourselves.

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Apples 1997 Think Different campaign was launched soon after Steve Jobs returned to the company he had co-founded. It began with these words: ~Nikita Mirchandani

iTribute

Heres to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the trouble makers, the round pegs in the square holes... The ones who see things differently... They are not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but you cant ignore them because they change things... They push the human race forward and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people, who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do it.

He thought he could change the world. He did.

Jobs, who died on October 5,2011 after battling a rare form of pancreatic cancer for 7 years, was one of those crazy ones, who saw things differently. He thought he could change the world. He did. The visionary co-founder and later chief executive officer of Apple Inc. (makers of the Macintosh computer, the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad), he had the unique ability to blend product design and business market innovation in a way that has not been matched. One of the most innovative men on planet,

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greatly admired and has been dubbed reality distortion field) persuaded John Sculley to leave Pepsi-Cola and serve as Apples CEO, asking Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or do you want to come with me and change the world? But following several turbulent months, when Jobs working relationship with Sculley steadily deteriorated and was forced to resign. Not a man to be daunted by failure, he founded NeXT Inc. in the same year. By a surprising turn of events, NeXT Inc. was acquired by Apple Inc in 1996, bringing Jobs back to the company he had co-founded. But by that time, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. When he came back, Jobs, not one to mince words, told the board, This Company is in shambles and I dont have time to wet-nurse the board. So I need all of you to resign. Or else I am going to resign and not come back on Monday. After that there was no looking back. He revolutionized the entire personal-computer industry, changing the way people think about technology. Few entrepreneurs have had as much impact. A pioneer of technology, a man of platinum brilliance, Steve Jobs will be sorely missed. His ingenuity and passion was unmatched. He was an inspiration for everybody and his incredible innovations continue to enrich our lives even after his death. It is indeed fitting that looking back at his life; Steve Jobs uttered Oh wow! Oh wow! Oh wow! In his last breath. It is subtle tribute to life and to being a winner, a believer, a risk taker and finally a leader.

A pioneer of technology, a man of platinum brilliance.

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Keep the Spark Alive

Chetan Bhagat

Good morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you; you, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark alive. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time. Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. A story from daddy gets them excited. I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected and aimless. I Like Kareena in Jab We Met. Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms. To nurture, always have goals. Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. Financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Steve Jobs wouldn't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.

at Symbiosis, Pune

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I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order. There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions. You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same is true with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die. One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since, whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices. I've told you three things that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness. Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return; if things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out, come out stronger. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.

It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

don't be serious, be sincere

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Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the I come right goal. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a from the sign somewhere, you took it too seriously. Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how land of a our country works . People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it not just in Bollywood, but everyBillion where. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunisparks. ties in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark. Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others. There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms. You cannot avoid them. You just need to avoid letting the spark die. I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. I hope you will keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

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What if God was one of Us?

~Mourya BVS

The rich and troubled, The poor and the pragmatic, The man with the tear drop And the woman with a diamond's glitter; All in his name they live. His existence is not a question to some Not an answer to some A puzzle too many! Who in the name of existence is he?? The Shepard, the uncanny stranger or the man in the mirror? If he were mortal, Would he feed like us and bleed like us? His adobe perched firmly to humble earth; He would stride like a soldier of time, In the abyss of the poor, over a mountain's peak. On an eagle's wing he would fly With a lion's whisker he would tickle a leopards spot The blue whale his couch; The sea his cocktail! The thunder his voice; Lightening his short temper Perhaps he's human?? Perhaps... We never know...we never will Lets just keep praying ...or otherwise!

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Along the sun's silhouette he would slide like an overly joyous lad with hidden maturity. Perched to the moon's crescent he would nap like a spoilt brat pampered by unbound selflessness One among men be their creator, So be their sustainer -very aptly so should he reside in his playpen, guard his toys and water his plants... Probably the sparrows cut to his soul, only if we could follow them to the end of time. Perhaps he whispers jokes to babies, only if they could talk Perhaps the bees sing a hymn through the buzz of a wings flap Perhaps the wind is his breath; The thunder his voice; Lightening his short temper Perhaps he's human?? Perhaps... We never know...we never will Lets just keep praying ...or otherwise!

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There are few things more distinct to a man than how he takes his tea. A lot can be told about the sort of person he is, if only one is allowed to observe how he took his tea.

Old Twine

~Harman Singh

Or so Roy would like to think. He paused, and thought about it again. Nah, that probably wasnt true. When you think about it, the only thing you could say about a man by seeing him prepare his tea, was in fact how he prepared his tea. Nevertheless, he liked that it could still be called unique to him. Roy took a sip from his own cup, smiled, and placed it back down on the desk. This, this was how tea should be enjoyed. He smiled at his grandfathers mahogany desk before him, he smiled at the fully carpeted British -era furnished room around him, he even smiled at the fresh flowers in the modern glass vase that had been placed on the desk, although the vase was probably a lot newer than most of the other furniture in the room. That didnt matter. It went well with the regal look of the entire hall. He only stopped smiling when he looked back down at his teacup. It was a new teacup. It made him wince. He reached out, and carefully rotated the cup until the logo on it faced away from him. Then he smiled again. Roy was happy, for now. He was happy because he was comfortable, and back in his grandfathers room, the grandest in the whole of Ooty. He was especially happy because of the tea-making kit before him. A small kettle, a few cubes of sugar, several Earl Grey tea bags from Twinings, London, and plenty of sachets of powdered milk, which he approved of, even though they too, like the vase, had probably come here long after his fathers misfortunes, were all present in the compact little tray.

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And none of that masala nonsense. No elaichi, adrak, or any of the other strange spices the roadside riff-raff seemed to insist on putting in their tea. The horror. That was not tea. That drink was coarse, mud-coloured, and cheap. He knew tea. Water was to be boiled and the tea bag placed, but not shaken, in it for a minute and a half. It was as simple as that. The most unorthodox thing he would allow to be done with his tea was the addition of a few drops of lemon, and that was all. You see Sir? Hes back again Roy turned. He had not heard the door open. At the entrance stood a young man in a apron, whom he had grown to dislike over the last few weeks, and another, older man, familiar, smartly dressed, upright, and wearing a tag on his chest that said Manager. Roy barely noticed either of them. He was busy grimacing at the metal plaque that he could now see had been attached to his front door. VILLA SUITE. Sir, the older man said after the young attendant had left them alone, Im going to have to ask you to leave. Roy turned to look back at his beloved kit. I do not wish to be spoken to right now. he said, And this is my grandfathers room, I will come and go as I please, thank you very much. The manager sighed, and dropped his formal tone, Roy. Come now. You know you cant stay here. Go home. You cant keep coming back here. Roy heard him but didnt say anything. He clenched his jaw, and stared down at his bare feet resting on the richly carpeted floor beneath the desk. For the first time since he had broken in, he realized he was dressed in rags; worn versions of clothes that had once appeared Sir, Im going quite fine. He wore no wristwatch, as that too he had had to sell, as his to have to ask father had once this house. you to leave... His fathers old manservant looked at him sympathetically, and said, Ive got guests on the way here now. Finish your drink son. But I want you to leave after that, alright? He had turned and was about to shut the door again when Roy spoke again.

I had no part in his gambling! It was just as much your fault as it is mine! Why am I being punished? Why was I robbed of what should have been mine?? Roy turned around again without waiting for an answer. He could be forced out of the property, this he knew and accepted. But he would not bear people looking at him with pity in their eyes. There was a long pause, and the door closed behind him. *** Has he gone? the manager asked the attendant half an hour later. Yes, hes gone. But hes probably- Yes I know. Have the kit refilled before our guests arrive. Refilled? You dont think hes taken the entire tray with him? Oh no. The tray, the kettle, and the cup. Anything with our name and seal on it is still in that room waiting for us.

The Cute Smile Which Says It All

~ Amit Raj

Friends and sports were the two things which brought me a smile Until I saw a sweet smiling face the whose beauty made me beguile Soon I found no joy in Nadals thunderous & scintillating forehand And so the tennis court seemed to be an unknown stretch of land. Never in my life had I been ever humbled my someones simplicity I just wish and pray that some magic brought me in her proximity Every time I feel like talking to her, I get nervous & run out of words Or its just that none from the dictionary could describe beauty of hers. I still remember the days when I was crazy about Ronaldos freekick Dunno why but now the sixty-yard football ground makes me sick Not sure why this feeling and me being so much attracted to her But would definitely love to have someone special as graceful as her No idea what she thinks of me or whether she even knows me at all But I can say that my liking for her would never come to a windfall. She comes from a different world and perhaps is just opposite of me However experiences suggest future is something none can foresee. No one is important for me & no urgent work would take my time Until and unless the reason behind her smile can be called mine. I dont promise I would bring her bright stars and elegant moon Just the care ensuring all the happiness comes to her very soon.

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#16
~Harman Singh

Ive asked my mum, and she says I mustve been around 7 or 8 when it started. I was sitting on the floor of Mrs. Malhotras flat where she took her weekly art class, a phase of my life featured prominently whenever I made my mental phases-I-wish-Iremembered-more-of list. I had just finished painting my last drawing, a castle of some sort, and was waiting for my next assignment, when the boy seated to my left, my best friend of 3 years, Aditya thought aloud, We should do a Tintin picture. Admittedly, I had read Tintin comics before this. My mother had brought home my first one as soon as shed heard Veena Aunty was opening a library less than two hundred metres away from my building. Id read it, and Id enjoyed it, and because back then Adi and I shared everything, including books and opinions, hed enjoyed it too. But we werent crazy. Oh no, we got crazy after we started drawing. Suddenly, it was absolutely necessary that we get our hands on every Tintin comic we possibly could. Veena Auntys library was quickly exhausted and we began looking for other ones. I remember begging my mum to drive over to a new library wed heard had opened near a friends house and rushing in only to head straight for the pile of Tintins. There was an extremely satisfying feeling wed get just by turning a Tintin book over in our hands, looking through a list of the entire series and counting how many we had left. The list itself would vary, depending on how old the edition in our hands was. This meant some titles would appear and disappear randomly, leading us to figure out that some titles were simply a bit too rare to find in any random library. I couldnt explain to you what we saw in those books. Quite frankly, they were nothing special. Certainly not the sort that can make you laugh out loud, but I suppose back then when we were kids we did find it amusing to read about what sort of trouble the young reporter and his foul-mouthed friend Captain Haddock had gotten themselves in to. Later though, when these comics just stopped seeming all that funny, I can only say they had started to mean more to us than books do. They had just become something

Tintin in the Congo, that last title still remains

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Years went by and we never got tired of driving to new bookstores. The 21 covers that featured consistently on the back of every Tintin and the 1 based on the movie were now old bait. We were after rarer books now. Tintin and the Land of Soviets was the very first one, so old its artwork looked alien. Tintin in the Congo was so unspeakably rare in Pune, nobody even seemed to have heard of it. And Tintin and the Alph-Art was the last, the incomplete one, the one author Herge had passed away before finishing. Imagine our feeling of anguish when we spotted the latter for the first time in a Crosswords store, but realized that at 650 rupees for a hardbound copy there was no way our mothers would agree to buying it for us. For a long time, that was how we left it. 3 books to go. 3 more till the finish. Recently the interest in Tintin comics has picked up once again. Ever since Steven Spielberg announced he was working with Peter Jackson to produce the ultimate movie adaptations of The Adventures of Tintin wherein he would use motion-capture technology to create a happy medium between the animated cartoons we saw on Cartoon Network and the 1970s live-action French movies starring Jean-Pierre Talbot, Ive been scanning the net for all the news I can find about the planned films. Having seen the trailers, Im embarrassed to say they still look like ordinary cartoons to me, but nevertheless Im happy this is happening. A few months ago, I noticed both the Soviet book as well as the Alph-Art in Landmark Bookstore, Pune, and realised these books werent considered rare any more. It had been years since my last Tintin experience, and I took my chance. I bought the former and gifted it to Adi for his birthday, knowing hed only give it to me for a read once hes done. I then sat down and spent an hour in Landmark, and finished Tintin and the Alph-Art. There. 1 more to go. Tintin in the Congo, that last title still remains. That single book whose cover youll never find on the back of any other Tintin still continues to elude me. Its on my Bucket List you know? I have a rather nice list of things Id like to do before I die. Reading all 25 books from the Tintin series is entry #16. As I said earlier, these books are hardly considered rare any more. Just google the title and youll find links to a Flipkart page offering to sell you this book for as little as 500 rupees, far less than Id be willing to pay for a book Ive been chasing my entire childhood. But I can never bring myself to order it online. Somehow, that, for me, just defeats the purpose of putting that entry into my List in the first place.

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TOUCHSTONE

I wait for that feeling that ordering a book on the net can never get me...

The objective, you see, wasnt to read the books themselves. Tintin is not great literature. Hell, its not even that funny. When my mother brought home my first Tintin, her intention wasnt to make me a fanatic. It was simply to get me to love my first book. It was to get me to visit more bookstores. It was to make me actually WANT to visit libraries. And by God, it worked brilliantly. I therefore wait patiently, for the day I walk into a bookstore and spot a cover Ive been looking for for over a decade now. I wait for that rush. I wait for that feeling that ordering a book on the net can never get me. Till then, as the rest of the world clamours after the upcoming flick Spielbergs got them all so excited about, I continue with my usual routine. Heard of a new bookstore? Allow me to visit it. In between my usual tours through the Christies and the Archers and other gifts my mother gave me, Ill take time to take a look at the comic section. Who knows? Maybe Ill be sending Adi a courier soon.

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Drowning
~Aannesha Satpati I dont feel anything anymore
Gone is the defending encore Of emotions, vast void fills Me, wake up maybe someday I will All have ceased to exist long before Nobody matters anymore Please take me away to infinity I need to maintain my sanity I stumble into darkness Grasping nothing but sadness I am waiting for the light Yes till the end I will fight.

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TOUCHSTONE

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TOUCHSTONE

This story can fit 150-200 words. One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports. While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers. A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is
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To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.

to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product. You can also research articles or find filler articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short. Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when youre fin-

ished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

This story can fit 100-150 words. The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field. You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients. If the newsletter is distribInside Story Headline

uted internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing. Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or ven-

dors.

This story can fit 75-125 words. Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter. Caption describing picture or graphic. Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message youre trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of

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Page 33
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This story can fit 150-200 words. One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports. While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers. A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is
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to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product. You can also research articles or find filler articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short. Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when youre fin-

ished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.

This story can fit 100-150 words. The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field. You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients. If the newsletter is distribInside Story Headline

uted internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing. Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or ven-

dors.

This story can fit 75-125 words. Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter. Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message youre trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of

context. Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols. Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near

the image.

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Page 34

TOUCHSTONE

Review
Kane and Abel ~Meera Haridas

Kane and Abel is one of the most entertaining books ever written by Jeffrey Archer. It tells the stories of two men born worlds apart. They have nothing in common except their birthdate and zeal to succeed in life. The story begins with a poor Polish trapper finding a newborn boy in the forest. He brings him home, names him Wladek Koskiewicz and raises him like his own son. When he grows up, he is found to have exceptional intelligence. Hearing about him, Baron Rosnovski invites him to stay in his castle so that his son Leon has a companion and healthy competition. Wladek agrees and shifts to the castle. At the same time, William Kane is born to a respected and wealthy family in Boston. He loses his father at a young age to the Titanic disaster. William moves forward in life and graduates from Harvard. He follows the steps of his father, Richard Kane to become a successful banker. Around this time, World War I breaks out. The Germans invade Poland and capture the Baron and others. They are held captive for over a year. Before dying, the Baron bequeaths all his wealth to Wladek. After a year, he is shifted to a camp in Siberia. With the help of a doctor there, he escapes and reaches Turkey. With the help of the Polish Consulate, he reaches America where he takes

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and builds up a successful hotel chain. Abel is able to become a highly successful business man due to a financial benefactor who insists on keeping his identity secret. That's the point where the lives of the two protagonists are no longer parallel and, based on a simple misunderstanding rooted in male pride, Kane and Abel turn slowly but surely destroy each other. By collaborating with Henry Osborne, Williams stepfather, Abel plans to ruin Kane and his bank. Abel has a daughter, named Florentyna while Kane has a son, Richard. Florentyna Rosnovski and Richard Kane happen to meet and fall in love without knowing about the rivalry between their fathers. They defy their parents, hang on to their love, independence, and business savvy. Finally, Abel manages to obtain enough shares of the bank and ousts Kane from power. Kane decides to forgive his son and daughter-in-law and expresses his wish to meet them. He dies before he is able to see them. Abel then comes to know that his backer was William Kane. Filled with remorse, he reconciles with his daughter and son -in-law. Abel dies soon after. Kane and Abel isnt a rags to riches story. Both the rich and poor characters are intelligent, hardworking and likeable. They are faced with varying levels of adversity and setbacks as they strive to become successful in their own levels. It takes nearly half the book to discover the connection between their two lives. We see the terrible cost financially and emotionally that each man pays as they refuse to budge on their positions, and the impact this has on themselves and their families. By the end, the book leaves the readers with a few messages. Most importantly, hatred can kill. It can kill the spirit you once so proudly had. It can kill the love you had for others. It can kill the love that others had for you. Feuding for a lifetime can leave some bitter memories and even some regrets.

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TOUCHSTONE

Review
Revolution 2020

I suppose the primary challenge of picking up a Chetan Bhagat book to review is the process of ignoring that section of your mind that screams "This isn't LITERATURE" and persuading it to believe that literature isn't what you came here looking for in the first place. Admittedly, it would be quite foolish to work your way through such a book, looking for examples of clever wordplay and witty dialogue between its characters. Revolution 2020 has no brilliant language in it. But then again, it never pretends to be anything more than itself. And that works in its favour. Revolution 2020 is the story of Gopal, a Varanasi local, and his constantly mutating relationships with his old best friend, Raghav, and the girl of his dreams, Aarti, as he works hard to scrape by life somehow, eventually giving in to the temptations that a corruption laden lifestyle has to offer. Within the first few chapters, what quickly became clear to me was that Bhagat hasnt really bothered with making his protagonist likeable, but instead makes do by constantly bombarding him with all sorts of problems and miseries. At half-way through the book, you can't help but feel for Gopal, and even nod understandingly at his usually questionable actions throughout the book. Raghav's character is supposed to be one that has a sense of social responsibility. While we are never given a direct look into his thoughts, we do get a lot of side-y looks, such as when he shows up on a television channel and gives us a taste of his idealistic views. I was disappointed by those pieces though. I understand Chetan Bhagat to be a rather impressive public speaker, especially when it comes to topics such as youth empowerment and similar. If that's true, this was a letdown. None of Raghav's speeches inspired me in the least. Too fake. All in all, I found Revolution 2020 a thoroughly read-able book; one you can get through quickly and without much brain damage. And that means a lot coming from someone who hated One Night @ A Call Centre as much as I did, title et al. I say you give it a read,

~Harman Singh

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, simply because everyone you know will. It's light, and even good if you liked any of his previous works. I feel I should mention though, the ending was rather rushed. Somehow I've always found endings like that rather annoying. It's like eating dessert that leaves a bad taste in your mouth afterwards. If you can, finish it at night. That way you don't have to carry the taste around all day.

TOUCHSTONE, JANUARY 2012