Saturday 31 January 2015

Of PimPLUS And Pure Neem!

All Hail Thy Majesty...

All Hail Thy Majesty...

All Hail Thy Majesty...


~~~

Such zealous chants filled the air.

Such spirited chants were being spoken by His subjects.

Such dynamism echoed around.

Such exuberance for their Royalty, brimmed their hearts.

~~~

The occasion?

An Anniversary.

Yes.

~~~

The point of celebration was the fact that they had completed an entire fortnight, inhabiting their new township! :)

Their community was unique.

Theirs was a community, which was fast disappearing.

Theirs was a community which was under constant attack.

Someone or the other would attack them within weeks.

Hence, they had to keep relocating.

~~~

Having survived for a fortnight in their town meant that they had successfully outdone their previous record.

They had survived a good two weeks opposed to just one, in the past.

It was celebration time for sure!

~~~

But, they had to be cautious as well.

For, they couldn't be too sure of having won over their enemies!

~~~

So brave were His subjects, that they offered to lay down their lives to protect their Majesty, lest any calamity befell their township!

~~~

They were dressed to look their best.

The township had been decked up.

Everything was set.

All potential loopholes had been taken care of, by the King's ministers.

Except for one.

They couldn't have battled one aspect, under any circumstance.

What?

~~~

The Weather Gods, of course.

It was cruel of the weather gods to send their cloudy gloom to loom over the joyous celebration.

Very cruel!

A grey hue thus, overshadowed them.


Perplexed, they decided to run for cover.

But in vain.

~~~

It was too late before they realized.

The weather had worsened for their township, indeed.

But, they had failed to visualize the bigger picture.

~~~

The weather gods were not at fault.

Somebody else was.

Mr. Pure Neem...



It introduced itself thus...

नाम...

Pure Neem...

Pure Active Neem...

नाम  तो सुना ही होगा?

~~~

पिता का नाम...

Garnier...

~~~

They were terrified.

They had been attacked once again!

This time, by an enemy, they had been unknown to!

Now was not the time to flee.

They did not have the time to defend themselves either.

They felt trapped.

हमें चारों तरफ से घेर लिए गया है!

They felt that now was the time, when they had a chance, to sacrifice their lives, in order to protect their Emperor's.

हमें राजा साहब की जान बचानी होगी...

किसी भी कीमत पर!

They had to be quick though.

For, Mr. Pure Neem was well - equipped and quicker.

 यहाँ से बचकर कहाँ जाओगे, बाबुमोशाय?

तुम सब अब मेरी गिरफ्त में हो!


It had begun ambushing them already!

Some of them had been trapped.

Others found it suitable to flee to their King.

हमें राजा साहब को बताना होगा कि  हम सब पर हमला हुआ है!

~~~



No sooner had they informed their King, that Mr. Pure Neem stepped into the picture.

बड़े - बड़े शहरों में ऐसी छोटी - छोटी बातें होती रहती हैं!

They stood bewildered.

They were set, to be doomed!

~~~

Once they had sensed that Neem had steeped in, the Ministers promptly flocked around their Emperor...


Turns out, King PimPLUS had underestimated Mr. Pure Neem.

Opposed to Pure Neem's Tea Tree Oil and Neem Leaf Extract, the Emperor's safety shield was ineffective.

The King's Ministers lost themselves to the power of Pure Neem.

His subjects believed that Pure Neem was an unknown enemy.

He instead, knew Pure Neem very well!

It was because he had been fleeing from Neem all this while.

~~~

Now was the time for SHOWDOWN indeed!

For, the scene was much like this...

क्यों? 

स्वागत नहीं करोगे आप हमारा? :D

Truly दबंग Style!


~~~

Emperor PimPLUS had been gifted the throne because it was the largest among their township, at the time they had relocated recently.

Also, PLUS, apart from denoting its size, also denoted its strength and its stubbornness.

PimPLUS was stubborn.

Also, it was as immovable as a rock.

पत्थर की लकीर नहीं...

PimPLUS पूरा का पूरा पत्थर ही था!

~~~

It had escaped and hid itself here as the emperor, along with his subjects, in their township.

It took a good two weeks for Pure Neem to pinpoint their location!

Now was the chance for Pure Neem to teach PimPLUS a lesson!

उसे आज सबक सिखाना ही पड़ेगा!

~~~

Pure Neem put in all its power to clear PimPLUS out of its way.

The Emperor was no longer an emperor.

He was a lone entity, at once.

And that lone entity was now finding it difficult to retain his composure.

For, Neem had attacked at the base of his throne, which was no more than a mere seat, now.

It begun by dissolving his throne of dirt, cleansing the oil filled pores, and clearing the mark of his existence, thus hollowing PimPLUS's existence at once.

Neem's power had overwhelmed the so-called monarchy's hollow pride.

Gradually...

PimPLUS का नामो - निशाँ ही मिटा दिया, Garnier Pure Active Neem ने! :D



~~~

नाम याद रखना...

Neem...

Active Neem...

~~~

I Am...

Pure Active Neem...

~~~

Yours Truly...

From...

Garnier India Have Their Pure Active Range... 
All Set, 'Neem Face Wash' To Bring Change... 
Reaching In Time, Battling The Tiny Red Dots... 
Nullifying Oily Zits, Redness, Irritable Spots... 
Instilling Back, The Self-Confidence, Not Pity... 
Eluding Pimples, Go Rest, Neem Is In This City! 
Reconstructing That Unblemished ME, It Is Neem! 

~~~

If you have not guessed already, King PimPLUS's township was my skin, once upon a time.

Also, Garnier Pure Acive Neem acted as the ultimate savior for this damsel in distress, Yours Truly. :)


~~~

P.S. : All images and graphics are the blog's copyright and have been created exclusively for this blog-post.


This post is a part of Garnier Pure Active Neem Contest by Garnier in association with IndiBlogger.
You can vote for it here.

Saturday 24 January 2015

#GoSleek With ASUS India!

Being a working woman, choosing my gadgets carefully, becomes a necessity.

For if I have to stay connected on the go, I can rely on nothing, but the best.

And, gadgets are integral to the Blogger's existence.

For, a blogger must be connected, to the social media, and to her circles, wherever she goes.

You might have to live-tweet, or even live-blog!

You never know...

~~~

It's best to be prepared for whatever opportunity strikes.

For, if you grab it when the time remains, you are sure to strike gold.

~~~

I must say, ASUS as a brand, has emerged as one of my favorites.

I recently switched to the Zen Phone, and I'm in love with the seemingly infinite, features that it has, to offer.

I've also been looking for a change-over for my Desktop, too.

~~~

I believe, this time around too, I'll be falling back to ASUS as my safety cushion of sorts.

I've been eyeing their All In One PC for quite some time now.


~~~

First, it has the latest Windows OS, as opposed to my Desktop's somewhat obsolete OS.

Second, it has an inbuilt UPS, to prevent data loss for an entire hour.

Third, it is incredibly fast and responsive.

For a lady on the go, who complains of the paucity of time, for the tasks that flood her 'To Do' list, this feature comes as a breath of fresh air.

When it comes with Intel Inside, there is no point of question.

The device makes a statement, and a very bold statement at that.

Fluidity, smoothness, speed, all coupled with accuracy!

What more could I ask for?

Portability is a HUGE plus point.

So is the fact that this device boasts of the ability to stay perpetually connected!

ASUS's All In One PC ET2040 is my dream gadget! :D

~~~


The Innovative Gesture Control comes as a pleasant surprise.

It is a utility for the times when I feel lazy to reach out to the mouse or the keyboard.

अपना हाथ. जगन्नाथ!

In every sense of the phrase, people! :)

~~~


It offers me, the desired connectivity, even on the go.

Its USB 3.0 is ultra-fast and offers smart charging...

They say it will also be compatible with all my existent USB 2.0 devices, too...

~~~

It also has a built in HDMI - out port, which reinstates the belief that I can, with ease and comfort, connect it to my LCD TV, to edit all my excel sheets, with tons of names and marks filled into them.

Do I hear them saying this?

...We will free you from those tiring, night-long sessions, when you had to stare at those dimly lit screens, for hours at a stretch...

The Head Examiner in me - you're free to rejoice, Lady!

Not only does the ET2040 facilitate comfort while I am at work, but it also ensures that I can maximize the level of entertainment at home, when I'm in a mood to relax.

I can connect this PC to my television.

This also means that I can attach it to my home-theater system for movies on my device, which I wish to watch on my TV instead!

~~~

In my humble opinion, ASUS has impressed me once again.

Their All In One PC ET2040 is a work and home integrating device.

It is a family's PC indeed! :)

~~~

As for ASUS's other creation, the EeeBook X205TA...

I would probably gift it to my daughter, as it is a complete student's package in itself.

It is compact and lightweight and comes bundled with MS Office 365, which is perfect for her, as college student, for all her assignments.

As far as my choice for home and for replacing my Desktop goes, I'll be happy with the ET2040. :)

~~~

P.S. : All images have been taken from the ET2040 product page, on Amazon.

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #GoSleek in association with ASUS India and IndiBlogger. Linking it with their two, most stylish and powerful products - ASUS EeeBook X205TA and ASUS All In One PC ET2040

Short Story: #CupidGames With Aman & Sneha...

It was a cold and foggy Saturday morning in the month of February. 

Valentine's Day.

Delhi.

Sneha had just woken up from deep slumber.

At 09:00 AM, that is.

She had slept late the last night, owing to the midnight 'Barbecue 'n' Bonfire' at home, that had lasted well into the middle of night.

She had hit the sack at four. 

Five hours of sleep?

~~~

"That just wouldn't do!

Mom, I told you to wake me up at eleven, didn't I?

I require at least eight hours of beauty sleep!"

 Sneha, said stepping out of the shower.

~~~

Sneha's mother, stepped into her room, with a glass of warm milk in hand.

Sneha was well into her mid - twenties, but couldn't tolerate either tea or coffee.

She liked her good old milk, the best...

Had Mom not reminded her the reason for waking her up early, she would have missed her show!

~~~

Oh!

Did I tell you?

Sneha worked as a Radio Jockey for one of the leading radio stations in the city. 

So, since she was an RJ, Saturday and Sunday were also working days. 

But, music was her passion. 

So, she didn't mind going to work on what the world called as 'weekends'.

~~~

And, it was her daily routine to freshen up and have her milk, immediately after.

She used to read the news, pick up her smartphone and earphones, and with her handbag in tow, she used to step out of the house.

She left home at 11:00 AM, that day.

Sneha's show aired from noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

She used to air soft, romantic melodies.

~~~

Since Valentine's was around the corner, she decided to turn her show into a request show, for the entire week before Cupid's Day.

Coincidence or not, February 14, 2015 was to be a Saturday! :)

The plan was to let the listeners tune in and call Sneha, to dedicate a song to their loved one, and then propose to them, ON AIR! :)

~~~

Today was going to be one blast of a day, for Sneha.

She had to be on toes, literally.

For the lines wouldn't stop ringing!

~~~

But, Sneha knew how to multitask.

With perfection at that!

~~~

What she knew not, was that a surprise caller was waiting for her to receive the call.

Hello...

Hello. 
Thanks for calling in.
May I know your name?

My name is Mr. A.

For a moment, Sneha froze.

Mr. A was how she liked to address her boyfriend, Aman!

Nevertheless, she spoke...

Yes, Mr. A.
To whom would you like to dedicate your special song?

Ms. S.

Sneha froze again...

Mr. A and Ms. S were their personal salutations!

Now, Sneha was sure Aman was playing #CupidGames with her...

And which song would you like to dedicate to Ms. S?

Tu Hai Ki Nahi...

From Roy!


That was a mutual favorite, that song!

Sneha couldn't contain herself, any more.

And, what special message do you have for Sneha?

Do you think she will agree?

You could give it a try, Aman...

He popped the question, straightaway...

Will you marry me, RJ Sneha Kapoor?

Yes, Wing Commander, Aman Singh.

~~~

Aman was a Wing Commander, for the Indian Air Force. 

He had stepped boldly on to a public platform, to confess his love for his lady-love!

That was one of his small #CupidGames, which drew them closer...

Close Up together...

Aman And Sneha... :)

~~~

Closeup cover

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #CupidGames in association with Close Up India and IndiBlogger.

Friday 23 January 2015

Tata? Here Comes BOLT!

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

~~~

The following conversation had been overhead outside a Tata Motors showroom in New Delhi.

We have these two mean machines from under Tata's belt featured in this dialogue, which proceeded as under.

Dated 17 January 2015.

~~~

Hey Vista! Howdy Mate?

Hi Zest! I'm good. How about you?

I'm good too, and I've brought some hot news...

Oh! Is it something I'm unknown to?
Tell me more...

We're going to welcome a new member into our family very soon.

Wait. Is it about _ _ _ _?

Do you know about it too?

Well, how could you think I, The Vista wouldn't know about it?

Does it...

Start with a B and end with a T?

No, it doesn't...

Then what does?

It goes much beyond its B's and T's...
Much, MUCH Beyond...

Oh, C'mon!
We are the stalwarts of the family. 
It must prove its mettle to us, first.

~~~

Cut-scene to a certain flashy mall in West Delhi.

Pacific Mall, Subhash Nagar.

Dated 18 January 2015.

We hear this catchy tune, playing all along.

They were addressing it as their 'Ringtone'.

We also hear a distant voice bossing over how the atrium of the mall had to be setup for the day.

~~~

We'd be having a center-stage setting, here, today.

The podium to the left side corner, the photo-op to the right side, and the main attraction, of the day, bang in the middle.

I need the LCD screens to be wall-mounted and be playing our deliverable, on LOOP.

And, And, AND...

I need a good number of representatives to BOLT around the atrium.

And I need them to be on their toes...

~~~


The atrium of the mall, thus sprung into activity at the break of dawn.

For, it had to be a nine-to-nine job!

And, it deserved not to be taken lightly.

Not at any cost.

~~~

Ladies & Gentlemen...

Presenting To You...

The One And Only...

I. Me. Myself.

Rendered In Red.

Striking Red.

Stop-Sign Red.

~~~

Stop-Sign Red?!

My Red is the stop-sign for all other automobile giants and their so-called 'Finer Than The Finest' state-of-art machines.

For when I arrive, I am going to re-define the universal perception of state-of-art.

So, me and my mates, rule over the wheel!


Show-stopper Smile?

Killer Smile?

Or, Evil Grin...

For my competitors? ;)

~~~

I Am...

The...


I am a Premium Hatchback which has stepped into the market, to pose fierce competition for cars of the likes of a certain Swift and an i20.

~~~

I heard that my family members, were eagerly waiting for me to prove my mettle.

Before we move on to it, I'm sure you must be waiting to admire me in  my splendor.


Looking Cool?

Good To Go...

Let's GET. SET. BOLT!

~~~


I have FIVE features, which set me a notch higher than my predecessors.

Also, I am a step ahead of my contemporaries.

Incidentally, there is a lady going by the name of Mrs. Poonam, who will be gracing the dais alongside Yours Truly.

She has made a statement.

She wants to blog about me!

~~~

Can you believe it?

Even before I'm launched, my popularity is soaring across skies! :D

So, I decided to pay her a visit.

At a mall near her.

~~~

She might arrive any moment...

I've to get my feature-checklist ready.

Please excuse me, for a few minutes.

~~~

Featuring...

Unmatched Performance

Bolt Ahead With An Incredible Power...
Outdistance Others, With 1.2, Revotron!
Lure Them Away With A Multi - Drive...
Turn In On Sport, Eco, Or City - Go On!

CHECK!




A short video clip, showing my tryst with Mr. Narain Kartikeyan at the Tata Motors Research Center, when my Revotron engine was in its developing stages.

You, Revotron, have added the feather of impeccable performance, to my cap. :)

Thanks for bringing about a REVOlution and TRON (Balance) in my life...

~~~

Featuring...

Unparalleled Design

Basking In Those Glories - A Smart & Sleek Design...
Ornamenting Myself With An Impressionistic Smile...
Leveraging Those Radial Alloy Wheels, To Go Miles...
Tempting Stylish Divas, With The Flamed Lamp Line...

CHECK!


I boast of Striking, Sporty Exteriors, as I mirror the vibrancy and energy of today's youth.
You'll find my Dynamic Design, balancing my Fantastic Features.

Always.

BOLT Promise. :)

~~~

Featuring...

Unrivaled Connectivity

Balanced Perspective Is What They Receive...
Orienting My Infotainment System, Superior...
Layering Utility With Voice Command, Believe...
Tune In With Harman's ConnectNext, Clearer...

CHECK!

I assist you as your Personal Navigator, and also aid you with Read-outs on the wheel.

So, you don't worry, Miss.

BOLT, at your command! :)


~~~

Featuring...

Unbeaten Comfort

Beating All Competition Out Of All Of Them...
Ousting Them ePAS, Power Assisted Steering!
Lean Away, With Ample Space, Comfort, Ahem!
Think Of First-In-Class Touchscreen Controlling...

CHECK!

You just have to experience my thrill, to believe it, first - hand! :)



~~~

Featuring...

Unsurpassed Safety

Belittling The Safety Of All The Existent Machines...
Outscoring Them With My Front-Rear Defogger Lines...
Leaping With An Inbuilt Tyre Pressure Sensor Console!
Translating To The Safest Dual Front Airbags My Soul!

CHECK!


A short video clip, showing my unsurpassed safety standards.

The orange lines on my rear, form for the defogger.

The square - shaped console is my Tyre Pressure Sensor.

The panel on the door houses an auto - lock, and a speed sensing one, at that!

The steering wheel sports a phrase AIRBAG, in order to prevent accidents.

~~~

Oh My God!

She's finally here...

Leave space, people!

I am about to get interviewed! ^_^

~~~



So, that's how she first glanced at me.

And, let me pinch myself...

For, I was floored by her grace, at once! :)

They say, first impression is the last impression.

Did MY impression, impress the lady in black?

I am sure it did.

How am I SO sure?

Because...


She's all smiles, gracing my driver's seat, with my controls in her hand!

Well, if could have been a happier picture, had it not be the haphazard crowd, at that time.

I already told you...

Step Aside, People!

This is a better one.


And, this was her last glance, on our first meeting.

I hope it wasn't my last meeting with her, for sure.

Because, she was one lady who took interest, keenly listened to and jotted down my features.

Automobiles are said to be masculine domains...

Man and Machine, remember?

No!

For Poonam...

She was one alert lady!

And, let me tell you...

She is very well versed with her technicalities on this aspect.

I hope we meet again soon, Poonam! :D

Hopefully, with me gracing your abode...

~ Yours Lovingly
BOLT
From Tata Motors

~~~

She had stepped into the mall, that day, as a lady who loved her car.

She had come in with plans of disposing her automobile, at hand.

She had come in as a prospective client for the BOLT.

 And the BOLT had successfully established itself as an 'Above Par' hatchback, as per her checklist.

~~~


Cut-scene to the same Tata Motors showroom.

Once again...

We have these two mean machines from under Tata's belt featured in this dialogue, which proceeded as under.

Dated 22 January 2015.

The day BOLT was launched...

~~~

Hey Vista! Howdy Mate?

Hi Zest! I'm good. How about you?

I'm good too, and I've brought some even hotter news...

This has to be about BOLT!
After getting to know of all its superior features, I'm all ears.
Tell me more...

I too, am floored by The BOLT and its state-of-art specs, Vista.
IT IS HERE.

Wait. HERE?
You mean, in this showroom?

Yes, Vista!
Well, how do I not know about it?

I too, did not know about it, Mate.
I overheard some of the staff saying that it would be here, today...

Wait. I too have noticed.
There's something different today.

What?

There's this new space being setup, opposite our podiums.
I bet...

It is for...

*In Unison* 

BOLT! :D

~~~

BOLT has been launched at a starting price of 4.44 Lac, for the Petrol and 5.49 Lac for the Diesel variant, ex - showroom.

Launched in four sleek levels...

XE - The Entry Model

XM - The Medium Model

XMS - The Medium Safety Model, with enhanced safety features from the XM Model

XT - The Top Model, which has been illustrated.

~~~

So...

What are you waiting for?

Get. Set. BOLT to your nearest showroom...

Today! :D


~~~

P.S.: All image collages and video clips are the Blog's copyright, and have been created by the author, exclusively for this post.

This post is a part of the Get. Set. Bolt. activity at BlogAdda.

Thursday 22 January 2015

Littering, #TheGreatIndianLitterbug Way...

Namaskar... 

You're about to embark on an insightful journey. 

You'll be led into an amazing world. 

A Never-Seen-Before Spectacle.

~~~

Introducing You...

To A Land...

Named India...

Its Citizens...

Go By The Name Of...

Indians...

~~~

You could as well add a 'Proud' as an adjective.

Wait.

You could very aptly address them as 'Shamelessly Proud'... 

~~~

Seems like an oxymoron, does it?

It isn't.

It is an Irony, instead...

~~~

These Indians are a-one-of-a-kind 'species' in themselves!

For...

Their actions speak louder than their words.

But...

They do NOT practice what they preach.

~~~

On one hand. they go all emotional, about the cleanliness of their city, and their country even, for that matter.

 We have a 'Clean My City, Clean My India' type citizen on that front.

Hash-tag स्वच्छ भारत - मेरा भारत, anyone? :)

On the other, it is the same hand maneuvering through the 'Litter My City' Drive, quite effortlessly.

Hash-tag Like A Boss, anyone? :P

~~~

Indians are brand ambassadors in their own right.

They excel at not just one, but a flood of arts.

However, their perception of art is nowhere close to the universe's perception.

For them, art is of five primary colors, contrary to the world, which goes by three primary colors.

Certain terms, related to art, too stand redefined.

~~~

For the world, the colors are Red, Yellow, and Blue.

For Indians, they are:


  • Red, for the Paan-tastic Painters, who spit and spit with a 'free - flow'. White walls are their favorite canvases. However, any solid structure would do. These Painters put the  'लाल' in Lal Quila. Roads, walls, stairs, hunky-dory mate! :D  


  • White, for the Designer Defacers, who are artists, misled. In all seriousness and with due respect, we must request them to wield their 'creative chalks and painting knives' onto some material medium, like paper, or charcoal and not on to some heritage site's dilapidated walls.

    For, all of these sites, which have been robbed of their heritage, and bestowed upon with those pierced hearts, we bow down in reverence. For these Designers have coupled heritage with hearts. 


  • Grey, for the Contrasting Car-collage Makers, who love to contrast the grey and white layout of Indian roads, with their myriad-hued litter.

    Coming up - A packet of Lay's flying into your face. From - A car-collage maker near you. At - An open window near you.

    Seems funny? Not! 


  • Rainbow Stink, (a color as unique as the Litterbug) for the Garbage Graphics & Co. , who are brimming with artistic thoughts, opinions, and ideas, at all instants of time.

    To your left - A mount-hill of litter, and stench in the air.

    To your right - 'Historical Cans' - A container christened as a waste-basket / dustbin by the common folk. With all due respect, these bins gathered dust, being empty. These baskets? Their existence itself was a waste!

    For, Indians believe in doing ONLY what they are told NOT to. And, littering, ONLY where it is prohibited. :P 


  • Yellow, for the Street Sprayers. Isn't the color and the title self-explanatory? Go, where we may, all we will do is to spray! 

~~~

They're infamous, in the true sense of the word. 

Yet, they are #TheGreatIndianLitterbug! 

And, this is how #TheGreatIndianLitterbug pledges his loyalty to his nation... 


India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters. 
I love my country and I am proud of its rich and (de)valued heritage.

I shall always strive to be worthy of all my (infamous) titles
I shall give respect ONLY to myself and my deeds and greet everyone with a betel-stained grin.

To my country and my people, I pledge my (shameless) devotion
In their ill-being and disgusted looks, alone lies my gratification. 

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #TheGreatIndianLitterbug in association with Times Of India and IndiBlogger.

Saturday 17 January 2015

This Ariel Disagrees...


 ~~~


My First Win At BlogAdda.

Overwhelming. :)

 ~~~

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

~~~

Ariel 'n' Ariel Productions, in association with Disney Motion Pictures...

Proudly present...

'This Ariel  Disagrees...'

~~~

A feature film, bound to break a prevalent stereotype in the mindset of the present generation's quintessential Indian.

The classic from Disneyland is now coming to a theater near you, with an Indian time-stamp!

How?


~~~

That's the Little Mermaid, for you, with her comrades, Flounder and Sebastian.

We've moved on a little...

To this...

~~~

His Majesty, King Eric...

Her Majesty, Queen Ariel...

And, the prettiest...

Princess Melody...

~~~

We begin our story, from this point itself.

Our Little Mermaid Ariel, has now taken up the human form and embraced parenthood.

Moreover, she and Eric had now taken up the responsibility of a Kingdom.

They were now Queen and King! :)

~~~

As is a ritual in His Majesty's rule, both the King and Queen step among the common - folk for a day, once a month.

But, their common - folk are not the ones under the King's rule.

Their common - folk are the  Queen's marine citizens.

~~~

For that one day, the royalty trade their limbs for fins, in order to dive into the serene waters of Atlantica, to pay a visit to King Triton, who is the Sea King, and Queen Ariel's father.

Eagerly waiting for their arrival, are Flounder and Sebastian, too.

Every month, it is a routine, in Atlantica too, when all the subjects gather to celebrate that one day with their dear Ariel.

On the other hand, Princess Melody spends her day, in royal play.

~~~

The present day, for a change, was bound to be different!

King Triton rose up to land to see his daughter and son-in-law this time!

He traded his two finned feet for human limbs, instead, for a day...

However, Melody is unknown to her grandfather, till date, to protect her from evil eye.

~~~


~~~

He had a reason, a very important reason, to facilitate his visit.

Incidentally, King Eric's people were inhabiting the land, bordering the waters of the Sea City of Atlantica.

Since these waters bordered His Majesty's kingdom, they were the people's lifeline.

And more often than not, a lifeline has to bear the brunt of life's ill-mannered ways.

~~~

For, King Triton had to intervene and inform the royalty of what crime was being unknowingly committed, by the womenfolk of their kingdom.

The waters of the Underwater Kingdom, of the Sea King, were being polluted by their activities. These women preferred to do their laundry at the sea-shore!

Hence, sending down all the dirt from their dirty laundry to the clean, serene waters of Atlantica!

Sebastian had been vocal enough in informing King Triton, who had further been irked to inform Eric and Ariel.

Flounder too, had seen his 'school-mates' navigate through falling pieces of dirt.

Of course, pieces, as it seemed huge to Flounder and all his mates, when heading out as a school of fish.

Other marine creatures too, had complained of other rock - like obstructions in their paths.

King Triton, thus urged the royalty to probe into the episode...

~~~

Queen Ariel took the lead and planned ahead, to proceed to their town, disguised as common-folk.

Both King Eric and Queen Ariel behaved as if they were a new fisher-folk couple in town, the next day.


And, fisher-folk settle near the seashore, don't they?

Ariel went around familiarizing herself with the women, and Eric interacted with the men.

To their surprise, the men were busy with their nets and navigation, while women were busy with the washing and cleaning of laundry!

~~~

When Ariel interacted with the ladies, they were all frustrated of their male counterparts.

They felt the scales were unbalanced...

With their side weighing heavy on them...

~~~

Clearly the men of King Eric's kingdom felt that...

Laundry Was A Woman's Job!

~~~

The women of the kingdom had to take on the responsibility of selling the fish from their nets, at the market each day and retiring to look after their house by the night.

Thus they were juggling the finances and the well-being of the house too, doubling their effort!

And doing laundry was an important household chore, besides cleaning and cooking.

The men on the other hand, went to the waters to fish, the entire day, thus retiring tired and taking the excuse of relaxation by the night.

Even on days when the waters were rough, the men didn't volunteer to extend any helping hand!

They either slept through the day, or idled around, wasting themselves.

When Eric tried to inquire with the men, they dismissed it by putting it all on to their wives' shoulders.

Washing and cleaning is a woman's job after all, ain't it?

They have to do it, not us!

~~~


More than two - thirds  of Indian women feel there exists inequality at home, between men and women.

76% of Indian men feel laundry is a woman's job.

85% of working Indian working women feel they have two jobs - one at work and another at home.

77% of Indian men depend on women for doing the laundry.

~~~

Queen Ariel felt disgusted by her subjects' mindsets.

She heralded change by bringing in a new dictation.

First, a new system of effective laundry-waste disposal was set to be implemented over the coming months.

Queen Ariel sent for her engineers to devise such a system to be laid out across the town, in order to save Atlantica's waters from pollution, too.

A greater hazard was the rotting ideology of their people though.

It must not be the division of labor according to femininity or masculinity, but division of labor by ability, both King and Queen opined.

Volunteering towards tasks of feminine domain do not make men less masculine, or even vice-versa.

Both Ariel and Eric had never known of the pitiable state of inequality in this aspect, in their kingdom.

~~~

To rule out the concept of labels, division and prerogatives, Ariel laid down a new concept.

A concept Eric too, was in favor of. 

She as queen, rolled out a dictum stating 'Occupational Swap'...

For a good two weeks, the women would go fishing, while the men would go to the market and care for the laundry and other chores.

This would acquaint both the sides of the scale to their equality and a balance which needed to be kept, and not an unbalanced work-load.

~~~

Apparently, their kingdom modeled a nation named India...

And, Ariel and Eric aimed to break a stereotype.

~~~

Queen Ariel,  King Eric and 'Ariel 'n' Ariel Productions'...

In collaboration with Disney India! :D

~~~

Because, she disagreed...

#IsLaundryOnlyAWomansJob?

This...

Abiding around for those seven days, for two weeks...
Reasoning with that varied ability, swapping around...
Imitating what the spouse does, in alternation, seeks...
Echoing to us that nuances of the other's work, bound...
Looking to both sides of a fair coin, which surely speaks...

~~~

I am writing for #IsLaundryOnlyAWomansJob Activity at BlogAdda.com in association with Ariel.


Friday 9 January 2015

Je Suis Charlie...


~~~

It is an age - old adage, and a well proclaimed one, at that.

'The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword'

Let us rephrase that to...

'The Brush Is Mightier Than The Firearms'


The tipping of scales, is very much evident!


~~~

Of course, it is the attack on Charlie Hebdo, which has shook the face of humanity, yet again.

Charlie Brown, dismayed.
Symbolic of a baffled Charlie Hebdo.

It is a middle finger to the face of the world.

By them.

Boldly.

Unashamed of all their barbaric deeds.

~~~

A bigger middle finger is being shown by the world, too.

In response to these spineless and aimless beings on the face of this earth.

Those who embrace terrorism in the name of a baseless and equally spineless concept of Jihad.

I call them Beings.

Calling them Human Beings, would be outright wrong!

For they've  defied the concept of Humanity, completely!

~~~

Human beings are people with a mind, a heart, and a soul.

These beings are devoid of all three.

Mindlessly committing themselves to blindly executing cold-blooded murders.

Heartlessly, proudly and avowedly proclaiming to the world, their heinous acts.

Soullessly, going on and on, to commit such crimes, each ghastlier and remorseless than its immediate predecessor, more often than not.

~~~

I fail to understand the driving force behind these killings.

I also fail to understand what instigates them, in the first place.

~~~

Particularly for Charlie Hebdo...

When did Humor, become a risky profession, in all seriousness?

The World Has Become So Serious That Humor Is A Risky Profession.

~~~

On second thought, the brush is indeed mightier than the firearms.

For a palette and a brush indeed threatened their very ideology.


~~~

But they forgot what was elementary...

For one finger that you point at the other person, four of those point at you too.


For one man's ink, that you draw out of his existence, an ocean of ink stands angered, to drown you, in its tsunami.

For yesterday, they were whole.

For today, you broke them.

For tomorrow, they'll rise from their ashes.

Unharmed.

And, twice as powerful.

~~~


For this is how, your bullets stand a waste.

Your acts have stirred a silent, peaceful stream.

You have created myriad ripples, which won't rest until the impact reaches the masses.


~~~

This is what you never anticipated.

This is one crime you'll regret committing.

~~~

For art, cannot be killed.

Art cannot be muted.

This ink will never run dry.

~~~


~~~

In a world which boasts of the right to freedom of speech, all such attempts to curb this freedom, will stir up a quake of activity.

All such attempts, may in all probability, prove to be futile.

~~~

It is this diabolical attitude that needs to be laid to rest.

And not some honest expression of opinions.

A thought that rings true...

'He doesn't wish to be avenged!'


~~~

Here's something to silence those arms and ammunition.

Grab Your Weapons, Mates!

There lies the power, in a unique point of view, towards all such happenings...

For this is how the masses can retaliate too...


~~~

It is the need of the hour to sensitize ourselves towards the vital concept of World Peace.

We must familiarize ourselves with the ideology behind Harmony, and not Hypocrisy.

Je Suis...

Charlie Hebdo, Satirical Weekly, Attacked in Paris...
Headlines Stared Us In Our Face, Piercing Through...
Acts Committed Avowedly, Without A Strong Basis!
Resonating Ambush Onto Free Speech - Out Of Blue!
Liveliness Rising  Like The Phoenix, Truly Invincible...
Imbibing - We Must 'Never Say Die', You Criminal...
Expression Wins Over Hatred Oh! Je Suis Charlie...

~~~

P.S. : All images in this post have been credited to the folks at ScoopWhoop.

P.P.S : This blog-post should not be treated as a blatant attack of words, on the perpetrators of this crime.

It is an expression of opinion toward the sorry state of affairs, our present world is entrapped in.