The Sunset

Snapping at my heels, the sea closes in with every wave,
From the horrors of the day, to give me the relief that I crave.

Only its unending stillness can deliver me from the torture
Of watching the barbaric crimes of the very beings I nurture.


On the horizon smiles the rising moon showing no hint of fright,
Oblivious to the vile acts he will witness in the absence of my light.

Uncovering their hidden crimes as I once again begin my day,
The will stand remorseless, conjuring the audacity to pray.

Despite the memory of a million such days, I will rise again,
Believing in a new dawn and hoping that all is not in vain.

The Confidant

            1..2..3……A poker face hides all evidence, but the eyes fixated on the dial of the elevator expose the churn occurring within. Arriving at the reception, fingers fidget around restlessly with the pen, slightly irritated that the mundanity of the attendance routine cannot be excused on such occasions. Moving towards the workplace, the charade of normalcy is betrayed only by the urgency of the step moving half a yard quicker than it usually does. Passing through the maze of cubicles, the entire spectrum of office characters are encountered. The office peon, the nosy colleague, the gossip queen, the reclusive genius, the professional leech, the wannabe Casanova, the office crush and the best friend are all met with the customary smile. Something needs to be shared but none of them can know yet. The Bag is planted firmly on the desk, but it’s not time for work. Moving purposefully, the final destination is arrived at: The seat of the person, better known as, the Confidant.

            Within the confines of the professional universe, an individual interacts with innumerable others. Most of them pass off as mere acquaintances, while some others register a deeper impression. Some he grows to loathe, while some he calls friends. A handful among them become his close buddies, with whom he shares his frustrations and joys. Only 1 among all of them, however, can claim to be his Confidant. It is a reflection of the trust that the Confidant enjoys that he is made privy to information which he should not know about. If this person was to be a book, that book would probably be buried deep into the ground. His silence is the quality that justifies his position. If this information were to be accessed by a third person, he would cease to be the Confidant, for there can be only one of his kind. His exclusivity is his existence.

            It is this kind of exclusivity which makes him irreplaceable. And it is only when an empty seat stares back at the destination that this realization sinks in. The empty seat will be filled soon, but the void created will remain empty. Roving eyes search for a suitable outlet for the secret begging to be shared. None to be found, the secret is discreetly gulped down. Not a word is spoken, for the eager ears are not within hearing range anymore. Backtracking slowly, with a silent prayer wishing for the Confidant’s success in his chosen path, command of the daily routine is assumed.

An Illusion

In the fertile labyrinths of Human Imagination,
Disguised as a thought, takes birth an illusion.

Pampered by desire and indulged by biased perception,
Ridiculing fact, it flourishes in the company of fiction.

Within its master’s attention span, spreading its parasitic girth,
Feeding on its own presence, it propagates a farcical mirth.

With its mesmeric charm it engulfs every waking thought,
Reality, but a feeble opponent, withers under its onslaught.

Having enslaved its master, an exit it begins to shape,
Unlike its gradual deception, sudden is its escape.

Deserted by its unfaithful friend, searching amidst an endless void,
Stumbling upon a loyal enemy, of all defense the victim is devoid.

Staring into the face of reality, seeking cover under the familiar cloak of illusion,
Unwilling to accept the harshness of deceit, he seeks comfort in ungainly delusion.

The Final Bow

Adorning my feet one last time, towards the field my shoes plow.
Heavier than ever I feel their weight, as I walk out for a Final Bow.

Showering its light, towers the floodlight, bowing its head in reverence,
Lunging beneath, the grass touches my feet before the final severance.

By the thousands they turn up, rapturously expressing their glee,
On this day, they bow to Him, and after him they bow to me.

At times they showered on me, paeans, at others brickbats and sticks,
On their feet are my most ardent supporters, the bitterest of my critics.

There stands my captain, on whose head I once placed his first cap,
That cap is doffed today; soon he shall place one in another’s lap.

I recognize the glacial stare of the one they called my nemesis,
Eyes locked in silent respect, we share our moment of catharsis.

In the embrace of my best friend, I feel on his cheek a solitary tear,
Having spent his years in my company, he knows his day draws near.

Out peeps an expectant understudy, soon he will occupy this stage,
For long he has been my shadow, honing his skill under my tutelage.

Departing from tradition, for once, they do not worship the rising one,
Like kids on the shore, they line up to feel the warmth of the setting sun.

On occasion I have been written off, on occasion I rewrote history,
Not the numbers written in record books, my legacy is my artistry.

Not long ago, a nameless youngster, stepped out from this sacred portal,
Walking through it for last time, he enters the Pantheon of the Immortal.



Dedicated to the unassuming Legends: Rahul Dravid and Paul Scholes.

A Memory

A vision in mind, a dream in my eye and a map in my hand,
Never to return, I set off on a journey to the Promised Land.

A cottage, a hammock, stars strung together in a garland,
And the boisterous sea being calmed by the silent sand.

Bereft of any strain of cacophony and also the resulting din,
A place where serenity abounds, unbothered by any sin.

Peaks, Valleys, en-route, a river teasing its embankment
Mere milestones, I moved on, ignoring their enticement.

Then as the Heavens burst open, trundling off my chosen path,
I entered a hut promising little but shelter from nature’s wrath.

Through the tiny window of the tiny shack, I could finally marvel
At the very peaks, valleys, the magnificence of the humble hovel.

With the rain long gone, in the glistening sunlight I stood divided,
Heart set on abundant tranquil, of the vision the mind reminded.

Armed with Reasons galore, the mind battled with logic sound,
Fighting a losing battle, the sail of my heart’s protest ran aground.

Map firmly in the hand, the flame of the journey was rekindled,
Though with a memory in heart, the vision was a bit muddled.

Now at the Promised land, the stars still formed a pleasant sight,
Yet the sea was but restless and the sand, now, deafeningly quiet.

The vision had become real, but this reality, now, was not the vision,
No match for the calm once felt, the expanse mocked me with derision.

Besotted by the etched image, eyes craved to revisit the sight once seen,
With no option but to close them, I wondered at what could have been.

The Price of Stability

       “When a crime is committed, half of the punishment is acquired by the Criminal, a quarter by his ally and a final quarter by the silent observer”, thundered a furious Vidura as accomplished warriors remained mute spectators to Draupadi’s humiliation in Hastinapur’s Royal Court. A similar situation presents itself before the nation today, as layer after layer of the 2G scam is uncovered. A Prime Minister, initially feigning ignorance and later helplessness to the whimsical policy shifting of his own Minister, refuses to remain accountable to the loot of public wealth which has been entrusted to him by the electorate. Whether he is a willing ally or a silent observer is a matter of debate, though his responsibility remains undiminished. The rulers of Kaliyug might object to being held accountable to the Rules of Dwapar Yuga, but a simple question of the current era itself might help in assigning responsibility of the scam. If Kanimozhi is responsible for the transgressions of Kalaignar by virtue of being the actively involved in its affairs, should not the PM, being the functional head of the government, be judged by the same measure?

       A conversation with a friend led to an article hailing the merits of the stability provided by the Congress’ ‘Monarchy’ against the inherent instability of the BJP’s internal democracy. Indeed, the First Family provides stability to the Congress as to many other Regional fiefdoms. However, the basic nature of a Monarchy or a Dictatorship is that the unquestioned authority of a single individual provides the organization with unmatched stability. However, it is this stability within the organization which results in unrest and chaos outside it. In an organization with multiple power centers, every action of the person in charge is scrutinized and every mistake is pounced upon. Internal conflict becomes the framework for internal audit and ensures that the Throne remains accountable. The complacency arising out of the absence of such internal checks results in arbitrary policy formation (2G Scam), compromise of neutral offices(CVC fiasco and appointment of Naveen Chawla as CEC) and becomes a breeding ground for corruption and mismanagement.

       When UPA-1 assumed power, the Sonia-Manmohan pairing was hailed as the perfect model for governance. While the Congress president would involve herself with all the political concerns of the Head of State, the Prime Minister could concentrate his energies on administrative issues. However, there was one basic flaw in the master plan: separation of accountability and power. The person accountable for the fallout of the State’s policies was not in charge of formulation of those very policies. While this arrangement worked perfectly in favour of Mrs. Gandhi, allowing her to mould governance in a whimsical manner. The Prime Minister remains unbothered by the flak he draws due to such wayward governance as the political fallout of such situations are the least of his concerns. A classic example of this arrangement is the continued hoarding and import of food grain to ensure that the much touted ‘Food Security Act’ sees the light of the day, even as the government continues to grapple with measures to check soaring inflation. The formula for success has turned into a recipe for disaster.

       ‘Power without responsibility’ seems to be the Mantra for the ‘Crown Prince as well as he embarks on his Mission-2014. The repeated rebuttals, of the heir apparent, to the PM’s frequent offers of a berth in his ministry are indicative of an aversion to responsibility. A ministerial berth would effectively mean creating metrics to assess his performance. At the moment, only his statements can be the subject of the scrutiny of his rivals. However, once he assumes a position of power, every policy decision and its fallout under his purview can be debated. A clean slate works perfectly in his favour, as he can go about blaming the ‘system’- created by his own creators- and ask for votes under the pretext of cleaning up this very system. He can be the incumbent and yet be unaffected by anti-incumbency.

       A lot of debate that is conducted these days on the issue of corruption generally ends on the TINA note and laments at a similar malaise affecting the chief opposition party. Some even blame the BJP for not raising the concerns of the public as vociferously as it should have. While the BJP too has some skeletons in its cupboard, most of the criticism is unfair on the principal opposition party. Arun Shourie has been raising the issue of financial impropriety in 2G allocation at multiple forums since 2007. The appointments of the CVC and the CEC were opposed vehemently by the party, and in the CVC case, their stand has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Based on the five years of NDA rule itself, the NDA acquits itself quite comfortably as compared to the seven years of UPA rule. Unfortunately, a section of the elite News fraternity has an allergy to anything ‘Saffron’ and attempts to create a perception suiting their own needs and beliefs.

       While one party chooses to focus on Individual based politics, since Individuals are the only ones keeping it afloat, the other prefers to dwell on Issue based politics. In the battle of perceptions it is always easier to create a larger than life persona than it is to drive home a hard fact. Only when the country moves beyond perceptions of Individuals and moves on to judging performance on the basis of fact, can we hope to actually cleanse the system. Until such a time arrives, we can only be amazed at the embezzlement of our money carried out by the very people we appointed to safeguard it.

Second Best in Europe…By quite a distance

        They lined up for their third final in four years. They didn’t have the best of domestic campaigns, but they did enough to ‘knock Liverpool off their perch’ and seal their position as the most decorated side in England. Confident in their ability, they sought revenge against a side touted by many as the best ever. By the end of it all, they cut a forlorn figure, as their hopes of a fourth European Title were dashed cruelly and yet so beautifully. "Nobody's given us a hiding like that but they deserve it," admitted Sir Alex, choosing to call a spade a spade as the English Champions were outthought, outplayed, outpassed and outclassed by the “best team he has ever faced’”. The famed Barca midfield quartet were at their irresistible best creating chance after chance and cementing their spot as the best team in all of Europe.

        Despite all the unfair criticism, the current crop of players is as good as any other Manchester United side over the years. Despite not having the financial muscle of Chelsea or Manchester City, they wrapped up their 19th League Title with a game to spare. However, the Barcelona juggernaut, they ran into , exposed their frailties like none other. Evra could not cut off the angles feeding the wings and was found wanting. Valencia was expected to run circles around Abidal, but he did little more than turn up. Chicharito was offside most of the game and Giggs and Carrick were outnumbered and outclassed. Vidic and Van Der Sar were monsters in defence, but their resistance finally broke down against the relentless onslaught.

        Domestic League glory, a semi-final appearance in the domestic cup and a Final appearance Europe would count as another successful campaign for any club. They are definitely the second best side in all of Europe but they are miles behind the class of Barca. While the result of last night’s game was decided over 90 minutes, the foundation was laid a year ago when the transfer window slammed shut with United failing to make any notable additions to their midfield. If this game were to be played 10 more times, the result would have been the same on all occasions due to the absence of a solid ball winning midfielder in United’s ranks.

        While SAF’s eye for a bargain was evident yet again during the transfer of Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, the deals he missed cost them dearly during the final. Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Rafael Van Der Vaart all changed clubs at dirt cheap rates, with none of them ending up at Old Trafford. The gaping hole left in midfield since the exit of Roy Keane is yet to be filled. With the imminent departure of Scholes and Giggs looming large, Sir Alex has the unenviable task of rebuilding the team at a time when the Catalans are at their peak. It’s a period of transition for the club and the season-ending defeat should serve as a wake-up call.

        David De Gea should prove to be an ideal replacement for the retiring Van Der Sar. Ashley Young, should he make the move to Manchester, will benefit hugely under the tutelage of Giggs. The return of Danny Wellback, Federico Macheda and Tom Cleverley should add teeth to the attack. Fabio and Rafael continue to show promise and will occupy the full back positions for years to come. Anderson has shown promise this season, and with enough games he will ably fill the big boots of Paul Scholes. However, it’s the area in the centre of the park which requires urgent attention. With Owen Hargreaves finally being shown the exit door after spending more time troubling the medics than opposition playmakers, the defensive midfielder position is up for grabs. Everton’s Jack Rodwell has been linked with a move to Manchester all through the season, but Sir Alex would know he needs a seasoned player who can boss the midfield even in the presence of Messi and Iniesta.

        Sir Alex and Manchester United have probably been written off a number of times in the last couple of decades and every time they have silenced their critics. The exits of Cantona, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy, Keane, Tevez and Ronaldo were all supposed to end their era of dominance, but each time they have managed to prove their supremacy. However, the challenge they face today is tougher than any they have faced. After winning the 19th league title, people wondered what could motivate Sir Alex to continue his association with the Club. Last night’s result provided that answer. The Red Devils are not used to chasing shadows, and Sir Alex would be smarting from the humiliation from the humiliation suffered at Wembley. Barcelona ‘s ‘Invincible’ midfield have made the team to beat, much like the Australian Cricket Team of the 2000’s. They will continue to dominate teams and win multiple trophies. What remains to be seen is whether Manchester United can challenge them at the high table of European Football or whether they will be content in being the best of the rest. The Mauling of Manchester has set the stage for an intriguing few seasons which will see many a memorable battle like the one witnessed at Wembley. SAF would like to end this battle, like all others he has fought, on a winning note before leaving the ‘Special One’ to further his agenda with the Catalans.