Life must go on

I know how it feels!

I was in love too, still am. I still am and with the very same person, that one who means the world to me and she that suffers my fate today. It hurts! It hurts to see you go through what I went through once. It pains me to see your pain. I feel what you feel, at least, I know what it feels like.

But what can we do? We're human after all. And like you and me, every human being has their own desires and their own plans. You had yours too.

You are strong, I know. You have the heart of an innocent child but the mind of a strong general in battle. You are the perfect mix of the fair and the strong. You can move mountains if you so wish. You have the faith and you have the will. Things which I don't.

Yet, you suffer. Just as I cried, you cry. Just as I despised the world, you despise it too. More dangerously, just as I wanted to ruin myself, you want to. Why?

What does all this show, other than the fact that we are miserable human beings who have deep desires but have to face the reality of putting others desires before our own?

But trust me, life goes on!

I know, I tried to end it. I tried slowly killing myself with drugs, with all vices that would take me straight to the pits of hell in your world. You think of something bad, and I've done it. Just to get over what I had for the one I love. It turned me into someone who in your own words "no one could recognise." And I wanted to be alone too. I wanted nothing to do with the world. I wanted no one. I wanted to die!

But life went on. It did not stop to let me die either. It did not let me throw the world away. Life did not leave me alone. And I'm sure life wont leave you alone too. I know for a fact it wont.

"You are the salt of the earth and a sainted. God shall seal your endeavours until you sit on his right hand. So, fight the good fight for his sake. And he shall be your aid."

These words kept echoing in my heart every time I thought of giving up. These words kept me going strong. And if an atheist unbeliever like me can take refuge in these strong words, I'm sure  you can find great support in this short verse.

No matter what, just remember what a wonderful human being you are. Remember how kind you are and what a great daughter, sister and friend you have been to all those who have loved you with all of their hearts. You are surely a saint - a saint of strength and of everything that is sweet in this world. To me you are the best and there can never be anyone better.

I write this to tell you to fight the good fight! Don't give up on life no matter what you do. Because life has not given up on you. The gift of knowing that I've a friend like you makes everytime I wake up that mush more special. And the fact that I know you will be there tomorrow to me makes every night blessed. This is the gift you are in my life. And I'm sure you bless a lot more lives just like you have done mine.

I have not given up on you. I never will. My friend, my greatest friend! I will never give up on you.

I promise you all that I have, both earthly and above.
What's perfect and what's not, and my service and my life
Because you are all to me, and you're my greatest friend
I will ask no questions, but give you all I have

That was a very bad attempt at a poem. But in any case, I'm left without words. All I will say to you is I will not leave you. Forget me, no one will let you go. Forget everyone else too. Life wont let you go. Life will carry you on and on..... 

Rearing cows helps build moral values?

The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat  recently said rearing cows in every house helps inculcate moral values in people. At at a function to inaugurate the country's first cattle sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, Bhagwat said that Indians lacket values and also stated, "Cow is our mother. Service to cow is service to mankind, which in turn helps build morals."

True, the cow is indeed a sacred animal to many in the country. Many states including Karnataka have enforced a ban on cow slaughter. Now the Karnataka Government is even trying to extend the ban to bring all cattle under its purview. Well, being a beef-eater, I oppose the extension of the ban. Isn't a ban on cow slaughter sufficient? Why extend it to all cattle? Respecting the sentiments of people is a very good practice, but this should apply to everyone, shouldn't it?

Coming back to the speech made by the RSS chief. In saying that Indians lack values he is spot on. We do lack civic sense. We spit on the streets, dump garbage, urinate and defecate... the list is endless. Women are scared to move in the cities and towns of the country, simply because some men do not respect their space and privacy. We casually violate traffic rules thinking it's easy to get away from the police by just paying a bribe. And after all this, we only go on to blame the government and the authorities. We don't realise that a change within ourselves will end all these problems.

Changes should occur from one's self. Simple tings like keeping localities clean and not damaging public property; being a gentleman to women and respecting her privacy and rights are enough. If one does not violate any traffic rule, where is the need to pay a bribe? We do not need  any grand measures if we just follow a few healthy social practices. Do we really need to rear a cow to learn such values? Most houses in India cannot even afford to do that. Personally, I would love to have a small farm of my own with many domestic animals and birds; but at the moment, sadly, I cannot afford to. 

I feel rearing cattle is not a requirement for moral values. Values must be thought by humans, they need to be thought by elders to the young and be cherished and upheld. India has a strong system of values already existing, but they are being slowly neglected and at this rate will soon be forgotten. True, a cow renders yeoman service to humans and so does every other domestic animal. But for moral values we need not go as far as taking a cow as the example. A simple change -  respecting ourselves and others around us will solve most of our civic problems. 

Roast Chicken for a special Christmas lunch

Published in The Communique December 2012 issue.

“Christmas comes but only once a year,” goes the famous saying. Indeed, it is a special time of the year for many people all over the world. Homes are decked up with brightly lit Christmas trees and colourful ornaments. The streets echo with the sound of carols reverberating from people’s homes and harmonises in a way that brings cheer to the hearts of everyone.

Christmas brings out the best creativity in everyone. Everyone wants to have the most beautifully decorated home. Mothers are busy prepping their kitchen to make the most sumptuous Christmas lunch. And on the menu of almost every household is this star: Roast turkey.

Roast turkey is considered to be the traditional Christmas day lunch all over Europe and America. In India, it is catching up fast. Every family in my neighbourhood prepares it these days and each family has their own recipe.

Sometimes chicken is substituted instead of the turkey since the latter is quite expensive and in many cases too big to fit into ovens. Roast chicken is just as visually appealing and mouth-watering as turkey but cheaper and a quicker to cook. Chicken is also easily available when compared to turkey, which in Bangalore City, can only be purchased at markets like Shivajinagar.

The Christmas roast is perhaps the most desired treat on Christmas day. The recipes are as numerous as the lights on a Christmas tree. One of them, a personal favourite, is the Butter Roast Chicken Stuffed with Paneer and Herbs. The butter keeps the chicken juicy and the aroma from the herbs can make one’s stomach groan incessantly. The recipe is simple and the chicken can be prepped a day ahead to help the marinade soak in to enhance the flavour.

For the Roast Chicken you will need,

1 chicken, whole with skin

150 grams butter (the table butter you get at the grocers will do)

150 grams paneer

1 onion and garlic peeled

1 cup ground mint

1cup curd

2 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp coriander powder

Juice of one lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Take the chicken, clean and place in a large bowl sprinkle salt and pepper to it and leave it.

Take all the dry ingredients in a small bowl, add the curd, lemon juice, a little salt and mix them well to form a paste. Let the butter come to room temperature. Take a little bit of the paste and fold it with the butter. Apply this butter onto the chicken, especially under the skin of the chicken breast and thighs. Apply the rest of the paste to the chicken.

Cut the onion in half and along with the garlic; stuff them into the cavity of the chicken

Cut the paneer into cubes, mix them well with the ground mint and stuff them in the chicken too.

Wrap the chicken with aluminium foil or cling wrap and leave it in the fridge for not less than two hours. Preferably leave it in the fridge overnight.

When it is ready to cook, pre-heat the oven at 220 degree celcius, place the chicken in the oven for 10-15 minutes at that temperature. Remove the chicken and baste. Put the chicken back into the oven, this time at 180 degree celcius and let it cook for an hour per kilogram white basting every half hour.

After it is cooked, let it rest for a half hour before carving and serve. This can be served with a raitha of mint and cucumber.