Destiny...or is it?

Hello people,

Its becoming a rather evryday thing isnt it?Hope u arent gettin bored already? :P Ohh i forgot ...for that u wud actually hav to visit the blog n read it...which doesn seem so (other than for a couple of guys !)...for all i no it seems m talkin to myself here!! :P Neways that is fun too...if u cant talk to urself once in a while then how will u talk to others!!

Ok,enof of fundas...the topic for the day is(without sounding newsreader-ish :P) DESTINY
How is it defined?Is it a micro scale or macro scale thing?Does it allow for free will or does it override it?Or are there different levels of freewill like a more daily n local one,by which u decide what to wear,where to go,what to eat,etc and a more broader and meaningful freewill which makes u the person u are and decides what u do with life? And finally is all of it written in stone...or is some of it editable??

To begin with what do we call destiny?? The power that controls what is to happen in future...hmm...It is what will happen to a a person in future.We all have at sometime or other said, 'Its all destiny yaar' or 'Yeh toh saale ki kismat thi' ,but does this thing exist? I am sure all have heard the classical arguments for and against it existence.
For: No matter what you do life will take its own course.U are destined to a lead a particular life and so shall be.It is all written beforehand.
Against: Life is what man makes of it.What is do or dont is on me and not on some false idea of a all controlling destiny.i decide what i want to become.A pilot or a plumber!! And my hard work is what defines my progress and state in life.

Now we come to a very interesting point.Are the choices we make random are really freewilled? For eg: (lets say) Jay has lead a very measured and a predictable life till now. Some school and then some college. Nothin exceptional or out of the blue. He (like everyone else) learns from the people around forms his opinions on what he sees and reads.When he was in school he took interest in astronomy and space science,like most other school kids.Read those fancy space books and was really fascinated by them. Then school ended and he just went along with the crowd.studied science and then chemical engineering.And in the due course of time he realised that this just wasnt right!!What a waste of time it had all been.He felt wasted bout the fact that he had given into the system and 'what was expected of a boy like him' so easily, specially so being a non conformist that he always was.He dint like the idea of someone else mapping out what he was to do life.Just the kind of person who would say, 'I make my own destiny'. And in one of the college festivals,he met a science professor who rekindled his interest in space science.During the last two years of his life he started taking keen interest in astronomy again.After having studied the best way he could today he applied for a seat in a degree in space science in the best research institute in the country.

He has a 6 hour train journey to make to the examination centre.Being such a crucial exam he plays it safe and leaves a day in advance.In the train he meets a stranger, Mr Sen.Although older than him in years and experience they get along well.Talk about various things both philosophical and everyday like.And they finally stumble upon the topic:destiny. Mr Sen tells him that, ' All that you see around you, my dear friend, is destined' and that it was destined that Jay would write this exam one day and if God willing pass it too. This thought of destiny is repulsive to Jay.He doensnt like the fact that after having faced so much of trouble in life and having studied so hard, all it means is that his destiny and not he himself is responsible what he is today. And that even his passing in the exam should be God's will n not his own.He argues vehemently againt it but realises that Sen does have a point.Afterall Jay has done things in life he never really wanted to do and outcomes he never really wanted but still through all that he sailed through and is here now. Still he doesnt like th idea that he hasnt been the sole controller of his life.He even plays with teh thought of skipping the exam and proving it to Sen that he is sole controller! But other than the idea being absolutely ridiculous he realises that it could be easily argued that his meeting Sen and dropping the exam was destined too, if he were to take that step.He does accept that things hadnt worked out as logically as he had planned...when he wanted study astronomy he went into chemical engg and when he thought having got into it he would continue with research he came back to his original love.Reluctantly accepting that there is some sort of abstarct force controlling the direction of events he bids Sen farewell. He really cant afford to be worked up day before his exam and waste his energy on this...but he puts it on his 'to do list after exam.

Now coming back to the discussion ...is destiny micro level or macro level? As in is it applicable for bigger things in life like career,where u live , ur partner ,etc or is it equally applicable for more everyday things like where i will go tom or what will i wear, etc? Can u plan out of destiny?We all love planning dont we? And making lists...of this and that and what not.Look back and check how many of those plans actually did work out :P somewhere i read...if u wanna make God laugh make plans! So though plans do keep life interestin and giv us somethin to wok on they certainly do not totally define the future! The smaller things we still have direct control over...but the bigger things in life I do believe are affected by a force that is above us(call it wateva u please)..Jay surely hadnt planned on meeting that professor who catalysed his interest back into space science.Maybe he dint even want to go to the science fair...he was just pulled along by his friends.Such arbitrary and seemingly small things do sometimes change the way we look at life and what we make of it.Suppose u randomly pick up a book which changes ur life..is that then destiny?or wud u then argue there is no destiny...and it was ur hand that picked up the book and not destiny's.

Another very famous and overly used application of destiny(and one of my personal favs) is finding your love/partner/spouse.It has been the topic of many a movies and books alike and m sure will be for some more to come.Because all of us love this idea that there is one for each one of us,somewhere in the world and that he/she will come to us.It might take time but will surely happen!!I dont believe in this one so much...Its amazin hw we got arnd to believe such things...movies n books mayb :P and the quest for eternal romance!! Butstill i like the idea of it.The idea that come what may(which includes years of separation,marriage or even children) the lovers will eventually reunite!!Very filmy na...hence appealing mayb! :P Ohh btw if u like this idea too,then watch the movie 'Definitely Maybe'.It makes my top 10.

Now tryin to summarise and bring to end this seemingly never ending set to arguments and counter arguments..Destiny to me definitely exists...it defines what becomes of you.It definitely makes space for freewill(afterall one should have some sense of control in one's life). It remodifies itself according to the actions(karma if u may call it) u take but in the long run I would like to believe that it is defined by the person you and your value system.Actions are like the ATM card required to encash destiny.It is like a river's path.How much ever unrest and expression of freewill the flowing water may cause...finally it has to flow along the river's path.A drop doesnt see the bigger picture and hence believes that wateva it does is totally freewilled.Destiny is surely lot more than a retrospective excuse for something that dint turn out the way you wanted it too!!So if u tell me that Ambani got rich coz he had the stars...that is true!!But he had to encash his stars!!Now since the density of the word destiny has gone really high...i shall stop here!! :P
I do believe that good things happen to good people(they are made to wait a lill or a lot for it) and I would also like to believe that my gal is around there somewhere... :) I dont hope to meet her (or even the possibility of her being her)very soon...let both of us take time... ;)

So my dear reader the question is(if u have infact gotten so far reading this :P ) Do you believe in destiny?

p.s. Jay did pass the exam and is now in the final year of his course.I say that boy is destined to make it big!! ;)

So long people,
PC

The Sunshine Smile

Hello people,

This blogging thing is addictive man!! :P Everything (creative or not) that goes arnd in my head i feel like puttin it up here. What follows is a small piece i wrote(in the wee hours of morning,after watching the movie,once again!). Inspiration drawn from Mark(a character in the movie 'Love Actually' , who totally loves this gal Juliet(keira knightley) but at best can just play the bestman at her wedding with his best friend Peter). I really like this guy Mark. Other than being great looking he has this understated charm about himself...and well miss Knightley and her sunshine smile...gorgeous!!Some lill bits are made up(call it creativity :P ). Neways, this one is for you Mark :)

The Sunshine Smile

Aah! What lovely day it is
joyous people all around,
from the end of the aisle you enter
walking angel in a wedding gown.

To see you float towards me
my mind so fondly wanders away,
to the days when u were
the only reason for me to stay.

On the way back home
you would often describe this day,
I hope it is all you ever wanted and more
and that you are happy in every way.

As for me, I look fine too
very soon though I shall be gone.
I did the best I could
cudn't better though being the best man.

I loved with all I knew was love
But never could go the extra mile.
I would like to shout as he leads you out
for the last time see the sunshine smile.

Hehe, reading it again it sounds so kiddishly rhyming :P Neways, I really hope he dates the gals he planned to before the next christmas ;)

Its been a mixed couple of days....India won!!Federer lost :( :( and my neighbour cum good friend is soon gonna get a bike!! :D and there is a seemingly great Asimov waiting to be read.So I would say its regular days here.

So long people,
PC

Aah here I begin..

Hello people...

Its almost three years since I registered and here is my first post.Talk about starting slow!! :P Last few days have been a little hectic(had gone home after long afterall!!).Reached hostel just yesterday.Now i face the classic first blog dilemma...what to write and what not to write..hmm..will start with something general.ohh...before that...i know some of you will have this thing...y moodymobius...u c i was searching for a URL that i really cud relate too..i tried evrything...whitenoise,thewhitenoise,thebluedoor and all its possible combinations(i jus love the idea of a blue door) , i even tried googling fora name...but apart from being totally unoriginal it was also useless!!so i thot let the name come to me when it has too...n come it did...i was in mess waitin for my fren to finish his dinner...was playin with an onion slice...n just turned it in a way to form the mobius strip...n i jus love that thing...its so beautiful,elegant and has a sense of mystery about it(even if it can be defined by a set of equations)...It appears to be two surafaces but so effortlessly merges to be 1...seamless,flowing and pure!!(thoda zyada ho gay kya? :P ) neways so i picked mobius from there...n y moody...well frnz who no me even a lill bit no that its a rather accurate way of describing me...

Last few months have had quite a few things happening.Not so much on the personal front but quite a lot around.To begin with here i am in the final year of engineering!!wow...four years hav gone so fast...not as eventfully as i would have liked :P compared to the four years before that(i.e classes 9th-12th) which was a life span in itself so to say :) and now it hits you...the fact that what next??!! :O I see my friends around...all headed in different ways...praveen just got placed yesterday(with a big package!!) and now the ball has begun to roll.If u stay in a hostel for four years like I have and are lucky enough to have the friends that I have had(which trust me is the best and the only worth part bout having been here) then this is exactly the time u start to realise that its all gonna end.These people who have been my second family(or first if u go by the time spent with in an year :P) are all gonna go their ways.So this first blog i would like to dedicate to the friends at svnit with whom I have shared everything(literally) and a special mention to all my friends who are happy and gay ;) (this one is for u Dreamz, or rather on your request).

Talking bout changes around me...there have been quite a few.A few of my school frenz have graduated which means that therez no running away from the fact that now we are officially grown ups!!(or atleast they are :P ) Pursuing MBA,CA and last but not the least AOL(and for u I m most happy :D ) and the biggest news of all!!! A good friend of mine,just 21, got asked by her boyfriend(of atleast last one year i wud think) to marry him!!woahhh!! when i first heard this I was shocked and m sure so was she!!(dont try to dig for names,u wont be getting it :P) But the kind of person she is I know that she is a blithe spirit and has places to go...which does not mean she said a no...or a yes for that matter :P and then my dear sister is getting married too.So i guess these are all he signs that therez a transition coming again,a change of place and of people...hopefully this one is better than last one(from 12th to 1st year :P ) and of better things and people :)

Its dinner time here.and i just checked...sachin hit a century today afternoon!! :D n i din c it...was slpin :( neways...here z to a new beginning(of blogging and otherwise)
and yea lastly...A very Happy Bday to u again Divs!!hope u had a great day in the jail(college) of urs...n hope u do form the fan club soon ;)

So long people,
PC (that shall be my pen(rather blog) name )