A friend for life

"The best quality a story teller has is the captivating power he owns over people." - Asif Dash

I have a sister, not by blood but by bond. To be honest, she is the single most irritating creature I've ever come across my entire life. So the story goes like this. She has a friend who used to be so close to her. And all of a sudden he blocks her on what's app and all such social formats.(That's what she said)

A good brother's task here is to  console her and say stuff like "He will message you eventually" or "Must have been a mistake on his side". I'm no ordinary brother, so instead I created a story where I play the protagonist.

I'm not going into details here. Maybe in the next story. The brief version goes something like this. I and another guy were so close during our higher secondary. There was a girl for who my friend fell for. The day he proposed she tells him that she's in a relationship with another guy. So instead of moving on as I advice him, he fought with the guy she was committed to.

Let it be in real life or in the stories, I intend to picture myself a good guy. So back to the story. My friend and the committed guy were fighting and I had to choose sides. A dear friend or an honest path. I chose the honest path.

Then a spat between us two occurred and we neglected each other for a month. And finally, I being a kindhearted guy spoke to him and sorted things out. We were so close after then that calling we stuck put our necks when either of us were in trouble.

And now after 5 years, I have no clue on where he is or how he is. That's friendship.

This made up story actually did console her. I know its rude but I loved the fact that I created a story out of thin air in no time.

None of my words here are to be taken seriously. I do value friendship and I do have friends who go way long back. This has been shared here because if any one ever comes across my position do follow my method. It works like a charm. In fact, the listener forgets their own story and concentrates more on this.

The Fault In Our Stars

"I fear Oblivion"

To sleep with pain is the one worst thing a man can go through and I'm doing that today. John Greene not just made me cry when I read his book 'The Fault In Our Stars' but he also made me think of the life I'm living.

I'm normally a stone hearted kind of guy. Well, I used to cry a lot (long ago), but in the past couple of years, tears weren't flowing that often. This book touched me deep down and ever since problems weren't big enough for me to weep over. I understood that there were issues far more intense than a crying mother or a silly fight.

That should have been the end of it. I moved on, but life isn't fair to people who forget lessons. Sheilene Woodly came along and gave life to  Hazel Grace. All I could wish now is that I should have been Augustus. I should have been the one who took her to Amsterdam. I should have been the one who should have listened to my own eulogy from her. I should have been the the one lying there in that casket before I see her in one.

Well, none of that happened. My eyes are still soggy and I wish I could just pour out my heart here. But I just want others to watch this film and think of it on their own. An emotional one indeed. I suggest people to read the novel before watching the film.

To people who think they have a horrible love story, you have no idea what horrible is.

In pursuit of the flying goats

So get this. As much as you hate reading stuff (educational ones), hate of something more stronger is observed within when other people read, that too on a train. I'm currently experiencing that. Guess what I did??? The usual thing I do when I see books (educational ones), I slept.

The interesting part is the one that came in my dream. Something made me remember Heidi (an old cartoon I used to see as a kid) before dozing off. In my dream I saw some flying goats. Must be the Heidi effect. And then they just flew far, pretty far. Looks like I was just standing there idle; must have been something normal to the 'dream me'.

The goats flew far away and then I noticed two of my colleagues chasing it. They were normal though, just running behind them when the goats were flying. Then some chattering sounds were all I could here. I opened my eyes and there was a guy selling tea near me.

I'm gonna make this my life's mission: Asif Dash - In pursuit of the flying goats. P.S. I later on inquired about the goats to the colleagues who were in chasing it in the dream. They recommend me to sleep again and find it out myself.

Beyond Infinity

I stretch out my arms and it's pitch black,
A fog, a mist, is all I could feel.
I keep consoling myself, "she is still there",
But it's just as empty I feel my heart.

Sucking in every ounce of air I prepare to scream,
My lungs are full yet words don't reach my tongue.
The air inhaled is all that passes out.
I suck in again not tired of the result, and again I fail.

Is she just the mist, or is it just an illusion.
It wasn't time for play, I ached within.
It wasn't fair as it just was a needle.
A prick couldn't have let her down.

A disease they say that made her rest,
For I know that a sword too would have fallen bleak.
Such strong was our bond for an infection to kill.
Why is it that she had to be the prey.

Just a needle I cry again,
Thinking of how this isn't justice.
No bargain, No truce, are these the rules.
Has he no mercy I cry till my eyes go sour.

"Jenny" I scream now, as clear as it could be.
I touch something against the darkness.
Just a second and I lose her again.
Now I run, chasing her till the end.

Its all white and better, with cream and sugar.
I see her, I hug her, I kiss her and I wonder.
I was sorry for leaving her there right when she needed me close.
I'm finally there where she is now.

Secluded enough for both to live in.
Bit seems like we both have passed way beyond it.
She then said, "you had a life there"
But a life without her is as empty as a dry well.

Old Friends + Movie In A Theater =Devilish Consequences

At a particular stage in everyone's life they realize that they are an adult and to be honest it's quiet horrifying. Responsibilities start crowding your head, money matters a lot more than you valued in the past and work definitely becomes worship. But a single day spent with the old friends you value the most, changes all. Yesterday was one such day to me.

A friend who I call when I'm angry beyond control, a friend I remember when I want have have some good news worth sharing and a friend who I count as family, visited me. I hate to say this out loud but that devil is Toufeeque. I was excited when he called me to say that he was coming to Chennai. And thus the planning begun.

One thing that we cherish the most is movies. First step: log on to bookmyshow. Step 2: Book tickets for The Equalizer. Step 3: Stay excited.

And so Sunday came, the devil came and the rest is history. Like barney says "yesterday was legen-, wait for it, -dary. LEGENDARY". Pizza, chicken wings, burgers, chicken wings again and most importantly The Coke. Everything that could spoil a man in just one night. Wish it never ended.

Sharing stories, recalling memories and eating ground nuts was a midnight chore and before we knew it was time for him to leave the happy world and return to the scheduled world.

Now here I am still believing that this will happen again soon.

My Birthday Blog

There are times you wish wouldn't come to an end, but they always do. Time isn't a friend to any and certainly hasn't been to me either. But one thing remains when such cherished moments pass and we accept them as memories. Well, today is definitely one of those.

Rarely I cross a line, drawn by myself, accepting people into the circle that stand dear to me. This day the rarity became a myth. Many I've been close with have become dearer and the thought of losing a single one haunts me.

Personal stuff apart, the party at office was a blast. A coke shaped cake, bottles of snowy sprays, a thums up tin and the kicking, everything was just top notch. Not to forget the bread and cheese I had this morning. Thanks for the wonderful shirt and the balloons and the ring. Couldn't thank you guys enough.

Nothing completes this without thanking the family. To all my brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, most of all my Mom, you were the ones who stayed with me during my best and worst, and not thanking you guys for wishing me would be a sin. So, thanks again.

I still wish to write a lot, but the querty keypad of my phone restricts me from doing so. Here goes my final gratitude, "Birthdays are events that are celebrated for a reason, but events today made me realize that this birthday was the reason I was born for".

A Loyal Apology To The Ones I Care

Families fight and get back together before anyone would realize, but a stain remains within the guilty for creating the mess. Well, I have my fair share of those moments and I make sure that I give my best to make up for those times.

Today one such event occurred when people close to me got caught up in a cold war. The best solution to this in my opinion is to sort it out before it bursts up in open and shake hands on a deal that works for both. But to be honest, this has moved too far from both the sides and would take a lot more than a few handshakes. But it still is sortable.

If it were my blood, I would have raised with authority and concluded it even before it would be considered a spat. But the situation here is something I don't wand to head into. I would rather be a spectator instead of a participant. Thought this makes me feel bad, a part of my heart, the one I abide to, keeps telling me to leave the mess alone.

Maybe that's the difference between   the family I care for and the family I love. For I do care for the ones caught up in this awkward battle. The reason here is to know if I did the right thing? If this isn't what you expected of me, I humbly apologize as there is nothing more I could do in order to bring peace between the two.

A Humble Start

The best part of a project is the taste of victory at its completion. Though not everyone taste it, the thoughts of appraisal when finishing the project brings out the hidden blushes. At some point in everyone's life, this is experienced.

One Such Experience:

A year ago, a craze for films hit me. Tarantino, Scorcece, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, Cameroon and Woody Allen were my superheroes. I started watching every films they made, which encouraged me to start a script project of my own. It did take time and before I knew the complete script, around 15,000 words sat on my word document. I started picturing various actors performing the scenes and a thought of great appraisal from critics hit my head. I sent the completed script to various agencies and received a dull response.

That was huge blow. But one thing I gained from it is #Experience. This is a fruit not every one wish to eat after a failure, but I took a bite from it and continued.

Today I'm at a stage which gives me a taste of what happiness feels like. I write for a living and this makes me content than I've ever been. A lesson I learned from the previous failure is that, jumping from ground and touching the torch of the liberty statue is for superman alone, not for the common people. Aiming high is not a problem, but reaching there is to done through either the stairs or a working elevator. I prefer the stairs.

"The longer we work for something the happier we are when we attain it."  - Asif Dash

That's My Spot

Every now and then, a spot is to be fixed to maintain composure in your life. Well, mine is fixed, the left end will always be my spot. Just not at the office though (The air conditioning doesn't supply the chill air there.) So, on a pursuit to find what I need, I have stepped into the real world and to be honest, so far it's rocking.

Wish others would say the same but calling my friends during lunch just reminded me that not everyone enjoy the way I do. Night shifts and day naps are all they get from this cranky world. Something tells me that it's not the world that's cranky but their boss.(My boss is great. He actually wants us to leave early and experience the outer world.)

So coming back to my spot again. The reason why I wanted to write this is to remind my fellow mates that there is always a job that deserves you and not the way around.

Understanding your potential isn't that hard a task. It simply just requires a minute of talk with your heart. Speak to it, open up your mind and walk towards it. As time goes, standing idle would just be impossible, you would want to run instead. That's how much you'll love it.

"The needs of the many out weighs the needs of the few" - Spock.

(This proverb has nothing to do with what I wrote, just wanted to end with it.)

Hiding Beneath My Own Shadow

It's 2 in the afternoon and I am starved. I walk outside my room to find a decent enough hotel two blocks away from where I live. A boiled egg and khushka, that would suffice me. On my way return, I noticed two kids riding bicycles beside me and all I could think of was, 'Wish I was them'.

With no regrets or any kind of issues running through their mind, the delight in their eyes alone proved that the biggest mistake I ever committed was growing up. Not even a month left and I will be 22.... or 23(I'm bad with numbers). Oh God! I'm growing up too fast.

Well, let anything happen, I just feel good about two things. A job I love and a family who loves me more. A lot is yet to be achieved and a lot more to fight in the path of it. I just wish that I come outside tearing the barrier I have been into, walking away from my own shadow of regrets and mistakes.

It's not far though, I could see a hint of rays shining, waiting for me to accept it.

A Brotherly apology to a Sister

It's the 20th anniversary of f.r.i.e.n.d.s and I'd rather apologize to my sister. To people who know the value I have for that sitcom would understand the sacrifice I'm currently performing. Well, sacrificing a post for f.r.i.e.n.d.s is rather too small when compared to the mistake I've done.

With deepest regret I post here today,
Forgetting my dear sister's birthday.
Embarrassment is all that I feel,
And It may take months to heal.

Never did I think that this day would come,
There is nothing in my head, just an empty drum.
My dear sis, forgive me this time,
Though I know this is a merciless crime.

Eyes are moist with tears at bay,
And now I wish you a happy birthday.

With regret and sorrow,
Your brother,
Asif Dash

5 Things I Leaned From Godfather

Godfather is a classical hit released in 1972. According to me this film comes under the "must watch" category. It's not just because Al Pacino performed a brilliant piece but also for the values it teaches a human being. I normally see the good in a film and this film had some unique lessons. The top 5 that I loved the most are as follows.

5: Shedding Blood isn't always the way to solve a problem.

It's plainly the third law of Newton, you take blood and someone takes it from you. There is nothing in this world that has an everlasting life, everything comes to an end, but what matters is how long you live, how long you serve to make a difference and this film has definitely taught me that particular thing. Not that I wanted to kill someone, but a lesson like this once in a while always keeps you from that thought.

4: If there us one thing history has taught us, it's that anyone can be killed.

Let's not get worked up on this idea. I actually included this to remind people that they may the one standing at the gun point. So, fear death, it may reduce your mistakes drastically. I know that I mentioned 'killing' is something I wouldn't go for, but you dare hurt someone close to me and the repercussions would be something you would regret.

3: Faith protects you. You lose it, you die.

Not to be cocky, but it would be better if all followed this. At the end of the film the one thing I realized is that bad faith is what killed many. People believe in others for a reason and when one breaks it, it just doesn't dissolves, it kills. Though not by the person you just broke with but by you own heart.

2: Keep your friends close, but you enemies closer.

When it's too late to make amends, this is exactly one must follow. Hell yeah, you may not be the bad guy but you definitely have to keep the enemy close. Maybe for good, maybe for bad, things always may go rough.

1: Family comes first.

No matter what you family does, it definitely is the one thing you must always adhere to. This is not just a point I learn from the film, this is something I experienced. Family comes first because there is always a Godfather watching over you, protecting you, caring for you and will definitely kill for you at times needed.

Let's Talk Love

“Love is something you feel when you see a crocodile eating mangoes from a tree.” – Asif Dash

I’m not implying that the possibility is zero, but just that it is not in the negatives. People believe in many things, like superman, transformers, unicorns, kraken and sometimes even the possibility of living within the matrix. These things are more than beautiful, magnificent, and love is something similar. Love according to my dictionary goes something like this,

LOVE: noun; a feeling which has no definite expression or explanation but often searched.  

This is plainly my view, and I do hope that I’m wrong. But let’s not dwell in the definition area. To the good parts. I've been meeting interesting people my whole life, clever, not so clever, dull, boring, proud, arrogant, and so on. But very few people inspire me, no matter what category they fit into. An even interesting thing is that, these people are victims of “LOVE”.

This one guy Mr.X(Name Changed), a dear friend, was listening to a song (Ninaivugal from Autograph). Listening to a melody after a long time really was quiet good. The song ended and he played the same thing again, it wasn't that bad the second time either, then the third time. This made me realize that something was wrong and as a good friend I had to do the right thing.

To guys like me, when I mean ‘to do the right thing’ , it implies ‘Close the drapes, switch the lights off and go to sleep’, but I did the wrong thing. I asked him what’s wrong, and I slept at 2 AM that night. He rambled on about his so called ‘broken heart’ for almost 4 hours. This wasn't for the first day alone, this continued for two days. The composer of that song would have cursed himself if he were to be in my position. The repeated listening actually made him forget her and drew him more closer to itself.  Maybe now he is in love with the song.

I started this article thinking of something and I just don’t know what took me here. So, to end with a couple of notes,  

                    1)      Love is an undefined feeling frequently confused.

                    2)      Victims of love are usually like me.

*******Criticism Accepted******

  

The Egg Story

Every parents have their way when it comes to disciplining their children. Some parents advice, some beat and some just ignore. Well, my mom had different methods and this story is based on one such method.

People close to me, especially relatives, have a good knowledge about me, and very few know the reason behind my 'egg-phobia.' (Just the raw ones, I love the fried ones). Yeah, I'm afraid of raw eggs. I can handle them, but a part of me shivers when I have them in hand.

To the story, long long ago, I guess I was in the 5th grade or 4th, I don't really remember when. So, my mom sends me to buy a dozen eggs and I OBEDIENTLY (Because that's how I was when I was a kid) walked down to the store and bought her the eggs.

Now people who have bought eggs may know that at some point in his/her life, an egg may break while bringing it back home. So the egg broke, big deal. A scolding, or at the most a beating would have sufficed.

Before saying what my mom did, I would like to confess that no matter what, I love my mom, like more than anything in this world.

Unlike the image, i just broke a single egg. Back to the ending. My mom noticed the single egg that broke, after which she took the remaining eggs one by one and broke it. Inside the house. Next room to the kitchen. Right in front of my eyes. (Eggs were cheaper then, 12 rupees a dozen I think). That wasn't the end, she made me clean it. People who haven't cleaned egg from a cemented floor before, believe me when I say this, writing exams are easier.

It nearly took me 3 hours to clean it and still the stench never seemed to reduce, after which I had to use washing powder to cover up the smell. But it just made it worse.

So finally, after a struggle of nearly 4 hours, I was exhausted. The floor was clean but a faint smell of the eggs still remained.

This story has been more of an amusement than a tragedy and honestly this is one effective method to discipline a kid, if you don't want him/her to ever touch an egg again.

Origin of DASH - Not for the faint hearted

If i had a penny for every time someone asked me "What's with the name DASH?", i would have at least earned a hundred dollar note. That's an honest assumption, believe me it is. I've grown tired explaining it to each and every person who inquires about it. So, I've decided to put an end to all the constant badgering with this post.

It was the year 2006, i was in my eighth grade. Playing football with broken sharpeners and the secret chips consumption during classes were the best of times I experienced those days. Nitin, Raju, Abi and many such were within my friends circle. Though i wasn't close enough with many, the bond i shared with them had a meaningful source. To be honest, those guys taught me a great deal that influenced a varied change within me.

Now coming to the point. Some particular day, our section had to attend a two hour computer class. Normally theory classes were taught but the substitute teacher preferred a practical session. The task was to do anything you like and meanwhile the teacher would sit relaxed in his chair. That's the day i created my first email id. The Sign Up page asked for a User Name, and i similar to most new users typed in my name.

asif -- taken

asifahamed -- taken

syedasif -- taken

syedasifahamed -- taken

Those four suggestions alone exhausted me. The guy to my left was Nitin and to my right was, i don't remember. So, i started bugging Nitin for a suggestion, for which he accepted to help after a while. But my new found curiosity over this kept me interrupting him without break.

Another piece of information readers here must know here is that, foul language was forbidden within the campus and certain words were substituted in order to, you know, just scold. One famous word that usually filled in that void was DASH. Many would have guessed it by now, but yet i'm gonna finish this post.

So, the nagging part. My constant irritation bothered him and some creative instinct of his came up with ASIF DASH. Yea, he actually used those exact words to scold me. The ring it gave sounded good to me and ever since Dash stuck on to me as my last name. And hence the origin.

Brotherhood, Sisterhood - It's FAMILY-HOOD

Being the only son never really bothered me much. I had my share of brothers and sisters in the form of cousins. In fact, the share I received was more than what I deserved or even expected. Imagine a dozen (in my case 10 siblings). That's how many were born to my grand father, not a dozen but 10 and later on imagine the children these ten have. I haven't actually counted, but my guess would be roughly around 20. That's the number of brothers and sisters I have.

The love I received from each is paramount. Encouraging me at every step and guiding me through the right path are just a few of what they have done for me. Nothing actually matters when I have them around. A sense of completion is what I actually feel.

Moving on to the fun part. Cricket has special place in our hearts and heads. Being a lot, we never had to bring in other neighbors while playing in the backyard. The age group within us varied but the teams were usually unequally split. Elders on one end and the Youngs on the other. ( Not the best of brothers). Luckily the one player who plays the best, always stuck to us. The fact that he is the youngest of all who played may be surprising to many, but the fact is, he really was the best. We bowled and as per the 'backyard cricket rules' - the best bowled the first over, same applies for batting. I was at a corner supposed to be fielding. The first ball, youngest to the eldest. Clean bowled. The stumps came apart.

That's how good he was with the ball. Moving on to the second eldest(The second batsman). Youngest to the second eldest. Stumps fell again. That was shocker, as the batsman was his own brother. Before moving to the third batsman, introducing the wicket keeper of our team is a must. Currently pursuing dentistry, AZAR (The only cousin's name I'm using today) is a year elder to me. A very enthusiastic guy, even today.

So,the third batsman was on the crease and the youngest ready to bowl. The ball roared,missed the bat, towards the stumps and then came his savior. Azar , our own wicket keeper caught the ball even before it hit the stumps. That wasn't actually the funny part, the funny part is when he yelled "How Is That!!!!!!????" thinking it came off the bats edge.

I'm going to laugh till my stomach aches. Couldn't type anymore.

House of Colors

All i wanted this weekend was a good night sleep for the entire 24 hours within the privacy of my room. But the universe had a different opinion. Universe - "let's put this lad under a roof where screams and cries never come to an end". And here I am at my cousins house fighting for a moments shut eye.

Khichidi and Pudina ka chutney was served at breakfast accompanied with the sweet sound of my ...... ( I don't exactly know the relationship I share with this kid). It seems that her sister tore a part of a calendar he held dear to him for the past five minutes. And that's what started the crying session. There were pauses in between, so that he could catch a breath and start screaming again.

Moving on to the 'calendar tearing' sister. She giggled, as he cried at the top of his voice. That's what he was doing now - screaming not crying. Her giggles aggravated his temper and a war begun.

The only peaceful time I had was the small breaks one gave to recollect their energy, only to start again even mightily. My mind failed to comprehend the taste of whatever I was eating.

This may just be the beginning. I would rather call it the house of sounds.

Life's philosophy

There comes a time when people don't understand what life really is all about. A cousin of mine resently posted a pic on a whatsapp group. It displayed an arrow mark pointing at our solar system within the milky way. This image was just the top half and bore the words, "Are you really here".

Moving on to the bottom half of the pic. It showed a woman writing something and a mountain of papers were behind her. This had the quote "to do this?".

What was I supposed to make of it? I responded with a lol and thought about it a lot. In fact, the pic kept me thinking and baffling even at 2, when all I could hear is the snoring noise of my friends.

That is when the thought stroke, I mean really stroke. What if this was just something to test my ability. Giving upon such small things just makes a person vulnerable and most importantly stupid.

This is what life gives you when you doubt it. Just keep living it and give your best at every chance you get. It's basically Newton's Third Law.