The Survival Expedition

Planet Earth is in serious danger and the astronomers all over the world already sensed it almost a decade ago. According to their estimation, our Earth would collide with an enormous unknown planet, which is several times larger in size and mass, as compared to Earth. All the major space research agencies from across the globe including NASA, ISRO and space organizations from European Union, Israel, China, Japan etc, are working together with full coordination for the survival of the human race. Time is simply running out, as the giant monster is rapidly approaching towards Earth. According to the experts we only have a couple of decades more before the earth would vanish in a second, just like that "BANG"

The astronomers have identified some kind of a savior planet which is about 2 light years away from Earth and they named it “Condo” The scientists firmly believe Condo to be a fertile ground and the humans could possibly survive out there. Already trillions of dollars have already been spent on the savior project and the budget is just endless. Since last decade several expedition were attempted to Condo and they found traces of living beings out there. Human expedition was never attempted before and we are the first to explore Condo. Well, we have been chosen by planet Earth to head exploration into Condo and at present we are simply travelling into space, no idea since how long? We completely lost track of time. Well, time seems to be constant if one moves with almost the speed of light. Also on the way we passed through some black holes and in fact, we traveled much faster than light on such occasions.

Wow! as per the signals, very soon we would land on Condo. I’m so much excited to explore an unknown planet and feel fortunate enough, as the condition out there is pretty much similar to mother Earth. Condo is much brighter and could possibly be within the habitable zone. Oh! I could see the mountains, the seas and the giant waterfalls.  It looks so similar to mother Earth. Even though we are quite exhausted, but pretty much thrilled to finally have a look at Condo.

According to the plan, all of us would have to land at different locations and I was always curious to explore the mountains, the terrains and the rivers. Temperature is quite cold out here and the surrounding is so exotic. The feeling is much more different as compared to all those training sessions, I went through since last several years. I could see some beautiful animals nearby, oh! They look quite friendly. I'm  feeling as if, I’m exploring the most beautiful part of our Earth. I just wish if the entire human race could come and settle out here. But Condo is much smaller and I really don’t have any idea how the authorities are planning for the massive Earth evacuation. 

We were told that the oxygen level would be much lower in Condo and I just removed my mask to experiment. Oh! shit, I couldn’t breathe properly even for a minute. Well, the scientists would have to work out about the oxygen thing. Aha! The birds are so colorful and they have got a wide variety of species out here. Also the butterflies are so colorful and much bigger in size. 

I can’t believe that I’m just walking through a frozen lake. Holy shit! It’s a dreamland. Oh! Condo you’re so amazing. One good thing for planet Earth is that there’s no such powerful and furious species, like the dragons and the dinosaurs in Condo. Everything out here is so fascinating and colorful. But the major challenge for us would be the distance. Its 2 light years from Earth and to bring maximum number of human beings to Condo would be the major challenge. But whatever, it would be so wonderful to start a new civilization in a different and such a fascinating planet. 

I also explored through the stunning and giant caves, but unfortunately couldn't find any special species other than some birds. The gravitational forces at Condo is pretty much similar as compared to mother Earth. There are so many colorful trees all around.

But I still hope that the monstrous planet will not collide with our Earth and the entire living beings would simply continue to survive. Anyways, it would be a wonderful blessing if we could gradually start a new human civilization out here in Condo. How lovely that would be to have two human planets?

Image courtesy: google images


This post is written for Indiblogger’s "I am Explorer!" contest, in association with Tata Safari

                                                         This post won Runners-up for the contest

Me and My Painting

During my childhood days, I think I was in my 7th or 8th standard, when my mom along with few other enthusiastic ladies in town, were pretty much determined and ultimately formed a Mahila Samiti (women organization). As far as I could remember, the organization was not very much into women welfare and all, but they organized hell lot of children extracurricular activities and cultural programs. Everything was perfectly fine, till they started those Sunday morning yoga/drawing classes. The classes were being conducted at a nearby school and OMG! it was such a torture for me. As my mom was an active member of the Mahila Samiti,  I couldn’t have bunked those classes. In fact, she used to take me with her a little earlier. At least, yoga session was little fun, but immediately after that we had to attend our art lecture.

My association with drawing and painting was simply horrible and I usually used to get highly tensed during my science exams, whenever I used to come across questions like “Explain with neat and clean diagram” I remember one incident in the art school when our art teacher asked us to draw a mango. I tried to imagine the shape of a mango and sometimes all of a sudden it used to appear in my mind, but only for fraction of a second and then used to disappear instantly.  I tried a lot to have kept the mango image inside my head for a little longer, but all my struggle simply went in vain. Ultimately somehow I drew something, but my teacher said that it looked more like an apple. Even though I was quite disappointed, but I had to console myself and wondered "It's OK, at least I could draw a fruit. Well, a fruit is a fruit and whether apple or mango, how does it matter anyway?

Immediately after the drawing class, we used to rush to our houses to watch the great Mahabharata TV soap on doordarshan at 9 am. After Mahabharata we usually used to play cricket match at one playground or the other. My drawing torture was not only limited to early morning Sunday classes, but I even had to participate in the drawing competitions as well, especially whenever it was conducted by the Mahila Samiti. During those days, one of my elder cousin brothers Rana Bhai, visited us after his 10th final exams. He stayed with us for almost a couple of weeks and Rana Bhai was not only brilliant in his studies, he also had excellent hands in painting as well. One day my mom asked him to draw a beautiful painting, so that she could have placed it inside the showcase. One afternoon after I returned from my school, I was totally amazed to see a stunning painting inside our showcase. It was an early morning painting and the sky color looked so glorious. The painting was in fact, quite simple and it only had a small hut, a coconut tree and few bushes. The cool part was that everything was colored completely black. Well, that's what they really look like at dawn.

I was so impressed with that painting and seriously wanted to try it out by myself. I asked my cousin brother "How you created such kind of a masterpiece and it looks so simple"

He replied "Yes, it’s actually very simple and the sky color did all the magic. I applied red and blue for that pinkish kind of effect and then, little red and green for the yellowish effect. Also a little bit of red and yellow for the orange effect.  Finally I applied the white color for those clouds. It's all about how you mix the colors"

Wow! The sky looked so amazing and colorful. My cousin taught me how to mix those colors and how casually we need to apply the brush. To be honest, It wasn't very difficult for me and on my very first attempt, I could create almost 40 to 50% of that kind of colorful magical sky. I was so much delighted and later experimented with the same painting, a couple of times more. My mom was so proud of me that time and said "See, if you try you could also make beautiful painting"

One day, I drew the same painting in one of the art competition and everyone was stunned to look at my creation. I noticed that few people gathered in front of me while I was creating my masterpiece. That day, for the first time in my life, I received first prize award in any drawing competition. Oh! I was so happy that moment. After a couple of weeks I tried the same painting in an another drawing competition. As we used to live in a small town, usually in all such competitions we used to see familiar faces, including the jury members as well. Even though, I was able to mix the colors artistically that day also and many people even liked it, but I received second prize that day. 

After few more weeks I again participated in yet another such kind of a competition. After I looked at the panelists, I thought to draw something else that particular day. But my painting creativity was only limited to early morning sky and I just went for it. Again I created a beautiful masterpiece and while I was busy with my brush, I heard few whispers nearby “Eeee, again, the same painting” I was little embarrassed that moment, but my painting could still manage the third prize. After that competition, I seriously decided that  I already had enough with my favorite painting and from that day onward, I never participated in any of the drawing competitions. Also I never ever tried to create the same masterpiece again. Last time I went home, I saw the same original painting drawn by my cousin, inside that same old showcase and whenever I use to see that thing, I somehow get a little nostalgic.

Healthy Breakfast

Sometimes all of a sudden my wife becomes very conscious about her regular diets. Forget about breakfast, even at dinner she use to take Daliya during those few days. That time I usually have the feeling that might be her favorite dress doesn't perfectly fit her any longer. Being a doctor, she use to give me all sorts of healthy diet gyaans and always try to convince me to go for a master health checkup, but I’m too lazy or maybe I just want to hide away from the reality. Few times I had to forcefully try out Daliya for dinner, as I didn't even have the option, so that I could have cooked my own food. Now what more to say about Daliya? In simple words it's horribly yuck and sucks like hell. 

Even though it’s extremely difficult for us to manage time to enjoy our breakfast at home during the weekdays, but Anjali somehow manage it sometimes. She really enjoy corn flakes a lot, but it’s kind of torture for me. I still remember how I survived my childhood days with that pathetic smell of milk and I think that’s enough for a lifetime. She also likes oatmeal a lot and my goodness! It looks so ugly and even the taste is so terrible. I’ve seen in TV and also in some magazines that oatmeal is one of the best healthy breakfasts. Sometimes I get very disappointed with my tongue and wonder "Why it has to be so stringent?" Later my wife suggested me to try Masala Oats and it tastes much better than its earlier version. But still I feel so miserable whenever I had to put those damn things inside my mouth and I usually try hard to bypass the tongue in between.

I usually have breakfast at office cafeteria and they have quite limited stuffs out there. I’m already matured enough to take care of my health and try hard to eat healthy. Sometimes I take only fruit bowl from the counter for breakfast. Even though I like fruits a lot, but only fruits at morning time irritates my tongue a bit and I again go to the counter to get myself either dosa or idly vada. So I had to avoid fruit bowl, or else I end up consuming much more than my normal breakfast capacity.

Every morning whenever I look at those fruits at the cafeteria, every time I look at those corn flakes and oatmeal at home, I get to worry a little about my health. But on every occasion I somehow convince myself that it’s better to eat something rather than starving. 

I’ve been consuming idli vada since so many years and it’s high time I should look for other alternatives, as I fear that very soon I myself would turn into some kind of a giant idly.