The Road More Taken.

The Road More Taken.

This time i have made a twister of Robert Frost's 'The road not taken'.... but on a bit serious note this time...this one i feel depicts the state of mind that many of us might have gone through . ( Twister is a trademark name of supro... given to this form of poetry where he twists the original poem of a deserving poet... with due respect to them!). The moral from this poem is the same as that of Frost's original- 'drop out of the rat race, follow your heart,your mind.'

Two roads diverged after class tenth ,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one topper, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where engineering went into the MBA froth.


Then looked at the other, of social and arts affairs,
And having it seemed much lesser fame,
Because it was rocky and took no care;
Though as for that who had passed from there
were heard to be happy about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
Indeed no one had ever trodden back.
Oh, I left the second for more money and fame!
Yet knowing I would thrive in the second way,
I repented I would never come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in my mind, and I—
I took the one more traveled by,
And that has made NO difference in life.

-Supro Antifreeze

Again for the reader's to compare here is the original:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost.

If by Supro-yard Ship-in

This time i thought i'd have some fun with Sir Rudyard! I suggest u first read the original poem below this one.... u'll enjoy more then i think... :D
If

If you can keep to your bed at 8 when all about you
Are leaving their’s and plead the same to you;
If you cannot trust your books and all the profs doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can doze and not be tired by dozing ,
Or, can lie about and don't deal in cries,
Or, being loved, don't give way to her spending,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;


If you do not dream and can grab reality faster;
If you do not think – and fully cram your brain ;
If you can meet with lectures and labs
And treat those two dementors just the same;
If you can bear to see the marks you've grown
squeezed dry further by the prof to make you look like a helpless fool,
Or watch the grades you never gave a damn to worsen,
And rise above and push'em down further with nonchalant cool;


If you can make one small pouch of all your failures
And fling it away on any given day like a garbage toss,
And choose, to make a new such pouch again… grinning
And brag to one n all about your flaws;
If you can force your friend or girl and the waiter
To serve your drink long after your senses are gone,
And so not control even when you feel nothing in your head,
Except the Bill which says to it: "Hold on!!";


If you can talk to girls without wearing a mask of virtue,
Or walk with them and still not lose your common sense;
If neither a book nor the mess cook can hurt you;
If all men count for you, but none as much as that present crush;
If you can fill the unforgiving lecture
With sixty minutes' worth of blissful nap -
Yours is the pleasure that no one else can measure,
And - which is more - you'll be an engineering grad. my son!

---SUPRO-YARD SHIP-IN

Again for readers to compare and enjoy... i'll post the original poem. ( it has d trademark chauvinist touch of kipling which we all love to hate... isnt it? )

If

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

It's reported that...

this story got the 1st position in my college's story writing contests. the story was designed as a newspaper columns. couldn't do it here...

“It’s reported that…”

The Hartford Courant
Sunday, Jan 1, 2000


Murder in Hartford.


Tues, Hartford: 22 Yr old David Klux was found murdered in his dormitory room last night. David was shot in his stomach while he was strolling alone in the university gardens of Connecticut University. He was pursuing his bachelor’s degree in law here. Police as of now seem to have no clue about the murderer. The place where David was shot is just a stone’s throw away from his ground floor room. A proven athlete, he tried to save himself and staggered towards his room. He kept losing blood all the time as the blood trails show. His personal belongings like his watch, an open Swiss knife, his necklace were strewn across his study table. The police detective in charge of the case, Mr. Harris O’Neal is of the view that the victim sensing his death was near, proceeded to write a note as he may not have been In a position to scream for help. The note although was written in some code and doesn’t help. Hence it’s construed that David was trying to pass the message exclusively to someone. Police are reluctant to divulge the code but our special correspondent Jim Baker (of the Maryland murder case fame) has come up with yet another of his exclusive reports. He reports David supposedly wrote 999SSIW on his note. After much persuasion, detective O’Neal has confirmed that the code or rather Mr. Klux’s last letters were indeed that extraordinary.



























The Hartford Courant
Wednesday, Jan 5, 2000

Hartford: Following up on the Connecticut University murder case, the police have issued a statement that they do have one or two suspects in connection with the murder of student David Klux on New Year’s Eve. It’s reported that Mr. Klux was a complete loner and was found either strolling alone after dark in the university gardens or in his room and seldom opened his room after sunset even when knocked and never let anyone enter his room. Although it’s reported that he did have a girl friend called Alicia Rubens whom he occasionally used to meet alone in and around Hartford. Alicia is a history graduate pursuing her masters in UConn. Sources inside point out that during intense questioning Alicia broke down and told them that her relationship with David had always been joyful but lately he had become insecure about her after he came to know that Felix Shepherd, his rival in athletics had made a pass on her and was actually pursuing her. It’s rumored that the police have Mr. Shepherd as one of the prime suspects. But his business school principal says, in his own words, “Felix would be the last man on earth to do such a thing. He has an impeccable career record in both sports and academics and Klux maybe was just one envious rival of his among many others. Moreover Shepherd has an even better character and discipline record. Shepherd always participated in charity and help camps for the old and unprivileged.” Mr. Shepherd has made himself completely available to police investigation. The police report that he is cooperating to his best. Police have also reported that Klux’s only close friend in college Ariel Judas is absconding. The police have mounted a nation wide search for him.
Note: An input from the scene of crime came in yesterday that a half empty can of insect repellant was also found under the table in the room of the victim.

After 8 years…

Jan 2008.


And as many a times it happens in this big bad world, David Klux met with his death on 31st Dec, 1999 just before midnight, but the murderer was never found.


Mr. Felix Shepherd got his business school degree with distinction. He joined state politics, is presently Hartford’s youngest senator and is rumored to become one of the youngest governors Connecticut has ever had in the coming elections. Miss Alicia Rubens too got over her misfortune and is today happily married to a doctor and a proud mother of two baby boys.

The world was looking as blissful as ever in Hartford to say in short… until a sealed envelope dropped into the Hartford constabulary on a chilly January morning. It contained a letter and some photographs. The letter read as follows…

The Chief of Police,
Hartford Constabulary.
Jan 6, 2008.

Sir,

I am the son of Officer Peter Blake who passed away about two months ago due to cancer if you remember. Despite my father’s wish that his personal brief case of case memoirs be buried along with him, I decided against it and you will agree it has not been a disheartening decision, as I will show you. I am myself planning to join the force and am currently training in the police academy. Sir, almost all the cases that my dad wrote about bear resemblance with what happened in public and who were convicted. There are some inside stories in some of the cases, but they do not affect the larger outcome of the case. Except in one case in which I feel there is some discrepancy.

This is in connection with the murder of Mr. David Klux at around midnight of 31 Dec 1999. My dad was a crime scene photographer. The photograph I have enclosed shows something that did not reach the case files in the constabulary. It shows that Klux had drawn three intertwined 6’s with his blood on the table. It’s pretty well known that 666 is regarded as the devil’s sign in pagan circles. I carried out some investigations and met Mr. Klux’s only friend in college and one who knew him best, Mr. Ariel Meyer Judas who was also a suspect in the case but was acquitted due to lack of evidence. Mr. Judas in a slightly inebriated but conscious state, revealed that he, David and Alicia were practitioners of paganism and worshipped pagan gods. Alicia, he added as an afterthought practiced dark Paganism and worshipped the Devil himself. Mr. Judas also said in a light mood that hence they used to taunt Alicia by calling her miss666.

My dad’s memoirs also point out to another fact that Mr. Judas did not reveal, that detective O’Neal was the fourth member of this small and exclusive pagan group in Hartford. He persuaded my father to let this one photograph not be shown to the investigating team, as he would not like the paganism involved to trivialize the matter. My dad got the hint that this was not the actual reason, he had protested but then dad and O’Neal had been best friends since they were kids. Although he could not stop himself from writing the truth in his memoirs.

Finally I would like to point out to you just two facts that stand out even today after 8 years.
One, the code that David Klux had scribbled last – 999SSIW would look MISS666 when turned upside down. All the photographs taken by my dad too surprisingly show it only from one side! No doubt a small manipulation on Mr. O’Neal’s part.
Secondly, point to note is that Mrs. Alicia Rubens Shelburne is an asthma patient. Her medical record in Saint Francis hospital shows she has damaged lungs due to accidental chemical abuse. Further probe tells that its allethrin abuse. Allethrin is the predominant chemical used in insect repellants. She first reported an attack on 6 Jan, 2000. Just 6 days after Klux’s murder.

The case files tell that a new but used insect repellant bottle with David’s fingerprints was found in evidence if you recall from the crime scene. Only conclusion can be that he had bought it that day, and used it as his last defense.

Yours sincerely,
James Blake
Undergraduate student,
Hartford Police Academy.
(East Hartford Division)


The Hartford Courant
Wednesday, Jan 9, 2008


Hartford: Mrs. Alicia Rubens Shelburne, a resident of Burnside Avenue was arrested yesterday and charged with the murder of Mr. David Klux on 31st Dec, 1999. It’s reported that police have found conclusive evidence against Mrs. Shelburne. Our special correspondent Jim Baker has come up with the first hand exclusive report that when Mrs. Shelburne was handcuffed and was being taken out of her home, she appeared pale and hysteric. She was apparently screaming these lines, “ David had to die! You morons! I had to kill him! I had to kill him on the last night of 99 you fools! You don’t get me! My Lord had ordered me to do it! David was His son. He wanted David back or else he wouldn’t have let the New Millennium to begin! You all owe me your lives, you morons! He will make all of you pay… mark my words!

It’s reported that Mrs. Shelburne passed out after this and is still in a state of coma. She has been admitted in Hartford’s Saint Francis hospital.
The Hartford Courant
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Hartford: Alicia Rubens Shelburne, the alleged murderer of David Klux in 1999, passed away here in St. Francis Hospital on Friday, 6th June, 2008 being in a state of coma till her death. It’s reported that she passed away at 6 pm in the evening.

- Suproteek Chowdhury.
II yr, Mech. MIT

Cost of Victory

Don’t know why all today
Just so much do expect,
For all that I now know
There is this congenital flaw,
That success, is to reach
The top however steep,
At the cost of love and peace,
This victory is defeat.

Making money all the way
You think that makes you best?
For all that you do care,
Is how to never have to share,
You grind your worker in the mill,
Flog the farmer while he tills,
Am the lord think you will,
And still hone your skill to kill.

When the Fuehrer made foray,
Put his guns and men to test,
Tore all that he could see,
Crushing who dared to cry and plea.
With only London left to fall,
He sought to rule the world,
He had to lose it all
And history will repeat.


When ends the long day,
The victor’s left with no respect
For all that he now has
Like a hollow empty vase
With no flowers in within,
Is a soul so shallow thin,
He can grin and say,” I win!”
But this victory is a sin.

This is all that I can say,
One day as you try to rest,
You’ll hear a voice inside,
Which in every heart resides.
Will ask you only this,
What you won and what you lost?
Did you make of life the most?
Was it worth to pay the cost?

Dont take it too seriously!!

wrote this article for our kali puja magazine,for kali puja oct,2007,mit,manipal. TODAY'S KALI GONE DRUNK??!!...

oh and dont take me as a chauvinist!... it's just that i was concentrating on a women centric issue...

GROWING ALCOHOLISM IN TODAY'S INDIAN GIRL .

* If i am going to follow a god,why would i follow a god of my creation?that would be an alcoholic,idiot jerk god! - William.j.blake*

Today india is witnessing an era of the empowered indian women,the independent,self confident,financially secure Indian girl who has everything in her and nothing can stop her from success.Men,first looked at them with contempt and neglect,then envy and today with reluctant and hesitant respect.Even that will fade away and soon the divide between them will melt away.Today's urban indian girl is the real incarnation of Kali Ma,she is the epitome of power,self assertion and actually she doesnt care to apologise and show her tongue when she has comperehensively drubbed and stepped over the Shivas of today and yesterday alike...she has earned her place on top of men,why should she be embarrased? But then comes the universal law into action,that "He (rather she!!) who has power fancies the consequences of its abuse and corruption"..... I am talking of this new evil that has crept in ,amidst the middle class urban indian young women,the power is her financial stability,her strong personality and the corruption is ALCOHOLISM. For years it was believed that hard drinking and men went together,but a survey conducted by bangalore's NIMHANS in 2005 found that drinking pattern or the age of starting drinking (about 20 years)....was not at all different between men and women of urban india.Young modern indian girls want to break barriers and experiment.With job comes the money,,,and the evils along with it follow. Moreover in case of girls,a date,or her male colleagues are eager to pay for her drinks to her fill.This goes on and she never comes to know when she got hooked.And then ends up one day in the hospital,if its not too late already. In many cases the story never stops at drinks,addiction passes over to drugs and then the final "the end".And where the story starts?for the section of women and girls i am talking about in 90% cases it all starts with a harmless night out with friends and just a peg of beer or vodka,just to chill,just to change your mood yaar!Sensible girls of today just need to be told that thats the beginning of the end. But there's alway a streak of light in the darkness,the scene is not so bleak.One of the best solutions to reform alcoholic women is to persuade them to women's alcoholics anonymous groups or women specific rehab centres to combat the problem as well as respect a woman's need for privacy.Women alcoholics face greater social ostracism than men.They dont come out in the open for the fear of being branded as immoral.In most cases there's no support from peers or family. Our society,our indian girls-today's Kali,have to realise that alcoholism is a DISEASE that knows no caste creed or sex!The sooner people stop denying this the better, And then India will have its true Kali and Durga in every nook and corner propelling her nation to prosperity,strength,success and most importantly peace,happiness and serenity.

" Alcohol is a very patient drug,it will wait for the alcoholic to pick it up one more time "

" When a women drinks,its as if a child were drinking.Alcoholism is scandalous in women and a serious matter,its a slur on the divine in our nature"* - Marguerite Duras

(Technical information courtesy the Times Of India,Nov 2007)

Six years ago... just yesterday.

Six years ago, things suddenly started to fall out of place on what was otherwise a routine boring day of homeworks,tuition and misery.
date: 27th feb,2002. time: 8.30pm.
place: Chandkheda,Ahmedabad,(Gujarat)
I was returning from my maths tuition,(I used to learn from an aunty in my colony) lost in thoughts about how to dethrone the class topper,Monika Tanwar and wondering if i was destined to remain in the 2nd place forever in school! The flickering yellow colony street lamps blinked repeatedly upon me as if echoing the uncertainty in my psyche. I had almost reached home(rather duplex,dingy quarters)...when i suddenly stopped in my tracks.The kind and loving Dhiren bhaiya,our neighbour was sitting on the stairs with a friend of his.On seeing me he quickly tucked the thing inside his belt and pulled over his shirt and beamed his trademark 'half open' smile.I didnt return it.There could not be a mistake, i had caught the metal's shine.It was a 8-9 inch long small sword. "kahan? tuition se?" he asked.I looked at him straight and asked point blank," why are you carrying that bhaiya?i saw it".Keeping a firm hand on my shoulder he said in a low tone that was so grave that i almost choked,"Go home,it seems you dont know...see the news,you wont ask silly questions then".The nice,fun loving 22year old cool gujarati guy,who kept on bowling tirelessly,while we kids exploited his generousity by batting all the time,every evening.... had suddenly changed.Shocked, i ran upstairs to my quarter and flicked on the T.V while yelling,"Ma khobore ki daekhacche?"(Mom,whats on news?)....
Do you need to be told further?..... the whole country knew .... Gujarat, d almost crimeless,peaceful, safe state of Gujarat was no more so.... at least for coming 6 months.

Stopping by the grass on a sunday morning

Scribbled this while chewing my pen cap over a maths assignment,was my first attempt this semester to 'try' do an assignment myself (i knew i would copy it later anyway). The dire state of the cap was analogous to my brain's state within, and i wondered how nice it would have been were the pen cap to be a releiving roll of smoking grass! suddenly an urge overcame me to tease dear Mr.frost. (P.S have never tried grass,smack,hashish,ganja!... but we can all guess what it's like). That was yesterday morning,sunday 24th feb,2008. here goes...





Stopping by the grass on a sunday morning.




Which books these are i think i know.

their place is not on my table, though;

no one saw me ever near

the library or the campus book store.

My dear friends must think it queer

" He only smiles and never fears!

between the C and frozen F

his grades remain year after year. "



They stop me,give me a nasty shake,

to ask if i am a big mistake!

The only other sound's the sweep

of the yelling prof. ... my life's at stake.


The books are lovely white n black,

But i want my shots of grass or smack,

And miles i fly reeling forth n back,

and miles i fly reeling forth n back.

ladies n gentlemen, " Stopping by the 'grass' on a sunday morning"... by Supro Antifreeze.
(No offence meant to dear Mr.Frost, i remain his fan forever). As a tribute and for reader's to compare and enjoy, am also posting the original poem. Its one of my favourites.

Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there's some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.


The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.




-Robert Frost

I ASK THEE...

Wrote this poem in my college event,Pendemonium 2008. This one got placed third.

I Ask Thee…

Another son…
Another child of yours
Went to sleep tonight
Never again he rose,
A warm bullet filling his weary heart
In a foreign land from a foreign hand
His breath had come to close.

The man atop the white house though
Another child of yours…(I suppose so!)
Has the right to mount death after death
The reason he can give at best,
You kill them or they kill you next!
And so his soldiers to hell they throng
It’s not their’s to question right or wrong!
To the motherland their souls belong.

One day when these sons of your’s
Come and knock at your doors
With pleading eyes and open arms
When they fall to their knees
And cry, I ASK THEE!
What will you utter then?

What will you say ask when they
What ends did my death make meet?
How many more of my brothers will too,
Breathe their last without a name?
I ask thee, why this game?
Where I play to live,
And the king lives to play?

I ask thee! Why today I feel,
For what did we so sweat and bleed?
To make our children live happy and free?
To make my home safe, in peace?
Or…Just to tame the Devil’s greed?

-Supro.