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[storyofsouls]

Faded memories of cycling …

On my mother’s loft in her home that is currently under lock and key (she’s been staying with me all through Covid) is the frame of a racer cycle I had in the 1980s. It’s a Marco Polo bike. Of Dutch origin, I think, or English...

On my mother’s loft in her home that is currently under lock and key (she’s been staying with me all through Covid) is the frame of a racer cycle I had in the 1980s. It’s a Marco Polo bike. Of Dutch origin, I think, or English. Light as a feather. And fitted with accessories that back in the day were unavailable for love or money but could be got through the beg-borrow-steal practice. I was training to enter racing at the state and national levels. That didn’t happen. But the cycle remains with me. On World Cycling Day, yesterday, I thought of it. The frame, some black-and-white pictures, are all I have to remind me of cycling back then.The most prestigious race in the country was the 160-km Bombay-Poona that was in January. It also had prize money for the first three cyclists to reach Panvel and then Khopoli and Talegaon. The route was the old National Highway 66. With a special and coveted prize for the cyclist who conquered the treacherous Bhor Ghats first and entered Khandala. The champion cyclists then were a group of Parsi boys from Bombay and a couple of gritty cyclists from Poona. Punjab had arguably the best cyclists in the country but they reserved their stamina and saved their cycles for the Nationals at Patiala and never entered the Bombay-Poona.

[storyofsouls]

Faded memories of cycling …

On my mother’s loft in her home that is currently under lock and key (she’s been staying with me all through Covid) is the frame of a racer cycle I had in the 1980s. It’s a Marco Polo bike. Of Dutch origin, I think, or English...

On my mother’s loft in her home that is currently under lock and key (she’s been staying with me all through Covid) is the frame of a racer cycle I had in the 1980s. It’s a Marco Polo bike. Of Dutch origin, I think, or English. Light as a feather. And fitted with accessories that back in the day were unavailable for love or money but could be got through the beg-borrow-steal practice. I was training to enter racing at the state and national levels. That didn’t happen. But the cycle remains with me. On World Cycling Day, yesterday, I thought of it. The frame, some black-and-white pictures, are all I have to remind me of cycling back then.The most prestigious race in the country was the 160-km Bombay-Poona that was in January. It also had prize money for the first three cyclists to reach Panvel and then Khopoli and Talegaon. The route was the old National Highway 66. With a special and coveted prize for the cyclist who conquered the treacherous Bhor Ghats first and entered Khandala. The champion cyclists then were a group of Parsi boys from Bombay and a couple of gritty cyclists from Poona. Punjab had arguably the best cyclists in the country but they reserved their stamina and saved their cycles for the Nationals at Patiala and never entered the Bombay-Poona.

[storyofsouls]

Phantom cigarette, anybody?

Does anybody remember Phantom Sweet Cigarettes? In the 70s, it was manly for Phantom cigarette, anybody? a boy to strut around with one of these ciggies in the mouth. Like Amitabh Bachchan and his half-chewed beedi in ‘Deewar’. They...

Does anybody remember Phantom Sweet Cigarettes? In the 70s, it was manly for Phantom cigarette, anybody? a boy to strut around with one of these ciggies in the mouth. Like Amitabh Bachchan and his half-chewed beedi in ‘Deewar’. They weren’t tobacco-stuffed cigarettes, of course. Just white candy sticks made of chalky sugar with a red tip that looked like the real thing. They were sickly sweet. But popular. As far as my pocket money could stretch, I was Phantom cigarette addict. Not because of Mr. Bachchan’s swag, but because of all the masked and caped comic book superheroes back then – the Phantom was my favourite. Associating with the brand made me feel proud, indeed.The Phantom, however, in all his jungle adventures by Lee Falk, never smoked. Nor did he drink. He wasn’t into sweets, too. But I thought it was cool to appear with a packet of Phantoms. And to offer them around as grownups did. By the time I learned that sugar candy was as harmful as, say, a cigarette,

[storyofsouls]

Rainy days and the radio

And on this Sunday, when it is raining and there are no cricket matches on TV, I've rekindled my acquaintance with the good old radio. Or, more precisely, the transistor. I come from a generation that grew up before television was there in our...

And on this Sunday, when it is raining and there are no cricket matches on TV, I’ve rekindled my acquaintance with the good old radio.

Or, more precisely, the transistor. I come from a generation that grew up before television was there in our living rooms. And the Murphy Radio was the pinnacle of indoor entertainment. It had six valves and a green magic eye or tuning indicator that would miraculously light up when the radio was ready to receive an audio frequency transmission. It only had two bands, Medium Wave and Short Wave,  All India Radio station operated both of them. Vividh Bharti’s list of Hindi film music was Medium Wave.

It began at 6.30 a.m. and ended at midnight with a programme called ‘Bela Ke Phool.’ Throughout the day, it broadcast programmes with titles like ‘Chhayageet,’ ‘Manoranjan,’ and ‘Chitrapat Sangeet.’

[storyofsouls]

The belief in Faith

The Universe is standing by 24/7. Be needy if you need to be. Shout. Whisper. Don’t let up. Get up and ask Life for guidance tomorrow and for all tomorrows. Pray to whomever you pray to. The faith of your family, the God you trust, Mother...

The Universe is standing by 24/7. Be needy if you need to be. Shout. Whisper. Don’t let up. Get up and ask Life for guidance tomorrow and for all tomorrows. Pray to whomever you pray to. The faith of your family, the God you trust, Mother Nature, your parent on the other side, angels, the Universe. And believe that they are not only waiting for your call, but they exist to assist, support, guide and cheer you on. Your needs are the vocation of these forces. That’s faith. And it’s been known to move mountains.

[storyofsouls]

Choose your battles wisely

Fate is a great equalizer… … Knowing you are alone in the custody of the judicial system, despite your commitment to stay with those who said they would be by your side no matter what must be dreadful. A remand in police custody is only...

Fate is a great equalizer… … Knowing you are alone in the custody of the judicial system, despite your commitment to stay with those who said they would be by your side no matter what must be dreadful. A remand in police custody is only marginally less humiliating than being at the mercy of the courts. Interrogating the accused at odd hours and denying sleep is the way many crimes are solved. And it is this sentence that the Alibaug Police is seeking in Raigad Court. To be aware that you are out of your depth here, because the judicial deprives the security of your studio, the familiarity of your chamchas running around in servitude, The ‘Yes Men’ who appear on your show and let you speak freely – for a price, of course. You don’t even have a cell phone and don’t have any backup. You can’t even speak with your lawyers. To wait for news on your case: You are The News!

[storyofsouls]

Sad Love Story | When love becomes angry on Humans

Sad Love story | When love becomes angry on Humans I wish I could see your soul, the way they describe it. Hear your eyes talk, see as honey spilt out of them. I wish you didn't have to shy away. Really I wish, "I didn't have to shy away."...

Sad Love story | When love becomes angry on Humans

I wish I could see your soul, the way they describe it. Hear your eyes talk, see as honey spilt out of them. I wish you didn’t have to shy away. Really I wish, “I didn’t have to shy away.” Wishing I never loved you so I could look into your eyes again. The sad ending of this beautiful love story! If you wanna know more read this pure yet sad love story.

Flashback

‘Rati, Eros, Aphrodite, Hathor, Parvati, Venus, Amor I don’t know who but the god of love was so angry at humans they decided to curse us. We’ve been so lucky we were born and raised in a world where people knew, but the number of people that died from the lover’s culling.

Mom lost her parents to it so don’t you even dare think about it. You can’t just throw your life away for ‘love’, yeah kind of sad love story which never stay. We have to live Megumi. You have to live.’ Megumi remembered the ironic words of her sister as she slipped a red rose onto the casket. She could now look into the eyes of her brother-in-law, feeling nothing but jealousy and hatred for him. “You sucked the life out of her,” she said with a quaky voice. “Why would you do that?” tears wouldn’t stop flowing, she kept shouting and pushing away anyone who came near her. It was such a hazy moment, as she recalls her sister’s sad love story.

On the way back

She was taken back home, her mom muttering small prayers the entire time. The stepfather driving in silence, as she drowned herself in music. Nothing seemed real to her anymore. She kept cursing the gods and humans, but mostly herself, for being too attached. Megumi decides to hate everything, her mom, her stepfather, and all her friends. Now, She will just love herself, stare into her own lonely ghostly eyes. There is no love story gonna happen in my life, decided Megumi.

[storyofsouls]

Don’t carry negativity

Do you know what is the biggest barrier ever, to living a good life? Negative thinking. It steals our joy and keeps us busy doing absolutely nothing. When we spend time worrying, we’re simply using our imagination to create experiences we...

Do you know what is the biggest barrier ever, to living a good life? Negative thinking. It steals our joy and keeps us busy doing absolutely nothing.

When we spend time worrying, we’re simply using our imagination to create experiences we don’t want. Often, we complicate life

beyond what it is. All our battles are won from the inside. The mind is our battleground. Half of the things we feared eventually didn’t happen.  

If we allow self-defeating thoughts to dwell in our minds, they will rob us of peace, joy, productivity, and meaning. You are what you think. It is impossible to change anything in your life if you haven’t changed your mindset.

[storyofsouls]

…A lesson from the Goalkeeper

There are so many goalkeeper on the field of life whose goalposts we enthusiastically defend. However, when the situation turns like fog, they walk off the field and leave us alone. That is what happened during a December 1937 football...

There are so many goalkeeper on the field of life whose goalposts we enthusiastically defend. However, when the situation turns like fog, they walk off the field and leave us alone.

That is what happened during a December 1937 football match between Chelsea and Charlton football teams at the Stamford Bridge Stadium in London. The teams called off the match in the 60th minute, because of severe fog. But, Charlton’s famed goalkeeper Sam Bartram kept guarding the goal 15 minutes even after the game had ended. This happened because Bartram could not hear the referee’s whistle, as the crowd behind his goal post was noisy.

Bartram stood there, arms outstretched, utterly focused and gazing forward. He did not want the opponent’s attempts at his goalpost to shock him.

The stadium police reached him fifteen minutes later and informed him that the game had been called off. That is when Bartram sighed and muttered, “How unfortunate that my buddies forgot me while I was guarding their goal post.”

He mistook his team, Charlton, for attacking Chelsea and preventing the opposing team from getting close to the goal post. What you learn from the story is that you should never abandon the person who is manning your goal post. Always take care of the goalkeepers in your life.

[storyofsouls]

…Don’t argue with the Donkey

The Donkey said to the Tiger: “The grass is blue.” The Tiger replies: “No, the grass is green.” Their discussion heated up. So they submitted it to arbitration before the Lion, the King of the Jungle. Even Before reaching the clearing...

The Donkey said to the Tiger: “The grass is blue.” The Tiger replies: “No, the grass is green.” Their discussion heated up. So they submitted it to arbitration before the Lion, the King of the Jungle. Even Before reaching the clearing where the Lion king was sitting on his throne, the Donkey shouted out loud: “Your Majesty, the grass is blue, right?” The Lion responded: “Yes, you’re correct, the grass is blue.”

The Donkey continues: “The Tiger contradicts and annoys me, please punish him.” The Lion punishes the Tiger with 5 years of silence. The Donkey cheerfully went on his way repeating: “The grass is blue.” The Tiger accepts his punishment, but asks the Lion: “Your Majesty, why have you punished me? Everyone knows the grass is green.” The Lion says: “Yes, you’re very true but you are being punished because a brave and intelligent creature like you wasted time arguing with a Donkey and, on top of that, bothered me with a silly  question that doesn’t even deserve attention”

The worst way to waste your precious time is to argue with the fool and fanatic who is least bothered about truth or reality but believes only in his own beliefs and unrealistic illusions. Don’t involve yourselves in pointless arguments. There are people who, no matter how much evidence we present them, are not in the capacity to understand, and others are blinded by ego, hatred, as well as resentment. All they want is to be right even if they are not. When ignorance screams, intelligence is silent. Your peace and quiet are worth more.

[storyofsouls]

I once loved living near the ocean, walking by it, listening to it. Now I find myself not caring if I ever see it again, but I do feel differently about you. Is it your voice, I would rather hear, your eyes, I want to drown within, your...

I once loved living near the ocean, walking by it, listening to it. Now I find myself not caring if I ever see it again, but I do feel differently about you. Is it your voice, I would rather hear, your eyes, I want to drown within, your limpid pools of blue. Am I to feel this way, referring to what I have revealed? I could have kept it to myself as so many other thoughts and feelings I have at one time or another. All of which I long to remain secretive. It is my way of protecting you from the stark reality of it all. All of which I want not for you to be aware of, All of which may cause you irreparable harm. A whisper of a touch, and I am left with a subtle remembrance. Was she to have seen me gazing into her eyes, momentarily, as it may have been… But to have found myself drowning within them where only teardrops are formed and silently wept. And I to have captured the moment within a memory woven onto an increment of time… Would she have ever recalled it? Perhaps, if she found the matter somewhat of importance. Otherwise, it will have failed and faded away into

[storyofsouls]

Don’t believe everything on Social Media

Everything on Social Media Remember one thing just because something has been there on social media, doesn’t make it true. Many times social media has created feelings of jealousy over illusions. People envy things, lifestyles, and...

Everything on Social Media

Remember one thing just because something has been there on social media, doesn’t make it true. Many times social media has created feelings of jealousy over illusions.  People envy things, lifestyles, and relationships of others on social media even when they might not be even true or really happening. I agree that social media has provided people with one platform where they are able to share their thoughts, views, and opinions. But people need to understand that they should not compare their life or lifestyle with things they view they see on social media posts. Don’t get demoralized or influenced by the social media feeds of others.

There are ups and downs in life and no one’s life is perfect. Have you observed that no one prefers to post their failures on social media? You must not get sways away by the likes on people’s posts. Nor should you compare yourself with them or try to imitate them. Don’t let them sway you away from your family, and responsibilities. Do not allow these things to affect your mental health and peace. You just are yourself. Social media is a platform and a community and everyone here can be an asset, but don’t believe in everything blindfold.

Read More :-  Don’t believe everything on Social Media

[storyofsouls]

A lesson from Dalai Lama

Have you ever observed children, they fight but they hardly speak or show ill feelings towards each other, as adults do. Adults are at an advantage in terms of education in comparison to children. But what is the use of such education when they...

Have you ever observed children, they fight but they hardly speak or show ill feelings towards each other, as adults do. Adults are at an advantage in terms of education in comparison to children. But what is the use of such education when they display negative feelings deep inside them for others? Children don’t behave the way adults do, If they are angry with someone they show their anger and the negative finishes. They fight with each other but still play together the next day. Old friends may leave but new friends come into life. It is similar to a day when a day passes away and a new day comes the next day. Similarly, friends come and go, it is important to make meaningful friends.

Dalai Lama

Read More :-  A lesson from Dalai Lama

[storyofsouls]

A Decor with a touch of love and uniqueness

There is no denying the fact that every home is unique. But the world has a handful of people who take this statement seriously and go out of their way to make homes feel like heavens on earth for their dwellers. One such person is with us today...

There is no denying the fact that every home is unique. But the world has a handful of people who take this statement seriously and go out of their way to make homes feel like heavens on earth for their dwellers. One such person is with us today, finding her calling in the home décor industry. She now brings to her customers’ carpets, rugs, curtains, and much more décor items the way they want. Today, we will present you with this great article that contains interior decoration tips by a Gurgaon-based interior design entrepreneur.

You can customize these things too, did you know that? And what if we tell you that one can customize these at much cheaper costs than what one would pay at an emporium.

Meet Shubhi Agrawal to learn about her passion for beautiful homes and how passionately she is working towards making another home uniquely stylish!

As a 14-year old was born in a small town in Madhya Pradesh, she had expressed her desire to own a company to be a job-giver and not a job-seeker. Little did she know then that her clear statement would one day turn out to be a reality that she would be happy living.

However, this is not how she began her professional journey. Instead, she chose to start her career with a five-star hotel in Chennai. She tried her hands in the sales and marketing department of ITC, followed by aviation, hospitality, and tourism management, while also learning digital marketing on her way.

As she was destined to be an entrepreneur, these jobs would not have given her the satisfaction that she wanted.

It took her two years to finally take the bold step of quitting her job and paving her way into entrepreneurship when in 2016, she registered her company under the name of 

After some market research and study, fuelled by her love for decorating, she entered the home décor industry, even though she had no formal training or experience in the $664-billion colossal industry, which has a growth rate of 4.4%

Read More :- . A Decor with a touch of love and uniqueness

[storyofsouls]

“If anything doesn’t exist, Innovate it” – Prof. Vikash Bhardwaj

Set amidst the mesmerizing agricultural fields of a small village, around 20 km from Saharanpur, this is the tale of zestful personality determined to rise above the stereotypic levels of a healthy, happy life- Prof. Vikash Bhardwaj. [caption...

Set amidst the mesmerizing agricultural fields of a small village, around 20 km from Saharanpur, this is the tale of zestful personality determined to rise above the stereotypic levels of a healthy, happy life- Prof. Vikash Bhardwaj.

Early Life

He was born and raised in an environment where people were primarily farmers, sowing seeds and cultivating crops. Those fields taught Prof. Vikash Bhardwaj the most happening lesson of his life. Like every other kid of those times, Prof. Bhardwaj also wished for a comfortable life too, and the fields had taught him a precious approach to life- “As you sow, so shall you reap.” He knew well that to secure a happy life, he was required to put his heart and soul into every work that he did. Prof. Bhardwaj did his schooling at a UP Board school and then later moved ahead for engineering to Uttarakhand Technical University (Dehradun).

Being a UP Board student, Prof. Viash Bhardwaj had to face the language barrier with his fellow mates highly fluent in English. He was mocked regularly for his Language limitations. It was another turning point in Mr. Bhardwaj’s life. These humiliations made him determined to achieve the peaks in his field to let the world know that hard work is the only key to success.

Early achievements

A determined Vikash started working diligently on MATLAB & SIMULINK. When his life had already begun to prosper, he laid the founding stone of success with his first start-ups with DTHT INFOTECH as MATLAB instructor in 3rd Year of Engineering during his summer internship program. In 2011, he submitted his energy audit report in UTTARAKHAND’s 1st RENEWABLE ENERGY SUMMIT along with endeavor. He achieved The Best Energy Audit Research Award, 2011 by the Uttarakhand Council of Science and Technology, and iCare India also got a letter of appreciation from UCOST.

It was the moment that boosted his confidence within himself to move ahead. Engineering life was also full of accomplishments for Prof. Bhardwaj. Mr. Bhardwaj Founded AMPERANZA, The Electrical Engineering Students Society, with the motto of Electrifying New Ideas. He wonderfully narrates his professor Karan Aneja, who motivated him to keep going. It made Prof. Bhardwaj write a research paper on DC Motor Load & Efficiency at such a tender age, published at National Conference on Recent Advances in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (NCRAEEE) at DBIT Dehradun in 2012.

Read More :-  If anything doesn’t exist, Innovate it” – Prof. Vikash Bhardwaj

[storyofsouls]

…It’s Ok to be the Hare, not the Tortoise…

People say it is fine to be the Hare and not the tortoise. As everyone says that slow and steady wins the race, this statement may not be true every time or at every place. The hare replied it was an unfair game it was a...

People say it is fine to be the Hare and not the tortoise.

As everyone says that slow and steady wins the race, this statement may not be true every time or at every place.

The hare replied it was an unfair game it was a marathon run versus a sprint. He added I was way ahead in the race and the tortoise was nowhere around to be seen. As I knew I was way ahead I decided to relax and have a short nap below a tree. I fell asleep and dreamt of an old man with a flowing beard sitting and meditating. The old man asked them, why I was participating in the race. I replied to him, I am doing so, to let every creature in the jungle know that I am the fastest of all creatures.

The old man then again asked are you aware of the fastest deer, the largest elephant, or about the strongest lion that lived a hundred years ago. He replied no, you don’t know anything about them. He further added today you are being challenged by a tortoise, someday you might be challenged by a snake, or maybe by a zebra. Then what will you do, will you keep racing with them just to prove that you are the fastest of them all?

The hare replied I don’t want to keep running all my life. The old man asked, then what do you intend to do?

The hare said I want to live my life peacefully and happily.

The old man then said this is what you are doing, at this particular moment also. Listen to me forget everything about the race, think you are here today but may not be there tomorrow. Therefore, try to live a valuable and gainful life. You don’t require anyone else to make you satisfied and contented.

The hare woke up from his sleep at that moment, he felt happy.

He found that he had lost the race, but thought it doesn’t matter if I lost the race but I have won my life, it’s a lesson for me.

Read More :-  It’s Ok to be the Hare, not the Tortoise

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