My last article was my first article. After my fair share of criticism from friends and acquaintances, I finally got a word of appreciation from Pagalguy editorial team and received a Pagal Good(y) Box. My unaware Dad received the packet, explored the goodies and frowned “What are these?” I replied, “Take a look at the name Dad!” The box in itself was a masterpiece of madness; leave alone the idea of how funny the contents were. Phantom Sugar Cigarettes, really!!! I took one after a decade and a half. I loved getting praised for such a naïve effort.
Also, I realized that recognition brings motivation. And that motivation brings next action. So I wrote a second piece. This one is third in row, but it has to come before the second.
Recall that dialogue from Taare Zameen Par… “Kala ka maksad kya hai? Apne andar chupe jazbaato ko chhoot dena. Aaj khush ho, haath automatically bright colors ki taraf badhte hai; Lunch bakwaas tha, saare kaale gardule rang paper par nikalte hai” (What is the purpose of art? Giving flight to emotions buried deep inside you. You are happy today, you pick bright colors automatically; Lunch was bizarre, you paint with all black-dark colors on paper). With a 6-day working week, 8-hour study sessions on weekend for higher qualification, daily family problems like ‘naya rishta aaya hai tere liye‘; I hardly get into the mood to put my thoughts on paper. I try and get down to it once in a week or two. On that particular moment, I would reject that rishta without looking at the photo and sit down to write. But I have to look at the left bottom of my word document to check the word count. Seriously now?? I am not appearing for a university exam, right??
I encountered the same problem while writing both the articles. Word-limit. I know there must be some good reason behind this word-limit but it’s like WAR (Writing Alongwith Restriction). At-least for a beginner like me, it is. There are people who can say something in a line which others can’t say in a book. But I am no Swami Vivekanand. I am a newbie writer; want to say something, smiling over each like, thanking every praise, celebrating 5 shares on FB, scratching my head and biting nails over each offhand comment and so on. My first ever article got 191 hits in a week or so at PG. “Kila jeet liya tha bhai-sahab”. Show-off!!!
A gentle request to admin and editorial team: allow the 501st, 502 word. At-least allow this article. Let’s see what other’s opinions are over this.
Disclaimer: I am not a computer geek who broke PaGaLGuY codes to write the 501st word. This article has 500 words, title excluding.
Bibliography: The dialogue is somewhere at 2:07 in the 720p BRRip print that I have. Show-off again!!!
Write an article in response here.