Shattered Panes

Through shattered panes in the cocoons of life

Faint lights of memories slowly seep in

Afraid he is, to open his eyes to them

to acknowledge what he has hidden within

Flashes of a beautiful smile, the touch of the last kiss

memories, of a desperate hug, of a pillow found wet in the morning

Haunted by a question, again and again day and night

“If you leave, then who will care for my being?”

Charred he was, not by hatred, for hatred too is a manifestation of love

No, hatred can be felt, caressed, held, thought upon

Charred he was by indifference, hers, which she conjured to save herself from anger

Charred he was by regret, for cursed never to find love again he was

Once he was able, tall, and strong, a commanding presence who owned the world

His breath was an order to the winds, his voice a warning to foes

Now he looks a shadow of his formal self – obedient, still, unthreatening

Weakened, by thoughts he owned in his own mind

Shivering hands, vacant eyes, thinning hair, and slow movement

Hard to tell if still alive or already dead

A dog does stay near, the last remaining bit of life

The last companion, never to strive and never to fight

He smiles at a memory of a long forgotten distant dream

A memory from another life, he sees lights and drapes and colors and smiles

He sees himself dancing, embracing his lovely cohort

Now only ghosts remain, of a maiden voice divine

The scent of her last kiss still lingered on his lips

The touch of her being still felt in frail hands

Life had snatched much from him, but not this memory

Whether to comfort or not haunt, he knew not still

He stayed away from feelings, knowing they end in despair

He thinks but what else did, he in the end get to bear?

He lost loved ones and he lost those who loved him

He saw the future and lost everything to it

Lose he did himself and lose he did his soul

Why? To what end? For what purpose, he didn’t know

Destiny brought him this far, he never intended to come

Swayed by the drift, he went along with the run

Always about to reach his goal, always missing, always trying harder

Now he realizes, there was no goal all along

It was always all about the run, always running was the aim

And so he writes, his last words, to tell the world of this secret

Broken pieces of memories let him see the future

For never did he learn, to cherish the present, to love in the now

Spent a lifetime, to earn a few moments from time

Which he remembered about the world, which the world would remember about him

And now he looks ahead, silent, calm, still as a stone

And now he falls, no tumbles, to the ground

No one but a dog makes a sound

And none cares about the soul lost to time

Vishal Gupta

12 October 2015

7 Types Of Companies In India

In recent times, I was exposed to the (not so) secret knowledge of the types of companies there are in this great nation of ours. I realized that as companies grow, they face a trade-off between legal liability of owners (risk) and compliance cost (return). So I thought, ‘hey! That sounds a lot like something else I know of.’ Even in relationships, the more you tell people about yourself, you become vulnerable to them and obliged to do the “right things”. But then, that’s the only way to live together. Isn’t it?

1. Proprietorship Firm – The Teenage Boy

Much like a Teenager, this is a carefree company which has no obligations to any partners, because there are none! This company is still trying to make a mark and a name for itself, asking partners out, mostly getting rejected. The company is liable for whatever it does and no one else shares the blame. The company has a lot of secrets as well, which are mostly irrelevant so no one bothers. All in all, it’s a happy adolescence.

2. Partnership – Live in Relationships

Partners are agents of the firm. Whatever happens to one, the other shares the brunt of the burn. They may choose to leave whenever they want; and sometimes the departures are very violent. But mostly everyone understands that everyone’s here for themselves. And while we’re together, why not have a little fun?

3. Limited Liability Partnerships – Friends with Benefits

You don’t need to share your living quarters with someone, and full disclosure may not be mandatory, but then be prepared to know who runs the show here. Because that person will call the shots and pay the price. You may have a good time while it lasts, but you always be prepared for an imminent dumping.

4. Private limited company – Marriage

You own the show, but you might not control it any longer. Here for the first time in your life you realize the difference between “taking the blame” and “being responsible” for something. And they might be unrelated. And that does screw with you, but that’s the world you were born it. All you can do is to subtly diffuse the tensions you see springing up every now and then. Sooner or later, the people responsible for the trouble will be revealed, all you’re asked for is a thorough interrogation.

5. Public limited company – Marriage, in a joint family, in a small village

Everyone knows you. And everyone has a stake. You might be mistaken in your thought that it’s you who got married but in reality everyone in your village (and in the neighboring ones) knows more about your marriage than you do. You’re swarmed with advices and questions and you wonder when the hell would you get time to really what you do, rather than justifying what you do is the right thing to do. Often, you do not have any say in the matter and you wonder who the hell is running the show. Adam Smith perhaps.

6. Listed PSU – Family Life

You have stopped existing for yourself. Anyone can have a right on you, whether they have a stake in you, or are your friends, or are the people you work with, or none of those people. No one apart from you is to be blamed for what happens in your life while everyone seems to have a good control. On the bright side, everyone wants a piece of you (if you can look at it that way). Yes, anyone can screw with you.

7. Foreign Subsidiaries – Extra-marital affair

This is the one place where you get a minimum compliance and low legal liability. A great haven, but takes some investment before it starts paying for itself. You reap the benefits and mostly people choose not to question you about your activities in these foreign trips. If only you could spend the rest of your time there…