The Other Side of the Lake

Life never gives, it only lends. No matter how much you want your life to change, it does not change unless it has to. We might think that we are trying too much, or not trying hard enough; but the truth is - it seems that its all been written in the books... for better, for worse, sickness, health... everything. It does not matter if you want roses, or you prefer diamonds, life only gives what it can lend by the books. Is there anything we can do about it? Yes there is. The only thing we can do is learn to live with what we have and pretend to make the most of it. And when things are not the way we want them to be, we need to keep the game face on so that we can pretend that every thing is fine and secretly keep telling ourselves that its going to be okay. Because remember, the upside for every tragedy is that life never gives, it only lends [for a while]. Isbah Z

Every thing is a fact if you believe in it. When people say that there's no god, they believe that too; just like we believe that there is one. When you close your eyes to the truth, even if it is universal, it becomes oblivious to your mind. Not believing in the fact that there is a reason why things don't go the way you planned is as big a sin as believing that you don't need to try for good things just because you might fail. I believe that I might stumble today, but I also believe that it is going to be okay; I would be wrong to build my faith on the thought that I might fall and hurt myself, so it is not important to try. Isbah Z

Its your mind that makes you want to embrace a certain lifestyle and encourages you do everything you can to achieve it. Its the mind that makes you find compassion with a certain somebody who fits 'the criteria' and provides a fair ground for you to move forward in life without the need for encountering unnecessary obstacles. Its the mind that wants it to be easy and wants you to become someone you cannot or should not be. But the truth is, dear friends - a dream is just a dream; a vision of a grander you is just a vision in your head; what is easy right now may not promise to be easy tomorrow; and what we let go today because our mind said so may be something that can give us heartache for life - for life is nothing but lifeless without the risks we take with that uncalculated faith, the choices we make that make no sense at all, the things we sacrifice without the hope of any return, and the moments we live in happiness today without thinking about the possibilities of tomor...

I am human. My commanding reputation precedes me. In this seat of power I have nothing left to prove; but I would be mistaken to assume that I have nothing left to learn or teach. I am human and responsibility empowers me; relationships strengthen me; what holds me back roots me to the ground, and what I let go makes me free. ~ Isbah Z

Mobashira's Mbdck.exe is stand-alone piece of crap that may or may not do what was expected, or written in the books of fate; when you crossed that person you never wanted to notice you in the first place. She is a role model for all the * Bleep * misfits and an inspiration for those who died waiting that things might change for good ;) Some of my fav qualities ladies n gentlemen, include: flexiblility, high resistance to external stimuli, extreme tangibility, wash n wear drip dry... you mess with me, I will stare @ you with my branded glasses... & I will n I can fix this attitude. And may I also suggest that one shouldn't let that calm look distract you, she can be that 9/11 you were wishing you never had to experience ;). I guess the only things that bind us together are Tony & our love for self destruction!! ;) Sundas's Sundas Yasmin, Ladies and Gentlemen, is by far at the top of my personal list of 'People’s magazine's noisiest persons in the world’. She...

Over the years, I have come to believe that its simpler to love people who are a figment of yr imagination. The real troubles in your life begin when you actually start liking a real person, with all of their humanly imperfections, cultural and social differences; people who aren't really tall, dark & handsome, or flattering in their ways, but it seems that they make you feel at home. So what do you do when you realize that all of 'us' aren't Cinderellas, and most of 'them' aren't Prince Charmings? I guess that in true fiction, the reality of love comes from embracing the differences and finding a common ground of acceptance. Its only then that you can choose to follow the journey of being someone far far better than the person you were when you were alone, and the person he becomes when he is with you. This is why it is not simple. Its hard for a reason. The reason is simple :)... Its the reward of actually making a real person love you for who you are ...

Have you ever had one of those walks, when the sun is piercing through your skin but you can't feel the heat, because the pain in your heart is so much more? I still remember the day when I decided to walk away from it all. With the air that I breathe left behind me, I decided to live... that moment, that freedom, that one breath - for myself, for once. Isbah Z

Life does not work on formulas or facts. It works on experiences and reasons. Its only when the experiences that life has to offer grow on you, that you realize the true reason for your existence. And its only then, that the faith in you makes you see the existence of God, even in the falling of leaves. Its your faith that tells you that even when things are falling apart, happiness exists. For its only when old leaves fall, the new ones can grow. And when the new ones grow, the faith strengthens. And its your faith, that makes you understand that the stories you have read about Heaven & Hell are not just stories. The heart finds its own heaven in the blessings of life, the hug of a friend, the prayer of a mother, & that the hell in life comes with the tragedies of life... the heart break, the trauma... the accidents. Its true. The heart decides. And when it does, you find another world inside the world you live in. But to see this world, the leaves have to fall. For its only w...

While searching for justice, I learned that no matter what wrong people do, God doesn’t come out of the skies to perish them, lightning doesn’t strike them dead and earth doesn’t open to bury their sinful souls. The strong and clever get to enjoy the bounties of the heaven they create for themselves and the weaker will always spend their lives resenting their hell and waiting for justice to serve its purpose. Isbah Z

They do their best to say what they say, because they don’t want anyone go away unfulfilled. But if we have not been through pain in life, we cannot understand what pain is, we can only imagine its intensity. It’s easier to give it an absolute value and then multiply it with a valid superscript. But you can never read loss, you can only feel it. You can never measure pain, only go through it alone. And you cannot equate your life's sufferings to another man's, you can only 'relate' to them. Maybe I understand the meaning of rejection, where you only perceive it as a word in the dictionary, only because I can relate to it, and you can’t. If we have not been a victim of deception, how can we possibly understand the meaning of what is fake within? How can we expect a deaf man to believe in sound, how can we expect a mute to believe in voice, although it is there. Things like literature... some people get it, some people don’t. But those who try must remember that words can...

I have come to believe that love happens. And when it does, it gets you whether you want it or not, like it or not. It almost seems as if it gives you a high, an energy that makes you think that whatever you have thought for yourself is right, what you have imagined will lead you to where we have dreamed to be one day. When love grows on you, it makes you believe that boundaries don’t exist, 'You and I' becomes 'Us', and that makes you sacrifice things that you never thought you were capable of living without, to the point that it starts reflecting in your identity. It’s all very surreal really. But what do you do when you realize your short comings as a couple? What do you do when all that emotional drama and ecstasy doesn’t last and all the magic fades away? The politically correct answer would be to pretend to ignore it. Because we are raised to keep trying to work things out. Even when you know you are jumping into the fire, you are obligated to try. So, most of the...

Every year, this time of the year, we start thinking about new year resolutions. In our quest for perfection, we are all trying to relate our lives a little closer to a Disney fairy tale. Trying to fix the apparent flaws in our lives like changing hair color, buying quality wardrobes, fixing the car, getting that new cell phone; and sometimes, things that are apparently wrong with this world, like trying to save extincting species, the environment, complaining about global warming and showing resentment for those who destroy the old buildings. But we never show our concerns on fixing the actual problems that can save our souls, like finding the long lost valuable virtue given to us by our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, called PEACE - a quality that used to be one of the dignified traits of being a Muslim. But the fact of the matter is that losing peace is not like losing a leg. The disease is apparently not a mole in front of your eyes. So most of the times, we don’t really bother...

People say that girls are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Sometimes, boys don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they get the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy to get. So the apples up at the top think there's something wrong with them. But the truth is that they just have to wait for the right boy to come along. The one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree. I think, that all girls are special. Some of them just choose to be at the top of the tree because they want to know that one person, even if he's not special enough, wise enough, right enough by the definition of society, once climbed a tree for her to be close to her. She wants to know that the right person is right enough to be a part of her future. Isn’t that a memory worth holding on to? It’s quite possible that the right kind of guys will forget to follow the lead...

When I was young, I used to go fishing to the lake with Jojo on Sundays. Everyone, including the doctors, engineers, and Mister said that there were no fishes in the lake. The water is too contaminated for the fishes to survive. But we still liked to spend our Sundays fishing around. We had all sorts of fantasies about the other side of the lake. We used to imagine the kind of world that would exist across the other side. The people, how they lived, what they did, how they did it. But every one told us to quit visiting the lake. They said that there are no fishes in the lake so it’s useless to go there. All this useless talk had made us very sad. So, one day we put dead fishes in our rods and hung them down the lake to prove that there were fishes in the lake. And just when we planned to pull the rod out and make a big fake fuss about it, Mister arrived to take us back home. "Still looking for fishes", he smiled. "Just wait and see, we will at least catch a dozen fishes ...

Dear All, Even though its only been a year and a day, I feel like I've spent a considerable part of my life here. It's sad to be going, but I guess that, as time goes by, we must all go our own separate ways to achieve whatever has been destined for us on our journey of life. I leave Elixir with wonderful memories that I owe to all of you. Every one of you has, in their own unique ways, made my stay here so memorable. Thank you and may every one of you have a prosperous future. Here is a reflection of what I will remember every one by in my 12 0' clock dreams :) Hope you enjoy it. Its all in good fun. Cheers... Sundas Y. 16th August 2007.

When I was young, my mother told me that everything happens for a reason, and that sometimes people can be mean and try to ruin your reputation, even if it is independence day, but she said, one should be patient, as no matter how bad your neighbors are, eventually, they would always die.. or leave. So, she said, that life will always go on, and at the end of the day, the mean ones are always given a farewell, even if it is on their b irthday ... Karma is, definitely a B*t*h :p So, finally.... this day in time embarks the end of a significant eRa in the history of fake LollyWooD Underworld's Maghroor Laylas, for this day, we are saying goodbye to the naughtiest and noisiest Technical Writer eVer; who by the way rocks at being a lousy neighbor. Sundas, aka, Basanti, the girl who is even active during the hibernating periods, has reached enormous heights during her one year and one day stay at Elixir. She is the only girl, whose table, Ladies & Gentlemen, would be turned into a s...

Today, I am the luckiest girl in the world. My heart beat 100000 times today. I breathed 23000 times today My house did not fall upon me and crush me into bits, and a stranger helped me for no reason at all. Today, I was not hit by a car, I did not face the miseries of hunger and thirst, and my mind did not let my soul force me to give in to the temptations of desire. Today, I noticed that God had blessed me with people who I care about; and that I had made friends I can count on, friends who can catch me if I fall. Today, I learned that money is not the only thing to gain in life, and that roses are better than diamonds even if they live for a very short while. Today I saw myself in the mirror and did not feel bad about who I am - and my friends, I am the luckiest girl in the world because today, I did not fall in love :)

Disclaimer: This article is a piece of fiction, and captures a dialogue between a keen developer and the Lord-of-All-Softwares. All resemblances - existing, running or obsolete - are just a coincidence! M y attempt on reflecting about software life cycle turned into dreams one fine Sunday afternoon. I saw a land where life was perfect: software was bug free, components were fully defined and functional, code was properly commented, quality was free, requirements were met, and customers were delighted and not just satisfied. Wow, life is so good in dreams and fantasies!!! I worked on and on and on and came up with this ultimate utopic Product 2.0 and wished my Lord to appear. He sure did from behind the mirror as soon as I wished... Me : Product 2.0, my Lord! Lord: So I see my child, it looks good from the covers, but why is it double in size now? It will take me three hours to install this thing, while the earlier version got installed in 10 minutes. How did you manage to achieve tha...

They say that life teaches you a lot before it teaches you to be human. I learned a lot in my professional life, though I am still not sure if I reached that human-point yet! Or haven't I? The first thing I learned, was that the reason behind an angry project manager is either a bad cup of coffee, the horoscope in the paper, or that email he received this morning. Sometimes, you can even blame it on the weather... and as cynical as it sounds, this usually is true! I came to know that understanding products is not a very complicated task. By the eternal laws of proportion, during training you try to understand a product, and the product tries to understand you. And both parties need to find a common ground where they can resolve all their issues with respect for each other. And sooner or later, you come to terms with the fact that things take longer than they usually do. Therefore estimates are not a good thing to give away. And remember, too much of perfection can easily lead you t...

Love is a game Some win, Some lose Come what may Life goes on & so will I... But O my Lord, Before I go My last wish... You & Me, Just one more time! ~ Isbah Sept 7 2002