MISSING

Name: Sikandar Singh Soin
Age: 16
Complexion: Wheatish
Built: Stout
Last Seen: Lost in Alisha's eyes

This person is also likely to be noticed because of his erratic behaviour. A few pointers might come in handy while confirming his identity:

• Thrusts his head forward while speaking
• Uses recondite language
• Is known for abstruse but intelligent conversation
• Consorts as smoothly with females as with males, thus giving fodder for speculation
• Likely to use adjectives that have saccharine undertones, such as sweetheart, honey or love
• Has an inclination to traipse, albeit companionless
• Evinces a keen desire for histrionics
• Recognised for speaking in almost muted tones when called upon by one of the many pedagogues at the Xavier's institute for learning
• Is often seen perambulating the premises of the college with earphones plugged in

Should any of you find an individual with idiosyncrasies similar to those mentioned above, kindly do contact Jonathan Martin who is bereft at the evanescence of his better half and significant other, Sikandar S. Soin.

Send him an email at mysterious-martin@hotmail.com and free him from his anguish for he is obsessively and compulsively checking his inbox every minute for news - any news - of his beloved.

Ad interim, we tarry and take notice.

Twilight: Chimerical Drivel

Marketed as the next best thing after the Harry Potter series, Twilight has captured the interest of girls all over the world, and that of a few guys too.

The series surpassed the expectation of the author, Stephanie Meyer; made Forks, Washington, a popular tourist destination and sold 25 million copies worldwide.

But what has slipped our notice is that 20 million of the aforementioned 25 million copies were sold in the United States of America itself. The rest of the world has the vexatious habit of following the Occidental culture. It began with pre-teens and teens going ga-ga over one of the most ludicrous movies ever made: High School Mucical. It was followed by the Twilight series. And shockingly, encomia were heaped upon it!

I hold the Twilight series in very low esteem. It has obnoxious protagonists. The description of their love for each other is unpalatable.

Edward Cullen is far from the perfect boyfriend. He is overbearing and unreal.
Bella Swan is an insecure teen who sells herself far too short. Oh, and before I forget, she is obsessive and an infidel!

Twilight contributes nothing whatsoever towards improving one's English. In fact, it could end up having a detrimental effect on your language skills for it is riddled with grammatical solecisms and Ms Meyers proclivity for prolixity is manifest in her superfluous use of adjectives!

Robert Pattinson (for the unitiated, he is the actor who plays the role of Edward Cullen in the recently released Twilight movie) in an interview was quoted saying certain things which upon hearing, Twilight-haters would put him on pedestal and Twilight-lovers would knock him off it...
He spoke about how the Twilight series is Stephanie Meyer's sexual fantasy. He added that he believed Ms Meyer was completely mad and in love with her fictional creation.

Twilight fans might be hasty in terming him as an ingrate. But we, the Twilight-haters, merely see him as a box-clever actor who knows a good opportunity when he sees one!

So, guys, get over this crepuscular crap and start reading books that make a little more sense than this one.

Nandini and her Traditional Toes

I first met Nandini when I was at MUWCI to give my interview. I was gripped with tension and had little penchant for small talk at that time. When back from the interview, I received an email from one genial first year student at MUWCI. It contained Nandini's email address among many others. And that was the start of my friendship with Nandini.

Even though she has been engaged in a whale of activities while at MUWCI, it hasn't slipped her mind to get in touch with me once in a while. On one such occasion when Nandini and I were chatting on the phone, we happened to discuss the very sensitive topic of age difference among married couples. And that was when I realized that Nandini, a little like me, has traditional toes!

I had been accused of ageism many a time by my friends when I expressed my disesteem for Danielle Steel's aged characters and the canyon of a gap between Mills and Boon's female and male leads.

Nandini's patronage for my views surprised me. She shared many of my views on the aforementioned. That led to a pleasant discourse where we discussed Jean Sasson's, Princess and other books and real life situations.

So, for all my friends who charged me with having bourgeois opinions, here's Nandini!