10 Minutes of thrill !!

We were sitting impatiently in the bus, looking around desperately for a glimpse of a water body, and there it was, the beautiful backwaters, surrounded by the snooping coconut trees, with the rainwater splattering on it.

We walked briskly to the shore.

 In spite of the crowd around me, I was mesmerized with the enchanting beauty that surrounded the Kovalam beach. I could see the clear waters, with changing shades, and the lighthouse over the rocky terrain, acting as the backdrop for perfect wallpaper.

But the first thing that caught our eye was the roar of the Yamaha engine! Soon, we found ourselves in fluorescent safety jackets, with out jeans rolled up to our knees and making ourselves comfortable in the boat.

 I could feel the the adrenaline gush through my body and coming out in shrill voices as the engine started to roar. We were off, to the best ride of my life! I could feel the cold winds tear my hair apart. The boat jumped on the sea, and we, on our seats! We went past the fishermen, busy pulling their nets, as well as the curious people on banana boats, exploring the corals and the underwater fauna near the rocks. We could see the people waving at us from a distant beach. 

The sun was about to set, and we were sitting still, above the beautiful Arabian sea, feeling the waves. There was complete silence.

 As the sun started to touch the surface, we turned back to the shore.

It was a small ride, which hardly lasted for 10 minutes, but I’ll remember the thrill for the rest of my life.

" Divided we stand, United we fall "

Unity and diversity, the two extremes, stand apart diametrically, beautifully complementing each other in the age old saying, “United we stand, Divided we fall”. And the childhood example of the boy not able to break the bundle of sticks is the quickest for us to recall.

Although I’ve not been able to update myself altogether with the latest happenings in the political arena owing to the schedule here, but whatever I’ve managed to gather in bits and pieces has made me sad and surprisingly happy too! Sad is obvious, because Andhra Pradesh in on the verge of a fallout, and happy, because very soon we will find 51 spokes in the wheel on the tricolor, each representing a different ‘state’, as in “The States”, and our so called politicos can brush their shoulders with Obama in yet another field!

Telangana was still proving hard to digest, but then how could Mayawati sit quiet? I had to take another sip of water. Welcome to Gorkhaland! I strained my eyes hard at the television to locate her amongst her security cover. It was necessary; else my vilification would have been misdelivered! Remember, every drop counts? 

I have my EC 1 scheduled round the corner, and now I think I will be able to master at least one topic for sure-“Divide and conquer”!  

Long live Indian Politicians, they truly are!

I have a Dream

Like any other reasonable human being, I have a dream….

I have a dream to spend those carefree moments as a child again,

I have a dream sometimes, to use my heart in lieu of my little brain.

I have a dream….

I have a dream to be that chocolate boy of my secondary school class,

I have a dream to sit in my top floor office surrounded by glass.

I have a dream….

I have a dream to have a pulsar of my own, 

I also have a dream of sitting in a BMW, talking to my girl on the phone.

I have a dream….

I have a dream to turn back time and redo those sad moments, 

I have a dream to go ahead of those unseen road-ends.

I have a dream….

I have a dream to spread abundance of happiness around me, 

I have a dream to make all those near and dear ones gay, and happy.

I have a dream….

I have a dream to make it big one day, 

I have a dream to see Tatas and Birlas come my way.

I have a dream….

I have a dream because I love to dream, 

And its only because I dream, I work, to fulfill those dreams.

Day 1 @ TCS !

I never imagined it would be as hectic as it was.

I got up early despite the fact I slept late last night, had to! I dressed up in one of the best formals I had till now. Tie in the right place, shirt tucked in, and shoes shining. We had to assemble in the Saffron @ 8:15 am, one of the auditoriums in the Peepul Park, as the premise is called. The whole of auditorium was bubbling with fresh faces, reflecting the enthusiasm, in galore. One could make out, even with a cursory glance, that these people are new to neckties, leather shoes, and obviously business formals!

 We had a number of orientation sessions from respective departments viz., HR, Admin, ILP and a couple of more. Had the same number of breaks, in which we enjoyed the free coffee at the kiosks on each floor, courtesy- TATA! (At least they are giving us something for free! 

We happened to sit with our own college friends, and were looking around for objects of our interests! And yes, there was variety! We had the usual boring lectures about the ethics, values and heritage of TATA, and surprisingly came to know about various things about our firm which people do not know, and if spoken about, can impress others.

I better not talk about the food, ‘coz it was horrible. Now come on, where do you find rice, dal and curd as one item in the menu? And that too with minimum salt, with a notice in front of us reading,” we put less salt in the food ‘coz excess salt is harmful for your health! 

All in all it went on fine. But at the end of the day, we could find ourselves drained out, to the core, as it was already 7:30 pm.

 And then as soon as I opened my eyes, I found myself getting late for the office! I never came to know how and when I slept.

It’s a hat trick. Nothing great, of course. Only a triplet of sleepless nights. I really feel that a scoff has been made of my life in these three days. I think the frontal lobe of my brain has gone for a disk boot failure, as it can’t take the toll of recent turmoil in my life. 

My friends are saying we got a reason to celebrate; I am desperately searching for one. Three nights, back to back, sleep deprived, but still haven’t got any.

I sometimes wonder why we are made to test with such crucial options in our life. It’s like you feel like enjoying the success of one, but the vacuum of the other makes you miserable. You want to bask in the success of one, the other washes it out.

Some people live their lives on their hopes for achieving something. Perhaps it’s the same hope that started spreading its wings in the eternal realms of my fatuous mind that’s taken the sleep off me. Hope, of achieving something, which seems a distant dream for me, at least for the coming couple of years.

It feels as if I’m turning my back and running away like a coward from the acid test that I may have come out of ,with flying colors.

A New Dawn...

Its 6 in the morning, and to be precise, hardly the 6^th in the last 3 months when I’ve seen the sunrise. Not because I got up early. I didn’t sleep at all.

I hate this feeling. I want to sleep desperately, knowing that I have a tough day ahead, but the thought itself keeps the sleep away, forcing me to see the dawn. Yesterday was quite a big one for me. Got the joining date from TCS, my first employer, for which I was waiting eagerly, and even more eagerly, after some of my friends got theirs. But then He had kept something better for me, that’s why he called me to His own country, Kerala, and moreover on a date, such that I can appear for CAT as well…!!

Ya. That’s another twist in the story. It’s like keeping each of my legs in a different boat, trying to balance both, unsuccessfully. Will be writing CAT, just to make my parents sure, 2^nd time, that I’m not an IIT-IIM material!

So the funny part is that I’ll be finishing my exam @ 6pm on 29^th Nov, and I’m expected to report to TCS associates, next morning in Trivandrum @  8 am! This leads to another chapter in my life- the concept of air travel. So while my friends will be getting ready in their newly allotted hostel rooms for day 1 @ TCS, I’ll be still boarding my maiden flight.

 I just hope it will be worth this entire circus.

I don’t know what I’ve written above. I started on a serious note, and ended making a fool of myself……Well , can’t help it. That’s Abhishek @ 6 in the morning..!!

A Rendezvous with DEATH..!!!

I have heard many first hand experiences about people escaping death. And I think I am lucky to write about my own.
I was on my way back from tirumala hills, after visiting the famous tirupati shrine, when I came face to face with death. Not getting seats in the APSRTC bus, we decided to hire a jeep for our descend. Unfortunately the vehicle happened to be a rickety one. We occupied the middle row, with Rohit, Pankaj sir, Bishnu and me sitting in left to right position. We were enjoying our journey, with the beautiful locales around and the pleasant weather. We had a deep valley on our right hand side, and I could see the sleepy town of Tirupati, with tiny buildings scattered here and there.
Suddenly, I felt a jolt and a coarse sound, and found myself tilted towards the right side of the vehicle, which is open in a jeep. And to my surprise, I could see, what looked like a wheel of the jeep rolling ahead, which seemed to appear from nowhere! While trying to negotiate the steep curve, the driver could not balance the speed and the turn, which resulted in the breaking up of the right rear wheel and the rim from the vehicle and rolling away from it. Few seconds ago, the wheel was intact, beneath me  and now it wasn’t! The vehicle moved ahead along the curve for about 10 meters, and I clung to the rod to keep myself from being thrown on the road. Rohit managd to jump out as he was on the other end. While pankaj sir and bishnu were the next to alight. As soon as the vehicle came to a halt, I jumped out and ran away from it towards the barrier on the other side, just to be missed by a speeding bus, hardly by a couple of inches.
I didn’t  know, whether to cuss the driver for whatever he had done, or thank him for preventing the vehicle from toppling. Because had the jeep lost ground, I would have been under it. All I could do was to thank the Almighty, whom I had just paid a visit, for saving my life and others around me.

"Justice delayed is justice denied"

Today we saw another brilliant example of the outrage of the Indian penal system by the affluent class, where in the rich always breaks out from the claws of the judiciary, leaving the downtrodden, helpless-as usual, with all the blame on their head.
 We are very much aware of the Nithari case involving Maninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help, Surinder Koli. The heinous crime, which they indulged in, is enough to send a wave of chill down our spines. I still remember the scene, which I watched on the TV, where the hatred of the common people could be easily seen in the group of lawyers, who thrashed him black and blue as he was coming out of the Ghaziabad court calling him names which I can’t scribe in here. But today, as we see, the same judiciary has acquitted him for the lack of evidence!
I am no CBI. I am no cop. I don’t know the facts behind the scene. But all I know that I am sad, ‘coz I got to see another rape of the Indian Judiciary.

COPYCAT..!!!

I don’t know whether to feel mocked about myself or to hold my head in pride ‘coz of being a trend setter. Because when you see people around you following you in every respect, you ought to give a second thought why they are doing so, and oddly, how. Some of my friends had asked me before, why is someone tempted to do the same what I do, wear, eat, or follow some of my habits. Luckily, they don’t think the way I do!
I started noticing that there was a guy who started following me in every respect, and I am afraid to say that, not in the high spirit of the morale, but only for his benefit. I started noticing the same colored clothes in his wardrobe, the same types of eating habits as mine, if I go on a diet, or avoid something, he does the same…….you know its pretty funny at times but irritating too. But hats off to his wits. For example, he could calculate what type of clothes I would prefer to wear on an occasion, and get ready in the same so as not to give me an opportunity to blame him for copying me! Brilliant! There have been many instances, some modest, others noticeable, and if I start thinking about all of them, either I would go insane or you would close the window in which you are reading this, not so mere rhetoric.
Its good if you have reached a level where people can imitate, or rather learn from you, but I do deserve a royalty, if not material, at least kind. But I am always gratified because I have my head over him, ‘coz he cannot think like me!

Marooned in Dubai Plaza

The feeling of visiting Dubai plaza was itself exciting as I am a shopping buff. Incisively, I started asking people the way to the much talked about hub of chinkis. I have been to brigade a couple of times but am not very well acquainted with the right place for the right stuff. Eventually, I found myself inside a crowded, hyperventilated, brothel like place which they called the “Indo-Dubai Plaza”, to be specific. At the beginning, I was enjoying the flutter around me, but soon, I couldn’t find anything that could grab my attention. All I could find around me were girls, crammed into the tiniest shops I had ever seen with a trial room in each of them! All of a sudden, I started looking for some shop I could get into and indulge in so called phenomenon - “window shopping”, which I actually hate to do. I had to swing myself in unimaginable angles to keep myself from brushing against scantily dressed girls, who are in demand at places other than brigade. I could find all sorts of apparels, accessories, footwear and of course lingerie of the most “jazzy” colors, as said by someone. For some of them, I had to push my imagination to its extreme realms, so as to imagine how and where they are used! Gawd! I’ll have to say, we guys really have limited options! Fed up with it, I came out, had a comforting breath, and started looking for places to chill!

The Outcasts

It suddenly struck me today as I was uploading my resume on one of the popular job sites. I was asked to specify my sex, and suddenly I thought what if a eunuch tries to do the same? Don’t they have their rights to make email ids, log on to so called “social networking” sites and so on?
I could find many celebrities raising their voice to modify article 377, but aren’t we stuck up with the two dominant genders? Aren’t the eunuchs human beings? Then why aren’t they treated like one? That remains one of the biggest blots on the human rights.
Most of us start to run away in the opposite direction as we see one of them coming towards us (as they hardly come alone). Have we ever pondered how they lead their daily life? Have we ever seen any one of them, holding a respectable position in a government office? Forget about being “bada babus” , no one lets them come near them. So how do we expect them to earn their daily bread? Beg? And then also, we move to a safer place as we hear them in the next compartment, however, they have just good wishes to shower on us.
It will be interesting to see who will take up to their long due rights and we could find the third gender option as well, this, being just one amongst the thousand deprived rights, or better put, a sign of respect.

The journey....

I’m sitting in an air conditioned compartment right now. I’m listening to Kaminey, working on my system. I was in the same environs yesterday. But just see the irony; I don’t know whether I will have a roof over me tomorrow night or not.
It’s a completely new beginning for me. All on my own and I guess, a bit challenging too. I’ve to go house hunting and that too in a place like Bangalore. And lemme tell you, its just the beginning. Its hardly been a month since I finished my bachelors, and I’m back to books again. This time for a more professional degree. Everyday, I log on to Gmail at least a dozen times, not to forward mails, but with a hope, to see a mail from TCS, informing me my joining date. But alas! I just hope the wait ends soon.
I’m in, I guess, one of the biggest dilemmas of my life at the moment. After landing myself in one of the biggest economic crisis of recent times, when getting a job in hand is like fetching a star from the sky. I consider my self lucky to be amongst those chosen ones, but then the fear of voluntarily quitting it, even before I join is killing me.
I can see a small group of hillocks lining the locales, with a lake in the vicinity surrounded by coconut trees. I just wish the train moves on and the journey contnues….

I can not step out from my home. I could not do so a couple of days ago. And I wish I am not able to do so for some days more. Its just the reasons that vary.

When I stepped in my hometown, all I had was scorching heat to welcome me with a bright smile. I had never seen Muzaffarpur experience such a bad weather, ever. There is no doubt I hardly go anywhere when I am home, and the sun made it sure that I didn’t even step in the verandah! I still remember the water logged roads and the people wading through them last time I was here, the same time. But alas! All I see is dirt.

The time has changed. Its time to go. I prayed all time for the rain God to show His might. And he made the old saying true once again, “ bhagwaan ke ghar mein der hai, andher nahi”, and its raining now, not to forget, after bearing all the heat all these days. The flowers have started blooming, the drains full, and the people…they have started wading again. I do want to stay at home, but the rain has made it a point that I do not even step in the verandah! What an irony! It’s just the reasons that vary!
In the first place it was the sun, now, the rain!

A mesmerising spell

Once in a lifetime experience! That’s all I can say about it. I got up at about 6 am, the sky was just as it should be post dawn. It was a bit cloudy, but I could see the sun in the horizon. I was waiting eagerly for the moon to show up and cover the sun. It did. I could see the crescent shape of the moon crawling over the sun. I was wearing shades, but still had a fear, whether it will suffice or not, but surprisingly it did. It was just a matter of a few minutes. The moon started covering the sun , and I swear what a beauty it was. Slowly, the moon covered the full face of the sun, and I could see the corona. And just after a few seconds, the diamond ring. The same as I had read, and seen in pics. It was right in front of my eyes. The whole sky had become dark. And then there was a second dawn. The moon started shifting its position and the sky got its color back. I put off the shades, and was lost in the mesmerizing beauty of it.

BOL BUM

It was really difficult for me to drive through the one-way with the kanwarias trotting around the other half of the road. But somehow I managed to reach the pandaal where I had been invited to serve the kanwarias. The music was so loud and shrill, that I had to find a place away from the sound box. The first job which was assigned to me was to sit on a chair in the middle of the road with a long bamboo in my hand and divert the traffic to one side of the road, leaving the other empty for the kanwarias, the people who carry the holy “ganga jal” from pehleja ghat and are on their way to baba garibnath shrine in muzaffarpur. Being Monday tomorrow, the followers run all the way barefoot, from pehleja to muzffarpur, carrying the water on the kanwars which rests on their shoulders, hence the name – “kaanwarias”. After sometime, I was providing water to the people, tired, exhausted people, but still shouting the name of their beloved God. Bol Bum!! There was another person standing next to me with a hose in his hand spraying luke warm water on their feet and the road. Their feet were swollen to unimaginable sizes, but they were walking, with the unbearable pain. Some slowed down to have a sip of water, others for aspirin. One of them, I guess, atleast an octogenarian, was bleeding, but smiling. Someone ran to him, cleaned the wounds on his sole and provided a new bandage. The man carried on shouting “bol bum”! I was speechless. Not only him, there were children, half my age, ladies, double my age, and men of course, all dressed in variants of saffron, red and yellow. For sometime I was really lost in a different world of dedication which I could see. Be it dedication towards the Almighty, or towards your work, one thing I learned today, that if you are determined towards any damn thing, you show your dedication , and you will surely get through.

"OM"

I could hear the toll of the temple bells long way before I could see the temple itself. As I was nearing the temple I could feel that I can save the energy required to walk by just standing midway in the road, and within minutes I would have been inside the temple premises! Initially I tried my best to dodge all the puddles of rain as well as drain water with flowers, leaves and mud, but then this sound completely attracted me towards itself. As I took a couple of steps ahead, I could hear hundreds of voices, and their echoes, singing the bhajans in the praise of Lord Shiva, together, forming an ineluctable draw towards the temple. I never knew when, I started enjoying the puddles. I don’t remember after how many years I was using a well to draw water from. Wherever my eyes could wander, I could only find people, spellbound with the vibe that surrounded the holy place. The smell of the incense sticks, mixed with sweat formed a completely distinct smell that can never be created artificially. I brushed along with people, people of all caste and creed, cultures, following different traditions, rich people, who came to a temple wearing a fragrance, poor people having one of their own. But then, in front of Him all are equal. I really can’t explain the way I reached the Shivling, but I managed to do so. I poured the water and milk over Him, and in turn found some people, who couldn’t manage to reach near him, pouring the same blindly over me! The echoes of the bhajans were still ringing in my ears; it was just that the people had changed. I couldn’t understand it so well that I could sing with them, but I found my lips moving. The bhajans changed, the people changed, their voices changed too, but all I could find in common was “OM” which never changed. Walking back home, however the actual sound faded as I walked away, but the echo was still ringing in my ears, my mind and my soul. “OM- Truly, a hymn of the universe.”

ADIEU SSIT

Finally the time has come when the prefix “ex” has come between me and SSIT. At times, I used to wonder, how happy I would be when I leave this college. No doubt, I am. But then even though if you spend 4 years in a dungeon, you start liking it, or rather get used to the pungent spell! And as soon as you get the fresh breeze, the sunburst, you do welcome them with open arms, but you will surely miss the chill you got accustomed to.
Here I am, facing the gates to the bad bad world, with unbearable coerce behind me. The dilemma continues. Was college life better? Or do I need to break the mould and get going towards greater realms of life? Only time can testify.
Suddenly I have started feeling something heavy on my shoulders. Responsibilities?? Oh God..!! But they were always there.
Right now, I don’t have a roof over my head, the hunger within surges at the usual mess time, however hard I may try to subside it. Moreover I have a couple of critical decisions to make, decision so vital, that a mistake can change the entire course of my life.
But then getting back to what I started with, I will really miss the blotted, yet beautiful, a bit dull, yet adventurous, a lonesome, yet occupied time spent in SSIT. At this juncture, the dialogues by Amir Khan in Rang de Basanti flash my mind when Su asks him why he doesn’t want to leave this place, and he says something like- “ people know me here ..and everything looks so homely….” Sometimes I really feel the same. Where will I get such friends with whom I can hang out with? With whom I can gel really well. I won’t boast of making many friends, but then I will really miss some of the special people who came in my life while my stay in Tumkur.
Those drives to dhaba, DD hills, CCD, those hang outs at unknown yet significant places for us. Raju ka lime, main bakery ki chai, vipin ka egg roll aur kiran bhaiya ki coffee …..Will really miss them all.
But then life has to move on. So am I. trying to make a fresh beginning, with the sweet memories of the past lingering my mind……

Till nw this feeling ws no where to be found…but suddenly since this evening im feeling heavy…dunno y…ive been preaching others nt to feel sad while goin away from the college ….trying to make those ppl laugh who r a bit senti …and nw it’s a pity …Im in the same situation.
I dnt knw , whether its bcoz m leaving this college or bcoz sum ppl are goin away frm me ….i still have to figure out …the nostalgia overtook me only after turned I the pages of the diary which ppl have filled for me …its only then I came to knw dat yes..i did manage to create my own niche out here .
Damn it ....this feeling is killing me …I never felt so bad…its really sad that sum ppl who really managed to create a spcl place in my life are leaving tom …and Im nt going to c them off….its nt my project wrk that’s stopping me bt there s sum invisible force that’s preventing me from doin so ……
Y does everything happens late with me………..???

SOLEDAD

Suddenly I found myself lost out in the crowd. The people standing around me started drifting away, disappearing..... Within no time I was standing there looking here and there, searching for a known face, so that I could feel comfortable……..
Why does it happen again and again?? Every time I go out with people, hang around with, and in no time I find them looking out for something ….. Its really sad to see that ultimately I’m left alone, to fend on my own.Everyone gets cozy with someone or the other. Not me. I usually end up pondering what makes them do that. Am I so bad that they can’t stand next to me? Or do they feel embarrassed doing the same? And ultimately I curse myself for landing in such a situation. I shouldnt have been there at all.At times, I feel happy for my friends who are not in such a situation, but the same time i do feel sad fo myself too.
Maybe its all my fault. Its been years but still i feel the same, the void , somewhere inside me, beside me , all around me....So in all probability, I am waiting for that fateful day when i can very confidently delete this entry, or atleast update it.....

"VIRAH"

wo kya pal tha jo beet gaya,
ek saathi ka daman choot gaya.....
na hum rahe, na wo rahe,
wo khushiyon ka saawan beet gaya.....


yun aankon mein meri jo aansoon aaye,
inhi dharaaon mein maine wo ghum bhulaye....
darta hoon, wo din phir laut na aaye,
kya pata zalim, ek janm mein do baar rulaye....


dhadkan ne uska naam liya, par maine kabhi suna nahi,
faasle badhe, dooriyaan badhi, tanhayeean bhi mili....
ye din bhi dekhna hoga ye maine kabhi socha nahi,
kya yahi wo pyaar tha, jo mujhe kabhi mila nahi....


main kya tha, main kya hoon, ye pata nahi,
har zarre mein dhoondh raha ...par mila nahi....
shayad meri saza yahi,
kyun maine usse kuch kaha nahi........

yun zheel si gahrai waale tere ye nain,
na jaane kitno ke loot gaye chaain....


shayad tumhe pata nahi kya ehmiyat hai tumhaari,
jitni jaldi jaan lo,ye kismat hogi hamari....


jo dil mein hai tumhaare wo bayan hota hai ye jaan lo,
chahe tum chaho , ya na chaho....


yun na bahaya karo in keemti motiyon ko jaani,
beparwah logon ke liye hain ye sirf paani....

yun tanha na jiya karo tum,
kyunki jinhe fark padta hai, unme se hain ek hum....


dosti ka haath jo thaama hai humne,
nibhayenge, na todenge vishwas jo kiya hai tumne....


chune hue raah se alag chalo kabhi,
mausam bhi badlenge, tum bhi badlo kabhi....


kyun karti ho khud pe itne saare zulm,
duniya tumhare kadamon pe rakh doon, bas karo hukm....


bharosa jo kiya hai use rakho kuch samay tak,
bas chahiye humein thoda, thoda sa waqt...........

SUBWAY

Long before the concept of flyovers was infixed, subways have been in existence and proved their worth, but in a completely different way altogether…. I realized this recently when I am making frequent trips to Bangalore. The subway which we use between the railway station and Kempegowda Bus Stand is one of the busiest subways I have ever seen. It is always hustling and bustling with commotion. Its kind of a whole world in itself. One can find all types of hawkers selling fruits, cigarettes, handkerchiefs, flashy watches, electronic gadgets, eatables, clothes, books, route maps and even human flesh!!

As you enter the subway, everyone looks up to you with eyes full of anticipation. The handicapped children spread their hands and keep bothering you until you get out from there. The pickpockets wait for a chance to strike. The hawkers try to prove their stuff as the best. And the common Indian hawaldar is busy fleecing them. As you move on, the strong aroma of smoke changes to ripe fruits’ to foetor urine and even sweat. You brush along with people of different caste creed and culture defying all barriers. As you move up the stairs, the whores sitting on the stairs try to attract you so that they may get a couple of notes to light the fires in their kitchens. As you move out and enter the silicon city of India it seems that in a couple of minutes you have made the journey between two Indias- one that is tied with a leash, ready to make a leap at the world and conquer it, and the other being the leash itself………

Another Valentine

What a life I have. Great, indeed. Its 5 pm, Valentine’s Day, and I m lying on my bed, with probably nothing much to do. Love is in the air, I can make it out. Through the door, I can see guys getting dressed up for their D day evening. Having a clean shave, running to have a shower, well pressed shirts lying on their beds, the ones they’ve never taken out from their suitcases ever before, and I m lying on my bed! It has become difficult for my olfaction to make out whether it is Axe, Brut, Denim, or Gillette, as the rich smell of the musk and the freshness of the oceans blend together to form an irresistible smell, and I m lying on my bed…..
There are some friends who asked me whether I would like to join them this evening, but you know, I m not in a habit of becoming épine parmi les roses. It has been 22 yrs and still I have not been able to really find someone whom I can confide into. It really hurts when people call me smart and a handsome guy. The first thing they ask me is the number of girlfriends I have, it really hurts you know. I don’t know why I am in such a lamentable state, maybe I really lack something, or I do not deserve this, God knows….
I had plans of going out, hanging around with friends, but when I got up, and looked around, I could not figure out where to go or whom to go out with. So again I end up on my bed fiddling around with my cell and my lappy who, these days are becoming my best friends. I have a wallpaper celebrating Valentine’s on my lappy which will be gone soon. So I leave the clothes in my suitcase as they are, the Gillette deo as it is and confide with my two best friends……..

INDIA SHINING

Congratulation folks!!! India is shining again. You must be thinking that this guy has gone insane in this critical situation of recession but lemme tell you what- Elections speak. They do speak, if not every other day but every couple of years.
I was literally provoked to write this as soon as I got a message in my inbox- “villages to get 24 hrs electricity supply- Govt ” . Our government has yet again set out beaming its achievements in its rule. And why not, it does have some of the greatest achievements in the Indian history to boast of. No, I am not speaking of India’s spectacular win against Australia in cricket; though many Indians would rate it higher than the successful launch of Chandrayaan ( another long debated project which finally managed to shut up its critics after global acceptance). The launch of chandrayaan once again proves India’s expertise in space technology.
Moreover the inking of the Indo-US nuclear treaty in the US senate was one of the biggest achievement for the UPA government. Very less people know that this treaty will not bear any short term fruit( maybe a decade or so!!!!) but the government is banking upon the same as its bid for a second term. There may be 4 Indians in the top 10 richest people in the world, but my question is that how does it help the common Indian?
Its said that India is a complete democracy. I would rather say that India is only politically democratic. Pity on the common stupid Indian! They would again fall an easy prey and get carried away by these frivolous remarks like India Shining, India poised or the so called Feel good factor.. So I better delete this useless message from my inbox and get goin with my work……..

Emosanal attyachaar

after a long tym a came across a movie which could effect a guy's psyche psychologically. i was tired after a long day's work and couldnt get a better breezer than DEV D.This movie appealed to me since i first saw its promos being aired. the different feel of the songs and the brilliant performance by abhay was applaudable.with a pinch of drollery, and some excellent timing of emotions kept me glued to my seat. i knw there will be many who will definitely call this a sqander of time and more importantly, money but i found it more thought provoking than, u can call , entertaining. The movie lived up to my expectation and now i think abhay deol is also making his way into the so called different league of actors.

A Different World

I realized that I was in a different world when I found myself crammed along with 14 others in an auto rickshaw with a capacity of 6. After I alighted at the Patna junction, I saw hordes of people rushing towards me yelling at the top of their voice the different locations they ought to take us. I saw some of the rickshaw owners fighting over the passengers, as who is gonna take them to his vehicle, and in the meantime , the passenger walking away to a third one smiling next to them….cunning chap.
Welcome to Bihar.
I found my bag thrown at the top of the vehicle and someone nagging at my suitcase too. After a lot of struggle I finally made him realize that I had a costly “instrument “in my suitcase called “lappy”. So the auto had 14 passengers plus an added suitcase..(Forget about the luggage overhead)..!!! As the auto went through the lanes, I couldn’t cease myself from noticing the view outside. It was completely different from what I was used to see in Bangalore. Through the dusty roads what I could manage to see was the true Bihar…..
I had to keep maneuvering my foot and the edging suitcase so that they do no brush against any other vehicle. It is January and the mercury is below 10. I saw many children with just enough rags to wear, trying to peel off the flashy posters of movies with catchy names and burn those to keep themselves warm…..but ……..for how long? I could hear the voice of wailing children and consoling mothers. The aroma of some delicious food being cooked in a thatched roof, roadside stall filled my vehicle as it went past, and I could see some boys standing outside and looking at the dishes, with the hunger inside them still churning the stomach but no penny to satisfy it. Two fat ladies with a couple of shining shopping bags were sitting on a rickshaw and the poor man, hardly weighing half of the combined weight was pulling it with all the strength he had.
The auto went on to the highway. Brushing past different vehicles, big and small. The image of rural India had started to build afresh inside my mind. The farmers were busy in their fields, the children sitting atop oxen, in the lake, and the women folk collecting fire wood for the evening meal. Everything looked so natural. I could see the true colors of India but with a tinge of poverty.
My auto reached the outskirts of Hajipur, my stop. People stared getting down at different places. Among other people in the van, I had a blind old man as one of my co passengers. He had already told the person sitting next to him to take him along with him as they were going to the same destination. Both of them got down together, I turned back and saw the person going away….leaving the blind man alone. He was shouting at the top of his voice, calling for the man….but alas…!!! He was gone…..leaving him on his own. The auto started moving ahead and I could just see the blurred image of the old man looking around, helpless.
I got down at Hajipur, was hungry since long, and so went to a restaurant on the platform. Sat down for a while but went out as I wasn’t feeling hungry anymore…………..