shh...

Saaki sharaab laa ke tabiyat udaas hai...

2011-05-11T06:52:00.004+05:30

...as the silken voice of the maestro drifted through the room, he sighed a little. The music felt like it was pulling at his heart strings, like the music was a part of him, like he was the source of it and not some old transistor. He stared into nothingness and tried to blink. Even that seemed like too much trouble. The waiter walked past him with a quizzical look. His drink was on the table untouched. The waiter shook his head. "This one's going to make me wait" he seemed to think as he shook his head and moved on.

It was not the first time in this bar for him. He had been here countless times with friends. Although he was a teetotaler, he liked to tag along. He loved the smell of alcohol. And he loved the company. They always used to joke about his share of the bill always running higher because of how much he ate. He smiled as he remembered the last time he was here. He was forced to pay the bill because nobody else had cash. He didn't complain. "Nice guys finish last" was the only thing he managed to say before the drunk stories took over. He liked the stories. They would start somewhere and end up somewhere totally different. He liked the unpredictability of it all. He wouldn't talk most of the time. "Speaking his words like they were precious gems" like one of his friends said.

He looked at the drink, took it in his hand. He twirled it around to look at the light shining through the glass. "One gulp and it'll all be over" he thought. There was no looking back now. He closed his eyes as he imagined himself downing the whole thing in one gulp. A shatter of glass broke his concentration. He looked at one of the waiters apologising profusely to a patron. The patron didn't seem to mind. "One of those lucky people who never know what it's like to be depressed" he thought ruefully.

He put his glass back on the table and took a sip of water instead. He started laughing at the absurdity of it all. "What was I thinking" he thought even as he put up his hand and asked for the bill. As he looked away from the waiter he saw a familiar smile. He tried to look away quickly, but his hand automatically went up to acknowledge the smile. "Oh great!" he thought as the face floated towards him through the sea of people. He panicked at first and then made up his mind for confrontation. "Go to hell! I don't need you. I can handle this all by myself." his thoughts seemed too rude to have been spoken by him. He grimaced a little and braced himself. The face took a sharp right and disappeared into the crowd. He sighed a sigh of relief and looked at the direction in which the face disappeared. He smiled as he saw the face move towards another unfamiliar one.

He noticed the bill lying on the table. He pulled out a 100 and left the change. His drink sparkled in the dim light, as if mocking him. He smiled and started towards the door. The melody blew over like a gentle breeze. Mehdi Hassan seemed to be singing his mind. "Mere pyaar ko tum mita na sakoge..." He looked up at the sky, the moon seemed bigger then when he had entered. "Shama jo jalayee hai meri wafa ne...Mita na bhi chaho, mita na sakoge..." He took out his mobile and started typing with a content look on his face. "We're no strangers to love...You know the rules and so do I..." he hummed as he walked towards his bike.

Warriors fall

2009-12-19T23:34:00.002+05:30

What is it about idealism? It attracts, promises, seduces and makes you follow it. With fanatic zealousness. You are prepared to fight for it, to die for it, to kill for it. It is the single idea that holds scores of people together, and alienates them. It makes them love, makes them hate, makes them think, hope and pray. What is it that makes people close their mind to all but their beliefs.

But still... why is it that like a handful of sand that you have, the harder you try to hold it the more of it that slips out of your hand? Why is it people 'grow' out of their beliefs, and think it's ok to forget their beliefs, to act against them, to stop being idealistic and start being 'practical'?

Maybe it's the demands of the new life you have discovered, maybe it's another ideal which sounds more correct, or maybe you're just bored out of it. You abandon a belief system and label it a mistake of zealousness of youth, change it, call it practical and move on as if nothing's changed. No remorse, no regret, no apologies....

Your ideals lie in the waste bin, to be picked up by the next zealous idiot who is stupid enough.Maybe it's just a bee in my bonnet or the fact that I'm too cynical but people disappoint me. Actually idealistic practical people disappoint me.

The Proposal

2008-08-13T20:52:00.001+05:30

The morning dews glitter
With the golden glow of your face
The wind it blows hither
With a placid pace
I bathe in the beauty afraid I'd wither
And before you, a proposal place
The future I hope is not so bitter
and peer the crystal ball with an oracle's gaze

(Cheesy and corny - yes, but original ;-))

Inspired by Harshanna's post: http://mookajjanakanasugalu.blogspot.com/2008/08/bedike.html

And then there were none...

2008-05-01T11:39:00.001+05:30

I looked at him with disappointed eyes. He seemed to sense the disappointment. He smiled and said "I am not great." I did not know whether to feel sorry for him or angry at him. Was this the guy I had idolized? The same guy who had the belief that he could bend the world to his will was now crooked himself, with the weight of his responsibilities.

Greatness comes not because of suffering but _in spite_ of it. Every fall I have had has only made me stronger. Every wound has made me a little more aware.

Why do people give up so easily? Why do they have to give up? On their dreams, on their ambitions, on their life? And why do they have to compromise?

You start off thinking you will rule the world one day. That you will make it a better place. That you will not let it's realities change you. And then you start realizing that are not as free as you think you are. You are shackled down. Shackled by the chains of responsibility. Towards your family, towards the people you love, towards the people that have employed you. Then there is always the question of inadequacy. Maybe you can't deal with everything at once. Maybe you aren't as smart or as strong as you had thought you were.

Everybody falls. Gravity spares no one. But you would like to think that people rise. Rise and start walking again. Ignore the pain and look beyond.Make up their mind to finish what they have started. To look up to the sky and believe that they can one day stretch their hand and reach beyond it.

But I can see you have given up. Surrendered to gravity, making no effort to get up. I feel betrayed. I feel disillusioned. I can't see clearly. My vision is blurred. Will this what happen to me? I think. Will I reach out for someone to pull me up from my fall and be left behind, too tired to get up by myself? Will I, with sheer mental effort be able to get up?

Life will resist. It will pull you down. Throw a thousand obstacles your way. Make you want to give up fighting. Makes you want to stop trying to get up.But I refuse to give up. Hope is what shines bright at the other end of the dark tunnel. I still believe I will change the world. I still believe I will leave it a better place. I still believe I can help people who deserve. I still believe I can make a difference. I WILL NOT GIVE UP this easy.

I will be patient and wait for the right time. I will constantly strive to move up to a position which gives me the right view and the reach from which I can change, appeal for change and demand change from the people I can reach out to. I have no dreams of changing the world overnight. But I can make an effort, reach out and give a chance to the world. Because it deserves it.

And finally I will have no more idols. Because idols are not gods, they are human beings. They can never be perfect and I will stop expecting them to be.I will revel in their imperfection and leverage on it. I will make imperfection my strength and my will my weapon. And one day, I shall make a difference. It might be the tiniest of changes but a change it will be. And that day, will my soul rest in peace, in harmony with the world that had sustained me.

Finally! It happened!

2008-04-11T17:52:00.002+05:30

My blog has an international audience! Wooohooo! I met sheila from Ghana today... Who wanted to be my friend! I am so thankful for the internet! Hey sheila this post is dedicated to you!

[And if this was someone playing a prank on me.. Well I guess I just have to wait for some more time to go international :P]

Happy birthday to you!

2008-04-09T11:58:00.001+05:30

I know you will probably never read this... But many happy returns of the day! And please grow up!! :P

Food for thought :-)

2008-03-07T12:21:00.002+05:30

Snippets from a chat conversation I had with a friend...Thanks T! This one's for you!

Her:
wat plans for weekend?

Me:
no plans

Her:
how sad

Me:
plans are dynamically adjusted to accomodate largest number of meetings with maximum number of people
he he

Her:
u and ur proportions :P

Me:
optimization rocks
getitng annoyed with people.. no one has time for others these days

Her:
why do u say tat
who does not have time for u

Me:
general attitude is to think meeting up on weekends is a waste of time
for some
a distraction for others
and a pain in the neck for the rest

Her:
now now...wat does tat mean
i understand pple r busy
but u call and see na
all wilc ome :P

Me:
yeah with the longest faces they can muster without touching their cheeks to the ground :D
and if you are 5 mins late then heaven help you :D

*************************snip****************************

Her:
he has changed huh?

Me:
everybody has
:D

Her:
ok...we all grow up
tat is y :)

Me:
i know... i don't resist change... it just fascinates me

Her:
i call it growing up and becoming mature

Me:
it's not always that :)
you'll know when it's time....

Her:
u still think i am not mature huh :)

Me:
what you think is 'growing up' may in fact be a futile attempt to align to a view that has been formed by various external factors

Her:
hmm...tat is intersting
:)

Me:
if you think about it....everything that you are now is because of things that you have experienced in the past
you are continuously aligning to suit the needs of a few people that matter the most to you

Her:
hmm
tat is sooooooo true
i agreee

Me:
that includes you too of course but to a very large extent what you want yourself to be is rarely defined by just you :)

Her:
its never abt wat u wanna be
its always abt wat others perceive na

Me:
nope but it is finally your choice isn't it
you can say to hell with this i am wearing what i am comfortable in to office
though every manager you meet emphasises on the impact of appearence in the corporate world

Her:
but ...
hmm

Me:
you are a rule breaker to some a cool guy to others
but as long as you get the work done, it doesn't really matter does it?

Her:
i understand
tat makes sense

Me:
so is it childish of a person to wear jeans to office... or is it considered 'grown-up' to get to client location in a blazer?
people start taking you seriously the moment they see the potential value you can create (irrespective of what you are wearing)

ಅನೂಹ್ಯ...

2008-01-29T11:05:00.000+05:30

ಅನೂಹ್ಯನಿವನು ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಹಿಡಿತಕ್ಕೆ ಬಾರದವನು

ಕಣ್ಣಲ್ಲಿ ಎಂದೋ ಮಾಸಿದ ಆಸೆಗಳ ಮಬ್ಬು
ಮಾತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಏನೋ ತಳವಳ, ಹೇಳಲಾಗದ ಗುಟ್ಟು

ಅನೂಹ್ಯನಿವನು ಊಹೆಗೆ ಸಿಲುಕದಿಹನು
ಊಹಾ ಪೋಹಗಳ ನೆಲವ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಆಕಾಶಕ್ಕೆ ಏರಿದವನು

ಅನೂಹ್ಯನಿವನು ಇಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಬಂದವನು
ಮಾತು ಮರೆಸಿ ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಅಡಗಿಸಿ ಇಟ್ತವನು

ಅನೂಹ್ಯನಿವನು ನಿಂತಲ್ಲೇ ನಿಲ್ಲದವನು
ಹರಿಯುವ ನೀರು, ಓಡುವ ಜಿಂಕೆ ತಂಗಾಳಿಯಾದವನು

ಅನೂಹ್ಯನಿವನು ಹತ್ತಿರವಿದ್ದೂ ದೂರವಾದವನು
ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಕಲಕಿ ನಿಶ್ಚಲದೆ ನಿಂತವನು

(An attempt at poetry in my Mother tounge. Forgive the mistakes. And hoping somebody can translate this :-) And for those who didn't get it, Anoohya = Enigmatic)

My blog@your inbox!

2008-01-22T15:15:00.001+05:30

I was playing around with feedburner and discovered I could add a subscription widget to my blog. So without further adieu I present, the subscription widget, courtesy feedburner! All you do is type in your e-mail address and click on subscribe. You will recieve a mail when something new is posted! Cool huh? So why wait? Subscribe now!! ;-)

Rejection

2008-01-20T22:40:00.001+05:30

HIM: Every time you break my heart, I just pick up the pieces and lay
them in front of me and then a tear falls on the broken pieces and
fixes my heart. Every time my heart is fixed, it beats faster because
every tear has your name on it. You may never love me but that doesn't
matter, because my love is like light... It doesn't need reflections to lessen darkness.I know you will never think I am worthy
enough...maybe I'm not, maybe I can be...I don't know. All i know is
that my love is true and true love never fades.

HER: Why can't we be friends?

The Last Call

2008-01-14T14:07:00.000+05:30

Naveen looked down. He stood there staring at the hard ground below. He could almost feel it's embrace. He imagined what it would be like to hit the ground at 9.8 m/s² . Would it hurt too much? Would he feel the pain or would he die instantly? Would they be able to identify his body? Would they find the note he left behind?

"They wouldn't find the note" he thought. "Maybe I need to put it in a more obvious place." He removed the suicide note from his pant pocket and put it in his shirt pocket. "But what if I fall on my face and the note gets smeared with my blood?" He removed it from his shirt pocket and looked for a stone. He then placed the note under a big stone right next to the spot where he had decided to jump from. "That is that. They can't miss it now!" He thought. "Phew! Suicide is hard work!" He thought as he went back on the ledge.

He looked down again. If he leapt it would all be over. No more tears, no more pain, no more anything. He imagined the peace that would come after death. Like a deep dreamless slumber. Everything would be over. No more fear, no more loneliness, no more heartbreaks. He took a deep breathe and steadied himself for the jump as a song flashed through his head.

"Main shayar badnaam...."

"On the count of 3." He told himself.

"Ooo main chala..."

"One..."

"Mehfil se naakaam..."

"Two.."

His concentation was disturbed by the buzz of his cellphone in his pocket. He was tempted to ignore it and continue his jump. But a wierd sensation made him feel that somebody needed him. "Maybe I could help someone just before I die. Maybe I can do one good deed. I owe it to the world." He thought as he stepped back from the ledge.

"Hello...Naveen here!" He said his voice shaking with excitement.

"Hello Sir! This is Deeksha from Apna Bank credit card division. I would like to tell you about our new special health-cum-credit card. This card gives you free access to top hospitals in your city and it is free for lifetime........"

The Dreamer

2007-11-28T16:47:00.001+05:30

The old man smiled at his neighbour. She pretended to be engrossed in the magazine she was reading. "You know, I've been flying for almost 7 years now and the in-flight reading of this airline is probably the worst ever!" He said as he grinned. The young girl smiled politely and looked out the window, making it clear that she did not intend to engage in conversation. "Isn't that such a wonderful view!" said the old man, still taking no hints to her apparent disinterest. She looked him squarely in the eye, glaring and pulled down the blind. The old man chuckled. Looking straight ahead, he said in a low voice, "You know I had a dream last night, I was among the clouds, soaring along." She bit her tounge to keep from replying, and looked with more intensity into the magazine she was thumbing through. "Khalil Gibran once said 'Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream.'" the old man continued, as if unaware of the irritation he was causing the girl, "Wonderful things dreams are. I always believed in them, since I was a kid. They say Dreams are God's way of telling you your heart's deepest desires.".

"Dreams are a waste of time!" shot back the girl, before she could stop herself, "Life is a tragedy for dreamers,a comedy for doers and a reality for achievers!" she said, her face glowering with anger "All these fairy tales are to amuse kids and grown ups stupid enough to believe in them. Dreams are for losers. Those who cannot dare to do, dream.". "You mean you never had a dream? In your entire life?" asked the old man. " She shifted in her seat, looked him in the eye and lied "No!". "Liar Liar pants on fire" chuckled the old man. "I think you had a dream broken so bad, you are afraid of dreaming again. It's made you cynical hasn't it?". She started sobbing. Memories started flooding her eyes and she cried. For the first time in years she cried like a little girl. The old man just kept staring ahead. "We announce the arrival of the flight to Bangalore. We should be able to land in approximately 10 minutes." the pilot's voice boomed out bringing her back to the present. She excused herself to the washroom. She washed her face and looked in the mirror. Then she smiled. She went back to her seat, relieved and light. She smiled at the old man as she got back into her seat. "Thank you" she said as the announcement was made and the seatbelt signs went on. The old man grinned at her "Thank yourself. You have your whole life ahead of you." he said mysteriously.

The old man was out of his seat as soon as the flight landed. He was the first to get off. She looked through the window as he waved to her. She waved back.

"Hey! You are writing again!" said Smitha as she walked in to see her on the table. "Finally! So you are going to finish your book?" she asked. "Yes. I don't care if it doesn't get published. I needed to finish it." "But your job? You said you didn't have the time" said Smitha. She tossed an envelope at Smitha. "Oh my God! You... Resigned?" asked Smitha, only to be greeted by a grin. "The stranger who taught me to dream again." she wrote, the last short story in her book. She smiled as she sipped her tea.

"...and that is why Dreams are so important. They say Dreams are God's way of telling you your heart's deepest desires. So dare to dream and dare to act upon them. Thank you." The speech was greeted by a thunderous applause. "Ma'am" asked one of the reporters, "Is it true that your last short story 'The stranger who taught me to dream again' is a real life incident?" She grinned and nodded. "How does it feel to be the author of a best selling book?" asked another. "Like a dream come true." she replied.

She smiled for the cameras once more as she walked back to her car. "Thank you" she said, to no one in particular.

Dream Girl

2007-11-02T21:54:00.001+05:30

I always thought it would be the opening strings of 'Tum Bin Jaun Kahan'. I had dreamed of hearing those guitar strings strumming in the background when I saw her. And a light breeze playing with her hair. And the smile..... It would light up the world. "Dreams have a strange tendency of coming true to those who believe in them" I had heard, and was hoping it was true. I had pictured her in my mind. Seen her through my imaginations. And imagined the moment all my life. But nothing could prepare me for what was in store. No amount of imagination could make me see the events of that fateful day.

A light breeze blew in a drizzle of rain. I loved the smell of rain. Always made the ambiance a tad more romantic. I settled down on a bench and looked down the platform. The train looked like it would be late. "Indian standard time" I thought to myself. I pulled out my copy of "The Alchemist" I had put it back just before the last sentence. I loved to read the last sentence, filled me with joy every single time. I wondered if there was a 'Fatima' for me, waiting in a far off desert to fall in love with me. I put the book back into my backpack and looked at the opposite platform. It was mostly empty. "Not many people going the other direction" I thought.

And then it happened. A sudden gust of wind blew the umbrella off her hands. She laughed as she chased it. Far off some peddler was advertising his flutes by playing the tune from 'Hero'. I looked into her eyes. She stood still for a moment. Her eyes met mine. I gazed, transfixed. It was like magic. The announcement jolted me back to my senses. Two trains, going in opposite directions chugged into the two platforms. I sighed, shook my head and stepped into my berth. I looked out the window, and she was sitting a little ahead. Looking towards my train her eyes twinkling, her face radiant. And then she smiled... I felt the whole world lighting up due to her smile. The engine of her train started, she suddenly got up and ran out of the train as it moved out of the platform whistling loudly. I felt my train starting to move. I felt a pang of regret as I looked at her. She was looking into my train, her eyes alight with hope. Like she was expecting to tell someone something.

As my train gathered speed, I noticed a handsome guy jumping off onto the platform. I looked out at both the platforms. Both of them were standing opposite each other, smiling and lost in each other's eyes. I smiled. "Maktub" I said as I left the two lovers who had just experienced 'love at first sight' back at the railway station.

"Some matches are made in heaven".

November Kannadiga

2007-10-30T19:59:00.001+05:30

November 1st, Any Year, 5.00 p.m. IST:

The phone doesn't ring. The classic "Naavaaduva nudiye kannada nudi" blares into your ears.

"Namaskaara saaar!" comes the voice. A little surprised you ask "Is this [insert name here]?". "Hun kano naaneya! Yake doubt-a?"

A little taken aback you blabber something incoherent until the point
of the conversation is reached. Once you are done with whatever
business you had, you hurry up say good bye and hang up.

December 1st, Same Year, 5.00 p.m. IST:

The phone doesn't ring. But this time you have a remixed version of
"Baby got back" playing thrust into your ears. Your ear drums shudder
in protest. You grit your teeth and wait.

"Yo! Dude! Wassup?" comes the same voice. You smile and say "Namskara
saar! [insert name here] idara?". "It's me only daaa! Tell me bro'
wassup with you?".

You again blabber something incoherent until the point of the
conversation is reached. Once you are done with whatever business you
had, you hurry up say good bye and hang up as quickly as your fingers
allow you......

AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!! a.k.a Email blues!

2007-10-25T14:13:00.001+05:30

People people people!! Stop forwarding junk mails which promise to make you rich overnight! Stop forwarding mails which promise to help a little girl in sweden undergo brain surgery!! Stop annoying and irritating other people who have work to do! I know you feel all good inside for having done your good deed for the day but it's nothing! You haven't helped anybody!!

Can't you see? Isn't it obvious? How can anybody track email forwards? You tell me! All the people who call themselves software engineers! You think someone would write a program to snoop on EVERY SINGLE EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE WORLD to see if they forwarded a PARTICULAR EMAIL? Sheesh! The hours that take programming it and the cost of running it with the consent of all email providers in the world would make whoever wrote it a billionaire overnight! And HE could just DONATE the money to the poor kid instead of YOU forwarding the email!!

The worst part? Most of these emails come from people who are SOFTWARE ENGINEERS!! I wonder if they even THINK! It's a disgrace I tell you DISGRACE!! If you wanna help someone then make donations to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund or something and stop wasting everybody's time!!

If you still have doubts about tracking emails then here's some info:

Most emails are in the MIME format and sent across using the SMTP. Look up these terms on google and try to see if what I say is true or not!

And here are a list of email hoaxes for medical assistance till now on snopes.com

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/medical/medical.asp

Thanks for reading this. I hope you stop wasting your and everybody else's time and also save some energy in not forwarding these emails!!

The futility....

2007-09-27T19:54:00.001+05:30

of orkut pickup lines.... ;)

Ok so they aren't the best... Or the brightest.. But all of them are desperate to meet someone through orkut! And they will go to any length to add you to their friend list. Yes, I've heard a lot of orkut love stories... Some tragic some successful some mostly funny stories... In fact orkut has also helped in rekindling long lost flames and stroke the fires of the past.. But the desperate guy looking for friendship is the funniest! And some of the replies are amazing too! One of my favorite past times is looking through random profiles and see this phenomenon of 'can i be your friend weirdness'.

1. Really really desperately desperate guy

Doesn't talk! Just sends friend requests to any girl who has pics in her album!! Sometimes just the word 'female' in the profile will do!

These guys... I dunno what to say to them! Maybe they just like their friend list longer ;)

2. The desperately desperate guy with weak vocabulary!

"Hi! How arrrreeee yooooouuuu? I wanna make fraaandships with you......"

Dude! First, get a life.... Second, learn english!!

3. The innocent sweet guy

"Hi, I was going through your profile. We seem to have a lot in common. I like banana milkshake topped with chocolate ice-cream too! Wanna be friends?"

Ok nice try buster! But liking the same milkshake doesn't qualify as 'lot in common'! You need improvement!!

4. The ego inflater

"Hi! You have lovely eyes! And a beautiful smile! Can we be friends?"

Good one. Yes the girl has lovely eyes and yes she has a beautiful smile.. Why not? SHE HAS RANI MUKHERJEE AS HER PROFILE PICTURE!! Moron!!

5. The pretentious prick

"Hi! I am 6ft 3 inches and weigh 73 kgs. I have big muscles.... and all girls say I look hansome. I like making friendships with online people. Will you be my friend?"

Ok.... I have nothing to say... Wait! Dude! "I have big muscles??" "hasome??" "all girls??" "online people??" yeah! right! Keep dreaming!!

6.The funny man

"he he! Looks like you had fun in goa. You look awesome! Lolzzz! Can we be friends?"

These guys look like right out of a Yahoo chat room with the smilies and everything.... But why would you laugh out loud after you compliment someone on their looks? Gawd!

7. The innovator

Hmm these guys are tricky! They come up with different lines for different people... They try to find a common friend, a common community or just outright lie to get some kind of response...

"Hi I have a problem I want to discuss with you. It can only be solved by a female. Reply asap"

Right. Should she also bring her broomstick and cauldron along? Idiot!!

"Hi! Hey do you know Rashmi who used to work for that xyz firm who had a kid sister called Raji who was friends with Nikhita whose Brother's sister-in-laws' colleague was my friend's cousin's husband who is also on your friends list?"

Wait! I'm confused who the hell are you talking about??

8. The master!

Oooh these guys are pros! They read the girl right and strike when the iron's hot! All the buncha losers ought to learn from them.

" I will not flirt with beautiful girls on orkut.
I will not flirt with beautiful girls on orkut.
I will not flirt with beautiful girls on orkut.
..........................................................
..........................................................

Damn! Look! You made me break my new year resolution ;) "

One word: Awesome!!

Ok I am off to see if I can borrow some lines from these guys...... Online relationships... Here I come!!

Lover Boy [3]

2007-09-20T06:30:00.001+05:30

Not a continuation but related to this and this ;)

Kumar smiled as he kept the phone down. He was glad Gayu had finally found someone. "Strange." He thought, "The girl who said she doesn't believe in Love... Life is full of surprises." Well he knew Sunny well. "Dr. Sunny", he corrected himself. They made a nice pair and he was glad they were together. He switched on the TV. "Crap! Crap! More crap!" he sighed as he endlessly jumped from channel to channel. "Aaah! Finally something tasteful!" he exclaimed as he stopped his channel flipping to The Tom and Jerry show on the Cartoon Channel. He had watched all the episodes zillions of times but the cat and the mouse always cracked him up!

The door bell rang. He walked up to answer it. He stuck his head out the door to see the postman taking off on his cycle. He had never seen the postman's face. "The invisible postman" he thought "That would make a great story!". He removed the mail from the window sill. He walked back sifting through the envelopes.

"Offers for a platinum credit card. Statement of accounts.... Nothing out of the ordinary.." he was thinking when he spotted her name on the invitation card. "Rags weds...." he couldn't even read her full name. She would always be Rags for him. And he couldn't even look at the groom's name. "She remembered!" he said suddenly.

"Rags" he had said with a tearful voice, "don't forget to invite me for your marriage. I would love to meet.... that buffoon who marries you!" he ran shrieking with laughter, and she had chased after him. It was like yesterday. But she had asked him for his address. And had memorized it.

"She remembered!" he thought, "Women! You can't live with them you can't live without them." He waited, for the sorrow to come. For the tears... None came. He suddenly realized he wasn't sad. Infact he was feeling light-headed, like a burden was lifted off his head. He felt like he was free. A strange sense of calmness enveloped him... He was quite taken aback by how he was reacting. "Wow!" he said to himself, "Mr. Kumar... Looks like you're all grown up!".

He patted himself on the back and went back to cartoon network. He chuckled slightly as he saw Jerry tying Tom's tail into a knot. Next up: "The Popeye Show" said the animated ad in the corner of the screen. He carefully put back the invitation card back into the envelope and tossed it on the table. "That's one marriage feast I'm gonna miss" he thought as he settled back with his bag of Aloo Bhujia.

"Oh popeye! You are so Strong..."

"I fights to the finish 'cos I eats me Spinach I'm popeye the sailor man!" Toooot! Toooot!

Normalcy Restored!! :-)

Lover Boy [2]

2007-09-18T17:46:00.001+05:30

The previous one is here

She was walking away with tears in her eyes. He stood there seething with rage. Anger felt good. He had burst after a long time. It felt good to vent. He was still breathing heavily, staring at her disappearing shadow with bloodshot eyes.

It was then that it hit him. He had just lost her. He had gone too far! He collapsed on the stairs thinking "What have I done!". She wasn't going to talk to him ever again. He sat there trying to fight his tears. He didn't win. He sat there sobbing like a child.

He heard footsteps. He stood up, wiped his tears and ran on to the terrace. He took several deep breaths and caught his breath back. He saw gayu walk up. He gave her a grin. "Hey! What doing here maaaan?" she asked. "Oh.. Umm.. Nothing... Just... Well I was waiting for you darling..". "Shut up! Flirtomaniac!" pat came the reply. "Chill babe! You know I luuvve you! And I know you luuvve me!" he said, grinning. "Ayyyoooo Raama! Why did I even come here? Ahhh yes. They are looking for you downstairs. Something about Arishina and kumkum for the karnataka map or something." said gayu. He slapped his forehead. Of course! He thought. How can you make a karnataka rangoli without yellow and red powders? "Ohh yeah! I almost forgot. Tell Vasanth I'm taking his Bike. And make sure you tell him that princi's agreed to pay for the petrol!" he said and ran off to the parking lot. "Maaaad guy! Wonder why he was crying though..." thought gayu as she walked downstairs.

He zipped to the nearby 'kaka' stores and got a packet of turmeric powder and kumkum. Panting, he approached the 'rangoli' girls. "Yenamma rangoli!" he cried out. "Oye! Why so laate-u? Give-u give-u Fast-u fast-u" said Shree. "Takeamma! Take-u take-u!" he grinned. "Hey! Stop making fun and make yourself useful" said a grim sounding baritone. He twirled around to see Giri... "They need some assistance with the computer. It seems the speakers aren't clear. Must be some connection problem. Hogi Nodtya swalpa?" said Giri. "Yes maga! Nam sooper man idane tane comp hatra?" he said enthusiastically. "Hun.. Damle is there." said Giri. And looked up to see a streak of red running towards the back stage......

Normalcy Restored!! :-)

Thank God.....

2007-09-12T23:30:00.001+05:30

[Spoiler alert!]

Thank god Ajay Devgan wasn't called Veeru
Thank god Amitabh wasn't called Gabbar
Thank god Sushanth Singh wasn't called Sambha
Thank god Rajpal Yadav wasn't called Soorma Bhopali
Thank god Ghungroo drove an auto and not a tonga
Thank god the auto isn't called Dhanno
Thank god Kali Ganj wasn't called Ramgadh
Thank god Narsimha doesn't say "Maar do hathoda" after "Loha garam hai"
Thank god Babban doesn't ask "Ab tera kya hoga Kaalia?"
Thank god Ghungroo says "Too much" instead of "Yun ki"
Thank god Babban doesn't say "Kahan hai re phauji number do?"
Thank god Rajpal Yadav doesn't say "Hamara naam soorma bhopali aise hi nahi hai"
Thank god Babban asks "Diwali kab hai?" instead of asking "Holi kab hai?"
Thank god Sushmita has more dialogues than Jaya Bhaduri did
Thank god Babban has a reason to kill Narsimha's family other than just going to jail.
Thank god Ajay Devgan doesn't get drunk and climb up on a water tank.
Thank god the blind old man doesn't say "Itna sannata kyun hai bhai?"
Thank god it's called "RGV ki Aag" and not "RGV ke Sholay"

Thank god for small mercies.

RGV has always maintained that he wasn't making a remake. He said he's paying tribute. And as far as tributes go, this one wasn't all that hot. As a remake, as a story told in a different way in a different time for a different people, "Yes".

A typical RGV fare, Aag has it all. The firm hold over the script, gritty cinematography, edge-of-the-seat action sequences, the raunchy 'mehbooba' by Urmila,
flawless, menacing, Amitabh Bachchan and of course the characterizations that one can only associate with an RGV flick. But, unfortunately the film lacked something.... Something was missing.....

I applaud your effort Mr. Varma but, Sholay is Sholay!!

Yeh Dosti....
Any number of dialogs or emotional scenes or conversations cannot establish the camaraderie between Jai and Veeru as one song did.

Yeh dosti hum nahi chodenge..
Todenge dum magar tera saath na chodenge....

The widow and the rouge
The chemistry between Amitabh and Jaya pulled a chord in your heart. Using the same music doesn't do much to bring back those unsaid words and the silent conversations between them.

The harmonica and the light sequence.... one of the best scenes in Sholay!

And the look on Jaya's face said "I lost my husband yet again".. The look on Sushmita's said "He's dead"... Just not the same!

The helpless victim/Revenge seeker
One character that did stay the same in both films...Brilliant job by Mohanlal...

When thakur sees his family dead before his eyes..... The sequence in Sholay is far more chilling though the bodies were wrapped in white clothes.

Sanjeev Kumar's condition is revealed only after the Holi fight sequence. Mohanlal's revelation wasn't that good.
One more reason why the original stuck a chord in your heart.

The villain
I applaud your effort Mr. Bachchan but there can only be one Gabbar. And Babban is no match for Amjad Khan.

Though Amitabh does bring in a new menace to the role... But most of the cruelty in the character was lost with the 'revenge' angle and introducing a chota bhai and emotions into Babban's potrayal....

Gabbar killed Thankur's entire family just because he sent him to jail and Babban had a reason for it.... Gabbar is definitely more cruel then! ;)

Dialogues
The one single reason why Sholay is Sholay.

"Kitna inaam rakha hai re sarkaar hamra upar"
"Ab tera kya hoga kaalia?"
"Jo dar gaya samjho mar gaya"
"Basanti in kutton ke saamne mat naachna"
"Yun to befazool batein karneki aadat to hume hai nahi par dekhne waali baat yeh hai..."
"Kaam jo main bolun..Daam jo tum chaaho"
"Itna sannata kyun hai bhai... Koi mar gaya hai kya?"
"Pachas pachas kos dur gaon me jab bachha rota hai to maa kehti hai soja.. soja beta warna Gabbar Singh aajayega"
"Goliyan che aur aadmi teen bahut naainsafi hai"
"Gaaon waalon main jaa raha hun.. Bhagwaan main aa raha hun"
"Bahut jaan hai tere haath me eh... Yeh haath mujhe de thakur..."
"Kya bola tha tu us din? Yeh haath nahi phaasi ka phanda hai eh? Dekh! Khul gaya phanda!"

I seriously doubt if even one dialogue from Aag stays with you when you leave the cinema hall.

And I know it's a major, burning issue but ....
WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BRING IN USELESS REFERENCES TO AMERICA AL-QAIDA AND IRAQ?? WHY????

The coin
What? No both-sides-heads coin flipping in Aag? Sad..... That was my favorite part in Sholay.

I am not trying to put the effort down. I am not saying I was disappointed. All I am saying is Sholay cannot be retold in any other way.... It is not open to other kinds of interpretations... Sholay is Sholay and that's all I have to say about that!!

Even though the 'something-for-everyone' masala popcorn flick isn't your style, good job Mr.RGV. I applaud your effort but... Sholay is Sholay...

[End spoiler alert]

If you are going to see Aag, please go without expecting another Sholay and you will not be disappointed. This is, after all "RGV ki Aag'!!

Procrastination

2007-09-09T00:10:00.001+05:30

I thought I'd write up on it....... But then I thought... I'll do it some other time ;-)

Some more... Fresh!!

2007-09-06T19:34:00.001+05:30

It's 12.30 in the morning, the cab is running through a particularly bad patch of road somewhere in between Bhadravati and Bangalore. I pull out my mobile phone and record a thought that just flashed. Hmm.. Interesting.. Let's see what they think of it... I pass it back... They say it's good.. I move it to the drafts folder.. And this goes on... Two nights in the cab =A loadful of drivel (umm I mean random thoughts....) Enjoy your torture!! :p

Aaina

Yun apni hi parchayiyon se kyun dar gaye ho?
Apni hi aks dekh ke kyun ghabra gaye ho?
Kya apni hi nazar me gir gaye ho..
Ke aaj aine ke saamne sar jhukaye khade ho?

Roshni

Woh jo aye mehfil me aisa laga
Ke raat ke andhere pighal gaye
Woh gaye to gayi yun roshni
Ke jugnu bhi unke saath nikal gaye

Madhoshi

Humne chum liya tere badan ko madhoshi me
Tere badan ki khushbu ne humko behka diya tha
Magar kya izhaar chupa tha teri khamoshi me
Is khayal ne dil ke chaman ko mehka diya tha

Housla

Masal to diya gul-e-dil ko aapne
Mohabbat ki khushbu ko rok paoge kaise?
Banaya hoga apne housle ko buland aapne
Takdeer ke badthe kadmon ko rok paoge kaise?

Be-abroo

Phir beabroo hogayi mohabbat
Phir tanha ho gaye hain hum
Phir samjhe nahi woh dil ki fitrat
Phir ubhar aye hain gham

Shayari

Jo cheekh tha dil ke dard ka
Aapne to usko mushayira bana diya
Hum to baant rahe the gham ghataneko
Aap ne padhkar use shayari banadiya

Ishq

Aaj mere ishq ka inteqaal hogaya
Aaj khatam tere aaneka intezar hogaya
Aaj dil tere gham ki kabr me dafan hogaya
Aaj tere aanchal mere dil ka kafan hogaya

Zanjeer

Woh aake phir usi mod par sar jhuka ke khade hain
Yun lag raha hai ke mere aansuon ka hisaab chuka ke khade hain
Woh pahuncha ke awaz hum tak intezaar me khade hain
Koi to unko bata de hum haalat ke zanjeer se bandhe khade hain

Adhure lamhe

Adhuri zindagi ke adhure lamhe hain saath mere
Bas adhuri si khushiyan ayi hain haath mere
Kehne ko to bahut milte the woh par adhure se the mulaquaat mere
Woh aye to koi kehdena unse ke bahut hain adhure baat mere

Sharaabi

Dil ke maikade se chalka den jaam-e-wafa yeh lagta hai
Saqi sharaab la ke phir wohi hoga anjaam-e-wafa yeh lagta hai
Woh jo aye yaad to kadam dagmaga gaye yeh lagta hai
Saari duniyane kehdiya sharaabi hume duniya khud hai nashe me yeh lagta hai

Jaam saqi ne aaj is ada se pila diya
Pyaas bhi bujha diya aur aag bhi lagadiya
Us aag ne dil ko kuch is tarha se jaladiya
Yaad agayi usiki jisne humko thukrake bhuladiya

Na raat ke aasuon me na din ke andhere me
Ab to guzar gayi zindagi maikade me
Woh thukra de hume yeh baat na thi unke fitrat me
Yaad ajate hum unko agar woh likhe the hamari kismat me

Manzil

Woh makaam jo abhi nikal gaya
Koi batade unko ke woh manzil hi tha
Woh baat jispe dil machalgaya
Woh samjhe nahi par wafa hi tha

Khumar

Khade hain aaj wahi par tera intezaar nahi
Wafa to hai aaj bhi par dil ka aitbaar nahi
Aap ajaye meri zindagi me phirse humko aitraaz nahi
Par aaj hamari aankhon me mohabbat ka khumar nahi

Wafa

Woh jise samjhe the wafa woh wafa na tha
Aur jo wafa tha use hi samjha nahi
Jo wafa na tha woh dil pe andhere ka teer chala gaya
Aur jo tha wafa usne dil me unke naam ka chiraag jala gaya

Shayar

Do lafz jo likh diya to shayar bana diya
Do aansun jo chalkadiya to ghamzada bana diya
Do baar bin waja ke has diya to deewana bana diya
Aapne kyun har cheese par galat mohar laga diya?

Bin mausam ke baadalon ko barsaat bana diya
Kun aapne akele ko kafila bana diya
Mazjid me na gaye to kafir bana diya
Mazjid bana liya tha dil me khuda ka, kyun apne hume khuda bana diya?

Some more of my work....

2007-08-31T17:05:00.001+05:30

Rithish... I hope you are reading ;)

The rest of you muahhhahha!! Suffer in silence :P

Haal-e-dil

Hum apni marzi se khud kitne dur chale jate hain
Zindagi ke zanjeer khiche jitni dur chale aate hain

Is din ke andhere mein bhatakte chale jaate hain
Ab to tere dard ke peeche khiche chale aate hain

Haal-e-dil karneko bayaan unke kooche pe chale jaate hain
Thukraana de woh yeh sooch ke unke dariche se chale aate hain

Kaafir

Dil ki dhadkane bhi sunlete tumhari
Kabhi seene se lagakar to dekh lete

Hum bhi marne ko tayyar the teri wafa ke khatir
Hamari ehd-e-wafa bhi aazma ke to dekh lete

Hum bhi mit ke bikhar sakte the tere gham me
Kabhi hamare dil ko bhi thukrake to dekh lete

Kaafir ho jate tere mohabbat ko hi maanlete khuda
Khuda hota hai kya mohabbat ke kaafir to dekh lete

Dil ke tukde

Thukra diya unhone hame kuch is adaa se
Ke hum haste haste dil ke tukde samet-te chale gaye

Woh gaye dur is qadar hamse
Ke unki yaadein bhi humse ruth kar chale gaye

Chand paison ke liye

Dekho is pari ko yeh raate rangeen karti hai do waqt ki roti ke liye
Uske abroo ka sauda kardiya kisi ne chand paison ke liye

Tere hawas ko mitake woh khud jalti hai sachhe pyaar ke liye
Zaleel hoke tere kamre se nikalti hai chand paison ke liye

Yeh aurat hai khilona nahi tere khelke todne ke liye
Majbooriyon se samjhauta karliya hai isne chand paison ke liye

Kabhi jo dekhen isko raah me to majboor hain hum sochne ke liye
Ke woh kaisa beta hoga jo bech dale apni maa ko chand paison ke liye

Kaafiron ko sunate phirte hain woh khuda ko dhundne ke liye
Yeh kaise bande hain ke khuda ko bechdala chand paison ke liye

One last effort!

2007-08-30T21:30:00.001+05:30

If you don't like it I'll stop! Promise!!

Deewane

Deewanon ki na suniye koi baat
Deewane to yunhi kehte rehte hain
Dard ko hansi se chupake rote hain
Aur maut ko gale se lagaake jeete hain

Bahut zyaada bolte hain kabhi
Kabhi chuppi se baat karte hain
Deewane to deewane hain
Khamoshi ko bhi sunana jante hain

Baaton me unke na aana kabhi doston
Baat se woh sabko gumraah karte hain
Jhaankh ke dekho un aankhon me kabhi
Deewane to gham ko nazron se bayaan karte hain

Suroor ho mohobbat ka ya ho khumar bewafai ka
Deewanon se na pucho woh kis wajah se deewane hain
Dil me woh kiske naam ka chirag jalate hain
Chirag bujhte hain to unke dil jalte hain

Zamana chahe sang baar kare unpe
Sitam hazar zamane ke seh lete hain
Woh maar khake bhi hanste rehte hain
Aur har pal mohabbat ke naam pe mit-te rehte hain

Main jaanta hun ke zamane ki nazar me
Kuch kaam ke nahi deewane hain
Par deewanon ki nazar se to dekho
Zamane bhar me deewane hi deewane hain

Na hasna meri baaton pe mere quatil
Hum to teri dar pe kismat aazmane aayen hain
Teri mohabbat me hum khud ko aazmane aayen hain
Ab kaise kahen tumse ke hum bhi tere naam ke deewane hain

This one was worth saving! ;)

2007-08-23T19:46:00.001+05:30

Thank You My Friend

A friend walked down life's path with me.
At first behind, where I did not see. 
She followed close, watching patiently,
Until, at last, I saw her still with me.

Hand in hand we walked for miles.
She talked me through all life's trials.
Until, at last, we met the garden aisles;
Exchanging our very heartfelt smiles.

Thank you, my friend, for walking with me!
Thank you, my friend, for helping me see
That life's trials did not reflect poorly on me.
May I now walk a little farther with thee?

            -- Jeferrey Brickerly (I think.. :P)

Life..... It's like riding a bicycle!!

2007-07-27T14:01:00.001+05:30

So we were on this bicycle trip.. And I was really tired of all the uphill rides.... So the next time I stared up at _yet another_ incline, I said out loud "No, not again!". The great Harsha looked at me and said simply, "Do you realize that every uphill climb leads to a downhill? Every up has a corresponding down maga!". And that's all I needed I guess. I started looking forward to ups because I knew that just beyond lay a down hill where you could go whizzing , enjoying the wind in your face and regaining your strength and stamina and of course, not to mention the rush of going down a steep incline not knowing what is coming from the other side or never knowing when you might slip and fall.........

So people... Stop complaining about difficulties... There's always a down which follows an up!

Lean forward on the handle, tuck your hands in, lower your head (aerodynamics dude! aerodynamics!!) and enjoy the ride!!!

If the price of love be friendship.......

2007-07-25T23:27:00.001+05:30

then so be it! And so it was..... Two amazingly close friends... Two people who would trust each other with their lives... Two people who were alone in the crowd. Two people who told each other everything... Two people who fought each other's battles... Two people who brought meaning to the word 'friendship'... Two people who are closest to my heart.....are no longer friends.... It's nobody's fault. It is just cruel fate. No point blaming people.. No point accusing love of chasing away friendship.. No point asking friendship to fight for it's own sake......

All I can say is that a friend's sacrifice is greater than all love in the world put together. I am proud of you M, you handled this really well. S&J I hope you have a great life but S, do know that M was in his life much before you. And I know, it's not your fault but remember that some flowers can never be crushed completely. They always leave a fragrance on your fingers.... Always!!

And now I know I wouldn't see them together on 3rd September... It breaks my heart to even think about it.... But I am not even going to try. I will let their friendship die a peaceful death and rest in peace!!

If the price of love be friendship.... I am sorry it is so..... Really really sorry.....

The magic of music.....An intro to Frank Sinatra

2007-07-18T17:29:00.001+05:30

You never really realize how music controls your emotions until you start paying attention. And you never really know how a song has touched you until you start humming it in tune with the emotion that it generates. I remember precisely that on the day before one of my tougher (==I hadn't studied well) exams I was in the bathroom, taking a bath and was singing "Luck, be a lady tonight...". I had picked it from a movie I had watched last night (from the soundtrack of "What women want"). And suddenly I realized I was feeling a lot better! With my mood a little elevated, I headed back to my study room with a different attitude.... (The result? Don't ask! But I passed!)

I can thankfully say music has saved my bottom quite a few times. For almost every lab exam, my room was turned into a rock concert hall! No other sounds no other distractions. Music drowned out all other sounds and I can happily say the results are on the table (I had absolutely no backs in my engineering! And well... *cough* Distinction *cough*).

Coming back to Frank, I probably heard his "Luck be a lady" from the soundtrack of "What women want". At that time however I never realized how much I like his music. Then came "I won't dance" from the same movie (remember Mel Gibson dancing with the hat-stand?). Anyways those songs always made an occasional comeback once in a while and life was good.

After a long time, I heard the same golden voice in Ocean's Thirteen. Lovely tune called "This Town". This time however I was blessed enough to have a knowledgeable person next to me. And that's when I was introduced to Frank Sinatra.

The next day the knowledgeable  person I was talking about  had downloaded a few Sinatra songs for me to hear. I loved 'em all! Cool Jazzy feeling tunes with lots of southern drawls. Simply awesome!! And I am hooked on ever since!!

Here's to all the great music makers! Without them, our world would be that much worse!

Cheers!!

Try doing something nice for someone special today.....

2007-07-06T13:34:00.001+05:30

Visit

www.bhook.com

And feed a hungry person!

Read the FAQ on the site to know about how this works. (It's essentially a pay-per-click payment by the sponsors who put their ads on the page.)

Thank you!!!

2007-06-17T19:22:00.000+05:30

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

One phrase which separates the constitution of the USA from every other country in the world. One decisive factor as to which the US is considered a great country to live in. One phrase which has inspired the greatest of the greats to achieve feats impossible to mere mortals. One phrase which means a lot to me. One phrase which has gotten me thinking.......

Note that the sentence, taken from the USA's declaration of independence does not say that one of every man's unalienable right is not happiness itself but the pursuit. See? So subtly and tactfully said that you hardly notice the difference :)

Well what can I say? The pursuit of happiness is one thing that no man ever gives up... No matter what the end result.... Thoughts? Critiques?

I love you.......

2007-06-09T14:26:00.001+05:30

......and I don't care if you love me back or not!

Just thinking.... What kind of a man/woman would rise above desire to make such a statement? What kind of sacrifice would it be. Would it, define what we all conceive as 'True Love'? Or would it be just plain stupidity. Or would it, be some kind of self gratifying gesture?

If you have read 'What is Man' by Mark Twain you would probably agree with him in saying that it is the last one... A desperate attempt to satisfy your disappointed mind to somehow console itself by knowing the fact that the other person is happy.......But it is for your happiness that you do it ultimately :)

Or it could, ideally be the holy grail of relationships... Boundless, eternal, pure and true love. The love that finds happiness in the fact that the other person is happy without you......

Now what do you think? :P

Ok ok I have lots of free time and I didn't know what to do so I thought I'd start a comment fest! And love seems to set all toungues wagging so... Here we are! :D

2007-05-24T19:12:00.000+05:30

Lover Boy....

<Disclaimer>
No! This did not happen to me! It's just a feeling you get.. You know.. An experience you might have had...At one time or the other :) And if you haven't well then you have missed something..... :-)

</Disclaimer>

Kumar looked at her. She looked especially beautiful today. Or maybe it was his nervousness... But he didn't care.. Today was the day!

He had decided to tell her after a long sleepless night. He had shaved that day (He usually shaved once a month and that too after he started getting threats of non-cooperation from the guys at his hostel) and put on deodorant (the one which he had fought for erm.. borrowed.. from his room mate;-) ). He picked his favorite shirt (the faded-blue one which he always wore to the exam for which he wasn't prepared well) and his lucky socks. He dabbed on a little more after shave than usual and carefully turned his head into a bird's nest setting using his hands and the comb. He liked his 'rebel' hairstyle he thought it made him look just a little taller.

Everyone in the hostel were teasing him real bad. He blushed a little... Sunny looked at him and shook his head and said gravely, "Saala! Ek aur chala suli chadne". Kumar smiled and nodded. Normally, he would have winked and laughed.

He knew there would be no classes for her today. He also knew they had a combined class at 11. ("Who knew time tables were so important?").

He intended to catch her alone in the class by 9.30. He walked in to the college at 8.30 (It was probably the first time he had been so early to college in all his student life!) Admiring the garden, he walked towards the terrace. He had a favorite spot in which he could be found right before any exam it was his 'nervousness reduction spot'. It overlooked the college gate so he could see when she came in. He sat there humming old hindi songs to himself and never took his eyes off the gate.......

And then she came. His eyes followed her every move. She parked her kini in the parking lot and adjusted her hair in the mirror. She was wearing his favorite salwaar and looked absolutely ravishing. He sighed softly and walked down to her classroom. He was surprised to see Shree sitting in the classroom. "Hi Shree!" he said looking down from the corridor to see if she had arrived. "Waaat maan?" asked Shree. "It is going to rain heavily today!" "Why" he asked, to which she replied "You are in college sooo early na?". He made a grunting noise of approval and headed out. Heart pounding and heavily perspiring, he turned back to look into her eyes. "Hi Rags!" He said... His voice a little shaky. "Hey Kumar! How come so early today?" She asked. He stuttered and stammered and she laughed! Blood rushed through his head making him a little giddy.... "Rags...." he said hesitantly "I need to speak to you. I need to tell you something. Actually, I need to tell you that..." he stopped after he spotted the "Oh no! Another one!" look on her face. Mustering all his courage he said "Can we take a walk to the canteen? Please?" She smiled and gave that understanding look and nodded, a sad nod, like indicating the inevitable... Instantly, He knew she knew what he had to say.... He knew what her
answer would be.... But still, he carried on "Ok, let's go then....". Neither of them talked until they were out of ear shot of anyone in the builing. He looked at her, took a deep breathe and began.... "Rags....", he said "I have always wanted to say this. You are the most beautiful person I have seen. When I'm with you, it just feels so right. You know, you and me... We'd be perfect together. and happy..... So..... um....." "Kumar!" came the pseudo-shocked reply. "I have never thought of you in that way! Why can't we just be friends?". He was ready for the answer. He smiled and said valiantly "Why don't you think about it? Give us a chance! Please?". She smiled a sad smile and shook her head..........

They walked back to the classroom no words between them, only an awkward silence hung in the air. The class was already filled both went and sat down. The lecturer came in and kumar once again was lost in his day dreaming....... He stole a glance at her and sighed. Then he made a paper ball and threw it on Sunny! And the daily dose of paper-wars continued among the boys.....

Normalcy Restored!! :-)

2007-04-27T20:24:00.000+05:30

Olave Vismaya.............

Just a while ago we (well, technically just me :-) ) were talking about how romantic relationships or as Rithish pointed out, relationships in general were based on a need. I thought we should talk more about the most major (and perhaps the most overrated) need "LOVE". Thousands of people have tried to describe it million others have felt it. Everyone knows about it but nobody really knows.... Love will always remain an enigma for everybody. Everybody understands it and interprets it in his/her own way. From the guy who thinks PDA is 'gross and inappropriate' to the happy couple snuggling on a park bench, love has it's own charm based on their beliefs.

People also (unsuccessfully) try to 'categorize' love. Puppy love, true love, mother's love, sibling love and even love for the Almighty. But is it fair? I don't know.......... (I know.. Most of my sentences are extremely 'diplomatic'.. But I would rather be agnostic than a believer/non-believer.. There's gray between black and white you know ;-) )

I believe Love is an emotion..... A very strong one at that. It makes people do all kind of stupid, silly, brave things..... But, like all emotions, I do believe it can be controlled. Just like with anger..... If you avoid confrontation, it only bottles up... And grows into something unmanageable until it explodes.... Feels familiar doesn't it? I mean how many of us have done this (both in Anger as well as in Love!)

"Whenever you get angry, take a deep breath and count to 10 slowly" yeah this works for Anger Management just fine... But can you control Love? Well, I surely think it is possible. But unfortunately, since I have had no practical experience I cannot tell for sure. Any yogi's out there to confirm this? ;-)

I was under the illusion that I was in Love (there! I've said it!) but I do not know what that feeling is... Perhaps wishful thinking... Or Infatuation... Or whatever you call it.... But the feeling is exactly like Hobbes describes in the classic Calvin and Hobbes strip....

"When the object of your affection walks by, First, your heart falls into your stomach and splashes your innards. All the moisture makes you sweat profusely. This condensation shorts the circuits to your brain, and you get all woozy. When your brain burns out altogether your mouth disengages and you babble like a cretin until she leaves."

Yes, I have felt the exact same thing....... on more than one occasion....... for more than one girl.......... Is this Love?? I have no clue whatsoever ;)

But I sure hope it isn't :P

Or like Calvin says... It might be the cooties :-)

2007-04-22T14:16:00.000+05:30

I am not an expert or anything......

But I do believe that romantic relationships are the fulfillment of a need... You look for someone who is fit to suit your needs. And vice-versa. The needs match and love blooms....

It's really sad but if you really think about it, Love is just the realization of your needs nothing more nothing else.... It's sad and pathetic that I have broken every romantic's heart with this view (if they choose to accept that) but love's not as special as the novels/films make it out to be.....

Flame away people.... I have a fire extinguisher :P

Next time: More thoughts on Love as an emotion....

2007-04-12T12:54:00.001+05:30

So long.... Farewell.... It's time to say Good Bye.....

Hey! Do not get your hopes up yet! I am not quitting blogging. But I am quitting my first job. Monday will be my last working day in Tally! Wow! I can't believe I've been here for one and a half years! Feels like yesterday...The joining day was a lot of fun! Sizing up people who would be your colleagues, trying to figure out the weirdo forms shoved into you face.. Trying NOT to gape at the cute girl sitting opposite you (and trying to keep your mouth closed when you looked at her).. Trying not to get sucked into the apparently fantastic 'credit-card scheme' by the bank person guy... Trying hard to figure out what next.. Nervously entering the R&D and trying to act like you know a lot about computers... Trying not to look lost in the new outlook navigation window.... Sizing up people in your team.. Thinking will I fit in? The nervous moments spent trying to figure out how to get the damn IDE working...... I loved every moment of it :-)

Now that it's time to bid adieu..There are no tears in my eyes... Just a feeling of satisfaction... Of a job well done and a feeling of accomplishment over a good learning period....

I am joining SysInformation on Friday... That leaves me with 3 days to pack my bags and do some shopping... And then it's off to Mysore......

But before I go I just wanna say thank you Tally! For all you have given me.... I know I can't give back as much but I do feel I have done justice to my job.... Good bye and take care.... God bless you!! :-)

Adios!

Dasvidanya!

Au revoir!

Auf Wiedersehen!

2007-04-03T11:51:00.001+05:30

Men are disgusting because.....

....they can't help it!!

No seriously.... Check out this Ken Levine blog....

So all you women out there please understand that we are programmed like this.. Nothing is ever gonna change ;-)

PS: And yeah if you think you boyfriend is not like that... You might wanna rethink your relationship.. I mean wouldn't you rather date a real man! (*ouch* C'mon cut me some slack will ya!!?)

2007-03-10T15:12:00.000+05:30

A Tribute to my heroes Part 5

A.K.A.

The cancer survivor

1> 5 times winner of Tour de France
2> Has a heart 30% larger than average and a VO₂ Max of 83.8 mL/kg/min
3> His biological father left them when he was 2
4> Won the tour de france after an amazing recovery from cancer.

Yes! You did read the last line correctly.

His name is Lance Armstrong, World class athlete. He had even won the bronze in Olympics. But for me, he was and will remain a cancer survivor. Because he fought it and won and did not stop at that. He went on to help others live through it. In a way, he represents hope for all the cancer patients in the world.

His life was almost perfect until he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Months of chemotherapy reduced him to a shadow of what he was. But he survived. And he was thankful. But then, he lost all hope. He thought of giving up cycling and he almost threw his life away. But he returned. He trained and fought his way up to the top again. And then he became invincible. Won the most arduous bicycle race known to man 5 consecutive times.

His story is the stuff blockbusters are made of. His autobiography fills you with courage and hope. A Texan by birth and attitude, Lance was always a tough guy. But one thing that you must learn from him is to never quit! Never!!

I could tell you his story but I suggest you get his book "It's not about the bike". It's waaay much better this way. I am just happy to show you the door. Now start walking!!

2007-02-25T16:59:00.000+05:30

Lets Blog about a cause today

A.K.A

Wanted: A new generation of sensible people

Children are the future. Children are innocent. They know no hate. It is us, the adults that fill their minds with vicious thoughts. Can we turn this around? Can we change the world? I don't know the answers but I sure know we can try!!

Friends without borders is an initiative which has set out to achieve this. Thousands of kids from India and Pakistan are writing letters to each other. They are understanding each other better and trying not to be biased! Imagine what will happen when they grow up! It takes only a generation to make sure that the future is bright! Help in shaping this vision and in making it a reality. Voluanteer, sign the petition or just tell everyone you know about this! Who knows, we might end up with peace and harmony afterall :-)!

http://www.friendswithoutborders.org/index.html

2007-02-20T23:51:00.000+05:30

A Tribute to my Heroes -- Part 4

A.K.A

Calvin (and Hobbes)

Hmm.. Even I am surprised by this! Although I enjoy reading Bill Watterson's masterpieces, I never realised how much Calvin and his cute little stuffed tiger/imaginary friend had affected my philosophies. And then, I heard myself saying to a friend "It's a wonderful world buddy, let's go exploring" and I knew this has to be Calvin I was quoting. Sure enough, it was the ending line of the last published strip of this fantastic comic.

Calvin for me is not just another kid. He is a philosopher (mostly, Hobbes is the wise one but Calvin does drop a gem or two! :-) ), an adventurer (he almost always goes off downhill in a wagon/sleigh without control and always ends up unhurt!), a day-dreamer, a brocolli/vegetable hater, a true son (I Quote : Calvin : "We are brave explorers! The word lost is not in our vocabulary". Hobbes: "How about the word mommy?". Both together: "Mommyyyy!"), a rebel (the weekly polls for his dad are too good!!), a survivor (remember Moe, the school bully?), a smart ass (He asks Moe a question and when Moe is thinking, says "His train of thought is still boarding at the station"! Classic :-) ), a shy lover (remember the valentine's day with Susie or the time he went to her birthday party?), president of GROSS (an anti-girl club) which stands for Get Rid Of Slimy girlS (Calvin admits "slimy girls" is a bit redundant as, of course, all girls are slimy, "but otherwise it doesn't spell anything" :-) ), an innovator (remember his cloning machine, the transmorgifier, the G.R.O.S.S secret box.... all this using only a cardboard box!), an occultist (the ouija board replied to Calvin's question "Will I grow up to be president one day?" "G-O-D-F-O-R-B-I-D" :-) ), Spaceman Spiff (simply incredible. Remember what he does with his dad's computer! ;-) ), Stupendous Man, Tracer Bullet.....

And last but not the least, Calvin is the personification of innocence (he believes the rocks in Arizona are so red because the sun sets there! That's what his father told him :-) ), mischief (remember the water faucet), sweetness (he once made burnt toast breakfast for his mother on her birthday or was it mother's day), curiousness (remember the questions he asks his dad?) and is mildly sadistic (remember the "snowmen house of horror"? or his water balloon/snowball attacks on the neighbourhood?)

Calvin is my hero! And I will never get tired of reading Calvin and Hobbes. There is a Calvin and Hobbes ultimate collection of three volumes (collecter's addition) and my birthday is on September 3rd. God bless those who got the hint *wink*, *wink*!

PS: I got a score of 99% in the G.R.O.S.S test! Try your luck here!.

2007-02-18T19:01:00.000+05:30

A tribute to my heroes -- Part 3

A.K.A

Batman

Yes. You read the title right. I did, indeed say Batman.

I thought I was gonna keep writing till eternity if I kept writing about my heroes, so I have decided to spare you some torture and restrict my hero worship to 2 in each category... People I've met in real life, Fictional Characters, Celebrities and last, but not the least Women (I think the last one is gonna be interesting to write :-) ). Well, for the rest of the people, I'm planning to do a tribute in just one entry.... If it comes to life, it will be the biggest entry till date :-)..... Ok, now read on....

Holy malformed HTML Batman! He's blogging about you!!

*biff* *bang* *pow* *sock*

Sadly, this was not what Batman was....... Batman was anything but this..... Yes, the show had it's appeal..And yes, Adam West tried his darnest to look serious.... But it never really captured what the real Batman was..... "The Dark Knight" part of Batman was, ignored, series after series, movie after movie...... And then I saw the animated series. Which was superbly done.... Still watch reruns on cartoon network. "The Justice League" finally put Batman in a team.... The setting was perfect to bring out Batman's lonliness and pain.... You could almost feel him regretting not having super powers like the rest of them....

Batman, for me, is the symbol of conquest over fear... And a lot more than that. He not only conquered his own fear, but, he then proceeded to personify it....... And this was captured (tho very vaguely in the file "Batman Begins") in the cartoon series with clinical precision.

Batman is a loner. Has been all his life. He pines for comfort, he struggles to belong, he wants to avenge his parents and wants to get rid of crime. He is not blessed with super powers, he does not have a body of steel. He is a man, a human being -- vulnerable and weak. But still, he triumphs.... With the help of his brain, his mental toughness, science and the fire within. His only trusty aide is his butler..... By day, he is a millionaire playboy... A snottish, spoiled brat... By night, the dark night. The contrast is uncanny.......

He strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies.... From the Penguin to the Riddler..... His nemeses are always more powerful than him but he ends up on top every time..... Because of his latent anger... Of subdued helplessness of when he was a kid.... Of rage that is fuelled every time he thinks about it... Of not being in control.... Of not being able to save his parents......

Prashant's nested minds reminded me, on several occasion of what Bruce Wayne must have felt lke..... The rage, the helplessness and the fear...... He conquered the fear... Turned his helplessness and rage to a potent weapon... But, there is a catch. Batman fights crime not for the people of Gotham.. He does it to fill a void in his life.. To vent out his frustration. Social service is only a side-effect... And that is what inspires me......

2007-02-16T17:44:00.000+05:30

A Tribute to my heroes -- Part 2

A.K.A

Girish Sir

I have never attended a class of his. But I wish I had. It would have been fun... I can imagine it now.... Lots of debates and lots of table-pounding... Hours of reflection and contemplation!! Yes, it would have been fun.

Meet Girish Sir. He is in one word an inspiration....... In several words, he is..... umm.... read on :-)

I had heard about him from juniors.. They said he was brilliant. That he had many years of experience in the industry, that he had worked for Sun and HP. That his classes were a joy to attend. That he was probably the best lecturer they could ask for. I was happy for them. They hadn't seen MVK, so I could assume Girish Sir was in 2nd place. (MVK still is the best.... There is no doubt about that, and since, I haven't attended Girish Sir's classes, I really really cannot judge....). I still remember the first time we met. There was a campus interview going on and he was waiting outside the GD chamber, eagerly awaiting results of his beloved students. We, well we were just jealous seniors (We hadn't had a campus interview you see) hanging out to see how many would be lucky enough to get in..... I think Jatin was the one who had dragged me there.. Then the boys started chatting to Girish Sir.... I noticed a genuine tone in his voice. He really believed in what he was doing. He knew he was making a difference. I really liked his attitude and easy-going, puts-you-at-ease demeanour. So, I took the liberty of being a smart ass like I always do around people I like ;-) But he took no offence. I knew he wouldn't! That short conversation ended up with a real heated discussion (Of what I don't know... Most of my discussions are heated.... Maybe it's just the fall out from my paranoia to believe anything that anyone else says.. or maybe it's just because of global warming) And I came out with respect and awe for this man.

After that, I saw he was trying to help the seniors also. Gave me and Vasu some great practical advice. Every time I talked with him, I learnt something new. We went to visit the company at the college and he was there, giving moral and technical support to the bunch of eager young fresh engineers. I could see he enjoyed it.

So, why is he my hero you ask? Well for starters, I really love the way he judges (not judges judges silly! the personality match judges) people. Always observing, always listening... And one day he will come out with something about you that will surprise (or even shock) you! Man! It's hard to pretend in front of him I tell you... He knows exactly what you are thinking!! I think he had a Ph.D in psychiatry... But he doesn't admit it.

Reason number two would be because of his insatiability. He is not satisfied with what he has already achieved and I doubt if he ever will be. Who else will come from the industry into the teaching profession just for kicks? Who else will say, I've had enough of this and go to study further (to Canada and take their wife and kid too)?

And the third reason is because he is a great mentor. Who else will still tell us not to lose hope in the face of adversity? And who else will dare to call their own lectures, tortures?? :-)

I for one know that his students (including me) go to him for all sorts of advice.... From problems in academics to problems in career management to problems in your romance.... He can solve them all....But only, he doesn't! He will point you in the right direction with a subtle hint. He will tell you a story ("I had a friend who was in the exact same position."
or "I used to think just like you.") which if you listen correctly will show you the door. He doesn't force his views on you. He just puts them on the table and asks what you think.... Something that I never will be able to do I think!!

I can't believe this is all I have to write about him. Well, technically there is a lot more I could write but words in all the world's languages aren't enough! So let me just say that I am inspired, awed, lucky and happy that he is an integral part of my existance!!

Keep rocking Sir!!

PS: Girish Sir (in case you are reading this) , If this doesn't make you feel old, I don't know what will :p

<< (Just in case you missed it :-) )

2007-02-15T23:17:00.000+05:30

A Tribute to my heroes -- Part 1

A.K.A

Vasu B R

Since I know I am good at spinning tales and making up stories, I thought I would take this opportunity to show my (limited) audience that I am also a genuinely caring and friendly guy who would die for his friends if the need be. Ok.... I know I know I'm bragging.... So without further adieu.. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you,

Mr. Vasu B R.

Yes, I *know* I could have written him a lengthy testimonial on orkut but that's not the point! The point is appreciating people who have influenced my thoughts and philosophies!! And I will continue to inflict this suffering on my readers in the near future! And also write about a lot more people who inspired me! Muahhaahhaahha!!

Yes, the first person that I consider a hero is Vasu. The gritty, level-headed, intelligent and impressionable Vasu. I know him for a little more than five years now. Not a very long friendship you know. But still, Vasu knows *exactly* what I am going to say before I even think it! Probably why when we meet, we do not talk much. Because the conversation is already made. In our minds!

I have never met a person with so much concern about everyone. He thinks it is his duty to help people. He is there when you need help, he is there when you need to talk, he is even there when you need to cry! (To be honest, I've never cried in front of Vasu. But he has in front of me....... He he! Does that make me emotionally stronger?) Anyway, I still remember the first day I saw him. He was this dork with glasses, sitting somewhere in the middle row and looking really serious. And then the principal entered. He enquired about how we felt about the college. Vasu was the only person in the room who started speaking. He spoke about how he did not like the classrooms... How the library had mould on the walls, how there were no books about our subjects... etc.. etc... I clearly remember thinking "Oh joy! Another union leader". I could not be more wrong. I had misjudged this guy. I thought he was a no good loafer with a bright future as a politician than an engineer.... Who talked loud and big to cover his dismal performance in academics..... But he wasn't that at all.... He was what I did not expect. He believed in what he said, and best thing of all, he hated politicians!!

Then the branches were separated, moved to different classrooms and I noticed Vasu was with us. In our classroom! Then there was the class election, and we needed a representative. 4 hands were raised and one of them was, again Vasu. Man! I remember thinking "What a pretentious prick!". Again I was wrong. Vasu would come early every morning and get the benches cleaned. He was constantly after the Principal's life trying to get *some* infrastructure in place. He was here to be an engineer and he was bound to try everything in his capacity to become the best engineer that he could.... But me of course, failed to realize that. But I did respect him... from the time he started 'committees'. I knew this guy was serious. Then came the first internals..... Vasu came out on top again.... I knew that this guy had something... A fire... A will to fight injustice of any kind... Traits I had long back given up.... Dreams which I had given up chasing... Because I knew you couldn't change people's attitudes.... That you cannot fight the system from within the system..... Vasu almost proved me wrong...... Almost :-)

But the boys hated him. Perhaps it was our inferiority complex, perhaps it was because he was talking to girls and we weren't... Perhaps because the SOM lecturer always asked him for the answers........ Anyways.... I still remember... very vaguely... A fight which we had.... I remember Arun threatening him and I remember his eyes...... Unflinching, honest, brave... A little hurt a little angry but brave nevertheless..... I *knew* this guy had something in him... Something that I used to have... Something that I missed having.... The passion, the fire.... The will to be the best of what you can be! He was the one who refused to look at leaked question papers... He was the one who would always make sure we went to labs and did something useful even if the lecturer weren't there... But for us, he was that major pain in the neck who was a useless, mad bugger......

Vasu also taught me how to "read" just before the exams began..... I remember it was Chemistry exam.... I had read for 80 marks... and was hoping to get a 35 and get out of this mess that was chemistry!! But when I came to the college... Bhuvi was reading a chapter that I wanted to revise so I joined her... Then Vasu joined us.... And by the time we started writing the exam, I had prepared for 120 marks out of the 100 that I had to write...... And without even realizing it!! That is when I realized that this guy deserved more respect than I gave him... That he really was better than me.. (ok, almost as good as me.. not better! :p)..... And I knew that this boy would inspire me...... Someday....

Semesters rolled on...... Our friendship grew with us.... We were 13 boys in our class... Only 13... So, it was difficult to make sub-groups.. We were a team.. We bunked classes together.. Had lunch together and made fun of Vasu behind his back.. Together! :P

It was Vasu who showed me you could fight for what you think is right... And it doesn't matter if anybody cares or not. All that matters is for you to do the right thing! So I got little more active in college life.... I got involved in 'committees'.. (They were still boring!) And talked to the principal.... And fought for classrooms and worked for functions the whole deal....... I learnt how to deal with people... How not to get fleeced by tent house owners.... How to do 10 things in one go and get every one of them right... How to plan activities... All this because of Vasu.... He had helped turn a shy, introverted, "I-won't-speak-until-spoken-to" kind of a guy into a bundle of warm, youthful, friendly energy.... Which would pass the legacy on... Which would help people overcome their grief and make them smile.. Which would counsel them and push their thoughts into new possibilities.. Give them hope.... Hold their hand and say you are the best!! Yes.... I have turned into a personal counsellor cum psychiatrist for a lot of people because of what Vasu showed I could be!!

And finally, it was Vasu again, who suggested that instead of waiting for the college to do something about our placement, we should take matters into our own hands. We became "Placement Associates" for the college. Everybody from our college who is in Satyam is because of what Vasu did..... Full credit to him.... No, I might have done very little but it still does not qualify as a contribution. I learnt how, a person could setup a process for everything.. Organize..Plan and execute with meticulous care.... And make use of every moment.... How to get things done from other people (This is something I will never learn!) And how to take advantage of everything at your disposal... In his words , how to "Make maximum utilization of resources that you have"!! I owe my job at Tally to him....... Tally came to sambhram because of Vasu and JKP.... For this, I am eternally grateful to both.......

Vasu and I used to have a lot of discussions...... On philosophy, religion, psychology, politics, wars, tsunamis, sufferings... He has changed a lot of my notions and me his...... You couldn't ask for a better friend than Vasu..... He is and remains my Hero...... Today and (hopefully) forever!! Thanks Man! You are the best!!

PS: This is just my assessment of him...... If you believe this, then you must also believe in the Yeti, The abominable Snowman and Santa Claus....
Well, in reality.. Vasu is just jealous of me because he can never be as hip and cool as I am.... he he! Just kidding!! And Vasu if you are reading this.....DON'T LET THIS GO INTO YOUR HEAD!!
(Read On) >>

2007-02-12T16:42:00.000+05:30

I Hate Sonia Kapoor!

A.K.A

Happy valentine's day byaaatch!

A.K.A

The funniest incident of my life!

A.K.A

Girls are just plain stupid!

A.K.A

WTF is wrong with you gals?

Disclaimer : This post is a work of fiction based on a couple of real life experinces of 2-3 totally unrelated people. It is neither meant to offend nor make fun of anyone. I just thought it would be a good creative exercise to write this and capture the myraid enigma that are human emotions. Any resemblence to any person living or dead is strictly the result of masala-fying the episode.

Suresh was a normal guy with a normal life. He liked to listen to rock music, was a total Hollywood buff, he was the 'tough guy' of his gang, always picking up fights with anybody who dared look him in the eye, fighting against 'injustice' meted out from time to time from the college staff, spent most of his time outside the class room and believed that 'We don't need no education' with religious zealotry. All in all he was a normal VTU student who was trying to look cool and get a 70% average so he can get a job in an MNC after his course. He had a huge circle of friends. Had his share of crushes and heartbreaks and gang fights and cricket matches.

And then came Soniya Kapoor into his life. Soniya was a "sweet" girl who was not really well blessed in the good-looks department. But she was a "die-hard romantic". Also, she was very "emotional". She had just had her first "heart-break" and was "nursing her broken heart". She had let behind a teary tale of what she believed was "true love" and a "cheating bastard". She was more than happy to wash her dirty linen in full public view, trying to reduce the popularity of "that guy who broke my heart" in the campus and outside. And most important of all, she could start the tear machine in her eyes at the drop of a hat.

Suresh and Soniya were acquainted through the trip they had been in the first semester. Suresh wouldn't have considered talking to her, but, she had an apricot jam sandwich which looked really yummy and he hadn't had breakfast. So he took the bait and bit the bullet. And that was the beginning of his tale of woes. He heard about Soniya from Trisha, her "best friend" in college. Now, Suresh believed he was a good friend. And good friends don't let good friends cry. So off he went with his broad shoulder and offered it to her, you know, to "cry on" and shit like that. Soniya was very happy she had found a perfect "Shoulder to cry on". She told him all about her "Ex-boyfriend" and the alleged "injustice" that he had done to her. She conveniently left out the other version of her story (A.K.A THE TRUTH) which was, obviously, an evil lie that her ex had cooked up to "malign her image". Suresh, being a "Good Friend" believed every word she said and comforted her by taking her to expensive restaurants, frequent trips to the local coffee house and buying her gifts every other week and basically blew his allowance to "make her forget her pain".

All this was really satisfying to both of them. But Suresh soon got tired of hearing her sobs. I mean, how long could you tolerate a person who would cry every 10 mins and used up all your clean hanky's? So, Suresh decided he had enough of this and thought up of a plan to get rid of her and her "tales of sorrow".

Another major factor was that he befriended her ex and discovered (much to his horror) that the story she had told him was totally a bunch of creative lies. The poor guy actually had suffered her company for more than 8-10 months before he discovered that all she cared about was "competing" with her "best friend" for affections of hapless guys who fell into their trap. She had stalked him, threatened to tell his mom about their "relationship" and tried all sorts of vodoo tricks to kepp the relationship going. The first thing that came out of her mouth when he first said he had had enough was "Oh my god! She is going to have a longer relationship than me! I can't let her win!". The poor dude got the clue and didn't talk to her ever again.

Having known "the truth" Suresh came out with a brilliant plan to get rid of her. "The only way", as he told me later, "to get rid of a girl who thinks 'you are a good friend' is to make her think you're hot for her!". So that's was what he did! He first dropped subtle hints and since, in his own words, "The dumb bitch doesn't understand!", he outright tried to plant a kiss on her. His plan went well and she was out of his life (With wails of "How could you do this to us?" and "I have never thought of you that way" and "I need some time to think"), he was free and he forgot about her. He also sent her a senti email just for precaution with heavily emotional phrases like "I will love you till eternity" "I don't want you to suffer because of me" and the classic "I think it is only wise for me to get out of your life".

Life went on.... Suresh being the geek he was, got a job in a small firm with a small office near his place and with supportive, encouraging co-workers. Most of all, he enjoyed what he did and got a decent salary. His family was happy, he was happy and he hadn't thought about Sonia for quite a while. He had, on some occasions, heard from various friends that she had fallen out with her "best friend" and had lost a few more "shoulders to cry on". She was working for a call centre somewhere and was earning a fairly large salary which was slightly more than what he earned. (Suresh never figured out the reason behind people who were engineers "choosing" a career in customer care. "Why spend four years getting an engineering degree at all?", he used to ask, "If all you wanted to do was answer phone calls from stupid people in the USA, you should have done a B.A. in english or something. You would be doing the same work in 2 years instead of four.")

Suresh had heard from a friend that Sonia had gone on to become quite successful in her career. She had joined a new company with a "very good" posting and had quite a lot of power. Inspite of himself, Suresh was happy for her. All she had done wrong was bored him to death with her stupid sob stories. Other than that he had no problems with her.

Then , the fateful day arrived. Suresh got a call from an old friend in college. The guy was desperate. He wanted a job, any job and wanted it fast. With his resume, the support industry was his only hope. The first person in the support Industry with some high position that Suresh thought about was Sonia. He managed to get hold of her number and sent her a message to make sure it was indeed her number so that he could ask his buddy to send his resume to her so she could help him. So he sent her an SMS with the following text :
"Hi soni! Dis ur no. rite?"

Look at the text again. There was nothing else but that. He waited for about half an hour and decided that she probably wasn't comfortable talking to him and gave up.

An hour later, the phone started ringing. It was Sonia's number.
Suresh's spider sense started tingling. He knew this couldn't be good. A male voice came on the other end.... Here is a rough transcript...... It is by no means the exact conversation that took place but enough to give the jist....

Voice of a guy : "Hello, who is this?"
Suresh : "Hi, this is Suresh. Who is this?"
Voice of a guy : "Suresh Nadigar?"
Suresh : "Yes. How did you know?"
Voice of a guy : "This is Sonia Kapoor's number. You sent a message to this number right?"
Suresh: (Slightly confused) "Umm... Yeah I did. Did I get the wrong number? How do you know Sonia?"
Voice of a guy : "No, you got the right number"
(Silence......)
Voice of a guy : "Wait I'll call you back"
(Click)
(Phone rings after 5 mins. Again, from Sonia's number)

Voice of a guy : " Yeah. This is Sonia Kapoor's number. My name is Chandan Menghani and I'm her boyfriend. I know all about you. It would be good for your health to not try and contact her again. You have made her suffer enough. I have read your mail....... (A detailed account of nonsensical stuff follows, including profanity in hindi, which was irrelavant for this post)

Suresh : (Trying VERY hard to suppress his laughter) "Umm.. Yeah Sure. No probs. Thanks a lot!"

(Click. Suresh is laughing uncontrollably rolling on the floor. His stomach hurt from all the laughing)

Suresh still laughing, called me up and told me the story. Now, both of us were rolling on the floor. "Dude!", Suresh asked after we had calmed down, "Who the f*** does she think she is man!. That dumb bitch! I almost sent her an SMS explaining the situation but then, decided against it. I wanted to confirm her number and indeed it is her number so I don't give a f***".
"Yeah.", I replied, "Man! That's one wierd female! She gave her ex so much trouble and now this poor guy, whatsisname? Yeah, Chandan. He is gonna regret this for the rest of his life!".

Suresh : "Dude! No way in f***ing hell she has a f***in' boyfriend! She's so ugly! That guy must be one of her shoulders!"

Me: "Ha ha! Shoulders! That's a good one. Thanks for the laughs man! Hadn't laughed like this in ages!"

Suresh : "No probs man! I will probably send her the SMS tomorrow and ask her to call my friend and get him a job. Anyways, I gotta go man. See ya buddy!"

Now that I think about it, the idiot must have thought she was making a "Sacrifice" by "helping" Suresh to "stop loving her" by "breaking his heart". But I do admit that I hadn't laughed so hard in my life. I'm only glad none of the girls I know are psycho! Hats off Suresh, you handled that real well man! I can only admire your cool attitude.

So, here's to Suresh!! Keep rocking dude!!!! ;)

PS: If you do not understand this post, don't worry. Consider yourself lucky tht you didn't understand it!

2007-01-10T13:01:00.000+05:30

My first bridge
a.k.a
How to overcome your fears
a.k.a
Adrenalin Rush

For some strange reason, I have had an immense desire to write about this from the moment I crossed the first bridge (around a couple of months back) but could never get myself to do it. Well, everything has a time I guess. I am not trying to display my heroics, I am not giving you advise about life and I am definitely not asking you to overcome your fears. I am just putting my experience up here and nothing else :)

Jatin always talked about 'the bridge' from the moment he was back from his first time. My initial reaction was "Meh! It's just a bridge! What's the big deal?". Man! Was I wrong.. and HOW!!

I never looked forward to it. Even when we started off from the railway station at Dhonigal, I never once thought about bridges. (I was more concerned about breakfast ;) ). We were walking, we stopped just before a small bridge, had breakfast, took a bath etc etc and the first bridge was quite uneventful. (NO this one had metal strips in between, so it was like walking on a platform.... nothing special really.) At this point I remember Jatin telling me that when they came the bridge was made of wood and no iron plates.

And then after some time, it was there, right in front of me! A bridge without those metal plates with a huge gap in between rails!

The horizontal bars were quite afar. I took my first step very cautiously. Everything I had read about or had been told about being scared of heights or overcoming it rushed into my head. My heart started beating faster, the adrenalin started pumping through my body. I forced myself to look at where I was going to put my next step and nowhere else. "One step at a time. One step at a time" I told myself. As I walked, I gained confidence, I started walking faster I felt good! And then, halfway across, the inevitable happened! I looked down in the ravine and I stopped. Time froze, I estimated that the gap between the rails was enough for a big man (me included in that category) to fall through! I immediately started feeling like going back. I turned around and saw that I had covered a little more than half the bridge. I took a deep breath and convinced myself that whatever happened, I would not go back!If I had to cross half a bridge to safety, I was sure not gonna go BACK! So, I turned around again and slipped! I went down on my knees and held the rail. Somehow, I was frozen in that position for about a second. And then someone behind me asked "What happened?".

It was then I realised that I was with people. I said, casually, "Nothing, just keep moving!" and forced myself to get up. I took one more deep breath and started walking. Careful not to look down, I put one foot in front of the other, carefully, consciously. Finally, I was on the other end!!

Relief pored out of me in the form of perspiration. I felt light, almost dizzy from relief. I looked back at the bridge... It was such a small distance! "All that fear for a 100 mts?" was the question that popped up in my head! This is something that happens every time I think I achieved something. It is always so disappointing!

And the rest of them were easy. The next few, I just concentrated on where to put my foot next. After a few more, I actually started looking down... It was beautiful! And then, I was the first to cross bridges ahead of everyone in the group! Until Jatin started catching up with me! Well, I was ONE of the fastest then, if not the fastest :)

I think there is a very important lesson to be learnt from this experience....... What? I don't know! Go figure!! :P

2007-01-08T20:57:00.000+05:30

India as a consumer centric country.......

Shoot me for telling the truth but India cannot become a consumer centric country for atleast another 10 years. Why you ask? Because, frankly, the consumer is not serious enough about his rights! And the producers don't give a damn! I mean where else would you tolerate a box full of worms instead of chocolates and a bottle full of pesticide instead of a cool drink? You can always get back more customers, all you need is a new ad campaign with the latest sensation in the media!And consumers are too bound down by their inertia to anything about it. Yes, there are a few rare people who win 43,000 rupees for a pack of chocolates with worms, but, only a handful! We need to realize that our money is what is driving their life and not the other way round. If you want to make a better country out of India, well, good luck my friend! You will need it!!

2006-12-30T21:19:00.000+05:30

Change is good...... or is it?

"Change is the only thing which is constant!"

Then why are we so averse to change. We like to be in our 'comfort zone'. The place where we are at ease, in control. We hate when something changes. Slight annoyances arise when something subtle changes. And we panic when major changes happen. But when will we realize that change is going to happen weather we like it or not! And adapting to change is NOT about finding comfort zones. It is about coming out of your 'comfort zone' and still being comfortable. Of facing the reality and adapting. The whole theory of evolution is basd on this... Change and adaptation. So, when will we realize that change is a good thing and not something to be feared. Well, I for one love when something changes. Hope you do too! :D

2006-12-04T22:19:00.000+05:30

The illusion of Happiness...............

What are people trying to find in the ever increasing darkness? They force themselves to think they are happy. They compare lives and decide on a whole they are better off than someone else and hence inherently happy! Damn! I pity those poor souls...... They don't even know what happiness is and they claim to be happy. Human beings are experts at convincing themselves. At running away from situations. Face it! You are not happy!! You only think you are!! Stop pretending!!

Now that I think about it, it's the same for people who keep whining. The illusion of misery Hmmm... I see a post in the making!!

2006-12-02T10:42:00.000+05:30

Bridges, Tunnels and Mountains...............

Man! What a combination! Take a buncha healthy young people, throw in a newly constructed railway track (wih 12 trains a day running on it) and make them walk for 27 kms on the track. Then throw in a descent through a jeep track running through a forest infested with blood sucking leeches. Reciepie for disaster you say? Hah! I laugh in the face of danger!

The trek from Dhonigal to Siribagilu is one of the most fascinating routes in the western ghats. The lush green mountains, the abundant water sources of the western ghats combined with the dangers of crossing bridges (Some around 150 mts high) and narrow tunnels (The longest one was almost half a k.m. long) make it an enthralling experience.

Still wanna write more on the bridges though........ Guess that'll have to wait!!

2006-10-21T18:31:00.000+05:30

Bang Bang Bangalore!!

Ok so they have decided to rename Bangalore to Bengalooru! I can never think of this city as anything else but Bangalore. I believe it represents the cosmopolitan culture, the acceptance of ousiders, the great Indian Silicon valley... But the REASON is what irks me! It's for political milege and nothing else.....Man I hate politicians... More on that some other time!

Is the name change gonna affect the spirit of the city? No way! The soul and heart are going to remain intact, like shakespere once said "What's in a name?"!!

2006-10-04T23:31:00.000+05:30

Absolute Silence................

Absolute Silence is something that I had never experienced in my life...... I mean, how can you imagine a world without sound? How can there BE no sound? Sound is everywhere........ When you are in the market place, it's all around you...... It's in the honks in every signal that turns green.... Even when you are alone.... there is the sound of your heartbeat, your breath, the wind.......

But....... something happened that day........ When I sat facing the arabian sea... It was like the sea taught me to be humble... Like it was mocking me with it's vastness..... Made me feel so small in front of it.... So very small.....

So there I was sitting on the rocks, looking at the sun lazily flirting with the waves...... Then, it happened... As I sat there looking at the waves all the sound in the world slowly vanished...... No wind in my ears, no sound of waves crshing against the rocks... No sound from the liners bobbing in the distance... no sound of my breath, no sound of my heart.......... It was actually true... Absolute Silence does exist...

Now whenever I feel like it's too noisy, I just imagine myself back on the rocks and all the sounds vanish........... Somehow it's so soothing.....

Hmmmm maybe there are lots of my beliefs which can be proved wrong......... So absolute silence does exist..... Then, how about true love? Maybe........... Nah..... Not possible....... but again.... who knows? ;)