Nothing more to write....for now..

Am going to be away... for a long time..

365 and counting..

Today I complete one year of quitting smoking. I have been smoke free for 365 days.
It feels good.

So my dear smoker friends...go ahead and kick the butt!!

My review of I too had a Love story

I too had a Love story – Ravinder Singh

As I have said before, the best stories are the ones which are felt in the heart.
The book is a tragic love story of a common guy who works for Infy. As quoted by Mr.Narayana Murthy, the book is simple, honest and touching. I completely agree.

The book is a must read for everyone who has fallen in love. You can relate to the story easily and you will definitely end up loving your partner even more once you are through.

Thanks to Mr.S.P. for recommending this book.

Me

This is me as described by a dear friend:

http://normally-crazy.blogspot.com/2008/07/dil-dosti-aur-kya-kya.html

My review of Maximum City

Maximum city: Suketu Mehta

Since long I had being hearing a lot of good about this book and being a Mumbaiite, I wanted to read this one. I was finally able to lay my hands on this book last month (Courtesy QA Library). Now that I am through with it, I am glad that I didn’t buy this book (thanks to Vijay who always discouraged me from buying this book). I didn’t like it.

The author is an NRI, who had moved out of Mumbai in his school days. He came back to Mumbai with his family after fifteen years. This is when he did his research and wrote this book. The book is actually a peep into Mumbai (Mumbai, he says is one of kind.), from different angles. Mehta has written about the Mumbai weather, the 1993 riots, politicians, Bollywood (films and people), Mumbai police, schools, real estate, gangsters, bar dancers, slum dwellers, visitors to the city, the spirit of the city, etc, etc.. The only good part about the book is that it is honest and transparent and I would give full credit to the author for his meticulous research (since it would be difficult for an outsider to actually unearth information regarding some of the sensitive issues he has written about). Mehta is also very observant. There are many things which he writes about, which only people who have stayed in Mumbai for long can visualise.

Now the bad part! Since most of the book is based on interviews, most of the data is scattered and lacking continuity. You could read about a topic for five pages, then suddenly there would be something completely new on the sixth page, then again the old topic would resume on the eighth page and so on. There is a clear lack of continuity. Most of the people Mehta has written about are the ones whom he had befriended (some names in the books have been changed… but surprisingly only the names of people who are not famous have been changed.. The popular names are all in there adding to the selling value of the book.. Smart move on the part of the author!). Infact Vidhu Vinod Chopra was quite upset when Mehta included some private information about him in the book, which he shouldn’t have (http://soniafaleiro.blogspot.com/2005/09/twas-me.html).

There are also some topics on the book, which have been stretched. There is also a lot of repeat of material. Some of the topics are just tales of his interaction with the people, which have no connection whatsoever with the ongoing topic. The worst part is the last seventy pages of the book, which are better to be skipped. All in all, only a select few topics in the book.. which is approx 1/3 rd of the book (riots, Mumbai police, bollywood) are worth reading and the rest can be ignored. The good part of the book gets over in the first half, the second half is boring..no other word for it.

Mehta comes across as fearless, if you take into consideration the things he has written about some of the big men here…but its easy to do that when you stay in another continent. I don’t think he will ever return to Mumbai.

Mumbai…where people don’t forgive easy.

More movies..

Hotel Rwanda (2004) - Excellent movie. Must watch!
Traitor (2008) - Good movie. Great first half, but the second half was lame.
10000 B.C. (2008) - Not so good. The movie is a combination of Apocalypto, 300 and Lord of the Rings.
Dodgeball (2004) - Good movie. 3/5.
The talented Mr.Ripley (1999) - The movie is good, but depressing. I didnt like it much.

Note: Deshdrohi...last 30 mins remaining...God, give me courage!!

Soldier of fortune

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=VGHbzP96WWA

I have often told you stories

About the way

I lived the life of a drifter

Waiting for the day

When I’d take your hand

And sing you songs

Then maybe you would say

Come lay with me n love me

And I would surely stay

Now I feel I’m growing older

And all the songs that I have sung

Echo in the distance

Like the sound

Of a windmill goin` `round

I guess I’ll always be...

A soldier of fortune

Many times I’ve been a traveler

I looked for something new

In days of old

When nights were cold

I wandered without you

But those days I thought my eyes

Could seen you standing near

Though blindness is confusing

It shows that you’re not here

Now I feel I’m growing older

And the songs that I have sung

Echo in the distance

Like the sound

Of a windmill goin` `round

I guess I’ll always be...

A soldier of fortune

Yes, I can hear the sound

Of a windmill goin` `round

I guess I’ll always be

A soldier of fortune..

Movies..

A list of good movies that I watched in the last 2 weeks:

The Guns of Navarone (1961)
The Italian job (1969)
Clerks (1994)
The Prestige (2006)
16 Blocks (2006)
Dan in real life (2007)
Mirrors (2008) -- Ok types..not that great
Zack and Miri make a porno (2008) -- Ok types..not for girls.


Note: Finished first 30 minutes of Deshdrohi. Dont have the guts to watch the whole flick in one go. :)

Moments

He flipped the page of his novel and at the same time utilized the free moment to scan the other seats in the coffee parlor. Most of them were still empty, since it was too early in the afternoon to have coffee. He was always here at this time every Saturday, to enjoy the space and silence. And of course the superb black coffee too!
The moment lingered for a little longer than usual as he sipped his coffee and let the refreshing taste please his taste buds. Then he was back to his book. The book was the latest work of his favorite author and it was nearing the climax. Within a few minutes, it was time to turn the page again. This time, since the story was at its thrilling best, he decided to compress the free moment. He flipped the page with one hand, grabbed the coffee mug with his other hand and threw a quick glance at the other seats. This is when the moment froze…
She wasn’t less than a Goddess. Long jet-black straight hair, twinkling mischievous brown eyes, luscious rosy lips… the effect was dizzying. Her face was beautiful. No! Beautiful was too ordinary a word to define her facial features, which were sharp and sculpted with great care by the Almighty himself. She was looking stunning in a black embroidered salwaar kameez. The matching stunning high-heeled sandals also did their part in the whole image. She c across to him as a representation of beauty and grace and much more which couldn’t be put into words.
He tried to take his eyes off her, but they refused to obey. He wanted to speak to her, know her, understand her and worship her. He wanted to love her and wanted her to love him back. He had decided all this in a single moment. A Single Moment!
The very next moment the dream was shattered. A guy with long hair and bulging biceps with two cups of coffee in his hands made his way to her table and sat across her, smiling at her. She smiled back at him.
He returned to his book and his coffee…

Life is made up of many such moments, some good and some bad…. So sit back and enjoy the journey… also enjoy your books and your drinks.

Need a name

My friend and I happened to notice these paintings at a local restaurant. My friend suggested a name which fitted these beauties perfectly.
What would you call them?

Garden

It was a garden. He stepped inside and made his way to an empty bench. The bench provided an excellent view of the garden's play area. Almost all the swings, seesaws and slides were occupied by children. There were children of all ages, some with their parents and some without. Looking at them, it was evident that they were all having the time of their lives. One was swinging as high as a bird, ignoring his mom who was constantly asking him to slow down. Another one was competing and trying to go higher on his swing.

There was a queue of anxious children on the slides, waiting for their turn. After every turn, they would go back and rejoin the queue. There was this particular small cute girl, who was with her mother. Every time it was her turn, she shouted “Mummy”, to draw her mother’s attention. Then with twinkling eyes she would slide down and laugh aloud as her mom clapped. Then she would rush back to rejoin the queue.

The seesaws were relatively empty. One particular seesaw had a small boy at one end and his dad kneeling down at the other end. The dad was using his hands to rock the seesaw. The child’s mom was feeding him some grapes, which he was nibbling unconsciously as he enjoyed the rocking. Up and down …ever smiling and eating grapes.

At one corner, there were two kids, who were probably brothers (since they had identical clothes on). They were busy digging a hole in the mud and making a castle. An elderly woman was guiding them (their grand mom probably). Both the kids were engrossed; the world didn’t exist for them. Their clothes were soiled with dust and mud, but they didn’t care. Finally when the castle was ready, they stood up, embraced each other and started dancing around it.

He smiled, as his loneliness vanished amongst these little angels.

Some more movies

Watched a lot of movies this weekend.

Excellent ones:
The Ilusionist
The Shawshank Redemption

Good ones:
Kidnap (except the last 30 mins)

OK ones:
Fashion (typical Madhur Bhandarkar)
E.M.I

Next in queue is Deshdrohi ...

Yet again!!

Yet again!

Mumbai is burning yet again. No, it’s not the politicians this time, it is the terrorists. I wonder how much more this city can withstand. Due to this continuous raping which has been going on and on, the financial capital of India now comes across as a scarred and mutilated body which is still breathing. Breathing, trying to survive, paying the price of being the richest city of the nation, paying the price of being “Bomb”ay. The name change didn’t help.
As I write, the city still burns and so does my heart.
May the people behind this rot in hell and may the soul of the innocent who lost their lives rest in peace.

Lost?

How can I be lost, If I've got nowhere to go?

Daily Diet Schedule

I found a piece of paper in my wallet, which made me smile. It read:

Daily Diet Schedule:

Start Date : 26th Sept 2005

Morning: Tea at home and an apple in the bus. After reaching office have breakfast and juice.

Afternoon: Lunch with butter milk or juice. Work hard in office.

Evening: Have a glass of juice. Leave office at 7.

Night: Have light dinner. Also have a glass of milk before sleeping.

NOTE: Don't have more than two cups of tea a day and try not to smoke any cigarette.

I am actually following this schedule nowadays. It is strange that I have started following this schedule three years after it was planned ...that too without having any remembrance of penning it down three years back. Strange but true.

Mystery

Is life full of circles or am I the one who is not walking straight?

I end up at the same spot again and again and again and again...

Movies

The Machinist
The movie is about an Industrial worker (Christian Bale) who hasn’t slept in a year. His insomnia drives him nuts and makes him imagine things. The movie is how he deals with his hallucinations. The movie pace is slow but it is worth watching.

The Devil wears Prada
This is a movie that could be watched if you have nothing else to do.

Bedazzled- Pakau movie.. This is a movie that should not be watched even if you have nothing else to do.

Happy 14th November

I wish myself today.. for somethings that no longer exist...also because I know no one else will wish me today... because there is no reason any longer.

Birthday gift

It was his mother’s birthday the next day. Fortunately it was a Saturday and it was a holiday. No school!! The whole week he had been confused about what to gift his mother. With a paltry budget of twenty rupees, there weren’t many options. He had spent long hours discussing the options with his friends. But even after four days and endless discussions later, he was clueless. Until Komal had suggested something! She was his tuition friend. “Cook for her. She will feel good!” she had said absent mindedly while solving the Mathematics problem in the tuition.

The thought had stuck. He would cook for her. But there was a problem. He didn’t know a thing about cooking. Suddenly something struck him and he knew his solution. As soon as the tuition ended, instead of staying back and chit chatting with his friends, he flew on his bicycle to Malti aunty’s house. Malti aunty was his mom’s friend and she stayed in the street next to their house. With a notebook and pencil in hand he quickly made his way to the kitchen where Malti aunty was preparing lunch.

“Hello aunty. How are you?” he said with the sweetest smile he could put on his face.

“Hello Raj. What mischief are you up to today? And why have you got this notebook and pencil for?”

“No aunty. No mischief. Actually tomorrow is Mom’s birthday and I have decided to cook for her” he exclaimed.

“Wow. That’s great. What do you plan to cook?” she asked.

“Aunty, I don’t know to cook anything. Please teach me something. I ll write down the steps.”

“But what do you want to cook, beta?”

“Whatever is the easiest.” He said after thinking for a moment.

“Ok. Here we go then.” she smiled.

Fifteen minutes and three pages scribbled with instructions later, he had the recipe to prepare aloo gobi sabzi. "Hehehe" he grinned in his mind.

The next day, he got up early but he didn’t wish his mother. It was to be a surprise for her. After a quick bath he raced to the nearby vegetable vendor to buy the ingredients.

“Bhaiya, Aloo aur gobi chahiye.”

“Kitna chahiye. Ek kilo?”

“Six aloos and one gobi” he said referring his notebook.

The vendor smiled but handed him the required quantity of the vegetables. Soon he was back home. He rushed to his mom and wished her. She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

“Where is my gift?” she asked naughtily.

He showed her the polythene containing the vegetables. “Today you will not cook. I will make aloo gobi sabzi for you.”

“Wow. That’s great, but do you know how to make the sabzi?”

“Yes. I have learnt. I will make it. But I don’t know how to make rotis.”

“Don’t worry, I ll take care of the rotis”

“Hmm…well that kind of makes you cook something. I wanted you not to cook anything, but I guess we ll need rotis. So its fine.” He said.

They made their way into the kitchen and he sat on the platform.

“Mom, I need a knife to peel and chop the vegetables.”

“Arre. First you have to wash them. Give it to me I ll do it”

“Ok. I also need a big plate to cut the vegetables into.”

“Here you go. Here are the washed vegetables, a big plate and knife. Be careful with the knife.” She said.

As he started cutting the vegetables, she stood there monitoring him, worrying about that he might hurt himself. At the same time she took another knife and decided to help him out by sharing the work.

“No….” he shrieked “I will do the work myself, you just stand here.”

“Ok beta.. as you say.” She said quickly putting the knife away.

Some minutes later all the vegetables were chopped. “Now we need a cooking utensil and some cooking oil.” He said staring at his notebook. “Mom.. give me the utensil and oil and also please throw the vegetable peels into the bin”. She acquiesced quietly.

“Beta, how much oil do you need?”

“Hmm… its written as per needs.. so I am not sure.. why don’t you put in the required quantity” he said sheepishly.

“Fine.” She said.

“Now, let me light the burner.”

“No, you are too young for that. I ll light the burner, you might hurt yourself.”

“No.. No.. as I said I ll do all the work today .. Pleaseeeee!!!” he screamed.

“Ok. But only this once.” She said handing him the gas lighter.

He lit the burner in the first attempt and said proudly “see..its so easy and safe. You are worrying yourself for no reason. Now we put in the vegetables.”

“No son. Not so soon, you have to wait for the oil to heat up before you out in the vegetables.”

“Strange.. I have not written this down in my book. Ok we ll wait” he said tapping his fingers on the kitchen platform.

“Is it time yet?” he asked her after growing restless in a few minutes.

“Yes. But I ll do it, since on putting the vegetables in the utensil, the oil drops may splash out and you might get hurt.”

“No. Its your birthday. I will do it.” He said adamantly.

“Ok if you say so. Try with this one piece of potato and see for yourself.”

As soon as he put the potato piece into the utensil, a few drops of oil splashed onto his fingers and he instinctively pulled his hand away. “I think you should do this mom. You were right.”

She smiled and put in the vegetables expertly into the utensil.

“Wow.. that was great. Now we wait for few minutes and then add the spices” he exclaimed.

“Yes. You seem to have mastered cooking in one day.”

He blushed in reply.

A few minutes later his mom added the spices because he didn’t know the exact quantity to be added. Finally the dish was ready. “Its ready.” He shouted. “Mom taste it and tell me how is it?”

She tasted the sabzi. “Its great beta. Thank you for a wonderful gift. I love you.”

“I love you too. Cooking isn’t difficult at all” he said smiling.

In the afternoon, when his dad came home for lunch, he ran to him and told him about his gift. His dad smiled and lifted him up and kissed him.
During lunch his dad mocked his mother, “My son is a better cook than you”.

His mom gladly accepted the fact and replied back “Obviously! He is the best son in the world”.

He was overjoyed with himself. He had chosen the right gift.

After lunch as she was washing the dishes, she glanced at his sleeping face. He was smiling in his sleep.

First 500 kms

As per the user manual,

“For the first 500 kms, avoid revving above 4000 rpm and driving above 40 kmph.”

Every time I hit the streets on my bike, I am subconsciously subdued. My attention is on the speedometer and the tachometer constantly. I am careful not to cross the line. I am holding myself back, and believe me it is very difficult.

But all it takes is a less worthy vehicle overtaking me. I take that as an insult to my machine and me. After this I am Me and the user manual can go to hell.

Cheers!

Clive Cussler- Deep Six

Just finished this book. As good as Atlantis found (http://infinitumnegativity.blogspot.com/2008/10/atlantis-found-clive-cussler.html).

Golmaal returns!

I decided to watch this movie ignoring the circulating rumors. Lots of friends warned me that the movie is not up to the mark.
But I was in for a surprise. The movie is truly a sequel to its predecessor which I had the pleasure watching at least five times (thanks to the Volvo buses). Nevertheless, I had enjoyed it every time.
Most of the characters are maintained from the first movie (though they are in a different role). Shreyas Talpade makes up for the missing Sharman Joshi. Tushar Kapoor is great in his goonga avatar. Ajay Devgan does a repeat from the first movie. Kareena is looking awesome (the other three females are good too :), but Kareena takes the cake). Wasooli Bhai and the Cobra gang guy do their part as well. Amrita Arora disappoints yet again. Arshad Warsi could have been given a better character; his piece in the movie isn’t too great.
Go to the theatres, shut off your brains and enjoy this roller coaster ride.

My favorite dialogue from Rock On:

-Dus saal ho gaye in baaton ko, kab peecha chodenge yeh mera?

-Jab tum bhaagna chod doge...

Yamaha Gladi...

Waited for a few extra days to write my hundredth post. The reason ... just got my first bike. Its a blue Yamaha Gladiator RS. Comments please!!

Sketch - 3

Made this over the weekend. I am searching for a new theme. Any suggestions?

Change

Last week one of my brother’s friends came over to our house. Last I had seen him was three years ago. That was when he was in school, in Xth grade. Neatly oiled hair, a small vermillion mark on his forehead, a half sleeve formal shirt and matching formal trousers which were a size too big, a pair of neatly polished shoes, I still remember clearly. Moreover, he was very soft spoken and respectful using the “jis” to a great extent. “Auntyji”, “Uncleji” “Bhaiya”. It was a pleasant experience talking to him then.

The picture was pretty different last week. As he made way into our house, I could hardly recognize him. It was as if a different person had walked in. Gelled spiky hair, a diamond stud flashing in one of his pierced ears, a loose fitting t-shirt that had an image of a marijuana leaf and the words “Weed” written under the image, loose anti fit jeans hanging low, a pair of rugged adidas sneakers, two bead necklaces around his neck and some beads around his wrist too. I was kind of surprised to see him in such an avatar. His lingo was now pretty modern without the “jis”, which we didn’t mind. It was still pleasant to converse with him, in an alltogether different perspective though.

Isnt it odd, that everyone undergoes this change?

Wanna do an MBA from here?

This is the gate of the Boys hostel of a prestigious Business school. We proved our identities, but weren't permitted inside.

As it is we weren't much interested in getting in, since there wont be any chicks around. The place is "out of bound" for girls.

Other movies

Must watch:
-Body of lies (2008)
-We own the night (2008)

Good to watch:
-Run Fatboy Run (2007)
-The Big Lebowski (1998) - Rated 8.2 on imdb
-Fifty first dates (2004)
-Hell ride (2008) - Recommended only for Tarantino fans

Could be missed:

-What happens in Vegas (2008)

Hello?

I have seen bad movies adaptations of good books. One such movie is Hello. Though the movie follows the exact storyline depicted in the book (One Night @ Call centre), it fails to make an impression for totally different reasons. The reasons being:


The cast:
Most of the people are misfits for the roles they have been chosen for, the remaining few have acted badly.
- Sharman Joshi's acting is very stiff. He is not able to pull off the important scenes with conviction due to which most of them come across as artificial.
- Gul Panag is the wrong choice for the role. She looks much older than the character in the book.
- Dilip Tahil sucks big-time. He kills the character by his overacting.
- Amrita Arora is her usual plastic self.
- Gul Panag's mother is irritating. Not because of her personality depicted in the book, but because of her acting.
- Suresh Menon is pathetic.


The costumes:
Yeah!! If you feel I am being harsh here, check out (in the attached pic) the costumes worn by -Isha Koppikar (leopard skin slacks and knee length boots)
-Gul Panag (gold embroidered purple mini skirt, dazzling electric blue top and a black inner top revealing ample cleavage.. they have tried to hard to make her look young. The dress actually makes her look heavier than she is)
-Dilip Tahil (wtf is the American Flag doing on his tie?)

The sets:
Most of the sets are unrealistic. The call centre bay is huge. Each of the six persons has acres of desk space. The female restrooms are princely; with sofas inside (pic 2). (I wonder what they are for? Casting couches for call centre interviews?)

The dialogues:
A good story needs good dialogues. Most of the dialogues are bad and the only few good ones are badly delivered.


The only saving grace of the movie is the storyline, which as I have already said, doesn't deviate from the book.

Oops.. Completely forgot about Salman Khan. He has a total screen presence of ten minutes (including the song) out of which he is topless for five minutes flexing his muscles. Give us a break Sallu Bhai!!

The Gang - 3

Things got better with time. Thanks to a lot of pushing by Vikram and Adi, Kunal proposed to Arushi one fine day. It was done in typical filmy style. He had designed a love e-card for her, which looked like a movie ticket. It had names of all the movies they had seen together printed in it. The card page was then designed to fade as the words “I love you” printed in deep red appeared on the hazy background. They had even tried to include Arushi’s favorite song in it, but it had not worked out. So, immediately after mailing the file to Arushi, Kunal ran up to her cubicle and sang the song personally for her as she had opened the attachment. Needless to say, Arushi had acquiesced, impressed with his efforts.

They were always seen together after that. Seeing their intimacy, Vikram who had never bothered to think about girls and relationships suddenly found his own life empty and lonely and dull. Till then love for Vikram was restricted to pairing friends and teasing them.
“My landlord is such a pain in the wrong place” exclaimed Kunal during lunch one day.
“What did he do now?” Vikram asked.
“He is increasing the rent again. He had just increased the rent six months back. He knows I won’t be able to afford the apartment now. Basically, he is harassing me, so that I leave and make way for new tenants. That ways he would get a higher deposit and better rent” He sighed.
“Why don’t you move into my rented apartment? It’s a two BHK and I am staying alone” suggested Adi.
“Why don’t all you guys stay together” recommended Arushi.
“That would be great. Vikram, you could join us too. It would be fun. Why didn’t we think of this earlier man?”
“Let me think about it. I have no reason to leave my current apartment” Vikram said.
“Come on Vikram. We could share one of the rooms. It would really be fun.” Kunal added.
“I ll think and let you guys know” he said.
“You guys start packing. I am expecting you by tomorrow evening” concluded Adi, before he had a chance to say anything else.
The next night, they moved into the flat. The flat was much bigger than the ones they had been staying in. In fact the place reeked of richness. TV, fridge, music player, computer, washing machine, microwave oven…there wasn’t a single thing missing. They were amazed and realizing their dazed expressions Adi just shrugged his shoulders and said with a smiling face. “It’s because of my mom. She wants me to lead a comfortable life wherever I go.”

The following weekend was one of the best ones of their lives.

p.s: Apologies, if the story has started sounding like one of Ekta Kapoor's soaps.

Words of Wisdom

Ding! He was woken up from his slumber by the doorbell. He checked his watch. 9:07 p.m. He knew who it was going to be as he headed for the door and lighted a cigarette. He made a pit stop on the way to the door to throw the used matchstick into the ashtray and also to collect his wallet. As he opened the door, he was met by a smiling Nepali boy who worked in the restaurant downstairs. Like everyday, Thapa had bought his parceled dinner. The smile was for the generous tip he was about to receive like everyday. Not every customer tipped ten bucks. Little did he know that the tenner he got daily wasn’t because of the food quality, but it was just to see him smiling.
“Khane se pehle cigarette mat piyo saab. Accha nahi hai” the kid proclaimed.
“Zindagi me sab accha nahi rehta Thapa. Tu nahi samjhega.” He said handing him the cash.
“Zingadi ko nahi samajhne me hi bhalai hai saab. Salaam Saab!” Before he could react the boy was gone.
He closed the door and settled on dining table to have his dinner pondering over the child’s deep words.

Sometimes the greatest lessons in life are learnt from the most unexpected sources.

The Gang - 2

For some of you who wanted me to continue this story.

Warning: This one will run long, if at all..

“Lets go for a movie tonight” said Arushi. Arushi was cute, petite and childish. She was from Bangalore. She considered herself lucky to land up in the job, since she was average in studies and took time to grasp things. Her habits and attitude were those of a typical middle class girl, something similar to Monisha from Sarabhai (not to that extent though). She had only one hobby. Cinema! She made it a point to follow her hobby to the fullest by watching every movie, good or bad. Many had suffered in her company watching boring, mind-numbing movies. But she seemed to like every movie, as if though she lived her dreams in them.
“Its Friday! It ll be impossible to get tickets” exclaimed Adityaman before anyone else could even consider the idea. Adityaman was impulsive and spontaneous. There wasn’t a thing about which he didn’t have an opinion. It was either a yes or a no for him…no sticking in between. He was also very firm. He never used to back off from his decisions even though he knew that sometimes his wrong decisions landed him in trouble. But he chose trouble over retreat. Adi hailed from a rich business family in Delhi. He was handsome, dynamic and hence popular amongst girls. He was a good friend most of the times, but occasionally his ego and pride prevented him from acting judiciously, thus leading to spoilt relations. After completing his engineering in Delhi, he had taken up a job, against his dad’s advice, who wanted him to go abroad for post graduation. It wasn’t that he was passionate about doing a job; it was just about his craze to be against his dad in every matter.

“Lets check the websites if tickets are available. Which movie, Arushi?” asked Kunal, who had already started typing in the address of the website which offered online movie ticket booking. Like Arushi, Kunal hailed from a typical middle class family. He was originally from Pune, but he had studied his engineering from Jalgaon. Four years of hostel life had made him more mature and practical than the others. He was average looking and his dressing sense was bad, to be put mildly. But what he lost out on looks, he made up in wittiness and charm. He was friendly, smart, always neutral and came across as sort of a problem resolver. This is why Kunal would always steal the center stage from Adi, which made Adi a little jealous of him at times. One more thing about Kunal, who was purely a guess at that time, was that he had a soft spot for Arushi.
“Any! If it’s Arushi, any movie would do!” joked Priya. Priya came from a well to do family in Nasik. She was a no-nonsense, silent girl, who was an introvert. She came as a puzzle to him then. Priya revealed very little about herself and her past and her talks were mostly restricted to work and day-to-day happenings. She did this with such proficiency that hardly anyone noticed it. Work wise, she was bright and her share of work was usually completed before anyone else’s. She shared a room with Arushi and they seemed to get along well.
“I think I ll skip the movie guys. I have some work to complete by tonight” he said.
“Vikram, don’t act nerdy. Its Friday and you want to spend the evening in office? Give us a break!.” It was Arushi.
“Hmm..fine.” he said.
After some more chitchat, it was decided that they would go out for a dull Hindi flick, which no one else in the city would be interested in watching.

Invincible

Invincible (2006)

Invincible is a story of dreams coming true. Vince Papale ((Mark Wahlberg) a local bartender and a Philadephia Eagles (NFL team) fan) overcomes all odds and manages to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976. Wahlberg is at his wonderful best in the movie. Greg Kinnear has also done a splendid job in the role of the team coach, Dick Vermeil. The movie can be compared with another movie made on a similar theme, “The pursuit of Happyness”. Also this movie is telecasted at least once in a month on HBO and Star movies. So, do catch it the next time it is aired.

The Gang-1

This is the first part of a yarn which I may never complete. Even if I try and complete it, it may take some time. So proceed at your own risk.:

It was Friday night again. Why did the week always go by in a flash? Unlike his other friends, who longed for the weekend, he usually waited desperately for Monday to arrive. Strangely he loved office. Office was where he didn’t have to think about “what should I do next?” It was the only place where he robotically performed his tasks without giving a thought to anything other than the assignment at hand. He wasn’t a nerd though he looked like one in his glasses and ill-fitting formal clothes.
He was on his way to house. He preferred calling it a house and not a home, because it was a rented apartment where he stayed alone. The music was playing in his car stereo, but it wasn’t getting beyond his ears. It was like he was subconsciously listening to the music playing in the background, but his mind was busy with something else. He was getting nostalgic again. He shrugged off the feeling and concentrated on the dark road that lay ahead. Yeah, it surely was a dark road. He parked his car in his regular parking slot. He turned off the ignition and waited a full two minutes before stepping out.
A nod of the head served as an acknowledgment to the security guy who saluted him and a raised hand served as a casual hello to his neighbor whom he bumped into on the stairs. Once inside the house, he switched on the music player and inserted an Engelbert Humperdinck CD. Soft melodious music filled the room. He opened the refrigerator and took out a can of beer and made his way to the balcony. Once he was settled comfortably in his armchair, he lighted a Marlboro and stared at the empty sky. The night was dark and there was no moon. Only a few twinkling stars winked at him. Suddenly the feeling hit him again. Nostalgia! As he turned around and stared into the empty room, he saw himself with all of them. Three years back, in this very room, there used to be a riot every weekend. He still remembered everything crystal clear.
It was his first day in the new city. It was also his first day in his new office where he was introduced to “The Gang”. Adityaman, Arushi, Kunal and Priya. He was the fifth member of the team they were in. Vikram. As it happens to every new joiner, he was given hostile treatment by all four during his initial days in office. Nevertheless, he had gone about doing his job ignoring this and interacting with them professionally. Any help or assistance he asked for was met with upraised eyebrows and “Can’t you see that I am busy now” looks. But he was a lateral joiner and they were freshers and he knew that his experience of one year with his previous employer would give him an edge once he got familiar with the office product they were working on.
Two weeks into his job, he walked in one morning to see the gang huddled in Adityaman’s cubicle. It looked as if there was a problem and they were all trying to tackle it together, like a team. Not intending to intrude, he made his way to his cubicle and started with his work. Half an hour later, he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Kunal who had a big smile on his face. He smiled back and asked him what the matter was. Kunal explained that Adi was badly stuck on some assignment that needed to be submitted by noon. They were unable to crack it and any help would be welcome. That was it! That was the opportunity he had been waiting for. It was time to pay them back by denying help. But, since difficult problems always intrigued him, he decided to have a look ignoring the evil thought. It was so typical of him, that he smiled inwardly.
C++ had always been his strong point. But this was a big program, the biggest he had seen till date and it would take some time to debug the code and find the problem. Ten minutes into the job and he had located a bug, which seemed to be the likely cause of the problem. Adi smiled at him, there were a few cheers as they removed the bug and ran the program. Strangely the program returned another error while running. It was a tricky situation and he felt that the code needed a few tweaks. A few changes and half an hour later, the program was up and running smoothly. Adi thanked him profusely and hurriedly checked in the code in the nick of time saving himself from a confrontation with the Boss. He was back to his seat after the celebrations were over. He had decided to skip lunch and make up for the lost time. Exactly at one, Priya was at his desk smiling at him.
“Lunch?” she asked.
“Sure” he nodded and smiled back.
As they walked towards the canteen he realized that he was part of them now. Part of the gang!

Atlantis Found - Clive Cussler

Just finished Atlantis Found. This was my first shot at a Clive Cussler novel. True to his description at Wiki (American Adventure Novelist and a marine archaeologist), he has created a first-rate thrilling fiction story. The story stars Dirk Pitt (A James Bond kind of character) working for N.U.M.A. (National Underwater and Marine Agency). Giving away anything about the story would be horrible for anyone wants to read the book. But the story consists of blend of high adventure, technology, numerous twists, outlandish plots and beautiful women that keep you engrossed. Do read it!

Which pizza house do you prefer?

Whose pizzas do you like most and why?

- Dominos

-Pizza Hut

-Smokin Joes

-Garcias

-US Pizza

-Any other

Do you dislike any particular pizza chain from the above list for some reason. Write about that too if you want to.

Dilemma

Several years back I had one tenth the money I can now afford for a birthday party. Strangely the number of friends who wish me now are just one tenth of the ones used to wish me then. Now I am in a dilemma. Should I amass more wealth in the future or make more friends?

Fear

The feeling creeps up inside him again. He glances at the distant sky that is darkening as the sun is setting. This happens to him with amazing regularity everyday. Every evening as the sun sets, something in him changes. It is as if he is a completely different person after darkness sets in. Courage is replaced by fear.
As always restlessness makes its way in and discomfort sets in. He quickens his pace. He wants to reach home fast. All along, he has a feeling that he is being followed. The streetlights are dim and every moving shadow plays a million tricks on his mind. He is walking faster, so fast that he starts sweating. In a few minutes, he reaches his house. To his disappointment, he finds the house in pitch darkness. He suddenly remembers that the landlord and his family aren’t in town. They wont be back until morning.
With trembling fingers, he unlocks the doors. The creaking sound of the door hinge makes his heart skip a beat. With amazing swiftness, he switches on the lights. There is a faint buzz after which the lights come on. Suddenly, he is a different person, his confident self, no fear in his heart. He laughs at himself for being such a paranoid about non-existent stuff. He dumps his office bag and proceeds to the bathroom for a shower.
He is whistling under the warm shower, enjoying himself. His mood is gay now, and he is busy planning his dinner. Zonk!! The lights go out. It’s a power cut. For a second, he is paralyzed. The same shower he was enjoying a second ago starts to sting him. He turns it off and gazes around, eyes adjusting to the darkness. Claustrophobia sets in and the bathroom walls seem to close in. He opens the bathroom door and rushes out to the kitchen. The headlights of passing by cars on the street illuminate the kitchen glass windows, which in turn cast strange shadows on the walls.
He is scared to death now. The water drops on his body blend with the sweat and drip to the floor. He lights a candle but the dim flame doesn’t provide much relief. Hurriedly he rubs himself dry with a towel and rushes to bed. He isn’t hungry any more. Once in his bed, he covers himself fully with the blanket. He shuts his eyes tightly and cringes in fear on the bed. Strangely this darkness seems as ghastly as the darkness waiting outside. He curls into a ball and start praying. The strange noises coming from the leaves of the trees outside make it impossible for him to sleep.
He shuts out the noises by pressing the pillow tightly on his ears. After a lot of twisting and turning in bed, he finally falls asleep. He sleeps fitfully and every time his eyes open, he shivers and soothes himself back to sleep.
Finally after what seems like eternity, he sees light filtering through the windows. Sunlight! It is day again. He curses himself for being afraid of darkness and promises that he will handle it better next time. In his heart he knows, there is no cure for fear.
Fear of the dark!

Indian Rain

This one is an excellent song by Colonial Cousins.

You can hear it at http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=49rRK8slUaY .

Here are the lyrics:

Rain Clouds in the sky, I don't know why
They make me blue, when I'm thinking of you
Maybe they want to cry, As I walk on by
Hiding my tears, in a world of good byes

Love during summer rain, causes no pain
Cause I'm looking back, at you once again
Memories crowding my mind, You're one of a kind
Life with out love, I'm helpless I'm dying

Rain drops and dance, strange kind of romance
I don't know why (whether) to cry out loud, But I'm feeling fine
Watch the rhythm of the rain falling down, falling down

(Trumpet Solo)

Rain falling around, Its just the sound
I like to hear, when my hearts feeling down
Try to smile once again, As they slash in my window pane
I quite like that, I don't mind
I've got no complaint

Rain drops and dance, strange kind of romance
I don't know why (whether) to cry out loud, But I'm feeling fine
Watch the rhythm of the rain falling down, falling down

Movie reviews

Its been sometime since I posted about movies. I have a long list of movies which I have seen in the past two-three weeks. Here they are:

Meet the parents (2002): Great movie with a strong script and first-class dialogues. Robert De Niro was fabulous, so was Ben Stiller. I would have enjoyed this movie more if I hadn’t watched the Hindi remake of this movie "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi" (though its not an exact copy, most of it is).

Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind (2004): Awesome movie!! I am short of words on this one. The movie has a beautiful concept, which blew me away. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet have done justice to the script. It’s rated at 8.5 at IMDB. Warning: Not everyone may like this movie since it’s different. (One of my friend's has rated this one slow and boring).

Being Cyrus (2005): This is a good movie with a fine plot and a nearly perfect cast. The only downside is that you may find the movie a bit slow at times. But since the movie is only 90 minutes long, you tend to overlook that aspect. All actors have a done a good job. Boman Irani and Naseeruddin Shah were the best of the lot.

A Wednesday (2008): Awesome movie with a common plot (shown in a novel style) any a very strong cast. Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah are awesome. The movie is racy and keeps you guessing what’s going to happen next. The end is wonderful and unpredictable. I also liked Jimmy Shergill's character as Arif. Deepal Shaw sucked though.

Schindler's list (1993): A classic Oscar winning movie which happens to be a true story of a German, Mr.Oskar Schindler who saved the lives of more than a thousand Jews working under him in his factory during Hitler's regime. The movie is over three hours long and a bit slow at times, but the simplicity of the movie forces you to ignore this. Its an excellent movie in my opinion.

Aamir (2008): The movie of a man who proves himself as Aamir (Commnader). The movie is racy and keeps you guessing. The movie is very realistic and has a good background score. Rajeev Khandelwal has done a good job. It’s worth a watch.

Get Smart (2008): I had heard a lot about this one. It turned out to be good but not excellent. Steve Carell was good as usual. There was nothing extraordinary in the movie to write about.

Malibu's most wanted (2003): Downloaded this one because of Kal Penn. But sadly he has only a few minutes of screen presence. The story is OK and this movie can be watched once (only if you have got no choice). The performance by Taye Diggs is awesome though.

Bachelor Party Vegas (2006): Downloaded this one too because of Kal Penn. It’s a shitty movie which can be skipped. Please don’t watch this one!!

C Kompany (2008): Bakwaas!!

Sketch-2

Another successful weekend sketch. Apologies again for the snap quality. I am not confident yet to draw the face.

Making an effort!

Over a period of two years my office bag had grown heavier. Usually my interaction with my beloved bag is restricted to me thrusting my hand inside to search for a specific item. My fingers encounter innumerable items (which i subconsciously ignore), between which lies hidden, the thing I am searching for.
Yesterday, I finally decided to check out what had made my bag heavier. When I emptied the contents of the bag on my bed, I was pleasantly surprised to see things that I had unknowingly been carrying with myself everyday. Here is a list of the items that I had no clue about. A packet of Eno, a lighter (I have quit smoking almost a year back), some bills (dating from 2006 to now), a strip of some medicine (I am still not able to place when and why I had bought this strip), lots of movie tickets, lots of Volvo bus receipts, three broken pens, an eraser (????), lot of mints (mentos, chlormint, mintofresh, etc), lots of posts (some of them not opened yet), lots of waste printouts (study material of things I know pretty well now), some polythene bags (???), a Sony phone charger (I am using a Samsung cell since two years), lots of keys (still figuring out where they fit), a lot of visiting cards (of unknown people, whom I have met and forgotten), two doctor prescriptions, lots of ATM machine receipts and my long lost office ID card.
I have disposed of most of the unwanted stuff from my bag. The bag is lighter now.

I wish it was as easy to get rid of the countless, unnecessary, unwanted stuff stored in the mind. Things that we carry inside ourselves unknowingly. Things that we don’t need any longer, but they are there, weighing us down. Cleansing of the mind is difficult indeed!!

Sketch-1

I made this sketch over the weekend. It feels good to get back to my school time hobby (thanks to Rock On for showing me the way). The sketch is actually not as bad as it looks in this snap. If I stick to my plans, you will see some more sketches in the coming days.

Preparing for PCOM

It’s a public holiday (and a dry day too). I am at a public library trying to study for my exam the next day. The subject is PCOM and I have just managed to get some notes from a nerd in my class. I have just reached the library after photocopying the notes and I am scanning them. I am clueless about the subject but I am determined. Thankfully I don’t have a cell phone, so my only distraction at the moment is the pack of cigarettes in my jeans pocket, which compels me to take a break after every sixty minutes. First sixty minutes go by and I am sweating. The subject is tougher than it looks. I go down for a smoke and buy a Jigar’s (compilation of the last five years PCOM question papers).

I am back in the library now and am making a list of the chapters to skip. Precisely at this moment, two guys walk in. Unlike other people coming to the library these guys aren’t carrying any books. They look left and right after entering the library hall and slowly make their way to my table. They come to a stop right in front of me. I look up and see two grinning faces. Before I can speak anything or protest, one of them starts gathering my notes and shoving into my bag. The other puts his hand around my shoulder and leads me outside.

I am pushed in the back seat of a santro despite my protests. I am smuggled into a building which stands next to the building where I stay. I am pushed inside a flat on the third floor. Heavy music is started on a Sony CD player and I can see an unopened Teacher’s Scotch bottle on the table. There are three empty glasses and a couple of cigarette packets on the floor. The bottle is opened and three pegs of equal quantity to the drop are poured in the glasses. I am still protesting, but no ones paying any attention to my ranting. After a loud cheer, the glasses are raised in the air. A tinkling sound and zap…the scotch is gone. The warmth spreads slowly from my throat to my stomach. I light a cigarette, stop protesting and pour the second round.

Two hours later, the bottle is empty and we are high. We are swaying to Coal Chamber and there is thick smoke in the room now. The exam is forgotten, and the concern now is how to procure more scotch. Strangely one of the guys is still in a condition to drive. He always is. It surprises me. You give him ten pegs, he will still drive as well as he drives when he is not drunk. So, this guy drives and we search for scotch. After a couple of minutes, a couple of miles and a lot of swearing later, we finally get what we want. We are back to the flat and the second bottle is opened. I don’t remember when I pass out.

When I get up, it’s dark outside. I check my watch and it shows the time as 7:30. I have a terrible headache. I go to the wash room and pour some cold water on my face. The water stings my face and it feels good. I wipe my face and light a cigarette. There is a bag lying on the sofa. It looks like my bag. I open it and some papers fall out. I turn on the lights of the room and suddenly it hits me. I have an exam tomorrow. I am screwed. I hurriedly make my way to my home. My mom thinks that I am back from the library and makes me tea. The TV is on and my brother is scanning through the channels. He stops at a particular channel. The screen shows a Bagpiper whisky bottle. I feel the bile rise to my throat and I turn my face away in disgust.

The tea works wonders and I finally start studying. One chapter is done by 9 and there are seven more to go. At this moment, the lights go out. I swear out aloud. Even the Gods are against me. I wait for an hour but the power is still out. You can’t fight fate. I remember a childhood story in which a boy had kept a book under his pillow before an exam and the next day he knew everything from the book. Instinctively I bury the notes under my pillow and go to sleep.

Next morning when I wake up, the power is still not back. Within a few seconds I realize that the childhood story trick hasn’t worked. I have in fact forgotten the only chapter that I had studied. The exam is at two in the afternoon. I shower, have breakfast and start studying. By lunch time, I am done with three chapters. I know I am going to fail, but somehow I don’t want to fail miserably. A twenty would be better than zero. I go and write the exam. I am out in half the allotted time. I calculate and find out that I have written 42 marks worth answers. I light a cigarette and decide to accept my fate. I am going to fail, because of my own dumbness and because of my free spirited friends.

Three months later, the results are out. The results are pasted on a wall. I am not concerned about my result. I am only worried about my score in PCOM. As I make my way to towards the wall, I am humming “Another brick in the wall”. I search for my roll number. I find it and check that PCOM is the third in the list of subjects. I start going through the row. My name….46 in the first subject…….51 in the second….42 in the third. I smile. Childhood stories do come true sometimes.


P.S: I want to thank my two friends, without whom this story would not have been a part of my life.

Crossroads

He was confused. It was worse than he had imagined. How could his life land up in such a tight spot? The solution to the problem he faced now would decide his fate.

He had broken up with the love of his life two years back. It had taken most of the two years to recuperate. It had been difficult, but where there is a will there is a way. He had disciplined himself to concentrate on other things in life. He had spent long hours in office on the weekdays. He had followed his hobbies on the weekends. He had kept himself occupied. Slowly but steadily he had come out of the depression that had resulted from the breakup.

Six months back, he had finally given in to his parent’s demands. He had agreed to an arranged marriage. The process had been initiated and his parents had started looking for a suitable match for him. Though his heart wasn’t into it, he had decided to approach this venture with full sincerity. Finally last month he had met the female he felt would be right for him. She wasn’t anything remotely close to his ex-girlfriend (Why the heck did he still compare???) But she was decent looking, from a good family and seemed intellectually equipped (much better than the last two females he had rejected.) Though he wasn’t sure, he had given his consent. The engagement date was fixed. The ceremony was now four days away.

It was just a week after his engagement when the unthinkable happened. He had fallen in love again. He had met her at a common friend’s party. They had connected together fantastically. Strangely he hadn’t compared her to his Ex. Within a week they were the best of friends. They had so much in common, that it would be a pity if he let her go from his life. Following his heart, he had proposed to her and she had agreed. He had to now break the news to his parents. He knew that this would come as a big blow to them. But in hearts of hearts he knew that they would give in. All they wanted was for him to be happy.

He had finally summoned up the courage to speak to them. The day before he was going to speak to them, life played another prank on him. His Ex had called up and asked him to meet her. She was in town and she wanted to meet him. He gave in too easily for reasons unknown even to himself. When they met that evening, the long lost memories came flooding back. Before he could update her on his life, she started talking about hers. She had started with how sorely she missed him and about how she had taken some wrong decisions in the past year. She explained to him that the failures she had faced on the personal and professional front had made her realize her mistakes. Finally she expressed her desire to get back together. He had somehow decided not to update her on his life and asked for some time.

So, here he was! All jumbled up! In a mess!

What would you do, if you were him?

Fade to black

Life it seems, will fade away

Drifting further every day

Getting lost within myself

Nothing matters no one else

I have lost the will to live

Simply nothing more to give

There is nothing more for me

Need the end to set me free

Things not what they used to be

Missing one inside of me

Deathly lost, this Can t be real

Cannot stand this hell I feel

Emptiness is filling me

To the point of agony

Growing darkness taking dawn

I was me, but now he 's gone

No one but me can save myself, but it's too late

Now, I can't think, think why I should even try

Yesterday seems as though it never existed

Death Greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye

His search of happiness - 2

He crossed the tracks and made his way into the forest. The greenery enchanted him and the sweet smell of nature delighted him. He quickened his pace. The trees were dancing in the wind and the sunlight was peeping in through gaps between the leaves. It was as though a huge net was filtering the light. He could see flowers on some of the trees. Their colors were vibrant and they added cheerfulness to the whole scenery.

Soon he reached the banks of the small stream that he had seen from the train. The stream water was crystal clear and the he could see the rocks that lay beneath. The stream zigzagged and disappeared around a turn. For some time he walked along the banks of the stream soaking in the beauty. Then he chose a big rock and sat down. He folded up his pants and put his legs into the stream water. The water was chilly and he shivered for a while. In the same position he lay down on the rock and closed his eyes.

He then concentrated and tried to listen. The first sound that he could hear was of the gushing stream water. Beyond that he could hear the distant lapping sound of water hitting some of the rocks. A few minutes passed and he could hear the rustle of trees along with the sound of water. Combined together it seemed that earth and water seemed to be creating music. He could hear the birds chirping away happily providing vocals to this music. He concentrated harder and he could hear the wind joining in. The earth, the wind and the water were creating a melody in unison, which was beyond any music he had heard before. It was as if the wind was providing background vocals to this orchestra.

Some more time passed by. His sense of hearing was so acute now that he could hear a small sound near his ears beyond the music. The sound was growing steadily. He opened his eyes and turned his face towards the sound. He could see a small insect flying near his face. The flapping wings of the insect were making the sound he had heard. It was as if he was contributing to the whole music by flapping his wings. He closed his eyes and heard out the insect’s performance, which lasted for quite a while. He opened his eyes again and all he could see was the blue sky enveloping him.

This was happiness. Listening to silence and still be able to hear music.

Moral: Sometimes, to calm the frantic mind and to slow it down it is necessary to shift the focus from inner problems to the outer things. For happiness and for peace.

His search of happiness

Monotone had become his life’s mantra. He had become more of a machine than a human being. It was time to break the routine. It was time to go in search of happiness. He remembered the first time he had done something like this and smiled. It was crazy to follow the heart but it was worth it. It gave him happiness.

He checked his last month’s pay slip. He had quite a few leaves in his kitty. He smiled and made a mental plan. A few hours later he had applied for leaves in office, booked his tickets, packed his bags and done some online research on the place he was traveling to. He was en route to the railway station to catch the evening train.

The journey to the station was slow and painstaking due to the heavy traffic and dug up roads, but he didn’t care. The station was overcrowded with people rushing for their trains and he had a tough time in reaching his platform. Once inside the train after a lot of pushing and shouting, he took up the upper berth and started reading a novel. He wanted to slip down and glance outside the window, but he forced himself not to. There was no point in looking out of the window. The train started moving and with in an hour it was dark. He slipped down to the lower berth and had a quick dinner. He then returned to his upper berth, set an alarm on his cell phone and dozed off.

Beep..Beep. It was five. He stretched himself and made way to the door of his bogey. It was still dark and he was happy that he was up early enough. He opened the door and the cool night air hit him hard. It was chilly and it made him shiver and his bones rattled. But it was fresh and pure, unlike the polluted city. He sat down on the door with his legs hanging out. He took out the magnetic compass from his pocket and adjusted his sitting position accordingly. He then lit a cigarette and waited.

Exactly seven minutes later there was glow on the horizon towards the east. The first ray of light peeped out of the groping darkness. The sky turned magenta with its birth. The ray made the green fields look golden and it seemed that nature danced wherever the ray touched it. It was a fascinating site. Within a few minutes dawn turned into day. The sun was up in full glory. The sky was blue and the earth was green. There was no human structure in sight and he was thrilled at this virginity of nature. Back home, the urbanization had literally raped nature. The mountains, the green forests, the rivers, the birds, the air everything had a heavenly feel to it. They all looked happy. He wanted to be a part of their happiness.

Quickly he made his way back to his seat, collected his backpack. He then looked around at the sleeping passengers and pulled the chain.

As the train screeched to a halt, he was back at the door staring into the face of happiness.

He jumped down from the stationary train and made his way into the wild. He was happy.

Fuzon

I have been listening to this Paki band called Fuzon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuz%C3%B6n_(band)) for some time now. Their music is a fusion of Paki classical and modern music. They have a unique style and their music kind of grows on you. They have some great songs (Aankon ke saagar, Khamaj, Tere bina, Dooriyan, etc ), but my personal favourite is Khamaj (www.youtube.com/watch?v=7br52GPJ-qk). Do listen to it.

Khamaj

Saawan Beeto Jaye Pe Harwa
Saawan Beeto Jaye Pe Harwa
Mann Mera Ghabraye
Mann Mera Ghabraye
Aeso Gaye Pardes Piya Tum
Aeso Gaye Pardes Piya Tum
Cheyn Humein nahin Aye
Cheyn Humain nahin Aye
Mora Saiyaan moh sey bolay Na
Mora Saiyaan moh Sey bolay Na
Mein Laakh Jatan Kar Haari
Laakh Jatan Kar Haar Rahi
Mora Saiyyan Moh Say Bolay Na
Mora Saiyyan Moh Say Bolay Na
Tu Jo Nahin to Aisay Piya hum
Tu Jo Nahin To Aisay Piya hum
Jaisay Soona Aanganaa
Jaisay Soona Aanganaa
Nain Tehaari Rah Neeharey
Nain Tehaari Rah Neeharey
Nainnan Ko Tarsaona
Nainnan Ko Tarsaona
Mora Saiyaan moh Say bolay Na
Mora Saiyaan moh Say bolay Na
Mein Laakh Jatan Kar Haari
Laakh Jatan Kar Haar Rahi
Mora Saiyyan Moh Say Bolay Na
Mora Saiyyan Moh Say Bolay Na
Pyar Tumhain Kitna Kartay Hain
Pyar Tumhain Kitna Kartay Hain
Tum Yeh Samajh Nahin Pao gay
Tum Yeh Samajh Nahin Pao gay
Jab Hum Na Hongay to Peharwa
Jab Hum Na Hongay to Peharwa
Bolo Kya Tab Aao gay
Bolo Kya Tab Aao gay
Mora Saiyaan moh Sey Bolay Na
Mora Saiyaan moh Sey Bolay Na
Mein Laakh Jatan Kar Haari
Laakh Jatan Kar Haar Rahi
Mora Saiyaan moh Sey Bolay Na
Mora Saiyaan moh Sey Bolay Na
Mein Laakh Jatan Kar Haari
Laakh Jatan Kar Haar Rahi

Boredom at office-2

Office sucks nowadays. Well, it always used to suck but its unbearable nowadays. Reasons??

- One of my good friends has taken a transfer to Bangalore.

- Another good friend has hurt himself and is on leave.

- Another good friend is busy with fun activities.

- Another good friend is running suites.

- Another good friend is always on the phone.

So, here I am all alone, getting bored.

Disappointment

I am disappointed. I used to like her before she did this:

http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2008/sep/09slid1.htm

Now she is a mortal, like the others.

Absurd

There is too much discipline in civilization and we are slaves to our mind. The same mind, which is continuously being hammered by the society. The same mind, which makes a face wear a smile, even though there is sorrow inside. Deception is common and simplicity is missing.
The good and the bad are already defined. There are laws and rules for everything. Whether you like it or not, you have to follow these rules. There is immense pleasure attached in breaking these rules. But there are also consequences if you are caught.
A single look at any child, and you find what you are looking for. Simple, wild, innocent, true, crying when sad and laughing when happy. Finding pleasure in everything, enjoying everything to the fullest, living every moment of life, ignorant of the society.

Why is the Society needed then? So that there is discipline. So that there is no chaos. To keep people in check. To maintain an order of things.

Hehehehehe….

Isn’t it better to die doing what you like rather than be alive doing what you don’t like?

Painting Competition-2

A few more entries:

1. The "yamdoots" dying due to pollution.

2. A solar heater, solar panels, windmills, cycles..all this is fine. But I dint understand what the car and the bus are doing here!!

Painting Competiton

We had a painting competition in our office today. The topic was "Go Green". Here are a few selected contributions by the participants (including mine)

. A few comments on each of these:

1. "You Choose". This was adjudged the winner.

2. "The Priceless Theme". Copied from Mastercard. This was me.

3. "The India-Pakistan Theme". This is my winner. The message is "Go back green (pakistanis)".. like "Go back Simon"

4. "Message from the God of Wisdom". This guys was expecting the theme to be "Lord Ganesh". He practised accordingly and manipulated the Lord into "Go Green."

5. The one with the rabbit and pig. I thought a lot and couldnt relate this to "Go Green". Kudos!! A Tarantino!!

Again

As I waited for my office bus along with three other colleagues, I hoped for her to be there in it. It was strange that I was experiencing this yet again. I remembered the day when I had vowed not to fall for anyone again in my life. I was bitter with my life and myself. It was then when I had decided “Never again!”
But here I was back to square one. I felt kind of silly. I was thirty four now. Wasn’t it too late to fall in love? Aint I too old for all this? Is this the reason that I have not married yet? Was I waiting for this?
It all started three months back. I am impulsive, when it comes to love. I believe in love at first sight. I had gone weak in my knees when I saw her for the first time. It was her first day in office and the HR introduced her to me. One look and I knew, she was the one. She was pretty in her own way. She wasn’t dazzling or something, but she had something in her that captivated me. The rest of that day in office was spent in dreaming about her.
The next few days were spent in research. I used up all my sources to find out about her. Within a few days, I had all the information I needed. She was twenty eight and single (I came to know that she had broken up with her boyfriend sometime back). She stayed with a friend, who was already engaged and about to get married in three months. The rented apartment where she was staying was ten minutes away from my house. I also had a list of her likes and dislikes with me. Her favorite color, flower, fruit, vegetable, perfume and even the kind of guys she liked. I was pretty happy with my research. I had all the information I needed and most of it was in my favor since we happened to share similar tastes in many aspects.
I got to work upon the information I had managed to receive. A few hours of shopping and some visits to a local parlor and I was ready. I was now having three sky blue shirts, which happened to be her favorite color. I was also a shade fairer. She liked fair guys. I had a new Calvin Klein perfume which seemed to be her favorite. My old specs gave way to trendy new ones. Everyone in office noticed the change. I also got a few compliments from my colleagues.
Now came the difficult part. I had to initiate conversation with her. The fact that she was in another team in office made this difficult. But she used to commute in the office bus. I ditched my car and started using the office bus. To my disappointment, the seat next to her always used to be occupied. One week went by, two…three… when suddenly one day I got lucky. The seat was vacant. My heart skipped a beat and I cursed myself for not wearing the blue shirt. I was wearing her favorite perfume though. I sat next to her.
Ten minutes later I was still staring into my newspaper, pondering over how to initiate a conversation. Luckily she cursed the heavy traffic and gave me an opening. I joined in complaining about the traffic, citing reasons for the traffic and also proposing solutions to control it. When I finally stopped ranting, I realized that I had probably over spoken. As I was contemplating the effects, she smiled back. I breathed a sigh of relief and introduced myself. She said that she knew me as I was quite popular in office and introduced herself in return. Some more discussion on the weather, current affairs and her previous company and the silly bus reached office.
For the next few days, the seat next to her was occupied. She used to smile back when I smiled at her everyday. This was the only communication that we shared for a week or so. I knew that I had to strike again soon, before the memories of our first conversation lost its effect on her. Opportunity presented itself when there was only one seat vacant in the cafeteria one morning. The seat opposite to her. I slowly made my way to it with my breakfast and asked her if the seat was occupied. As expected, it was empty and so I gladly sat down. This time it was easier to initiate talks. In no time we were engrossed in a conversation. The topic was empowerment of women. For the first time in my life I was not being a male chauvinist and supporting women. The topic drifted to the not so good food served in office, taking advantage of which I asked her out for lunch. She accepted and I was overjoyed.
The lunch was a hit. We ordered the right dishes and talked about all the right things. We cracked jokes, laughed, debated on issues, discussed books, discussed movies, discussed people and discussed relationships. By the end of lunch, our stomachs were stuffed with food and our hearts were closer to each other. We actually decided to go for a movie together on that weekend. It was my first real date after eight years.
The next month flew by. Lunches, movies, dinners, shopping, outings and many more things that we did together only brought us closer. In a span of few days we became the best of friends and ended up chatting for hours everyday on the phone. I knew that she liked me as a friend. It was time to move things to the next level. I was going to propose to her. I visited the local temple before the D day and bribed God.
As the bus arrived, my heart skipped a beat. I was sweating and nervous. I stepped in and my eyes searched for her. There she was in her usual seat. The bribe had worked; the next seat was empty. As I sat down next to her, I could see that her eyes were red and swollen. It seemed as if she had been crying the whole night. I asked her if there was any problem. She didn’t reply back and for the rest of the bus drive we were silent. I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to give her some space and time. Before lunch she called me and asked me to accompany her for lunch.
She started crying during lunch, which made me look stupid in front of the people around. But I didn’t care. I was only concerned about her. She explained to me that the reason for breaking up with her ex-boyfriend (Sumit) was that his parents were opposed to them being together. They had tried a lot to convince them, but all in vain. In the end Sumit had got engaged to a girl of his parents choice. She said that Sumit had called her the previous night. He had broken off the engagement and was ready to leave his parents for her. He had begged her to come back to him. She said that she was confused and didn’t know what to do.
I smiled at her and asked her to do what her heart said was right. My own heart was heavy, but I didn’t show it. I wanted to tell her to leave everything behind and come with me, but I didn’t say it. I wanted to express how much I liked her, in fact loved her, but I couldn’t do it. Something inside me stopped me.
Two days later I was introduced to Sumit who thanked me profusely for helping her to take the right decision.
That evening, as I sipped Scotch, I realized that the repair done in the last eight years of my life had been wiped off. I was back at the same point where I was then.