Kalpesh Thakkar a.k.a Karu Pandey

This post is about one of the most dangerous gangsters (self proclaimed) that Mumbai has ever seen. Kalpesh Thakkar a.k.a. Karu Pandey (his self claimed underworld alias)!

Some years back one of my friends introduced him to me. 5 feet 4 inches tall, he must have weighed not more than 55 kgs. Had my friend not warned me about his trade, I would have mistaken him for a college going boy. He was very friendly and elder brotherly. Within a few minutes of meeting him he bestowed his protective arm over me and said “From now you are my friend. You don’t have to worry about anything. If you face any problems, let me know. I ll take care of it.” I felt blessed at that moment.

From that day onwards, I was blessed. But not in the way I had felt I was. I was blessed to hear some of the most fascinating tales of all times. I shall recount a few. Not even one line presented below is exaggerated.

Once I saw him really sad. I committed the sin of asking him why he was sad. He replied “Kal Vastav dekha. Aisa laga apni life pe story bani hai. Ek ek scene pe rone ho raha tha. End to ganda diya hai, magar apna life ka end isse accha rahega.”

Another time we were together, he started on his own “Kal Maya gaya tha. Maya apna doosra ghar hai. Sab log udhar paise udate hai, magar mai entry mara ki sab ladki paise ko laat maarke mere pass aati hai. X seth ne merko bola ki Karu tere wajah se mera dhanda kharab ho raha hai, tu idhar se ja. Maine ghoda nikala aur X ke sar pe rakhke bola ki X teri ma ki ****. Karu jab chahe jidhar chahe jaa sakta hai aur usko koi nahi rok sakta!”
Maya is a dance bar which was owned by Mr.X, who was a hulk of a man. I imagined him swatting our Karu like a fly. I smiled innocently at Karu and said “Sahi yaar.”

This one was during Ganpati festival. For Karu these ten days were the only days in the year when he would do nothing wrong. No guns, no alcohol, no bad things! Once he was sitting outside the Ganpati mandap looking grim. On seeing me he called me and said “Yaar. Aaj Ganpati bappa ki wajah se do log zinda bach gaya. Mai auto me aa raha tha tabhi ek bike ne auto ko thok diya. Galti bike wale ka tha magar uspe jo do log tha, who rickshaw wale ko marne lage. Mera bheja khisak gaya aur maine dono ko tod dala.Phir ghoda nikal ke trigger dabane hi wala tha ki Ganpati Bappa ki yaad aayi. Maine unko bola ki saalo Bappa ne tum dono ki jaan bachayi hai”

Another time he was really happy and as usual called me and said “XXX builder maloom hai na..uske pass ladke log ko bheja tha ..wasooli ke liye. Usne unko bhaga diya to merko jaana pada. Mai uske office me gaya to usne merko bhi bahar nikalne ke liye guard ko bola. Maine bola ki shayad tumne mujhe pehchana nahi. Usne bola ki kaun haai tu? Maine Bola KARU. Uski phat gayi aur poora pasina ho gaya wo. Bola ki sorry karu bhai, maine pehchana nahi. Maine bola usko accha hua bacche ki tune time pe pehchan liya. Phir usne thanda pilaya aur wasooli ka poora amount chup chap diya”

Once he had a bruise on his face, and I asked him about it. He said “Kal raat ko babloo ka ladka log ek ladki ko ched raha tha. Maine unko roka aur bola ki mere area me lafda nahi chahiye. Magar nahi mana to sab ko tod diya. Tabhi ek ka haath lag gaya face pe. Magar who log sab hospital me hai. Sabko todne ke baad maine ladki ko uske ghar tak choda. Ghar jaane se pehle who ladki ne merko bola Kalpesh I love you!”


These are just glimpses of Mr.Karu’s creativity. There are many more tales that he spun after getting high. I still smile when I remember them.

day on..power off

The monsoons have so far been bad this year. The Rain Gods seem to be on vacation this year. My life has been affected to an extent because of this. The city I stay in has started implementing power cuts and water cuts to combat the shortage in rainfall. There is nothing new in this strategy. Only in the best of conditions we function normally. A minor hitch and we collapse. Any ordinary Indian is aware that we are more of a reactive economy than a proactive economy. Ohh no rains…ok lets have power cuts and water cuts and this cut and that cut…Ohh floods...ok lets get life jackets and boats and this and that...We are something similar to this sms I received some days back “We work on the principle of rockets; we don’t start working until our ass is on fire.” Well said!!

There is nothing wrong with power cuts. But power cuts in the morning (early morning) are bad. Why can’t they have a power shutdown during any other part of the day? I mean any other time would do. Why do they have to ruin my life? Am I exaggerating??? Read on..

I bath everyday in the morning. Yes, its true, everyday!! My only requirement in the morning is warm water. The place I stay in has a storage kind of geyser, which takes its own time to heat the water (approximately 10-15 minutes). I normally set my alarm for 7:30 a.m. I get up at this time and switch on the geyser. Now I shall recount my experiences from last five days. That is when the power cuts have started.

Day 1 :
I got up at 7:30 a.m. as usual. As soon as I placed my fingers on the switch, to turn the geyser on… Zonk!!! The power went out. I made a mental note of the timing in my mind and stepped into the cold shower, shivering and cursing.

Day 2 :
I got up at 6:45 a.m. to combat the 7:30 issue. I was drowsy from lack of sleep. But when I switched on the geyser, I had a smile on my face. I had a long lazy hot shower. I was feeling like God. But when the power didn’t go out at 7:30 a.m. I started feeling nuts. 7:45..still no signs of the power going out!! I felt like killing myself for getting up early needlessly and left for office.

Day 3 :
I got up at 7:30 a.m. I switched on the geyser. I thanked God when the familiar red light came on. I smiled and headed to collect the newspaper. Zonk!!! I felt like cutting Sir’s hands off. I shivered under the freezing water. Two days out of three the power had gone out at 7:30. Noted!!

Day 4 :
I got up at 7:15 a.m. and to my disappointment found that there was no power. Wtf!! Sir had got the better of me again. I felt like a lower batsman against Muttiah Murlitharan, who was able to read my mind before bowling every delivery which beat my bat. Needless to say, I had a cold shower yet again.

Day 5 :
I could not sleep throughout the night. I got up at 5:30 a.m. and took bath in warm water. Then I went to sleep again. When I woke up at 8:00 a.m. the whirring fan made me feel dizzy. Sir had done it again! How the heck did he know what was going on in my mind!!


Power cuts for three to four hours a day is ok by me. It is my way of contributing to the bad rains. I have no issues with that. Sincerely!! But I have a request… rather humble request to who ever is in charge of shutting off the power for our area. The person whom I have addressed as Sir! Please lead a disciplined life Sir. Don’t fuck our lives with your indiscipline. Select a time and stick to it. I am sick of playing this game.

Three

Amar

It was his parent’s thirtieth wedding anniversary. He had arranged for a surprise party that evening. He had made sure to invite everyone on the guest list personally. The caterers had been arranged after the food menu was decided by his brother and wife. The only task pending was to decorate the house. But for this he needed his parents to be away. He had schemed with his brother and the latter had taken their parents out to the temple. He had to decorate the house before they returned. His brother would make sure that they didn’t return before seven p.m. The guests would have also arrived by then.

He checked his watch. Four-thirty! It was time to leave office. Since his boss was on the guest list, he didn’t have to sneak his way out today. He packed his case and called his wife. They were to meet at the house by five-thirty. The guests would start arriving by six. They had to decorate the house in thirty minutes. He came out of the building and took and auto. Ten minutes to reach the station and thirty five minutes in the local train. He could already imagine the surprised faces of his parents. He smiled.


Rohan

“What a football match it had been!” he thought as he left the field. He was the star center forward of his team. He had not let his team down today. Two goals! They would remain in his memory forever. The long distance shot where the ball had swerved in late and surprised the goal keeper. The header on the second was too good for the defenders. Two goals in the state championship final football match. How glad his parents would be!

He was their lone child. His father was in government service as a clerk. His mother was a house wife. They were not really well to do. But he was to change that. He had taken this task on his shoulders. He was studying engineering and was a class topper. Not only was he good in studies but also excellent in sports. Right now all he wanted was to share with his parents the joy of being the player of the match in one of the most important matches of his life. That was the reason he was going home alone. His friends were still celebrating on the field. But he was on his way home.


Malti

She would tell him today. It would be a “Yes”. She had taken her time to make the decision. The decision of her life! It had almost been a week when Sameer had proposed to her. She had always liked him. They had been in a relationship for almost six months now. She had been expecting him to propose to her. But she had kept him on hold for a week before finally deciding.

She was an orphan, who had been raised by her aunty. After completing her bachelors, she had taken up a job as a secretary in a small firm. That is where she had met Sameer. Sameer was a consultant in the same firm. They had clicked right from the word go. Friendship had turned into love and now they had decided to marry each other. She had decided to play it smart and beat around the bush while telling Yes to him. She could clearly see the frustrated face of Sameer when she would do that. She glanced at her watch. She was late. He would be waiting.


4:46 p.m. Churchgate bound slow local train.

“I hope she doesn’t forget to collect the ribbons and balloons. Let me remind her. ” He took out his cell to sms her.

“I could have hit another goal. It would be three then. A new record!”. He glanced at the man opposite to him in the train. The man had just taken out his cell. “One day even I ll own a nice trendy cell phone”

“I hope I am not too late. I don’t want to spoil Sameer’s mood”. She was standing next to the boy with the football who was drenched in sweat, mud and only God knew what else. “Why do these people travel in trains?”

BOOM!!!


Next day morning:

TIMES OF INDIA HEADLINES
Seventy-three die in bomb blast in a local train in Mumbai. X terrorist group suspected to be the culprit.



I could write only about these three. Imagine the countless others who lose their lives in such mishaps. Imagine the countless dreams that are shattered by the death of every single soul. The untimely deaths of hundreds of people of the world in such mishaps will not go in vain. If there is God, the people responsible for these acts will not go unpunished.

Khuda Jaane

I liked the lyrics of the following song from "Bachna Ae Haseeno". The song is a must listen!

Khuda Jaane
Lyrics: Anvita Dutt Guptan
Singer: KK, Shilpa Rao

Sajde mein yun hi jhukta hoon
Tum pe hi aa ke rukta hoon
Kya yeh sab ko hota hai

Hum ko kya lena hai sab se
Tum se hi sab batein ab se
Ban gaye ho tum meri dua

Khuda Jaane ke mein fida hun
Khuda Jaane mein mit gaya
Khuda jaane yeh kyun hua hai
Ke ban gaye ho tum mere khuda

Tu kahe to tere hi kadam ke
main nishano pe
Chalun rukun ishaare pe
Tu kahe tho khwabon ka bana ke
Main bahana sa
Mila karu sirhaane pe

Tum se dil ki baatein seekhi
Tum se hi yeh raahe seekhi
Tum pe marr ke mein to
Jee gaya

Khuda Jaane ke mein fida hun
Khuda Jaane mein mit gaya
Khuda jaane yeh kyun hua hai
Ke ban gaye ho tum mere khuda

Dil kahe ke aaj to, chupa lo tum
panahon mein
Ke darr hai tum ko kho doonga
Dil kahe sambhal zara khushi ko
Na nazar laga
Ke darr hai mein to ro dunga

Karthi hoon sau vaade tum se
Bandhe dil ke dhaage tum se
Yeh tumhe na jane kya hua

Khuda Jaane ke mein fida hun
Khuda Jaane mein mit gaya
Khuda jaane yeh kyun hua hai
Ke ban gaye ho tum mere khuda

Wild Night - 2

12:55 a.m. Stop 5: Stuck in a traffic jam at some fucked up place on the highway.

The jeep was just 20 meters away now. “God, help us!!” cried Crazy Guy -1. Just as everything seemed lost, a truck to their left advanced a bit. Just a bit! That was all Crazy Guy -2 needed. He squeezed the car through that slight opening created by God. The santro barely managed to make it to the left side of the road sandwiched between the trucks. They were off the gravel into the dirt. Crazy Guy-2 pushed the accelerator and off they were again bouncing and skidding on dirt whizzing past the line of trucks to their right.
Though they didn’t realize it, they were screaming at the top of their voices.


1:30 a.m. Stop 6: Petrol pump

They had covered a good 20 miles and stopped only when they were sure that no police vehicle was following them.
“That was close!!” grinned Crazy Guy-2.
The santro was being refueled. “What an adventure! Imagine how the cops would have felt. So near yet so far!!” exclaimed Crazy Guy-1.
It was colder here! They got into the car and switched on the heater.
“Thank you God!!” exclaimed Crazy Guy -1.


3:00 a.m.

They were doing a good 120kmph since the last thirty minutes.
“How much more time?” asked Crazy Guy-1
“Thirty minutes... max” answered Crazy Guy-2.


3:40 a.m.

“Here I am…rock you like a hurricane!!” screamed the cd player.
The signboard on the road said “Welcome to Nasik.”
“Lets find a good place to spend the night in. you check out the left, I ll search the right” said Crazy Guy-2.
“Cool” said Crazy Guy-1. He was already scanning to the left for a hotel.


3:45 a.m. Stop 7: Forced stop at a Police check naka.

“License” growled the police officer. He was drunk and stinking of alcohol and they were scared.
Crazy Guy-2 produced his driving license.
“PUC aani gaadi che paper” he growled again.
“They are in the car” said Crazy Guy-2 and headed towards the car.
2 minutes passed by.
3 minutes passed by..
4 minutes passed by..
“There is some problem” thought Crazy Guy-1. He headed towards the car.
“Damn! I can’t find the PUC papers” said Crazy Guy-2.
“Fuck dude! We are fucked” groaned Crazy Guy-1.
“I have an old PUC. But it’s expired. Cant find the new one!”
“Let’s take our chances. Let’s show him the expired PUC”
They almost pissed in their pants while the officer was examining the papers.
“Jauu dyaa (Get going..)” the police officer said dismissively after he was through checking the car papers and PUC.
They wiped the sweats of their foreheads once they were in the car.
“Its freezing and we are sweating!” exclaimed Crazy Guy -1.
“Close call number 2. Boy, aren’t we riding on our luck tonight!” said Crazy Guy -2.
“Thank you God! That makes it twice in one night!!” said Crazy Guy -1.
They lit cigarettes to celebrate.


4:00 a.m. Stop 8: Some fucking hotel.

They had decided not to push their luck too far and check into the first hotel that came in sight.
“There’s one. Stop here. I ll check out if they have vacant rooms.” shouted Crazy Guy -1. It was small structure to the left of the road.
Two minutes later he flashed thumbs up to Crazy Guy -2, who then parked the car.
A few minutes later they were in bed. Fast asleep.


10:00 a.m. Same fucking hotel.

“Uth be! Get up you lazy fuck!” said Crazy Guy -2 as he kicked the sleeping Crazy Guy -1.
As usual, Crazy Guy -1 got up with difficulty and rubbed his sleepy eyes. Finally it was time to call her.
“Hullo”
“Hi. It’s me”
“How come you are calling up at this hour?”
“I am here in Nasik”
“What?????????? Are you serious?” (This was the expression that made the whole trip worth it.)
“Yes”
“I know you are lying.”
“No. I am not.”
“You should have told me that you are coming.”
“I wanted to surprise you”
“It will be difficult to leave from home.”
“That’s your job. Make up some excuse and come”
“I will try my best”
“Try!!!! You have to come”
“But where?”
“Its your city. You tell me”
“College Road. Shilpa Garden Restaurant”
“Ok. Done. We ll find it and get to it.”
“We? Who is with you?”
“Crazy Guy -2”
“I ll have to get Meeta then.”
“Nahiiiiiiiiiiii. Anyone but her!”
“There is no one else”
“In that case we can’t do anything about it then”
“Let’s plan for lunch at 1”
“Ok”


11:00 a.m. Same fucking hotel.

Crazy Guy -1 and Crazy Guy -2 weren’t looking so crazy after all. One was dressed in a metallica t-shirt and jeans and had his long hair tied back in a neat ponytail. The other was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans and had a cap on. Good smart guys!! They had already had breakfast at the hotel.
“Let’s go to the restaurant!” said Crazy Guy -1.
“Don’t you want to give her a gift?” asked Crazy Guy -2
“Hmm… why can’t I think of all this man?”
“Because you are crazy”
“He he he… Ok let’s give her a gift.”


12:00 p.m. College Road

They had a box in the back seat of the car. It was nicely gift-wrapped and carried a warm message.
“Bhaisaab, do you know where Shilpa Garden Restaurant is?” asked Crazy Guy -1 to a passing stranger.
“Never heard of it” he said without a miss in his stride.
“Your turn” said Crazy Guy -1.
“Hello Boss. Shilpa Restaurant kidhar hai” asked Crazy Guy -2 to another stranger.
“Aage right, phir signal se left, phir aage se third right.” The stranger replied.
“Kitna door hai (how far is it)?” asked Crazy Guy -2.
“paanch minute (five minutes)” he said.
“Thank you” said Crazy Guy -2 and was already accelerating.


12:55 p.m. Lost on College Road

“Paanch minute! Son of a gun!!” cursed Crazy Guy -2. They had been searching for the restaurant for almost an hour now.
“Sir, where is Shilpa Restaurant?” asked Crazy Guy -1 to the umpteenth stranger.
No one seemed to have a clue where this restaurant was!
“Whats that?” asked Crazy Guy -2 suddenly, pointing to a board to the left side of the road.
The Godsent board was partly hidden by some trees which made it difficult to be spotted.
“Its Shilpa fucking garden fucking restaurant man!!” exclaimed Crazy Guy -1 and jumped in joy.
“Lets rock n roll then!!” said Crazy Guy -2 as he parked the car.


1:00 p.m. Shilpa Garden Restaurant.

There she was, at a corner table, waiting anxiously for him.
She smiled and waved out as she saw him. He smiled back and waved.
He then smiled and looked at Crazy Guy -2 who smiled back.


Finally they were there!!
What a journey it had been!!

Those were the days!! Fucking crazy days!!

Wild night - 1

10:00 p.m. Outside the society office of a Housing Complex in Mumbai

It was a cold December night. Time was 10.00 p.m. Ordinary people were already in bed or on their way to bed. Crazy guy-1 was on the phone trying to pacify his “good friend” why he wouldn’t be able to make it to her city to meet her. This is probably the third or fourth time he was doing this in the month. Every time she wanted him to come to meet her, he had turned her down on some pretext or the other. He hated himself for it, but it just wasn’t possible. He had his exams in some days.
While he is on the phone, Crazy guy-2 was hearing all this. When the phone call was done..

“What happened?” Crazy guy-2 asked.
“Same old shit. She wants me to come but it’s not possible. Next week se exams hai. No time to plan, to book tickets, no time to go.” Crazy guy-1 replied.
“Let’s go now.” Crazy Guy-2 said eyeing his silver santro.
“Now!! Hmm.. lets go” Crazy guy-1 hopped into the car.


10:05 p.m. Stop1: Home of Crazy Guy-1

Crazy Guy-1 threw in a t-shirt and jeans in a bag. He checked his wallet. “Bye mom! I will be back tomorrow”.
“Where are you going?” she asked. “Crazy guy-2 has some work in another city. I am going with him.” he lied as already decided. “Yeah aunty. I have some urgent official work and don’t want to travel alone” seconded Crazy guy-2. They winked at each other and left.


10:15 p.m. Stop2: Wine shop

“How many beers?”
“Take four”
“Atta boy!!”


10:20 p.m. Stop 3: Pan shop:

Crazy Guy-1 bought a pack of Classic Mild. He lit two cigarettes. One for himself and one for his partner! The beer bottles were opened in the car.
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Off they went!!


10:35 p.m.

“Should I call her and tell her that I am coming?” asked Crazy Guy-1.
“Pagal hai kya. Give her a surprise” replied Crazy Guy-2.


11:00 p.m.

Loud heavy metal music was playing in the car. Two empty beer bottles were lying in an empty plastic case. The cigarette pack was half empty already.
“I am hungry” complained Crazy Guy-1.
“Kasara ghat pe awesome parathas milta hai. We ll be there in an hour. Lets finish the beers by then” said Crazy Guy-2.
“Okie Dokie!” affirmed Crazy Guy-1 and opened the remaining beer bottles.
“Exit liiiight…enter niiiight….take my handddd…we r off to never never landd..” sang James Hetfield. The crazy guys joined in.


11:55 p.m. Stop 4: Some Dhaba, Kasara ghat.

“Here we are!!” announced Crazy Guy-2.
They went inside the small dhaba and order parathas. The night was young there. Lots of truck drivers were chit chatting and eating. The hot parathas (makkhan marke) smelled awesome!! They tasted better. The plates were emptied in no time.
“Burp…Awesome! They were worth the wait” exclaimed Crazy Guy-1.
“Didn’t I say!!” grinned Crazy Guy-2.
They lit cigarettes before getting into the car.


12:45 a.m. Stop 5: Stuck in a traffic jam at some fucked up place on the highway.

“Groan!! This is the last thing that we needed” said Crazy Guy-1. He could see and endless line of trucks ahead. The vehicles weren’t moving an inch.
“We should have bought more beers” complained Crazy Guy-2. He didn’t look too worried
“Wtf man!! I don’t think this jam is going to clear tonight. Maybe God doesn’t want me to meet her. Should we turn back?” enquired Crazy Guy-1.
“Chutiye!! No ways” said Crazy Guy-2. The next moment they were flying on the wrong side of the road. There was no approaching vehicle and they covered some miles. The only approaching vehicle was a distant speck.
The line of vehicles they were overtaking was endless. Suddenly they could make out that the approaching speck of lights was a Traffic police jeep. They were trapped in the wrong lane!! There were trucks to their left and no escape to their right. They were blocking the road. Last thing they needed right then was getting caught for drunken driving.
The jeep was approaching fast…It was just 100 meters away. Crazy Guy-1 could almost make out the grinning cops. They were trapped. They were going to be beaten and jailed by the cops.

The drop.

September 9, 13:15 hrs.

He picked up the receiver and dialed the number. After a burst of static the call got connected. He could hear the phone ringing. With every passing ring, he got more nervous. The moments hung around like years. Finally the ringing stopped.
“Hello” a voice said.
“If roses are red and violets are blue, do you know me because I know you?” he asked hesitantly. He crumpled the piece of paper from which he had read the code out. Code 37. What a relief!! He wiped the sweat of his forehead.
“I know you. A2B6F121500C” said the voice and hung up.
“A..2..B..6..F..1..2..1..5..0..0..C” he wrote on his palm. Phase one of the plan completed successfully!


September8, 6:30 hrs.

Tring.. tring…tring…tring…
“Who the fuck can be calling at this hour?” His head was pounding and he could feel the aftertaste of whisky in his throat. “The worst part of alcohol has to be hangovers”.
Tring..tring..
“Hello.” His head was still foggy.
“Tomorrow” the voice said.
“Ok. When? Where?” asked him.
“Have you been drinking to ask such stupid questions?”
“No I have not been drinking. Sorry” he lied and tried to clear his head.
“Details tomorrow. Call X at 1315. Use code number 37.”
Beep…Beep…Beep. Static.
He stared at the paper in his hand. “X-13:15, code 37”


September9, 13:30 hrs.

“Hi, I want to access locker number 1435.” He said keeping his briefcase on the chair
“Yes sir, could you please fill in this form?”
“Ok.” He quickly filled out the name, account number and other information. Then he hurriedly signed the form and pushed it back at her.
She glanced at the form. Then she turned to the computer screen and punched some keys. Then she smiled.
“Thank you for filling the form sir. The guard will accompany you to your locker. I hope you have got your key?”
“Yes. I have.” He said and checked his left pocket for the key. He felt the cold metallic key and flashed it to her and smiled internally.
The guard took him inside the heavily guarded doors to his locker. Then the guard left.
He inserted the key and unlocked the locker. Out came the file from the locker and in it went into the briefcase.
He shut the locker and took out his key. Then he shut the briefcase, undid the numeric code of the briefcase and came out.
“Thank You” he said before stepping out in the sun.


September9, 14:55 hrs.

He was very near the drop point. It was good that he had planned for extra thirty minutes. The traffic jam had taken up the extra thirty minutes.
“A2B6F12” he verified from his palm and took a right turn.
He could see the deserted building now. He parked his car a good hundred meters away from the building. He then killed the engine and opened the glove case and took out his pistol. It was loaded. He checked the bullets and safety catch before he shoved it under his belt. Then he wore his jacket which hid the gun from public view. He was ready. With the briefcase in his hand, he stepped out. “I am forgetting something. No more whisky from today” he thought and smiled. How many times had he decided to quit drinking? “Phase two done.” He was entering the last phase of the operation.


September9, 15:00 hrs.

He glanced at his palm and then his watch "1500. On time." He then glanced at his palm for the last time . "C". He knocked on the door of flat number 12. Knock Knock Knock. Three successive knocks spaced three seconds apart. "C" he thought. He realized that he was drenched in sweat. He felt for his pistol under his belt. “Its there.” The door opened and he entered inside.
“Do you have any weapons?” the man sitting on the sofa asked.
“Yes” he said and placed his pistol into the hands of the muscular man who had opened the door.
“Do you have the file?”
“Yes” I said tapping the briefcase. “I have forgotten something” he pondered.
“Good. Have a seat.” the man said pointing to the empty chair.
Obidiently he did as he was told to.
“Briefcase please.” The man said.
He placed the briefcase on the table separating the two and slid it towards the man.
“The briefcases lock code?”
“47356” he said. “I have surely forgotten something” he thought.
Click! The briefcase was open and the file was now in the man’s hands.
“Thank you. You can leave.” The man said.
Phase three completed. Almost completed!


September 9, 15:07 hrs

“What the fuck have I forgotten? ” he thought as he got up and headed to the door.
As he was halfway towards the door, he hard a metallic click and then unbearable pain. He collapsed on to the floor. He had been shot twice in the back.
With difficulty he turned around and asked “Why? I am just the delivery man. I don’t even know what’s in the file”
The man smiled and said “Sorry. We want to erase all traces of this delivery.”
“Sorry!! I should of thought of this. I should have seen this coming.This is what they do to the other members of the organization too. The members who go missing every month!” The pain was excruciating now. It was difficult to keep his eyes open. “They use you and then they kill you.”
As things started blurring it suddenly struck him “Ah..Now I remember. I forgot my lucky charm in the car. I should have had it with me like I always do! ........Whisky!! Never again!!”
Darkness!!

September 9, 15:10 hrs

The man took out his cell phone and dialed a number. “Operation successful.”

The Great Indian Trust Vote.

What I saw on a news channel last night has forced me to write this article. The article is related to politics. Politics, which neither interests me nor influences me!

It was a politician from the winning side. The side which won the Trust vote! Hehehe….what a word to use…Trust vote!!! Trust vote??

Coming back to the politician on air! He was surrounded by people who were trying desperately to be seen on television. They were all shouting some nonsense (which I believe is their way of celebrating the victory). And one of them was dancing too (Salute to him). Our hero was saying calmly “We knew we would win. All our supporters have strong belief in our party. They have sided with the truth yet again and I congratulate them on their decision. Like in the past we have proved that we are the ones chosen by fellowmen to be in power and work for India. All the allegations, related to bribing of legislative members, by the opposition are baseless. Why would there be a need to bribe people to support us? We know that they believe in us. Our party stands for Honesty and Sincerity. We have proved this again today.” All this while he couldn’t keep of that wide smile of his face. I wondered if he actually wanted people to believe him.

For me it would have made no difference even if the party in opposition had won. They are no better than the ruling guys.

But after witnessing this, should I be proud to be an Indian?

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is the first Batman movie that I have seen. I may not be able to compare this to the other Batman movies. I am also not a hardcore “Superhero” based movies fan. Though this movie does not disappoint, but I am still unable to find out why people are rating this as an excellent movie. Agreed that it’s a good movie, but all the hype seemed unjustified when I was through with the movie.


Some positives about the movie:

Heath Ledger as the Joker. He is chosen to be the strongest character of the movie and has been given the best dialogues and he doesn’t disappoint.
A good base plot. The movie has a strong plot which is rare in most of the superhero flicks.
The movie has a plethora of thrilling moments (Joker’s escape from prison, the plan to assassinate the commissioner, judge and Harvey Dent) and some really great action sequences (the trailer chase and the kidnap of the Hong Kong guy).
The Batman gadgets are phenomenal. The bat mobile is awesome and so is the bike.

There a few negatives though:
The movie is unusually long (150 mins) for a Hollywood flick.
The movie has a few weak moments where you lose interest in the story. These could have been omitted.
Batman’s voice could have been better. Most of his dialogues are hard to understand.

Marriage..

Beep Beep. I was replying to an urgent official email. Generally I don’t like to be disturbed while at work. I checked the calling number. It was a good friend of mine who had got married some months back.

I locked my PC and went out the balcony. I answered the phone and after the usual “hi.. hellos.. what’s up..” asked her about life married after arranged marriage. She said that she was having a good time and that her husband and all her in laws are nice people. She talked about her new job and hectic schedule. She talked about why she isn’t able to prepare dinner during the weekdays due being late from office. She talked about how they go to her in-laws place every night after office to have dinner. She talked about the weekends when quality time was spent with her husband. She talked about her husband being an introvert and no nonsense guy. She talked about how well they were getting along. She talked about his friends circle. She talked about the Saturday dinners when all of them came together and had fun. She talked about the recent holiday she had enjoyed with her husband. She talked about how nothing extraordinary was happening in her life but still she was happy. She explained that everything in her life was going good because her husband and she knew that they had to love each other for things to work. She was happy because it came naturally to them. They didn’t have to put an effort to love each other.

Before hanging up I promised to stay in touch. After hanging up I was feeling happy for her.

Beep Beep. It was another friend who had got married recently some months back to his love. They had been together for three years before marrying. “What timing!” I thought.

He started talking about his life after marriage even though I didn’t ask about it. “It’s tough” he said. He talked about how they both were trapped in hectic schedules in office. He talked about the bad food the maid cooked every night for dinner. He talked about the part time MBA course which took up his weekend time, which was the only time he used to spend with her earlier. He talked about the official assignment for which she was flying to the US soon. He talked about it being a short term three month trip. He joked something about how the three months would fly by. I could clearly make out that he wanted her to stay back because he would miss her sorely. I could make out that due to active careers and lack of time for each other they were drifting apart. He then talked about how he missed his parents. His parents resided in another city. He talked about being optimistic and how life was long and they would have their share of the fun later. He talked about how difficult it was to try and do extraordinary things for each other now. He talked about the things they had done by going out of their way, just to make each other happy before marriage. He talked about how ordinary life had become. He explained that though they loved each other with all their heart he wasn’t leading a great life.

I promised to stay in touch before hanging up. After hanging up I felt bad for him.

Such is life!

Against all odds.

“Mom, look at that man!” cried seven year old Gopal. His tiny index finger was pointed in the direction of the big banyan tree. The big old banyan tree had long been a shelter for the travelers for the only bus stand of Madhopur stood here. Anyone coming into the town or leaving the town had to wait under this big banyan tree for the buses. The usually noisy bus stop was deserted now for many months. There was not a single soul here even though the only bus which went to the nearest city which was seven hours away was scheduled to arrive in fifteen minutes.

Gopal’s mom strained her eyes to find what her son was pointing at. What she saw was not a common sight in the town. It was a tattered old man sitting under the banyan tree. He was not from the town. “Who can be here at this time? When was the last time the town had a visitor?” she wondered. But brave as she was, she proceeded to the bus stop with Gopal. She had been forced to make a decision and she had no option but to stick to it.

As she reached the stop, she couldn’t help but notice this man. Dressed in rags, face covered with wrinkles, a stick for support, he was an ordinary old man. Except his eyes! His eyes were those of a young child. She was scared for a moment, but just a moment. She kept her luggage and her small water bottle at some distance from him and stood facing the other way. “What a creep!” she thought. Gopal was engrossed in his comic book. “Please God, let the bus be on time.” She prayed again and again.
She spun around when she felt movement behind her. He was standing inches away from her. “Do you have water?” his voice was course and heavy.

Water…water was the reason behind everything. The prosperous town of Madhopur once had more than fifty families residing. The main occupation and means of livelihood of these families was farming. This was the fifth year in a row that it had not rained. The wells and the only river in the town had dried up long ago. One by one the families had either perished or left the town. The only means of water was a small pond which was five miles away from the village.

Ever since her husband had fallen victim to the pox and died, it was on her to go to the pond everyday on foot to get water. Two pots of water everyday! One for themselves and the other for the two small plants. These were the plants which provided food all these years. It was amazing, how they had survived for so long. While everyone had left, she had stood, determined to take this battle with the rain God to the last round. She had not only been a mother, she had been a father, a teacher and a friend for Gopal. She had fought against all odds till this very day.

But who can win against the Gods? The pond had dried up two days ago leaving her no option but to leave the town. The last two days had been the most difficult in her life. There was hardly any water left in the house and whatever was left was too little to feed the plants or them. They were without food for almost a day now. The only water she had now was in the bottle, and in the scorching heat Gopal would need that. The first stop of the bus was a good three hours away and it would be pure luck if the water lasted till there.

“Do you have water?” he asked again. “No” she said without thinking trying to cover the small bottle behind her. “We have water, uncle” said Gopal. She was angry now and embarrassed too. “We have water, but it’s too little and we would need it for the journey”. He smiled and asked Gopal “Son, she wants to save the water for you. Do you feel you can give me a little from your share?” “Sure!” he said and offered him the bottle and returned to his book. “Ok, if Gopal feels that way, you can have a little.” She said. “Are you sure that you have no ill feelings towards me?" “No, I don’t.” "Are you sure you won’t think bad of me if I drink some of this?” " "No, I won't." “Do you give me this water with all your heart?” “Yes, I do.”

He opened the bottle and finished the water in one gulp. “Now? Do you feel anything for me? Hatred perhaps?” She wanted to cry. “No” she managed to say.

“I can make out that you are not lying for I have the power to see within. As written in your destiny, you had to face this test in your life. You have given me what was rightfully your child’s. but you have no ill feelings towards me. You have passed. You have defeated me. I give you blessings in return. And I give you rain too” he said and vanished.

And then there was rain!

Vote

I was scanning through the television channels sometime this weekend. Channel 23… 24… 25. I stopped on channel number 25. The logo at right hand top corner of the screen displayed Sony TV. A guy dressed in loud clothes had a microphone in his hand. He was singing the song “Taal se taal mila.” It looked like some reality show. But what caught my eye was a message scrolling on the bottom of the screen. It said “The voting lines are already closed. Please do not send messages to vote as this is a repeat telecast.”

Can you believe it?
It would be a pleasure to meet the enthusiastic Indians who were still voting.

Love

What is love? For an egoist love is “I”, for a philanthropic love is everything except “I”. For a mother it is her child, but for the child it may not be the mother. For some it is life, for others it is just a chemical reaction. Why does the same word touch both ends of the spectrum when interpreted by different individuals? How can a word be so different when seen through someone else’s eyes? How?

I believe Love is a feeling that exists only between a subject and a particular object. For every other subject the feeling for that particular object is different. Confusing? “I love my mother.” No one else can understand what is that I feel for my mother. My brother may love my mother too, but I will never understand his feelings for her.

Strangely the definition of love has been different for me at various stages of my life. But isn’t this true with all of us?

When I was six, I was madly in love with a bollywood actress. Her stunning looks, strong persona on screen and her dance moves had me crazy for a long time. I used to look forward to her movies on DD-1 or DD metro. I used to be on time for Chayageet to catch a glimpse of her. I collected her pictures and even had a book full of her pictures with captions on each page. I remember the sincere efforts put in by me to maintain that book. It was my prized possession and took immense pride in displaying it at every possible occasion. (Just the way Vinay Pathak displays his book in Bheja Fry). She ruled my heart for a long time. Also I had no idea that sex existed. Love was more of admiration in those days.

Next stage in my life I was in love with myself. I don’t remember when the transition happened but I remember why it happened. I was doing well in all aspects of life. School, tuitions, home, playground… I was better than everyone around me. I had a fan following of friends who admired me. This led to me to believe that I am special and I fell in love with myself. This period lasted till I was in school. As seen during this period, for me, love was worship. Self Worship!

My next transition in life was college, which shattered my previous love. The domain was bigger here. It was like being transported from an auto to a bus. Here I realized that I wasn’t so special after all. I was ordinary. So I decided to go with the crowd (Going with the crowd is the worst decision one makes at any point in life. Most of the times you end up on the wrong side of the road). Almost all the discussions with friends used to be about girls. So, like many people, I started hunting for a girl friend to fall in love with. What a foolish thing to do! Love to me at that age, was Lust. This period was relatively short.

Next came luxury. I was amongst rich friends who had luxury at their feet. Booze, smoke and a happening lifestyle got to me. I was in love with anything that was cool. I enjoyed a lot of parties and night outs, made a lot of friends, did a lot of wild things and loved it. Love was all this and much more to me during this phase of my life. It was later when I realized that all these things could satisfy only temporarily. In the end you get bored of it.

Next came the wish to do something in life. I set a goal for myself and fell in love with the goal. The goal was to get on the right track to a good career. I chose a post graduation entrance test. Cracking this exam became my mantra. I was in love with English, mathematics and statistics. I worked hard and toiled day and night, which wouldn’t have been possible if I wasn’t in love with what I was doing. Love was ambition for me then.

I couldn’t achieve my goal. I decided not to break, but to fight. I took up a job and tried to love it. But I couldn’t. During this phase of life due to some personal reasons money became my love. I wanted a better job with a higher pay. I slogged myself and very soon got into a good job. The pay was good too. I was finally with money, which was my love.

Here I am today, curious to know..how would love feel like tomorrow?

P.S. I have always been in love with my family, with my friends and with her. These things have been purposefully left out.

Whats new? -Final part

She was the most beautiful female I had ever seen in my life. Even from a distance I could make out her beautiful eyes and her stunning smile. She wore no make up and was dressed in a simple cream-colored salwar kameez and that made her even more beautiful. I have always believed that beauty is simplicity. And this female here was a goddess! She would have been a fairy if she had wings! I was struck by lightning, as Mr. Michael Corleone was in Sicily. “But why isn’t she coming inside the class?” I wondered.

“Is this FYJC class C?” she asked someone. In a moment there were a couple of guys next to her waiting for her next query. “Damn it!” For the first time in my life I cursed myself for being a backbencher. There they were like bees on a flower and here I was miles away stuck between my langoor friends.

She went to the blackboard and wrote down her name “Miss. Perin Zariwala”. “What a way to introduce oneself!” I thought. I felt like going and writing my name next to hers and drawing “a heart with the arrow pierced through it” between our names. My heart! I almost expected her to write her address or phone number next. But she kept the chalk down on the desk and broke my heart. “Hi everyone! I am your lecturer for English.” The class suddenly went silent and I almost fainted. “Today is my first day too in this college. So lets make quick introductions and then get started with English”. I couldn’t believe it. “What are the chances of a college student’s love for his teacher being reciprocated? None!!” I wondered. “Don’t give up without a fight dude!! Introductions..Hmmm!”

After the introductions made by my ordinary classmates, who recited their names, school names and interests like parrots, it was finally my turn. I was prepared. “Hi Perin” I said and paused for effect. “I am Dreamcatcher.” I said and sat down. “Hey, don’t you want to share about your interests like everyone here?” “I am interested in English literature, English language, English grammar, English food, English clothes and anything that is even remotely associated with English. Apart from English, I am also interested in the Parsi language, Parsi culture, Parsi food, and Parsi people.” “Interesting! You are different. Whats your name again?” she said and I could make out a faint blush on her cheeks. “Dreamcatcher” I said. “Message delivered and acknowledged.” I thought and my mind already started planning on how to get her phone number.

The next moment I felt a nudge on my shoulders. It was Akash. “Its your turn” he said. “Huh. What turn??” “Dude, it is your turn to introduce yourself.” I stood up hesitantly but my tongue was tied to my throat. “I…I am Dreamcatcher. I…. I.. was in so n so school. My interests are … cricket, football and music” I blurted out with difficulty and sat down feeling like a moron. The hour passed by in a jiffy. All I did throughout was stare at her and day dream about us. We in a movie theatre, we on a cruise, we on a hill station..etc etc. I cursed the bell when it rang. I had never imagined myself cursing the bell. The same bell which had been a rescuer during the boring lectures in school had become my enemy.

In a few minutes we were outside college. A few more discussions about here and there and we decided to call it a day. The group of seven broke up. The three of us headed to our bus stop. My friends were still enjoying the view around. Lots of beautiful girls all around! But I wasn’t interested anymore. I was still in the class studying English with Miss Perin. The walk to the bus stop, the return bus journey and the final goodbyes for the day to my friends is still a blur to me. Isn’t that what love does to you?

In bed that night I wondered what a first day in college it had been!! My first day in college had given me a new identity, a new domain, new friends and most importantly.. LOVE.

Whats new? - 2

As the bus rattled to a stop, we fought our way out pushing the crowd inside the bus around. The bus ride was a nightmare as it had always been during the school days. So out we were, on the road, minutes away from the place of our dreams. And what a sight!! We could already see a crowd of girls and guys. People getting down from different buses heading towards a common destination! We were so used to seeing girls in the below knee length brown skirts in school that this site came as a knockout punch. Colorful tees, short skirts, jeans, frocks, and only god and girls know what else. I wished I had eyes at the back of my head too! Mama Mia... exactly what we had dreamt of!

"Isn’t that Priya? Has she taken up Arts here?" my friend whispered into my ears. My eyes turned into a scanning machine (like shown in Terminator), and pretty soon I found her with a bunch of girls farther ahead of us. She was looking stunning in a black top and denim short skirts. "Don’t we share the same tastes.." I thought. FYI, she used to stay near my house and was a good friend. My friends used to pair me and tease me with her, but no one had a clue that I secretly admired her. I could also see my friends scanning her friends. "Good start" my heart whistled.

Within a few minutes we were face to face with the college building. And what a giant of a structure it was!! Almost ten times bigger than our school building, it towered over us. I could see people hanging out in the open corridors outside classrooms on every floor. Seven floors in all! For a moment I was scared of the buildings dimensions. But we had no option but to go in. So in we went!! Now comes the bad part. As soon as we entered the building, we were surrounded by a bunch of grinning faces. "Fresher?" one of them asked. He was already a foot taller than me not to mention his bulging biceps. As it usually happens in bad times, my friends had disappeared. "Yes" I gulped. "Chal beta chup chap." I was dragged against my will but didn’t have to courage to open my mouth to retaliate. What I did in the next hour, I had never done in life. I was made to dance while another hapless victim sung, sing while the other poor guy danced, dance and sing simultaneously and perform other stupid acts. I was insulted and abused too the point where I cursed my existence. At the end of the hour I was humiliated and my ego was shattered but I had won a friend. The guy who was ragged along with me! We found company in each other’s sorrow state. Akash was from another part of the city but we shared the same interests. Luckily we happened to be in the same class too.

With a lot of difficulty we found our classroom, which happened to be on the fifth floor. Before entering the classroom I glanced outside. The view was breath taking. I could see the cricket ground opposite to the college building, currently vacant due to the rainy season. Beautiful teenagers scattered in small groups lined the small wall, which marked the boundary of the cricket ground. The hawkers strolling around with their fares, the vehicles moving about slowly on the road, everything was looking awesome from here. I as glad to be here! This uplifted my mood and I was back to my cheerful self. Next moment I was inside the classroom. Everything in the classroom was bigger than the school classrooms. The blackboard, the windows, the benches, everything was bigger. The classroom itself was huge. I scanned the crowd. There were around fifteen girls and three guys for every girl. “Its going to be tough!!” I thought about the competition. I turned my scanner to debug level and the results displayed five girls rated as “beautiful”. The others were displayed as “below average”. “Even worse, now there are nine guys for every girl!!” I calculated.

“Hey dude!” came a familiar voice from one dark corner of the class. It was one of my friends who had betrayed me some time back. “Where were you dude?” they enquired innocently. “Mother fuckas!! I ll get even with you guys later.” I snarled. They had managed to befriend three new guys. The only thing common amongst us was that we loved backbenches. Quick introductions were made. “Not bad!! Two hours in college and already four new friends.” I beamed. We then discussed all the good girls in the classroom. Since we didn’t know their names we gave them pet names. We actually fought over naming them too. We were enjoying ourselves.

It was a new place much better than our school; new people who were as excited as us surrounded us, it was all fun and frolic... until she walked in…

Whats new?

“Which clothes should I wear tomorrow? The blue shirt is too loud. So is the red tee. It has to be the black tee and blue jeans!” It was 1:00 a.m. in the night. But I was unable to sleep. This was the first time in my life that I was poised with the challenge to dress smart on a weekday. The thrill to live up to my own expectations wasn’t allowing me to sleep. It was the first time that I would have an individual identity beyond the uniform. The uniform that had been an integral part of my life! The uniform was the past! And wasn’t I glad about it?

The very thought of stepping into a new world full of vibrant colors had stolen my sleep since a week. Now that the moment was so close I was at the pinnacle of excitement. I had started preparing long back for this day. Each and every detail had been taken care of. The coming day had been planned and discussed in detail with my friends over and over again. We were all excited. After all it isn’t everyday that one steps into a new world. We had shopped for clothes together for almost a week. My very ordinary wardrobe consisted only of a few daily usage tees and some formal shirts till a month back. Now, the picture was different. I had three brand new jeans and several good t-shirts.

Our shopping was not restricted to clothes. I had fought with my mom for a new bag though my old one was not really old. “The old bag won’t go with my new image mom” I had said to her. Some emotional blackmail and I had the permission to buy a new one. Three hours and seventeen shops later I had found what I had in mind. A dazzling red nike bag! My friends thought that the color was too bright but I didn’t think twice before paying a good 400 bucks for it. “They are jealous!” I thought. The shoes were next! This time it was my dad. “1000 bucks for a pair of shoes! Are you nuts??” A skipped lunch and a few crocodile tears was all that I needed to convince him. By evening I had a good pair of sport shoes. So did my friends!! I also managed to squeeze in a new cap. “NYC” it said! Lastly I needed a new haircut. Usually I was forced by school teachers or parents to get a haircut. I hated haircuts!! But not this time! Along with my friends, I decided to visit a newly opened haircut saloon. This place had air conditioners, a color TV and most importantly the hair stylists (that’s what they called themselves) didn’t eat paan or guthka. I chose a new trendy hairstyle from one of the reference books lying around. 30 minutes and a lot of snips later I was looking different. The charges were a whopping 100 bucks! But I didn’t hesitate even once. In fact I even thought about giving a generous tip, but then decided against it.

I had also planned a big meeting with my parents on the penultimate day. The agenda of the meeting was pocket money. I put forth my proposal for a 300% hike in my allowance citing traveling and eating out as extra expenses. My dad proposed a new tiffin box and a 3% increase in the allowance to accommodate the bus fare. My mom proposed 0% increase in the allowance and promised to get me a bus pass. After a lot of discussions the final amount was decided. A weekly allowance of 100 bucks with the bus pass paid for. I was ecstatic!! 20 bucks a day!! It was double of what I was getting earlier. That was my last 100% hike in life. I was already imagining a new lavish lifestyle.

Come “D” day and I was fully prepared. Got up early and shaved my imaginary moustache. Next I checked my bag. All the things were intact. I verified everything mentally… jacket, wallet, handkerchief, a book, a pen and a comb, everything was there. I couldn’t believe myself I that I was carrying a comb. I smiled and thought “Times do change”. I then took a long shower which angered my dad. That was because he was supposed to drop me to the bus stop and he was already getting late when I had entered the bathroom. But did I care! I took my own sweet time in the shower and then I was in front of the mirror admiring myself. After a generous usage of the deo, I started to work on my hair. It took me precisely twelve minutes to set my hair right. With even more effort and a heavy heart, I said goodbye to the mirror. (On important occasions, men love the mirror more than women)

Had a quick breakfast during which my dad was cribbing about the value of time. “Kya yaar… aaj first day hai..aaj to bahar khane do!!” This is what I said to my mom when she kept the tiffin box in front of me. To my surprise she agreed to it. Very soon I was at the bus stop waiting for my friends. I was a full ten minutes early. “Hey Smarty!” I said to myself when I saw my reflection in the tinted windows of a parked car. My friends arrived soon too. We got into a conversation over all the gorgeous girls we were going to meet soon. Pretty soon we got into an overcrowded bus and were en route to our destination.

With new dreams in our eyes we were ready to face…COLLEGE!!

It is that time of the year..

It is that time of the year when I will be appraised. It is that time of the year again when I have to prove that I worked for the last six months. It is that time of the year when I may come to know where I fell short. It is that time of the year when I may come to know where I excelled. It is that time of the year when I will be face to face with her. It is that time of the year when I will have to listen to the same old crap which I had heard six months back. It is that time of the year when I will control my anger in front of someone who is not even fit to evaluate me. It is that time of the year when they will try to convince me to accept my rating. It is that time of the year when I will resolve to downgrade my work as per my rating. It is that time of the year when I will wonder again "is this all worth it?" It is that time of the year when everyone asks you “what grade?” It is that time of the year when everyone wants to push you down in order to be seen above you. It is that time of the year when good people turn bad. It is that time of the year when friends turns foes.

I hate this time of the year!!!

Sleep well!

He was falling. Inside the bottomless dark pit! As gravity was doing its magic, he recognized familiar faces on the way down. He zipped by his family, friends, and other vaguely familiar faces whom he could not place. But he could not find her. Something was wrong. She was supposed to be here too! His eyes were frantically searching for her in the pathway amidst strangers. Until he heard the familiar laughter… the same voice that would set his pulse racing at one time! It was her! Definitely her!! But something was still wrong. He could not locate her. Where was she? The laughter was louder and some how he didn’t like it this time. He glanced back and it was the last thing that he saw. Her face… and then darkness!!

His eyes opened. He checked his watch for the time. 3:00 a.m. it screamed at him. In the pin drop silence around he could hear his racing heart beat. He could feel his body drenched in sweat. “Am I alive?” was the first thing that came into his mind. He glanced at the familiar setting of his room. The same old bookshelf loaded with books, an old almirah with pictures of the Gods who were supposed to watch over him when he was asleep. “Are they asleep too?” “I am alive.” He breathed easy, but just for a moment. The difficult part was yet to come. “I should have died” he cursed and closed his eyes. But sleep was miles away. In disgust he opened his eyes again because he knew who was waiting if he slept again. Another nightmare!! In the still of the night his mind started playing games on him. He started shivering. His sole aim was now to live through the night. “Am I going to die? I know I am. When would these nightmares leave me?” In an instant he was transported back in time.

He was younger. It was a sunny day. Too sunny to be enjoyed! But did he care?? That was a time when he took his chances with everything. Pushed things to the limit! That is what he did that day too! Pushed himself too hard.. a bit too hard!! It was getting late to meet her. He accelerated. 130 kmph the indicator shivered. But you don’t realize that you have erred till you err. The tiniest of things snapped. The engine stopped working and he collapsed. Before collapsing all that his mind could remember was her smiling face. Then darkness!!

He is still shivering hoping that this night would get over sooner. He wants to live. He is not a coward, but he doesn’t want to fight. He is tired of fighting for sleep. When was the last time he had slept nicely?

It was the darkest of nights. The storm was just building up. The heavy rain was drumming on the roof of the house. The storm didn’t bother him. He was lost in her eyes. The ever beautiful twinkling eyes! His head was in her lap and his hand in hers. Nothing else existed!! No pain, no fear, no remorse, no worries. Only love!! Nothing else! When he closed his eyes he was at peace. He slept.

“Where is she now when I need her?” he thinks. It’s almost morning now. He can feel the approaching twilight. Somehow the light gives him hope. It was as if he was waiting for the light and not for her. He closes his eyes and tries to sleep…



This is a fictional creation. I couldn’t think of a good end for this piece. If anyone feels they have a better end for this, kindly suggest.

Hancock

Please do not watch Hancock!
That is all I have to say about this movie.

Reservation for localites?

Today in my office bus as I was going through The Mirror, I got into this discussion with one of my colleagues over an article. The article was about a recently created political organization which is trying to establish itself by using a very old trick in the book. Their motto is simple “Localites must be given preference and have an upper hand in all sectors of the state.”

Coming back to my discussion! The point of debate was that should localites be given preference over outsiders? He was for it and I was against. Here is an excerpt from our discussion:

Him: I am for this. Localites must be given preference over outsiders. They have to bear a lot because of the outsiders.

Me: Are you serious? What do they have to bear because of the outsiders?

Him: Many things. Think of any localite that is from the non IT sector. He is paying more due to inflation caused by outsiders (outsiders are people who are employed in the IT sector and happen to work in this city).

Me: Are the outsiders causing the inflation? I didn’t know that.

Him: All the rates of commodities go up in an area because of them. The poor localites have no option but to resort to violence. They have to pay more for things, which they cannot afford.

Me: Hmmm…Then should the outsiders leave this place? More than half the money that the government generates here is through IT. Let’s shut down and get out of here.

Him: That would be good. But it is not possible. A good solution would be to give preference to the localites for jobs etc.

Me: Why? Aren’t they capable of fighting for these jobs at a leveled ground? Why preference?

Him: They can fight at a leveled ground. But since the outsiders are causing the damage, these people should get some preference as compensation.

Me: I am still not sure about what damage is being caused by the outsiders. In fact the outsiders are making the place better and the city overall is generating a greater revenue.

Him: No. What is happening is that the companies are gaining by getting cheaper labor from outside and the poor localites who cannot afford to work for cheap get left out.

Me: So what is wrong in that? If someone decides to work at a cheaper rate, isn’t that a personal decision. All companies always aim at profits. If they get cheaper labor from outside why shouldn’t they use it?

Him: By doing so they destroy the localites chances of getting employed.

Me: Then the localite should try and be competitive. He should also try and work for less to eliminate the outsider.

Him: In the end the employer gains. Besides how will the localite be able to afford anything if he works for less? Inflation is at 12%.

Me: How does the outsider afford it? If he can so should the localite.

Him: No this is wrong. If they want to work for cheap they should work in their own states. Even in education, most of the students in the colleges here are outsiders.

Me: If the selection criterion is merit, then what difference does it make if it’s a localite or an outsider? The best candidate will be selected. Be it education or a job.

Him: No. The outsiders pay money and get the seats. Education is more of a business nowadays. Localites should be given reservations because they cannot afford it.

Me: Taking donations is wrong. I agree to that. But we should fight against this. Giving reservations to localites is not the solution. Every selection should be on the basis of merit.

Him: No. There has to be preference for localites.

Me: For any institute which holds entrance exams at nationwide level, how can you even think of reservations? If you want to get selected, fight for it.

Him: That is what the localites are doing.

Me: No no! Not that kind of fight. No point in burning buses or buildings.

Him: This will bring a positive change.

Me: No change is positive if it involves resorting to violence and causing losses especially to the common man.


By then the bus reached my office. Though we could not convince each other, for us it was yet another discussion. Nothing more than a discussion!!

After all it takes more than courage to set right RIGHT! (Courtesy Shaurya)

Music

I should have written this post earlier. Music is something really special to me.

Like most people I love music. Any kind of music which is good to the ears gets me going. I believe that music has the power to inspire, elevate, soothe, calm, pacify, seduce, encourage, discourage, please, upset, destroy, unite, divide, and much more. I have always enjoyed music in my good times and also resorted to music in my bad times as a fallback companion. There is always a song for every mood. Isn’t this strange? Imagine the vastness!!

I have always wanted to understand music and learn to play at least one musical instrument. I tried my hand at playing the guitar when I was in college. But I was too lazy and too naive. I tried to by heart the chords and didn’t devote enough time in practicing. Had I put an effort to understand music, I would have been a different person now.

This is because I feel that if one can understand music, he can enjoy it better. I want to enjoy music better. I really do!

Maybe if I get another chance to understand music, I won’t let it go so easily. No no no…. not so easy.

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na..

Watched the movie yesterday.

It’s a feel good movie about two close friends (Imran Khan and Genelia Dsouza) who believe that they cannot fall in love with each other. Everyone else (friends and family), except themselves, believe that they are in love with each other. To prove their point, they try to fall in love with someone else, just to realize later that they love each other.
The movie has many feel good moments which make up for the few boring ones. Though the movie has nothing new to offer in terms of storyline, the fresh faces light up the screen and make the movie livelier. All actors have done a good job.
Finally coming to Aamir Khan. Hats off to him!
He has done for Imran Kan with "JTYJN" what Mansoor Khan did for him with "Qayamat se Qayamat tak".

Credit cards for sale

I am sure this has happened to you too.

It’s a lazy sunday morning. Time is around 9:00 a.m. The aroma of the delicious breakfast your mom is cooking wont let you sleep. You are trying to figure out how to make the best of the day and also fighting your conscience not to go to sleep again. In this struggle between your mind and body suddenly your cell phone rings. Beep beep.

You spring back to life and start the process of locating your cell phone. As per Murphy’s Law of the Workshop “Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner”. I know this is not the best example to quote, but all I wish to convey is that your usually accessible cell phone will be difficult to find at the moment of need. Finally after locating my cell phone in the least imaginable corner, I check who is calling me at this early hour. Whenever my phone rings at odd hours, my heart expects it to be my Ex. (Isn’t this true with everyone of us?) Well, as always, it is not my Ex. It is an unknown number that sends chills down my spine. I kind of know who this is. I know its not going to be easy but I get a determined look going on my face (as if the caller could actually see me) and answer the call. This is what follows:

Me: Hullo.

Her: (I can make out the fake accent and a put on seductive voice) Huhlo Sir. Am I speaking to Mr.x

Me: (fear in my eyes) Yes.

Her: Good morning Mr.X. This is P here. Is this is a good time to speak to you Sir.

Me: (Of course. Its just 9:00 a.m. on a Sunday. Imagine your guts lady. But I believe this is more of rhetoric than a thoughtful question from her side. So, I decide not to lose my calm) Yes. What is this about?

Her: Sir, I am speaking from ABCD Bank. We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to receive a free Gold credit card from our bank.

Me: (Silence.)

Her: (She mistakes my silence as a cue to go on.) Sir, This card will be provided to you free of cost. It is a lifetime free offer. No additional charges or annual fees.

Me: (Silence.)

Her: (She is now confident that “bakra phas gaya”) All we need from you is a copy of your latest salary slip.

Me: (Silence)

Her: Sir, are you there?

Me: Yes.

Her: So, Sir when can I send an executive to collect your salary slip?

Me: (Imagine her guts) Sorry Madam, I am not interested.

Her: (Gone is the fake accent and the seductive voice. Her voice now is more like an angry girlfriend) But why sir? The card is absolutely free.

Me: (And I was almost falling for the voice) Madam, I repeat I am not interested.

Her: (getting more angry now) May I know the reason why you are not interested.

Me: (This is life. On a Sunday morning me explaining to a stranger why I don’t want the credit card) I already have a credit card madam.

Her: (The accent is back. She still feels that she can pull this off) let me tell you Sir what are the advantages of our card, which no other bank offers. We offer 5% cash back on every petrol pump, 2% cash back on telephone bills..

Me: Sorry Madam, I simply don’t want your card.

Her: (As if I don’t exist) ..1% cash back on every purchase at Y mall, 10 reward points with purchase of every 1000 rupees, etc etc.

Me: (I am angry now) Madam, don’t you understand that I don’t want this card.

Her: (Her voice softens. She tries to gain sympathy) But why Sir?

Me: (Almost tearing my hair) Because Indian is a free country and I am a free man. I can decide what I want and what I don’t want. And I have decided that I don’t want this card of yours. Please leave me alone.

Her: (Silence)

Me: Hullo…Hullo?

Her: (Her voice is that of a woman who has been turned down for a date) Ok Sir. You don’t have to shout.

Me: (I actually sympathize, not knowing that this is a trick) I am sorry. I don’t mean to be rude.

Her: (The accent is back again) its ok Sir. I can understand. So you have any requirement for a personal loan? We offer personal loans at attractive interest rates..

Me: (I want to cry) Nooooooooooo…

Her: Ok Sir. At least do you have references? Anyone amongst your friends or colleagues who needs loans or cards?

Me: (grinning) Yes I do..please take down the following numbers of my friends…

Didn’t I say, this has happened to you too!

My Brother Nikhil

Saw "My Brother Nikhil" today. For those who don’t know about this movie, it’s about how a state swimming champion Nikhil’s (Sanjay Suri) life changes after he is diagnosed HIV+. The movie is also about how society (including his parents) changes its behavior towards him once the news of his illness becomes public. During these adverse times of his life his sister (Juhi Chawla) and his gay partner cum friend (Purab) stand by him, fight for him and support him.

The movie is beautiful because of the message it delivers.

The song “Le Chale” manages to touch ones heart even if one has not watched the movie.

I highly recommend this movie to all.

Mark Twain

I consider Mark Twain as one of the best writer of all times. I am presently enjoying a compilation of his works called "The complete short stories of Mark Twain". His style of writing is unparallel and the characters he creates are out of this world. I have read Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn "n" number of times and enjoyed it every time. His style of humor, satire and creativity leaves me spellbound every time I am going through his works.

The following MarkTwain short stories are my favorites:

The notorious Jumping frog of Calaveras county
The Canvasser's tale
Science vs. Luck
What stumped the Bluejays
The McWilliamses and the Burglar alarm
The Stolen White elephant (this is the best of the lot)
The professor's Yarn
The Diary of Adam and Eve
The Invalid's Story

Home

I am very excited on Fridays. Not all Fridays!! Only the Fridays when I am going to go home. My real home!!
I have been born and brought up in Bombay. Mumbai as they call it now. I have spent the golden years of my life in this city of dreams. Twenty four glorious years!! And I miss my city a lot while I am here in Pune. Pune has a lot to offer too, its not a bad place but Mumbai is MUMBAI!!

There are many things about Mumbai which only guys who have spent a lot of time in Mumbai…say more than 10-15 yrs can understand. For me as soon as I step of the Volvo bus in Mumbai, the familiar humidity in air captivates me. I have heard people complain that “Bombay is sooo humid”, but we enjoy the humidity here. Ask anyone about it.

After the weather, the second thing that hits me is the fast pace of the city. No where else have I seen people leading their lives with such urgency. The traffic, the honking, the people moving about, the hawkers, the neons, etc .. etc. I feel that time takes a new dimension in Mumbai. Nobody wants to waste a single minute of their life. For some it’s the 10:28 local train, for others it’s the 5:15 bus. No body is laid back. Every one is running continuously in a race for existence, competing with millions of others mumbaiites. One cannot stop, if one does he is left behind. The best part is that no one complains about this race. Its healthy competition! No wonder people from Mumbai find time move slowly everywhere else.

Another thing I miss about Mumbai is the nightlife here. It is in the true sense a city that never sleeps. I have been privileged to enjoy some glorious night outs here. The nightlife here exists for the rich as well as for the poor. Taxis and autos run, nightclubs are rocking, chaiwallas are on, bhurjiwalas are awake, there are people everywhere. One good place to have a great night is the Airport.

I also miss the food culture of Mumbai. The roadside food vendors, the sleazy restaurants, the smoky bars, the posh clubs!! There are thousands of eateries here, where one can enjoy great food (udipi, gujrati, maharashtian, north Indian, world cuisine, etc) at unusual hours. The service offered is grade one everywhere. So is the food!! Everything here tastes different. Maybe Mumbai adds its own flavors to the food.

I miss my friends, the chai n sutta on a raining evening, the crazy traffic days, the overcrowded buses, the wadapavs, the bonding of people irrespective of religious and cultural differences, the glimmering skyline. I miss everything about Mumbai. Mumbai, the city which doesn’t mind who you are, from where you are! It accepts you with open arms. I love Mumbai for this too.

I am what I am due to this city! I owe it to you, Mumbai!!

Gap

I speak to my dad once or twice a year. FYI, I am staying in another town where I work. I usually visit my parents every alternate weekend. Though I see him once in every fifteen days, we usually end up not talking to each other. We have been silent for hours and hours ignoring each others presence during the days when I am home.

It is not the 200 k.m. distance between us that makes communication difficult. Nor is there any strain or fight between us. Infact we have mutual admiration for each other, which I have come to know from some close sources. But somehow my free flowing tongue is locked when he is around. Is this what people call "generation gap"?

It was not always the same. I used to talk to him regularly when I was a kid. But I cant even remember when our relationship changed and we stopped communicating. Maybe I see myself smarter now and feel that he should initiate the conversations. For him maybe I am still a kid and he feels that I should initiate the conversations.

Whatever the reason may be, I have decided that from now on I will initiate conversations with him. I will remove the gap that has formed between us because of me.

Yesterday was his birthday, but I wasn’t home. I called him up and wished him and even asked him for a party. He absent mindedly said that I could have my party on the weekend when I come home. I am happy and I feel he is happy too.

I am looking forward to the party.

Bad day

I got up late today and missed my morning office bus. The only reason i get up at 6:45 a.m. everyday is to catch the 7:30 a.m. office bus. This bus takes 1/5th the time to reach office than the 9:00 a.m. bus which takes forty minutes to cover ten kms. The reason it takes five times more time to reach office is because four out of every five IT person has chosen this time (between 9 and 10) to reach the IT park (where my office is). Considering that more than 25k people work at the IT park, the only road which takes us to the IT park is overfilled with all kinds of vehicles during this hour.

Coming back to me getting up late! It was only 7:30 a.m. Ninety minutes to 9.00 a.m. I had a lot of time to kill and this added to my frustration. I decided to shave and then decided against it. I decided to take care of my sore throat. Turmeric milk early in the morning!! Unfortunately the quantity of milk I boiled was more than what I could digest. I ended up with a heavy stomach which I don’t prefer in the mornings. Switched on the T.V., scanned through a few channels and turned if off again. Somehow I cannot relate to T.V. in the mornings. Checked the time. 8:00 a.m. Decided to take a long, lazy shower. Was ready to leave by 8:30 a.m.

Decided to take a pit stop at the local chaiwalla to kill time despite my rumbling stomach (never again, turmeric milk in the morning). Had the usual cutting chai. Sent the usual good morning sms to my bunch of friends, finished the chai and reached my bus stop at 9:50 a.m. This is the time when buses for many companies leave and there is a lot of crowd at the bus stops. Good crowd! Had a good time bird watching!! Checked my cell phone for the time. 9:05 a.m.

All the birds flew away in sometime, but I was still standing here. Turned down a lift from an office colleague who commutes by car. Called up another colleague who boards the bus before me and heard the good news that bus will be late. So I waited and waited...till 9:15 when the bus finally arrived. It had a new driver who probably was the reason for the delay. Swearing under my breath I boarded the bus and within a few moments was fast asleep. A sudden jerk woke me up. Check the time again and the location too. 9:40…bad time to wake up! Traveling in the midst of heavy traffic and pollution. Another 15 minutes to go!!! Why the hell did I have to wake up at this point? Why is God so unkind to me? Amongst infinite such thoughts, I finally reached office at 10:00 a.m.

I was all set for breakfast. The early morning milk had settled down and my stomach was growling for food. But as it usually happens on a bad day, there was a long queue for breakfast. We had sandwiches for breakfast today. I glanced at the container in which the delicious (the usage of this word is due to extreme hunger) sandwiches were parked. I counted them. There were 6 sandwiches left in all. Then I counted the number of people in the queue who were ahead of me. Nine!! Damn it!! I called the canteen boy and brought this to his notice. He absent mindedly said that he had already noted this and placed an order for more sandwiches which will take fifteen more minutes to arrive.
I cursed out aloud and left the place. I decided to grab a quick bite at the near by restaurant. Finally at 10:30 a.m., I finally had my breakfast.

It has been more than three hours since I have woken up. Usually I am done with half of my day's work by this time. But today is different. I am having a bad day!!

But the good part is that I have decided to spend the day on my own terms. I will not do any work in office today.
I am feeling better already…

S and G!

I have two friends. S and G!
We are friends since long. Together we have done the craziest of things.
I would like to write about both my friends today.

G is a fun loving, flamboyant, rich, spoilt, always on the move kind of guy. He is from a upper middle class background and is continually on the lookout for fun. He is the ideal party animal. Late nightouts, long crazy drives, booze, speed are his possible hobbies. He is still a bachelor still and proud of it. He is the kind of guy whom you can count on in your bad times. Also you will never get bored in his company due to his witty sense of humor and his wide knowledge. He is usually better versed than you with the latest trends in technology, fashion and especially movies. I have shared a great rapport with him over a considerable period of time. We have changed a lot over a period of time but our friendship is still the same. We have done some pretty crazy stuff together, which I am sure he will acknowledge.

S is a serious (most of the times), responsible, analytical, disciplined (most of the times), big brotherly kind of guy. His is from a middle class background and he is currently settled in a quiet IT job in the Goraland. His plays many roles simultaneously in his life. (Currently he is an ideal brother, a great son and a good husband). He is the idol for every Engineering student and IT professional in India (including me). His idea of having a good time with friends involves booze… a lot of booze. He is awesome when drunk (I remember an incident when he forgot his chappals somewhere after drinkingJ). He has a sharp sense of humor, and his knowledge in the technical field is legendary. Like me he is usually unaware about fashion and movies. The most adorable aspect of this guy is that he is still the same what he was when he met me many years ago. Marriage didn’t change him! Nor did settling abroad!! I am pretty sure he will be the same ever.

As you can make out both these guys are very different from each other. But the very fact that all of us are together despite our differences make our friendship even more fascinating.

Jannat

Saw Jannat the other day. Its a typical bollywood flick. I liked it irrespective of the reviews.
As in all IH movies, there are some good songs in this movie too.
Must listen: Lambi Judai, Jannat Jahan, Zara sa. All three songs are nice.

New beginning

After a gap of almost 18 months, I have decided to start my life all over again.
The last time I did it, God didn’t like it. Hopefully I will get through with it this time.
I am not doing this by choice, though the decision is mine. It is not common that hope gets killed. The hope that your life hung upon.
Currently I am in a hole. It was dug by us to plant a tree. Now its too deep to plant the tree in. But a few more inches in and it ll be deep enough to bury me.
So, I seek a new beginning. I do not know where I will reach. I do not know what awaits for me outside, I am not bothered by that. My current goal is to get out of this big hole I have gotten myself into. It is not going to be easy for me, but I will give my best and try not to slip from this path. The temptation of turning back will always be in the way and try to pull me back into the hole. It was a great feeling to imagine the hole as your world. But it is time to set things right. For myself.
I am weaker than what I used to be, but wiser. I am banking on this fact. I hope I am right. A new hope to hang my life on.
This is the moment. This is me. A new me.

Under pressure

The following is from a famous song "Under pressure":

Turned away from it all like a blind man

Sat on a fence but it don't work

Keep coming up with love

but it's so slashed and torn

Why - why - why ?

Love love love love love

Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking

Can't we give ourselves one more chance

Why can't we give love that one more chance

Why can't we give love give love give love give love

give love give love give love give love give love

'Cause love's such an old fashioned word

And love dares you to care for

The people on the edge of the night

And loves dares you to change our way of

Caring about ourselves

This is our last dance

This is our last dance

This is ourselves

Under pressure

Under pressure

Pressure

Happiness

I experienced happiness today. It was good for a change. I had almost forgotten what it feels like. But the moment it hit me, it came back as a long lost friend.
I shall try and explain what I felt like during those few precious moments of happiness.

As soon as the good news came, my brain stopped functioning and my heart suddenly took control of my body. I will now prove this statement.
Before the good news came in, I was hoping that it would arrive, but my mind was also processing many other things like “what reply would be suitable for this official mail? Man, the stock market is still in red!! Why am I still feeling hungry though I just had breakfast?? What will I do if the news is not positive?”
Bang!!! Sannata as one would describe in hindi. A sudden switch of source to the UPS when the main power is cut off!! The blood which my heart had just pumped ran out warming my body and spreading the message to the other colder parts!!

What happened next was also quite fascinating. A strong force pulled my cheeks and made me smile (even though I didn’t intend to). My computer screen started looking more colorful and my usually irritating cubicle partner in office suddenly seemed like an angel. My life suddenly wasn’t as bad as it seemed. In fact, my life seemed beautiful. No images of the past!! No illusions of the future!! I was enjoying the present.

I tried to get up and walk around, but my legs failed me. I tried to speak, but words failed me too. I decided to silently stay where I was, but it wasn’t possible to curb the feeling. I needed to share this with someone fast!!
I did share it and that is when the feeling reached its pinnacle. It is rightly said that joy increases on sharing!!

Then suddenly the main power came on and the UPS was knocked out. It was again an ordinary world with usual thoughts and worries. “Why haven’t I replied to the mail yet?”

I am rarely devoid of worries related to me, my work, my family, my country, my future, my past, my bills, etc. Hence I shall always cherish those moments because I was enjoying myself in the present and nothing else. That is what happiness does to you. Everything else ceases to exist when it is around!!