Happy Endings

“Why am I not feeling happy? Have I made a big compromise contrary to my belief that compromises should be avoided? You got to be happy. Take this as a challenge. Use your “creativity” to design marketing campaigns for your company. Look at so many other people who are still not sure about their future. Did you not witness your senior’s fate? You got a better deal. You will definitely overcome this as well.”

These were the thoughts going on in my mind when 2010 was knocking at the door. I had just got placed and taken up a job which was not there in my list when I joined IMT. I was trying to console myself very hard. Sometimes even trying to find that consolation out of other’s misery. But isn’t that the way humans generally behave? Whenever you are down, you try to cheer yourself up by looking at others and say " Yeah, things could have been worse". But what pinches the most is that "Things could have been better". Well, recession was anyway not in the hands of my college. All said and done, I still feel the unease of trying to make a “smaller” line "bigger" by comparing it with even much “smaller” line!

So I entered 2010 with a big baggage with me. My group (which was my family at IMT) was aware of my situation which was visible when none of them actually congratulated me. They knew I have made a compromise (just like some of them had already made and remaining would do in coming days). They just gave me a hug and a pat on the back. We all knew that we would definitely get what we wanted sooner or later. I had predicted December 2010 as the month by which we will get that. And bingo! We got it latest by November when last amongst us, our beloved “Shri Shri 1008 Pandeyji”, got into Infy! So for once in my life, I actually justified that “Pundit” tag of mine.

Singling out IMT placement as an aberration would be unfair on my part. I have always got things with a little hiccup and a bit late. What suits me is “Ruk-ruk ke chalti hai apni gaadi”. I believe someone up their trusts me a lot and always gives me tough assignments. I believe that He gives you tough things because He knows you can handle them. But I must say that at the end, I get the best!

2010. Though it started on not a very happy note, but as it progressed, it proved to be one of the most eventful years of my life. Trips with friends to Shimla, Delhi, Vaishno Devi. Trips with family to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Amritsar. 3 months at my hometown doing nothing (and everything!). My sister got engaged. Trip to Orissa and AP (btw, my count now is 15 states…yuppieee…but still 13 to go not including UTs). Met my “moti” sister after almost 2 years when she flew down to Bangalore from US. Got a dream job. And more than everything else, spent later half of the year planning and shopping for my sister’s wedding!

So at the end of 2010, I can say that I’m the happiest person on the planet. As I always look at things, it was the year of "Kabhi khushi, kabhi thodi kam khushi". I tried. I failed. I kept trying. And I succeeded. That’s the way it works.

2011 promises to be a fantabulous one as well! It starts with a bang and then there are many events which may unfold in coming months☺ Just wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous new year with the following message:

“Sab ka bhala ho, sab ka sahi ho,
apna bhi lekin, sabse sahi ho”.

December Mega Sale!

Yeah, I know that this title suits more to a shopping mall advertisement but how do you say it when you are purchasing a lot? “December Mega Buy”? Anyway, I’m (and my family) on a shopping spree this month. Well, the occasion justifies every single penny spent. My only sister is getting married next month and it’s the first marriage in our family of our generation. So that means my cousins’ preparations are also going on in 4th gear.

We were supposed to get only 15 days for this shopping but as the events turned out, we then got almost 7 months! I’m a firm believer of the saying that “Everything happens for the Best” and it proved to be true here as well. We got good time to plan everything in detail.

One of the things I love the most has always been to fulfill all the demands (warranted or unwarranted) of my sister and she knows the power she enjoys and that’s why she has been very careful and judicious in her demands so far. But yeah, as a ritual of sort, I keep telling her: “Hey Ram, abhi ye bhi bacha hai khareedne ko!!” Hehe..

Well, my sister’s shopping has not given me that much trouble as everyone else’s advice to spend some extra bucks on myself! I have, unsuccessfully, argued that: “Boss it’s not my day” and got the same response from everyone: “It’s round 1 for your day”. Argghh…And my mom says “Lagna chahiye ki dulhan ka iklauta bhai hai” . And I can’t argue with my mom. And if I’m not wrong, I have spent on myself more than my would-be-brother-in-law has done on him.

So, December would be known as the month when my debit card lost its weight considerably and for the first time, I crossed my Credit card limit! Shopping is at full throttle in Bhopal, Mumbai and Bangalore. And yes, because of that I got a chance to go to Mumbai last weekend and then a mandatory visit to Pune.

Mumbai trip was full of shopping malls but Pune, as usual, was more subtle. A heart-to-heart talk with “Dagdu Sheth” of Laxmi road . I discussed with “Sheth” my future plans and thanked him for many things. And then a customary evening on FC road which always takes me on time travel: whether I want or not. And FC road is exactly that place where I end up doing things that not necessarily I want to do!

In short, exciting times ahead☺

Dilli Ki Sardi!

Ye Shehar nahi Mehfil hai. I think this line aptly describes Delhi. Delhi is a perfect blend of modernity and historical importance in this part of the world. Delhi is one of those rare cities which help you in time travelling. There are few areas in Delhi which take you hundreds of years back in time. And then there are few areas which may resemble the Manhattan! But my favorites will always be Chandni Chowk and India Gate.

Chandni Chowk. My first ever outing with my IMT friends was a day long Delhi trip. Everyone agreed when I suggested that we go to Chandni Chowk first and then to anywhere else, if time permits. Thanks to E. Sreedharan, a metro takes you to the by lanes of Chandni Chowk and then, in turn, 400-500 years back. Those narrow lanes welcome you with an aura which is unmatchable. On a 15 feet wide road, you will find parking, hawkers, Cycle-rickshaws, Cars, and Buses. Everything moving simultaneously on that 2 Km road from Lal Quila to Chandni Chowk. But not even once you feel discomfort. You look around and you feel that you always belonged here. Every building eager to tell you a story and welcomes you with open arms. Some of them even have their construction date inscribed (I remember reading in one of them: 1784!). And then you have the most famous address of Delhi..sorry..Dilli. “Parathe Waali Gali, Dilli-6”. That "Gali" is not even 5 feet wide and they really make the most delicious Parathas in the world. Its there only that you understand the meaning of that old saying: “Paet bhar gaya par dil nahi”. And there only Harsh and I kept ordering Parathas when everybody else succumbed! But its not only about Parathas. Moong/Gaajar ka Halwa, Dahi Bhalle, Gulaab Jamun…oye I already have water in my mouth! That trip ensured my return trips there many more times in coming days. I can now really understand the couplet by Zauq: "Kaun Jaaye 'Zauq' par, Dilli ki galiyaan chhodkar..."

India Gate. Well, this seems to be a bland choice for a favorite place in Delhi. But there are reasons. We never planned for our India gate trip and never went for it in daylight. It has always been a spontaneous decision and there can be any reason for that- even a long queue in mess! We normally used to start at around 9 PM and then would have our Dinner in one of the Dhabas on the highway where Pandeyji always had that extra butter Naan;) And the earliest we would reach India Gate was 12:00, midnight. First thing that we would do was to have “Chuski” in “Kaala-Khatta” flavor. And mind you, you will have to wait for at least 10 minutes before your order gets served. And yes, I’m talking about midnight only. That’s the kind of rush there at that hour! And it used to be more fun if the temperature was anything less than five degrees☺ That generally was followed by photo sessions (and especially the RDB pose on Kakke’s demand). We would roam around for next few hours having our coffee and doing all the bakar possible until someone shouts: “Oye, subah 8:30 baje presentation hai!” But by that time it was already 2 AM and we had not done anything at all on our presentation;) But that was the time when we were allowed to be careless and even if we were not: We didn’t care.

Ah! Those were the days. Anyway, I don’t want to start again on how much I’m missing those days but I’m definitely missing “Dilli ki sardi” here in Bangalore.

To Ganesh Yadav

It’s now more than 13 years since I left my hometown in search of my destiny. OK I know it’s a very heavy statement. So let me re-frame it: Its now more than 13 years since my parents kicked me out to go and do something in life. Well, since then, whenever I get an opportunity to visit my hometown, I get excited and impatient (which happens to every person who’s away from his/her home). And I got an opportunity to go to my hometown for this Diwali.

So, as excited as a kid, on the date of my departure, I went to the airport, picturing 567th time all the fun I’m going to have on this trip. So when I reached the counter to collect my boarding pass, the lady at the Kingfisher reception told me : “Sir, we have an offer for you”. I thought, I’ve got an upgrade and maybe it’s my turn, finally, to travel in Business class. I asked: “Yes?” She replied: “Can you travel to Mumbai tomorrow?” I was speechless and asked her again: “What!!?” She repeated the same thing. I said “Hello!!, I got a connecting train to my hometown”. Then she gave me all the good reasons (engine failure, festival rush, no backup etc) which reminded me of a perfect CRM case study!! Well, as we have been taught, I tried to be reasonable (did I mention that she was hot?). I said you get me to the nearest airport because Mumbai is not my destination. Then after sometime, she came with two boarding passes and told me: “Sir, you can go to Indore tomorrow via Delhi ”. And then, I reached my hometown after traveling over 3500 kms in around 12 hours!

During my lengthy journey, I kept reading some newspapers and magazines available at the airport. They did not have anything new to offer. It was the same crap: 2G, CWG and Adarsh Society. I was thinking that "Is Congress back to its basics?” but by the evening I read somewhere about Land scams in Karnataka under BJP government. So now, that gives Congress leverage over BJP. But where is the common man here? What about us? In the politics, its not that two wrongs make a right but it’s that every wrong is a right!!

When you read so much of depressing nonsense continuously, you yourself become a bit disappointed. What is happening in my country? What is the solution of all this mess? Should we shoot all the politicians and bureaucrats?

All these thoughts were occupying my mind space when I took a Cab outside Indore Airport. As usual, being a talker, I started a conversation with the driver. My nostalgia made me ask him more about the state of Indore. He kept on telling me how Indore has changed and how his own life has changed. He told me that 5 years back he was just a ticket conductor in one of the private buses in Indore but now he himself owns a Cab worth Rs. 8 Lakh. I was amazed and asked him: “How?” Then he told me a little more about his financial condition 5 years back. He was a poor fellow and the only one to feed 8 stomachs! But he made sure that he gives his children proper education. One of his sons is working in one of the MNC’s in Noida and because of this, he has taken a loan to have his own vehicle. Then he told me about how beautiful is the future of Indore and India. I was literally overwhelmed. Finally, I asked him his name. He said: “Ganesh Yadav”.

After talking to him for 30 minutes, all those depressing thoughts just evaporated within a flash. I know I just happened to meet him after reading all that BS but still he helped boosting my confidence. On one hand we have those buggers and on the other hand we have this Gentleman who is trying his best to make his family and, in turn, his country prouder and stronger. I understood that its people like him who make India a force to reckon with! We don’t need to worry about those crooks who will be there but we always have these Ganesh Yadav’s to save the day! This is the real spirit of India which stands unscathed despite a few cuts on its body. Hats off to you Mr. Ganesh Yadav and all those people like you who make India. Real India.

P.S.: As I write this blog, one other Yadav, who made one of the most beautiful states of India poorest and a laughing stock, has been made to eat dust by the people. A stern warning to others of his league! I just wish that the state returns to its past glory and then it puts an end to all the brain drain!

Chhoti-Chhoti Baatein

Only if you dream big, you can achieve big. Do only one thing but do it greatly.

And then there are many sayings which urge you to put all your energies around so called “big” or “great” things. How many of us do that in reality? We all have to agree that bigger moments are so few and smaller moments are so many!

I have learned over time that life defines itself in many smaller things. I’m sure we all have had our own bigger moments but is our life only about those few moments? What about all those other million smaller moments which helped us to become what we are today? I would say our bigger moments are those curves which we took on our journey called life but our smaller moments are those which let us reach those life-defining curves.

Before reaching a seat in one of the engineering colleges, we had to pass so many smaller tests. I remember the euphoria (momentary though) after beating all my friends in Math test caused me so many times to forget about that engineering seat! That one test, on the way to engineering seat, was a very small moment in comparison to what I was aspiring for but still that euphoria is something I’ll never forget! And I’m sure my friends got the similar feeling when they beat me in all the other subjects;)

Same with my MBA seat as well. When I was in Pune and preparing for my MBA, I used to give full-length tests with “youth-icon” Chunnu. We always had that healthy competition of outsmarting each other. My arguments and all the teasing with him are more memorable than the offer letter which I received to join an MBA college!

You can easily decide which is more important:

Paying for the family dinner at a restaurant for the first time or your current take home? Buying Nokia 1100 from your first salary or buying iPhone now? Someone’s name appearing on the mobile screen or actually talking to her?

Smaller moments make our life meaningful. Life is more beautiful in those smaller moments. Cheers to all those chhoti-chhoti baatein:)

From here and there..

I don’t have any title for this post. There are so many things going on in my mind nowadays, that dedicating my post to any one of them would be an injustice to the others and I also cant write about them one by one as I’ll be less on motivation to write on them as the time passes. So here are few thoughts occupying my mind space from last few days:

First one of course is Ayodhya verdict. Do I even care about it? No. Am I going to ever visit that place (unless accompanying my parents)? No. But still it made me nervous for good(?) 2-3 days. The reason behind that is same as that of any common Indian. Whole time I was praying to the poster of Lord Rama (and I’m content with that fragile poster of Him on my wall) that please give good senses to all the “concerned” parties. Those horror stories of that bloody ’92-‘93 winter are enough for us. And see, He listened to me and many more who wanted peace. Who wanted to move on. Who have more concerning issues in their life than a religious structure. Who are trying day in and day out for the betterment of their families and themselves. Who want to do their little bit to lift those 55% (according to the latest UN report) out of poverty. Who want to contribute in their own way to this great country. Who don’t want to hurt the 8% growth story. And finally, those who don’t want street violence by fanatics ignorant of the teachings of the religion they claim to champion the cause of. Thankfully, this is new India. A matured India.

One other God is also blessing everyone. Sachin helped India decimating the Aussies!! Giving Ponting a punch on his face. An achievement to celebrate. More so for people like me who watched 3-0 whitewash in ’99-00. But as I said, its new India. Everywhere.

CWG. Ah.. Well it was one thing I was waiting for from last so many years. More so after watching the Beijing 2008. But it seems that there are still some crooks that we need to deal with to make our Country a true superpower. Though the opening ceremony helped in soothing the unease but still we’ll not forget your contribution Mr K. And finally, stupendous show by the Indian sportspersons came as an elixir of relief. Looking at the dismal infrastructure of our country, they must really be a motivated lot to play for their country. They are the actual celebrities. Coming against all the odds and winning all over! Bravo!! Kudos!!

Then Bigb got national award for his performance in Paa. Whenever I think that maybe this is his best performance, he proves me wrong by coming up with another one! Waiting for many more riveting ones in the future. And there are murmurs that Aamir bhai is going to start reading scripts from November:)

And finally, its festival time!! Going home for a week for Diwali. Its after 4.5 months that I’m going home. Diwali has always been one of the favorite festivals but this Diwali is really special. Very special☺

When We Went Biking!!

When Pandeyji flew down (with little help from Jet Airways) from Kolkata last weekend to grace Bangalore with “their” (I’ll be doomed if I dare use “his” with Pandeyji) majestic presence, we, along with Ankur, had a little reunion of our own. Though we were not even half of our esteemed and infamous (of course!) group, but still we managed to have our own good time. We tried to re-live as much of those golden 21 months as possible. Then only I decided that I’ll write more about my IMT exploits in my blog. And here is one of the bestest trip we had!!


“McLeodganj or Kasauli?” asked Himanshu. “I’m OK with anywhere” I replied. “Then Kasauli it is and we start at 2:30 am and we have 3 hours to pack our bags” declared Himanshu. But after sometime I asked a question: “ How far is Nainital from here?” “Almost the same- around 300km”. “Then why don’t we go to Nainital?” “Hmm..Lets go to Nainital” said everyone.

Whole summer of 2009 (when we all were doing our summer internship), we planned for a bike trip to Laddakh. We had decided that we’d go just after our summer internship’s internal viva. But we needed around a week off (or bunk) from the college which was not possible and so our Laddakh plan remained only a plan. To cover up for the Laddakh trip, we decided to go on a shorter trip and finally (after much deliberation), Nainital was the place finalized.

We started at around 2:45 in the morning for Nainital. 4 bikes. 7 enthusiasts. It was decided that we’d take a break after every 50-60km of drive. The national highway there is so good that you wont believe that you are driving on the roads of a state that is always amongst the states lacking infrastructure standards in the country. But the best stretch is 70-80 km drive from Rampur to Haldwani. It’s so beautiful that it can give tough competition to all those picturesque songs of Bollywood shot in Europe! And then from Haldwani, its 50km curvy drive on the mountains. It’s more fun to drive on the mountainous-curvy roads than on the silky highways!

We reached Nainital at around 12:30 PM. Took a hotel and got ready for a walk on the Mall road (why every hill station has a Mall road?). Did some boating in the "Tal” from which city got its name. Visited Naina devi’s temple and Gurudwara. Went to sleep early as we had not slept in last 40 hours.

So you are thinking what a boring description I’m giving of this trip? Well, the fun starts now. Few of the super-hits of that trip are as follows:

➢ I woke up next morning when Kakke kept banging the door: “Sharma, oye sharma, darwaza toh khol pra” Main bola:“ki hoya?”. Kakke bola” chal mall road ghoom ke aate hai subah-subah”. Maine kaha ”chal nikal yaha se, maine nahi jaana, neend aa rahi hai”.I slept again. But just after 30 minutes, again a bang on my door. I started abusing before even opening the door. It was kakke only, as expected. Before I could say anything, he said “chal oye, poori road wich soni-soni kudiyaan hai”. That was enough to wake me up. We took Himanshu with us and roamed for around 1 hour but could not see a single (single) girl. Whole time kakke spent defending himself. Till this day, he maintains that he saw those beautiful girls and that we are “manhoos”.

➢ I was discussing with Ankit (Kakke’s roomie) that since how long he has been driving a bike. He said from only last 2 months. I left the topic there only. After few hours, when we stopped at a Dhaba, during our return journey, I started teasing Kakke that he and Ankit are partners (you know those article 377 types). Kakke kept denying and , obviously, abusing me. But I said Ankit has told me the same. Kakke said “Bula ussko aur abhi pooch mere saamne”. I called Ankit and asked “oye, tune kab shuru kiya?” Ankit said very enthusiastically” arre abhi 2 maheene hi huye hai”. And then you can guess what happened with Ankit;)

➢ Harsh was the pillion and I was driving. The speed was almost 90Kmph. I asked Harsh something but he did not reply. I asked him again but no answer this time as well. I slowed down the speed and asked again. Then I panicked and shouted fourth time and brought the speed to 20kmph. Then Harsh said “ Haan bol”. I asked him if he slept or what. He said no. Well, this “no” was coming from a guy who got the title of “Sleeping beauty of the class” during awards night. I stopped the bike and asked him again “sahi bol”. He said” I was thinking that we are going round and round and round while driving a bike”. I said “saale, tu so gaya tha aur ye tera sapna tha”. Well, he still argues that he didn’t sleep but there’s no taker of his argument. During the remaining journey, I kept asking him something every now and then just to avoid any further occurrence of the same. Imagine your pillion sleeping when bike is at 90kmph!

➢ This one is the hit of the trip. Pandeyji “were” driving Enticer with no pillion. As I mentioned earlier, It was decided that we’ll stop after every 50-60km. But God knows what happened, Pandeyji decided to have some other plans. “They” did not stop anywhere for almost 100kms and that left everyone surprised and tensed. As Pandeyji had not crossed anyone and “they” “were” no where to be seen. We all were worried. Especially Teju, who did not know to drive a bike and was a pillion for the whole trip of about 650kms. He was sitting behind Himanshu and Himanshu had to stop when Teju said “ Bhai ab main aur nahi baith sakta, dukaan ki haalat kharaab hai, rok le ab rest karte hai. Lets wait for Pandeyji here only”. So, we all were waiting for Pandeyji to arrive. And finally, “they” did arrive. Kakke was standing next to me when Pandeyji “were” taking off the helmet. I think, Pandeyji sensed the mood of the public (everyone was ready to shout at Pandeyji), and the expressions which came on the face of Pandeyji can give all the actors a run for their money. And then came the best dialogue of the trip from Kakke “ Ye issne banayee bechaaro type shakal taaki koi chillaye na iss pe”. It was so fitting!

There are many more that I can write. For example, when Ankit said he has dropped one of his Cameras at the same spot in the lake few years back, Harsh trying to get the bike (with full speed) off the stand when there was a big brick below the rear tyre and above all: Kakke did not smile in single pic!

This trip is one of those things I can’t thank IMT enough for. Well, if there’s any of my hit (was it?), you can write that in the comment.

I Have Dreams

Disclaimer: I’m not inspired by MLK’s historic speech to write this blog.

You can name any number of people or things if someone asks you “What’s closest to you?” Few names quickly come to our mind. Of people. Of our possessions. Of our achievements. But I believe the closest thing to you is your Dreams. Aren’t they?

Dreams are personal. Very personal. I mean, how many people are there with whom we can share all our dreams? There is always one or two which we won’t share with anyone. Dreams are reflections of our fantasies, our wishes, things that we cannot achieve and things which we can achieve and will achieve in future. There’s no confined spectrum for dreams. And that’s the best thing about dreams. We can let our imagination to fly high in those moments when its only us and our dreams. Some of my favorite dreams over the years are:

• First on the list is the one where I’m the best batsman of the history and have scored a triple century in ODI’s and broken Lara’s record of 501 in first-class cricket at least 10 times (most of them against Pakistan). I can bowl as well. Have taken all 10 wickets many times (who’s Kumble btw?). I’m the best fielder and have ran-out batmen from the boundary after directly hitting the stumps. I don’t endorse carbonated drinks (as in reality also I don’t like them..burp…). I use my position to make people donate for different social causes. I have an opinion about everything and I don’t play diplomatic about them. I’m the one who lashes out at media for its silliness. And yeah, people listen to me.

• Second on the list is of a politician. I’m the most admired personality in the country. I take decisions. Tough ones. I’ve jailed all the crooks practicing the politics of fear (religion, region, caste). I’ve solved most of the problems my country is facing (Kashmir, poverty, terrorism, Maoism, Pakistan and to an extent China). Have taken India on the path of prosperity. Now, the Americans dream of going on an Indian onsite assignment. India is the best country in the world.

• Third on the list is the greatest movie director ever. I have directed many blockbusters. Top actors can give their right hand to act in my movie. And I occasionally act to bag all the awards.

And the list goes on. Our dreams are caricatures of what we wanted to achieve, what we want to achieve and what changes we want around us. Some of those represent spark that was never converted into a wildfire. Barring the politician one, the remaining two are those that had some spark. I played cricket at district level and have written, directed and acted in several plays. Hey you IMTians, you are witness to my portrayal of frustrated customer and top militant (I still have those 50+ chits of compliments with me as souvenir..hehe).

The most fascinating characteristic of our dreams is that they allow us to change the unwanted endings of some realities. Obviously, not everything has happened the way we wanted it to. For those few moments only, we live our 'un-lived' dreams. Of course, we are living many of our other dreams and some of those are the ones that others (parents, friends etc) wanted us to live.

Today, I’ve those things of which I dreamed some day. In that sense, I’m living my dreams. And then there are some dreams that I’ll live in coming days. But there are some unfulfilled (impractical?) ones that became nightmares but are softer now with time. And we all make our compromises. Or say accept the reality?

DCH. Again!

“One more birthday gift for you is that we are allowing you to take us to an Aamir movie as a treat to us”, said one of my friends. I couldn’t have agreed more. It was my last birthday as a teenager when I suggested that I’d take all my friends to the next Aamir movie as my birthday treat. It was really a rare occasion as it was the second Aamir movie in just 2 months. The first movie was India’s official entry to academy awards that year and the second one was officially the best movie on friendship ever.

I went to the movie because of Aamir. And I dragged all my friends as well. They started teasing me when first 10 minutes showed that gloomy atmosphere of hospital and all. But now when I see their profile on Orkut and FB, DCH is their favorite movie;)

Today I watched it again. I was prompted (or provoked) to watch it on this weekend when one of my friends told me day before yesterday that he’s going to watch DCH. I thought how come he’s watching DCH without it being in my “to-do” list? So I watched it, again.

When I went with my friends to watch it for the first time, the reason we liked it was that every one of us was able to relate to one of the characters out of 3 leads. As it is said that you like a movie more if you are able to relate to it. It was exactly that kind of movie. It was about that one relationship which I keep at the highest pedestal above all the other relationships. It was about friendship and then, of course, love.

There have many mails floating around since then about the learning’s from DCH. I would say that the movie just highlighted the facts. Some of them that I liked the most are:

• Whatever kind of creature you are, reserved or confused or careless. You need friends. All three leads here.
• Best friends are those who make life hell for you but you know that they love you the most. Aamir with Saif all the time. This one is especially for my friends;)
• There’s a line, which should not be crossed even with best friends. Aamir does that with Akshay.
• You can fall in love with anyone. Yes, anyone. One of the best scenes of the movie is the one where Akshay slaps Aamir and gives some gyan about love. Awesome and so true!
• Its never too late to make up with your friends. You can give your ego a break. It can be massaged with so many other people you have in your life but not with friends. Aamir’s apology to Akshay. Bestest!!!!

Not many movies are there that leaves such an impact on you. DCH is that rare one. It says so many complex things in such an entertaining manner. DCH is one of the ways in which go back to be with my friends again. To hell with the fact that I don’t see them regularly anymore!

Good Decisions. Bad Decisions.

“…and the only thing that sets apart great leaders from others is their ability to take good decisions”, said one of my professors before ending his class. We have heard this so many times before as well. But I have my own take on this saying. I will say it’s the ability to take decisions rather than end result of that decision, proving good or bad, which is important. Of course, not all of us are born to become great leaders but all of us are born to take at least those decisions that affect us, if not the humanity.

We all have, at some point in our life; have faced tough situations that demanded a tough decision from us. And I have felt that in those moments of indecision, I have panicked a lot. What if my decision goes wrong?

Today, as anyone else can, I can very well analyze those decisions and start thinking that I should have done that thing differently or I should not have taken that decision. Yeah, some decisions did not work as expected. But I have the satisfaction of taking those decisions on my own to the best of my knowledge at that time. I chose something that was best for me at that particular time of my life. I have seen that many of the decisions have turned out to be brilliant and I don’t rue the ones which did not go well. And many of my decisions have actually carved a path for me for which I can only thank my stars. The important thing here is that I stand by every decision (good or bad) of mine even after years of taking them. Because, I feel if we regret our decisions, we are actually trying to escape from ourselves and are ashamed of some part of our own.

Life is more fulfilling if we know that everything that has happened, is happening and will happen to us because we wanted it that way. It’s just like giving a script to the God, who is the ultimate director, and waiting to watch a blockbuster in the end. But I think a below average and flop performance also has something in it: Learning. And anyway, I believe in not recognizing failures.

P.S.: Someone sent me a message few years back: “Be very careful about what you want from God, You may get it”. Hmm..interesting;)

(In)Justice: Delivered

Apart from Math, History is one subject that has always fascinated me. Though both the subjects are as different as chalk and cheese. In one everything can be proved and in other everything you have to believe. And wherever belief is concerned, you tend to believe more a first hand account. But how many first hand accounts of events of historic importance are there? I think you can go back only till partition. I’ve heard few of my Punjabi uncles narrating the series of tragic events that took place in the winter of ’47. Horrific as they are, there is one more disaster of which I have heard from the people directly involved in that. Actually I was also involved in that but I was a kid of only 2 years at that time. Yes, I’m talking about Bhopal Gas leak accident.

My mom’s family belongs to Bhopal and on that fateful night of 2nd and 3rd December 1984, we all were in Bhopal because of my Uncle’s marriage. It was around 1:30 in the night that people started smelling something in the air. At first, it felt like it’s an LPG gas leak but when all the cylinders (around 10-12 in number because of the marriage) were checked 2-3 times and the smell getting more discomforting, that people started guessing. And then by the dawn, the news spread faster than the gas in the air.

There was a poisonous gas that leaked from the premises of Union Carbide’s plant in old city. There were reports that initially said that the gas has only caused people to vomit and made their eyes red/swollen and no casualty was there. Newspapers were not allowed to give the actual number because it could cause the panic. But to hell with that, people got the actual numbers: more than 20,000 dead and over a lakh having serious problems. But these still are official figures. Rest you can guess. In the morning, families running away from the Gas plant as far as possible were the only sites.

We were lucky that we were living at a place that was 15 km away from the gas plant. And we feel lucky every time such an incident happens and none of “our” people has been harmed. But this incident left an indelible mark on public’s mind space. And yes there were more visible ones as well. The next generation of the families living in the vicinity of the plant has also been crippled. And many have died a silent death, in the coming years, which never got counted in that initial figure.

This week came the “justice” to the families of victims. It took 26 good years to establish the responsibility for this worst industrial disaster in the history of mankind. And wow! The convicts were given 2 years of imprisonment and 1.7 lakh Rs fine for causing death due to “negligence”. All the convicts got bail just after their sentencing as well. If we needed any more proof of mockery of justice in India, this was it.

Now, the media would scrutinize the case and we will see a lot of charges and counter charges of government’s impotency at that time (it has already started as I post this blog). But nothing will come out of this for sure.

I have always believed that more than and sooner than any other reforms, we need judicial reforms in our country. If you look at any problem of India, the bottom line is that the offenders know that first they wont be caught and if they are caught they wont be persecuted and in case they are persecuted they would have died comfortably by then. Though we know that they would rot in hell for sure but we want them to rot in prison here on earth. This whole system here is so “Justice proof” that Warren Anderson was openly allowed to run away (of course he bribed the people who were supposed to persecute him and US pressurized Indian government).

There have been so many instances of criminals being left scot free because of delay in Indian legal process. But we can’t blame judiciary for this whole mess. I read somewhere that it would take 350 years to complete all the cases pending in courts across the country. What we need is judicial reforms. We need to increase the number of judges and courts (actually we need to double them according to one report), we need to change some archaic laws (the recent verdict is a result of that only) and introduce some new and better laws. We all have witnessed what can happen with judicial activism (Few years back, Veerappan kidnapped Kannada superstar Rajkumar and asked for release of around 120 criminals and the Karnataka government actually gave orders for their release but SC came into the picture and spoiled Veerappan’s party).

Politicians here are never going to go aggressively for judicial reforms, as they know that they would be the first casualties of those reforms. But I believe that pressure from public can really make them act. And media has a big role to play here. If we can have justice delivered in Kasab’s case within a year, why not in all those other million cases?

May the souls of the deceased in Bhopal gas leak rest in peace.

When one ends, Another begins

Just after my convocation, I thought what am I going to do next two and a half months? I made a “to-do list”. It involved visiting new places, re-visiting few places, and doing things I never had time for. I thought this is a great opportunity to explore many things. I mean, when am I going to get 2.5 months break next? Maybe, at least, after 30 years when I’ll retire.

So my trips included Vaishno Devi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Amritsar, Bhilai, Pune and Mumbai. And the best adventure that I had was 16Km rafting in the waters of Ganges in Rishikesh and the Wagah border in Amritsar can really make you feel the pain of partition! More on this some other time but in no language can one describe what you feel inside Jalianwala Bagh.

I really was successful in getting reconnected to my roots. There’s a wonderful ad, sponsored by MP tourism, which has a punch line “Hindustan ka dil dekho”. I have seen that ad sitting in every corner of the country. So I thought I should visit (and re-visit) all those wonderful places. But plans are seldom put properly into action. How shameful it is for people like me who proudly claim to have explored so many parts of India and look forward to make the same claim for the world but have seen little of their own state! I was thinking from a long time to write (or boast) about my hometown. So I’ll do this now.

This time, I surely explored many aspects of my City: Hoshangabad. A small town on the southern bank of river Narmada, 70 Km away from Bhopal. A typical small Indian town where you know most of the people living in your colony. There are many things my city can boast of. Some I knew: it has the only hill station (Pachmarhi) of MP, rock paintings (at Bhim Batheka) dating 9000 years back are here (if you open Wiki and search for India, “Bhim-Batheka” is used to show the life of Indian civilization) and river Narmada is in its widest (650-700 meters!), deepest (300-400 feet) and cleanest form here.

And there are some really astonishing facts that I didn’t know: farmland here is at least 3 times costlier than the rates else where in the whole state! I can guess the reason for that. No shortage of water (Thanks to Narmada) and for underground water, you need to bore only 30 feet. Power cut also is just 2-3 hours as compared to 9-10 hours in many parts of the state during summer. This has actually put my plan of buying farmland and growing mangoes on hold for some more timeL The land here is so fertile that I have heard that farmers from other states have bought land. As a matter of fact, the district stood first in per hectare wheat production in the whole country this year (it produced 45 Quintal per hectare and the distant second was one Punjab district with 38 Quintal per hectare). Though these figures are just numbers for me as I don’t know what this whole thing means other than that this is a good news for farmers here and truly a unique feat.

Enough now. To know more, visit Hoshangabad which is well connected to every part of the country.

Come June 14 and I’ll again become part of the corporate world. And now there’s no escape for me. Earlier, during all those working years, every task I used to take half-heartedly as I always had one thought in the back of mind: “Abhi kar lo ye kaam, maine toh jaldi hi MBA karne nikal jaana hai”. But now, no space for such thoughts. Now I’ve to work but with how much percentage of heart, I’ll know in few days. So embarking upon a new journey very soon. Away from the comforts of home. The breakfasts, lunches and dinners will again be felt like a task. No more sleeps without alarm.

One journey ends and another begins…..

PS 1: The coincidence is that it was FIFA world cup when I joined a company last time and this time too its FIFA world cup!

PS 2: The opening scene of recent release “Raajniti” is Hoshangabad’s Narmada Ghat.

Few snaps of Narmada are attached.

To Sampooran Singh Kalra

Dear Sampooran Singh Kalraji,

Sat Sri Akal!

Nobody has got any problem with why you have changed your name or why you are always seen in a white kurta-pajama only or why you don’t appear as the judge in reality shows or why you are so bad at socializing or why you have not changed with time (and that means not having “commercialized” your writings to the demands).

The problem is with what you write. I mean why can’t you write in simple language using simple words? When others say “chaand ki choodiya” then you say “chaand ka gubbara”, when others say “baag mein ek phool khila hai” then you say “chaddi pahen ke phool khila hai”, when others say “zameen par kadamo ke nishaan” then you say “main hawa pe dhoondho uske nishan” and many more examples are there which I cant include in my tiny blog. And by the way, is it possible to say to any girl that “teri kamar ke bal se, nadi muda karti hai”? Any girl with an iota of self-esteem will slap her lover thinking that he believes that she’s so gigantic that she can even guide the river path!

Why it always has to be so abstract that people have to listen carefully at least 3-4 times before they understand what is written. Only if they understand. And what’s with this excessive love for moon that people have started calling you “Moon man”? Every other song you write has a direct or indirect reference to moon. Yeah we know that moon traditionally has a big role in romantic Indian tales but wouldn’t it be simpler to tell a girl that you look like a “chaand ka tukda” rather than saying something that you have to spend next 10 minutes explaining the meaning of?

Indians can boast of having read/heard great poets from Kabir to the recent crop of “commercial” writers. Many poets here started with a great promise but later succumbed to the demands of producer/director and ended making themselves a poor shadow of their past. But from “Mora gora ang le le” to “Dil to bachcha hai jee”, you have been able to hold on to signature style. You think you are so brave. Don’t you?

I think you should have been banned just after your first few writings only so that the next generations would have been spared from the unnecessary mental exercise. Your poetry starts with a liking and then become an obsession that makes people to refuse to accept anything lesser than your standards. And then there are people like me who say that we like your poetry so that we would sound offbeat and the ones who have a liking for something really different and incomprehensible for common man. The other reason is to impress the girls who think that we are so sensitive and as you know, poetry is one of the ways to win that special one!

Gulzar sa’ab, I just have one request. Please keep writing. And one wish. Would like to have a drink with you someday.

This one is from your self-confessed “chela” and my senior:

Zarre-zarre mein usi ka noor hai,
Jhaank khud mein, wo na tujhse door hai,
Ishq hai uss se toh sab se ishq kar,
Iss ibaadat ka yahi dastoor hai,
Isme-usme aur usme hai wahi,
Yaar mera har taraf bharpoor hai

Jiya Jale-Jaan Jale

Well, Gulzar sa’ab wrote these lines to evoke some other emotions in us but I’m using this title because I’m evoked by the weather to write this blog. The mercury has gone north wildly making life really terrible!
The last time I spent summer in my hometown was way back in 1997 when I’d just given the exams of my 10th grade. And I must say that was the last time I enjoyed the summer.
Then….
Morning: The day started at 5 when we used to wake up without any alarm to go to cricket ground. Playing 3-4 matches and sweating around was our way of saying good morning to the world. And yes, none of us has eaten anything yet.
Late morning to Noon: After 3 hours of cricket, a glass of milk to soothe the anger of my mom. It was now time for some swimming in Narmada for 3-4 hours. There was a special way in which we used to swim. We would go 150-200 meters upstream through the sidewalk and then jump from there and swim downstream with the flow. We would do this for at least 8-10 times!
Afternoon: There was a very beautiful park in our colony that was the ideal place for spending the whole afternoon. Carom and cards were the games, which we played in the park which involved heated discussions over the strategies for the inter-colony cricket match in the evening. Juices, sodas and ice creams were so much fun during the afternoons.
Evening: Again, 2-2.5 hours of cricket. But the evening cricket was competitive and it involved money. One match could have anything between 20 to 100 Rs riding on it. And if we won, we would go for “pani-puris” and “bhel-puris” to celebrate our victory!
Night to midnight: It was the badminton time in the night. And this was something about which every guy used to think the whole day in the back of his mind as this was that part of the day which involved spending time with gals;) Its so funny that we thought that a perfect back-hand shot would impress the gals! And hey, it sure did most of the times;)
From 5 in the morning to midnight, those were the days when we didn’t even know the word “exhaustion”. And this was the routine for more than 2 months.
And now…
I wake up every morning at 7 not because I’ve something to do or somewhere to go but because its time for scheduled power cut and I can’t sleep anymore. Then I spend next few hours deciding whether to go to Narmada for swimming or not. I go for swimming anyway, once or twice a week. I spend whole afternoon watching movies or IMT videos or FRIENDS on my Macbook . If someone’s keeping the score, I just completed all 10 seasons of Friends again (even I don’t remember the number of times I’ve watched it completely and of course Chandler is my favorite). I don’t even step out of my home the whole day. It’s only in newspaper that I read how hot it was yesterday. Only worthy thing I do in whole day is the after dinner walk with Tanu (my childhood buddy). And what’s amazing is that I don’t think even once about my new job and the new place I’m going to in few weeks! I anyway go to a new place to restart everything every two years.
Aren’t our days supposed to be more productive and meaningful, as we grow older? But it’s the other way round for me. And I’m sure it is not this way only for me but for many of us. Not only just summers but everything was different during our childhood. The “Jiya Jale, Jaan Jale” is not only because of weather. It’s also because of the way the whole meaning of summer has got changed. It used to be my favorite season once but now I wish everyday that Sun god get some beating from rain god soon.
Anyway, I got a chance to make my summer memorable but that was not to be that way and now I’ll surely make my winter memorable.

PS- Barely 4 months back, I was enjoying the snowfall in Manali and now I'm enjoying(?) summers! But the following video always comes to my rescue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SFc6krPl7o

Sailing Ships

“OK, so we’ll start for Mumbai at 2 tomorrow but let me go now as it’s 2 in the morning”, said Ajit looking at his watch with a yawn. “Baith na be, kaa karoge abhi jaake”, protested Chunnu in his perfect Bihari accent. “Haan yaar, kitne saalon ke baad toh humari mehfil jami hai”, I said agreeing with Chunnu. Then Ajit said, “ Saalo, I’m married now, not like earlier when I could stay at your flat anytime of the day”, looking at me. After Ajit’s reply, the looks on our faces confirmed our sudden realization of the “changes” which have taken places in our lives.

This reunion took place last week when I, finally, went to Pune. During my return journey of 12 hours, I was thinking about how the time has changed since I first met these two idiots.

It was July 2004 when we three met in Bangalore, where we all were working for Career Forum, and then formed the famous “Bangalore gang”. We all had only one reason for being there in CF: MBA. We started with usual discussions over complex Math problems and then gradually moved on to almost every topic of the world. We clicked from the moment we met each other. I think that’s what happens in friendships. More so in great ones.

Chunnu. The six-feet-two-inches tall proud Bihari. Self-proclaimed youth-icon. Our first meeting was on a funny note when he called me at half an hour past midnight asking the address of CF guesthouse in Bangalore. ”. I was very annoyed by this “newcomer” to the Bangalore team because he disturbed only me, out of 6-7 people in the guesthouse, in the middle of my sleep. The funny part was that he was searching “49, 12th cross” from almost an hour when the real address was “94, 12th cross. Well, he still accuses our then CF boss for intentionally giving him the wrong address. Though he was not the first Bihari I met but he was the first one with whom I became friend. After seeing him, I said to the God: “Isko 2 inch kam karke mujhe 5’ 8” kar dete toh third world war nahi ho jaata”. Hehe. Since then, he has been at the receiving end of my pranks (You know, I’m not exactly sorry for round of the millennium. You deserved that, as that was the revenge of you know what). He is the most sensitive person of us three and the most street smart. You ought to take him along while going for either shopping or apartment search or anything where you need to get a better deal. Because of him only I’ve seen many crap movies for which actually I ended up paying most of the times (And now he asks for the bills for reimbursement!). His advices may or may not be correct but he’ll have a justification for his every point (though I may not believe and follow all those). I started cracking Bihari jokes on him from the initial days only and followed them up with MNS onesJ. He has also never left any chance of teasing me. He actually believes that my ancestors’ wrong doings are responsible for today’s quota, on the basis of caste, problem! And he teases me of being a fan of Aamir and Sachin because I’ve something in common with them-My height! But then I like Big B as well bro. This guy has, at every moment, taunted me with anti-brahmin and Ajit with anti-marathi comments. But the best part is that now he’s going to marry a “Marathi-brahmin” girl. Ironic! Isn’t it?

Ajit. Or Budhdha, as we call him lovingly. Don’t confuse with “Buddha” of Lord Buddha. He is “Budhdha” or “Buzurg-vaar” or an old man.Amcha “Marathi-manoos”.A man with always a smile on his face. Our friendship also started on a funny note when I tried to flirt with the only student he liked in Bangalore. And that too after my declaration that “dosti ke beech ladki nahi aani chahiye”. But that’s the shameless me for you;) And since then, he has told everyone about that incident with his own exaggerated version which ended making people believe that I’m the only guy who has ever flirted with a girl your friend had a “crush” on! Anyway, We started calling him Budhdha because of his grey hair. But later on, that tag suited him the best, as he is the wisest amongst three of us. A man of wisdom. A man whom I’ll call if I’ve to decide on something as I’ve done so many times earlier as well.Not to say that I possess wisdom as well but we both agree on almost every thing (and the perfect example of that was our agreement recently on the way I have handled the only issue of my life over last few years). Our discussions usually lasts 4-5 hours. We literally have talked whole nights many times. I still can’t forget our lengthy discussion on the deck when we, along with Chunnu in pure DCH style, went to Goa. He’s the official “late-lateef” of the lot. Never count on him if you’ve to catch a flight. People can actually testify for his habit of making people wait. I once almost lost my job as I lied for him when he woke up at 8:15 for an 8 ‘o clock lecture that day in Bangalore! But that was not the only time he did that. He has a knack for Hollywood entry:) And there are no chances of any improvement in him now as he has got a very caring wife who makes sure that he is not in trouble!

These two and few more, people because of whom I had to raise the bar of great friendship. Or I understood it in a better way. These are those people who have been there during thick and thin. But that’s what friends are for. Aren’t they?

Now, Chunnu is going to States for higher studies (the reason for which I went to Pune in the first place) for a year and I doubt he’ll come back just after one year. Ajit is happily married and well settled in Mumbai. We had our usual “mehfil” at Chunnu’s place last week and we all got sentimental, as we don’t know when is that going to happen again. But Chunnu came up with a fabulous idea of going to Goa againwhen we’ll not be only 3 but 6. Ahem.. Ahem..

I know we all are just a call away from each other but then too our lives have changed. Earlier, we used to have our “discussions” at least two times a week but now the average is once in two years. This whole thing reminds me of a famous DCH scene when Akshay replies to Aamir’s suggestion of coming every year to Goa for a week: “Our lives are like that sailing ship. In few years we all will sail away from each other in search of our own destinies. We are friends and will remain so, but ever thought what if it’s difficult to meet even once in ten years, forget coming to Goa every year”.

I left Pune with a heavy heart filled with satisfaction of seeing the best buddies and a silent prayer to see them again. Soon. Amen.

Saala Apun bhi Manager...

During my engineering days, for one subject I had a project called “Assembler Designing”. Well, how much I designed that assembler is something I don’t want to discuss here. But during that designing process, I asked myself- Do I want to do anything closer to what I’m doing right now? And the answer was a big NO. Then I started exploring of what I can do after my graduation. I came down to three options after a lengthy R & D: M-tech in India, MS in US or MBA anywhere in the world. But the first two were again something that I didn’t have much liking for. Then I met few people who were doing one of the three. And I decided that MBA suits more to my interests. I’ve always been good at Maths. Angrezi bhi theek-thaak thi (Thanks to Ms. Sadi, my english teacher in school). So, within 2 months I went through all the relevant material (syllabus only), magazines like BW, BT etc and then I joined the best coaching institute for MBA entrance exams in Indore. It was 2002.

When I went through all the stuff, I realized that this is something I would love to do. So my pursuit of MBA started from there and finally I got through CAT 2007. In between those 5 years, I had to go through tests and barriers but never did I feel even once that I’m pursuing something I should not. And in the 6th attempt, I finally got enrolled into a college as an MBA student, which was my dream from last so many years.

Last week, I completed my MBA and became officially a Manager. Got a good job too. When I look back at all these years, I realize that the personal resolve to achieve something is vey important. I had my temptations as well: a manager post with a fat salary in one of the leading coaching institutes of India and a 3 year stint in US for a top Indian software company. But I think fat salary and US can wait. Education cannot. There were friends and relatives who gave their unsolicited advices: stick to the job as you are earning good money. What they couldn’t understand was: It’s not about money, honey.

When I received my degree during my convocation, for the first time I felt like achieving something. Because this is what I wanted so desperately. And the presence of my parents with a proud look on their faces and glittering wet eyes made my degree more special. Anything for that look and those eyes.

Will Miss You IMT!!

It was one of the role plays where I was enacting the role of a Don with one of my friends playing the role of my deputy. One other guy, whom we were supposed to rob, had to “act” that he’s beating me and my deputy was supposed to save me from him. But I dont know what the other guy understood (i think the language problem as he’s a mallu) he started beating me seriously. When I got one tight slap, I thought it happened accidentally but the second one confirmed that he’s seriously going to give me few more. I buckled and as my deputy came to save me (not knowing that he too will get it from him) shouting “Bhai pit rela hai, bhai pit rela hai”, I pushed him onto the stage (or what had become a wrestling stage by then). He got some 4-5 slaps and a dragging from the mallu guy. He was astonished, his hair disheveled, and the look of “ What did I do wrong?”. The whole class was laughing at us.

Whenever we remember that day, we laugh like anything. We just need to say “bhai pit rela hai”. My deputy then became my roomie for one year. And, of course, one of the best friends I’ll take from IMT.

This one and many more. I think if I start writing stories, then I’ll need to write a complete book about my life at IMT.

Starting our morning with sleepy eyes, extending the alarm time by 10 minutes 5-6 times, rushing to the mess to grab a piece of bread, reaching the class late, sleeping in the class, then calling proxies and getting caught (I myself got caught thrice!), doing bakar with friends, watching movies on lappy, coffee at 4 a.m., laughing at people studying in library, doing projects and assignments the whole night, partying and dancing all night, our discussions on every thing we can think of, giving global answers during presentations, paranthas at Pahelwan dhaba, midnight chuskis as India Gate, searching for spoon in the mess and so many other unique IMT things!! Again, I cannot write all the things because of paucity of space.

My life at IMT. For the last 21 months, I have always said - “My life at IMT is rocking”. In 10 days time, that “is” is going to become “was”. But boy, what a life I’ve witnessed. And I know that after joining that damn corporate world in couple of months, I’ll give anything to re-live a single day of this life.

But thats what life’s all about. You go to a place, enjoy your time, collect memories and move on. Without asking any questions like “why I’ve to leave? Can’t I spend my whole life here?”. This is the most cruel part of life. Move on. The agony of leaving the ones you have spent some of the best days of your life be damned. Move on. Your job is done here. You got what you wanted. Now, move on.

This is not the first time we all had to do this nor is this the last time. I’ve done it before. And thats why I thought that it won’t be difficult for me to leave this place. But its actually killing me. I don’t want to leave this place. I want to stay here only.

The best thing is that I’m leaving IMT with me being richer than earlier. Friends. Learnings. Memories. Experiences. A better person.

Thank you IMT. Will miss you.