“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”.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
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☺
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☺
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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.
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.
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