Life Is Beautiful

RIP Brittany!

2009-12-21T23:00:00.006+05:30

It was shocking to see this news today morning. Brittany Murphy, the 8 Mile and Clueless star had died. And the saddest part was that it was categorized in the Entertainment category of a news web site. Somebody's death becomes entertainment news for some people. Huhh!!

The first time I ever heard or saw Brittany was in her movie "Just Married". And I loved the movie - and Brittany too. She came across as this bubbly, cheerful character - with a naughty smile that was infectious. I recently saw Sin City, a graphic-novel based movie, in which Brittany played a part of a waitress, Shellie. Although I found the movie a bit confusing, I liked the way Brittany portrayed her character. Sad to see a beautiful person like Brittany leave the world at such a young age. Brittany, you will be missed! RIP.

Disorders of email kind

2009-10-08T22:10:00.003+05:30

It’s confirmed. I am suffering from OCED. OCED? You probably haven’t heard of this disease. Have you?

Never mind. It’s called Obsessive Compulsive Email Disorder. The doctors are sure that I have all the symptoms of OCED. I have demonstrated it umpteenth times in my office. The most common symptoms of this disorder are:

- Getting angry on work-related issues in your office.
- Getting an impulse to shoot an email to the person who deserves your wrath
- High blood pressure
- Typing at high speed without making a single spelling mistake
- Writing a highly volatile mail that can spark fireworks under the recipient's pants
- Typing on the keyboard in a way that terrifies your neighbouring colleagues and sounds like you’re going to pull all the keys out of the keyboard

And when you start demonstrating these symptoms often while at work, you got to be suffering from OCED. Now you’re wondering what did I do to pickup this disorder. Let me tell you an instance.

A few days back I had an argument with a colleague on an issue which I believe was unnecessary and illogical. So she shot a mail telling me what she wanted me to do and worst of all she put other team members in CC when the issue could have been resolved between the two of us. What the hell! I replied to her and added the project manager in the CC list. To my shock, even the PM sided with her. My blood pressure was rising as I thought I couldn’t accept the issue. I shot back and in the heat of the moment dragged the project director into the CC list. And this continued for a while until my mailbox reached size limit and further mails were stuck in the outbox. And we were forced to hold an emergency meeting to resolve the issue.

Such instances keep happening to me quite often and I don’t even blink to shoot a mail to anyone - be it the CEO - when I believe that I am right. So that ‘s why my manager is extra cautious while talking to me. :)

And my teammates? They joke around telling everyone not to take panga with me coz I am suffering from OCED and can drag anyone into an ugly email fight.

Well…the truth is, after I click the Send button, I realize I could be courting deep trouble. And I am fed up with this email business.

Lest I become the first, (in)famous sample of OCED. And doctors around the world start demanding clinical trials on me. I am calling it quits. No more emailing arguments.

What's your favourite moment of the U.S. Open 2009?

2009-09-16T00:23:00.005+05:30

So this year’s U.S. Open is over. What’s your most enduring moment of this U.S. Open? Is it Kim Clijster’s daughter Jada clutching her mother’s trophy in the finals, or Roger Federer’s eye-catching hotdog, through-the-legs winner against Novak? Is it Serena’s controversy-laden outburst at the line referee or the dennis-the-menace act of the new American teenager Melanie Oudin’s who beat 4 Russian players? For me, it was Juan Martin del Potro’s flat-on-the-back celebration after beating both Nadal and Federer back-to-back for the title. I think it was a phenomenal achievement – both mentally and physically. Nobody before has humbled both Nadal and Federer to win a grand slam and do it inside 32 hours. I think this 20-something, 6ft-6-inch guy is a real trailblazer.

Congrats to Juan Martin del Potro for winning the U.S. Open. It’s a special victory for him especially because it’s his first grand slam win and that too against his idol. DelPo has been fantastic throughout the tournament. The way he demolished Nadal on his way to the finals and rose on the occasion to beat Roger in the finals is truly remarkable for a 20-year old. Even though I am a true blue Roger fan, I admire DelPo’s win. It’s a well-deserved one. Besides, more than Roger’s loss, DelPo’s coming of age is a gain for the game of tennis. With DelPo joining the list of talented Murray, Roddick, Djokovic, and Nadal, men’s tennis again looks competitive, more than ever. I am sure we’re going to witness some great rivalry in days to come.

That said, this loss in the U.S. Open doesn’t make Roger Federer any less great. It is obvious that a player of Federer’s caliber is expected to win the moment he steps on the court. He is likened to the once-invincible Australian cricket team. But he is not infallible. He is human too.
To all the critics of Roger, who are rejoicing in Roger’s loss, I just want to remind them that this is the guy who played in 23 out of the last 24 grand slam semis, won 15 of them, and reached his sixth straight U.S. Open finals this year. I can dig out more impressive records to his name. All this is no mean achievement; it speaks of his skill, talent, and amazing fitness level. It’s the mark of a great sportsman. 2009 was a great year for him. He won 2 grand slams this year and came close to winning the third too. Lot of players would be just happy to reach the finals of one.

Roger, however, would be sad that he could not emulate Kim Clijsters – who won the U.S. Open as a working mother – to win his first grand slam as a working father. I hope the grass is still greener on Roger’s side. Allez Roger!!

Talking of Kim, I think she made the mother of all comebacks. It was a win that a lot of working mothers would appreciate and take inspiration from. For Kim Clijsters, I guess, this should be a perfect storybook ending. Coming into her third tournament after a two-year hiatus from tennis that includes getting married and having a baby, Clijster’s beat heavy odds that were against her, before finishing Venus and Serena on her way to the finals. That’s an incredible feat. And to think of it, she was unseeded here. It must be surreal for her. Hats off to Kim!

And before I sign off, I must congratulate Leander Paes for winning the doubles trophy at the U.S. Open. At the age of 36, it must be really tough for a guy to do this again and again. Happy for Leander. You are the Sachin Tendulkar of Indian tennis. Hope you go on and on...

Sidekicks: Btw, I loved Roger’s through-the-legs shot in the semi final against Novak. Amazingly done, he made it look so effortless. I bet it would rank as Roger’s best shot ever.

Jaswant, Jinnah, and the Ghosts of Partition

2009-08-26T00:01:00.004+05:30

I hardly understand why such hullabaloo over India-Pak partition and what the leaders of that time did or undid to make their contributions in the ugly cause. Since Jaswant Singh’s book on Jinnah was released, the whole newspaper is flooded with the issue. And the most surprising thing is that Jaswant Singh wrote the book, BJP expelled him, Gujarat banned the book, and who is celebrating among all this - the Pakistanis. What irony!

Saare ke saare politicians sathiyaan gayein hain. One of the symptoms of old age, I guess. Every day we have somebody or the other coming out of the closet and jumping into give their unsolicited opinion. Kuch kaam dhanda to hai nahi batiyaane ke alawa.

Can’t we leave the past and do something to make our future better? Why are we still grappling with the ghosts of partition? It’s high time we bury our hatchets. Both Pakistanis and Indians should respect their shared past and learn to look at the British era as a fight for freedom in which both Muslims and Hindus participated with equal determination and a shared idea of independence. It’s tragic that politicians still try to rub our wounds of separation, indulge in blame game, and create unnecessary tension between the two communities when we are trying to heal them and move forward. Partition was a necessity that arose because of lack of trust between the two communities. There is no point in discussing who was on the right side and who was on the wrong side. Partition was a shared responsibility; unfortunately it was mishandled by all the stakeholders. And that led to much heart-burns. But it’s time to build bridges, be more sensitive to each other’s feelings, and increase our trustworthiness. That would be the solution to all the problems.

The younger generation doesn’t want to delve into what was the two nation theory or who is credited with dividing the borders. I am sure there would have been strong reasons for partition. Besides, we would rather be more interested in knowing good things about each other – culture, music, education, lifestyle. We have so much in common. Saare Jahaan se Achcha was penned by Allamah Iqbal - the national poet of Pakistan. We speak a common language – Hindustani. We have similar tastes. We share our history. And today's generation - both from Pakistan and India - wants a peaceful coexistence. It’s time our politicians dropped the old baggage and moved forward in sync with the new generation.

Bakwaas Blogger

2009-07-20T22:47:00.003+05:30

Bombay - It’s been more than a year for me in this city. And the journey – though small – has been eventful. I’ve come to love this city – to the extent that when I go home to Delhi – I start missing Bombay. Though living alone in a city like Bombay has its own hazards. For one, my lifestyle has gone for a toss. My life here can be described, at best, as erratic.
And my room? Well..it’s a little untidy and cluttered. Toothbrush lying on the laptop, shoes on the kitchen shelf, books on the pillow, bottles – mind you, water bottles – kept on the window. And ya clothes – some on the chair and some on the door. In short, the whole scene is chaotic once you enter my room.
So yesterday, I decided to clean up all the mess. While setting my books in order, something caught my eye. It was stuffed in a corner – like an unwanted, abandoned, forlorn spirit.
It had dust all over it, and it was decaying. It was a diary. A diary, which was once dear to me until I forgot it existed. The edges had become pale yellow. The colour of the pages was a bungled mix of brown, yellow, and grey. Intertwined with black spots. They look rather like symptoms of skin disease. There was a pen stuck in between the pages. My hands trembled when I picked it up. It’s been almost a year since I last used that pen – a Reynolds. I was sad but then realized may be it’s their fate. May be I don’t need them anymore or may be there’s nothing left to write. I kept the diary and the Reynolds on the bed and continued cleaning and rearranging the books again.

Cleaned all the books. Will rearrange them tomorrow. Ek din mein ek kaam bahot hai. Ufff..enough for today! Feeling tired, I fell on the bed. And then…

“Aaaaocchhh!!!”

What was that? Who said that? Startled, I looked around..Did I hear someone say that? I must be hallucinating..Itna kaam karne ke baad aisa hi hota hai.

“Aaaaouchhh!! Gaawd..save meee..”

Again the strange, loud voice. Something’s wrong. Mere kaan to nahi baj rahe??

“You fatso, look here…down…kaminey, motu..You’re sitting on meeee…”

Me: Where?

Startled, I stood up to see I was sitting on my diary and the pen.

Reynolds: Haaaiii, maar dala re..You bloody fatso. Ek mai hi mila tha baithne ke liye. Can’t you see me? Aah..mar gaya re. Kamar todd di kaminey ne.

Me: (Looking wide-eyed at the pen.): Wh..wh…what? Is this you? Are you talking?

Reynolds: Yess! This is me, the pen.

Me: Seriously..God, this seems straight out of Harry Potter. The pen can talk …the pen can talk..Woof!

Reynolds – Stop staring at me. Why did you sit on me? You lousy hippopotamus. Aah..my bones are still twisted.

Me: Hellloo!! Dare you call me hippo. I’ll break your bones once again.

Reynolds: Hunh..Such thankless people. Remember, you used this diary and me to write all your blogs. For a year, we were your favourites. And then, last September, you forgot me…

Diary corrected, “He forgot ME too.”

Reynolds: Ok ok. And, then one fine day, you forgot US and dumped us in the heap of your books.

Me: Yeah..yeah..so? It’s my life. It’s my choice. Mera mann nahi kiya likhne ka..isliye.

Diary: It’s your life? It’s your choice? How cheap. You used us. Did you hear Reynolds? Did you hear this chap?

Diary starts sobbing profusely at my nonchalance.

Reynolds: Excuse me. You abandoned us not because you didn’t want to write any more, but because you got involved with someone else…that ugly camera.

“That’s not true.” I protested.

Reynolds interrupts. “That’s true Mr. Lier. We can see your coveted camera on the table. We hear you have picked up photography.

Meanwhile, the Diary still sobbing. At times, it did make noises below the pen, but mostly it lay in hopeless and sullen silence.

Me: (Red-faced and caught red-handed): Okay- okay. I accept. I kind of got attracted to this camera. Its curvaceous body, stylish looks, beautiful viewfinder, sleek and smooth LCD, its round-shaped, crystal clear lenses…did make me go weak in my knees. After all, who won’t. The first time I saw it, I fell in love with her and since then, I am on a shooting spree. And…

Reynolds: Enough! We’ve heard!

The sobbings of the Diary convert into cries. Louder and louder.

Reynolds, looking at the Diary in exasperation: Can’t you stop your rona-dhona for a moment, Mr. Diary?

Afraid, the Diary tries to swallow her cries.

Reynolds, turning to me: Yes. Mr. Blogger-turned-Photographer! So I was talking to you. Are you never going to use us again? Have you left your first love..blogging, for good?

Me, straight-faced: Ahem!! Umm…Well, I don’t really know. I think I have a writer’s block. Every time I try to write something, my thoughts get blocked midway. Jo main sochta hoon wo likh nahi paata.

Reynolds, in rajnikant eshtyle: Jo tumm sochtha ai..wo ota nai ai, aur jo ota ai wo sochne lagtha ai. Tumhara kya oyenga ji..

Me, perplexed, scratching my head: Jo hum sochta hai woh hota nahi hai..jo hota hai woh sochta nahi hai.. Ye kya re..sab gadbad jeee..Tum kya boltha hai jeee?

The Diary laughs sheepishly at the tongue-twister.

Me, looking angrily at the Diary: Why are you laughing like monkeys?

Reynolds: Abey dhakkan! Main tere ko bolta hai ki tu likhna to shuru kar..tabhi to jo sochta hai woh likhega. And still I have half of the ink lying unused in my wind pipe. So use me to write your blogs. I am itching to get scribbled.

Me: Okay baba..But what do I write…Dimaag kaam nahi kar rela hai

Diary: Abey Gogo..likh nahi to aankhen nikal ke gottiyan khelunga..

Me: Okay okay Mr. Teja..likhta hoon...But what to write?

Reynolds: Kuch bhi likh de…Shuru shuru mein kuch bhi bakwaas likh de..At least meri exercise to ho jayegi. Pade-pade jung lag gaya hai.

Me: Bakwaas..bakwaas..bakwaas…bas! Khush! :))

Award Season

2008-09-12T19:11:00.010+05:30

Wondering what this screenshot is doing here? Well..this is the reason why I have been away from the blogging world for such a long time. Some days back my company got insane and decided to block access to the Internet to the employees noting primarily that some people read blogs during work hours. So, now when I open a web page, this page loads faster than the google home page. As if eager to tell me “beta bahot blog padha karte the na, company ki bandwidth ki watt laga rakhi hai. Ab bhugto.”

So mere pyaare bloggers, now that you know the reason for my inconspicuous absence from the blogger’s park, please forgive me.

While my company decided to block my access to the Internet in recognition to my devotion to blogging, somebody in the blogger’s world decided to award me the coveted "I love your blog" citation. When I got to know I have got this award, I rubbed me eyes twice. Sneha has chosen me for the coveted prize? I didn’t know if somebody liked my blog too. I felt like a kiterunner who caught hold of the coveted kite that was swaying right and left in the sky and slowly but surely tumbling down the earth and was being chased by several others. It's the joy you get when you get hold of the kite and run away with it brandishing your prize.

But hey..Shena, thanks a ton buddy! That recognition kind of motivates me to continue writing more. And yeah, for sure I’ll follow the rules that this chain of love has.

And here goes rule no. 1: The winner can put the logo on their blog.
For sure I have done that..why would not I :))

Rule no. 2: Link the person you received your award from

Oh..i followed this rule without saying..Done this so much earlier :))

Rule no. 3: Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
Rule no. 4: Put links of those blogs on yours.
Rule no. 5: Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.

This sure is a nice way to tell my favorite bloggers how much I love to read their blogs. So here goes the roll of honour...

Abhinav: I think this guy should charge entertainment tax from his readers. He is such a funny guy. He can make you laugh like hell. His sense of humour is awesome and infectious. Hats off to Abhinav!!

Priya Aiyer: If I remember clearly, she is the first blogger I found. And she is so creative. Very different from the usual. And writes really good.

Adeic: She is one blogger who writes amazingly good. Very emotional, she is passionately in love with LOVE. I think she can give tough competition to Nicholas Sparks if she were to write a romantic novel.

The Mask: Mr. Mask can weave cool stories and without even blinking. I really admire the way he writes. And enjoy the pleasant surprises he brings into his stories.

Sneha: Even though you have been already awarded by Harshita, I guess you won’t mind if I also do the same for you. Coz I think you write pretty cool! And I love to come back again and again on your blog.

Sayesha: Sayesha on the Rocks simply rocks!! Bartender bhai is absolutely hilarious. And can make you roll over the floor laughing with her posts. Visit her bar and you are sure to go talli over her. Talli..main talli..main talli ho gayi..oops ho gaya :-))

Sunshine: She speaks her mind even when the subject doesn't require so. :)) Just kidding...I just want to say that she is one of the bloggers who presents a fresh perspective to any subject that she writes on. Sunshine is one of my fav bloggers.

Compulsive Confessor: I got addicted to her blog when one of my friends, Daljeet, recommended it to me. Miss compulsive confessor is a pretty famous blogger and has recently released her first novel called "You are Here". Though I am yet to read it, I can safely bet it would be as good as any of her blogposts. I am just itching to get hold of the book.

If I Knew...

2008-09-12T18:39:00.006+05:30

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
And call you back for one more...

If I knew it would be the last time
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say 'I love you',
Instead of assuming you would KNOW I do...

...just in case...
...today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
And I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone
Young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
You get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
You'll surely regret the day.

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss,
And you were too busy to grant someone,
What turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
And that you'll always hold them dear.

Take time to say
'I'm sorry', 'Please forgive me', 'Thank you' or 'It's ok',
And if tomorrow never comes,
You'll have no regrets about today.

(In memory of 9/11 victims; Source: Sacred Space, Times of India)

Yesterday, I came across these lines and it made me think twice about the dear ones with whom I have not talked to in a long time. I have hurt quite a few people who once used to be very good friends. One such friend is still naraaz with me. A misunderstanding occurred between us. She thinks I should not have done what I did. And then she didn't reply when I tried to contact her. And this made me feel bad. So I decided never to call her back. Din't even reply to her when she wished me on my b'day. I just want to let her know - if she is reading this - that what I did, was in pure innocence. I had no inkling that it could hurt you. If I KNEW..you won't like what I did, I would not have done so. And I am really sorry if it hurt your feelings. I just wish you all the happiness in the world. And hope to talk to you again.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9…..9wa mahina

2008-09-11T22:43:00.003+05:30

A few days back, while I was moving out of my room, a little hurried, I slipped on the stairs of third floor in my apartment and landed right in front of our neighbouring aunty, who was coming upstairs. She immediately came running forward, trying to pick me up and gave what she is best at giving, advice, of course: “Beta, aaj kal zara sambhal ke chalaa karo.”
Me: “Thank u, aunty. Per aaj kal hi kyon…aaj kal kuch special hai kya”
Aunty: Arre September ka mahina hai na..9wa mahina hai..isliye…giving a sheepish smile.
Me: After a minute of scratching my head on what she meant. Ooeee…maa!! Ji ..main khayal rakhungi..oops!! i mean rakhunga..munne ko kahin chhot na lag jaye ;)

And this is not all…a few days back a friend SMSed me:
Jara sambhal ke chalna,
Jyada bhari cheez nahi uthana,
Apna khayal rakhna,
Khana thik se khana,
Kyunki 9 wa mahina chalu huva hai na..
:)

And yesterday, while I was chatting with a friend from Delhi, this is how the chat went on…
1:07 PM shruti: hi Krishna
hru?
1:08 PM me: hi shruti!
am fine. :)
how abt u?
shruti: i am good too
1:09 PM so where are u these days?
me: here in mumbai
shruti: how long have u been there now?
:D
1:11 PM me: 9wa mahina chal raha hai..
;)
shruti: hahaha
so when are u delivering ;)
1:12 PM i mean when is the due date?
for the final delivery??
1:14 PM me: bas kabhi bhi..
shruti: arre wah...
do share the outcome with me..whenever it happens
1:15 PM me: yeah...yeah..khushkhabri zaldi hi sunne ko milegi

So here I am. It’s been 9 months since my postal address changed. If not exactly a roller coster ride, these nine months - living independently in a city as strange and surreal as Bombay, for a guy who has never been away from his family all through his life - have been adventurous enough.

Living with a roommate, I have learnt the importance of compatibility between two people if they plan to live together for life. Compromising on a few things, ignoring things you dislike about your partner, listening to all his bakwaas, and giving him a shoulder to cry on when a girl - jis per uska dil aaya tha - tells him that she thought of him merely as a caring brother. And then I think what will happen when I marry? Am I going to get someone who thinks on the same wavelength as I do, who will be as caring as I am, who will be smart, determined, understanding, good-humoured, and mature enough to handle life’s difficulties when things are not going our way? After all, I have to live with that person all my life. And it would be difficult for us to live happily, if our thinking doesn’t match. I mean, I am not asking for a perfect match, but someone who, even with all her imperfections, is good enough to make me exclaim sometimes “You are perfect for me. If God gave me a wish, I would wish you all my life.”
And that is why I think a mix of Shahana Goswami’s character, Debbie and Prachi Desai’s character, Saakshi in Rock On would be perfect for me.

Btw, I recently saw Rock On and loved every bit of it. If you haven’t yet seen it. Just do it!! Nike style :)) The best thing about the movie is that it ends on a feel-good note and leaves me humming “Hai ye waqt ka ishaara, har lamha pukara..yun hi dekhta hai kya tu, zindagi milegi na dubaara…Rock On!!”
Btw, I am yet to find a reason why the movie’s title contains two exclamation marks. If you know, do tell me.

Before logging off…just wanna say to all my blogger friends “Ye tumhari meri baatein hamesha yun hi chalti rahein..ye hamari mulaakatein hamesha yun hi chalti rahein…beete yun hi apne saare din raat…baaton se nikalti rahe nai baat…phir wahi baatein leke blog koi hum likhein..”
:))

Still the One!

2008-09-11T22:36:00.005+05:30

For the last two days, whoever sees me tells me I am looking extra-happy. “What’s the reason dude?,” people ask me. But those who know the reason are prompt to congratulate me. Roger has won the U.S. Open. It was pretty uncharacteristic way for Roger to celebrate his win. Roger fell to his knees and then rolled onto his back, overwhelmed with the moment. He screamed his heart out before rising and saluting the crowd for their support. And this tells us how important this win was for Roger. "It definitely feels great. This is a very special moment in my career. To take this one home is incredible. It means the world to me," Roger said.

And to think of it, most people had started writing obituaries of his career..said his reign is over. It pained a lot to hear those comments. But I believed in you. And thanks so much for vindicating me. Now your detractors can Rest In Peace.

How quick we are to predict a star’s fall. Some people proclaimed that this is his worst performance and he will never be able to win another grand slam. Just because the guy had reached finals of two grand slams, semifinals in one, and won doubles gold in Olympics. How lackluster! How ordinary! Well..other players would be just happy enough to end the year with such performance. Look what Andy Murray said about his performance. "I had a great tournament," Murray said. "Came up against, in my opinion, the greatest player to ever play the game. I got the best of him the last two times we played. He definitely set the record straight."

Sure, at the start of the season, Roger was suffering from mononucleosis, still he reached semifinals of the Australian Open. He was uncharacteristically outplayed by Nadal in French open and lost the epic match on Wimbledon’s centre court by a mere 2 points, the kind of matches he usually comes out winning.

For almost five years, he has dominated the game with his velvety strokeplay and charismatic forehand. His artistry is just unmatched. Unlike Nadal’s muscular-style power play, Roger moves his racquet like a painter’s brush on a canvas. And each stroke is a chef d’ouvre in the making. He does things with the racquet that leaves people gasping for breath. He moves around the court with an omnipresent, superhuman-like quality. And the best thing is he is as graceful off the court as competent as on the court.

But throughout this season, we have seen the human in this almost-superhuman being. He grimaced in pain when losing the Wimbledon final, saw himself lose without even putting a fight to Nadal in French Open, couldn’t fulfill his dream of winning an Olympic gold in singles, and then lost his no. 1 ranking in August this year. It was as much frustrating for his fans as for him. His fans could feel his vulnerability. But in U.S. Open, he showed his brutal, ruthless side. He screamed at each point won and was excited as hell when he won the title. It was exciting to witness Federer being challenged. Searching for answers to questions that were raised on his ability. And it was as much fun to see him regain his lost pride.

Roger now has shown that he can turn things around as quickly as he switches from forehand to backhand to create a winner. And he has clearly indicated that he will not rest on 13 titles. He is going to break Pete’s record. With Nadal, Novak, and Murray closing in on him and threatening his invincibility, it’s a great time for Tennis and the game’s lovers are gonna enjoy the rivalry to the hilt.

Like on every other thing, Roger has an opinion on this one too "One thing is for sure. I'm not going to stop at 13."

The grass is still greener on Roger’s side.

Roger, you are Still the One! :))

This is Mumbai my dear, but don't fear; Just cheer, come to Mumbai every year!

2008-07-13T17:24:00.003+05:30

Close to 7 months and I am still exploring Mumbai. The city has made me more observant of my surroundings. Initially, when I came here, I found fault in everything that belonged to Mumbai...its constant, unrelenting humid weather...the crowded places...the narrow, teetering-tattering roads. Everywhere I saw, I could find negativity. But the perspective is changing, slowly, but surely. I have began to start liking the city.

It's a unique city, unlike others. I am totally awed by the number of people residing. It's maddening. Mumbai is crowded to extreme. It's the most densely populated city in the world and in some parts of Mumbai, especially the western and central Mumbai, almost a million people are jostling for space in a square kilometre area. The city resembles like an insect colony. There is no personal space for an individual in Mumbai. The moment you come out of your 2-room flat - the only space that you can call personal in the whole of Mumbai - you just can't avoid getting touched here and there. there are a million people touching you, brushing past you, rubbing shoulder to shoulder, legs to legs, hands to hands, and bums to bums in local trains. There are so many people on the roads, on railway station, in local trains, in buses, even in the lift - the swarm of crowd is intimidating, to say the least. This is a city where you can reach your destination riding a cycle earlier than a car. Car makers in bbay never advertise the 160- or 180-km ph speeds that their car can reach. Because the speed is of no use here on Bbay's roads. So while you can admire the plush interiors of your newly bought Merc or BMW, it will not take you to your office on time. It is no better than a Maruti 800, which is crawling adjacent to you in the huge traffic on narrow roads, which look like a galli in your mohalla. Buying a car is a sin in Bbay..and the bigger sin is driving one. So even if you can afford one, drop the idea. Better travel in a local.

Talking of locals, Mumbai local ka 'suffer' bhi chakha hai maine. I find the crowd at Dadar station very intimidating. This is one station in the whole of Mumbai, where getting into and off the train is close to a life changing experience.

When you walk on the platform, you must be careful. Always keep your eyes straight. The moment you look sideways, you will get bumped into someone coming in front of you. And you are highly prone to such accidents if a pretty girl is passing just beside you and decide to have glimpse of her, admire her beauty. The crowd punishes you for bird watching. Someone might trample over your foot, bump hard his shoulders onto yours. And you will be just left cursing them under your breath. So people never indulge in extracurricular activities of your eyes when on Dadar station.

Riding here is not for weaklings. You need a heart of steel and the body too, coz you hv to be prepared to get bruised and battered once you take the ride. There are such a huge swarm of commuters around you, if you are not used to it, you get a heart-attack. Deluged in a torrent of people, the damned commuter just flows with the crowd. During peak hours in Mumbai, 15 pairs of legs vie for a 1 sq. metre space inside the locals. A carriage made for 200 people carries more than 600 commuters at one go. I just find it strange how locals have become a lifeline for people here who are used to riding on their tows, hanging from the doors. And I wonder how would they react, if something like Delhi metro is started here. One thing is for sure, logon ko train ke gates per latakne ka mauka nahi milega, coz in metros gates close automatically naa.

Taking a cue from an e-mail forward:
This is Mumbai my dear, but don't fear,
just cheer, come to Mumbai every year!

Strange Encounters

2008-06-19T19:15:00.008+05:30

Earlier this morning, when me and my roommate were leaving for office, he saw our building’s nepali guard, and commented on his looks - “This guy is good looking, no."
I chuckled at his observation and pulled his leg saying “What the duck? Are you gay or what? Hazaar ladkiyan hain duniya mein…saale, tujhe ek ye ladka hi pasand aaya?”

Btw, earlier I thought 'gay' was a term used for 'happy, high-spirited' people as the oxford dictionary says. And I could freely use the word to describe myself "I am a very gay person." Well...that was until i knew there's a species existing by the same term. Now, if i use the same sentence to describe myself, imagine the reactions.

Now, I would be as much interested in talking about gays as Elton John in discussing cricket. For people with low greater kailash..GK i mean...who think Elton John was Pope John II, go to google and type Elton John…and you will find that Mr. John is a gay who married his long time girl..oops boyfriend David Furnish. But fact of the matter is that this harmless, banter about gay thing took a different turn when suddenly my roommate, who is actually a freaking, careless guy, asked me “Hay you ever met a gay?”.

And we always need some faltu topic to kill our boring journey from home to office every morning. Now, that question was a little uncomfortable. And out of just sounding cool, I said ‘Are you kidding me. No. never. What about you?” And surprisingly, my roommate said “Yes.” And I got interested. “Tell me more.” Now let me tell you what happened to him. He once visited a temple, some place in South India, with his dad. And they decided to stay overnight at the temple’s dharamshala. There was this old, frailing priest, who called my roomie. He went to him and touched his feets. Now, Mr. Priest had other intentions. He immediately grabbed his hands and hugged him strongly, moving his hands all over his body which veered dangerously to uncomfortable places. And my roomie was totally frightened. Next time he never went near him. But he was totally embarrassed. How can a priest do this? I mean, the thought of looking at a guy with those intentions knocks me over. It simply freaks me out. My roommate’s frankness really rubbed upon me. I decided to confess. And when I was confessing…tell you what… I felt like a child who just got caught by his mom for steeling a pack of Parle G from the upper most drawer in the kitchen. You must have experienced how uncomfortable you felt when you got caught red handed like that in any situation. Sharam se doob marne ka mann karta hai. Yes, I too have had an encounter of a homo kind. Now, you may not believe it, but I don’t need some stamp of approval to say that I have been molested. You think..a guy getting molested sounds as alien as someone predicting Rajasthan Royals would win the IPL20-20 before the tournament started. Well…I recommend you read Khaled Hussaini’s ‘The Kite Runner’. You will know, as I found out, that a boy can be raped too. Yes..don’t blink your eyes. You read it right..a boy can also be raped. I don’t want to bold or capitalize that most-dreaded four letter word. It still has the same meaning.

Rolling back the time machine a few years ago when I was just a school kid..flashback..circa 1996. I was in class 8th at that time. 13..going on 14. I always took a DTC bus (those days, there used to be those killer..red lines) from school to home. And one day, I was travelling in one such bus…going back home. I grabbed the back seat in the bus, which was relatively crowded..though not like it used to be in the morning. And there’s this middle-aged guy sitting adjacent to me. I was looking at the history exam papers when he suddenly asked “You had an exam today?”. I nodded and there was a lurking fear he won’t ask me how it went. Now, my marks in history can be compared to the bikini worn by Anna Kournikova – Minimal. And I was in no mood to tell my marks to some stranger. Btw, this middle-aged uncle ji was trying to be extra friendly. And I don’t know when it happened but I sensed a hand going below the school bag that I had placed on my lap and touching my thighs. First, I thought he might have unintentionally touched me trying to let other people adjust. But when the unexpected happened…his hands din’t stop..I was completely shocked, shaken..whatever u say. It took me a second to realize that this is the next, aspiring Mr. Elton John. I stood up immediately and got out of the bus on the next stop. Out of the bus, I was completely shocked. I couldn’t understand what it was and why it happened to me. I could have thrashed that guy..hit him. But what would I tell him, and tell the people around…that he was touching me at uncomfortable places..he was trying to molest me? Who would have believed me? But I bet I see this gay guy now, and I ll crush his....The whole day, I kept feeling uncomfortable on that incident. Consider my age yaar..13 only. What the duck this man found attractive about me? Tchee..tchee!!

Apart from the regular boys flanking them and eve teasing, girls too must be having some strange encounters..like meeting with lesbians. I don’t know how they would have felt in such situations. Well..actually I do have some idea about how girls may feel about this. Recently I saw a play called “Manto Ismat Hazir Hain” by Naseeruddin Shah. And the play was about such relationships.

I don’t know if such incidents would have happened with other boys. It happened to me once only, but it happens to girls everyday. And I really feel for girls who are surrounded by voyeurs and eve teasers like bees around honey. It’s such a common species, like cows and buffalos on the streets of Delhi. Everyday, it must be so uncomfortable for them. The moment they step out of their home, they are sure to find eyes oogling at them. The autorickshaw wallah adjusts his rear view mirror to get a better view. Two men on a speeding bike decide to have a peek-a-boo at you and discuss what they think of you. Some even might follow you if they are really wella. The bus conductor in a blue line bus stares at you and passes lewd comments. And what do you do between all this..Just pretend not to hear them, swear at them under your breath and always trying to avoid eye contact. Seems like I am watching a horror movie. Mere se pucho toh girls should be like Mauli Zimik ..jisne woh chaanta lagaya tha us ladke ko Chak De movie mein..and like Balbir Kaur..Koi rok sake na tok, jo jyada bole thok..hai dil mein jo bhi baat, tu bak de..oye chak de!

But seriously, being a parent of a girl must be tough..Always, this tension of their child’s safety. Sometimes I hate being born a guy..Some such bad fish (I am confused..fish ka plural fishes hota hai ya fish) with rotten minds have given, us, guys bad names.

Happy B'day to Godshandwriting!

2008-05-28T22:07:00.008+05:30

Hey Godshandwriting!

Happy B'day to you! It's been a year since we met, and not surprisingly, our love affair continues. And, it has grown so much that i feel addicted to you. Last May 28, when I had my first date with you, I din't know if I would be able to sustain this long. Infact, i never thought I would celebrate your first b'day.

Even though the number of blog posts is comparatively less if i consider the number of days in a year - it's just 19 blog posts in 365 days - but still I have managed to keep it going.

Thanks to Daljeet for giving me the idea of creating a blog and also thanks to the girl who first spoke the word 'Godshandwriting'. I instantly fell in love with the name. And i would be lying if i din't acknowledge her contribution to this blog. Infact apart from this blog, she is the one person who i think can be easily called gods handwriting...and in the true sense.

There are lots of other fellow bloggers who inspired me to write blog posts. Priya Iyer, Abhinav, Harish, Adeic, Sayesha, and lots more...who keep entertaining me day in day out with their blogs.

I don't want to make any promises but just hope to continue scribbling on these pages for many more Mays. Life is definitely beautiful when you are around! :-)

Where there's a will, there's mail

2008-05-06T22:26:00.000+05:30

I have been reading a lot these days. Back to back – three books. Unusually me.
And all the three are amazing read. First was the ‘Kite Runner’ by Khaled Husseini. Guess the second one.. Well..when you read Kite Runner, you are bound to be impressed by Khaled’s style of writing. So I decided to pick up ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’. And both the novels – though similar in characterization – are really poignant. Amazing! I was left numb when I finished both the novels. Especially, the Kite Runner. Khaled’s ability to weave a fiction from seemingly non-fictional events and bring out something which readers could relate to is really admirable. I think Kite Runner definitely deserves a review by me. I will definitely put up a review for this book sometime. But that task is left as of now.
Meanwhile, I have now picked up ‘The World is Flat’, by Thomas L. Friedman. See the change in taste. From Kite Runner to The World is Flat. Two entirely different genres. That is how I am. I am in the midst of the flat world. Am liking this one too. I would say it’s a layman’s book. If you want economics simplified to the extent that it seems like eating an apple, then this is THE book.
One of the things I want to talk about here is the concept of ‘Who Owns What?’ that Tom describes in his book. And, must I say, it hit me real hard. Have you ever thought of making a personal will. No? Well..I know most of us wouldn’t have given a thought to it. OK. Suppose you were to make a personal will. What all will you include in it – your home, your belongings, your bank account, or anything that you legally own. But amidst all this you forget one important thing. Guess what! .. your e-mail account. Surprised! Yes your e-mail account could be an important asset for your family long after you are gone. As Friedman shares his fears, “As you get rid of more and more paper and communicate more and more in digitized formats, you better sort out before you die, and include in your will, to whom, if anyone, you would like to leave your bits.” Friedman also puts his case to prove the gravity of his situation, “I stored many chapters of this book (The World is Flat) in my AOL account, feeling it would be safest in cyberspace. If something had happened to me during my writing, my family and publisher would have had to sue AOL to try to get this text.”
And moreover, suppose you might have stored important mails in your gmail account, some conversations with your loved ones, your favourite pics. What if you were to die today without telling the password of your mail account to anyone? Only two people know – you and Google. But you are dead..and there is no dead man walking in real life. So cut it. And even if your family requests Google to share your passwords and user ID because it’s the only source of information about you. It’s like they might want to hold on to your memories long after you are gone. Well…Google is not obliged to entertain your family’s requests. Why? Simply because Google asked you to agree to its terms and conditions during sign up. And the terms clearly stated that your rights to your account terminate after your death and its contents are nontransferable. See the problems of living in the Internet age. And it’s not the end..just the beginning.

Living life backwards

2008-05-03T20:49:00.003+05:30

It's been so long since anything crawled on my blog. Seems like a big writer's block. Well...so much happened these days, exploring mumbai..visiting new places, meeting new people.

I guess i need to let everyone know of what's happening in life these days. Let's start from somewhere..ok.lemme tell u what i did last week. I went to see the snapshots of the Asian Hot Shots Film Festival held at the Max Mueller Bhawan located at Kala Ghoda. The festival was organized in Berlin earlier this year in January. The organizers are on a world tour with the aim of promoting this festival and showcasing the films made by Asian filmmakers - mostly short films, animations, and documentaries – which ran in the festival’s first edition this year.
I really liked the assortment of films that were on offer at the festival. The concept of each film shown was new and thought provoking. The show started with the short film “Gandhi at the Bat”. The film is a hilarious account of how M.K. Gandhi visited America and played baseball at the Yankee Stadium and even led the New Yorkers to a shock win over the Philadelphians.
Another film that I really liked was “Rewind”. Conceived and directed by Indian filmmaker Atul Taishete, the movie explores the concept of time moving backwards. It forced the audience to imagine how life would be if the effect happens before the cause. Inspired by Christopher Nolan’s Memento (Aamir Khan’s Ghazini is also inspired by Memento), it raised some pertinent, but less explored questions of life moving backwards. As some one said, "How it would make sense if the life cycle was all backwards. You would die first and get death out of the way. Then you live in an old age home with pension. You get your retirement benefits and start working. You work for forty odd years until you are young enough to enjoy retirement. Then you booze and party, then get ready for high school. You become a kid, play, have no worries. You become a little baby, go back into the womb, spend your last nine months floating and finish off as an orgasm."

I was left wondering something like this happening to me after watching this film. Can you imagine this happening? Would you like to live your life backwards? Don’t imagine much. The film will be released by PVR Cinemas in April this year at cinemas across India. Although it will appear as a short film in between another English movie. So find out for yourself… :)

Advantage Roger...

2008-01-29T21:46:00.000+05:30

Dear Rogi,
I know you must be disappointed when you lost to Novak. When I got to know that you lost the semis, I was shocked. Couldn’t believe my ears…felt like crying. As if it’s not you but me who lost. Your loss wasn’t sinking..and when I finally realized that you lost the semis of Australian Open, I was angry and frustrated. You were so close to making history…it would have brought you one step closer to Pete’s record of 14 grand slams.

But, now I realize how painful it would have been for you to lose…As you said, you created an aura, a monster around yourself that Roger can’t lose..come what may. But it had to happen some day. It’s hard to understand at times, the pressure of being you, especially at times like these, when you are on the losing side of the net. But the way you carry yourself, looking calm, taking your losses with equal poise as your wins – is what makes you a champ!

Invariably, you seem to take your losses better than your fans, and probably better than other players. It’s really admirable and worth emulating..in every aspect of life. c'est la vie, mon cheri.
It’s often hard for the fans to see you lose as we find ourselves caring so much for you. I can find solace in the fact that only a player like you can reach semifinals of a GS without even playing a practice match before the tournament.

I just hope to see you come back strong soon as you do, and continue to charm us with ur classy serves. I also hope you enjoyed your time in Melbourne, even if it didn’t go according to plan; you know we really love you down here!

We are still proud of you Rogi and will cheer for u at the French Open in May. Remember...
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But you have promises to keep,
and miles to go before you sleep...

Rogi, I would like to embrasse you, because you win you lose you are my hero, for ever.
You are and you will be the best player in the world.

It’s always Advantage Roger. Chak de Roger!!

Je t’embrasse!
Your ardent fan.

Akkad Bakkad Bombay Bo…

2008-01-12T22:10:00.000+05:30

23rd December 2007: This date will be etched in golden, silver, and platinum words in the history of Indian Airlines Flight No. C658. It was my first time traveling by air. Obviously, I was all excited and raring to fly and not to miss those Katrina Kaif-types air hostesses. Alas! Later I found out that all the good looking flight attendants, as promised in the welcome message, were not on this flight. Even though I kept waiting for some colourful, eye-stopping lady come to me and serve me some coffee and all that foody stuff, none came. The rest of the journey was all kala and safed, totally uneventful. Finally, after two hours of boring journey, the plane landed at the Mumbai Airport. The middle-aged flight attendant announced “Thank you for flying Indian Airlines. We hope you enjoyed the journey as much as we enjoyed serving you.” Don’t get deceived. What they actually meant was “Thank you for flying Indian Airlines. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride.”

Uff…the moment I came out of the flight, it was so hot… like a garam garam kadai has been put on your butter bottoms. It’s so hot out here in Mumbai..as if it’s May. Delhi, at this time, must be shivering. And just like people in Delhi’s DTC bus jostle to get out, everyone in the plane was pushing and shoving around each other eager to get out of the plane the moment it landed. As if it’s going to blow up in 15 seconds. People jumped off their seats, kicking each other, brushing their bottoms against each other. Pulling off suitcases from the overhead flaps. Uff..man, hello, excuse me, can u please pull off your luggage off my toe. I thought better remain seated in my seat..else I’ll get mashed like potato pulp in this crowd.

Next stop: Company guesthouse. I took a cab for my guesthouse. The driver had radio on…And call it a coincidence or what you may…the RJ on Red FM had just put the Shootout at Lokhandwala song ‘In the Mumbai, all over India, we are the bhais..” What a welcome to Mumbai…and that too by the RJ of a radio station. In the backseat, I was enjoying the song and having a first-hand look at Mumbai. Arree….woh rahi double decker bus. Pehli baar dekhi yaar. Apart from that, it’s so much traffic and roads so thin, even the skinny Paris Hilton will be put to shame. A friend, while wishing me goodbye had told me that Mumbai girls are hotter than Delhi’s. Alas! Till now I haven’t seen a single girl who could behold me. Delhi girls, especially those at AFD (Alliance Francaise de Delhi), are still fresh in my mind.

It’s been three weeks in Mumbai now. When friends in Delhi were partying on new year eve, I was busy finding roti, kapda and most importantly a home. So I could not roam around and see the real Mumbai, that of film stars and cricketers. Mumbai’s night life and all that jazz. I am yet to travel in a local train. And even though my mumbaikar friends tell me horror stories of local trains, I am undaunted. Like, after 1 hr of travel, when you come out, you will be stinking like a dead dog fried in a pan and all the buttons of your shirt will be missing, or you might find that someone’s stolen the shoe you wore in your left leg, so now make do with a single shoe or better still take out that too and walk bare foot so you look sane. But I am determined to travel in local trains. After all, that is synonymous to Mumbai. And that’s why I have come to Mumbai – to enjoy the (mis)adventure that Mumbai offers.
Sidelights: I like the wada pav of Mumbai so much..it’s tasty, spicy..yummieee. I have been on wada pav diet for the last two days…feeding myself with loads of wada pav in breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Right now I am in office, ekdum comp ke saamne, typing down this post and enjoying some nice Jab we Met songs on my headset. There’s this song playing ..
hum jo chalane lage, chalane lage hain yeh raaste,
manjil se behtar lagane lage hai yeh raaste
………..
Nice song! And now that I am in Mumbai, I can totally relate to it now. Shuru-2 mein I felt very homesick but now I am kinda enjoying everything. Dheere dheere hi sahi, I have started liking this city. Aur ek badee baat, log kehte hain Mumbai aa kar ya to tumhe struggle milegi ya success. Mujhe kab milegi…Katrina Kaif. Mere success ki list mein woh bhi aati hai. :) Let’s see what surprises Mumbai has in store for me. :)

Rendezvous with Roger

2007-12-08T21:44:00.000+05:30

It would be an understatement if I said Roger Federer is my favorite player. He is simply the best and I love him. Recently, I had a chance to meet Roger and we had a gala time. Here’s a tête-à-tête with Roger, the Emperor of tennis world. Enjoy as I explore his life!!

Krishna (K): Are you REAL? What do you do to go on playing even when the audience is against you?
Roger (R): I focus even harder. I think it’s my focus that gets me through such matches. I assume you could see it very clearly when I played Agassi in the US Open final, for example.

K: Dear Roger, do you like tennis or do you love tennis?
R: I love tennis! I’ve always felt like this because it is such a classy sport with a great, competitive flair to it. There is no body contact but it is still very physical. That’s why I love it and always will...

K: Is your name pronounced the English or French way?
R: As my mother comes from South Africa, my name has always been pronounced the English way.

K: Do you have a pet name? My friend loves you. And fondly calls you Rogi. Do you like the name she has given you?
R: Rogi? Hmm….nice pet name. I kinda liked it the moment you said it. I would love to meet the person who gave me this name. Would she like to meet me?

K: Do you dream about your matches, the ones you lost and the ones you won?
R: Yes, sometimes. All other times, I just dream about Mirka. :)

K: If you weren't Roger Federer who would you like to be?
R: I’m OK with who I am!

K: Roger, Who inspired you most?
R: Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Michael Jordan.

K: Is there something you always carry with you for good luck, something that is very special to you?
R: Yes, a Tweety dressed like a ladybird.

K: What is your favourite ice cream flavour?
R: Strawberry

K: In your wonderful country you make wonderful Swiss chocolate. Which chocolate do you like most?
R: I love white chocolate and milk chocolate.

K: What car do you own and what is your dream car?
R: I already own my dream car :o)

K: I read that you are scared of dogs. Is this true? If so, why?
R: Actually just sometimes if I don’t know the dog. ;-)

K: All your female fans think you are the most good looking guy on the earth. What do you have to say?
R: Well, success makes you better looking. ;)

K: I’ve noticed that you wear a necklace while you play, what is on the necklace. Also what is your lucky number?
R: I have got several necklaces, most of them are presents from Mirka. My lucky number is 88 (my birthday: August 8).

K: Do you see the actual structure of tennis changing in the future due to technological advances?
R: No rule changes please. I am No. 1 with the rules in place right now! Every change would make me a horrible player and I would have to consider quitting. :))

K: Just wondering who your favourite actor and actress are.
R: Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise and Sharon Stone.

K: Roger, fans are always asking you questions, what is one question you would like to ask the fans?
R: Why do you support me and why are you my fan?

PS: Subah ho gayi mamu. Ab to uth jaa. Din mein bhi sapne dekhta hai. Ailaa…was this a dream. Sigh!! I thought I was actually interviewing Roger.

Kaise kaise sawaal poochte ho ji

2007-12-06T15:20:00.000+05:30

Last evening, a friend called me up after a long time. Now, when you meet or talk to a long-lost langotiya yaar types friend, you tend to become emotional. And that is what we became after the customery hello-hi-how are you lines. Our conversation went something like this…
Friend: Abey tu kahan tha ab tak yaar?
Me: Isi duniya mein yaar.

And the conversation continued for some 15 mins. till we had nothing to say or tell to each other. Now, in situations like these when both of you go silent (as if Mallika Sherawat just said I luv you to you), you tend to go blank as how to continue the conversation. Tabhi mera dost bol pada, “Kuch kaho?”.
Me: Kuch
Friend: Matlab?
Me: Abey tune hi to kaha ‘kuch kaho’.
And we burst out laughing.
Ab iss tarah ke aur bhi bahut saare incidents hain. Apni Dilli ki DTC bus ke conductors ko hi lelo. Bolte hain Ticket bolo..ticket bolo. Aur kuch yaatri maje lete hue kehte hain ‘Nahin bolunga…ja kya karega’. Conductor bolta hai ‘Abey gaadi tere baap ki hai. Ticket bol.’ Yaatri bolte hain, ‘Ticket. Ab kush? Aur kitni baar bolun ticket?’

In school days, we used to ask for lifts on our way back home. Ab jaise hi koi autowallah aake rukta tha..the conversation was like…
Me: Bhaiya Adarsh Nagar jaoge?
Autowallah: Haan
Me : To jao
:P

Doosra tareeka autowaale ko pareshaan karne ka…
Me: Bhaiya khaali ho?
Autowallah: Haanji Bolo.
Me: Hamare saath cricket kheloge. Wicket keeper ban jao.
Autowallah: grrr….

These days TOI ppl are giving a lot of stress on ‘I’. According to them, ‘I’ should not be written in capital, it should be in small caps as ‘i’. Reason: Other letters are also written in small case. So y allow I to be in upper case. Ye kaun sa editor hai jo Queen Victoria ke English ko challenge kar raha hai, bhai. So, in every article, the humble ‘I’ now appears as less than humble ‘i’. Kitna ganda lag raha hoga hamare ‘I’ bhai saab ko. Aisa feel kar raha hoga jaise John Abraham ganja ho gaya ho. But, I found the importance of ‘I’ only when a few days back saamne waale Chauhan uncle advertised for a vacant room by putting up a ‘To Let Available’ sign on his main gates. Now, gali ke ladke itne shaitaan hai ki beech mein ‘I’ daal diya. Ab batao, jo dekhe woh hanse. Kyon? Bhaiya mere, ab sign board per likha tha ‘ToILet Available’.
Last heard, some landlords have put the 'To Let' sign a bit above so that they remain out of the reach of shaitaan children. And some landlords of our colony are advertising for vacant rooms in local newspapers. After all, ‘To Let’ ka sawaal hai.
:)
You ppl have got any such things to share? Do tell me.

Isse kehte hain success...

2007-12-04T11:53:00.000+05:30

At age 4, success is... not peeing in your pants.
At age 12, success is... having friends.
At age 16, success is... having a driver's license.
At age 20, success is... having sex.
At age 35, success is... having money.
.
.
.
.
.

....At age 50, success is... having money.
At age 60, success is... having sex.
At age 70, success is... having a driver's license.
At age 75, success is... having friends.
At age 80, success is... not peeing in your pants.

Injection of Life

2007-12-04T00:40:00.000+05:30

A day before my second semester French language exams, I was trying to gulp all that was taught in the class. The second semester had not gone well. My reputation of being a bright student had been dented. None other than Kavita Ma’m, my first semester professor, whom I had met a few days back in the corridors of AFD, told me that she was all praise for me while talking to Charu Ma’m. But Charu Ma’m told her otherwise. That I am not even 10% of what Kavita had told her. And I was all embarrassed facing Kavita. I could only muster “Don’t worry, Kavita, I’ll pass the exams.”
“Is passing exams your objective?,” replied Kavita, a little upset.
“Je suis desole. It’s not,” I said chokingly (God! Save me. She is gonna kill me now). “What not. Passing exams is not going to take you anywhere. You stupid,” Kavita scolded me.
Frankly, I was kinda shaken and stirred. I had taken the second sem lightly believing that I would anyway come out on tops in the exams. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to clear the sem. But I had promised Kavita of passing the exams. And at this moment, that was the best I could do to salvage my pride..and hers too. So, here I was slogging at the 11th hour. While I was going through my class notes, I just said to myself, “Uff…lagta hai first sem tukke mein clear ho gaya.” My brother, who was busy playing computer games, overheard my words and instantly replied, “Dost, tukke bhi achche khiladi ke hi lagte hain.”
As funny as it sounds, this is what I needed at that moment.
“Wow man! What a great thought,” I was impressed.
All my energy, which had gone on vacation, was back. Those words acted like magic and I must confess they reaffirmed my belief in myself. No wonder, I am now into my third sems (Why? I passed the exams with flying colours yaar.). And this time, I’m lovin’ it. J
At that moment, I realized how a few encouraging words said at the right time can rev up someone feeling low in life. Sometimes, when we are low on confidence, sometimes when we feel like giving up after all our hard work, a few words of encouragement from anyone can boost our morale and inject a new life into us. We need such injections to live life happily. Don’t you think so? Those few words act as elixir. Moreover, it’s not necessary that the words of encouragement come from your mentor. And, you don’t need to attend costly motivation seminars, listen to management gurus, or read motivational books to recharge your senses. It may come from anybody. Anyone surrounding you. May be an elderly person, a friend, your boss, your colleague, a stranger, or even a kid. For me, my brother was the mentor at that moment. And I am happy, I could extract something from his words. Some people have this habit of saying goods things at the most appropriate time, which has a magical effect on others. They are all around us. We just need to look for such people. We just need to separate the wheat from the chaff. So, whenever in doubt, just look around and find someone who can inject a new life into your beliefs.

VIVA TEQUILA

2007-12-01T22:41:00.000+05:30

Tequila is fun. Is it? Haven't tried ever. Heard it's an exotic liquor. Has anyone out there tasted tequila ever? How does it feel? Do tell me..I wud luv to sip this exotic liquor. After all, life is a matter of taste. Ain't it? ;)

Meanwhile, see the life through tequila. :P

Fourth Finger

2007-11-26T22:41:00.000+05:30

Here's a post i read on Priya Iyer's blog. Liked it very much. Thought i wud share it with all my friends out here. Hope you too like it. :) Don't forget to try it and tell me wat happened. I, at least, found it true in my case. :)

"Why do we wear our wedding ring on the fourth finger?
As has been glorified a number of times by our very own Hindi films, the left fourth finger has a nerve that goes to the heart. It is for this very reason that the wedding ring is worn on this finger. Direct dil se connection, you see?
This mail, however, has something different to say. The thumb represents parents, second finger represents brothers and sisters, center finger represents our own self, fourth finger represents your partner and the last finger represents your children. (as per the Chinese people).
The mail goes on to say that God created this as a miracle. Put both your palms together and fold down both your third fingers.

Now, if you try to separate your thumbs, you will be able to do so. This indicates that our parents will leave us one day.
Now close the thumb and try to separate the first fingers. Again, you will be able to do this. This indicates that our brothers and sisters will leave us, as they will have their own families.
The center finger signifies our own self, so it is not considered in this game.
Now, join your first fingers together and try to separate your last finger, i.e. the little finger, which signifies our children. This indicates that our children will move away from us sooner or later, when they have families of their own.
Now for the best part. Join your little fingers together and try to separate the fourth fingers. You will not be able to separate them. At least, me and my friends were not able to. As per the legend, these fingers represent the husband and wife and the lack of separation indicates that they are meant to stay together throughout life, through thick and thin.
The mail ended with the line “Real love will stick together forever and ever.”
I tried it out without folding down the third fingers, and it still worked.
I don’t know how far this is true and what is the ‘logical explanation’ for the ‘miracle’ that happens, but I found it rather sweet. It appealed to the illogical, mushy part of me. :) Do try it out and let me know your views in the comments section.

I am very much tempted to add a joke that I read somewhere:
Mrs. X: Mrs. Y, why are you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?
Mrs. Y: Because I married the wrong man!!"

love me...love me....love me..

2007-11-26T22:33:00.000+05:30

The other night...well actually midnight, I was listening to radio when I heard this song. Its so beautiful...the lyrics. Ain't it beautiful? Does someone hav this song. I wud be soooo thankful to you if you can give it to me.

I haven't slept at all in days
It's been so long since we've talked
And I have been here many times
I just don't know what I'm doing wrong

What can I do to make you love me?
What can I do to make you care?
What can I say to make you feel this?
What can I do to get you there?

There's only so much I can take
And I just got to let it go
And who knows I might feel better
If I don't try and I don't hope

What can I do to make you love me?
What can I do to make you care?
What can I say to make you feel this?
What can I do to get you there?

No more waiting, No more aching
No more fighting, No more trying

Maybe there's nothing more to say
And in a funny way I'm calm
Because the power is not mine
I'm just gonna let it fly

What can I do to make you love me?
What can I do to make you care?
What can I say to make you feel this?
What can I do to get you there?

And love me...love me....love me..

Cloud No. 9

2007-11-26T21:11:00.001+05:30

Someone just experienced something special. Let's see if you can guess what I m talking about...Read on...

Over the moon,
Above the sky;
My honeybunch, sugarplum butterfly;
She got the tickets,
For a match of cricket;
Stars in her eyes,
She went to watch him live;
Over the moon,
Above the sky,
My cuppycake, gumdrop sweety pie;
Her eyes aglow,
Waiting for the little master,
To bat in full flow;
Prayers on her lips, she kept waiting,
For him to appear,
But God wasn’t listening to her prayer,
Hey God! You’re my friend na..
I wanna see him badly enough;
Let’s do a deal.
I will get you a delicious chocolate truffle;
Choc. Truffle? Yummmmiiiieee!!
God was delighted
Here baby, here…
Here he comes;
Out came Sachin,
And she went up standing on her feet,
Cheering for her hero;
Over the moon,
Above the sky,
My honeybunch, sugarplum butterfly;
Feeling like the red wine,
She was on cloud no. 9
;)

She tasted cigarette

2007-11-17T23:04:00.001+05:30

She just tasted a cigarette...She's gone wild. Feels she is on cloud nine...wants to be more adventurous, more mischevious. She is 25, but feels like she just touched 15. wats on her mind? Dunno. Hey gal, atlast u njoying life..rt? Go on, do whatever u want to, 'coz there's nothing wrong, nothing right. It's u who decide what is right for u.
So this one's going out for you...

Taste a cigarette,
without any regret;
Taste a cigarette,
when you feel low;
Slip in the butt,
when you feel aglow;
Light up the stick,
when you feel crappy;
Bet you're gonna be damn happy;
Blow the smoke and revel in the haze,
Life will be clear without any maze;
Bad habit they say,
so what, it makes my day;
Hey you..mischevious soul,
try it once, its pretty cool।
;)

Anything for u ma'm

2007-11-17T23:04:00.000+05:30

Hi! It's been a long time since i did anything worthwhile...i mean, with my blog. So here i am...back without a bang. Actually, after a long time i read a gud novel, which again forced my to write something abt it. A book recommended by a wonderful reviewer..only she doesn't realise. The book i m referring to is...Anything for u ma'm by Tushar Raheja. Cool, lovely, emotional, and most of all, a hilarious, funny account of a guy's luv for his gal. This one's a must read for all those who have fallen in luv. I m not going to talk much abt this book 'coz it ll spoil the charm..read it n ya ll know y i liked it so much.
Another book that i just finished reading was Joker in the Pack. I picked up thinking it wud be smthing similar to Anything for u ma'm. but it turned out to be a very boring account of an IIM guy's life at IIMs. Nothing worth mentioning, except it cost me double the amt that i paid for Anything for you ma'm. :(
And in turn gave me less than half the entertainment that i got from reading Anything.... :(

One-Night Stands..Huh!!

2007-06-27T17:02:00.000+05:30

A few days back, I had my first one-night stand. And, boy! Did it turn out exciting?
Actually, it turned out to be a lot more than exciting – adventurous, charming, hypnotic, playful, and completely gratifying.
I fell in love – with Love Story. First time, I completed a book in one night. And it had to be Erich Segal’s Love Story. Segal’s Love Story is one novel that made me respond to the characters and their emotions. Erich shows his dexterity by the names he chose to give his characters, Oliver and Jennifer (I instantly fell in love with the names), and the way he intermixed humour with sorrow.
I liked the humour bit more, though. Both Jenny and Oliver indulge in a lot of wisecracking, spontaneous, and sly humour. Savour one instance…when Oliver graduates to a lawyer with third rank in his class and pops the news to Jenny…

Oliver said, “Hey, you went overboard for me.”
“Don’t’ be too cocky,” she replied. “Third is still only third.”
“Hey, listen you bitch,” Ollie said.
“What, you bastard?” she replied.
“I owe you a helluva lot,” Ollie said sincerely.
“Not true, you bastard, not true,” she answered.
“Not true?” Ollie inquired, somewhat surprised.
“You owe me everything,” she said.

And, this instance, almost bugged me. What do you think when you read this sentence?

“It is not all that easy to make a baby.”

The moment I read it, I thought what the heck. How can a man make a baby? I mean we don’t yet have the techno to make babies, right away. Righto? And goddamn it, it’s after all God’s job to make babies, not men’s…know what I mean?

Now read what followed the above sentence.

“I mean, there is a certain irony involved when guys who spend the first years of their sex lives preoccupied with not getting girls pregnant (and when I first started, condoms were still in) then reverse their thinking and become obsessed with conception and not it’s contra,” reveals Oliver.

Huh! Now you understand why it bugged me. I mean, it’s almost certain that when I assume, I generally ass u and me.

And that is not all. The later part of the story – about Jenny dying at age 25 without experiencing motherhood and Ollie suppressing his emotions – was so touching, so very profound, it pulled a few strings of my heart. And, I would be lying if I don’t confess that it almost moved me to tears. For once, I felt being in Ollie’s place, clutching the hands of Jenny, pleading her not to leave me. Don’t go Jenny, don’t go. Please, for God’s sake, I can’t live without you…

Check out an innocent afterthought that Oliver indulges in when he talks to Jenny who doesn’t yet know she was dying.

“And I told this to God, whoever and wherever He might be, that I would gladly settle for the status quo. I don’t mind the agony, sir. I don’t mind knowing (of Jenny’s impending death) as long as Jenny doesn’t know. Did you hear me, Lord, sir? You can name the price.”

For once, I’ve taken to heart Jenny’s message – Love means never having to say you’re sorry.

Finally, to paraphrase a review of Love Story - this is the book for people who are in love, were in love, or hope to be in love. One thing I’m sure of, you won’t be just a reader, you’ll feel the characters, you’ll respond to their emotions, laugh with them and share the sorrow. I bet, once you read it, it won’t remain a one-night stand, the experience will last for a lifetime.

Message In a Bottle

2007-05-30T20:09:00.000+05:30

chef-d'oeuvre - One word that sums up Nicholas Sparks' beautifully crafted, deeply moving and one of the most touching love stories. Sparks weaves the emotions in words and brings out a sparkling love story.

When I first picked it up, I was apprehensive if I'd understand the emotions of love for I have never fallen in love. Instead, I was expecting it to be a touchy feely, light-hearted teenage love story. But I forgot that when I 'assume', I 'ass u n me'.

'Message In a Bottle' is a mature love story. It's between two people who are struggling with their own lives. It tells us that true love can't be denied, and if you truly love someone, then be prepared to make sacrifices.

Sparks describes the emotions so beautifully that even the most unromantic of species would like to fall in love. There are lots of romantic moments in the story but the one I found most romantic was when Theresa and Garrett part each other.

Theresa says, "Go home, Garrett, and do me a favor?"

"Anything," says Garrett.

"Dream about me, okay?"

And there are lots of funny moments too that make you smile intermittently. Here goes one instance...

"Pulling back, he mumbled," I should really be going." He didn't sound as if he meant it.

"I know."

"But, I don't want to," he said with a boyish smile.

"I know what you mean," she said. "But you've to. You got to teach us how to dive tomorrow."

"I'd rather teach you a couple of other things I know."

"I think you did that the last time I was here," she said coyly.

"I know. But practice makes perfect." :)

And yes! how can I forget those beautiful letters. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised - that a man can be so romantic in his thoughts and so innocent in this actions. Until now, I thought, only women can express themselves so beautifully.

The friend, who recommended this book to me, said it was her first time - I mean, reading a romantic novel :). And proudly claimed that it's the best book she ever read. I was amused at her choice - that a romantic novel can be someone's best read. I have no choice but to confess that it's become my favorite too. Actually, it has become the centre of gravity in my bookshelf. Hey! thanks so much...for recommending this book to me. I think you are a great reviewer...It's ur praise about 'Message In a Bottle' that forced me to read it...It's an immortal possession.

Finally, to all book lovers out there, if you don't mind a few tears in your eyes, read it. If you want to live a tragedy long before you understand it, read it. And if you want to experience a tightness in your chest, read it.

happy reading!! :-)

Stars Shinedown!

2007-05-28T20:41:00.000+05:30

IT's thirty minutes past midnight. And I hv been sitting here on the parapet of my terrace for an hour or so. Doing nothing, thinking nothing, just wandering aimlessly. My mind's creating bubble thoughts that diffuse as fast as they pop out. The stars are shining and twinkling as if they are happy to see me. For a moment, it seems they are moving. Am I in a trance? Seconds later I realize, it's not the stars, it's the after-shower clouds - yep! as i like to call them - that are taking their own course after soaking the earth whole evening. I m luvin this after-shower cool breeze. It's caressing my cheeks, as if wanting to tell me that it luvs me n wants me to stay here thruout the night. N i 2 m not able to resist the crispness in the air. It's so calm out here. I m feeling lighter than a leaf. I can see the world around me sleeping, except a few lights are still open in some distant corners.

Hey! wats this? just wen i thot the night sky is getting clearer, the clouds hv again started playin hide n seek. Are they coming back? Will it rain again? Luks like i ll hv to go back to my room. I think, sumthing when given in plenty, spoils its charm. Don't u think so? If it rains again, it might spoil the beautiful weather that was created after the first rain. Neways, the cool breeze that is still blowing, is enticing enuf to force me to stay here for a few more mins. The night sky 2 is beautiful. I feel lik reaching 4 the stars. I want to touch them, feel them, see each one of them closely. i know it sounds childish, but i want to go back in time n be a child again :). I hv been fascinated by all things universe - stars, constellations, planets - since i first read abt them in std X. Since then, it's been 1 of my dreams to buy a big telescope n see wats happening inside those beautiful little..err big, i guess bigger than big..creatures up there in the milky way.

It's one now..n it's getting late. I think i shd get back to my room. Subah uthna bhi to hai. But the pleasant weather, specially this breeze is holding my hand, as if forcing me 2 stay here. I tell her it's 2 late..lemme go...But, she wont budge..Like an innocent child, she wont listen to me. Umm....i guess i'll hv to submit to her 4 a few more mins. Let's see 4 how long... :-)

sweet dreams!!