What i have been feeling…….

Joy

Hearing Jagjit Singh live, sorry Pamabhushan Jagjit Singh.

I asked Bhargav, what does one need to do to get that Padmabhushan in your name.He said just set out the difference in physical and mental soonapan – empty space and loneliness. (for the uninitiated ; JS did that in reference to the line – aakash ka soonapan, mere tanha man main…)

Learnt some urdu as well – khuld is heaven, vayas is someone who doesn't drink alcohol and maikhana we always knew…..but realised understanding the language is really important to enjoy the music.

Fun

Driving all around when mom dad were away in Jhansi – the best being rushing back from Bandra Bandstand to Airoli at 2 in the night, 21 minutes flat.

Cant describe

TA directors meet last saturday – Clinton is here and it was hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…….lets say one of the best afternoons, evenings and nights i have had in a loong loooong time……

somewhere in between, we also sat through a movie called Avatar – good to look at…….

Mindf^%&*d

You know why………same old shit….

Irritation

Some people are so damn dumb, they dont realise whats good or bad for them….

Funny

Waiting at the airport, waiting for someone. and thinking.

I dnt think apart close family and friends, anyone will understand why a tired me would borrow dad’s car and travel all the way for someone who’s described as a good friend…….samaj would enjoy such instances!!!

I’ll survive

The last trip to Bangalore…...a very old sher gives me hope…..

“Surkhuru (successful) hota hain insaan, thokre khaane ke baad.

Rang laati hain henna, patthar se takrane ke baad”

In essence, al the effort will pay…..

In hinsight, thats not very comforting – it was all labour, mindless, no value addition

Surprise

I showed up at a madrasi marriage reception despite exam an all!!! The host, the guest, and other guests are all wondering how come i showed up…… but one should try to honour a genuine invitation from a friend....

But Akash is wondering why he went all the way with me just to sit in the car!!! :)

Anger

Anyone would when people refuse to accept their fault and put all blame on you…….. and believe me, there is a mela of such people

in some cases, i am expected to be God, i’ll know things without being told and then i am expected to make last minute arrangements

In some cases, i am given multiple ideas, each one better than the previous one…..and rework……

Sometimes others decide for me whats essential or primary for me…..

And in my position i am always wrong!

You know, i just want to be a parent and a boss….i’ll not be wrong in most cases!

Anxiety

Some serious proposals have come in……jaane kya hoga baba re……

Plus, i have shortlisted Fiat Punto, Maruti Swift Diesel and Tata Indica Vista (a Tata is never out of my list) as one of the cars i plan to buy next year…..but the way things stand, i am not sure if i’ll be able to……..

Bravado

Exams – have we taken them too lightly??? or have been smart? time will tell……

Mixed feelings

Akash moving on to tackle good opportunities…..great!!

but that leaves me alone to handle my bike problems, PC problems, Accounts problems, doing all the listening in college, doing all the listening outside college, office problems, other issues, opinions, movies, mocha and rude, girlfriend problems, friend problems , developing contacts, routing information, social club problems……….and so on.

Anyways, all the best mate!!!!!

It felt nice

To see Nish is happy finally with a job and all…..

To meet up with old friends in Bangalore….

& flirting with new ones!!! :)

It felt great

The coffee sis made at her house – sweet and strong!

and the fact that she is actually independent!!

It feels lousy

To get up in the morning ……..

To find a reason to work – no , “they are paying you” has stopped working……

Most of the other things……

Enough. Just thought someone may be interested in knowing.

Smart.....

Taj Mahal would not have been so beautiful and long lasting if Shahjahan also would have called for quotations and decided for the lowest - On a pipe manufacturer's website

Some quotes by Sachin Tendulkar…..

A friend sent some quotes by the Master…..read on…. 

My big sister gave me a bat after returning from a trip to Kashmir, which is known for its high-quality willows. It wasn’t the best bat, but it was like a piece of gold to me. I used to imagine myself batting for India, hitting fours and sixes, the people cheering. I used that bat until it broke

I was the only one supporting John McEnroe — everyone used to call me “Mac” because I styled myself on him. I made my father buy me the same headbands and sweatbands and even grew my hair long. You wouldn’t believe the pictures of me from that time. I was also extremely naughty. Very, very difficult to handle. …I had a nanny who used to run after me virtually 24 hours a day, because I never wanted to go home.

My father, who died in 1999, was never a cricket fan, not at all. He was a writer and a poet: he taught Marathi, my mother tongue, at the local university. But he understood exactly how to get the best out of me. He always encouraged me and told my mother that he had full faith in me. It was probably reverse psychology, but as I got older I felt like I could not misuse that trust. He warned me against taking short cuts and told me to just keep playing, despite the ups and downs. My parents taught me that it is important to live every day of your life with grace and honour. When it came to choosing between cricket and going to university, he said: “You can play cricket, I know that is your first love, so go for it.” Of course, my parents were extremely happy when I became the youngest player to play for India, at 16. ..

Cricket is something very, very special to me. It has never been about owning this or that car and the other things that come with this life. An obsession with money or worldly matters was always thumbed down. My only dream was to wear the Indian cap and the Indian colours. In that respect, my childhood dreams have come true…..

Having children brings back all my old childhood memories, wonderful years. Now, every minute is measured and calculated. I still dream — without dreams, life is flat, you stagnate. I don’t go to the temple every morning, but I do pray. I thank God for everything he has given me, because life has been very good to me

Tendulkar, now in his nineteenth year in international cricket says, “I still play… because I still love the game. I would like to clarify this. It’s not about records. It’s all about loving the game and enjoying being out there in the middle. That is extremely special to me and far bigger than breaking records or creating new ones.”

Creating records happens after you’ve gone on the cricket field, but you’ve got to find a reason to go on the cricket field, and for me the reason is very clear.

From the age of three I’ve loved this sport and I’ve never thought about scoring the most number of centuries or runs in international cricket. Everyone enjoys breaking records, I’m enjoying it too, but that is not the reason for playing cricket.

“Whatever level you reach, getting better never stops,” Sachin Tendulkar said. “When I started playing, I always wanted to be regarded as one of the best and the idea was that when I stopped playing, people would remember my name. Being regarded as one of the best players is always a good feeling, and that drives you, it refuels you completely. You want to be on top of your game all the time and push yourself harder and harder. There’s a huge responsibility and it is a great challenge. I love that,” he added….

Tu kahi bhi rahe…….

Singer : Ghulam Ali        Poet : Sabir Jalalabadi

Tu kahin bhi rahe, sar par tere ilzaam to hai
tere haathon ki lakeeron mein, mera naam to hai

Mujhko tu apna bana, ya na bana, teri khushi
Tu zamaane mein mere naam se badnaam to hai

Mere hisse' mein koi jaam na aaya, na sahi
teri mehfil mein mere naam, koi shaam to hai

Dekh kar logg mujhe naam tera lete hain
iss pe khush hoon, mohabbat ka yeh anjaam to hai

Woh sitamgar he sahi, dekh ke usko 'Sabir'
shukr hai iss dil-e-bemaar ko aaraam to hai

This isn't the life I ordered…..

Maybe I should end this life.

I am tired of this daily struggle to find the will to go on. I don't know how many more days I can wake up and  go about pretending everything's fine. It isn’t. Who says money can buy you anything? Not happiness, not a reason to live.

I guess most people would call me lucky. How many would come out alive from under a fallen chimney? ……

……..Our steel plant. It was just routine inspection, kind of ordeal I went about daily. 15 workers, 3 officers died plunging along with the beams. My 2 bodyguards trying to shield me, but died. (Maya says she had given up hope of seeing me alive.) After 15 hours, the rescue team got me out, from where I lay. I wasn’t hurt. The stretcher was cold, hard. I tried to get up, but couldn’t……….
……Some blue room. Faces. Maya, doctor talking. Why is Maya crying? I am fine. She sinks into the sofa, sobbing …..
….. my bedroom, Maya, smiling. “I am there, I’ll take care.” Of what?? ”Usha, saaab ke pair pe chaadar udhao”. I am not feeling cold……
That was 2 years back. I haven’t smiled since, spoken rarely. Just signed a few documents. Maya is taking care of things. I am still the chairperson, but its Maya who is the Boss. Poor girl, was shattered when I asked her to divorce me. Has decided to grow old with me. will fulfill all my dreams. She had her own dreams: Hum do, hamare do, she would say. Living happily ever after.
We cant have kids now.
Maya talking to me. Something about giving a life to some child. I think she wants to visit a child adoption agency. Cannot blame her for wanting to be a mother…but I am useless. No, leave me alone.
Of late, I have been hearing strange noises. Joy, laughter, frolic. Afternoons and evenings. Must be the whisky.
The plant is ready. Maya has been hardly home for the last one year. She wants me to come at the commissioning, I refuse. I would prefer being left alone. I think I saw tears welling up in her eyes. She pleads again. I close my eyes.

I am a recluse now. Avoid Maya as well. I’ll be doing her a favour. She is still young. And the growing empire is hers. Why should she be unhappy because of me. Yes. The decision is correct. My revolver is in the lower drawer. I write her a letter.

I call for one of the drivers. Its Abdul. He’s got the BMW. He looks tired. Its 2 AM. Give him the letter, to be given to madam when we  return.

Ask him to take me to Lonavla. The sunrise is very beautiful at the Bootleggers valley. That’s when I shoot myself.

We start off. I ask him to to drive fast. I want to experience speed before I die. I close my eyes, lower the windows and feel the air on my face. Cell phone rings.

Maya. She is frantic. She loves me. Live for her coward!

I ask the driver to take me back.  He takes a U – turn. I tear the letter.

Dawn breaks out as we reach home. What’s that?? Noises from across the compound wall. Joyous laughter.

“Abdul, ye kya hain??”

“Bacche saab”

“Kiske?”

Hesitation.

“ Saab, anath ashram ke. Apke poorane bagiche main hain na. Maya madam roz wahan aati hain”

“Hamare ghar main?. Mujhe wahan le chalo”

What the hell has Maya done? Am I businessman or saint giving out charity?? Our CSR policy took care of all that “ 2 saal se chal raha hain. Pehle 20 bacche un mazdoor ke the, jo accident main mare gaye the. Unki patni bhi yahan kaam karti hain.”

What crap? I wasn’t responsible for their wellbeing. They must have been compensated. “ Ab kareeb sau bacche hain.”

We stop. Children all around the park – where I used to jog earlier.

I stare. Some children come close to the car. Recognize me. Soon the car is surrounded by children. Cacophony. I roll up the windows.

“Pooche unhe kya chahiye”

“ Gareeb bacche hain saab. Aaap ke karan zinda hain. Kuch nahi chahte. Sirf aapki lambi aur khushaal zindagi ki dua kar rahe hai” .

My life?? And I was about to throw it all away!

I want to say something. Cannot. Maya appears. Hugs me as I open the door. She hasn’t slept all night.

“Maya……yeh sab?” Fighting tears…..

She smiles. “ Hum do, hamare sau……”

I smile.

It’s evening. The coffee hasn’t tasted this good for a long time. The sunset is beautiful. Never mind the wheelchair.

****************************************************************************

Water rafting adventure……

I have always said that coffee, chocolate and pizza are the best things that happened to man. Some people have added woman,wine, car and cricket to the list. Today i add one more thing.

Life jacket.

For someone who cant swim, the feeling of just floating in cold water of the river without any fear is just amazing. Why, i move my hands and legs, and actually did move forward. (Though in the end, Akash towed me to the raft!!)

I finally had some adventure in my life – White Water Rafting. This was at Kundalika river, Raigad and a fairly amateur level thing – much easier compared to Ladakh and Hrishikesh. This was classified as grade 2, goes upto grade 7. Going by this experience, i have started feeling i need to get more into such adventure sports and go on to higher levels as well. After all, its fun to fall of the raft when you tackle the most difficult rapids!!!

Most of the snaps that you will see are before and after the action – one cant take snaps when when you are holding on to dear life or the raft!

But it was a fun trip, and a tiring one. And the 6.5k lunch bill that we coughed up showed how hungry (& thirsty !! ) we were….

something wrong with the album - check this : http://picasaweb.google.com/rachitst/WhiteWaterRaftingKundalikaRiverRaigad#

Truer words were never spoken...nice mail...

20 Rules in any Office
1. Rule 1. - The Boss is always right.
2. Rule 2. - If the Boss is wrong, see rule 1.
3. Those who work get more work. Others get pay, perks, and promotions.
4. Ph.D. stands for "Pull Him Down". The more intelligent a person, the more hardworking a person, the more committed a person; the more number of persons are engaged in pulling that person down.
5. If you are good, you will get all the work. If you are really good, you will get out of it.
6.. When the Bosses talk about improving productivity, they are never talking about themselves.
7. It doesn't matter what you do, it only matters what you say you've done and what you are going to do.
8. A pat on the back is only a few centimeters from a kick in the butt.
9. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.
10. The more crap you put up with, the more crap you are going to get.
11. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it...
12. When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried.
13.. Following the rules will not get the job done.
14. If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done.
15. Everything can be filed under "Miscellaneous" .
16. No matter how much you do, you never do enough.
17. You can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work you are supposed to be doing..
18. In order to get a promotion, you need not necessarily know your job.
19. In order to get a promotion, you only need to pretend that you know your job.
20. The last person that quit or was fired will be held responsible for everything that goes wrong.

Rainy day musings.....

Just my luck, when i have grand plans to grow, get huge salaries, earn a lot and splurge, some idiot in the government advices India Inc. of not getting "vulgar" salaries. So much so they even want to bring in a regulation......Thank God, India Inc replied with a plain get lost!!!

Austerity on my part....i could have gone to office today by auto, but no, in line with the austerity i kept it low key and went nowhere....

Someone said its raining the zoo..!!!

As T said, i am out shopping now....well thats expected sort of.....no problems, but still uneasy...so been thinking for some time...today took concrete steps....

Some astrologers have predicted i'll be married this year..... the optimist in me today realised it could be financial year they are talking about.....

Uddhav Thackerey on NDTV - everyone should have a hobby , mine is wildlife photography (he did not add, i dont have to work for a salary)

I sent over 70 messages today.....so mom cant say i dont exercise.....

F*&%, office tommorow......

Today was a rainy day. Its been raining since saturday, but today was "Rainy Day". As in, i did not go to office, did no work (apart from some domestic help),sat back, slept, read Agatha Christie and thought...

Moods of the sky……calm, angry, beautiful…

Don't know which place

Mount. Abu

 

Bandra Bandstand

   

Airoli Bridge

 

Near Somaiya hospital

 

Under construction Worli Bandra sealink

  

Lonavla , Walwan lake

 

Clear sky, somewhere in Rajasthan

 

Goa…… Colva, Miramar

 

Sunrise in the rearview mirror….

 

View from Mumbai guesthouse….

 These do not include 2 of the best snaps i have taken, one in which the sun is setting over the Dharavi slums and another one at Boisar, sunset over the polluted sea.

Both are from the pre – digital era……

So much to write about.....

Austerity
Akash's heartbreak
Small world
Sagar vihar
People
Indian cricket
Maharashstra elections
Avenger tales (as good as new now....but for the brake, perennial bajaj problem it seems)
Work
Dil bole haddipa
Quick gun Murugan .... mind it!
Sookhi aalo ki sabzi i made
Used and thrown
Irritation
Mistakes on both sides....& the third side suffers..
The Valkyries - Paulo Coelho
TA through the years....
Some more ghazals
Indonesia.......almost.

Asleep.

& people dont like ghazals....

मंजिल न दे चराग न दे, होसला तो दे, तिनके के का ही सही तू मगर आसरा तो दे.
मैंने ये कब कहा के मेरे हक मी हो जवाब,लेकिन खामोश क्यों हे तूं कोई फैसला तो दे.
बरसों में तेरे नाम पर खाता रह फरेब,मेरे खुदा कहाँ है तूं अपना पता तो दे.
बेशक मेरे नसीब पर रख अपना इख्तियार,लेकिन मेरे नसीब मैं क्या है बता तो दे।

Listen to the song : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Po_Lxdmro

People go to God when in need.....i should go to Jagjit Singh as well....

Save the tiger....

Guys, check this out : Tiger trade vs shahtoosh trade?

For some reason, an extinct tiger scares me more than anything else.....

Sonia, the career of a reluctant leader

Nice article…..

Sonia, the career of a reluctant leader

She wont like it….

Today evening, at the coffee shop, there was this couple sitting in the opposite table. The girl (good looking) was talking, the guy was listening – another girl (good looking) passed by and this fellow forgot to listen & was just looking her (for maybe 10 secs)….that instant, the expression on the girls face was a mix of anger & hurt.

I think i saw the same look on my bike today.

But what to do!!! Bhargav’s Royal Enfield Thunderbird commands the attention !!!

Today, after our exam, me & Akash went to check out his “Dulari”. & found him riding on the new road near Ghansoli…..in style, hair flowing & all…

We took turns trying it out ……… & wow!!!

You know, its amazingly smooth, at 70, i realised i am not on 5th gear yet!! Handles well, looks great, feels great (the power rush has to be felt to be believed), & no problems turning round!!!

Believe me, in that 5 minute ride , all was forgotten – yesterday’s rotten paper, tomorrow's problems, today’s problems, irritating people, unresolved problems, client …… everything.

& somewhere in between, i had the same 10 secs like the guy at the cofee shop….

I am sure she did not like it.

Sorry sweetheart!

Kuch is tarah…. (Sung by Atif Aslam)

कुछ इस तरह तेरी पलकें मेरी पलकों से मिला दे
आंसू तेरे सारे मेरी पलकों पे सजा दे

कुछ इस तरह तेरी पलकें मेरी पलकों से मिला दे
आंसू तेरे सारे मेरी पलकों पे सजा दे

तू हर घड़ी हर वक्त मेरे साथ रहा है
हाँ यह जिस्म कभी दूर कभी पास रहा है
जो भी ग़म हैं यह तेरे उन्हें तू मेरा पता दे

कुछ इस तरह तेरी पलकें मेरी पलकों से मिला दे
आंसू तेरे सारे मेरी पलकों पे सजा दे

मुझको तोह तेरे चेहरे पे यह गम नहीं जंचता
जायिज़ नहीं लगता मुझे गम से तेरा रिश्ता
सुन मेरी गुजारिश इसे चेहरे से हटा से
सुन मेरी गुजारिश इसे चेहरे से हटा से

कुछ इस तरह तेरी पलकें मेरी पलकों से मिला दे
आंसू तेरे सारे मेरी पलकों पे सजा दे

Quitting my job.....

& taking up one better suited to my skills.
Serious, this new job is for me.....weather forecast ....all i have to do is never get it right!! i do that beautifully....

Ashes 2009...

England win, Aussies (Ponting, more importantly) loses and me and my boss congratulate each other.... sport sure can drive the world crazy....we know someone who was willing to bet his entire business on an Australia win.....
Anyways, Ponting the captain is gone for sure. but he may still be around trying to match with Sachin's records....or maybe not! Couldnt care...
Well played Pommies!!!

She is hurt.....and that hurts...

Deepak's and my bike at the bike wash......

My bike got a proper wash after almost 18 months (our watchmen do pretend to wash it daily). & this happened after i felt guilty. Because its hurt, there are scratches on it. Not many, just on the guard upfront, that's the part that brushed apart from my leg and hand (that sucks though, the effects of the Humpty Dumpty fall were still there, and now the right hand, shoulder, leg are all hurting again)...but all of a sudden i was very attentive to the bike - pampered it today, washed, cleaned, brakes checked out, went on a drive in the evening, just the 2 of us, slowly around Airoli & laughed at myself .....it was almost as if i was trying to mollify an upset girlfriend!!!

Its funny though. Last year, it rained for 3 - 4 days, there was a hint of rust and i went and got anti - rust applied, got a cover for the bike.....this year there was rust all over and i woke up to it, just yesterday... :)

And people say that's an indication of how i'll treat my wife......

Speaking of whom, i am also out in the marriage market now. Mom's become hyperactive since i turned 27, & my lovely sis, who had an unscheduled vacation due to illness, did everything possible to help her.

So soon, i'll have another person to mollify if i hurt her..... lets see if i take the effort....

PS: Went on a long drive to Worli with sis, only to take a u-turn and come back. Only good thing was that i had sis for company, did not care much for the Bandra - Worli sea-link - its convenient and all, but thats about it....the view is blocked, unless you have an SUV, people drive as if they on a morning walk, and somehow Worli sea face seemed upset about the whole thing.... stupid, i know :)

Thought.....

Captain Jack Sparrow : You've seen it all, done it all, you survived. That's the trick, is'nt it? To survive?
Captain Teague : It's not just living forever Jackie. The trick is, living with yourself, forever
- Pirates of the Carribean : At World's End

WTF!

A fairly busy and productive day, but still very irritated. Been so since yesterday, dont know why. Shouldnt be, after all , just wrapped a succesful study, congratulations all around, been appointed Project Manager (read , the fall guy) for the next study, studies doing well, aches and pains gone (almost), can ride the bike anyways.......but still very irritated, very edgy.
Andy suggested i yell at someone to get the irritation out, but thats a recipe for disaster..... so i dont know what to do....i'll just shut the damn computer and read some shit and go to sleep.

27 .............. and 50.......

i.e . the 50th post on my 27th birthday.... meaningless, cos i am in too much pain to type anything more!

Rakshabandhan...

First Rakhi with sis away from home..... mom doing the honours....
Ek na ek din to yeh hona hi tha..... :)

1...2...3...4....bike testing....

& the bike test failed. Use the clutch and i now realise that even the left fingers are hurt, acclerate and the wrist cries out in pain....brake and entire leg hurts, front brakes cnt be used....fingers already hurting, stop with a jerk and the back acts ups
Thanfully i wont be riding the bike anyways for next 2 days....

Love (Aaj Kal) on a limp....

U got to appreciate the the dedication. Back, ribs, thigh, wrist, fingers , toes, calves - all hurting. All credits cards failed to work, some issue with some registration to be done, half sleepy - having worked till late at night on the presentation - but none of it stopped me from catching the movie - Love Aaj Kal. (On second thoughts, i could come home & seen Flintoff bat as well, but Star Cricket was kind enough to show highlight just as i reached home)

Anyways, you believe in love, or as Saif says, have you figured out love? Well, apparently it happens once in a lifetime, you cant plan or set a logic to it, you cant "get out" of it. Love is love and Imtiaz Ali has given 2 examples for that in the movie.

Stupid actually, but neat direction, easy lingo, innovative (not exactly, reminded me of Ocean's 11/12/13) narrative made it a watchable affair. Saif is gud, Deepika is there, smiling and all, music is good. The fun part was Rishi Kapoor - In Kabhie Kabhie (1976), there is a scene where Rishi Kapoor is making fun of old style slow "hi hello for an year" love, now he is saying that was good, & current generation is more busy with "kuch bhi" rather than love!!

These guys, Saif & Deepika , very smoothly, decide to part ways to follow their careers. Fine till here. 2 adults deciding something.

Then the stupidity starts. They remain friends. & tell each other everything, whats happening, dating scene etc. & they hope to go ahead & live happily with someone else. Doesn't work out,in my experience/ observation. If you want to move on, you have to move on!!! Ctrl+Alt+Del. Done. I think at least 3 people reading this will agree!!!

Unless of course, if you don't want to move on. Then get into the mess of break-ups & still friends and what not.

I mean, if you have taken a call , stick to it!

Anyways, i am not an authority on love, and maybe its easy speaking on the basis of other people's experiences, but hey- that's what i do for a living!!!

Anyways, looking forward to Kaminey now.....

England are playing well and may win / draw this match...that will be nice....

Now I'll go and give some rest to my hurting body parts. Life was nice last 2 days (except for the Humpty Dumpty fall and the aches and pains) - relaxed, work done, study done.

It's gonna get hectic now - new study, exams, and people....looking forward to mindf*&^%d me soon :)

In lecture....

& in pain.......had a bad fall last evening, hurting everywhere.....the worst hit is wrist, so no bike :(

I hate those staircases!!!!

fun to blog in class.....how interesting can accounting be?? Just presented Standard Costing, everyone clapped, i also clapped and the wrist is worse now....
Akash chatting with girlfriend.... don't know which one....
Rest all sleeping.. one mallu talking something abt break even analysis....is my wrist broken??? will it be even???
Will go for movie in the evening, then go home and sleep.....age catching up

Lousy break even chart ...........& the dude says "i am done", Another mallu ......looks like a cousin of Ramu/ Vishagan... truly mallu!!!

Prof also sleeping. looks like......

Leg also hurting....

Snap coming up.......serious students




Look at the sincere fellows.........they have to deal with high expectations every weekend, God
knows why, maybe because they are older.....not fair!!!!
Swami Akash ke vichaar :
1) Insan ko saansarik bandhano se mukt ho kar swayam ko moksh ki aur le jaaana chahiye
2) High BP is very bad....lot of restrictions
3) Looking at brighter side, better tha low BP!! I am high on something atleast!!!!
4) Punjabi diet pe jaana hain.....kuch to hota hain unke aate main.......jo aisi ladkiyan hoti hain!!!
5) don't type too much when your fingers are hurting (my reply, i got to do it for my fan following, if you have a doubt look at the map below - its across the world!!!)

Akash vaani khatam

We are listening to Transfer pricing now......something is audible to that effect......
Blesson and Amit are watching movie, guy behind is playing game.....
Pittu.....cant make out wat she is doin.....laptop tak nazar nahi jaati!!! (now you know the punjab link)
Other girls walk in.....imbalance...... too thin or too fat......even God is not consistent....only one almost perfect (no brains)!!

Now fingers and wrist hurting......so baaki baad main.....

Dont read.....some mindless things....

Last few weeks have been amazing, personally as well as professionally...... sharing some words/ phrases/things that i came across and my thoughts on the same....

1. Bullshit - lost all faith in feelings, decency , professionalism (whatever that is!!). Increased tendency to act on reason rather than emotion / belief / gut feel/ own conclusions
2. Tantrums - will never expect reasonable , responsible behaviour from anyone now, in fact not expect anything at all.....possible? not sure.
3. Nalla - at loss of words!!! this was with regards my language/ expression of facts - maybe someone is right, but still......
4. Service industry - get f*^#ed, do not complain, i think i better re look the way i talk to all tele marketers, waiters, drivers and others who classify as "service industry"
5. Deliverable - do as asked to do, a function of position in hierarchy - also maybe linked to service industry
6. Message - a verbal diarrhoea with a takeaway
7. Commitment - you cant take a leave and go to Leh Ladakh (It's a different story that i am not going anyways because of exams).
8. Overcommitment - do not get me started on this :)
9. Bike - nothing like it when you are mindf*^%$d. Maybe its the power, the pickup , pure physics , the balancing of forces or the speed, the pure smooth straight line acceleration with the amazing stability..... heady, very heady. The best 10 secs of these last few days : Today, first signal at Godrej, first in line, signal green ........vrooom!!! . Had to stop at the next signal, but the world was a better place by then!!! :) ( Psst,Clint...Silky may also go in for bike soon, you also come here, we will have a biker gang!!!)
10. Bike in the rains - :). Particularly , late night / early morning. Its fun to just chug along
11. Faces - Old , new, known, unknown, on Facebook, or in the traffic, in a meeting or in a hotel - tell a lot....
12. This is good, but - and bang goes the night........
13. Planning / discussion - New development ; last 3 weeks me Akash, Deepak, Bhargav have been seriously contemplating our future - insightful discussions; surprising at times that we do think the way we do - should i be surprised, is it lack of self belief??

Feel like God.....

It took more than a year to learn riding my bike, to the point where just plain enjoy the ride.....last week, when i left for home at 5 in the morning, after continous 24 hours of work, dead tired, bleary eyed....it was raining.....when i reached home, i identified with the tagline, more than i ever did!!

Going by our luck.....

In our college, they have a system of paying for referrals, so sometime back Akash filled up a form, saying he had referred me and is eligible to get that 1 - 2k, something like that.
Anyways, today in the break, we went for coffee, and on the way back, went up to the notice board. One of the notices read " Referral cheques ready - Contact accounts".

"Akash, aapne ye referral form bhara tha na???"
"Haan, kyun, kya hua?"
"Cheques ready hain apparently"
"Accha, chalo jaake poochte to hain"
"Hmmmm"

We go up to the office and ask the accountant about it. She asks some questions, takes out a bundle of cheques, about 30 in number, sifts through them, all the while talking.... "i remember you filled the form, let me check, one of the cheques hasn't come..." and goes through the entire bundle.....
"What are the chances, that one missing cheque is ours????"
"100%"

She says "Aapka nahi aaya, i'll check and let you know"

C'est la vie

iGoogle

Just testing……

iGoogle

Tune jo na kahan....from "New York (2009)

तुने जो न कहा,में वोह सुनता रहा,खामखा बेवजह ख्वाब बुनता रहा
तुने जो न कहा,में वोह सुनता रहा,खामखा बेवजह ख्वाब बुनता रहा
जाने किसकी हमें लग गयी है नज़र,इस शहर में न अपना टिकाना रहा,कोई चाहत से न अब, अपनी चलता रहा
खामखा बेवजह ख्वाब बुनता रहा..............

दर्द फेले से है ज्यादा,खुद से फिर यह वादा, खामोश नज़रें रहे बेजुबान........

अब्ब न पहली सी बातें है, बोलो तो लब थर्थारातें है, राज़ यह दिल का न हो बैयाँ,होगा न अब असर हमपे नहीं,हम सफ़र में तो है हमसफ़र है नहीं........

दूर जाता रहा पास आता रहा,खामखा बेवजह ख्वाब बुनता रहा,आया वोह फिर नज़र ऐसे,बात छिड़ने लगी फिर से,आँखों में चुभता कल का धुआं

हाल तेरा न हमसा है, इस ख़ुशी में क्यों गुम्सा है,बसने लगा क्यों फिर वोह जहाँ,जहाँ दूर जिस से गए थे निकल्फिर से आँखों में करती है जैसे पहल

लम्भा बीता हुआ ,दिल दुखता रहा
खामखा बेवजह ख्वाब बुनता रहा
तुने जो न कहा,में वोह सुनता रहा,खामखा बेवजह, ख्वाब बुनता रहा

जाने किसकी हमें लग गयी है नज़र,इस शहर में न अपना टिकाना रहा,कोई चाहत से अब्ब अपनी चलता रहा
भुज गई आग थी दाग जलता रहा...

Theory ??....naaah....

Last week, in the HR lecture , i learnt about the styles of leadership........& as an example, illustrated the Mamata Banerjee/Medha Patkar style of leadership.... :)
Then i went about setting puzzles, but got too engrossed with the cricket, and set out only one puzzle in the end.....bujho to jaane!!

Please let me know....

If this template is good or should i go back to the earlier one.....

Whatever....

i have been told i am a spoilt brat, not a nice guy, selfish, demanding, non accomadating, not listening to reason and stuff like that......

in any case, i look good on this bike.... :-)

Into the dark....

These snaps tell you how dark it was when i reached the road behind the Burns Hospital.....even with the headlights on, its dark. Before i took these snaps, i was cruising along this road as usual, until i reached the stretch where all light were off......now its always an amazing feeling to drive when its that dark, almost eerie......but believe me, its just amazing when turn your headlights off!!!!!

You cannot see a thing, just feel, the wind on your face, the shirt on your body, the friction of the tyres. You dont know if there are any stones on the road, or maybe a dead dog, some one may actually be walking, there may be sand on the road, and yeah, there is a sharp right turn ahead!!!

But then, i can also be a bit reckless.......if only for 10 secs!!!

A trip to a disc....

First time to disc....and lets say its fun for even those who sit and watch....

And you can go in and join and do what you want to do.....no one bothers apart from people who cannot dance or the bouncers

Growing up...

its a funny thing.....you want to grow up in one way, not in another....on all my birthdays,or after a certain landmark day, festival, job change, when the day ends, i feel a certain dread, whats the next year gonna bring for me?? more work?? responsibilities??what if something untoward happens?But next morning, i get up with enough energy to face all challenges life might face....that is when i grow up, birth dates & age a just nos......what age u CHOOSE to be is your choice,when i play cricket, i might be 5!!!

This was my response to the following post:
http://ekpal-swathi.blogspot.com/2008/07/bait.html

Damsel in distress......

& i am the knight in the formal armour!!!!

For ages, like most guys, i also had a wish where a beautiful girl needs my help.....and that happened today....

I was on my way to the SBI atm to withdraw some cash........when i saw her, trying to withdraw some cash from the machine (they have some faith in humanity here in Ahmedabad, the machine is out in the open, not in a cabin or vestibule)....eitherways, as i waited behind her, she turned ..........and her eyes smiled.......brown eyes....

"Do you have to withdraw money???". Nice sweet voice.

"Yes". I say.

"Please go ahead."

She steps down, i step up.

Put my card in, withdraw it, punch in the pin no., press all the right buttons , take my money.......and notice she is standing right behind me.....too close....

Thought 1 : Is this like one of those deo ads? Gal cannot go away because of deo.....??? No, deo will be useless if you have spent 7 hours in the sun.........

Thought 2: Is she out here to dupe me/ loot me???? Is she one of those good looking gals thieves sent to dupe guys, the gals moms always warn against?

I take my slip, step down, smile .........

"Can you just help me?" The sweet voice again.....

Cautious.

"Sure"

"Its not reading my card"

"Show"

Put it in, withdraw, asks for pin card.

"It was not working now!!!" Sweet shriek and smiling eyes!!!

"Happens. Sometimes the magnetic strip is dirty, so." (I am not sure about this, but figured she wouldnt know either!!!)

"Oh, what do i do now, i want to withdraw cash." (I think she was embarrased now)

I guide her through the entire process.......and she smiled.........her eyes smiled.....

"Thank you!!!" Sweet voice.

The point is i was there when she needed me........ :-)

& y i saw only her eyes smile??? Because thats all i could see..........she was covered something like this........

So much to say.................

My love life is an year old......yes, its been an year since the bike came....
Cast my vote......first time....
Exams took place with lesser pain than expected, maybe 5% less......
Good that Ganguly is not the KKR captain.....though i feel only he will be able to salvage some pride in this lost cause now.....
Why are we wasting time on Kasab.....khatam karo kahani....oh no....elections....
Nice point by Varun Gandhi....he had NSA slapped and upheld by the centre for making a hate speech.....and Mr. Kasab is getting good food, fair trial, and can still be a martyr....and they are still figuring if the can be tried in juvenile court.....
The hype of Shane Warne's team is falling apart.....good in a way....
I had predicted ages back its Priyanka Gandhi who is the real leader......ppl realising that now....but looks like the son is preferred over daughter in Europe as well........
Who is gonna be the next PM???.......does that matter???
People are disappointed over low voter turnout......wonder where such optimists come from????
Recession (apparently) has reached my company, so no increments , next year maybe - based on performance :-) .............. but 14 promotions given out - there must be some work.....
Modi for PM???? Why the opposition, i dnt get. Only because his inaction in preventing the riots(deliberate or otherwise) was evident. Is he different from anyone else?
IPL is doing good, maybe better than last year, and the competition is good as well.....nice....
Loads of people around getting married, engaged or on the lookout.....
College is good actually......having spent most of my life with engineers, its actually good to know how people from other streams of education think....how the same thing can be your strength and their weakness and vice versa....and how this can be used to the teams advantage....
The next 6 weeks are gonna be a pain.....thankfully college will be in a bit relaxed mode.....interesting subjects though.....managerial accounting, behaviour analysis, stuff like that....
Have started winning or atleast losing after giving a good fight in Cricket 07...........
Been thinking of ways to get India to a party system.....wont work out....we are tooooo diverse.....
Slept in the afternoon after about 13 weeks today....so not sleepy yet, will sleep tomorrow and on saturday too......college on sunday :(
May travel to Gujurat next week.....sweltering hot, but what to do.....???

Pride Cup - March 2009

It started of as a joke - after we won the inaugral Feedback Cup. Next, we wanted to have a cricket tournament of all companies in our building.

It took almost 8 months for the idea to materialise but it did happen. One fine day, on the walls of Lokmanya Canteen was put up the notice announcing "Feedback Presents - The Pride Cup".

People enquired, and then we thought, we actually have to work on this!!! :-)

Eitherways, registrations were done, forms were handed out , ground was decided, all known formalities done, rules set out, schedules formed ........& the Pride Cup was on!! The only thing we did not do was practise cricket!!! All other teams did.....

A lot of issues came up during the process, which had to be handled, but alls well that ends well.....all in all a good experience, and an enjoyable one.

The tournament saw close to 2500 runs being scored and some stellar performances from teams like Kotak Royal Challengers and Thermofisher or the eventual winners Apex Honda "B". ------>

Best part : Me and Kiran cannot walk to the canteen unless we have had atleast 3 ppl nodding or waving out to us.....:)

Hi!!

This post has been put up as my sister regularly checks my blog and is disappointed when there isn't any new post :-)

Kya aapke toothpaste main namak hai......???

Student sleeping. Wakes up with a start. Cries out loudly,
Grandmother enters.
Granny : "Beta kya hua?? Koi bura sapna dekha??"Kid: Haan daadi, maine dekha, ke mere daaton main bahut dard hain aur main exam nahi de pa raha hoon...."
Granny : Beta, pareshan mat ho. Hamare desh main sadiyo se namak ki madad se daaton ka khayal rakha jaata hain. Tu
bhi namak se apne daat saaaf kar, tujhe kabhi dard nahi hoga ......
Ding dong!!!!!Pesh hain namak ke taakat ke saath....nayaaa Colgate Active Salt toothpaste. Is main hain calcium aur namak jo rakhe
aapke daaton ko saaf aur masoodo ko majboot!!!

Part of the "Advertisement" assignment where we have to re-do the Colgate Active Salt advert.....why??? Cos half the people in my class did not like the "Kya aapke toothpaste main namak hai?" advert......this is like a 50 marks test....

Forget....possible???

Main bhool jaaoon tumhen......ab yahi munaasib hai.......

magar bhulaanaa bhi chaahoon, to kis tarah bhooloon.....ki tum to phir bhi haqeeqat ho koi khvaab nahin..............

A beautiful rendition by Jagjit Singh.....its not possible, he says....

Well, life would be less complicated for a whole lot of people if they can just forget and move on.....go ahead, settle with the next best that comes your way.....and live happily ever after....

but no.....

in the silence of the night, in the loneliness of a crowd, the taste of the coffee, long distance travel,the client's dress, just normal routine activities, driving past favourite locations, on a website, some joke, some song, a movie, an incident, in the excel sheet trick he/she taught you, in some one's hairstyle, in some one's voice, in some one's eyes or smile.....the face is always there, looking back at you....& then start the questions.....

"what is she up to?"

"what if......???"

"is he happy???"

"did i make the right decision?"

"if i had made a stronger appeal....."

"if...."

Maybe Ghajini should take his rod & start a business - making people forget.....people. No memories, no regrets, no related mood swings, no questions.....

I think Jagjit Singh is right.....