Arabian Nights - II

This was the first time I stepped outside the Emirate of Dubai as we took the Dubai bypass road towards Hatta & Oman and it was an 8 lane damn straight as an arrow highway. We could literally see the road curving up and down till the end of the horizon and serene golden sand on both sides of the road, like they show in the movies; it was a beautiful sight to behold. The other thing I always used to wonder about Dubai is the lack of animals as opposed to India, where the center of the highway is the home for our beloved cows and buffaloes. So I was quite surprised to see a caravan of camels roaming freely in the desert on their own.

The driver, who was a quiet Arab, finally announced that we have reached the dune bashing spot at around 4:30. I quickly wrapped up my SLR in the bag because a birdie told me things can go flying all round and I dint want to risk an untoward incident happening to my beloved, suddenly then without an warning I find myself find myself facing the sky, I was like WHOA! It was just amazing the way the car went sideways and it conquered one dune after another with such relative ease. I can’t even imagine a sedan lasting 100 meters on this terrain without sinking in. (My respect for the land cruiser and 4x4 just went way right up there) The Arab was so damn skilled at this, and all the cars went in such perfect symmetry, it was a sight to behold when one of the dunes the sand fell on our cruiser like the wave hits the shore.

Just when I thought this couldn’t get better, the oldie in the front seat started huffing and puffing, he was shit scared out of his wits. He was asking the driver to slow down and the Wifey at back kept asking every 30 seconds, are you having chest pain or a heart attack?! Damn it people, why do you come to such places if you have no stomach for the adventure. The driver just took it easy and skipped many dunes for the sake of that fat ass. I was so annoyed; I was almost tempted to ask my money back! We went over one dune after another for the next 20 minutes or so and then we stopped for a break on one fine dune top to take photos. I couldn’t help but wonder, how the hell they know which direction to go, because as far as my eyes could see, I could only see desert with no perspective of whatsoever direction. After a very short break we resumed dune bashing back to the way we started and then to the camp site.

The camp site was like an Oasis in the middle of the desert, it was more of a sort of a ranch. They greeted us with some traditional Arabic coffee (which I spitted out at the first sip, because it tasted more like they boiled sand in water) and some dates and some kinda Arabic "Mendu Wada" (Bombay lingo). It was a pretty huge camp site, so we went exploring, one side had the Camel Ride which I had no interest torturing the poor animal what so ever. Then there were the Quad bikes, which you could ride into open sunset, I was more afraid of coming back to the site if I went so I skipped that too and there there was some exorbitantly priced memorabilia, apart from this there was a green room where you could dress up in traditional Arabic attire (Yup you got it right, you get to see Simba dressed up as an Arab, only condition if you laugh you gonna be shot at!). So I learned 'Abaya' is the black overcoat for women, 'Kandura' or ‘Dishdasha’ is the men's attire and the head scarf is called 'Shaila'

We moved on after those experimentations, and Hallelujah, the camp became suddenly colorful. Enter a group of giggly hot girls, all immaculately dressed....

P.S (To be continued...)

Arabian Nights - I

I know the title sounds totally cliché, but can’t help it... So here we go

The story begins long ago on a Sunday morning when I was having my breakfast. I collected the receipt from the cashier and searched for a place to sit and have my breakfast in solitude and peace, so I sit down and for lack of anything better to read start going through the offers listed on the back of the receipt and one of the adverts instantly caught my attention, the ad was of HORMUZ travels which boasted of neatly lined camels with sand in the background which went as far as your eyes could reach, a mean 4x4 attacking the dunes and of course a Belly dancer.

The last image was enough for me to go into overdrive, and as it is after buying the SLR, Vikram & I were making plans of going on some kinda outing. So I gobbled down my French toast and called Vikram to ask if we should go and he agreed. I immediately called up the agent and booked two tickets and eagerly wait for the Friday. The anticipation was such that I was afraid I was going to get wet dreams!

So fast forward to present day Friday!

We put on loads of sun screen and had a light lunch taking heed from well wishers and head to the metro to catch a train till the pickup point which was Deira City Centre. We were half n hour early so I was trying my hand at some Voyeur photography. (I took clicked photos throughout the day at every possible instance of every possible thing in sight; the count had reached 900 till evening!). The agent calls at sharp 3:30 and the Land cruiser was already half filled (I thought to myself there goes my front seat experience). There was a Bori family at the back who yapped about how their sons were so dependent on them before and how they have changed after marriage. It was truly a nightmare come true so we both decided to put on our headphones!

There was this super duper tiny munchkin next to me, she was so devilishly cute, I couldn’t resist playing with her. But as soon as I removed my camera she went all pink and became camera shy! But still have some amazingly cute stealth photos. En route, I was doing knowledge transfer to Vikram of whatever little camera skills I have picked up by reading and experimenting so that I don’t end up having no pictures of the trip :P.

P.S (To be continued...)

P.P.S(Promise I will not leave it midway)

P.P.P.S (Thanks to @poojster for editing my posts and being a #GG)

Technicolour Dreams - II

It was pitch black by the time we reached our camp site, as soon as we stepped out of the comfort of our car, there were flies and mosquitoes buzzing all over us. The sound of crickets, the hooting of the owls and with the shadow of the night falling on us, we felt being watched all the way. Just then we heard the rattling of a rattle snake, that was the last straw, we dropped our bags right there and ran towards the camp. Our driver, John just burst out laughing, he was like, 'After kangaroos, rattle snakes are the most common thing on this continent, so better get used to it!!' Aanya was not pleased by his attitude, she said to me, "Let him come to India and I’ll make him sleep with King cobras and then let’s see who’s laughing!!"

The camp site was more of a secluded spot in the woods, the only notable difference was that there was a huge bonfire right in the centre and there were others like us who had arrived just before us. Our friendly neighborhood driver introduced us. There was a young German couple, two super hunks from the US and a lone girl from Sweden.

Sometimes I wonder why Indians don’t ever have the courage to just go backpacking on their own. What really stops us? Why can’t we just take a break from work for one complete year and just go explore the world and do what we want. I ask Aanya the same thing, and according to her it’s more to do with our culture and responsibility towards the family and how we like to save each penny for a rainy day.

And just in the middle of that discussion Aanya pops out, "I think I have a teeny weenie crush on the white guy".

I had to somehow control my emotions and not show it to her that it really bothered me and it meant anything to me.

I spoke like a typical macho guy, "You want me to head over there and ask him out for you??"

Aanya now all blushing "Don be mad, I was just kidding and wanted to see your reaction"

I was like "WTF, why would you do that?"

Aanya "Just for fun, leave it"

What with these women, when they say it’s the end, that means it’s the END, if you say anything after that, it will only start a new fight or you will labeled as pushy, So I just put my tail between my legs and just let go of that topic.

Our hosts had provided us with our individual tents and there were arrangements made where we could just freshen ourselves by the campsite. The mood was festive in the camp and our hosts had arranged for a small revelry with barbequed lamb and wine flowing freely. After dinner we just sat there eating melted marshmallows by the bonfire and it was so magical to have Aanya by my side at that precise instant. I could just go on looking at her forever if I was given the opportunity but I had to settle for stealing some sideways glances. .

(To be continued...)

Technicolour Dreams

I met Aanya in my dreams and she is a wildlife photographer, she is so passionate about the animal kingdom that she wouldn’t hurt a cockroach, let alone kill them. The story begins with one such adventure, where I had the fortune of assisting her on one of her wild back campaigns in the land down under. Aanya had received an invite from Steve Irwin himself to document the great outback.

As we arrived at Adelaide airport I could sense the nervousness in Aanya's eyes to be able to meet the great man himself. We stepped out of the airport and the breeze literally hit us like a breath of fresh air. It was so humid that my glasses became foggy due to the temperature difference inside and outside of the airport, that sure made Aanya chuckle like a little girl.

Our hosts had made arrangements for us to be taken to the great outback straight away. We were taken to Wyandra, which was an 8 hour ride from the airport. As soon as we stepped outside of Adelaide city the landscape turned from concrete to the great opens. You could see the red soil as long as your eyes could travel; the road felt like God himself created a great divide across the desert in form of a two lane road which was magnificent in its own way. Even though we were tired from the long flight, we couldn’t stop admiring the beauty that was so full in our face. Aanya's shutterbug instincts kicked into action, she clicked anything and everything that came in front of us.

4 hours into the journey and I could sense Aanya was truly exhausted, so I tell the driver to pull over so that at least we can stretch our legs. Picture this: The sun was almost setting, the sky had turned into a lovely hue of orange, birds in flocks flying back to their homes, the afternoon breeze was still humid and hot and just then we spot our first kangaroo. Aanya just stopped breathing, It was a sight to behold; this one had a small baby tucked in its front pocket. The driver looking at us said "Mate, you’ll see so many kangaroos from now on, that you’ll be sick of seeing them". Aanya just gave him a dirty stare and went bonkers clicking; her weariness vanished in a vapor.

We were on the road again, it was dark by now and it was both scary and thrilling to cross that wild outback on our own. This was the moment we thanked our hosts that they sent an experienced driver by our side but somehow even that failed to pacify Aanya. The way she held my hand, I could sense that this experience was making her jittery; though we were good friends this new found intimacy had profound implications on me. I mean who would not fall in love with a human being who was so passionate about nature, wildlife and her work and to top that she looked so pretty and attractive in her jumper suit that she specially bought for this trip which made it very hard to resist.

(To be continued...)

P.S: I am penning this down as a series of adventures that appeared in my dream as is.

The heart wants what it wants.

They say to start something new is always the toughest part. But I believe once started something, maintaining its perpetual motion is even more difficult.

I believe most people live their lives in utmost ignorance of the purpose of why they are here. The peers surrounding them define a particular course of action, a aim is set and most of us trod on that path believing that is right for us. Now don get me wrong, I don presume myself to be enlightened, but I consider myself to be woken up and aware.

If I look back at the last 25 years of my life, 75% has been spent in pursuing goals that I thought was right for me in the long run which was as defined by the society and peers around me. I admit to have lived a empty life filled with pursuing mindless goals. When a series of unfortunate incidents that came my way, I realised, whats the purpose I am chasing after something so blindly and whats the purpose of my life. I had my principles and sticking by my values was the most veneered integrity in my life. I used to be god fearing but my faith has been shaken. I am reluctant to admit that I am a borderline atheist.

I believe in realistic goals, and I have achieved them far earlier than I had anticipated. Maybe that's the reason I feel this void in me. Maybe this is what they call the mid life crisis and I am going through that at just 26. If I think about it, would I be better off living in my shell to live just like all the others, maybe yes or maybe no. There is a question of what next. Is only the chase that gave me this high. Should I redefine my goals? But what next after meeting those goals. You see its a endless and pit less cycle. Living life in the fast lane has got me nowhere. Its only got me back to the starting line. You got to relax, step back and enjoy the finest moments in your life.

Recently I was thinking about people who live up to 100 or nearing 100. What really motivates them to live so longer? They would have seen so much all around them. People younger to them passing away, Organs failing, loosing memory n motor functions. I used to think, that if i ever met with an accident and if I couldn't walk again, I would rather end my life than living that wretched and miserable existence. But now after gone through one of the worst periods of my life I believe circumstances can make you handle any god damn problem coming in your way. Nothing is perfect, its all in your mind.

The mind plays huge tricks on us. To keep it in check and free of negativity is a herculean task but you gotta do it to have peace of mind. The only way to live this life is of acceptance. Sooner or later life teaches you the same.

If you look around there are so many people suffering due to lifestyle related diseases. I am not afraid of dying and if I live up to 60 I would be more than happy. But I would like to at least achieve a couple of unrealistic goals things before that happens, like writing a book, going to the himalayas, and a world tour. I am no more afraid of following my heart and listening to my inner voice. The heart wants what it wants.

A certain friend once said, "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, 'WOW . . . What a ride!"

Buddhist Meditation

(This is for Personal Reference)
THE SPEAKING TREE
An Empty Mind Need Not Be The Devils Workshop
Girish Deshpande

It is strange how we have been made to believe since growing years, of an idle mind being the devils workshop. The Buddhist view is to the contrary. Sit in a comfortable position as lotus or just cross-legged in a quiet place, with the spine erect, hands folded across your lap, with the bottom of your right palm resting on the left palm and the two thumbs touching each other. Eyes angled at the slant of the nose, shoulders thrown back, chin slightly tucked in and the tongue tip touching the palate of the slightly open mouth the seven-point Vairacona posture. Steady the mind with slow and regular breaths. Focus on the breath till you sense reasonable steadiness of mind. Observe the mind carefully. What is happening within it Quite likely there will be thoughts because such is its nature. All forms, sounds, thoughts and perceptions there is nothing that does not arise in the mind. Now observe mindfully what is happening to these thoughts. Some come and go on their own; few others linger and retreat while yet others are persistent . This is a normal experience.

Here begins the interesting part. While in this state of observance , where you are aware of what is going on around you but not engaging in them on in any way, you will see that unless there is an engagement of any arisen thought or feeling by the intervention of any one of the six senses, five sensory and the conceptualised mind, no response will be forthcoming in the form of body or speech actions. This means that only when we engage, consciously or subconsciously, with our arising thoughts and feelings, do they have the capacity to manifest further. It means, if we do not engage with arising thoughts or feelings, they will die or fade out on their own. This is the nature of our mind. Awareness, undivided from Emptiness. This is known as the view.

Slowly come out of this state and return to the ordinary state. As soon as an external negative stimulus of any kind is given to the mind, be it an angry word, an unpleasant smell, a loud sound, a painful feeling, a sorrowful sight, a negative thought with a capacity to bring suffering upon us or others, observe for a moment how this stimulus is being treated by the mind before reacting to it. If we can effectively change this immediately reactive treatment into a delayed response kind of treatment from within the state of emptiness , the resultant offering will be pleasant and virtuous. Train yourself in mindfulness. At all times be vigilant of the manner in which the mind is processing every external stimulus. To an ordinary mind, stimuli can be sensational, arousing, disturbing and seductive. The mind is gullible and thoughts can deceive easily. But if we are observant at every moment, we will be able to grasp the slipping mind and instead respond from the View state of awareness-emptiness .

This can be made a continuous living experience. And to relentlessly practise the accumulations of the view and meditation at all times, is our action. Perfecting this state is Dzogchen practice, central to the Nyingma tradition of Buddhism.

Remember to humbly dedicate all pleasant sights for the liberation of all beings. Actions themselves have no capacity to bring benefit unless dedicated. Such dedication, detached from pride, ambition and conceptualisation will bring us happiness through liberation from sufferance.
The writer is a practising Nyingma Buddhist.

Mind over Matter

They say the Human mind has enormous power and the human body is a slave to directions meted out on top. I just finished reading Dan Browns latest book: The lost symbols and I couldn’t help but agree more with it. Found it pretty captivating for almost the 3/4th of the book but then it fizzled out somehow for me. The day would come when we will bend the spoon with nothing but our thoughts. Even thinking about it gives me a new high and hope.


Dan Browns ability to co-relate different scriptures and his knowledge about myths and science is unfathomable and hats off to him for that. And it was even more interesting how Hindi mythology with other religions was intrically carved throughout this book. My interest to religion can be addressed to the fact my late maturity towards spiritualism and the unknown. I recently read an article which prophesized that Bhagwat Geeta was the first of all holy scriptures and all the religions thus far have been emanated from our very own Bhagwad Geeta says the great sage. Now despite being a staunch Hindu I feel somehow its blasphemy to proclaim that other religions have emanated from Hinduism.


Back to my original topic of Mind over Body, One should not become a slave to the mind by allowing to take control of our lives by thoughtless and reckless thinking and acts which subsequently originate from such thoughts. One should become aware and take reins of the mind by allowing it to be constructive. And like my earlier article keep reinventing yourself. There is no meaning to life if you keep doing the same things over and over again. Make mistakes, learn from them. Acceptance is the key to forgiveness and your peace of mind.


I know my recent writings are clouded by spiritualism and optimism but the more you believe in it the more it sinks in. But yes, I want to cherish my long lost dream of writing a novel someday. This is where I bow down to the great mind for directions. Because the stories that can be cooked up there, cannot be imagined in the wildest of dreams :)

Handcuffed!!

The Clock strikes 5:30 and I am off my bed. The first thing I remember is do my 8 minute meditation. Something of a ritual I have started just to spend time with me and myself.

Then I put on my running shoes and shorts and I am away on my morning jog. As I step out of my house there is still darkness and I think to myself how life can be so still and peaceful at this time of the hour. Reminds me of the Body farms from the MATRIX, each one is plugged into their sleep who will only wake up on the buzz of their alarm clocks.

I see the patterns over the morning sky as the sun rises slowly from the east. I can see the desert dunes which separates me from the hard and harsh desert life with the Civilization which has been built over pure desert and arid land. I live in discovery gardens - Jebel Ali, an astonishing blend of modern architecture and landscapes. I shifted here because it’s close by to my work and sometimes I walk to work if life gets too big for me.

I decide to run up to my office. Although I know there will be nobody in but I still want to see how the place looks when it’s deserted. So I sign in the register and take the first corridor. It’s empty and spooky. I run till the end and notice all files and papers neatly stacked on the tables. I guess the cleaning staff is doing their work. It’s like the elves from harry potter :). I reach till the end of the corridor and take two rights to go back to front desk.

The security guards are alarmed to see me at this hour. I try to get past them without acknowledging them and they panic and start screaming and running behind me. I am oblivious to this because I am listening to music on my MP3 player. But the guards finally outrun me and block my way.
This takes me by surprise and I ask the guards "whats your problem man??"
Guard One: "who are you??”
Guard two: "what are you doing in the office at this hour?"
Me: "Don't you know me?? I am your corporate IT staff!! And I came to office just like that, no particular reason. Is that a crime?"
Guard one: "Show us you’re ID"
Me: "I am sorry, I left my wallet in the house" Now I am in panic mode. "But I signed in the register which says I was there"
Guard Two:"How can we trust you? Who is your boss? Let us call him and confirm the same"
Me: "There is no need for that. I will be coming to office in another two hours, and then you can see for yourself. And the register is also the proof". I really start getting tensed since if the guard calls my boss, he will come to know I was there at 5:30 in the morning and I have no plausible reason explaining my presence at such a time without sounding fishy.
Guard One: He starts relenting "Ok. Give us your phone number and name"
Me: I become cocky and challenge him "How can you not know me, I have been here for almost 3 months. If you want why don’t you check the register?"
Guard one: Now gets irritated "Ok. You can go now, but if you really want me to check, I can do it"
Me: “yea"
Guard one: He calls up his superior on duty on walkie - talkie. Theres static which I am unable to decipher and then he turns to me and says "Come with me"
Now I get hauled up to the superior and I then I think to myself, I made a complete fool of myself. It’s like digging your own grave. I should learn to quit when I am ahead.

Superior: "Whats your name and your purpose of being here"
Me: I keep silent
Superior: "My staff tells me that you were being arrogant with him. Who is your boss?"
Me:"So are you gonna put me in jail for this?" I turn to Guard one "you’re going down!! You won’t have a job in few hours!!"
Superior:"Oh yea, let’s see who doesn’t have a job!!" He then handcuffs me and tries to throw me in a cell.
I try to struggle and resist and wrestle with all three of them and I fall off the bed!!!

This is what I dreamt this morning and as I woke up I decided, I am gonna pen it down. I mean who gets such weird dreams and remembers it in details :)

Re-Invent your self

There is so much turbulence around me and inside me that for the first time I have started reading spiritual books just to know the reason why life is being a bitch to me. They say that a man turns spritual only when he faces adversities, calamities, troubles and disappointments. Or if he is truly self enlightened from within. But i do realise that there will be always unhappiness around unless you try to connect with yourself and bring yourself to peace with gods will.

This year has been the most turbulent year of my small little life so far. Things are just not going the way I planned and I Just wish this year ends and theres a hope for a new beginning for me. I dont want to return to the shell which i have strived so hard to get out of. But i do have a feeling of Deja-VU. The same events in exact same manner have happened twice. WHO is to blame? Me or GOD? This is where I went wrong and I am in misery. No body can be blamed. I cannot punish myself or others for things which are not in our hands. I just to accept it as Gods will. And when you learn acceptance you learn to forgive and forget thats what I have discovered.

I have come across this great article about going into silence. I only wish i would have come across this earlier so maybe i would have lived a more fulfilling life away from Hatred, Jealousy and Impatience.

Just recently i have started meditation to calm my mind and divert my mind from the past and the negative thoughts. And today was just my second day with the help of 8 Minute Meditation - Quite Your Mind.Change Your Life. If i can silence my mind even for those 8 minutes without enforcing it I believe its a achievement. And i feel this is a perfect start for a restless, hyperactive and sensitive guy like me.

I have also made a resolve to start reading and writing again come what may. This is something which is me and i have disconnected for some reason or the other. Just my advice to you guys out there, Re-invent yourself, dont get stuck in this monotonous wheel of life.

The Chennai Trip!!

The Flight took off From Lohegaon Airport. Lohegaon, a village located in the remote district of Pune, around 40 Kms away from the city. The road to the airport was so scenic, lush green trees in full bloom on either sides of the road. Purple & Mauve colored flowers decorating the highway. Interesting thing about Pune, is the Buffalos residing right in the middle of the road, I guess they still think that its part of the meadows. Just sitting there, not giving a damn to the people honking by. A sight.

Once in the airport, in comes this pretty little thing asking me which flight I wanna board and do I wanna check in my luggage. I been told with my new Lappy, I look more professional. So I give her this look full of attitude, no babes, I am good here.

A memory which will always be etched in my mind, will be the sonic boom of an MIG and the landing of a Sukhoi. It was like an art, this fighter jet touched down in perfection, then the shoot came out and it came to an halt almost in 500 mtrs after which it was taxied to the hangar. Pune airport is used both as a military base and for commercial planes. There were also some old world war planes on display.

I like the Pune Airport, they have kept it pretty simple, and thank god there was no rush of the usual, gujju families and Dubai Departure Creatures AKA Mumbai Airport. And also since the prices of Air Travel have gone up, maybe people prefer going back to their usual mode of transport. So as I enter I hear an announcement saying Passengers of Jet airways Flight 946 are requested to check in and proceed to the security counter. So there I get my Baggage Checked, with the security guy sticking his baton in unmentionable places. I wonder what they tell their wives, “I just physically molested 1000 people today”.

So I am all checked in and ready for departure, only thing I am an hour early, so I decide to show off with my new lappy, but I get bored soon and thought I will speak to someone. I called up one of my friend. Time flies by and lo its time for me to take off. As soon as the announcement is made saying, “Passengers of Jet airways Flight 946 are requested to board the flight”. There’s a mad rush to the counter, reminds me of the Mumbai local trains. People run as if their lives depend on it. I sit there watching people hustling and bustling, fighting out who gets to get more luggage space on top. I decide I will be the last person to board the flight. This reminds me of the Murphy’s law, “People with window seats always arrive last”. But alas, the entire plane was full except my row, which was still empty. So I sit there thinking what an opportunity I have missed.

But then there’s a moment to rejoice, here they come, two gorgeous looking girls, coming right towards me. So one of them comes straight to me and asks me, is this row number 25, I think to myself, “Bimbettes”, don’t u no to read, but of course I ain’t rude enough to talk to these pretty girls like that. Since these girls arrive late, there was no luggage space for them, so they ask me, could I help them with adjusting it somewhere. I Say ‘sure, y not with full grinning smile’. So finally they settle down next to me, one of them starts up small talk, so where are you heading, I was like DUHH, “Chennai”, I gave her a confused look, for a second I contemplated being in the wrong plane. (Ya, I am travelling to Chennai to celebrate the silver anniversary of my birth – Not by Choice though, on a official tour). So we talk for some more time on trivial issues, but I am too bored to entertain them anymore, so I try to sleep for sometime. But no, these dimwits are on a laughing & giggling spree, it was so annoying I mean, there the steward comes and hands them a drink, one of them asks, how much for this, the steward says, no mam, this is complimentary, and there they go giggling for half an hour. I was like are these girls high or something?? Anyways I put on my headphones and ignore them for the rest of the way.

Finally, the pilot just announces that we have arrived and flying over Chennai.”Outside temperature 36 degrees, with cross wind on the runway, so buckle up and sit tight”. As we are flying over Chennai, I noticed this huge cluster of houses, so close to each other, which can give a complex to the slums in Dharavi. Then I see a huge race course, I guess this was twice the size of Mahalaxmi race course. It looked magnificent. Another thing which was pretty unique was the elevated train platforms and tracks, and it was running almost through the heart of the city like a serpentine. Chennai airport being right in middle of the city, when the plane was descending it was almost kissing the rooftops of the low lying buildings.

As we were nearing the runaway, suddenly the plane started vibrating, it touched the runway and bounced and moved sideways, the people almost started screaming. But thank god, the pilot landed the plane safely. I wonder how a low cost airline would react to such kinda crosswinds, because a couple of times when I have been in one of the low cost airlines, they shake vibrantly even when they are on ground!! So that’s that.

While getting down it’s like a custom for the air hostesses to stand at the doorway and give you fake smiles and wish that we would fly again with them. I mean don’t they get sick of giving that fake smile, I had read somewhere if you are forced to give a fake smile, the person goes into depression after a certain period of time!! So I guess they will be needing shrinks pretty soon.

The first thing once you step out, you notice about Chennai, that its bloody hot and humid, identical to Mumbai, only thing in Mumbai it becomes pleasant in the evening but not the case over here. My chauffeur had called me and said that he’s waiting for me outside. So I step out of the airport and I see a guy with a placard saying “Mr. Narsimha, Infosys”. Normally whenever I used to travel by air and used to check out I used to see this placard for different people and think to myself I wish that was me. So I callout the guy and tell him I am Mr. Narsimha. He gives a half smile and offers to carry my luggage, I tell him, that its not much and I can manage. So once in the cab, I try to make some small talk, like how far is the Mcity(the place where Infosys has a huge campus), he says its about 40 kms away, almost an hour.

So I ask the driver, hasn’t it started raining over here, cuz its still hot and humid, I gesture using through hand signals, he starts saying something in Tamil, I tell him, “tamil teriyaadu” which means I don understand Tamil. So he says something in broken English, “no rains here Sir, only summer whole year!!”. I ask the driver to turn on the radio, each frequency he tunes into has only tamil songs nothing else, its like I have come in an Anti Hindi establishment. I heard, people over here, even if they know hindi, they will pretend that they don’t know it.

Anyways after a long long ride, that’s when the idea of this blog was conceptualized in the cab itself, I reached Mahindra City, a huge deserted land where all the top IT & BPO & ITES companies were setup. Soon after I checked into my room, Infy guest houses are as magnificent as ever. A 29 inch plasma screen, comfy Beds, hot shower what else can a man want. So I get changed, relax and wait for my teammates to arrive. My PM arrives at around 10 and we decide to go and get something to eat. As we step out, we ask the guard where the food courts are, he says that all food courts close at 9 and there’s nothing we can get to eat in a 10 mile radius. I wasn’t particularly hungry so I could manage sleeping without eating anything. But still our PM insisted we go and check out everything. So there we go three musketeers, on a BSA ladybird riding into the sunset searching for food. We asked almost every guard on campus and swept every building which had lights on for food, but nothing. After so many excursions, I started feeling hungry and we were even more determined to find food. So in the end we fought with the guards to open up the kitchen, finally one of them had pity on us, they gave us bread jam.

By the time I reached our rooms, I started getting calls for wishing me for my Birthday which went on almost till 1. It was depressing not being among friends and family but still I tried to look at the brighter side. We had to go early next morning for training so I called it a night. Tomorrow was supposed to be my day, where everything will be perfect and everything will happen as I want. But sadly it wasn’t so.

Next day morning we got up, got our breakfast and we were ready for attending the KT sessions in the client centre in Covansys. As soon as we got out from our rooms, we were hit by a heat wave at 8 in the morning. I was thinking to myself if it was gonna be so out in the morning itself how’s it going to be in the mid afternoon. It was almost an hour drive. As we reached the client location I was disappointed to see their office, I guess I am used to be in huge campuses, so I guess I had some expectations, the work place, the people and the infrastructure. I was thinking when I will jump how hard is it gonna be for me to adjust in some other company, if it turns out to b like the one I was in, I wouldn’t have probably survived their long. Infosys is far more liberal in certain aspects. I guess I have now realized the value of my dream company.

We had our sessions at 2 till 5 and after that a Infosys Level meet to discuss how the day went by. That got over and since it was my birthday we decided to go to some beach or some good place. We asked the CAB guy through hand signals to take us to the beach. He only replied, “illa sir, no diesel”, there was a fuel shortage going on only in TamilNadu, giving me enough reasons to hate this place more and more every passing moment. As a last resort we asked the driver to take us to a good restaurant which falls on the way. He was reluctant but agreed in the end. He took us to “The DHABA”. Notice how the “THE” changes the aura of a name. There was a Auto Rickshaw installed on the first floor of the building, guess the owner was fascinated by this famous mode of transport. We had already prepared ourselves that food might not be so great here but fortunately the food was yummy. The funny thing was natives dressed as punjabi’s were serving the food and when we spoke to them in hindi they replied back in tamil!!

This was just the beginning of the nightmare, after we reached home, I started hearing noises in my tummy. Thought must be indigestion or something. But unfortunately it wasn’t so, I had to go twice to the loo, I was praying to god, not now, not here, not today of all days. Somehow I got to bed and at 3 my condition had worsened, bad stomach cramps and motions, I thought I’ll put up with it till morning and go to doctor. But the pains were becoming intolerable, in the end I slept on the bathroom floor, cuz I dint have energy to walk from the bed to the loo. Felt like my stomach is gonna burst, I would rather prefer to die than go through that pain, that’s when I decided it was a emergency and I needed medication ASAP. Normally there’s a doctor on call so called up the security personnel, he said there’s no doctor on campus and they will have to take me to a hospital which is like 15 kms away. I dint wanna go to the hospital cuz I hate it, but the pains had become incessant, so I told him to get an ambulance. Ambulance arrived in five mins, I woke my roomie, told him I am going to the hospital, he was totally bewildered, was like what, how , when. I had never stepped in an ambulance before, the driver told me to lie down on the stretcher. I was thinking so many battles of life and death must be fought at this place. I was almost to a point where I was gonna loose consciousness, but thankfully I dint. After what felt like ages, the hospital arrived. The name of the hospital was, Mutthuswamy Kumar Ganpati Hospital!!! From out it looked like a residential building. As soon as I stepped in, I got hit by that sickening smell of a hospital. I don’t know how all hospitals manage to smell similar. From inside it looked like a world war II emergency ward. I was taken to a room where there was a guy before me who was getting treated, I guess he cut his leg or something, so there was blood lying everywhere and he was cryin with pain. Looking at that blood and that smell, I just found the nearest exit and puked right there.

I was still getting such spasms, I just asked isn’t there any other doctor, the nurse said no, she said she can give a injection to relieve the pain, I said no thanks, Ill wait for the doctor. By my guess, the nurse was just a 18 year old girl, as well as under qualified for this job. Finally the doctor came, he just asked me what happened, and he prescribed something and told me he will have to give me two injections, one in the veins and one in the butt and I had to get those meds myself form the pharmacy. The driver was there with me so I asked him could he get it for me, so he brought them, the doctor told the nurse to give me the injections. I was thinking to myself, if she has to give me a injection in my veins, how many attempts it will take for her to find my vein. I couldn’t risk that so I requested the doctor himself to give me those injections. He told me to lie on metal table where there was blood all over on it!! I told him can he at least get it cleaned. He took me to another room where he gave me those injections and prescribed some more meds and asked me whether I want drips. He told me I got “food poisoning”. I said no ways I am staying in this hospital even a single minute more. So I just took the meds and got the hell out of there. The pains reduced after an hour or so.

After I came back, my PM came to see me and saw my condition so told me to take rest. I was feeling bad that I fell sick and I wouldn’t be able to participate in further sessions, but I had no control over it. Entire day I was only sleeping, there was a problem for getting me lunch cuz there was no room service but I requested the reception and he knew about my condition so that was solved. I was completely sapped out of energy, even simple tasks like pouring water in a glass had become difficult. So when my colleagues came back in the evening, my PM asked me to take the first flight back home the next day and take the week off and rest.

Mom was surprised to see me cuz I hadn’t told them about my condition cuz I know she will worry simply. At least now I will get proper food and care. I have decided I am never ever going back to that hell of a place again.

All in all, Chennai sucks!!!

Stella

As I am saying good night at the end of the day,

And you are not here, but many miles away,

My heart is so empty and so lonely inside,

As I wipe away a tear I am trying to hide.

I close my eyes and try to go to sleep,

But with the sadness inside I begin to weep.

Suddenly I remember what you once said to me,

Just meet me in the stars, waiting for you I will be.

When distance tends to keep us apart,

Remember I still hold you near in my heart.

When the night together, can't be ours,

Just close your eyes and meet me in the stars.

Meet me in the stars, I'll be waiting there for you.

With a bottle of wine and glasses for two.

Just close your eyes and there you will see,

Waiting in the stars, just for you I will be.

Remembering those words, I begin to smile,

And gently close my eyes, lessening the miles.

I can see the stars, oh how beautifully arranged,

But you are not there, no hug to exchange.

I sit alone waiting, with hope in my heart,

No longer wanting to be kept apart.

Suddenly in the distance, a shadow appears,

A tear rolls down my face and the image is clear.

There is no question it is you that I see,

Waiting in the stars, just like you promised to me.

You hold out your hand as you become near,

And put it in mine saying, "I miss you, my dear. "

Suddenly there's gentle music, filled with romance,

You gently pull me close, we begin to dance.

Just meet me in the stars, that is where I will be.

A special place in the stars just for you and for me.

Love

A great many thinkers and writers have wasted their time broaching about this particular topic and still it remains something which cannot be described or expressed completely. Every person has a different perspective of how it should be. But in the end it’s just the union of two people who feel the same way about each other.

Can love be one sided?
I feel how it can be love when the other person doesn’t respond to you the same way. No sir, that’s not love. It’s just a dream.

I thought I had found true love, my soul mate who I could talk anything n everything n I thought this was the person I would do die for. But m scared now, people change so much, the same person who would not even dream about hurting their loved ones, behave as if nothing affects them anymore. So cold, passive it’s just too hard to digest the fact that how could I not see it coming. I guess love makes you blind, you ignore all the faults n see only the good things, things that YOU wanna see. But actually things are much darker, fader, and blanch. I had read somewhere people are generally good, circumstances push them to the bad side. I believe people are generally bad, circumstances and their needs make them good.

Everything’s so lovey-dovey, caring, sweet talk n all during the initial phases, why do people start taking for granted after the other person express their desire to be with them. Does all the love vanish in that single moment?

Maybe I ask too many questions, Maybe m plain stupid n dunno how this world works or Maybe people are too complex too understand..
Maybe I am just seeking for someone who would listen to me patiently without judging me.
Or may be I just can’t let go of people I really care.
Or may be I believe in fairy tales, boy meets girl, both of them fall in love and they live happily ever after.

I donno, whether I would be able to love anyone the same way ever again and also to trust someone more than myself but I know for sure I have lost faith in love.

Clairvoyance

In my dreams I'm dying all the time..
Then I wake its kaleidoscopic mind..
I never meant to hurt you..
I never meant to lie..
So this is goodbye..
This is goodbye


Tell the truth you never wanted me..
Tell me...

M Back!!

Hi guys..
Been away from bloggin since almost a year n half..
Lets say bloggin was really addictive and then got demotivated of posting cuz of a certain someone..
Well lot many things have changed since i last blogged and i hope to write some of those incidents down and continue bloggin with same vigour as i used to at some point of time..

Cheers
Happy Bloggin

Bombay Blues: Part I

This week and the weekend has been particularly too hectic for me.
The one sport that I can really say m good at is, badminton n I resumed playing badminton after a gap of around 6 months. This vacation I had particularly gained too much weight so wanted to get back into shape.
And since I was playing after long I knew my body will be stiff so I had decided I will play only a game or two, but once m in the game, I loose track of everything, n ended up playing 8 games. So obviously till I reached home I was ok, but once the body cooled down, every inch of my muscles were aching n crying. But still I went the next day n the body pain is slowly going away. Feels good to test the limits of your body.

Then on Saturday it was A’s birthday, so we had to plan something good.
I had bought her a Card, a box of chocolates and a formal bag. Then we had planned to go to Kobe’s sizzlers for a mega lunch. I loved the pepper chicken although it was too much for a single person to finish. She had ordered an ice tea which tasted delicious. After the lunch we had planned to go to the Gateway of India n go to a nice ferry ride, n since it was a good 30 Kms from Bandra we went by car so that we could have a long drive also.

The first month of the year is celebrated as the Mumbai Festival over here and there are events taking place all over India. At gateway of India Two warships were anchored, INS GODAVARI and INS BEAS. We thought of going over there but there was already a huge queue for that. So we chucked that idea and decided to go to Elephanta Caves. It is a pretty famous tourist spot n although of living my entire life in Bombay I had never been there so neither of us had any idea what we were expecting. When we asked the ticket vendor as in how much time will the total journey take, he said 40 mins. We thought ok not bad, n bought the tickets.

The ride on the ferry was superb, cool breeze blowing in ur hair n face, the calm n soothing sea, the seagulls that were following our boat. I wish I had a camera, the seagulls were literally gliding in the air drift of our boat. And of course the paranomic impressive view of the entire surroundings, it was really breathtaking. The ride went on n on for about 30 mins , n v both were wondering that when we would reach n after reaching would they just take a entire turn around the caves or are we supposed to get down.

After about 45 mins, we were nearing a huge island and there were some settlements on that island. I still wonder how these people live in oblivion like this. When we reached near the island the boat docked and everyone started getting out. We too followed and then we reached the steps and not knowing of what to except we kept climbing until neither of us could take another step. It was a steep climb with road dwellers on both sides of steps and there was a considerable crowd of mainly foreigners and monks from Tibet I guess.

When we reached the top we bought the tickets and we had a look around. The caves mainly consisted of statues in semi nude

positions and some stunning figurines. All this while A was worried lets hurry along cuz what if the boat goes and we are stranded over here, lol. So anyways we hurried and we got back on the cruiser and this time we took the upper birth. More than the caves the most amazing part was the ride, simply awesome. While coming back we saw a couple of ships decorated with lights and when it became dark only the silhouette of the ship was visible cuz of the lights, u can only imagine how beautiful that would look in the night sky.

While coming back, one of my friend called me to inform me that we would be going to Karnala Fort. Although we had already bought the night show tickets for 15 PARK AVENUE of the same day, I agreed. The movie was good but I guess I was not in the mood for it so I couldn’t follow it properly. All the time my mind was what time would I reach home and how many hours will I get to sleep before leaving the next day. Aparna sen’s acting n all was good but I thought the ending was simply stupid and i was like wot a waste of a good script. I reached home by around 2 and I couldn’t get sleep till 3 I guess cuz of the excitement of leaving early before the sunrise and that too on bikes.

To be continued….

Travel Blog

Me just back from Hyderabad, after a week long vacation. Feel so good and rejuvenated after such a long break. Not that I was too busy over here but it always feels good to get out of the grind.

I needed a change of location from a long time and when I got the opportunity to go to Hyderabad to my grandparent’s house I took it. It happened so quick that I didn’t get a chance to post it on my blog also. The main purpose of the visit was to deliver a package received from my aunt from states and install it over there so booked the bus tickets immediately and took off that evening itself. And I specially booked the tickets of a VOLVO cuz I never been in one before, And yeah they were mighty comfortable with all the leather cushioned seats and all.

I remember when I was small, we used to go my native place every summer. And I used to get so bored up that I hated it cuz there used to be no TV, no electricity, and no friends so I stopped going with my mom every year after my 10th.

My grandparents used to just pamper me like anything and even this time they were so happy to see their eldest grandson after about four years. And you know there is distinct smell and feel to every house. That feeling suddenly came back to me as soon as I entered the house. The sweet old smell of the lemon tree, the pickles, the sand dust and even the water has a distinct taste over there. Over there we mostly get bore water(natural water reservoir used by digging deep in the ground). And of course, the Hyderabadi Biryani.

So much has changed in this past few years, (here I go comparing it to Bombay again), the Public transportation has improved than before, but its pathetic compared to Bombay. At peak hours you should see people hanging on the busses, similar to how people hang on the local trains. And there is boom of Malls everywhere u can see. The one thing that starkly stands out is that there is a aggregation of everything, meaning, all the things of one type are neatly arranged through out the city. For an eg. If u want to go to a barber, there is a gully where there are only saloons and nothing else, and for electronic items there is Gujrati gully, for sanitary there is another lane, for vegetables and all there is yet another market. I found this really cool as well as strange.

The first two days I didn’t go anywhere out, just lazed around in the house. The third day was a Sunday and when I told my grandpa that m getting bored n I wanna read some books now, he said,”ur lucky today is Sunday, all the shops are closed and the entire Koti streets becomes one huge library”. So we went out in the morning n I was amazed at the rows n rows of book dwellers, much similar like Flora Fountain in Bombay. I bought two books, The Broker by John grisham and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown for 60 bucks each. Yeah that’s right 60 Rs, not second hand or anything. Now I feel I should have bought two or three more, lol.

The Next two days my grandpa took me out for a tour of the city, all the markets and all. There is one market in Hyderabad which looks like a fort or a Royal Palace, in which all the rooms have been converted into shops. There are around 200 shops in there, where u get everything, much like a pre historic shopping mall. Then my aunt took me to this mega exhibition that happens once in a year and there are dealers from all over the country. It was humongous, I cant describe in words the length and breadth of it. It is so huge that a mini train is there which circles around the whole ground, picking and dropping of passengers. There were a minimum of 100 shops of ladies cloths alone, then there were other apparels, electronics and the food court was so huge that it could give the new age malls a run for their money.

Man the entire trip was a walk down the memory lane, simple love south India, there is a different feel and taste to it. Uncles doing there chores in lungi’s folded up, the coffee, the women dressed completely with gajra’s, kajal n big bindi’s, the idli n dosa n coconut chatni, the hyderabadi hindi, the crazy yellow rickshaw drivers and the “deccan chronicle” a local daily which I fell in love with the unique style of the paper.

The most emotional point of my journey was when I was leaving, and we were going to book the return ticket and we just stepped down from the building and a black cat cut our path. My grandpa was petrified and he really got scared thinking something may happen to me in the journey and he said you can’t go tomorrow at any cost and he gave me a hug. My eyes were moist and I was fighting back the tears and I assured him that I will go the day after, only that calmed him down and we went for yet another tour of the city :).

A happy ending!

First things first,
Happy new year all ya beautiful people out there n i apologize for not personally visiting n leaving a comment.

Today’s day was the redemption day. Pick up the bits n pieces n try to start all over again (lol ya m making it sound like i was just hit by a tsunami or something). But true, i had to really go out n test is it really gonna be a unlucky year for us. So after the eventful yesterday, I had my work cut out for me, to convince n coax A that I will somehow make it up to her today.

I told my parents about everything that happened n they were happy that I sorted everything on my own, n Forget about money, the main thing was u reached home safely (yeah I love my parents). I was totally against repairing the car but since dad had to go out in the afternoon n I had to drop him till the station. So he made me call the mechanic.
Well the mechanic came, did some testing, changed one single fucking wire n wallah back to normal. I was like “this is it? Why couldn’t the other mechanic do this yesterday?” But thankfully there was nothing major.

I decided that after dropping dad at the station I will take the car n meet A cuz its on the way only. Although everything was fixed up, but still there was this feeling on the back of my mind, that suppose if I switch off my car, it wont start again n this will only go to prove tat we r jinxed. Although I wanted to be positive, but after going through wot I did the day before I couldn’t help but think negative. Even I could make out that A was a bit scared when I told her that I will be coming by car.

The other day we didn’t get a chance to click many pics so we decided to do it today. The weather was good, the feel was good, the company was great, and the ambience was cool too. Somehow today there was a feeling that nothing could go wrong. And I really liked wot A said, it can happen only once in a lifetime, don worry nothing will happen today.

So I asked A wot would u like to do today, she said lets go for a drive. I hate driving at peak hour rush, it becomes really maddening n I was still a bit apprehensive about my car. So I offered a even better option, lets go for a hindi movie of her choice. She wanted to watch “Bluff master” from quite some time, n although I had seen it with my friends n I never watch the same movie again on TV, let alone in the theatre but I agreed just to keep her happy. So went to book the tickets for the night show in advance, cuz all the other shows were house full n people were still selling it in black outside. But I got the last two tickets available at the counter at the best possible rate.

So we decided to celebrate this by having a good dinner n spending some quality time with each other ;). Everything went as planned and it was the best organized date after a long time. We both had really good time, which has made us erase some of those scars which were left behind. God is great n just goes to prove, we are mere mortals n we can merely walk the path chosen for us by destiny.

We both are fanatics when it comes to going about things which are planned in advance. So this was a welcome change n we clicked a lot of pics n if the pics turn out to be good I promise I will be posting some soon.

New year, can it get any worse?

I hope that even my enemy wouldn’t have to go through, wot we went through on new years eve. It was so bad that it can give SHAME a run for its money. Seriously I have begun to hate the word “new year” now. So every time I get a sms wishin me a new year I feel like replying Go Fuck urself. .

I have just reached home after this wretched day finally got over n m compelled to write about wot exactly happened before going to sleep.

The day started off pretty well. We had already bought the passes for the new years eve of a DISC. “A” came back from work by about 7 n we decided to meet by 7 30. And also I had arranged for a camera also to celebrate this mega event. She got ready only by 8 30 (women never get ready on time) n although it was a bit early we decided to go to the disc since there would be lot of traffic, N it was true there was hell of a traffic on juhu road. so we were chatting n catchin up the week that she spent in nagpur n I spent in pune n during that time when we missed n past by the Disc, we had no idea. And above all the days on today there was a huge police “bandobast” making the fucking road a one way. So I couldn’t take a U. and go back n due to this conversion there was double the traffic.

A brief history about my car.
Nick name: my first love, my lil baby.
It is 3 years old.
Excellent running condition, clocked 25000 kms without single hiccup.(excluding those times it ran out of fuel due to my restrictions on pocket money)
Been serviced and pampered on regular intervals.

Of all the days it could have broken down, sadly it chose today. Yes, the day she chose to betray me was gonna be today. The day, when I had anticipated the most fun in my entire life. The day, which A had made a whopping investment too.

So all of a sudden in middle of the traffic, it stalled. A said “wot happn”. Me coolly, “nothing must have left the clutch early”. Then the time that I had was the most horrible I ever had n it made me realize how helpless those people must have been whose car breaks down in the middle of the road n I honk shamelessly at it n give a dirty look when I pass by the owner as if to say ”Asshole, u cant take care of ur car also”.

Somehow there was some ballon guys n they willingly helped me to push the car to the side (thank u guys for saving me from more embarrassment)
And then for full fifteen mins I tried to start the car but to no vain. My first reaction was the engine must have over heated or either the battery water must be low. A was getting frustrated, wot Is happening, tell me?. If I knew wouldn’t I fix it. There were some cops also over there, so I asked them can I get a mechanic, they laughed at me sayin today of all days n at this time, get lost the cars gonna get towed u collect it from andheri 2morow morning n if u don’t it would be sent to impounding.

Somehow by pleading I pataoed him that I will bring the mechanic please don’t tow it. He agreed n we took a ric n went back to the disc. We reached about 10 n still there was no sign of crowd. We were thinking did we make a right choice by coming here n I was fantasizing the whole night we too would be dancing in the moonlight (disco light) alone. People started pouring in after 11 n it was jam packed in few mins. The food was pretty descent n there was unlimited booze n cold drink, but since I don’t drink hard drinks n I had a sore throat I couldn’t have neither. The only thing we both didn’t like was the DJ played all hindi songs. Then came the count down, n the calls started pouring in.

Even though we were inside the disc my whole mind was on my car n A also knew that. I still couldn’t believe that it gave up on me today of all days n it might not be even there till this party gets over n then how will I go home, cuz I cant crash at A’s house which was the nearest n above all wot would I say to my parents.

So after dinner, A suggested that we go back to the site n see whether the car is still there n lets hope the car starts this time, thinking it may have cooled down n then come back 2 the disc in either case. Although the car didn’t get towed but sadly it didn’t start. When we were taking the Rick back to the disc I casually asked the rick guy, does he know any mechanic, he said ya, but he will have to wake him up. I said please do, cuz I cant go home without my car.

So we woke him up n took him back to the site. First he said, battery is dead. So After connecting secondary battery, a huge smoke came out. He said there is short circuit in the wiring n ur lucky that ur car didn’t catch fire n he said that he can take the car back to the garage n give me back in the morning. But A was totally against it saying, u can’t trust this guys, wot if he says 2morow that he doesn’t recognize me. I had no choice to trust this guy, so somehow I silenced A.

But before giving the car keys I noticed the” upper headlight” light on the dashboard was on, in spite the car totally switched off. When I told him this, he did something n hot wired the car n when we pushed, the fucking thing started. “Genius” man he was. But there was only one glitch, every time the car stalled or was switched off it had to be pushed n started, this meant that we couldn’t go back to the disc. When I told this to A, she was mighty disappointed n almost started crying. I consoled her somehow n we decided to go back home after dropping the mechanic to his place.

Now this guy said, since I didn’t no the road, so let him drive. I said ok, n gave him the keys. He knew all the short cuts n he was extra excited or something to get home n he jumped on a wrong lane n there greeted us 7 fucking PANDU’s (read traffic cops). “Ghey sidela tujya mila”. Man this was scary I couldn’t believe this was happening after everything.. When the mechanic was asked for his license, he said he had left it at home, this angered them even more n they straight forward started tearing a receipt of 800 bucks.
It took fifteen mins of pleading on part of him to reduce the rate to 600 which by the way none of us had. So I joined n after 20 mins more the rate was reduced to fucking 300 bucks. Now this whole scene was too much and embarrassing for A n she started crying. N once she gets like this it’s very hard for me to make her come back to normal. No amount of coaxing n soothing can change tat.

I couldn’t even shout at the driver cuz at least we could go home because of him. Finally I dropped him off at his place n then dropped A back to her place. She was so angry by now that she said “don’t call me even if u don reach home now”. I know her well by now so I didn’t take it seriously. A now thinks that we are jinxed and the year has only started off so bad, what can be expected of the coming year. But as expected she messaged me after some time asking me about my whereabouts. Thankfully I reached home safely without further more twists.

The only positive I can take of this day, that when the car broke down it was still 2005, n I 2006 made me reach home safely. Nahi to imagine the first day of the year gone In running from pillar to post for my car. Now I have started to hate my car so bad that I don think that m ever gonna repair it also. I still can’t believe that at one point I gave it more importance than a real person.

Yipee!

finally after much searching n frantic tryin my blog's got sound :)

Thanks to all the people who helped me unknowingly, casa n mich :0)

the song that is playin is from JAL- Teri yaad.

dedicated to A

come back soon babes , missing u

Pune: Lets go Round Round baby!!!

Man! M so glad that I m back at home finally.

This is what happens to me everytime. If m at home, I have this constant urge of going somewhere out, n when m out I get home sick within a day.

I had gone for my first cousins wedding in pune. The wedding was great, cuz in my family it was the first time that someone did tat “saath pheras walla shadi”. But since our family is not into that drum beating types so we didn’t have all that noise n all. And thank god there was no dancing as well, cuz I suck big time in that department.

I had heard a lot of things about pune, that pune is an advanced city, it has better infrastructure, scope for being better than Mumbai and all that crap, but sadly enough I was disappointed.
When I first entered the city, I couldn’t believe this is actually the Pune city. I asked all my uncles, is this really pune, they all were laughin at me saying, “wot did u expect, Bombay!”. I mean literally the city starts and ends on a single road, called the shivaji road or something. And the road is literally 2 lane with vehicles parked on the city n roads dug up all the way. And I don dare talk about the drivers, total maniacs including the female drivers. No sense of sticking to your lane, stopping in the middle of the road to chat to your long last friend, parking with your tail out, causing huge traffic snarls.

I know all the people over here who are from pune are gonna hate me but I cant help but think how can u compare pune to Bombay. I asked dad, where are all the call centres, he told me its in CAMP. I didn’t get a chance to see that. Maybe atleast that’s modern or something. I also saw few malls n pizza inns n café shops but no Mac, atleast I couldn’t find one. And the locals, they r the most horrible, if u ask someone on the road for directions be sure he will guide u the wrong way. When we wanted to go to the reception, Hotel presidency, all of them gave hand signals, but when we reached there it was no entry in that lane n there was a no U turn for miles. We had a horrific time reaching the venue.

The best thing about pune I liked was the huge Fort situated in the middle of the city, I think it’s the old pune city. The fort is huge, it stretches like half a mile. I wanted to go inside but we didn’t get an opportunity. Also the ganpati temple, Dagdusheth, u have to go there. Once u r in the tempe, u wont feel like leaving.

Also, one funny thing happened in the wedding. Usually weddings are a secret match making organization under cover. So all the prospective brides n grooms were here looking out for that match. Usually I directly go for the reception but it was the first time that I attended the entire marriage ceremony from haldi to the reception, so my parents introduced me to many families and one of them actually had a proposal for me, lol
And when mom told me this I just couldn’t stop laughing. Here I am, still in my final year and m already in the hit list.. just cant wait to tell A about this and see her reaction ;)