August Kranti 2011...

Belonging to a family which has deep connection with Freedom struggle (feel proud to say that I grew up listening the stories of my great grand ' pa and grand ' pa 's fight against British), very often i find myself in a situation where I can hardly manage to check my emotion when outpouring of public anger against prevailing system erupts. The news of Anna's arrest on 16th August caused me great distress. But the moment I saw Kiran Bedi singing "Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyon" while being carried away by Delhi Police, I decided to do my bit for this movement. I had only heard about public movements but this time I was living it.

Conversations with friends had no charm. The work at office looked too boring. There were no short-term targets to achieve. I was totally lost. But the best, I still had to see. Watching (LIVE) Anna running at Rajghat after 3 days of hunger strike, I am going to cherish throughout my life. I started talking about the movement with each and every individual. I tried to attend as much public gathering as possible to lodge my protest though I always dreamt of being present at the 'Ramlila Ground'.

Today when our parliament has unanimously decided to accept all the genuine demands of Anna, I sense my victory against all those people with whom I had differences of opinion. I feel extremely happy to be a part of movement which saw a 74 year old Gandian's 13 days long hunger strike. It is the hour of crisis, when you come to know about the people. And I am glad that I realised the system at early age. I am in a celebratory mood like entire country and hence won't like to blame (rather abuse) anyone. With due respect to Mr. Anna Hazare and his team-members, i would like to say that Democracy is all about being 'Active Participant' rather than being 'Passive Percipient'. Long Live Anna...

Rain that never happened...

Wanted to catch the folded paper that you never threw,

Wanted to scent you in the wind that never blew,

Wanted to admire you in the darkness that never prevailed,

Wanted to get drenched in the rain that never happened...

He was ecstatic. His voice were breaking. His eyes were gleaming. I could see him fly. No friend can understand him better than me. I asked nothing as I could sense everything.For the first time, I feared that I was going to be a part of disaster which was inevitable. Sadly, I was right in anticipation.

It's very seldom that I regret any of my decision since I stubbornly follow my instinct. In his case, though I was playing the role of a mere spectator, I was tensed enough to enjoy his first step towards success as I was thinking about the future. Theory may advise us to live in present, but at no stage I have ignored future. From somewhere deep down the heart, feeling came - "What if she says No at later stage ??". Of course I never put this question straightaway, which I regret badly today.Who says "Everyone writes his own script" ? It sounds too funny. It simply consumes the concept of 'unfulfilled-dreams', 'not-achieved-targets', 'unconditional-support' and above-all 'one-sided-love' !!!

Beggars can't be choosers - this is how I look at it. Sometimes we have no other option than to believe that life is a show which is being run by 'Him'-The great puppeteer. We are here to execute commands. Life gets tricked with twisted fortune and we have to accept it with smiling face. Then why don't you understand this my friend ??? Come out of it and start looking at the things with the same perception you had only few days back. Life is more beautiful than the most beautiful creature on this planet. It may be in contradiction with what I have written before, but I strongly feel that if life is a moving river which has two sides, He ensures that everyone spends fair amount of time on both the sides. If your side gets switched, please don't deny the existence of things you have experienced before.

It has been a decade now since I know you and you were never so off-colour. I am feeling very incapacitated as I can only pray for time to pass by faster than it usually does. Hope to see you soon...

'Kurg' Trip With Barracuda Family

I was accessing my fb account when my MD came to me and asked - "Why your name is not there on the list?". I grinned,minimized the browser and replied - "Which list?". Later I came to know that we had received a mail from our HR and had to reply back saying whether we were coming to the 'Kurg' trip or not. A sorry with smile worked and I was member of the trip which was scheduled to leave on 14th July. The day was fast approaching and I started planning for it during bug-fixing hours though some people took 2-3 days leave to plan for it (Does anyone know- Ladki kyu na jaane kyu Ladko si ...).

Finally the day arrived.We were told to reach office by 11 p.m. from where we had to take the bus. At 9 p.m. I called Deepak to ask what stuffs I should keep. He told me to keep one toothpaste because he was not taking it, to keep some extra pairs of socks so that he can change when his socks get wet. I realised that the list was growing and disconnected the call saying - 'Thanks !!!'. I was delaying the things in order to create scope for filmy scene (Do you remember multiple instances in our Bollywood movies where hero arrives just when bus starts). I decided to keep it safe since there was possibility of being left also. So I reached office at 11:05 p.m. only to find that I was among the first ones to reach. Anyways, I found Shiva and Vinay there and joined them. Soon, all young hearts (including Sourabh and Shivaraman) were there. I played a prank on Rashmi by saying she should have come with her fiance. Richa was quick to reply - "She just bade him Good Night". I thought - "Life is so fast, our generation is so demanding, how can anyone get away with good-night only ???". Deepak arrived at last and his entry is worth mentioning as far as his belongings were concerned. His jacket reminded us that we were going to a hill-station (Though only few minutes back on phone he had told me that we bachelors don't require it since we are hot !!!), his bag reminded us that we were about to climb on mountain and his hat reminded us that when it comes to style, he has very few competitors. Everyone shouted "Long live SPLITS BABA". Though I couldn't understand it's meaning, i repeated it twice.

Soon, I was inside the bus. In my scariest dream (related to trip) also, I had never thought that I will be sitting just next to Abhishek. That's exactly when man proposes but god disposes. I still have to find why he wore goggles just before the bus started? The presence of Rama in our bus made me a little bit uncomfortable but it was soon overcome once he started serving that 'colourful water'.Our bus was detained for about an hour at a check-post for 'drink-and-drive' in Bangalore itself. When Pramod was getting down the bus to settle the matter, I tried my level best to stop him since after looking at him, police could suspect us of being drug-suppliers.

In Kurg, the first event was shooting. The helper showed us a circular spot on a thermocol which we had to target but forgot to show us the trigger which we had to press because there were multiple cases when people were pressing something else instead of trigger. The next one was river-crossing. Here I witnessed, how nature balances various creatures. The heavy ones used to go long distance but to pull their body weight to get to the extreme corner and returning back was never easy. It was tougher for pulley to carry lighter ones but if they could manage to reach the wrong corner, the return journey was much easier. Lots of other activities took place before we decided to play carom. I partnered with (first) Richa and (later) Priyanka but opponent was same both the times. I had no other option than to beat them beacuse I had already created enough fuss about my carom-skill. The contribution from other end was awesome and I fulfilled my dream of beating Sourabh in front of his wife. Then we played volley-ball. The never-stopping rain made it very special. Girls were bonus for opponents as always. I remember Vipula punching in air (like Dharmendra used to do in movies) when the ball just missed her head. The unorthodox pose of Ramaki sir distracted me a lot and I somehow persuaded him to play for my side. After that, it was easier for me to concentrate on the ball. Housie at night was a bit boring. Fate betrayed me once again and it got confirmed that whatever I have achieved till now, it is solely because of my hard work :) . Next morning, we were doing rafting. Kaveri river looked very scary though we were having life-jackets with us. Custodian asked- "Have you ever done rafting before?". I replied - "Forget about rafting, I have never done boating also". He pushed me out of the boat and amazingly I was floating. We did lots of things in between but the show by Shiva at night was above all. His performance is worth a separate blog in fact. Guitar played by Floyd was entertaining though i could connect to hindi songs only.It was Sunday morning and after breakfast, we were supposed to return back. The bus was waiting and it was time for final photo-op. Deepak's hat was cynosure of all the eyes again. While returning, we played 'Antyakshari' and the songs that I sang had lots of varieties but the same pitch which was noticed by swati. My team won at last with the final song sung by Shikha. It concluded our trip.

The Cup That Counts....

"It's never too late" - This is the lesson that I learnt from India's victory in Cricket World Cup 2011. To be honest, I enjoyed Sachin's joyful tears more than our victory. After all - It was something that had kept him chasing all way long. If I have any share in that much awaited, coveted trophy, I dedicate it selflessly to that 5'4" Giant. If to support India, we bleed blue, I barf blue in praising my idol.

Right from the very beginning, I have maintained that it's not only cricketing skills but gestures also that make me crazy about the Master. Throughout the tournament, he was awesome on field. Walking-out after a snick which was denied by umpire, consulting batsman on other end before taking review, being always upfront about India's win were some of the traits that I revered a lot. And what a masterstroke at the end of the tournament when he called Gautam (Do you remember 'the' ardent fan with conch shell in one hand and swinging Tiranga in the other one), hugged him tightly, requested photographers for photo-op and at last, handed trophy over to him to celebrate. When 'Team India' was above moon, scrupulous Sachin was finding ways for 'Nation India' to cheer. This quality makes him unique. Others create 'fan' but Tendulkar creates 'follower'. I know the followers-list is countless, but this is the crowd, I love to be a part of.

In his fond memory...

If opposite forces attract each other - then our friendship was it's ideal example . The combination of 'brain and stupidity', 'perfection and emptiness', 'appreciation and derogation' and above all - 'front runner and backbencher' :) Yes - The bond was so firm that we were the most recognized friends of cse-2k6. Once, I look back at the times that we spent together, I doubt - whether I deserve all that value and recognition that he kept on bestowing upon me ? The doubt lurks only bcoz I never heard him abusing anybody. So my confidence level is very low regarding what exactly he thinks about me :) By the way - His feelings are not going to have any impact on the level of happiness that I enjoyed in his company. It was awesome to have freedom(I have abused him unabatedly), carelessness(I never bothered for wallet when went to market,documents when went for paperworks and above all, abt which I feel ashamed- computer formatting), dillydallying(it was only me who made him late otherwise he was always ready from 7:45 to attend the class of 8:00 a.m ), chitchatting(especially about ma'am - I remember he used to smile throughout the conversation) and many more. My morning used to start only after looking on his face. I used to go to bed only after wishing him 'sweet dreams'. I used to appear in the examination only after having got valuable tips from him. Today, when he is at home, I miss him the most(not sure abt d most part,bcoz his fans list is too long). I have some time complexity(as I have to pack my pc) and hence will have to stop here, otherwise he has always been my favorite topic and I can write an entire book on him.

Wish you a happy life PJ...

The meaning of 'FRIGHT'

I was in standard five

when I came across the term 'FRIGHT',

I remembered it's spelling

oblivious of it's meaning.

When I go to see the semester-results

friends follow but camaraderie hollow,

With every step towards notice-board

heartbeat goes up with drier throat,

Eyes remain open but can find no sight

yes-now I know the meaning of 'FRIGHT'.

When I follow my heart very seldom

in order to find some respite from boredom,

It is very few who cheer and all others sneer

even though my heart is pure and clear,

People come and say-"you were not right"

yes-now I know the meaning of 'FRIGHT'.

When I flick news channels abruptly

my spirit sinks since they appear ghostly,

I find mockery,robbery,butchery everywhere

shall I ever be able to retrieve solace anywhere ?

Certainly the future of mankind is not very bright

yes-now I know the meaning of 'FRIGHT'.

From Tarapur To TataNagar

Ragging is a part of your life if 1.You are junior in your college or 2.You are on a journey via bus in Bihar or 3.You are boarding a train in general class.Now when I am a b.tech-8th semester student,first possibility is gone.I have to cope up with the second and third one.But the ragging that I had to go through to reach my college,perhaps last time as a student,was one of its kind.It took me almost 44 hours to cover a distance of mere 300 kms.Not to mention- The trauma included combined exploitation by second and third kind of ragging.I have great bus sickness.It is this place where I really come to know that Earth revolves round the Sun.It is this place where people avoid me the most.Thanks to Nitish kumar for speedy revamp of road but a number of diversions were still there to give me fire-in-the-belly.The train that I had to board at 11am,I took it at 5:30pm the next day!!!Generally, I never share my sufferings.Here also I will tell you only the better part :)

When you enter general class compartment,you never know where you are proceeding.It is what happened with me and I along with two other friends went opposite to other guys.To be honest - no matter whether committed or single,when a guy boards a train, he prays to almighty to put a beautiful girl in his compartment. I am little bit over-ambitious since I want her to be seated just beside me.My eyes gleamed when I found a comely girl there.She was ecstatic and her bewitching smile left me mesmerized.Then came the first eye-contact which was really uncanny.Then she started looking outside through window and I started looking for my friends.To my surprise, they had found their places in the same compartment. They too were grinning.Now there was no more vacant place.Suddenly voice came from behind - "Rahul,come,sit with us.There is a seat here".I murmured -"No thanks-There is X-Factor here" :)The same situation prevailed for some time.She was just beside the window and fast moving train swirled her hairs around her face.I must confess- She was charming.She looked at me again and it was second eye-encounter.We guys are highly optimistic. When girls look at us,we decipher it in our own way.I took it as an invitation to sit in front of her.Now for the first time,I looked at her front seat.There were two ladies there and a child was sleeping in between them.I sniffed an opportunity and requested one of the lady to arrange for small space.My plea fell on deaf ears.Just when I was about to give up,the girl interrupted pleading for me.I couldn't hear her but the ladies agreed.I wanted to say her thanks but my vicinity forbade me to do so.Now I looked at my friends and they gave me a crooked smile.The journey was much more comfortable now.The fatigue was gone.At one station when I got off to find some food stuffs,my friend asked- "Rahul,why don't you talk to her?" I replied- "I am figuring out her chaperone :)". Stations passed by and we were looking at each other more frequently now.Time was around 10pm when those two ladies sitting next to me left the train.I was alone on my berth.God must be kind to me that day- The girl flipped her side and sat alongside me.The move was unexpected which left me frightened.Adding to the woes,her uncle stared at me.Instantly I made the separation broader.Time went on and we were fast approaching TataNagar.I was not sure of her destination hence everytime train slowed,my heartbeat ramped up.After all-I had to say her thanks :). My friends were gesticulating-"Now or Never".Her uncle was snoozing. The condition was perfect to show my gratitude but my shyness was coming midway.Then came the station wherefrom TataNagar was half an hour away.She looked at me again and this time I prepared myself to talk.I framed 4-5 questions in my mind and looked at her uncle.He was awake.I persuaded myself-"Rahul you are not committing any crime.You are just talking to a girl :)".She was looking outside the window.I coughed and asked the first one.She turned back to face me.Her reflexion,which I still remember,puzzled me.By the way,she replied. I popped another question only to realise later that it was the last one I had framed. She replied and I was done.Silence existed for sometime and it was she who came with a bunch of questions.The unending banter followed where I found her quite humourous,innocent,frank and witty.Although some of her questions were very imprudent,I didn't mind them.TataNagar came and it was time to say Goodbye.I didn't do so because It diminishes the chance to meet again :)I looked at her,smiled and left the train.My friends made my auto journey unendurable.
Journey was over,girl was gone.But my friends were unstoppable.One day I was riding bike at Bistupur.All of a sudden- My friend screamed from behind-"Rahul,see the train girl".I looked in that direction.She was there with two of her friends.I stopped the bike and took off the helmet.It worked and she noticed me.I was clueless when she smiled looking at me.We remained there for sometime and then she started to move away.My friend told me-"Wo ja rahi hai-Go and talk to her".I replied shyly- "Next Time" :(