The mother of all nightmares

I woke up today morning to the mother of all nightmares. 

I was back in school attending the economics class! I have always had this love-hate relationship with economics as a subject: I loved to read and understand the concepts but for some odd reason, I could never express these ideas on paper in the exams. Still trying to guess where the hate part came from?

But was this the end of the nightmare? Oh no, sir. Not yet. We are just one-third down the road.

Next, while the class was in session, who do I see standing outside the classroom requesting the teacher that M/s. Shekhar be allowed out for a chat? My boss from the previous organization under whom I learnt the ropes of sales in a market as awesome ("Sheldon, here is where I hold up the sarcasm card") as Calcutta.  Sales was one of the things I dreaded most when I stepped out of B-school and it made me change myself to someone who I wasn't then (an experience which, by the way, I eventually am thankful for.)

However, moving on with the dream. Now, since we had no place to sit and discuss the monthly sales numbers, my boss and I went to another class room which was being used by guess who? Well, horror of horrors, no less than a finance professor from my MBA college, who was at that very moment checking exam papers! Finance was one thing which I till date don't know why I opted for as my minors in MBA. Let's be honest: I sucked at it. Although I enjoyed logical stuff, and remember preparing balance sheets and profit and loss statements with proficiency, some of the stuff on markets just seemed to whizz right past my ears. No surprise then at the fear of the subject.

Thankfully, I managed to realise somewhere around here that I was dreaming and that I should wake up.

Even after all this, I don’t know how I managed to wake up with a grin and go, “Well, how’s that for a start to the new year?”

Since then, Motee and Mishtha have both tried to assure me that this dream basically means my worst fears are behind me now. (Love you, ladies!)

Here's wishing a Happy New Year to myself and to you, dear reader. Have a smashing 2013. Cheers!

Super 8: The Play

A little late in the day, but these are memories from a wonderful Sunday afternoon spent with good folks a few weeks ago:

"Rishtey mein toh hum tumhaare...

...Maa hote hain."

Whatever you can do, I can do one better. At least, that is what it seems my Mum is hell bent on saying/proving.

So, in keeping with her newly found tech-savvy image, she sends me an e-mail informing me that come this Sunday, she is participating in some sort of a charity run. The distance? 5 km.

My heart skipped a beat when I read that. Mom? Seriously? The woman who is way past her prime? And not to forget, is also an asthma patient?

I immediately called home to speak to her about this. "Listen, there's no need to worry. If you could run long-distance, I am your mother and am perfectly capable of running/speed-walking 5 kms," is all she had to say.

And you wonder where I get my eccentricities from, huh?

A Tale of Three Poems

It is funny how things happen in a continuity at times.

Let me explain.

For some reason, was reminded of Rudyard Kipling's "If" today.

I have spoken about Kipling's "If" earlier (Wow! It has been five years since that post and so much has changed. Was just incredible reading the comments section and remembering those times. I know I sound like an 80 year old but what the heck...) and the poem inspires me as much as it did then.

And then, in the evening, chanced upon the remix version of Rabindranath Tagore's "Ekla cholo re" from the upcoming Vidya Balan starrer "Kahaani". Here is the translation of the original poem in Rabindranath's own words:

If they answer not to thy call walk alone,

If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,

O thou unlucky one,

open thy mind and speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness,

O thou unlucky one,

trample the thorns under thy tread,

and along the blood-lined track travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,

O thou unlucky one,

with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart

and let it burn alone.

And this brings me to a nice poem which, I feel, has been too commercialised these days. The poem is "Agneepath" by Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

Which are the poems that inspire you?

Shivratri 2012

A quick scribble before I head to the office.

Hope everyone had a beautiful Shivratri yesterday.

Personally, had a wonderful day. Prayed and pulled off a long fast: 30 hours without food or water. It wasn't as tough as I thought it would be, albeit was feeling a little heavy in the head in the evening.

Here is a picture of the mandir at my home right after the aarti I did in the evening:

One small step for Mom

Mom barely knows her way online.

Imagine my surprise then, when yesterday out of nowhere I receive an e-mail with the subject line "now I am learning email in computer"

Here is the mail body:

Shekhar have you had your lunch? Take care of your health. Always go to the gym.

Gotta love her enthusiasm to learn new things. First SMS, now e-mail. What next, Mom? Facebook?!! ~shudders~

Joy in the afternoon

Ishq

Random thoughts on love that I stumbled across in the last few days.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I came across this in the latest Anoushka Shankar CD that I blogged about earlier.

ISHQ - by Jami (15th century Farsi poet)

Yeh ishq kya hua hua hai

Khud ishq ho gaya hoon

Khud mein hee ram gaya hoon

Khud mein hee kho gaya hoon

Tan saaz ho gaya hoon

Mann raag ho gaya hoon

Kabhu kar ke koi dekhe

Jo ishq ho gaya hoon

I am in love,

I have become love,

I am engrossed in my self,

Oh, I am lost in love.

My body is an instrument,

my heart is a melody.

Those who tread this path

can cherish the touch of purity.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I went to the Iskcon temple the other day. Have you ever been there? It is fascinating!! While I stood there among the crowd of devotees, I couldn't help but smile. And why? Just because I was surrounded by people who were happy. I had nothing to be happy or sad about. But simply looking at the exuberance and the happiness that flowed around me, I repeat, I couldn't help but smile. The positive energy was contagious.

But I just didn't get it. Why were these people, aided by those singing the kirtan on the mike (in the tradition of that great devotee Chaitanya), so joyous for no apparent reason? All they were doing were throwing their hands up in the air, swaying from side to side and loudly chanting 'Hare Ram Hare Krishna'. It was like a rock concert for religious folks!! And to imagine that this happens almost every weekend, not to mention the smaller gatherings everyday.

In the one hour that I spent there, these folks just didn't stop. They continuously danced, jumped and sang to the Lord. Agreed, their tempo changed from time to time but they were having such a great time that most people were not leaving the crowd. Imagine, when a guy like me who was there more because he was interested rather than any particular devotional reason could spend an hour, what the others could do?

Perhaps they had dipped into the so called "ocean of happiness, of peace and serenity" that surrounds us; that same energy that gurus and yogis have told us is waiting for us to smile and experience it. Perhaps....

Anoushka Shankar in concert

Day before yesterday, I was at St. Andrews auditorium in Bandra to attend a concert by Anoushka Shankar.

The evening began well. Rahul reached Bandra earlier than expected and since it would take HS some time to reach, we decided we needed refreshments. Rahul was more thirsty and I was plain hungry. Since 5 Spice hadn't opened their doors for the evening yet and I didn't want to go in to Toto's so early, we just bought a couple of KF Draught cans and waited outside the Bengali eatery 'Bong Bong' while our egg rolls were prepared.

Since HS also announced that she was hungry, we decided to get her some sandwiches from Cafe Andora (a must visit place if you're in Bandra; loved the seating outside). Psst.... I couldn't resist a chocolate doughnut while we waited for her to arrive.

About the performance, well, what can one say. It was an amazing concert. The theme wasn't purely Indian classical but a fusion of Indian classical and flamenco music. I was surprised to find out that flamenco has its origins in India. All the artists on stage were brilliant. Anoushka Shankar was obviously the centre of attraction but the artist who played the south Indian percussion instruments was no less brilliant. His mastery over the mridangam and the other two instruments he played was breathtaking. Also, there was a flamenco percussionist and a lady vocalist whose clapping to the beats from time to time added to the magic (completely different discussion that HS said she hadn't noticed her since she, HS, wasn't gay ~sighs~).

After the concert got over, both Rahul and I purchased the Anoushka Shankar album where she has collaborated with the said flamenco artists. And as luck would have it, the name of the album was 'Traveller'.

My blind date on Valentine's Day

I thought I'd quickly write about what has been happening in my life lately.

Well, not much has been happening in my life lately.

~ducks~ (Pardon the silly attempt at humour, but I'm really spaced out here.)

Oh !! Except for the fact that I happened to have an impromptu blind date with a charming lady on Valentine's Day (now that I'm sure has gotten the audience attention).

Before you fall off your chairs of surprise, let me tell you that the lady in question happens to be my 87 year old, 4 feet 5 inches tall neighbour who I happened to meet on Sunday evening. From the manner in which she spoke to me, it was pretty evident that she is pretty lonely and doesn't get much to speak in front of her children who, she tells me, consider her a pest. And so, when she realized she had in me a guy who patiently kept standing at his front door listening to her stories of how Calcutta was in 1941, she decided to make the most of it.

The old lady spoke non-stop for almost 20-25 minutes and she covered a range of topics and a timeline which was mind-boggling. Knowing that I was from Calcutta, she started by telling me that she too had spent her initial years in Cal.

She narrated stories of the terrible riots that blazed through the city soon after the partition of the country in 1947 as if it were just yesterday. Later, her family set up an achaar-chutney-paapad manufacturing unit in the city. Business prospered and she settled down into the regular Indian middle-class housewife routine of caring for her family.

A couple of decades down the line, one of her sons moved to Mumbai and she came along with his family. Some years later, this old lady travelled to America to assist one of her daughters who had married and settled there and was pregnant. The old lady told me how thankful she was for having been educated by her family in an era when education for the girl-child was more the exception than the norm (is it a norm today yet or am I just looking at my country through metropolitan-tinted-glasses?). This education came in handy when she went abroad and had to communicate with citizens of a country she had never ever met earlier.

She told me she had studied Sanskrit and literature when in college around the year 1941. She said she loves learning new things and given an opportunity would love to learn German and Spanish even today. Here, the conversation (I smiled and nodded politely right throughout) took a different turn and she started discussing Hindu mythology. And no, not Ramayan or Mahabharat, which I'm so fond of. She began at the beginning of time!! She started quoting from the Vishnu Purana about how the creation of the world came about and the significance of the Holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

On my part, it began simply as an exercise in being polite. To be honest, at the start I was only wondering when she would cease so that I could go back to the Domino's which I'd ordered and was getting colder by the minute lying on the dinner table. But then, something struck. I got completely engrossed in the old lady's life-story... it was like watching a small history of India unfolding right in front of my eyes.

Anyway, so much for a Valentine's Day blind date. ~grins~

Of marriages and emotional attyachar

Hi folks. Sorry for the unintended break from blogging. Quick post on a Monday morning before I head off to work.

1. Bulla got married !!! Wrong to say that the fact hasn't sunk in yet, but the very fact that on Saturday night (the day after his wedding), he said that maybe we all (Mrs. Bulla included) could go out for coffee and then backtracked owing, I guess, to "family concerns" tells me that things are obviously NEVER going to be the same. ~sigh~ But what the hell, the guy deserves a wonderful life ahead and I wish him and his sweetheart ALL THE BEST !! :) [Separate post on the pre-wedding bachelor bash coming up!!]

2. No ! Don't even dare ask me how I spent Valentine's Day. Last Valentine's Day, I was roaming around the dusty streets of Ramnagar (a town in Karnataka) and this year, I was sitting at office and figuring out various field-sales reports. Grrr !!

3. Caught up with Motabhai (Gujju talk for 'elder brother'), my cousin bro, at a cousin's wedding last night. After the wedding, we decided we could go for a movie and ended up going for 'Dev D'. I'd heard mixed reviews about this film. My review? 2 words... "Mind-blowingly fantastic!!". Abhay Deol rocks !! Anurag Kashyap is brilliant !! And the music.... WHOA !! If you thought 'Emosional Attyachaar' was charmingly street-side band-baja waala music, wait till you hear the rock version of that song. Plus, keep an ear out for Amit Trivedi in 'Nayan Tarse'. I have a feeling the next couple of days it's just gonna be 'Dev D' and 'Delhi-6' on my iPod.

A game of lexulous

An incredibly satisfying game of Lexulous, considering the back-from-nowhere story that the graph tells you, no matter what the final result will turn out to be.

Bring it on

1:45 AM --> Come to a heartbreaking realization

1:50 AM --> Spent 5 minutes thinking about how different things could be

1:55 AM --> Get out of bed; drink a glass of water

1:57 AM --> Prepare Maggi and a cup of tea; listen to 'Yun hi chala chal raahi' on iPod

2:03 AM --> Consume

2:15 AM --> Hit the bed. Tomorrow is another day. Bring it on!!

Boys will be boys

After a late lunch (5 o' clock in the evening) yesterday which consisted of a samosa, a masala dosa and a sandesh (dude, I'm in Bengal... sweet is a part of every meal), I really wasn't very hungry at dinner time. So, I was more than glad to take up Horse's suggestion to go to Ordnance Club for a drink and snacks.

Over a couple of beers and a few plates of dal pakora (me) and chilly chicken (him) and a club sandwich (both), we lounged out at the bar and watched the highlights of India's epic victory over England at Chennai yesterday. Personally, this match to me seems a watershed in Indian cricket history. The authority and clinical approach with which India did this echoes what Sehwag said after the match about "this team believes it can achieve anything".

I told Horse that this was a perfect evening. Work till late and then hit the local watering hole for a couple of beers and watch a brilliant test match unfold on the telly. Life could barely get better on one of the "regular" days.

Horse laughed. And said, "I agree but I must say, this reminds me of that ad which went: BOYS WILL BE BOYS".

The case of the missing cell phone

The last week was action-packed with a promise that the next week is gonna be even MORE action-packed. Let's see how things pan out.

Couple of interesting things about last week:

1. My laptop was with Bulla, he needed to work urgently on some stuff.
2. I worked, I worked and I worked some more. ~grins~ I can work under pressure.
3. My phone got stolen.

:(

Now, that's the real sad part. I was travelling in a bus back home at the end of a long day, only to realise once I reached my destination that my phone was missing. I'll have to buy a new phone tomorrow and will be getting my old number back by tomorrow evening. Folks, do please message me your number by tomorrow evening.

Blogathon 1: Part 4

Well, I promised you a lazy day and it was one. With Mom and Dad away from home and friends out with their respective better halves, I had the Sunday all to myself. I must congratulate myself for I spent it well... I slept through most of the day.

Bulla called up in the evening and we decided to go out for dinner. Before dinner, however, inspiration struck us and we decided to go to the Gurudwara to which we used to go to as college-kids a couple of years ago. Must say, visiting a holy place lifted me up entirely after the extremely lazy day I was trying to shrug off.

Dinner was brilliant!! Makki ki roti and sarson ka saag at Balwant Singh's dhaba. It has been quite a while since I had enjoyed this amazing combination and the onset of winter was just the perfect time to get back into the rhythm of things.

Dinner was followed by "Maharathi".


My two-bits about the film:

* I thought I'd placed my bets on another dud after "Oh, My God" when I realised there were only 6 people at the evening show for this film

* Within 5 minutes of the beginning of the film, I knew that my doubts were unfounded

* Naseeruddin Shah in his limited role is damn good

* Paresh Rawal was also very good. However, I did feel that he was too old for the role. Perhaps, as suggested by Bulla, Neil Nitin Mukesh would've been a better choice. In fact, if this had been his follow-up film to the successful caper "Johnny Gaddar", he would almost be bracketed in the league of actors who do good crime/caper films.

However, I doubt whether Neil would have done as good job at the comic bits as Rawal.

* Neha Dhupia does exactly what was expected of her: look stunningly HOT. Period.

* The movie is AWESOME. It has a chilling note to it ever since we step inside the world of Jaichand Adenwalla (Naseeruddin Shah), a successful movie-producer of yesteryears who is now out of luck and, by his confession, has more whisky than blood in his veins. Subhash (Rawal) is a petty thief who gets employment at his house as a driver. Mallika (Dhupia), Adenwalla's wife, would love to see her husband dead 'coz that would mean a bounty of 24 crores of insurance money. Adenwalla, however, tells her that he's instructed the insurance company not to pay a penny to anybody if he commits suicide. And, to throw spanner into her works, Adenwalla promptly points the gun at himself and goes 'BANG'.

How Mallika must utilise the wit and resourcefulness of Subhash so as not to arouse the suspicions of the family lawyer (Boman Irani), the ACP chief (Om Puri) and the house-nurse (Tara Sharma) forms the rest of the plot.

The execution is almost Hitchcockian in nature. All in all, this is the second movie after Johnny Gaddar which deserves to be called a good Hindi suspense thriller in recent years. Two thumbs-up.

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, my first blogathon ends. Not many posts during the course of the weekend but it has been fun. Cheerio, folks. Have an awesome week ahead.

Blogathon 1: Part 3

Good morning !!!

Very very lazy morning and afternoon in prospect here.

Got a phone call at 7:30 in the morning. It was a member of Dad's office staff who has been with us for more than two decades now. He called to ask if I was ok and having my lunch and dinner on time since my parents have left for Mumbai. I said I was fine and thanked him for his concern and hit the bed again. I usually keep tossing and turning around if my sleep is broken mid-way, but today was an exception. I dozed off right away and did not wake up till 8:30 when the maid servant rang the door-bell. I must have been dead tired.

All thoughts of catching a morning show of 'Maharathi' have disappeared as of now. I think I'll just read the e-book which I've been pursuing for the last couple of days. See ya. :)

Weekend # 49

Four weeks away from New Year's. Just a scribble before I leave for office.

Mom and Dad have gone to Mumbai. The train bogey that they were travelling in had barely 6 passengers in it. Many last minute cancellations owing to the Mumbai terror attacks.

Life has become extremely busy of late. Owing to the nature of work, I keep shuffling across the city. Nice work, but since the business unit that I'm a part of is almost as good as a new business venture entirely, it takes all that extra effort and more at the initial stages.

Chalo, off to work. Hope to catch up on some movies over the weekend. On the hitlist:

a. The President is Coming (has it been released in Cal yet?)
b. Oh My God!
c. Maharathi

Thank you for NOT smoking

And if you do smoke during office hours, I think you're wasting too much time.

The only half-decent more-an-excuse reason to smoke during office hours is to 'catch up on the buzz'. The argument usually put forward is that during the community-smoking sessions that happen, a lot of data and information is exchanged, which may come in handy at work.

But let's accept what these sessions really are.

1. An opportunity to 'network'. Yes, you do get to speak to people in an informal manner. But are you doing any good to your health? NO !!

2. A haven for people to take a break from work. Unfortunately, there's no time-limit to this. Plus, there's no limit to the number of cigarettes that you smoke. Add to that the infinite number of times you step out to take a break and you have almost a quarter of the working hours "going up in smoke".

3. A chance to poison co-workers who don't smoke through "passive smoking". Yes. Face it. It is a reality. And unfortunately, there's no escaping it. When the boss asks your colleague to step out "for a smoke", you know that he (your colleague, and in all probability, your top contender for that promotion you've been eyeing for months) just got a chance to get into the boss' good books. [If only I had a hundred bucks for every person who read this bit and went "Rachel" in his/her head...]

My solution:

Why don't we just have routine coffee/tea sessions? Say, post-lunch or from 4 to 4:15 every evening. Great excuse to:

a) Network
b) Take a break and assimilate your thoughts
c) Introduce a bit of personal time in your daily office hours ("Say, Sam, how was that book you finished reading last week?")

You think you have any other alternate solutions?

The Shuffled tag

I'm picking up this tag, not because it has been a month since I blogged, but because it feels like it's already been so many months since I blogged. Needless to add, have been pretty caught up lately. Anyway here goes...

Here are the rules:
1. Put your music player on Shuffle mode.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. Write the song name no matter what it is.
4. After you've answered all of the questions, tag 5 other people and let them know they've been tagged.

~deep breath~

1. If someone says "Is this okay?", you say:

The caper begins (Instrumental) from "Johnny Gaddar"

2. What would best describe your personality?

(:D Absolutely loved this...)

All the cool boys come on make some noise and say "Om Shanti Om"

3. What do you like in a girl?

Hansti rahe tu hansti rahe, haiya ki laali khilti rahe...
Zulf ke neeche gardan pe, subah-o-shaam milti rahe...

Saathiya, saathiya.... madham, madham teri geeli hasi...

4. How do you feel today?

Kiska hai yeh tumko intezaar, main hoon na?

5. What is your life's purpose?

Yeh taara, woh taara, har taara...
Yeh taara, woh taara, har taara...
Dekho jise bhi lage pyaara...
Yeh taara, woh taara, har taara...

6. What do your friends think of you?

18 Till I die

7. What do you think of your parents?

Saawariya... saawariya...

8. What do you think of very often?

Tumse milke dil ka hai jo haal kya kahein...

(Gosh, didn't Sushmita look gorgeous in those sarees???)

9. What is 2 + 2?

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

10. What do you think of the person you like?

Lady Marmalade... (Whoa!!!)

11. What is your life story?

Kuch paane ki ho aas aas...
Koi armaan ho jo khaas khaas...
AASHAAYEIN !!

12. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Listen baby....
Ain't no mountain high... ain't no valley low... ain't no river wide enough baby...

13. What do you think of when you see the person you like?

"Ain't no sunshine when she's gone" (Mindblowing-ly AWESOME!!)

14. What do your parents think of you?


Ambar hethhaan, dharti vasdi, ethe har rut hasdi, ho....
Kinna sona, des hai mera, des hai mera, des hai mera....
Kinna sona des hai mera, des hai mera
Des hai mera, des hai mera…

15. What will you dance to you at your wedding?

Aankhon mein teri... ajab si ajab si adaayein hain...
Dil ko banaa de jo patang saasein yeh teri woh hawaayein hain...

16. What will they play at your funeral?

Ajnabi shehar hai
Ajnabi shaam hai
Zindagi ajnabi kya tera naam hai
Ajeeb hai ye zindagi ye zindagi ajeeb hai
Ye milti hai bicharti hai bicharke phir se milti hai

17. What is your hobby/interest?

Kitne armaan...( maaan... maaan.. maaan...).. jaage tere vaaste soniyeinnnnnn.....

[Yes, yes... it's Himesh Bhai ka gaana]

18. What is your biggest secret?

Toota toota ek parinda aise toota
Ke phir jud naa paaya
Loota loota kisne usko aise loota
Ke phir ud naa paaya
O o o o toota toota ek parinda aise toota
Ke phir jud naa paaya
Loota loota kisne usko aise loota
Ke phir ud naa paaya
Girta hua woh asma se
Aakar gira zameen par
Khwabon mein phir bhi badal hi the
Woh kehta raha magar
Ke allah ke bande hasde allah ke bande
Allah ke bande hasde jo bhi ho kal phir aayega...

19. What do you think of your friends?

Anjani Rahoein Mein Tu Kya Dhoondhanta Phire...
Door Jisko Samjha Who To Paas Hai Tere...

20. What should you post this as?

You fill up my senses
Like a night in a forest
Like a mountain in springtime
Like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert
Like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses
Come fill me again

21. What do you think about this tag?

We don't need no education...
We don't need no thought control...
No dark sarcasm in the classroom...
Teachers leave them kids alone...
Hey! Teacher! Leave them kids alone..
All in all, you're just another brick in the wall...


~sighs~

All in all, you're just another post on the blog...

I tag everybody who feels like picking this tag up.