"...My Own Sin City..."

Me-Too Strategy...

2011-01-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

"Raat Ka Nasha Abhi....

Aankh se, gaya nahi.."

Yes, it's official...
the 'Tea Shop' is also gonna keep open all throughout the night...

1st it was our 'Burgers n Sandwiches' brothers who understood
the 'nocturnal' behavior of the junta, that they crave to feast
well during the wee hours of night.
And lo-and-behold...
...the dementors started hovering in the corridors of our cosy
confines... knocking at our doorsteps.. delivering our feed
whenever we felt the desire to indulge...

"Why not me..." thought the oldest player...'The Soldier'...
After all, he has been serving the mortals since time immemorial
and has been a Pro at this....
But fly-by-night was something he has never ever tried his
hands at... and the Sandwich brothers were already making
a killing out of it...
"Aaargghhh... I have to do it...." thought he...
And blessed became 01-01-11.. the day the Soldier's troops
joined the brigade of Those-Who-Serve-Us-After-Dark...

Hmmm... 2 out of 3 catching up with the Midnight Meat Train..
Well, what about the toddler who just had started walking,
whose Coffee & Momos make this stride well differentiated..!!
"Apan bhi raat ko deliver karengey..." must had they thought

In our marketing jargon, it's called Me-Too strategy...
something which might have started as a differentiated service
factor, but which because of imitable nature, eventually
becomes the parity or hygiene level of service.

My thoughts take me back to IIT Roorkee days, where the
"Bus-T Ki Maggi" was something ppl could die for.
So, notwithstanding the fact that the shop only started
towards the midnight, it used to get swarmed with us
campus junta... The various canteens within the campus
tried umpteen times to copy the cuisine... but alas.. all in vain..!!
So, in that case, Those-Who-Serve-Us-After-Dark rather
made their presence felt by offering different lip smacking
menu items and stayed clear from this Me Too race...

So, wats your plan folks...

रात की दौड़ तो सभी दौड़ रहे हैं....

अब आप अपना धंधा कैसे बढ़ाओगे....

Your Name is Khan/Rizwan/Watever

2010-02-15T01:06:00.000-08:00

This time around, the V-Day was a bit different..

The morning started with MM-II (Marketing
Management) midterm paper and we had a hell
of a time explaining the 'Core Ad message' /
'Continuity' / 'Points of Parity' shown in the
Hutch-Vodafone 'Pug' Ads....

The next was the HRM (Human Resource Mgmnt)

paper that assessed our suggestions for implementing

Humanly tweaked 360 degree appraisal system...

All tired and wounded after the 5 day midterm, it
was time for our outing and we chose to watch MNIK,

the movie doing rounds in the cinema circuit...

But alas, the first 15 mins of the movie were cruel enough
to remind me of the 'Gone in 60 Seconds' philosophy..

(Jitna jaldi ho sakey.. Bhaag Lo yahan se .. )

Reasons ???

Firstly, SRK fails to bring the character of the guy suffering
from Asperger's Syndrome to life ( which was done
brilliantly by Dustin Hoffman in 'Rain Man' ) ...

Secondly, this time SRK even fails to mesmerize the
audience with his characteristic aura ... ( an act which
is supposed to be SRK's forte..)

So, what we were left to see was childish performance and
tattered screenplay ( Sorry Karan Johar .. )

And so, we took exact 16 mins to decide that water
is indeed flowing over our heads and if we don't wade
our way out of this abyss, we are gonna end up in
a watery grave ...

Damn with MNIK ...

P.S : The presence of McD and Barista was the saving
grace as we spent the rest of our hours munching
'Chicken Maharaja', licking 'Chocolate McSwirl' and
sipping 'Hot Cappuccino' ....

Shak " Samvit 09 " @ IIM L

2009-10-25T05:18:00.000-07:00

There are days when waking up early on a Sunday

morning is worth the effort..

So, after the usual week long hectic schedule, I woke up
at 9 AM (this IS early by our standards..) and readied
myself for 'Samvit 09' -the Leaders' Conclave @ IIML

Our 'Samanjasya' was decorated quite elegantly, as if it
was about to hold some big fat Indian wedding reception.
The flowers, the tapestry, the welcome gate… all looked
quite awesome.

Taking a seat amidst students who had already arrived,
I sat and thought – will it be one of those Gyan sessions
that do not make any sense and are reminiscence of Shoaib
Akhtar’s bouncers that fly miles above the heads…
or is it going to be an enriching experience that our institute
takes pride in showcasing as one of those ‘intellectually gratifying’
sensations..

And to my lovely luck, it turned out to be the latter case…

As the big-shots started entering the hall, I could sense 'that' air of
corporate excellence that everyone loves to sniff....

All formalities duly performed, the honchos took the seats on
the stage, our Diro Sir sitting amidst them as well.

Mr. Sanjeev Srivastava – Editor, BBC India took the reins of
the conclave in his hands and laid down some basic rules
regarding the time limit for each of the six highly distinguished
speakers.

And then it was all GYAN ka Saagar..

The talk took off from discussing various upcoming ventures
like green energies, services (IT / Non IT), finance, education,
infra to name a few…

Ms. Kalpana Morparia, the highly acclaimed CEO of J P Morgan
talked about the idea of women empowerment by usage of
‘money on the move’ – the idea of e-trading and e-commerce
using hand held devices.

Mr. Ajit Balakrishnan, the acclaimed founder of Rediff.com,
talked about the entrepreneurial spirit that is so critical for
the growth of any country.

The conclave took a different turn when our esteemed guest
Dr. Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Award Winner for 2002
talked about the negative role of MNCs in the bio degradation
of natural resources in India. He was all in for a public outcry
that should be done on the lines of ‘Non Cooperation Movement’
to oust such MNCs.

The high point of the talk was when Ms. Meera Sanyal,
CEO, ABN AMRO, challenged us to dare and take the road less
traversed – politics. The crowd too was quite reactive and
asked the leaders to share their thoughts on any road map
that they would like to suggest for taking up the idea of civil
involvement.

The conclave was a big success, and made me realise what
all it takes to become a leader in a land of promises, of hope,
of opportunities – India.

Hail India…

Taandav Nritya @ Insti party @ IIM L

2009-08-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

We were back from a tiring

detour to Hazratganj and

Gomti nagar Malls..

Making sure that we 'indulge'

and vent out our energies that

have been cocooned and

focussed towards the

Mid Term Examinations...

Well, Mid Terms kaisey huye..??

I cannot answer this question as of now

because of two reasons...

1) I have no idea wat i wrote in the sheets..

some greek, some roman, some ancient Hebrew i

guess... But yes, i encompassed the Entire Human

kind and took inspiration from all the living and dead

to answer to the GLOB(E)alised questions... ;-)

2) Also, i am still praying to God...and there is quite a

possibility that He might pick up the call ;-)

Anyway, let's not move away from the main point..yes,

we returned from the 'City' and decided to meet at 2300

hrs (yes, tht's exactly wat i told them..) outside 'SamanJasya'

- our Holy Convocation Hall...

As usual, the gals took more than the stipulated amount of

time, and during that time, i had actually helped a poor damsel

in distress ( i won't name her due to privacy issues..) to enter

the doors of the 'convo hall-turned-Music DJ Floor' ...

Once we were inside,

the Music/booze/etc.

(can't explain wat etc. is..

just for a clue - 'Grass'

was greener on my side)

'took' me to the Seventh

Heaven,

a place where i remained

seated for the entire evening ..

only to come down on frequent intervals and display

my 'Taandav' for christ's sake..

During the entire 3 hrs i was there.. i did these things :

1) Danced light years ahead of

my stamina ..

2) Played dance instructor to

few innocent girls who

were simply standing on the

floor lines and were not

entering the 'Dragon'..

3) Understood the meaning of

'Grass can be greener on

Ma Side'..

4) Made friends with unknown faces..

some batchies,

some 'unsuspecting' seniors....

5) Fell backwards, only to be saved and

cheered up to again get up and dance...

The night it was, what a blast it was..!!

Next time specials - flavored vodka .. !!!

... Rail Gaadi ...

2009-05-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Few mercedes , a couple of bentleys, few dozens of

BMWs wizzed pass us as we stood there , silent..

This silence marked the end of a long discussion on "life"

and was waiting for the final summarization on the one

hour talk...

And then he said :

" Yaar, apni life na, ek train ki tarah hoti hai...

Uska ek track hota hai, aur agar aapney us

track se bahar jaaney ki koshish ki, to pakka

aapki train patri se utar jayegi..."

(Our life is like a train, which moves on a pre-decided

track. And if we try getting off that track, then this

train gets derailed....)

These words of wisdom came from Sanay, my

kindergarten pal, while standing on the sides of a

bustling Hyderabad road.

Quite well put , i shall say, from a person who i would

say has seen quite a lot of those highs and lows of life..

"Isiliye yaar, bus Bhagwaan se ye prayer karni chahiye

ki uskey devdoot , joki her track change karney wali

jagah per khadey hain, wo sahi samay per sahi track

change ker dain... taaki humari ye life ki train apney

Final Destination pahunch sakey...."

(That's why my friend, one should just pray to God so that

His Angels, that are deputed at every place where the track

gets changed, change this track to the correct path, at the

correct time.. So that our train of life can reach its

Final Destination...)

Never knew my friend could be so deep and observant in his

thoughts..For me, he had always been that 'kid-on-the-block'

who had always taken life with a pinch of salt... But as has

found by me and zillions of others earlier, one doesn't need to

get his/her hair greyed to speak out these words of wisdom..

Anyone can be a Fountainhead...

U .. Me.. Hum...

Blind Date

2009-05-17T03:56:00.001-07:00

Disclaimer : Any resemblance to any person dead / alive
is Surely Intentional....

Scene : Blind Date between a guy and a gal who have
been chatting/talking since last few months now.
They haven't yet seen each other so far and have
finally decided to meet each other for a Date.

Actors : Guy and Gal and Poor Chauffeur ( PC )..

Guy : (To himself)
".. is bandi se main pichhley 3 mahino se
baat ker raha hoon... baat-cheet se to
theek lagti hai.. Dumb bhi nahi lagti...
(now tht's a rarity)...
Bus Bhagwaan, thoda achchi si dikhney
waali honi chahiye.. life ban jayegi..."

Flashback :-
This Guy had been making all efforts to make himself
look as Presentable as humanly possible. He had joined
the best Gym in the city and had been hitting it regularly.
He now gets his hair styled by the best stylist in the city.
On top of this, he had bought a branded attire from one of
the biggest fashion houses in the city.

The icing on the cake is the Chauffeur driven car
he had rented for the D Day...

This Guy.. otherwise quite balanced and wise in his
decisions, has lately been literally blown over by the
enchanting voice of this Gal.

It all had started when this gal visited this guy's profile
on one of the most popular social netwrking site.
Intrigued by a gal's visit his profile, the guy himself
paid a visit to her profile.

The interaction went from Elementary School to
Junior High status when they started chatting and
eventually graduated when they started clinging
to their respective mobiles for hours at stretch.

General talks gave way to flirting..and then came a
point when they were talking the whole night over a
single call. (u all wud be astonished to know that
during that particular month, even the CEO of their
mobile service provider was personally tracking their
calls, given the high revenues that these calls were
generating..)

And then, they decided to meet...

Cut - to Present :
Guy gets into his flashy attire, sprays his costly
perfume and offers his prayers to God
(again... a rarity..)
" Hmmm.. Bhagwaan, sab sahi jaa raha hai
abhi tak.... bus ye bandi achchi si nikle..
main prasad chadhaunga mandir main... "

Although a bit skeptical about his fate, he still
feels that the good deeds done by him so far in
life are going to make sure that this gal turn
out to be the 'damsel of his dreams'....

This poor chauffeur (PC), a middle aged Bihari ,
nonchalantly waits with his car, blissfully unaware
of what he is going to witness in the coming hours.

PC : Kahan chalna hai babuji...?
(Where are we going Sir)

Guy : Wo Civil Lines wala Club na.. wahan chalna hai...
(That Club in Civil Lines, there we are supposed to reach)

PC : Uskey baad kahan chalna hai..?
(Thereafter where would we be going..)

Guy : Arey, pehley F-Bar chalo.. abhi se hi poorey
din ka details chahiye kya..!!
(First take me to F-Bar...Do you want the complete
day's itinerary or what..)

They had planned to meet at one of the most
sensuous Lounge in the city. And when the car
stopped in front of its entrance, man.. ,
the guy's heart beatings were sounding almost
like canons firing in a rhythmic fashion.

After all, this was a Blind Date.. and just like
anything can happen in a Cricket match, this date
could either become a memorable, romantic
encounter of two love-struck individuals..
or (err...) could turn out to be one of the
scariest nightmare of all times...

And then, remembering all the angels and demons..
the guy enters the Lounge..

And suddenly, Earth stopped to revolved and Clocks
forgot to Tick.. the guy's heart skipped a beat .. and
the guy turned into a Zombie..
For what (i cannot say even say 'who') was standing in
front of him was Zillion light yrs far from something
(again, i cannot even say 'somebody') beautiful...

To start with, she seemed gluttony personified ...
her assets (both which should have been highlighted
and which should have been wrapped ) were literally
bulging out and had crossed the 'fit' limits by at least
few yards...

The dressing sense was a disaster and resembled
'Kahin ki Eent, Kahin ka Rora..
Bhanumati ne Kunba Joda'
(an indian version defining a bad bad 'Pandora's Box')
"who could wear a Saree , and that too an Orange one
to a Lounge.. yaaackkkk..."

Coming onto the makeup, hmmm, it could have given a
small toddler very tight competition for the most
horrendous usage of lipstick and rouge..

Bole to, Guy ki badi waali lag chuki thi..

Nowhere to run, Nowhere to Hide..
The Guy took this blind date , in his Stride..
With No Gods around, Just thyself as Guide..
'I will play a decent date', he finally did decide..
- K_J

What orchestrated in the next couple of hours,
calls for 'few more blog posts' to say the least..

Kismet Konnection - Volume 1

2009-05-14T03:40:00.000-07:00

Jab teri gali aaya ...

Sach tabhi nazar aaya ..

Mujhe mein hi woh khusboo thi ...

Jis Sey tune milwaya ....

Out of those millions of by lanes of the sprawling city,

it was highly improbable that he was going to find out

the light of his life in that tiny little 'galli' (lane)..

In past he had tried , rather unsuccessfully, to search and

meet 'the one' made for him.. but on all those ocassions(disasters),

he had literally been at the 'recieving end'..

A pyscho nymphomaniac at one time, an emotionally

imbalanced girl after a break-up at another time...

were the examples of girls he had come accross. His 'misadventures'

had left him gasping for air...(again, literally...)

This time, it is different, and strangely, all makes sense

to him now ....

The void he has been feeling his entire life got handsomely

filled with love and affection the very moment he saw her..

The smiling beauty was all Human,

.....yet Heavenly at the very same moment..

Her brilliant existence was forcing the guy to pinch

himself (Ouch..) and ensure that he was not dreaming..

And yes, he was certainly not dreaming at all... (Insha Allah..)

Her angelic smile produced much wattage that could have

lighten up the entire city... her voice sounded like that of a

Canary, and it felt as if she was crooning the melodious of all

songs ever written...

The girl asked :

"Tum itna chup kyon ho.. ? " (Why are you so silent..?)

"Kuchh to bolo..!! " (Speak up something..)

The Guy was not having any answer at hand.. all he could feel

midst those blaring city noises was the subtle breeze coming

straight from the Himalayas..

the gurgling of the mountain stream ..

the 'swish-swoosh' misty hilly winds ...

And he managed to speak -

" Tum ho hi itni achchi, mujhey samajh nahi aa raha ki mai kya boloon..!! "

( You are so good, i am not finding any words to speak ..!! )

" Tumharey saath kitna zyada achcha laga, main nahi bata sakta... "

( I won't be able to tell how Good I felt to be with you.. )

" Aaj ka din, meri ab tak ki life ka one of the best tha ..."

( Today was one of the best days of my life so far...)

"Aur main chahta hoon ki meri baaki ki life bhi aisee hi rahey..."

(And i wish that rest of my life goes good like this only..)

She had definitely understood the magnanimity of his feelings

in the subtlety of his words…

The girl smiled, giggled, and had a twinkle in her eyes...

"Kya Ladki ne HAAN keh diya..."

"Ya Fir Ladki ne Naa keh diya..."

In Sawalon ka Jawaab janney ke liye..

wait karain for ...

"... Kismet RE-Konnection ..."

!! Pages from the Past !!

2008-09-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil main... Khayal Aata hai...
Zubaan pe jaisey .. Ek Sawaal Aata Hai..
Jo Raah chuni thi humney.. Kis Waqt Manzil ko Payegi..
Chalta reh, Aye Musaafir..Khuda se Jawaab ye Filhaal Aata Hai..

Urge to rite snippets, that help me re-live and glorify some
events from the past, has more than a couple of times brought
me to the brink of seriously considering writing as an alternate
career... But Alas, a characteristic Gemini is me.. just letting
go the thought with the same panache as had nurtured it in the
very first place...

But yes, time and again, more or less like some periodic climatic
cycle, my grey cells have been successful in interlacing a rather
Almanac sort of chronology of my life's events with a quite
Tongue-in-Cheek style of story telling.. giving birth to these
lines ...

~~~"Once upon a Time in Sikkim "~~~~
.....................................................................................................

Knights in Shinning Armour, we were All the Kings Men
Roaring like Lions, we were two less than Ten
With dreams soaring high, the Guyz from the Next Gen
And all set and Done, we Stepped into the Heaven's Den

For seven days in row, we stretched our Lives to Extreme
Dreams became reality .. and Reality changed to Dream
Joy rides up the mountains, Thrill bursting at its Seam
Snow 'n Raft 'n Momos 'n Chinkis.. The timing was Supreme

We drank like Kings... Vodka and Rum and Scotch..
We lived in Palaces.. the Royalty was Top Notch..
The Angels served us Mana, The Devils served us Flame..
Two states burst in exhuberance, Us Eight held the Blame..

The Sleepy hollows of Mirik, the Satanic calm of its Lake..
The Snacks of the roadside, our appetites were at Stake..
The Monastry up the Hill, roads winding like a Snake..
The Magics of Serenity , like the tricks of ManDrake..

Darjeeling - Queen of Hills , Hailstorm greeted us Well..
Tea Gardens all around, From Heavens Hails just Fell...
When destination we finally reached, the Valley spread its Charm..
Clouds 'n Rains drenched our Souls, Tea 'n Ciggi kept us Warm..

Daylight showered the Hilltops, Snow glistened in the Sun..
Kanchenjunga towered them all, The Creation of The One..
We basked in Thy Glory.. Thy Glory we just coudln't Shun..
The jwellery was 24 Carat, the Jewels of Hardcore Fun..

Along came the Capital, and Gangtok was all Game..
"A large Rock"-is what it means, it lived up to its Name..
The rising hills, the smoking chills, all put in a single Frame..
The voting out, Roadies 8.0 , us Beasts had found our Fame..

The trip towards Nathu-La, and we were totally Spellbound..
The Snow mountains, the Frozen Lake, the Rarities hardly Found..
The Silence of Yaks, the falling rocks, the Echoes of the Sound..
And Tsomgo lake became Royal Court, when us Kings were finally Crowned..

And from Heavens we Fell.. But found Utopia and Not Hell...
One Raft with Ten people ...Dragon flies flew out of the Shell..
The Gurgling waters of river Teesta...sounding same as a Death Knell..
The Rapids Devoured us all.. But we lived with a Story to tell...

When 30 kms were done.. we rested on the banks in the Wild..
The breeze was so chilling, but the bonfire made it just Mild..
We scanned the area for 'Spirits', and in an hour many liquors we had Piled..
The Beach football, the late night booze, We felt like Destiny's Own Child..

Next 20 kms we started, and the first Rapid shook our Souls..
In seconds I was drown in water, my friends had achieved their Goals..
"Forward / Back / LEAN.." shouted the guide..We all stuck to our Roles..
The Sparkling Waters..The Blazzing Sun..And Diamonds came out of Coals..

The Final Day, was quite different, as we got holed in Siliguri..
The Thumping DJ , the Bootylicious Babes , the Night came on with full Fury..
"I didn't do a thing.. I am still a 'V'.. is just another case of Perjury..
Memories of Days, 7 days in Heaven, is what that comprised this Potpourri..

~~~~~~~" A Day in November "~~~~~~~
.....................................................................................................
"~~~Remember Remember, The 19th of November~~~"
"~When Skies roared aloud, and Fate went into Slumber~"

"~~~The Field was set, the Swords were drawn~~~"
"~~~~Knights ready for the Final Plunder~~~~"
"~~But little did they know, the Ground was set~~"
"~~~~For the Heinous Gory Blunder~~~~"

"~~~ Two hours and a Half , the battle of our Lives~~~"
"~~~~And none of us was ready to Surrender~~~~"
"~~But what we thought , would become our Love~~"
"~~~~ Turned out to be an immoral Philander~~~~"

"~~~ The Count of Six, the Sacred Abodes ~~~"
"~~~~The Walls of intellectual Splendor ~~~~"
"~~~ It reminds you off , a Pious Halo ~~~"
"~~~ For me, it's Devil's Own Holy Number ~~~"

~~~~~~~~~~"Hyderabadi Nawabs"~~~~~~~~~~
.....................................................................................................
"~~~~The Days zoomed past, and None had a Clue~~~~"
"~~As Life came to them, they stuck to it just like Glue~~"
"For commoners,they're common,For me they're Who’s Who"
"~~Devil’s own bounty hunters, they had to pay their Due~~"

"~Hyd rocked with their stunts, Hyd sizzled by the Mighty Few~"
"~The Lessers offered routine, but we Guys offered New~"
"~What others saw as Acrid, for us was pure as Dew~"
"~The Orange Rain, the Crimson Tide, the Holy Devilish Hue~"

~~~~~~~~~"They cal me JAI SAAB"~~~~~~~~~
.....................................................................................................
"~~~Some dayz are Good, some dayz are Dry~~~"
"~~~~But there is a Fact one cannot Deny~~~~"
"~~~~~~Promises to keep before I Sigh~~~~~~"
"~~~~~~~Miles to go before I die~~~~~~~"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~" IIT Roorkee"~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.....................................................................................................
"~~~~~One for All, and All for One~~~~~"
"~~~Chanting along, the Guyz went for a Run~~~"
"~~~~Nothing to worry off, Nothing to Shun~~~~"
"~~~Zeal personified, we were Childs of the Sun~~~"

"~~~~~~The Campus delight, the Campus Fun~~~~~"
"~~The Clock ticked 4 yrs, and Then there were None~~"

~~~~~~~~ " The Goan Reunion - 2005" ~~~~~~~~
.....................................................................................................
"~~An yr zoomed past, and V all met under the Sun~~"
"~~V all looked sombre,V all looked gr8 Guns~~"
"~~Some had shed weights, Some had put on ton~~"
"~~Some had met Somebody, Some had found Someone~~"

"~~The Goan Beauties, The Goan Fun~~"
"~~The Clock ticked 2 days, and Then there were None~~"

~~~~~~~~ " The Pune ReUnion - 2006" ~~~~~~~~
.....................................................................................................
!!~~ The Time was Less, but we all had a Blast ~~!!
!!~~We drove too Furious, We Drove too Fast~~!!
!!~~A movie called Pune, we Guyz as its Cast~~!!
!!~~Full Enthu at the Helm, Full Zeal at the Mast~~!!

!!~~2 days came to end, but few things R gonna Last~~!!
!!~~ Wishes for the Future, Memories from the Past ~~!!
.
.

!!...Wo 15 Din...!!

2007-11-25T00:41:00.000-08:00

"Faanus Banker jiski Hifaazat Hawaa karey..
Wo Shamaa Kya bujhey, jisey Roshan Khuda Karey.."

A night got imprinted on the minds of the family members, Forever...
That fateful day in 2007 when the whole world was celebrating
Diwali, the festival of lights..
The Boy was sitting at the reception of a reputed Heart Care
institute, praying from the deep reaches of his heart,
trying to connect to God, wishing his Dad to get well soon...

The Heart beats of his father ,who was in ICU since the last
4 days, were more music to his ears than even the greatest
melody ever composed by Mozart.. With passage of each minute,
the rhythmic and consistent beats of his father gave him more
courage and strength to hang on and stick together in those
tough times....

He walked out of the hospital building to get some fresh air ,
and glanced back towards the windows at the second floor..
all having their blinds drawn, and thought...just next to one
of them, his father was there, invisible to his eyes but not to
his soul, trying to regain his lost strength after a major
Bypass procedure.. called CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft)
in medical lingo....

He wanted to ask his dad..., "Daddy, why didn't we go together
this time to buy sweets , crackers and other decoration stuff..."
or like "Daddy, why aren't we cleaning our house and renovating
it this time...".
He was sure his dad would have loved to reply to his earnest
queries....

The doctors, no doubts, were competent enough to take all the
requisite precautions pre and post the surgical procedure.. But,
again, everything on this Earth is Not pure Physics or Mechanics..
The Divine factors always chip in, in the most subtle of ways,
and make us believe that Someone up there.. perched high up above
all the scalable heights, holds the Vital Key to our very basic
sustenance...That slightest of smile on His Divine face can bring
eternal Happiness to an otherwise distressed family....

And Yes, the Buddha did Smile ...
And so did the family ....

More than a week after the festival came the much awaited and the
much needed respite for all of the family members..The Doctors
had finally issued the orders of transferring the father from the
ICU to the private ward as they were confident enough of the
Stable condition of their patient...

And it was that day when the family actually felt the warmth of
a festival.. Tears naturally rolled down the cheeks and all
embraced each other with love and compassion...

The boy had to leave and join back his office, and so went to
say bye to his dad. Those moments of silence that passed by
between him and his dad, were no less filled with the most
blaring music than that of a Carnival parade...

Parting wishes were exchanged in the most subtle manner..
The mother and uncle promised to take care of dad, and the
boy promised to be back with them in near future... The
sister and the Bro-in-law kept the spirits high.. And the
icing on the cake was when even the dad chipped in to crack
some jokes...

Fifteen days at the heart care institute had changed the boy's
outlook towards the life.. The issues at workplace, that earlier
used to pest him at times simply vanished into thin air...
It was then when he realised what were the necessary ingredients
of happiness in life..

Waiting for his flight, the boy was sporting a smile that might
have even given the famous 'Julia Roberts Smile', a serious run
for its money..

And the reasons were simple for any wise mind to comprehend...

the Buddha had Smiled...And so had the Dad..

the family were happy..And no one was sad..

The Boy was Happy...He was so full of Glee..

And I know all this.. As the Boy was ME..!!

- K_J

Ganpati Bappa Moriyaa..

2007-09-17T01:10:00.000-07:00

The highly ornate Ganesha Idol sparkled under flash lights...
The 'Mandap' was intricately decorated with flowers, garlands,
pooja saamagri, incense sticks and other paraphernalia ..

But what was totally outta place, was the audio system blaring
the latest 'Johnny Gaddaar' OST...
and the devotees ( now i doubt whether they really were..)
gyrating to the rhythm..

Next came 'Aapka Suroor' and other Himesh's chart busters...

My ears kept longing for 'Ganapati Bappa Moriya' songs..
but after 3 hrs of non stop music.. the mandap fell silent ....
And as it was already 1:00 AM at night, i too went to sleep....

Ganapati stood there, still with a smile on his face ...

!!...We are JUST friends...!!

2007-08-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Now this JUST is not Just at all...

What i mean to say, is that this statement is a classical
example of the ease with which a mere jugglery of few
words can grotesquely undermine the nature and depth
of an otherwise important and beautiful relationship.

Scenario
---------
A guy and a gal have been very nice friends since quite
some time and have seen each other through the various
highs and lows of each others' lives. They share the most
platonic and purist form of friendly relationship that
mirrors the highest levels of spiritual and non-materialistic,
non-carnal yet highly refreshing and flambuoyant
co-existence...

One fine day, while enjoying a nice cup of tea together,
they bump into an old acquaintance who , suspicious of
the closeness he perceives , raises his eyebrows ...

so characteristically human..and whispers to the guy...
"Sahi hai yaar, tuney kab ye bandi patayi...."
("Good work dude, when did you get this babe...")

And, Alas...Pat comes the highly cliched statement of
self defence from the guy..
"Arey nahi yaar, We are JUST friends..."
Again this defensive act , so characteristically human..

Now the zillion dollar question, that may NOT hit many
with the speed of light .. but has always given me so
many sleepless nights.. is ,
"How much importance this dude actually gave to this
Friendship.. Not much , i guess.."
Why , seriously why, did he use the adjective 'JUST' ...
(the meaning that he intended was 'barely,merely,Only' )

People are definitely at a loss if they are unable to
understand the gravity , the profundity of this relationship,
called Friendship ....We social beings cannot, Simply
Cannot paint our relations in shades of Black or white.
On the contrary, what happens in reality is display of
orphan behaviour towards these friendships..
between a guy and a gal....

And so, we finally zero down onto the eternal intriguing
question...
"Cannot a guy and a gal be just Friends...."
The answer is ,
"They definitely can .. but then, the friendship should
be JUST..."

And now this JUST (read fair, righteous, proper..)
is really JUST (read Apt, accurate...)

"Unhone humari Zindagi ka , Fasaana Samajh Liya"
"Hum nibhate rahey Dosti.. usey Dil ka lagaana Samajh liya"

- K_J

... Woh Ajnabee ...

2007-08-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Na Namaz Aati Hai Mujhko, Na Wazoo Aata Hai...
Sajda Kar Leta Hoon, Jab Saamnay Tu Aata Hai...

-- Mohammad Iqbal Naqibi

It's really remarkable to know how a plain n simple smile,

jostling on the face of somebody who is not even remotely

connected to you, can lend you a fresh lease of life, even if

the probability of the extent of this new found life, just
being a day long, is quite high...

And I , my friends , am not any exception..

What sanky doode pinged me may have been just another

of his successful searches on orkut, but the damsel's smile
was no less than a fresh glass of Elixir for me...
The effervescence was sparkling , and the freshness was
equivalent to that of early morning dew, that glistens in
the warm morning Sun...

The affect , i guess, verifies the famous 'Dual Nature' of matter..
I mean, most of the times, we individuals are like particles... We
more or less bypass other individuals by miles... But there are
times, like the most recent one, when despite of the geographical
proximity NOT being very good one (..we are not in the same city),
we start behaving like waves (that too, not in 2-D , but in real 3-D
world...) and surpass whatever discontinuities that come our way....

So, as the waves travelled accross various realms and dimensions,
they suddenly became aware of another similar wave patterns...
What I saw, was the most colorful and vibrant display of shades
the spectrum had ever shown me till date...
The vibrations were quite Holy in nature, and yet quite exuberant...

Well, wat else can i say other than the fact that , given a chance,
i have a vision, that our waves can eventually give rise to a
beautiful Diffraction caused by the Constructive Interference
of our waves...
Reason being --> our waves seem to be of the same wavelength,
and i don't see ANY phase difference between the two...

"Ek Chehra..Ek Hansee.. Ek Shakhs ka Muskurana..."
"Eid ke Chaand ka Jaisey Aasmaan main aa Jana...."

-- K_J

..." Haanth Ki Safaii "...

2007-08-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Zor ka Jhatka, Dheerey Se lagey...

Humorous it may sound, but the above phrase may hold
much a shock for the person facing the music...

The day was Saturday and as usually, was about to
pass eventless...But, as the evening dawned on the
Horizon , and the " V " factor started its ascent up
the Zenith, none of us had the slightest of clue
what was gonna happen in the coming few hours...

8:15 PM :- The Jinxed Call...
Sanky calls from his mobile ( ironically ) and syncs
up for a late nite show of the latest flick in town
- Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. In a matter of minutes, the
" V Brigands" decide to touch base @ Mc' Donalds...

8:30 PM :- Falling of Pieces in place ...
Garora calls me up, says to meet directly at the
Mall. We both take off from our respective launch
pads and land in 20 mins flat at joint.

9:30 PM :- Bakrey Ki Amma Kab Tak Khair Manati..
We all eat our hearts out at Mc-D's and head for the
inauspicious "Priya" Theatre, for one amongst us is
ignorant of the fact that he is feeding himself ,
just to go under the Butcher's Knife ...
And so, Ignorance is NOT always So Bliss...

9:58 PM :- Lights / Camera / Action ...
The place is crowded with localites, who have
thronged the place to catch a glimpse of the Sultry
Sirens that gyrate so often on the Prime Time.
Obviously, the gentry is very much a reminder of the
Population explosion of which India has been a faithful
testing ground.

10:00 PM :- **IT Happens ...
And like a flash in a thundering Nite, Sanky gets
deprived of his valuable possesion- N 93 (33 k dude !!)
Before we could even catch our breaths, the sickening
fact had slowly drained into our brains that, it is
too late now, we ain't gonna get our Nokia back...
The expressions on Sanky's face were a mixture of
pain and disgust, wrath and anger, grimace and
helplessness... But , nothing could be done to undo
what had already taken place.

10:30 PM Onwards :- Final Curtains ....
Franatic searches on the entire cinema hall premises,
talks with authorities, localites and others, a visit
to the local police station , and a last effort to
get in touch with local miscreants, nothing actually
worked.
The tickets we had bought with so much of vigour, just
an hour back, were sold back.

The Silence that persisted on our faces, was really
depressing , but as we always knew, it was on no use.

The gone was gone, nonetheless, leaving behind just few
memories of impromptu directorial stints we all had had
in not so distant past, thanks to our N-93.

Zindagi ki bheed main, Kuchh Hasratey reh jaati hain...
Juda hoker, kuchh cheezon ki, Bus yaadain reh jaati hain.

'V' for Vengeance....

2007-06-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

Hell of a way to end a Partnership....

And i thought they were nevertheless my friends,
come what may, they would stand by me and the
'V' Wall would remain unconquerable, for eternity..

But Alas, i was wrong after all...
As my enlightened friend Garora had once said..
something like "to bury the Hatchet... in your Head..."
So my erstwhile league mates beleaguered me .....

O-Ren Ishii...(Ankit)
Vernita Green....(Sharad)
Elle Driver....(Sanky dude)
Gogo Yubari.....(Creed Kumar)
And Bill...(Ankush)

All of theses venomous Vipers , stood next to each other ,
and waited for the rite time to kill...

And when the time arrived (Lunch , 8th Jun, 2007),
the sky was the limit of notoriety .. and the common
target was Me.
The venom boiled and the skies roared , as the
Sons of Satan chose the final path.. to decapitate
my soul.. to uproot the existence of Faith..
to give me the Final Ditchaaaa.....

And as i called these guys one after the another,
me still so innocently ignorant of the recent turncoats,
the laden clouds outside helplessly tried to give me
the signs..
the signs of treachory....
the signs of filth...
the signs of Ditcha.....

And when after a full one hour wait for the lunch,
i contacted them again, i heard the sound of the
death knell... the clang of hammer hitting the
last nail in the coffin... the laments of the wailing
Banshee....

I was One and they were Five..
We were so happy, we were so Live..
They didn't even say Good Bye...
They didn't take the Time to Lie..

They Shot me Down Bang Bang....
I Hit the Ground Bang Bang ...
That awful sound Bang Bang ...
My Brothers Shot me Down.. Bang Bang...

But i assure u all, the Yellow track suited
assassin WILL return...
Hell will break loose...And Acid will rain..

With Blood stained hands i sign off...,
not knowing whether i would see
another day's sunrise or not..
whether i would live to Die another day....

But , bottom line is , "I 'LL Be Back...."
To " Kill All".. To do 'rm -rf'...
Period.

Cheeni Zyada....!!

2007-06-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday(4th June 07)...
my Sugar level leaped over Mt. Everest..

..thanks to sweets brought by Sanky, Anky and many of my team
mates, i guess I will be observing selective fast to filter out sweet
delicacies from my diet for coming few days...

And i guess , it's certainly these guys' fault .. I mean, when the
sweets are already so sweet, then why the ****
(help yourself, use any 4 letter word) do these guys come with
such brimming joy and friendliness that is characteristic of a
firm fraternity (bhai-chaara..) ..
The sweet quotient of such friendships can give the much hyped
'3-D' dosti of Akash, Sameer and Siddharth (clues not required..)
a run for their box- office collections..
And i can bet my yearly bonus on that ....
(nothing much to lose anyways...)

Well, as a matter of fact, such bonds have to face changes of
seasons,.. they have to live and breathe in the thickest and
thinnest of atmospheres...

To change the topic, let's talk about the recent released movies.
Spidey 3 , although a hit, wasn't crafted well enough to go down
the annals of cinematographic history as 3rd classic sequel in a
row... it was so , 'so-so'....
Metro , hmmm, i can say was a mirror to lives of many of us..
(Well, some people still grapple with the fact that how can
some guys 'manage' things so efficiently....)
Kya Love Story hai... was a disaster in disguise.. and i will
never forgive Khalil miyaan for dragging me there for the show...

But, a major cut above the rest , i bow to the makers of ,
yes, u guessed it rite : Fool 'N Final .... I know, the human race
is gonna laugh on all of the fallen few - me , khalil , ankush,
suhasaria, and sharad ... But, they will never get to know what we
felt when we were all ears n eyes to the cinematic brilliance..
A movie that was just few steps short of running
the Golden Yard ( so far run only by 'Gunda'...)
The level of ecstasy that FnF induced in the air can very well be
judged by the fact that our eternally effervescent Sharad was
reduced to a meek spectator, gasping for the tiniest shred of hope
to eject out of the voyage that was going to take us to
the Final Destination....

What really baffled us was the proficient way in which the
movie maker had successfully woven an abominable fabric
out of some good quality (few will even object to this ...) strings
- Paresh Rawal, Arbaaz Khan, Jackie Shroff to name a few...

Nonetheless, it was only that midnite chai ( Rs 2 /- )
and sutta (Rs 4 /-) that saved our souls in peril...
But yes, the final Elixir came in form of the wine that we had,
courtesy (as always..) Ankush...

And so we sang finally , "Nothing Else Matters..."

Exit Interview...

2007-06-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer : Any resemblance to any person dead / alive
is Surely Intentional....

Scene : Exit Interview of a Software Engineer
Location : Manager's Cabin
Actors : Munna Sarkaar (MS) and his Manager (Mgr)

MS : Sir , may I come in.?
Mgr : Oh Hi MS, why not..come in please..!!
(asks MS to take a seat..)

MS : Sir, I have come to ask you something...
Mgr : Yeah , sure, tel me...!!
(with a beaming and reassuring Smile...)

MS : Well,actually I want to resign,and i have come to ask for an
early release from the team..!!
Mgr : Whaaaat !!!
(Totally taken off his seat...)
(But manages to re-stabilize his composure..)
But MS, I thought you were really happy working with us. Then what
happened suddenly ? Let's talk it at length and try to sort out
things. I am sure we can put things back into place.If you had any
concerns, regarding any matter ,you should have come to me earlier.
Anyways, tell me, why are suddenly resigning... ??

MS : (Sheepishly..) Well Sir, you know... lately I was not finding
any good work for me in the team.. So I thought it's better i make
a decision regarding this rather than wasting my time...
And also company's time ( Adds to cushion the blow..)
Mgr : No No MS, it's just a temporary phase u know..we are onto new
release and we will have loads of quality work for sincere resources
like you. You needn't worry about that, we will fill you with good
work just few months down the line.
Moreover, I have seen that you work very sincerely and i was thinking
to put up your name up the higher management for an exceptional
promotion.( trying to lure him back..)

MS : (Maintaining his poise , but not bulging..) Thanks Sir for this,
but I guess lately I have become a bit reluctant regarding the kind
of work i am getting here.
It has ceased to interest me and I guess it has entirely stopped
driving me. So in that case, I feel i am not doing justice to
either me or my team.
Mgr : Oh No MS, i guess you are simply a bit lost it seems, you don't
worry, that happens to all the young people who are at your age.
(Characteristic Managerial tactics start now..)You see, when we
come out of college, we are full of new found confidence and energy.
We start thinking that the only way we will be able to do justice to
ourselves would be by doing 10 different things at one go, and there
lies all the trouble.
What we all must learn gradually, and i am sure you will also learn
in due course of time, is that sticking to the kind of work that you
get and then trying to do the best out of it is the only sincere way
of marching ahead in career.
If one fails to understand this basic thing, then one certainly
becomes frustrated and dissatisfied and then harms his own career.
One the brighter side, if one understands this , then one sincerely
strives to become an expert in the kind of work he gets, and as such
moves ahead in career.

( Talks a pause , sips water from glass...)
You see MS, the other day i was talking to my manager and we were
planing new things for you, and i can say with full confidence that by
staying here, you will only be thanking God afterwards that you took
the correct decision...!!

MS : ( Pauses, thinking what to say, eventually talks about the actual thing...)
Yeaahh,, all true...But you see, my new company is also offering me
good package and remuneration, other than good work off course...!!
Mgr : ( Now, a bit offended...)
Well MS, I can say that we are one of the best pay masters even
today in campuses all over the country. I am sure that it's not
exactly the package that is driving you towards them.
And we are also going to get annual hikes (which is approx. 20%)
after this month,after which I am sure their lucrative offer would
not hold much ground.
Tell me, what are they offering you as a raise from your current
package - 15 % , 20 %...at max 25 %..( and smiles sarcastically....)

MS : ( Without showing any emotions on his face.....)
They are offering me 110 % raise and 50 % joining bonus ...
and i am also getting a company leased car....
Mgr : ( Dumbstruck .... )
OHhhhh.....
( Flabbergasted .....)
OHhhhh....
( Hurt ......)
Ohkay.....

!! ...Exit Interview Ends... !!

!! All MS's frenz get a treat from him
in the only 5 Star Continental Hotel in city !!
!! His Mgr has to explain this sudden
departure of a good resource to his group manager !!

Jhooom Barabar Jhooom...

2007-05-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

A night that was ... extravagant, flambuoyant, vivaciuos...
An evening that was ... Humungous, Magnanimous, Voluptuous...

No dudes, don't take your guns off and fire salvos at me .. and save your brain waves from that Wild Goose Chase ..
Simply put, 10-D RoCkS...
Lights , Sound, and Camera were there... and for the Action.. We were there....!!

Well, Mr. Mackey (SouthPark) had once said :
" So first of all, Smoking's bad, you shouldn't Smoke ......
Alcohol is bad, you shouldn't drink alcohol.....
and as for drugs...,
Drugs are bad, you shouldn't do drugs...!!! "
... COMmmme ONnnnn Mr. Mackey.. give it a try.. After all, didn't u loved it when u took Grass for the 1st time... Nuthing is BaDddd... MmmmKhey !!!!

All I have learnt since childhood (..it has always been 1st Hand experience..) is that drinks have a miraculous effect .....They tend to make the Best out of Me...!!!

3 large Premium Scotch down, and I became the Guru.. be it the issues that the current world grapples with (Reservations / Politics / IT industry / Fin Industry...) or be it the issues that weave the Socio-Psychological fabric of the World Pysche (..Pride, Greed, Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, and Envy ).. I gave a brief extempore on them...with the most classy and well poised elegance..

But , the best part comes next , After 5 pegs , all i can feel is my OneNess with God.. but , as my steps tend toward the final destination, there comes the 'Thump' ...
The loud blarring War Cry of our Earth's Gaya, disguised within the 10,000 Watts of Pure Vibrations, engulf me, trap me, seduce me... and i no more belonged to myself... !!!

HeisenBerg's Uncertainity Prinicple started taking effect on me, and I start existing from 'Minus' Infinity to 'Plus' Infinity..... As somebody had once said.. "Live like there's No Tomorrow.." and "Dance Like No One's Watching ..."
But thanks to some of the 'Divas' dancing next to me , after all , Mr. Heisen wasn't entirely correct ;-) And so, i was confined to a small square of foot length...but as the History had to make it .. the patch became the Greenest patch of the entire floor...

Anyways, DJ was a Sacred Angel .. as he broke Hell on the Dance floor.. the awesome numbers took us to various levels of Trance and Transcendental levels of existing....
" Lut Gaya Sardar.. Rabba Khair Karey..." and " Let's The Music Play..." were the eventual crowd pullers.....

All said and done, kudos to Annie for dragging me there .. I owe u guys a big party yaar.. pakka..!!

And as I drove back towards my place.. all i could hear was the resonance of "Jhooom Barabar Jhooom......"