tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314054742024-02-21T04:36:52.574+05:30The First BookA collection of amusing anecdotes.Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-13370842599527618202013-09-29T22:28:00.001+05:302013-10-01T20:05:19.134+05:30The three P’s<p> <hr> <p align="justify">This post is a part of <a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/category/write-over-the-weekend-wow">Write Over the Weekend</a>, an initiative for <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/">Indian Bloggers</a> by BlogAdda, and this weekend your post should begin with, ’5..4..3..2..1..’. A continuation with the ‘Blogger & the bugger’ narrative style, I have been using for some time, of late, this is purely a work of fiction. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://forum.blogadda.com/discussion/190/wow-5-4-3-2-1-" target="_blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="http://forum.blogadda.com/images/wowbadge.png"></a></p> <p align="justify">(Updating since the post got selected by Blogadda. Short link for this post by Blogadda is: <a title="http://adda.at/170pX3p" href="http://adda.at/170pX3p">http://adda.at/170pX3p</a>). </p> <p> <hr> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“5..4..3..2..1.. – thump – thump – thump.” </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“What now?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“You said 5 seconds more.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Yeah, right. Don’t have to take words for it!”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“There isn’t time to be rhetoric either. So open the damn door and make way!”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“I can’t.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“What do you mean by you can’t? You said you will.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Do you always realize involuntary muscles of your body doesn’t quite follow the orders of your brain?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Yeah, preaching to the pope, are you? Don’t forget you are talking to the man whom you have put through unspeakable misery for last fifteen minutes.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“I am sorry brother.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Hell with your sorry and your brotherhood – I don’t need them. I just need to use the loo.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Dam, why do you need to need to use it at the same time?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Because the resources are limited – there are two only for seventy two passengers in this coach and given the undulations of this superfast, I can not move to the next compartment.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Why don’t you just open the door and do it?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“What nonsense?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“I mean doing it in the loo won’t make it way hygienic than that – it’s going to pollute the train track only.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Enough of your nonsense, will you stop? The torque of the moving body can apply a rather complicated trajectory on any object projected from it and god knows what inconsequence it may have.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Seems you have given it quite a bit of thought, my friend?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“What do you think I have been doing for last fifteen minutes?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Doing math was the last thing, I would have imagined.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Yeah whatever, when part of your body is working in 5.92 horsepower – mind starts to overwork!”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Wow, you can measure your bowel pressure in horsepower?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Surely you can – it’s a unit of power or rate of work done, named so after James Watt compared steam engine outputs to horses.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Wow man, a real eye opener!” (A sound of surging water is heard)</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Is that you using the commode flush!”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Yeah man, I am done. It’s nice to meet you. I am a poet.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Likewise, I am a physicist.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Figured as such.” (door opens and the man inside offers his hand to shake but the one going in refuses) “As your wish –”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">(Goes in and shuts the door)</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“You know what? I have learnt a lot from you today – so I will give you a word of advice.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“What now?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“There are three P’s that you can never suppress in your life.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Oh! yeah?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Passion, potty and promises that you have deep within to do something.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Why say that now?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Well, I can’t believe I am saying this – but it remains a fact that it was your impeccable knowledge that helped me reach a conclusion.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Conclusion to what?”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“The poetry I was writing in my mind. It won’t complete without the right word.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Dam you! You were writing a silly poem when I couldn’t hold my composure? Just wait till I come out.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Don’t blame me – you were calculating complicated math too. It is not what we do but what we are underneath that defines us!”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“You piece of junk Mr Poet, just let me come out and it would be the last poem you have ever written.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2">“Take a chill pill until next time you are in the same situation. You denied to shake hands, I doubt you remember my face, Mr Physicist.”</font></p></blockquote> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-63585141409533919382013-09-22T03:32:00.001+05:302013-09-23T01:31:16.315+05:30Come home to seven wonders~<hr> <p align="justify">Written as a friendly argument between two friends, following the style of other entries in this blog as a part of ‘Blogger & The Bugger’, theme, to bring out the contrast of thought processes of two closely related people – trying to find an answer where the real wonder is and what is the world in the eyes of a true explorer, for an <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in" target="_blank">Indiblogger</a> contest. </p> <hr> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p align="justify">“So?”</p> <p align="justify">“So what?”, he replied on a soothing voice, though the calmness was somewhat perturbed but the suddenness of an unformed question. </p> <p align="justify">“Where are you heading next? You are the one of those people who have literally made this world a global village by crossing the path of international date more often than others have just said the word.”</p> <p align="justify">“Err! I don’t know, pretty much depends on the office. Most of my trips are made at the last moment – an you know what, it doesn’t even wait for my concern. My wife always keeps a small luggage ready for me – so she doesn’t have to rush if I come home with a ticket without telling.”</p> <p align="justify">“Feels good, eh!”</p> <p align="justify">“What good? Don’t you know that most flights are in the first hour, if not late night – they make a mess of my body clock with all this turmoil.”</p> <p align="justify">“No, of course I understand that – comes with the job I guess, occupational hazards to be specific, but still it must feel good to see new places, meet people, know their culture and collect souvenirs from all over the world. Well, I’ve seen your drawing room and most of your collections, the souvenirs of 7 wonders, so to speak and I know they were collected from the very locations and just some shop.”</p> <p align="justify">“You can say that – yes, when I started out I had no idea my job will take me to places.” </p> <p align="justify">“So it’s a feel good factor – yes?”</p> <p align="justify">“Well having to travel to countries at the expense of corporate – hell, why not? (smirks)”</p> <p align="justify">“Good, good, as I’d have thought.”</p> <p align="justify">“So what about you?”</p> <p align="justify">“What about me? Pretty much the same since we last spoke.”</p> <p align="justify">“Where are you travelling next time?”</p> <p align="justify">“I am not going anywhere, as such. Any form of tour is mostly impulsive for me.”</p> <p align="justify">“What does that suppose to mean now?”</p> <p align="justify">“Meaning, I pretty much go about the same place – exploring, knowing and I get my tickets done only if I feel a strong urge from deep inside.”</p> <p align="justify">“Still am not sure if I followed quite right – you go to the same place twice? What is the fun in that?”</p> <p align="justify">“Because I’m in love with Himalayas and I made a promise to myself to explore it. However, till date that’s not complete. As a matter of fact, a whole life is not enough compared to the vastness.”</p> <p align="justify">“Sure it is – I’d have thought? Just some mountains and mist and greenery – what else is there to see?”</p> <p align="justify">“Said like a true world traveller now, undermining things not packaged well for tourism?”</p> <p align="justify">“I’ve been to European Alps, Andes and Rocky mountains. There is a difference in their nature – some are more green in contrast to being rocky but that fairly sums it up.”</p> <p align="justify">“There you go - you said it again.”</p> <p align="justify">“There is something that you aren’t telling me, are you?”</p> <p align="justify">“Perhaps.”</p> <p align="justify">“No, don’t do that. Don’t hold back from me. I want to hear your side of story.”</p> <p align="justify">“This isn’t like mine or your side of story, it is about how much you can actually open yourself up to see beyond what eyes can see, think beyond what you have been told to expect.”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay, interesting, so far.”</p> <p align="justify">“And it gets more on its way.”</p> <p align="justify">“Sure it does – now tell me where is this leading to.”</p> <p align="justify">“Give me some human emotions – strong or weak doesn’t matter, but something that you could relate to.”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay, from what I’ve on top of my head – love, hate, anxiety, fear, grief and homesickness.”</p> <p align="justify">“That’s near perfect list of strongest human emotions and the others would be joy, surprise, gratitude and shame.”</p> <p align="justify">“So, what does that prove?”</p> <p align="justify">“It doesn’t prove anything as yet – but I’ve come to realize over years that those emotions aren’t human emotions only – if you are close to nature – you can see a portrayal of those on a bigger canvas and that is what I have set out to explore. How about these for seven wonders?”</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LY1c4ugXpgRWxmjFBg-VrK-CHHZU-43x2obmci-NyrzTcArrBqUvl3AgtEMZW88baOINVpddFpXDyiAPvmAqKEULdncyn_Y3YTY6NzOSDqzAPsuDdUQVNZN4lr39RSmpQFsS/s1600-h/191857_1986036176960_571487_o%25255B15%25255D.jpg"><img title="191857_1986036176960_571487_o" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="191857_1986036176960_571487_o" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fV9oLzxhcVu1HaP9Bl-esfT4uwXr0ilQ3O9CpYhUkcKQj84HWpoh8CSXXGW_zzJtRIFy5reKuk2aiHKbWxsRFl46njox9J6bjv4l1Y0mxp-7gXpjlKAZsmVIEH9S4g1j_R_N/?imgmax=800" width="297" height="264"></a> <em><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua">Trust</font></em></p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGi0RLJ66tZ6NqR4pb6R1D9rw1Eey6cJy99BsOc7vXcma5OBx4J_biHN9xDbi9xCWnOiRqR0fF6tc8VK2SvfMiVdEkWFa3r2890Oak4azg7ndWkelCkGG6rnj47GkeBmancr-N/s1600-h/63297_1641888533484_7517997_n%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="63297_1641888533484_7517997_n" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="63297_1641888533484_7517997_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1eBpB1ouM8j0u787HqCkVoRaWJWAAxk0ogyddu1jcLaMupiz2Fa4V2yeI6pbF_O_8wJdurqbC8vYfRFVRQ05f7twWcwNRbie2q45QwUwDbu0lE-i6xMeOnpW6cP94HiO3CPf/?imgmax=800" width="301" height="190"></a> <font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"><em>Fear</em></font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesPq3NrHgTSuuamCQOdBeH0qUJdv6pk3BdX7WSaB_st87pAYFmfk_ygLkSajtrD5vZZLo32TzW2R0eeyRbCgLuZEOtuk4bnxoRS7PiSap0gmOs2ukOINDmH5VAHenh_Dgm8xs/s1600-h/200841_1990674972927_945773_o%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="200841_1990674972927_945773_o" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="200841_1990674972927_945773_o" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBK9D32nd6wqS6cFOSyK-NRaKVyoHFdFeq2wy9xDtlEzqDI0HP84fj3xOUtHPRY53seNHxELOeHo-605kH1Lwjt9HtyznuadCn3i4NEraPp-mp1lc2gbeuht3lnMrMvmiaQkdZ/?imgmax=800" width="213" height="298"></a> <em><font size="3">Faith</font></em></p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTv8L-zPymkp6FI4YKCr2GWsHSEBvd0dpSnFdVk0cvef_VgNAaDORajgh-V7bGX7YVqZw-RGYG4PWjHevPxyxL9mG6sZBuc_LrFCf784E0ZEJTFWRWVxni4nJqn7sC_0UPPJ4D/s1600-h/387852_2881182675063_1320062072_n%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"><img title="387852_2881182675063_1320062072_n" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="387852_2881182675063_1320062072_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRyVg532S4Uu6jGvuqd0ebS5sTz5ok76m8E2FTj0QrMjTG9awoFILPCz94l5hAMsdZNEg1SYlnpte1yaUCmPP2smatR3EsQqigXA65v_XenLQcualaTcbWn2OB0YTpzIDWcs0/?imgmax=800" width="286" height="225"></font></a><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"> </font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"><em>Joy</em></font></p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSfIQA9phpSGCrAz66DxpvKcCDokCMkWub4MaZGX-SuNQTVmJTk12B4VXXm_YYpTcs2JhDqdt6YIpb7y5SPo-S2XLkibyR-d4gFs7sFKXDO_jJB5wtyWGRHOrAWdLIi_yfnlk/s1600-h/283349_10200219091506375_1657239144_n%2525281%252529%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"><img title="283349_10200219091506375_1657239144_n(1)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="283349_10200219091506375_1657239144_n(1)" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAnpelExC2ZhfW3zRu6b7cuGsgV7GJb0QCt2qvqIY0Lc4icRaTj6OixQQpEmTYf0pF03RA15J4KhTYPo9HTXCeGunhyphenhyphenC0AToz7d_hRQdWBcOWAFVJJwxGQG25lu79ysOHeMx0/?imgmax=800" width="287" height="233"></font></a><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"> </font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"><em>Solitude</em></font></p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4-28Iot4wVEIpDKi3NdaVtWj8WXNmSpN7fnf_qXOHR9vGeoJ4cCCbdLSjlonOsLWQKJHTipRKQPDlCmKCYcOqMHQV_yC-vprW9ua02GLPJfUBo8X5mWvCW9xdAIkn33e7P59/s1600-h/913986_10201308714186261_755157811_o%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsY3YhmTss1pUzatjvnUuxBuWkV6zNN2XJhviOGMGFYZaLgW92afzAgslA503TuAed8PB2EyGTtud-y3miFOfGxpwkg_7isZ3ez9hqxOHH9nq87A6yX6P7lTZWLI63AZj7FBE/s1600-h/913986_10201308714186261_755157811_o.jpg"><img title="913986_10201308714186261_755157811_o" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="913986_10201308714186261_755157811_o" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdOGGq8ap7bpRVP0Q2RxD49tP1vRP0e8Ecr3Kcljz0Onhw6CBdlh0K7d2V3JDzP6rZrPMwRylm4IIO5cSoGAtQ65lpNvz_DFZPwP1L3iQc-1mQlhtnMd2MAoiDrbSnUx5ntax/?imgmax=800" width="240" height="324"></a></font></a><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"> </font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"><em>Love</em></font></p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwjqJWP9F6DuBnbRo1ZppEcAXt5RsGVhwy0npnKs6O51MtPXGjj1TpCj-9pZiTzPS8jFiuBjx3MnY76mJ0hAfRXu5vPdIPiXr531l8iG-i8PPnmwD67Y0Xru644XRK3g2ZO2E/s1600-h/1085008_10201844537061498_662447013_%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCkjQlE7L2GDUMU3J2n17hm6OD1wh9ADo8MlLDh46d4y0MDXurSaoQhBDNeiqEqHlDSHNQtzOt34ygY5xJVeKkdSWTQAGspNqGZI6iUqAdGTi44xfFkDF1UuhJt8QlTJZCqL8/s1600-h/1085008_10201844537061498_662447013_%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="1085008_10201844537061498_662447013_o" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="1085008_10201844537061498_662447013_o" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvN5oVt_v4B9TaDHbyPxf_DDJskq6UOHhGsiAHr0glScNb0tRm5A3pD4Ep5jOePzKt3SXkazp0faNhKqQM5E0RunxrspMZuYNMm9W1XVDyYW79EFMvu7wlEGdGYOdHuF7rtV5m/?imgmax=800" width="296" height="222"></a></font></a><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"> </font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3" face="Book Antiqua"><em>Homesickness</em></font></p> <p align="justify">“Some fabulous shots for sure – I never knew you had so much of photography in you.”</p> <p align="justify">“That’s not the point – I am asking if you actually followed the train of thoughts?”</p> <p align="justify">“Oh! most certainly, yes, you have put some sense in me..”</p> <p align="justify">“Then let me show you something more vivid.”</p> <p align="justify">“There is something more vivid than these photographs?”</p> <p align="justify">“The photos are just a hint and more like a tip of an iceberg. Bigger surprises waits for you and trust me when I say it’s as close to reality as you can get right now – a video. It’s not that you just have to see it but more like follow it.” </p> <p align="justify"> </p> <div align="justify"> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ad72b24b-8a67-4288-bf39-60664a5b22f6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div id="c3924a7f-aea8-4dd1-9b9a-63e3523fa1a3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H69__peU1o" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MQc9_4fPjxk/Uj9MiouJjRI/AAAAAAAAGpc/sPV1xDf6NL4/video3b4b44ef71d6%25255B19%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('c3924a7f-aea8-4dd1-9b9a-63e3523fa1a3'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/7H69__peU1o?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/7H69__peU1o?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">The Explorer</div></div></div> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify">“Wow, you created it?”</p> <p align="justify">“No, the nature created, I merely made the video because wanted to add a soul to the depiction of my journey with some music – to make it more apt – make it say thing that word couldn’t.”</p> <p align="justify">“I don’t know about others – but it has amazed me, because honestly, I’d otherwise not have stopped on my way to take a closer look at all those and now I realize what I miss. It has shaken my belief in a way that I can not confront about it anymore with arrogance. It made me feel that we are not machines. I thought I had seen the world – but you are the real explorer my friend, the video is an eye opener for me.”</p> <p align="justify">“I am not alone – and this is like a never-ending quest, to peace, to serenity, to divinity and there is no stopping, as a true sage rightly says, the amazement continues as you move on.”</p> <p align="justify">“But there is something I have to ask – the roads that you have taken so far – are they all friendly and smooth?”</p> <p align="justify">“Quite the contrary – at some places there aren’t even proper roads, more like a gravel drive.”</p> <p align="justify">“Oh! and they never stopped you?”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, as much as potential blockers they are, stand as no barrier when it comes to your will power and of course you may have the grandeur and oozing power of an SUV on your side. Tata Safari has been a trusted companion; but your most valuable friend will be your feet and your mind. It will then be only you and the mighty nature.” </p> <p align="justify">“I am sure that I’d be following your footsteps soon.”</p> <p align="justify">“It’s not my footsteps that you have to follow. You can find your own path, your own destiny and it is only after you set out, you can find many who are inclined to think your way.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow!”</p> <p align="justify">“Come home to wonders, and more.”</p></blockquote> <hr> <p>This is written for the <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=88" target="_blank">I am the explorer</a> contest arranged by <a href="http://www.tatasafari.com/">www.tatasafari.com/</a> – . </p> <p>Photo Credits: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reetambanerjee1" target="_blank">Reetam Banerjee</a></p> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-79548925465533316012013-09-20T22:55:00.001+05:302013-09-25T09:24:29.716+05:30Happy-go-lucky<p> <hr> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGf7TCrptV1Ijp1zcHM111UMfXKoPP-l3dF86VxaZibkgw0KHb3U7vm-I49fOQzYI4hIfaaptd6FVQnQZuowoAnfpCxrSpad0SSnWYPtecFvyjAHR6s_XeINctejE4PLtFHLF/s1600-h/DSC06225%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC06225" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="DSC06225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinc7Gt257ktlgc3AH1DTXkecwqkrX2LFLC-zvrg2Gty1xOn5opGrtzOFkVePXxp18ZVl8s6Yzf-l71b6g9rLs_oonTXZgbSaSu03ISKxu-8XUL06n91AZwqy25tUt8jak4Vt9X/?imgmax=800" width="366" height="371"></a></p> <hr> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p align="justify">“And before I knew it, I had hit ‘Send’.”</p> <p align="justify">Her face went pale hearing that and she covered her mouth with one hand as if to suppress her involuntary scream forcefully, “Are you an idiot? How many times have I told you to think before you doing anything – you moron? Do you realize what you did?”</p> <p align="justify">“Err! I wasn’t thinking.”</p> <p align="justify">“Of course you weren’t thinking sweetheart. How many times have I told you that while you are sitting behind that desk, then don’t think of yourself aren’t my lover – you are just another jackass employee of this conglomerate.”</p> <p align="justify">“Probably, just couldn’t control my emotions.”</p> <p align="justify">“And why was that?”</p> <p align="justify">“I was thinking about you bringing me coffee that afternoon wearing only my shirt on, because…”</p> <p align="justify">“Hush! You men can’t control your damn libido for a second, can you?”</p> <p align="justify">“It was you who flooded my mind, whenever I tried to close my eyes, promised not to think about it and work, the more it came back to my mind and took me over completely.”</p> <p align="justify">“What came back to your mind?”</p> <p align="justify">“How amazing it feels to hold you in my arms, how hopeless romantic it makes me, how you almost melt from my touch – “</p> <p align="justify">“S-H-U-T U-P (<em>almost hissed</em>) – still there are people around.”</p> <p align="justify">“..(looks down)…you still love me, do you?”</p> <p align="justify">“..(Shrugs)…of course I do, you dumbo but you scared the shit out of me. You know, someone else might have read that message. I leave my phone at my desk unattended at all the time.”</p> <p align="justify">“I knew but it seemed to be the right thing to do at that time.”</p> <p align="justify">“Do what?”</p> <p align="justify">“To let you know how I felt for you exactly that same moment.”</p> <p align="justify">“What did you exactly write on that SMS?”</p> <p align="justify">“The silhouettes of your form on the wall, is always on my mind. Even when we are apart, we can be one in my mind.” </p> <p align="justify">“Touche!”</p> <p align="justify">“What you don’t like it?”</p> <p align="justify">“Showing your poetic features to woo me, were you?”</p> <p align="justify">"..(Nods and gives an exuberant smile)..”</p> <p align="justify">“What will I do with you - you are such a hopeless baby at times? Haven’t you learnt anything from today’s incident? Don’t you realize you could have lost your job or even worst faced a potential sexual harassment case?”</p> <p align="justify">“But I didn’t – did I?”</p> <p align="justify">“Yeah, that is the part that kind of bugs me, what happened next?”</p> <p align="justify">“She called me into her private room and explained.”</p> <p align="justify">“She explained to you or you to her?”</p> <p align="justify">“She did to me -” </p> <p align="justify">“It just beats me as to why a completely ludicrous boss wouldn’t fire at her subordinate who sent her a message with avid sexual innuendo – clearly not her signature, her things really….because women know women. Sure you were day dreaming?”</p> <p align="justify">“Far from that – I could barely stand in front of her as my knees were trembling, I had realized that I sent the message to Himadri instead of Himali.”</p> <p align="justify">“But why did she think you were referring to her and it was not mistaken?”</p> <p align="justify">“Because she knows that many walk up to the ninth floor via stairs after her on Fridays when she turns to liberated casuals. She thought I am one of those who secretly admire her form.”</p> <p align="justify">“Pathetic. So what is that she explained?”</p> <p align="justify">“That in spite of her being deliberately bad and unreasonable to me at times to get the work done, she was happy that I had feelings for her. It motivated her as a leader but because she is committed to a loving husband, she couldn’t reciprocate my feelings and wanted this to be secret.”</p> <p align="justify">“Huh! Loving husband my foot - I bet she keeps him on a leash.”</p> <p align="justify">“I don’t know baby, but you still love me, don’t you?”</p> <p align="justify">“Of course I love you <em>sweetu</em>, what would I do without your lucky charm?”</p></blockquote> <p> <hr> <p>This post is a part of <a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/category/write-over-the-weekend-wow">Write Over the Weekend</a>, an initiative for <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/">Indian Bloggers</a> by BlogAdda. Note that this is purely a work of fiction. </p> <p>Image: Sketch with charcoal by myself</p> <p> <hr> <p><a href="http://forum.blogadda.com/discussion/182/wow-the-send-button-" target="_blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="http://forum.blogadda.com/images/wowbadge.png"></a></p> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-20071757124300458402013-09-15T11:54:00.001+05:302013-09-17T15:07:49.627+05:30Colour fool!<p> <hr> <p align="justify"><font size="2">This post is a part of </font><a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/category/write-over-the-weekend-wow"><font size="2">Write Over the Weekend</font></a><font size="2">, an initiative for </font><a href="http://www.blogadda.com/"><font size="2">Indian Bloggers</font></a><font size="2"> by BlogAdda. </font><font style="font-weight: normal" size="2">Write Over the Weekend theme for this week : </font><font style="font-weight: normal">This week your post should have five different colours acting as adjectives for five important words, around which your write-up revolves. </font><font style="font-weight: normal">e.g. her blue eyes. </font><font size="2">This time wear the colourful creative hat, start writing and send in your entries. Please highlight the five colours in your post for us.</font></p> <p align="justify"><a title="The list of the selected WOW posts" href="http://forum.blogadda.com/discussion/169/wow-coloured" target="_blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="http://forum.blogadda.com/images/wowbadge.png"></a></p> <hr> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p align="justify">“Hmmm,…mmm…hmmmm.,….tiding ti ding ti ding….”</p> <p align="justify">“What is that tune you are humming there?”</p> <p align="justify">“Dude! This is ‘<em>Happy Nation</em>’ by Ace of Base. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard about the song before – it’s a cult song, was in number one for more than 10 countries, has sold like millions of copies worldwide.”</p> <p align="justify">“Really! that famous?”</p> <p align="justify">“Albeit, why doubt my sources, check out yourself.”</p> <p align="justify">“Leave it, I trust your resources. Why don’t you hum a few lines from it – since you like the song so much?”</p> <p align="justify">“Umm, okay….here you go, I don’t remember the whole of it – but this much will do…</p> <p align="justify"><em>Happy nation living in a happy nation<br>Where the people understand<br>And dream of perfect man</em>”</p> <p align="justify">“Right, can see very apt to the least. Which do you think is the happiest nation on earth?” <p align="justify">“Why? It’d always be <em>aamchi</em> (our) India – don’t you think?” <p align="justify">“Errr..No.” <p align="justify">“No?” <p align="justify">“Well if you are talking about economic power, no I’d guess. What is the happy nation according to you then – the United States?” <p align="justify">“Hell no! It’s Belize.” <p align="justify">“What? Is that even a nation?” <p align="justify">“It is. Formerly known as British Honduras, located on the north east coast of central America, site of old Mayan civilization – it’s very small country, once ruled and disputed by both British and Spanish.”</p> <p align="justify">“So how does that become a happy nation?”</p> <p align="justify">“Allow me to elaborate!” <p align="justify">“Please do! You always seem to have an answer.” <p align="justify">“What are the three colours of our national flag?” <p align="justify">“What kind of joke is this?” <p align="justify">“Just go on with it.” <p align="justify">“Saffron, white and green.” <p align="justify">“And what do they stand for?” <p align="justify">“Read that back in a school – something like sacrifice, peace and harmony. Forgot what Ashoke Chakra was for.” <p align="justify">“Righteousness.” <p align="justify">“Okay, so what?” <p align="justify">“Where is the example of sacrifice or peace or harmony in recent times. Site an instance. On the contrary, it’s quite the other way round and the occurrences are plenty. There is an open loot on the reserve of the nation starting from natural to people resource, handful of people holding the reins living at the cost of others, denying justice and subtly encouraging crisis in the name of caste, creed, community and what not. Why disrespect the principles defined by the <font style="background-color: #ffff00">saffron</font> patch, why mock the <font style="background-color: #ffff00">green</font> badge that stands for life, prosperity and vibrancy?” <p align="justify">“….Hmm….” <p align="justify">“Wait, I am not done yet. There are 24 spokes in the <font style="background-color: #ffff00">blue</font> wheel at the centre – Ashok Chakra – stands not only for justice or dharma but also motion and progress. Where is progress for the real India, my friend?”</p> <p align="justify">“Still doesn’t explain why on earth would your global survey pick Belize!”</p> <p align="justify">“Patience, I’m coming to it.”</p> <p align="justify">“Fair enough, I’m listening.”</p> <p align="justify">“If you look at their national flag, you will find - blue with a narrow <font style="background-color: #ffff00">red</font> stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centred is a large <font style="background-color: #ffff00">white</font> disk bearing the coat of arms.”</p> <p align="justify">“So?”</p> <p align="justify">“The <i>Blue</i> is the dominant party colour for the People's United Party while the <i>Red</i> is the dominant party colour for the United Democratic Party. It’s an unique example of unity. Prior to their independence, the People's United Party proposed a blue flag with the Coat of Arms in a white circle. However, the close association of the national flag with the party emblem, the opposition from The United Democratic Party raised their concern and as a result two horizontal red stripes were added.” </p> <p align="justify">“Interesting facts, for sure.”</p> <p align="justify">“That’s not all I am referring to. Their coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO, meaning, I Flourish in the Shade i.e. the shade of the mahogany tree which used to be backbone of their economy. Bear in mind it is the only national flag that has human emblems and as a whole symbolizes hardiness, bravery, strength & valour along with truth and loyalty.”</p> <p align="justify">“So it’s all good in Belize then?”</p> <p align="justify">“Err, no not really.”</p> <p align="justify">“What do you mean?”</p> <p align="justify">“It is precisely a country where the burden of foreign debt is fairly heavy, rising unemployment with increasing drug trade and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.”</p> <p align="justify">“Why on earth did you say it was a happy nation then?”</p> <p align="justify">“I just did it to stir your conscience. For a moment you surely would have thought, India is no good while a tiny nation is living up to its national emblem, but that is not the case. There are problems everywhere. Take Belize for example, their national flag has the maximum number of colours but it really doesn’t matter how we choose a colour that symbolizes our nation, unless we live up to the values at every level and that my friend, starts with me and you. India has a lot of potent and promise, unless we stop people draining everything out.”</p> <p align="justify">“You made a mess of my ideal lazy weekend, you know that? I just can not sit back and relax.”</p> <p align="justify">“Good, because if you do that and hum happy nation, it’s no sweet salvation.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wait a min, you knew about the song all along?”</p> <p align="justify">“Bye for now.”</p> <p align="justify">“Not before you answer me, you knew about the song and led me into this conversation?”</p> <p align="justify">“As you say, weekends are to stir some thoughts.”</p></blockquote> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:59625989-7404-490a-9c0c-4e83ebf76695" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; width: 448px; margin-right: auto"><div id="b1aa0a19-923f-44ce-b91a-645c78d31f25" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB9cnSQ0tFI" target="_new"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhJqVnu6hltSCEpSjsapB_xqHOKD_88NvkovUEm6eVNTWclyiwWjfpXK8q5cNecl-87DtMlAnVnUb5G0x79o2jEwVwpjT2a9R1i_7TWXV74QZ5chyphenhyphenaeGZwyPzZQaxDvPiGEZW/?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('b1aa0a19-923f-44ce-b91a-645c78d31f25'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"336\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/bB9cnSQ0tFI?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/bB9cnSQ0tFI?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"336\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">The Happy Nation–Ace of Base</div></div> <hr> <p>P.S: Blogadda review team, the colours used are red, blue, green, white and saffron are highlighted in the post with yellow. </p> <p>This post was also voted as top post on Indiblogger. </p> <p><a title="Top IndiVine post on IndiBlogger" href="http://www.indiblogger.in/indipost.php?post=278291" target="_blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="http://www.indiblogger.in/badges/235x96_top-indivine-post.png"></a></p> <p> </p> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-11390188289178556212013-09-10T02:04:00.001+05:302013-09-10T10:25:33.049+05:30Know it all<p> <hr> </p> <p align="justify">This is written for an <a title="http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=87" href="http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=87">Indiblogger contest</a> – The Character, organized by: <a title="http://www.amazon.in/Jacob-Hills-Ismita-Tandon-Dhanker/dp/9350296497" href="http://www.amazon.in/Jacob-Hills-Ismita-Tandon-Dhanker/dp/9350296497" target="_blank">Jacob Hills (By Ismita Tandon Dhanker)</a> . It has always inspired me how there are some people among us who believe in themselves even at the most difficult times, hold their head high and believe that a change is possible. This is a work of fiction to bring that out, to depict two important characters in common man. They are my protagonist and antagonist. </p> <p> <hr> </p> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p>“We are running late!” The agitated voice almost shouted.</p></blockquote> <blockquote> <p align="justify">“It’s just the traffic”, replied the calm one. </p> <p align="justify">“Yes, but why does it have to be like this? I mean it’s nothing new – happens round about everyday. Only the vehicles in this lane seems to be moving slowly.”</p> <p align="justify">“It’s just perception, every lane is more or less moving but given the population burst and lack of growth planning – it could have been worse.”</p> <p align="justify">“Those people who are in the government – whom we’ve voted and chosen over the rest aren’t even mending the roads like they should.”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, may be it’s not as simple as it is to say.”</p> <p align="justify">“Yeah! How do you know? This is the main road to the airport and at the rainy reason when it is most needed, it’s in worst shape. Surely they aren’t doing anything!!!”</p> <p align="justify">“By them – are you referring to some species very different from ourselves?”</p> <p align="justify">“I don’t want to reason with you, it’s so horribly sultry and so suffocating humid, that…”</p> <p align="justify">“There you’ve found yourself a simile – a heavy weather in heavy traffic.”</p> <p align="justify">“You talk as if these things don’t matter to you.”</p> <p align="justify">“Of course they do, but there is hardly anything, that we could do about it.”</p> <p align="justify">“It just feels so wrong, so cursed – to be soaked in own sweat and reach work halfway drained already. My life seems to be cursed!”</p> <p align="justify">“Don’t blame it upon yourself, you are doing just fine.”</p> <p align="justify">“How could you stay so calm – I can see you are perspiring nearly as bad. Are you disciple of some famous baba (read spiritual leader)?”</p> <p align="justify">“May be I’m, may be I’m not, but there is no point rising to the unpleasantness of it.”</p> <p align="justify">“No?”</p> <p align="justify">“The more you do that, the more you are limited by your helplessness on the situation you are in. On the contrary, if you think about possibilities of change you can bring about yourself, there is much more to be inspired from. Don’t let the spite and anger get the better of you.”</p> <p align="justify">“What do you do for a living? I’m sure you are no less knowledgeable than a baba yourself!”</p> <p align="justify">“I am a clerk at the passport office!”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow, that explains – your position must come with a lot of underhand money.”</p> <p align="justify">“It does for sure once you choose to accept it!” </p> <p align="justify">“Are you saying that you don’t?”</p> <p align="justify">“I gather that given the situation I am in, taking hands off coveted fortune is somewhat explicable morality that doesn’t exist.”</p> <p align="justify">“Yeah! that’s right. You must be a fool. Everyone is making money up the ladder, why shouldn’t we?”</p> <p align="justify">“Who is stopping you – you need not practise what I idolize. You hardly know me.”</p> <p align="justify">“Ah but your self righteousness is kind of breathing upon my conscience. Then again, my job doesn’t come with the avenues to make illegitimate money.”</p> <p align="justify">“Should you not steal because you can’t or because it is not right?”</p> <p align="justify">“You are a good player of words, are you not?”</p> <p align="justify">“It is safe to play with words than anything else.”</p> <p align="justify">“Now, I get it, you wanted to share the cab fare with me because you spend cautiously and there was no bus from the stoppage today.”</p> <p align="justify">“I always do that if I am not going by bus.”</p> <p align="justify">“To save the burden of whole fare, right?”</p> <p align="justify">“Among other things, yes.”</p> <p align="justify">“What else could possibly be there?”</p> <p align="justify">“Reduce carbon footprint, make an infinitely insignificant attempt to save fossil fuel and …..”</p> <p align="justify">“Wait a minute! you are quite a scientist, too!”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, it takes a lot to be a scientist, but it doesn’t take much to be an informed and conscious citizen - there are news in the middle pages of the newspaper, that will teach you from quantum theory to DNA. It’s easy knowledge, you see!”</p> <p align="justify">“Who cares to read all those news and articles print tiny columns among such clumsy advertisements?”</p> <p align="justify">“As I said, depends on what you are after. The real, effective and promising news are inhabited in those regions, I am afraid. Knowledge comes to those who want it.”</p> <p align="justify">“Then you must be discarding all the rape news and economic downfall that are coming out on the front page?”</p> <p align="justify">“Factually no, otherwise yes.”</p> <p align="justify">“Otherwise?”</p> <p align="justify">“Those parts weaved in the news to sensationalize it – as they say like undesired fat and I know I can live without it. My heart bleeds for the agony of every single woman who suffer at this – not those that media choses to create a hype about it.”</p> <p align="justify">“So you are following the news? Don’t you think the rapists should be punished brutally?”</p> <p align="justify">“Rationally, yes but the penance also needs to come from deep within.”</p> <p align="justify">“Your views seem to be aligned to Christianity, but appear to be plain old Hindu household tome.” </p> <p align="justify">“Even if I was a believer, I won’t think differently. I don’t take a blind leap of faith – I weigh the options with rationale.”</p> <p align="justify">“And what do you think about the economic crisis?”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, if you have really followed the true accounts of the crisis and went through facts and figures, and define the expense pattern in the country – that rises from every single person, and then you start controlling them – the gasoline spend for example, you do your duty towards nation in the hours of distress.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow! First I thought you are disciple of some famous baba, but you seem to have more. You seem so complete, it seems you have everything. You seem to be so happy, so poised – what’s your trick?”</p> <p align="justify">“There is no trick. I am merely your co-passenger today. I am a simple common man and I have everything I need, yes and contentment brings happiness.”</p> <p align="justify">“It amazes me how you think. I didn’t realize people like exist, what is it that you have and I don’t? Enlighten me.”</p> <p align="justify">“It’s not about me and you.”</p> <p align="justify">“Then?”</p> <p align="justify">“The protagonist or antagonist are one and the same. The virtue and vices live in the same body. It is what we chose, what we do, that defines us and that as a whole shapes a whole nation. Don’t let the worse half get the better of you. Now, I must be leaving. Here is the exact change.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow! Would I see you again someday – in the same route? We are almost nearing our destination.”</p> <p align="justify">“May be, may be not, but like I said, I am no different than yourself. Look inside and you will find me in your own purity.”</p></blockquote> <p align="justify">The taxi came to a halt and he saw his fellow passenger, the otherwise common but exceptionally though provoking person he had met in a long time, walking into the crowd, dissolving into thousands of nameless faces in no time but his words of wisdom was sinking in his mind, slowly – but effectively. </p> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-66007381287246300752013-09-07T15:50:00.001+05:302013-09-12T01:16:28.126+05:30True Colours!<hr> <div align="justify"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: baskerville old face">This post is a part of <a title="Write Over the Weekend" href="http://blog.blogadda.com/category/write-over-the-weekend-wow" target="_blank">Write Over the Weekend</a>, an initiative for <a title="Reach out to the largest community of Indian Bloggers" href="http://www.blogadda.com/" target="_blank">Indian Bloggers</a> by BlogAdda, in which I am participating for the first time. </span><a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2013/09/06/wow-salaam-namaste-creative-writing" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: baskerville old face">Write Over the Weekend theme for this week</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small"><span style="font-family: baskerville old face"> : “<span style="font-weight: normal">This time you have to write a post including the two words Salaam and Namaste”.</span></span></span></div> <div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1gdLLDTDWHoe8jLV5QMnrchfLnu5gLcoqTxbXiYOmtRSnclLvKHEod_2evSTxza6XtminY2AptBBToEt35SSsLpFfURIKdBiJxshyphenhyphenDHRFgEB12DD-EdEopdz58NN6wYoJGS7/s1600-h/1234192_10153252797850608_1417166688_n%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="1234192_10153252797850608_1417166688_n" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="1234192_10153252797850608_1417166688_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtsOaDFMJyA47ktdOUcwrTr_awGiNMELN17WOHtMggREwdtpVv0UvrO_p8eqwx7Iz__9CVsVFhdlOU_QYtGbMfr0DqUxJEhcx5o5Chp2_OZsrjHc8vFj1MW4kU-AAfSj3ZxyK/?imgmax=800" width="310" height="239"></a></div> <hr> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <div align="justify">“Hello….”</div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify">“..(<i>ghhrrrr…..snoring in deep slumber, though sitting on a chair</i>)…….”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Hello, hey there! I’m asking you. Can you hear me?”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“ ….(<i>No response</i>)……..”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Remove your god forsaken stick from the entrance and let me pass (<i>shouts</i>), I am in a hurry.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“(<i>Wakes up grumpily</i>) Are you Hindu or Muslim?”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Why on earth do you ask that?”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Because I keep that stick to block the passageway deliberately so that people have to give it away by the way they address people – you didn’t either say ‘Namaste’ or ‘Salaam Alaikum’, so I have to ask you.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“What my being Hindu or Muslim has to do anything with it?”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Everything, didn’t you read the sign board outside?”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Do you think I had all the time in the world before waking you up? It’s an emergency. I demand let me go at this instant.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Not unless you tell me if you are a Hindu or Muslim.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Why do I have to divulge that information before I’ve to pee?”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Rules are rules!”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Since when public toilet became so esoteric? This is a secular country, damn it!”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Huh! only in papers. Not in this part of India.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Why?”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Because there was no toilet in this junction of the highway. People used to make the neighbourhood fields dirty. So a benevolent patron of the locality made this nice pay toilet. It was observed that some illiterate goons from the other religion was soiling the toilet. So he issued a notice that only people from his communities will be benefited from it.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“And what about the others, if they need to use it?”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Well, of course, his decision created some stir among his rivals from the other community. So they too pulled money and created one for their own a few yards away (<i>pointing to a direction</i>) and banned his people from using it. So you see, it is the doorkeeper, who has to ask.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Salaam – Namaste, you piece of junk! You know what, I don’t care - I am going to do it right here (<i>and really starts to go by his words by undoing his belt</i>), lets see if you can differentiate Hindu and Muslim shit by the colours of it.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Hey – what are you doing? Go inside, but this is one time only. Don’t tell anyone about it.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">After a few minutes, he returned in his rather pleasant and calm avatar and blessed the gatekeeper, “Thank you. May all the happiness of the world befall upon you.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Pay me five rupees in exact change!”, the gatekeeper remarked coldly, who usually collected the service charge on the way in.</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Asking for money you earthly soul? Be grateful for the knowledge I’ve prayed to God, all the time I was in there, to bestow upon you.”</div> <div align="justify"></div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="justify">“Are you Christian?”</div></blockquote>Without answering or paying and leaving the gatekeeper startled all the more, the man disappeared into the dark of the night, just as he had arrived. <br><br> <hr> P.S. This is purely a work of fiction and not to hurt any religious sentiments. <br> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-33287279279381812222013-09-06T01:22:00.001+05:302013-09-06T10:19:32.121+05:3027°3′N - 88°16′E<hr> <p>We are the usual couple - the not so adorable, talkative, argumentative bitter-sweet love birds, like many others so to speak. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9ROscAoON3NBzamNnq2M3ky_keyq3lo_GOC6iFgjH37tTBwow3_QXah9UqzTv0yHUoUIiVeghNV9SmzmpPGQcoLlAdfjNHgJ28MxUGUSPYaHQOoQOtY3Mi_QRLEBoP2aULwO/s1600-h/998471_10153247750305608_19682295_n%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="998471_10153247750305608_19682295_n" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="998471_10153247750305608_19682295_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqsWwg59Q2GO_eu6Q-arn_3m2x2jIXhYfwDtRNo1Mjw02NvN9Qzwl9n39GZCewqf8hHb9xfla0eNhZArIPA_hV5AkTVVU5eXIs-QKWRAQak7E3Qdw6Nuobz-25_t4zZg3LPuE/?imgmax=800" width="334" height="275"></a></p> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p align="justify">“What kind of a mess is this? How am I supposed to run the house?” She almost yelled. </p> <p align="justify">“Sssh! It’s not as bad as it looks, I was trying to find out something!”</p> <p align="justify">“You better tell me right now what is this about!”</p> <p align="justify">“I was about to give you a surprise. We are nearing five years next year, aren’t we?”, I asked.</p> <p align="justify">“Yes, we are. Why, you thought you missed a count or lost our marriage certificate now? Is it your way of saying that we couldn’t have stood each other for nearly half a decade because obviously you don’t care what it takes to clean up the mess after you?”</p> <p align="justify">“Errr, no I wasn’t, honey…”</p> <p align="justify">“No, no – flattery won’t get you anywhere. If this is your usual dilemma of saying that you can’t buy me a gift because of bla bla bla reasons, then I am tired of it.”</p> <p align="justify">“Hey, no not at all.”</p> <p align="justify">“If this is your way of saying that you have planned something with your reckless, God forsaken friends for another photography trip or something – I might just kill you.”</p> <p align="justify">“Honey, sweetheart, why don’t you calm down and we talk this through!”</p> <p align="justify">“What is there to talk? I already have a bad feeling about it.”</p> <p align="justify">“But you haven’t even heard it???”</p> <p align="justify">“(<em>Grumbled, no words spoken</em>)”</p> <p align="justify">“Shall I say it?”</p> <p align="justify">“okay”</p> <p align="justify">“I was thinking that we could do something different to commemorate 5 years of togetherness – may be we could all go on a trip and spend our anniversary there – and what could possibly be better to than to have our daughter be a part of it.”</p> <p align="justify">“(<em>Waits a little</em>) You know, you are not so much of a jerk all time.”</p> <p align="justify">“(<em>Takes a bow</em>) Thank you, mademoiselle!”</p> <p align="justify">“So, what did you have in mind?”</p> <p align="justify">“See, I’ve decided that I won’t plan this trip. I mean, of course hotel and bookings I’ll manage, but it should be somewhere based entirely on your choice so that you enjoy above anything~”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow! Hard to believe that coming from someone who has planned for a ‘zindegi na milegi dobara’ India chapter on reaching forties with his friends only.”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, I am not denying that I do have a bucket list that includes some of the very far and extreme poles of the country…but..”</p> <p align="justify">“You don’t want this to be one of them?”</p> <p align="justify">“That’s right. I don’t want to take my family on a trip where I’d be busy photographing and you’d feel left out, or it is too much of an exhaustion, that it defies your idea of holiday and most importantly – this isn’t about two of us anymore, we need to make sure that little Rupu enjoys it as well!”</p> <p align="justify">“If that is the case, I’d really really want something different – nice and warm holidays but also up close and personal!”</p> <p align="justify">“Umm, like what? If you want to see the forest, I would be happier than anything; if you want a beach holiday, I’ll do just fine and make sand castle for Rupu to play with. If you want to go the mountains, I am always game – so it’s your pick, really – I mean it.”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay, well, if you want to make it that special then take me back to your childhood. I always keep nudging you to tell me your stories and I can’t tell you just how much it amuses me. I want to know what it must have been when you went to a place as a child and now when you go back after years, how you relate to your memories. I want to be a part of it!”</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObMv05XFvIAOAJajLBROc-CqwryHlNNSBUQFxFAXbq_jgaj3MRXUI6uA6dek2mabGVnEj6eMlwdDe48_LRud88Y9IPAUy4qa4-dZGlrZ7uUPRH3JLFlgF0pjr5Sdx6-D8sjcz/s1600-h/553426_4134832455524_1243008668_n%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="553426_4134832455524_1243008668_n" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="553426_4134832455524_1243008668_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBVqHah9trhs-Y4uiDWz504dpVu1SclqYur4pBJUhCS_kGIcJf2gf81d8nAGl58wgfmxRT07IKAcwGg4e8Zga12v0RFB_5HCI0DJx4TqbA4Jw9HO4FavtyiFwKgObG4usY1Ud/?imgmax=800" width="230" height="291"></a></p> <p align="justify">“That’s quite a romantic thought- ”</p> <p align="justify">“Ah! But who says we can’t be romantic after thirties and a little one between us?”</p> <p align="justify">“No one does – just that it coming from a aggressive housewife like you beats me!”</p> <p align="justify">“(Laughs!) Now, tell me – what would it be if you were to pick such a place?”</p> <p align="justify">“Umm, it would precisely be 27°3′N - 88°16′E”</p> <p align="justify">“Now, what is that?”</p> <p align="justify">“Co-ordinates for Darjeeling. Ever since I learnt about latitudes and longitudes, I memorized those of Darjeeling.”</p> <p align="justify">“See – these are the kind of memories, I am so keen to know about, though given the current political climate of north Bengal, it is a little too ambitious perhaps, but go on!”</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgow-zEHudcg9HZ19zpcEXCEzeGEo1TO85pRB_CdvkAOTED-KdMkniCaOOhlCZslLMyDQWHAOVIV1IJA-srbmS4fSkjsDsIxlrgaGoQWlqQElbnYNibMZ5CRg5hOlGEoM53pt9b/s1600-h/576686_4133708427424_845068926_n%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="576686_4133708427424_845068926_n" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="576686_4133708427424_845068926_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREx-AI99IL2yzOg6dm6AQPp7Qiq8pmyFkRf-GaeIw-YL1vyMyFX58bmZY2ZhELkpqXagJtXsNFlmDVOV93IwqqeXNmNFksA5Fi3fvnLzTymmWdepwdZbD53XdW6CSgB8rMyVy/?imgmax=800" width="234" height="331"></a></p> <p align="justify">“Sure, to me the best part of Darjeeling is reaching the city from plains by toy train. You get a number of options to go up the hills to reach Darjeeling – it takes about 3-4 hours in a longer car route which follows a road with a mild slope and there is another road which would take you there sooner but is very steep and it’s not that fun. What I would like most is that a toy train takes you on a very slow, long journey – if I am not wrong, about 8 hours or so – but you get to see the mountain range, the scenery up close, feel the vastness of valleys.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow, and it still runs among all the political conundrum?”</p> <p align="justify">“Umm, am not sure – but if it is I won’t take any other route. That alone would probably be the most intimate memory of amazement from my childhood.”</p> <p align="justify">“I am so deeply excited, (<em>takes a seat and bites her nails</em>) please go on!”</p> <p align="justify">“Once you arrive there, you’d find a flat top on a mountain – which is the heart of Darjeeling; it’s known as Mal and the restaurants and shops are around that. The hotels are all nearby – it’s not important. I can still recall the deep thrill of looking down the steep slope of the hills between the houses – and it’s such a lush green all along, starting from the fern on the stones to the pine trees, I loved it all.”</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1A2vxO3iFC_vHRBzGs_Ke0oxAhevWjjWlemGrRuvvwZrMyZJbRvMA1ROLs0w77lLEGZxqvMvY5WKe8wMM_25LnxwlnR-6S6ZHBYI5_EqruDnVnI-cExE5GSHCbvpiNnmATTzx/s1600-h/459959_4240734543010_1201970250_o%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="459959_4240734543010_1201970250_o" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="459959_4240734543010_1201970250_o" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTS95B1tctAlCMFGIyBnzAzIPH1-CFGoj9VP1RiHnJLsQys32nmlVxDLGkbr4Sgp7oOTXtZEBHZe9T9_4SsFNncK27IpKkC0asW7ZIfV8EnS_acP-Vuzbic3_5cArLwhm_o66C/?imgmax=800" width="273" height="231"></a></p> <p align="justify">“There must be something naughty, something adventurous you did back then?”</p> <p align="justify">“Oh! Naughty – not sure, but adventurous certainly!”</p> <p align="justify">“Like what?”</p> <p align="justify">“That’d be those horse rides. I can’t remember of a single day when I didn’t go on one. There are so many stables and horses around. They would allow the tourist to ride one on a saddle and then hold it’s harness and take you for a stroll or sometimes, they would be on a horse themselves. It’s so damn scary when the otherwise gentle animal, starts taking his own course but no matter how nervous that would make me, I won’t admit I was scared and go again the next day.”</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh63rJrq88Jv3E8B2p-SMW09VQHJQitb6-x40LQqzMBdNNT8S1ibZcHu5eoccAMO2OP5pDNJSEtWUba9DihuWBLj-PkuvCWkOcjn4CzfWP40awK8JbNZO55JoxLkoZrS4QSkCj/s1600-h/521320_4133925592853_158887484_n%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="521320_4133925592853_158887484_n" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="521320_4133925592853_158887484_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQkEbfTk_NVERtvn3Ug8U6tCU4MYLkw9V9g-XwFAo_fqP3hp7LRKsZkDKHlofCrEqBScJBthjLl992B6LRKPZ9JQaMXezP-rKRocxzbm0gShP9MvK4Bw6Ycsx-11N9_K0dU9a/?imgmax=800" width="304" height="227"></a></p> <p align="justify">“Ha ha! Yes, that sounds like fun for a kid – didn’t the go near the slope?”</p> <p align="justify">“Oh! they very much did at times, and it made my hear sink in fear. Then again it would come back to the middle of the road.”</p> <p align="justify">“Cool! So what are the places to go from Darjeeling?”</p> <p align="justify">“I think to attract the tourists they have made some packaged sight seeing tours now, like there are many like the sunrise at Tiger hill, going down to the lake in Mirikh, to Nepal border, to the Tenzing Norge mountaineering institute, to the monasteries, the tea gardens – but if you ask me Darjeeling is not about going round and round, it’s very blissful and serene. Perhaps more than the words could describe. Walking around any tea garden, would be no less romantic than the pastures of Switzerland – it’s unfortunate that we have not valued the natural wonders of our own country.”</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNR6Mw4oUhrc_zvw_kW_GHSD7FlbrqM49smginKkgvnW1-KF5ty7aCtXCMcIc0cgVtzn79-SxDYlACVG0W6p0Jh0G1xVuLHTfVN0tMWVcmNQrn8krFtmcS4yIs8zYVOZ9A9J9m/s1600-h/283349_10200219091506375_1657239144_n%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="283349_10200219091506375_1657239144_n" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="283349_10200219091506375_1657239144_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitssBsMGa9hfTruaf6AniEedVu3I74uamdewTPKEjQ6gc7lYlziKAImjaadyMov_yK6UFShCnUruFe-IPGIVCXPgsANqR8AiPOycAXkfm2AmWx-eHiFRAo76OHLimFHgHRxbwj/?imgmax=800" width="308" height="257"></a></p> <p align="justify">“I think so – there is so much to see in our own country and we are absolute fools not to promote our tourism to the world, but let’s not get into that – tell me more.”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay…I can still remember the first evening in Darjeeling, we went to a restaurant upon arriving and as soon we got in, it started snowing. That was my first time ever.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow, and would we be able to see that too?”</p> <p align="justify">“Very likely – you know mostly people go to hill stations in summer, but that’s not quite true – if you go in winter, you can save all the sweating on the way and most importantly, the sky is not clouded – so you get to see a very warm sunshine, and thus all the golden Himalayan peaks that you would otherwise miss among all the mist in summer.”</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwir6mvIBHJuDthFQGdWpzA7fPB_NaqTSBZz3UVrkj7VV6_QwHCei5LpURKStKmSgBlh7BhF6Ty-CgWXD7LiV0YNzXrzXlgDBrLJamC-vEBf2xu1OAHD30dsm2hSyRQkfiPfYW/s1600-h/703564_10200311130127283_1870776522_o%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="703564_10200311130127283_1870776522_o" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="703564_10200311130127283_1870776522_o" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioavDk-9Dge-a5EOhZB13GD41omYINoluPYDl0IVccbkO_34ThyphenhyphenWlKZ3j5LpyGA-bjuA-5PT5hkmz4r68rFz9A669gGIsigZMaBhcTDpdoO_RvCFDAceNK1UnjAiPMRXQFz1Db/?imgmax=800" width="421" height="159"></a></p> <p align="justify">“Wow, we are destined to go there at the perfect timing then as it seems. If you were to relate a taste then what would you choose?”</p> <p align="justify">“Ah there would be the tea freshly made from the garden, clearly the best tea in the world and also I won’t miss hot chocolate – both are pure delight.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow, that sounds so complete! How many times have you been there?” </p> <p align="justify">“It has been a few times, like 3-4 at least and you?”</p> <p align="justify">“I must admit, that I have never been there!”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow, that’s the reason you’ve been asking so many questions. I was thinking – why, but I can’t tell you how much I envy you for that.”</p> <p align="justify">“Envy me for what?”</p> <p align="justify">“For it’s such an amazing thing to be there for the first time – no one can take away that pleasure from you. You are going to see Kanchengjunga for the first time – I can’t imagine how thrilling might that be for the first timers. I was merely a kid when I first saw it.”</p> <p align="justify">“Let’s not think about any other options then!”</p> <p align="justify">“There isn’t one.”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay, move your lazy ass to clean the mess up and go do the bookings.”</p> <p align="justify">“Duh! all that romance just vanished?”</p> <p align="justify">“On the contrary, I want to savour the air of romance you’ve just so effectively flared in me and not lose it cleaning the house. Why do you ask – surely you didn’t expect I’ll clean this mess up?”</p> <p align="justify">“I had a feeble hope that you might.”</p> <p align="justify">“Duh! typically husband”</p> <p align="justify">…and there I went back to cleaning my own mess and Tina went back to attending our baby, who was the most demanding person in the household now, but I was happy that we were going on that perfect family tour after our child was born - sometime soon, very soon. </p> <p align="justify"> <hr> </p> <p align="justify">Photography: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reetambanerjee1" target="_blank">Reetam Banerjee</a> </p> <p align="justify">This entry is created for the “Creating Happy Travellers!” contest on <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=86" target="_blank">Indiblogger</a> sponsored by <a href="http://www.yatra.com" target="_blank">Yatra</a>. You can also participate in the contest from the link and win prizes. </p> <p align="justify"> <hr></p></blockquote> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-36370951251079979272013-08-25T21:27:00.002+05:302013-08-26T00:06:06.676+05:30Let’s rape<br> <hr> <div align="justify">A continuation in the blogger and the bugger series, with the most burning and relevant topic of society, following the incident with the photo journalist in Mumbai. Just one request to the reader, please don’t be alarmed at the title – this is no hate speech, please continue to read till the end. May be then it will make some sense.</div> <div align="justify"> </div> <div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxtUFzNsHDLV5avByY2i8joi9hnaBskSXTFM6qjBtTagSW60udhr2o819WxTZqUzprb42Z8XVQAcaH4pfxnl5fLQDiV6mHHIxFvFQfErFIzVRJBkkTbnk9Wfeo1dq6uFriySx/s1600-h/1185001_10153209314345608_1724312773_n%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="1185001_10153209314345608_1724312773_n" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="1185001_10153209314345608_1724312773_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJQbHMMTjl2pyAEE1IRcDGpQ9CXnJ2QJYvhqBhFk9SiLnC3F_ZHJcK4q5NqhhXXgoTyFG4xWjgMlcMH0sFqFmtPQozc2s-s8YYLr21jo-bPV0H-ICEMUwlfhMpismQs0eNjmw/?imgmax=800" width="346" height="265"></a></div> <hr> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p align="justify">“So, any plans for the weekend so far?”</p> <p align="justify">“No, why – what are you up to?”</p> <p align="justify">“Something fun, refreshing and adventurous! What do you say?”</p> <p align="justify">“Ah that! Well, I can think of something.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow, whatever it is, I am game.”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay, let’s rape.”</p> <p align="justify">“W-H-A-A-A-T?”</p> <p align="justify">“You heard me.”</p> <p align="justify">“Have you totally lost it?”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, you asked for something fun, refreshing and adventurous – seemed like a good idea at the time. Given the options to choose a woman from young to old, it’d be fun, refreshing and surely something we have never done before.”</p> <p align="justify">“What’s wrong with you, dude (shakes head furiously)? We are educated people of 21st century!!”</p> <p align="justify">“So what, who says educated people of 21st century don’t rape?”</p> <p align="justify">“It’s not that they don’t but it’s….”</p> <p align="justify">“Illegal?”</p> <p align="justify">“Yeah! By all means-”</p> <p align="justify">“There are countries in this very planet, where it is not considered to an offence and I can give you facts.”</p> <p align="justify">“What do you mean?”</p> <p align="justify">“I mean you don’t want to do it because it is illegal? Last I knew, you have not been a strict follower of rules when it comes to other things.”</p> <p align="justify">“No, may be I am not strictly a law abiding person, but there is more to it of course.”</p> <p align="justify">“Like, what?”</p> <p align="justify">“How can you be asking such questions - you surely have women at home?”</p> <p align="justify">“Even if I do, can’t deem every women around me as my mother of sister and suppress my formidable lust?”</p> <p align="justify">“Enough said – (<em>shrugs</em>) – I thought you were a friend. I don’t want to hear another word from your rotten mouth.”</p> <p align="justify">“Do you now? It was you who wanted to do something fun and extraordinary – what I gave you fits very well. Just think you want to do it and you can probably do it. Who gets caught and sentenced for rape in this country. I just don’t seem to understand why are you so upset about it. Keep an open mind.”</p> <p align="justify">“Another word and I am leaving…..(<em>mutters</em>)”</p> <p align="justify">“Calm down – don’t lose your temper, just give me a good reason why are you so upset?”</p> <p align="justify">“(<em>Does n’t say a word</em>)”</p> <p align="justify">“There must be more to it than the law or having women in the house – don’t you think?”</p> <p align="justify">“There surely is – but how would I know as a man?”</p> <p align="justify">“Exactly the point I was trying to make you feel. We men can’t. We can’t imagine the agony no matter how much we empathize. We, my friend, have no idea how many times a woman is pushed to the edges even if she is not literally raped – we don’t have the slightest idea how she feels when greasy hands grope her body parts amidst heavy crowd or how she is humiliated when the ogling pair of eyes takes off her clothes with a crude smirk on their face. Only a handful of incidents are reported and even fewer comes into notice – but we have no idea how many actually go the stigma everyday. I was just provoking you to think.”</p> <p align="justify">“(Nods) Somehow you always make your point. You have a weird sense of logic, so to speak.”</p> <p align="justify">“I don’t deny that I am not the straight thinkers and I deliberately did it to make you come outside your boundary and think. I will continue to do that to other people as well.”</p> <p align="justify">“Don’t you think your idea of revolution is just words? Would this give a justice to a woman? Would this punish the guilty?”</p> <p align="justify">“Probably not – but you see, it’s not only punishment that I am after. I am bringing in a thought leadership.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wait a minute – you want a rapist to reign free? Lay hands on other women again?”</p> <p align="justify">“I didn’t say that – punishment is necessary to set an example but it alone won’t solve the problem to its very core. There are bigger things at stake here.”</p> <p align="justify">“I am lost, once again. I thought you were an advocate of capital punishment?”</p> <p align="justify">“Capital punishment is not something a nation of conscience will every completely advocate, on the contrary, remorse is the most powerful element, that can change a person from deep within and be far more effective than any other form of punishment.”</p> <p align="justify">“And you believe all those men who victimized women, would fall for it? Would you prey to their good self?”</p> <p align="justify">“I strongly believe so. Most rapes happen in the mind first and believe me when I say there is no refuge from memory in this world and there is no whip stronger than that of remorse.”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay, but you said punishment alone can’t solve the problem. If not punishment, then what?”</p> <p align="justify">“Oh! If you ask me I’d look forward to live the day when men look up to women with respect and not look down as an object. The ask is simple – we have to invest in the future. We can punish one rapist severely but that won’t eradicate rape once and forever. It is not an isolated incident. It is a society that our ancestors have given us and it is upon us to set things right.”</p> <p align="justify">“In the future?”</p> <p align="justify">“Yes, my friend, to the next generation, who will someday be responsible citizen. Nothing pays more than long term calculated investment. If we teach them today what is right, they will live up to protect it.”</p> <p align="justify">“But you alone can’t do nothing! As I said earlier – it’s mere words.”</p> <p align="justify">“Not entirely. I have a good many thousand friends on social media. I can spread my thoughts through them and they in turn to their circles. I can see so many posts that are burning with hatred, but that’s incomplete per say. I’ll challenge their thoughts.”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, I am going to hold the torch for you my friend. I am going to write about it.”</p> <p align="justify">“Good luck with that. We need to be hopeful”</p> <p align="justify">“There is always something to hope for.”</p> <p align="justify">“Even more so in the dark times.”</p></blockquote> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-68196944690922914472013-08-18T03:38:00.001+05:302013-08-18T23:11:36.775+05:30Of smells, memories and little things<p>[Two friends, the blogger and the bugger, meet again over a weekend when they don’t have to do anything else but chat about things and share ideas]</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQTotZnn3u4mW1uuIbXje80xor3Jf2PyVvdFxHscZiUXcM6kMVSvceyzzmH_LTaymOLPRACD8QoHU7IfWmohdAoeVmcKDTTh1AG_kBC8AFbTv6ROdc3_NL_NeroseeuF-IGAp/s1600-h/1000933_10153181973425608_472805761_n%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img title="1000933_10153181973425608_472805761_n" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="1000933_10153181973425608_472805761_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifK5zLDDV2_purtP-aD-Sh-yWvBJc4qPC1nOQ13ufOisdApCXDGp17pxKUJJZlr7z5EX00JVoFeXWPtg25rSm50JRInbLy0ezjQC8PYm7LbeJCWEIg1vgWuQJxICGIVJGbpzKW/?imgmax=800" width="264" height="210"></a></p> <p> <hr> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p align="justify">“Okay, so what are we doing today? (<em>sipping from a glass of beer</em>)”</p> <p align="justify">“We can play a game!”</p> <p align="justify">“Another one of your games - why?”</p> <p align="justify">“Let’s say for something new, something unique as well- (<em>pauses for a while</em>) and clearly you don’t have anything else to do.”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay, shoot!”</p> <p align="justify">“Good, define smell to me.”</p> <p align="justify">“What kind of game is this?”</p> <p align="justify">“Let’s just go on with it – tell me what’s smell to you?”</p> <p align="justify">“Ummm, okay (scratches head) …the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form?”</p> <p align="justify">“Good play with words, but that is way too technical – will try a different approach today.”</p> <p align="justify">“I don’t think that’s possible!!!”</p> <p align="justify">“It is (<em>smiles</em>), tell me who wore a black sleeveless to work on last Friday, one that raised eyebrows?”</p> <p align="justify">“Tiyasha, what has that to do with this game?”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, that was a random memory check – tells me you are quite good with it. Two weeks gone and you still remember who wore what that is if it is of interest to you…right?”</p> <p align="justify">“(Shrugs) You have a point, so what?”</p> <p align="justify">“Now, you give me nostalgic memories of smells – five of them, at least.” </p> <p align="justify">“Err…that day Tiyasha was also wearing a lavender perfume.”</p> <p align="justify">“That one doesn’t count…”</p> <p align="justify">“No?”</p> <p align="justify">“Unless you don’t want to fail the game and buy me the next round of drink, go on..”</p> <p align="justify">“Umm, okay – how about the smell of <em>biriyani,</em> when they remove the lid of the container?”</p> <p align="justify">“You mean the smell of zafran? No that doesn’t count either.”</p> <p align="justify">“Why? I get nostalgic when the smell hits my nose buds.”</p> <p align="justify">“Nostalgic or hungry?”</p> <p align="justify">“(<em>shrugs again</em>) Okay, okay – I give up, you win…I can’t recall five such smells….(<em>strikes the table a few times lightly and looks up ominously</em>). Not quite a game unless we both play – is it?”</p> <p align="justify">“What do you mean?”</p> <p align="justify">“I will buy you the next round and another thereafter, if you can come up with five such memorable smells and don’t be figurative. Give me smells that I can remember too.”</p> <p align="justify">“I will happily comply.”</p> <p align="justify">“Knowing fully well when you have certain percentage of ethyl alcohol in your diet, your olfactory receptors don’t function that good.”</p> <p align="justify">“(<em>smiles</em>) Told you, it’s a different kind of game and then again the fact that you are worried about, would supposedly open your mind – help you do better in this game.”</p> <p align="justify">“Fair enough – prove it.”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay, let us begin. You mentioned the smell of a dish – so lets start with that but I will strive to get closer than that. Till this date, I can feel the smell of vanilla essence my mom used to put as an ingredient, while baking cakes at home, and that usually happened around the time of Christmas and new year. Whenever, I happen to pick up the smell even today, I can go back and far into those days of my childhood when I sniffed that smell and reached the old baking oven we had.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wow, not bad…go on”</p> <p align="justify">“You said something about lavender – that’s a perfume, yes – but what is the original source of such heavenly fragrances? Flowers of course. These days we live in small apartments mostly and can’t afford the luxury of a garden. I am not an exception, but unlike confining my nose buds to pick up the signature of a brand, I can actually remember the scent of flowers that grew in our garden, when we lived in the house of suburbs of Kolkata. Rose, to me, is more famous than it actually should be when it comes to its smell because its more shrill than pleasant. The flowers I loved as a kid were all white – Tube rose, gardenia or night blooming jasmine, specially the last, because I could wake up in the morning and feel it along with the freshness – it’s heavenly, so to speak.”</p> <p align="justify">“(Lowers his head and nods in agreement) Can’t agree more. It’s been a long time that I kept flowers at home.”</p> <p align="justify">“Now, lets explore some other aspects-“</p> <p align="justify">“Like what?”</p> <p align="justify">“Surely you have memories of playing ‘Holi’ as a child?”</p> <p align="justify">“Who doesn’t?”</p> <p align="justify">“Before the chemicals called colours were so abundant and was the primary artefact of Holi, people used abir (or Gulal) more – specially, when the older ones played Holi with the younger ones. That used to have floral extract along with mica dust – do you remember the smell it originally had? You won’t find it in all varieties of the same product in todays market.”</p> <p align="justify">“Wholly shit, I do.”</p> <p align="justify">“See, told you – we will get there, define senses of smell, differently – through memories. Looks like you have a memory like sieve.”</p> <p align="justify">“Err! sorry – you know how life is these days, very little time to actually think and keep your good memories alive”</p> <p align="justify">“Okay – you want me to go on?”</p> <p align="justify">“You mean there are more?”</p> <p align="justify">“Oh yes – talk about monsoons – do you remember, when monsoon first arrives, the droplets of fresh water hits the dried, hard soil and the very natural smell that comes out and stays around. No matter how old I grow, I won’t forget the smell, because it marked the beginning of the rainy season to me. These days, we live rather far from the actual ground level, to take a notice – but if you are careful, or have stayed in the village during the advent of the season, you will know what I am talking about – if you have missed the reference to it in numerous literary examples you have overlooked.”</p> <p align="justify">“OHhh! yes, who doesn’t. You are a real eye opener. What else do you have on your list?”</p> <p align="justify">“Gunpowder.”</p> <p align="justify">“Gunpowder? since when did you become terrorist of some sort?”</p> <p align="justify">“Dumbo – I am not talking about explosives, but the mixture of carbon, sulpher and potassium nitrate – that is largely used for fireworks – and who knows better that how eagerly waited for Diwali to use the fire crackers of all sorts – the smell of freshly burnt fire cracker used to linger in the air for a few minutes. That would be something without which my memories of childhood would be incomplete.”</p> <p align="justify">“My bad, my bad….(<em>looks sternly at the glass of beer</em>), the smell of beer is also something, isn’t it? Remember when we first had it?”</p> <p align="justify">“(<em>Laughs</em>) Always – some memories, they are, of the first time.”</p> <p align="justify">“So you are not discarding at least one of my suggestions, are you!”</p> <p align="justify">“It’s okay – you have got the idea.”</p> <p align="justify">“Now that you have inspired me to hunt my memories for smells I have always loved - what do you think about the smell of the babies – don’t you think that they have a special, heavenly smell?”</p> <p align="justify">“My dear Watson, that’s not their own smell – it’s the baby powder most commonly used.”</p> <p align="justify">“Oops, told you my sensors don’t sense well with beer – so another round?”</p> <p align="justify">“On your tab – definitely.”</p></blockquote> <p>Then we both laughed, heartily – so many memories had taken over larger part of our discussion. </p> <hr> This is my entry for the contest - <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=85" target="_blank">Smelly To Smiley!</a> organized by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia" target="_blank">AmbiPurIndia</a> on <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/" target="_blank">IndiBlogger</a> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-9753846183053723122013-08-15T14:42:00.001+05:302013-08-18T20:57:56.135+05:30Freedom for free!<p>Two friends, the blogger and the bugger, talk about the 67th Independence day. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArfvqJMDH3hzcdB2z5LuG_39viNyege0_o2VPLhXFAtZjWcLINYzz9U6ocOXrkXkkwfghXC3TtXBgmmivqM9NETnKnNqkQcWxnILehtDhmVwZ_GEOARPctxAU6-Tk2_A3N1Zw/s1600-h/998464_10153173270840608_738078752_n%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="998464_10153173270840608_738078752_n" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="998464_10153173270840608_738078752_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlzc-gvsRXzzmA0WCnscA4IdIajru4_pF-wKuoWUEMRpsBi7IjDkyG6wOFqQpCoT5GDGHfZXZ8CKTiREfIuGbHE27BQV2t2Hkg_6qbPrUZeYoIymvxChS-_Ev540H33txnbkt/?imgmax=800" width="295" height="227"></a></p> <p> <hr> </p> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p align="justify">Phone rings, “Hey dude, what’s up? <img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" style="border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none" alt="Smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPjQSwdKnTizyIGQ-zKA3YMAcNeuOWjEMs5_aHw1U4hMpXO1BNBl_af3PY_pw7SmztZd78oDCE1Uyp-MtbP2SLZ_l-pztaDoVbTTiJ72yJDX0MVIxtqUdDdbF_QbuhrScixP6/?imgmax=800">” </p> <p align="justify">“Nothing really, why? ”</p> <p align="justify">“Aren’t you doing anything today – no flag hoisting, no assembly in the neighbourhood or no rushing to news – no sentiments?”</p> <p align="justify">“Neh! I’m just chilling <img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-sleepysmile" style="border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none" alt="Sleepy smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIpIwv19CYXW-MB5vC8bweeOgu8eLQ7wNFHufOs6YNBdxIn4FmcqBymENcOp9hHjfJ4-6GqI4gS2gcOBKjXoU2mQhVuFqVrhQb-Mccvr6LGLF6ApWu0pPUuXRjfN9LJ3P7S33/?imgmax=800"> – when do I get an holiday like this right in the middle of the week, when your brain is just trying to give up from fatigue. If you don’t mind, I’d like to hang up and go back to my sleep.”</p> <p align="justify">“Dude! it’s not just another Indian holiday, it’s the Independence day. <img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-thinkingsmile" style="border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none" alt="Thinking smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpKvCNQabJBs3VY2JNdU9duqg3zdHirivMUaCRVFInquXssgubAClTI2v6QFKh49lOfe3YeTztuGc6lm3Vp0x4ZWUooI675Xx_n-a981AY-5XqNTUoEZs7lDhAtzTH1fjMnco/?imgmax=800">”</p> <p align="justify">“Yeah! so what, go and beat the shit out of people’s eardrums over day long cacophony in public place – playing speeches and songs on an amplifier?<img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-annoyed" style="border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none" alt="Annoyed" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFU2QuAbyuS4xKLqn3DjpC4-06KvMJsfCnJmmqlbP2wget3VJ18-bVNoRyp8qbUxCIo79KEV2AZYMkBXENTy9uV0IGeHFdaRlRMSiaMvDhL_uU-QnJNUVo3ccaFnf7qEfSskkc/?imgmax=800">”</p> <p align="justify">“At least they are trying to align themselves to the nation today. Independence day unites us as one.”</p> <p align="justify">“Yeah like two political parties in my locality who try to outperform each other by raising the sound level?” </p> <p align="justify">“You can’t be judgemental on that – everyone is trying to celebrate in their own way!”</p> <p align="justify">“Likewise – I am trying to go back to sleep, if you let me.”</p> <p align="justify">“But that’s no way of celebrating it mate! I think we should.”</p> <p align="justify">“I wish I could go with you on that – but today is a dry day and I don’t have stock.”</p> <p align="justify">“Hey! at least show some respect to martyrs today – forget about the glass for one day, can’t you?”</p> <p align="justify">“And what do you suggest we do - listen to patriotic songs, wave flags, buy miniature flags from children working at traffic signals or watch another bollywood trash from the likes of <em>Singham</em>? What exactly is your idea of celebration?”</p> <p align="justify">“Err! I don’t know for sure and it doesn’t have to be conventional clichés like you said.”</p> <p align="justify">“You can go shopping~”</p> <p align="justify">“Shopping?”</p> <p align="justify">“Yep, why not? Haven’t you seen today’s newspaper – it’s full of offers and discounts from the front page advertisement to the very last. Think you should avail some.”</p> <p align="justify">“Shopping doesn’t quite go with the idea of Independence day, does it?”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, why not when freedom comes for free?”</p> <p align="justify">“What do you mean?”</p> <p align="justify">“Well, we have not paid for freedom in any form, be it money or labour – have we? How do we know what is the value? Unless we know that for sure, our Independence day will continue to be an Indian holiday and it would be celebrated with free coupons, films or music or souvenir for that matter.”</p> <p align="justify">“Why do you have to be such a cribber all the time?”</p> <p align="justify">“I will stop cribbing when people start thinking.”</p> <p align="justify">“And think what?”</p> <p align="justify">“There are so many questions - Is it enough to listen to listen to some patriotic songs to remember how we got freedom? What was their dream – who thought less about their own pleasure before setting out to fight and die? What was the freedom that was worth dying for?”</p> <p align="justify">“It is kind of difficult to perceive for people from our generation, don’t you think? After all, we were brought up in a different world. This is the effect of globalization I’d say, for now the young British generation don’t think they have to rule the world, people from west are raising their voice against war and violence. I guess we have attained a different maturity model to stop thinking about hatred and think about the world as one global village – so Independence is more like remembering the day, but we don’t have to rise to it with hatred.”</p> <p align="justify">“Someone is studying a lot of economics, is it? Globalization is nothing but an expansion of colonization or more like neo-colonization. Hate your neighbouring country to befriend a rich and powerful country halfway across the globe, whose riches virtually came from robbing you only. It is the prolong effect of colonization that tells us to hate our own culture and love theirs instead. If we don’t know history, we will not understand the core of today’s economy, and it will be easy to make us believe whatever they want. I am not saying that be a fanatic today to stir the hatred and revenge in you but question if the freedom, we see today is real – if we have achieved economic independence. There is so much more to it than what we know.” </p> <p align="justify">“So what do you suggest one should do?”</p> <p align="justify">“If anyone is willing to pay attention – there is a lot, but for the starters, lets say, on the eve of independence day, we should at least make an attempt to think independently. We should ask ourselves if all that we know is correct and if we have facts supporting it. We may have had independence long back, but the true freedom and equality is far away and will continue to be unless we strive towards it as one.”</p> <p align="justify">“Well said – I guess we will have to raise a toast to that.”</p> <p align="justify">“If you say so, you know where to find me.”</p></blockquote> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-24485122974954729472013-08-05T23:38:00.001+05:302013-08-06T12:09:17.627+05:30The whole 9 years<br />
Bitter sweet, nine years into the professional world and corporate – a retrospect!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuF2o_GcRqrIzJYF-IJOK4uo5Woxi745zZW8hhqFFAw1VQHdt6i7jfKiGetzOH8eC0_Ol5r2uwUcjynNlYRQBslZtI1uOXVLCH4vkUPh9TzcEtocTol9vMTIYFEMNZ1PemU8ZzJg/s1600/1149063_10153141092050608_1162886255_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuF2o_GcRqrIzJYF-IJOK4uo5Woxi745zZW8hhqFFAw1VQHdt6i7jfKiGetzOH8eC0_Ol5r2uwUcjynNlYRQBslZtI1uOXVLCH4vkUPh9TzcEtocTol9vMTIYFEMNZ1PemU8ZzJg/s320/1149063_10153141092050608_1162886255_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“9 long years it has been – (<i>lets out a short gasp which could equally hold good for a complacency or predicament</i>) – since 2004.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“What’s so special about that – it’s not a milestone like a decade.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Nine, my dear friend, is a magic number, that has somehow married our wonder for ages.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Like what?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, Chinese used to believe that there were nine forms of dragon, Egyptians believe that there are nine types of enemies, Europeans believe nine royal men started the concept of chivalry and Greeks believe from heaven to earth or earth to hell is a passage of nine days and who hasn’t heard the old saying that cat has nine lives? So you see, nine is a number, we can not simply ignore.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“These are all some form of myths in localized civilizations. Being an Indian, what does that have to do with you?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Are we forgetting that Indians gave the world its decimal number system – which includes the number nine?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“We aren’t, but all I am saying is that those are just beliefs – what does that have to do in today’s world? How does that give your nine year long professional life?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“”All I am saying is that even today’s very materialistic world, the number nine is of special significance – one who has kept ?the faith and aligned himself to one corporate house for nine long years thus far, is likely to leave his job and go somewhere else.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ha ha ha ha …(<i>bursts into laughing</i>), so that was all about your magic number? Till now I was speculating it would turn out something like Felini’s autobiographic tale of nine women.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Who wouldn’t want to have that kind of life, mate? Unfortunately, we have got to stick to certain boundaries – and in all these years, I’ve come to know them well.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Like what?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Like that golden rule you learn in college. Rule number one – bosses are always right. Rule number two - Whenever there is a confusion, refer to rule number one.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Huh! you are telling me that even now you fear your bosses?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“That is called eternity – the more you go up the ladder, the more powerful your bosses become and you go to further length to keep them pleased.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Can’t believe it coming from the mouth of a daring, young man you used to be. What tarnished you?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“If I were you, I’d chose a different word.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“More like disillusioned?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Err! no, more like wise.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“So a wise man knows the boundaries – and what else?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“A wise man never makes the same mistakes again, well perceived, doesn’t take credit all for himself – but most importantly lives life one step at a time?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Now, what does that supposed to mean? Last I knew, foresight used to be considered something like a quality.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yes, that was a point where future was more directional and not so turbulent. Looking back the whole nine years, one knows that gone are the days of long term goals – rather depend on the near future.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“You sound more like a ‘<i>gyani baba</i>’ (an old sage) of some sort.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“That is the other beauty of nine years – before that path is crossed, you think it’s enormous and once you have crossed it, the same thing becomes insignificantly small. So small, that you don’t rise to your nominal gain on day to day life, you become impervious to failures.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“And that goes relationships as well?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I’ll keep it short and simple - if you constantly remind yourself, that you are walking on a tightrope, then there are less chances that you’ll fall.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“And thereby avoid the pain?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(<i>smiles feebly, nodding</i>)</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“So raise a toast to this achievement?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Definitely, but nine years tell me that the number of times you raise your glass should not be proportional your happiness.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I don’t think I really quite followed.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, if you go beyond 3, then reset the counter. So, say if you had 5 pegs of whiskey, you break it is 1-2-3 / 1-2, thereby quoting the final count of 2.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“And why is that important?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“You see - three is a magical number, again; because after nine long years into this profession, one is likely to get married or attached and trust me on this , when I say that your spouse or partner will forgo three drinks, without rather scrupulous speculation and who knows better than us veterans, that no matter what the number it is, that much of booze surmounts to almost identical effect in behavioral appearance of an otherwise sober man.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Wow! I just can't believe that you revealed such a big secret.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, it wasn't mine to keep - another value addition in last nine years.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“You have given me quite a lot of food for thought today.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Don’t mention it.” </span></div>
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<br />Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-78270711918562194382013-08-05T03:43:00.002+05:302013-08-05T10:05:58.168+05:30Thank God it's Friday~<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQT67KPBiBTvLQKEGUaffsULKalGAeC8MQ41JravzTAToUTqgVG_1gIrJuKb65MHfzMj40nhoCjjxuH5E09MuZfavMb6fdKi1ez2oLpY-t5pNLiRpqHqZjex_qz2hfCK1miUqxQ/s1600/625449_10153127305065608_2047072766_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQT67KPBiBTvLQKEGUaffsULKalGAeC8MQ41JravzTAToUTqgVG_1gIrJuKb65MHfzMj40nhoCjjxuH5E09MuZfavMb6fdKi1ez2oLpY-t5pNLiRpqHqZjex_qz2hfCK1miUqxQ/s320/625449_10153127305065608_2047072766_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">“You know what my friend (<i>took a
long breath after saying this</i>) - these are dark times. I wish I could say
that a storm was coming.”</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">“(<i>shaking his head</i>) For
once, be original! Every time you borrow a catch phrase from a film title or
dialogues for that matter, I feel duped. If you aspire to be Shakespeare, at least be
original.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Eh! It’s </span><span lang="EN-US">not as bad compared to what I am referring to</span><span lang="EN-US">, and you know that yourself.”</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Enlighten me?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“What - you are asking me that? Do you
have the slightest idea how many people are going to lose their jobs? I just
saw the news and was struck with horror.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“It’s okay that people are losing job
and not hope.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“That’s what I was trying to tell you
– only figuratively.” </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Are you still worried that the market
is not stable? We have already seen like what – two recessions now? I think we
are prepared to see a few more!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Don’t you keep your eyes open – we
are blinded by the sugarcoating on ugly truth. Our economy is in the drains; illiterate
or not, our politicians are audacious coercer of wealth; women are getting
raped – and even children, you can’t rise up to anything in protest, for
somehow or the other you will be silenced - even an IAS officer gets sacked for
fighting the mafia. This is not good time for anything!!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“It’s not good or bad - there is a
time for everything. If you wait for something better, you will keep on waiting
and the right time would never come.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Right but what if I lose my job?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“You always have a better option. You
can write.”<br />
<br />
“Huh! What do you think that I would be able to write after all this?”<br />
<br />
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“I cannot see why not. Nowadays none
of the writers are poor; none of them have to struggle to make both ends meet,
rather all in white collar jobs or highly paid advertising endorsements. Have
you seen any writer with beard and starved face? Whoever you name, you would
find him or her in well honed metro-sexual looks. Gone are those days when writing had
something to do with struggle.” </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“I can’t win an argument over you; but
enough about me, what would you be if I am a writer?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
“I would be a chauffeur. I am not skilled at anything like you, but at least I can
drive. Even in recession rich people are buying Mercedes and BMW – because they
are never affected by a crisis. I will find any one of them. It will earn me a
modest living and the good part is I will get to drive a BMW. Though I guess, I’ll
have to ask for a cap from my employer. My hair is falling. A cap will keep my
baldness from showing.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“You and your logistics never follow
straight lines, huh?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Well, you never see the brighter side
of life. You’ll perhaps be cheered up when I tell you that our country is not
so poor after all – we are rich of something, which no other nation is.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“I can’t believe you are going to give
me the ethnic heritage lecture now!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Ah! But it is not that – it’s
something else!!!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“And what might that be?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“DNA”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“DNA?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Yes, as in Deoxyribonucleic acid – the so called blue print of
our genetics.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Yeah I know that – but how?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Well, you see so many people spitting, pissing and shitting in
the wide open, I mean even in the cities of concrete jungle – that is making India
very abundant of human DNA after all.” </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“You and your sarcasms – they will
never stop, would they?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“You know what - this entire nuisance
called politics, the plummeting economy, and the jeopardized social balance, you
shouldn’t be worried about them – rather be inspired with the irony it offers
us – there is more to it than what meets our eye”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“I’m just fed up of everything. I am tired – I
just cannot think of anything that will cheer me up.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Another glass of beer may be?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Unlike you – I don’t find a solution of
everything in a glass of beer, mind it!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">“Thank god you didn’t say ‘<i>Yanna rasacala</i>’
and thumped on the table.” </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Both of us
then looked at the almost emptied glasses of beer in front of us and laughed heartily - waving to the waiter for another round. It was
clearly beer talk. Beer made us open our mind; beer gave us freedom of speech,
and not just for the first time – we were just ourselves, trying to find out solutions to problems, which otherwise we never could. Thank God, it was Friday, again.</span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span></span></div>
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<![endif]-->Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-15559673197678945352013-07-20T05:25:00.000+05:302013-07-22T01:40:25.338+05:30Kudos~<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<hr />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Written for <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=84" target="_blank">The Idea Caravan</a> contest on IndiBlogger, organized by <a href="http://www.franklintempletonindia.com/" target="_blank">Franklin Templeton Investments</a> <span style="background-color: white;"> who partnered the TEDxGateway Mumbai in December 2012.</span> </div>
<hr />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On a typical Sunday afternoon, I
was lazing around on my very comfortable couch, watching the tv and planning to
take a nap at any moment but not quite able to sink into slumber as the ticking of the wall clock constantly reminded me that weekend was almost
over and thus perturbing my idea of perfect solitude, when my phone rang,
shattering every cumulative effect accumulated in favour of controlling my restless
mind to sleep, I couldn’t help picking it up for Ajay was one of those few
people, whom I would forgive of this grave crime. Ajay was also one of the
remarkable people who did engineering with me, and though he went through a
successful beginning of career with Infosys, he decided to quit everything to do whatever
pleased him. I kept hearing from him from time to time and each time he had
something to surprise me with. </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Hey! Bro, what’s up? How have you been?”, I said. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Oh! All good. What about you?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Same old and then again I’m not the adventurous type. You
must be up to something now, aren’t you?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“As a matter of fact, I’m and sorry to interrupt you in your perfect
resting hour on a Sunday - but I need a quick help and couldn’t think of anyone else but you right now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Anytime for you, tell me how can I be of any help?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You know this
website that I maintain right? You need to go there and post on my behalf that
we are reaching tomorrow as we were caught up midway and fell behind two days
of our scheduled arrival. Then you will get some responses to which you need to
respond and you need to tell me how to go to College street from Howrah station
in Kolkata.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Okay, that won’t be a problem. I could be there to receive you
from Howrah station, if you tell me which train are you arriving at?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, I'm actually coming to Kolkata in an auto-rickshaw
all the way from Hydrabad. I’d be reaching there tomorrow - sometime in the afternoon I guess. I was supposed to
reach earlier but it got delayed…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Absolutely shocked, I cut him in the middle, “What did you just say?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“You heard me – I am coming in an auto-rickshaw, the plain and simple Indian three wheeler with no modifications, that I
am driving along with a friend of mine, actually taking turns in driving though.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“What nonsense?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“What is the nonsense about it?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I mean of all why an auto rickshaw – it isn’t some globally
accepted commute after all!!” I almost screamed at him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, it isn’t but that is the idea – the adventure, the sheer thrill and it was a deliberate attempt as well to make it look out of the ordinary, that way the message reaches more
people.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“What kind of message?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, when we were pretty determined to make the trip and
were looking for sponsorship – a few companies came up, each having an agenda
of their own and we chose and NGO that wasn’t paying very well, but it had a
social message about education and employment of women in rural India, that
kind of suited as the best cause for taking the trouble. When you see us, you’ll
know how we have decorated the vehicle – logos, festoons and colours – it looks wonderful for an auto.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I just can’t
believe you did all that you are telling me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Surely you remember that I took a trip all in bicycle
across north ease India?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yep, I do remember that one - was remarkable. I even thought that you'd write a book or something on that. Then you were silent for quite some time. I guessed you found a girl and planning to settle.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ah! I wish, but not there yet. I did join a regular day job though but going back to IT wasn’t an option for me – here I try a
hell lot of new things. Meet new people, exchange ideas and so on.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Surely you have some guts to have taken all that risk!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, my parents are not dependent upon me and my sister
got married. I can support myself from all that I do – have a small business
here and then some savings from initial couple of years. I handle things,
probably not affluent as you lot, but I make do.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“You’re seriously funny – had you continued, you’ll know
that it’s a never ending rat race – all for money. I am glad that you are not a
part of it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“You are only limited by your imagination, mate – I’m sure
you have more in you than you know.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Why do you say that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, while working with this NGO I came across a really
extraordinary person – Mr Arunachalam Muruganantham, have you heard of him?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“No, doesn’t ring a bell – why?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“One man, not so qualified, have revolutionized the rural
marker of sanitary pads and achieved wonder with his relentless efforts. He recently got a president's award.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Okay but does not impress me as such – I mean, lots of people get it and we don't even hear their names. What is
there to do after all?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“You say that because you don't have the slightest idea of pathetic the condition is among rural women in India, it is hard to know all that staying within the comfortable boundaries of your apartment. The real India is not all that lustre of shopping malls we have now- it's grim. Do you know women hardly use something healthy - rather they resort to rag clothes, leaves, mud or sometime even ashes. His own wife said that if they had to purchase her pads during periods then the whole family have to put a check on their milk ration. All this didn't stop him. Today he holds the patent to a mechanical machine he has devised to prepare quality
sanitary pads, yet very cheap compared to what sells in the market today from
big corporate houses and he is spreading the usage of this machine all across India where they need it, creating employment and improving healthcare road map. In a way he has challenged corporate social
responsibility that no one has done till date - because social responsibility is not just about throwing money to get media attention. He says that he is after mission, a purpose in life and not riches. This man has an extremely good
sense of humour to present his ideas across. I’ll send you a youtube link -
have a look at it, you’ll know what I am talking about.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I nodded in silence, “Okay, I’ll.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“You don’t seem very convinced, but believe me - for us
growing like a vegetable is not an option.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I can understand, but what difference can I make?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“No one can make a difference alone - but the vision is important. I don't think anyone of us, in our age and right frame of mind, would like to accept the idea of completely heterogeneous social balance and see our country as a place where there is such a thick line of demarcation among its own people. We need to join hands,
we need to collaborate. We have this extremely talented pool of engineers,
doctors, economists and journalists among people of our age group, we have the right tool
of social media and we can remain connected in a way that wasn't even conceived in a dream. We should not be blinded by petty differences like cast, creed or political polarity anymore. We have the potential to build a new India. Trust
me – we can do wonder in this way and we are not even halfway there. We just need to find a meaningful life, or how Mr Muruganantham
would say – find a problem.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“So, is that why you have set out? Your words sound a little heavy to me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I don't know as yet. I keep exploring. It is not simple to explain all of that over phone. You need to find your inner calling. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Listen I’ve to hang up now – running out of battery. </span> I will
text you when I am about to reach. Okay?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Okay, be safe.”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<hr />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I hang up the phone and realized I was not feeling sleepy anymore - nor was worried about the ticking clock. I looked up the name I heard from Ajay on Google. It
didn’t take me long to know all about him and the presentation, indeed, was
moving, inspiring. He was an excellent speaker by all means with a brilliant sense of humour yet so subtle in implanting a seed of thought in my mind, that it compelled me to think. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/u1iWhljEbTE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I closed my eyes and knew what I could do – I could do what
I am good at, I could design information cum solution mesh on web, which would feed
from a wide range of sources like news, live data, mobile sms, and act as a common platform to reach millions,
who would like to take a little time off their own schedule for philanthropic work. The open source philosophy started with this belief. We could bring that up to a new level. Who
says, we have to grow like vegetables? Social consciousness, helping out by connecting people, would be a tryst with destiny in true sense. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next morning, when I was getting ready for work, I wasn’t
feeling upset like I generally do on a Monday morning, something was different – a ray of hope was </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">gleaming</span> and I was sure it'd pass on the spirit to others. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's a payback time for us, to the nation, we are greatly indebted to. </span></div>
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</script>Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-3268753616064473622013-07-19T16:21:00.000+05:302013-08-18T21:25:11.919+05:30Seize the day<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<hr />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This is a post for the entry to "The Perfect Road Trip" contest organized on <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=83" target="_blank">Indiblogger</a> hosted by <a href="http://facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia" target="_blank">AmbiPurIndia</a></span> <br />
<a name='more'></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCeGilbYGBUndXiEl4caO0k7rY_UvOml0hvvSWUqcb3WLOCGDsOt3uXyBniOA5YxlyobEzBOLfyZ-qvNUHa274Adw5kqj_2Nlfg9jzk9P_UPlJYn2_7QF-WwF7g4aiWNbnXZZ7A/s1600/Perfect+Road+Trip.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCeGilbYGBUndXiEl4caO0k7rY_UvOml0hvvSWUqcb3WLOCGDsOt3uXyBniOA5YxlyobEzBOLfyZ-qvNUHa274Adw5kqj_2Nlfg9jzk9P_UPlJYn2_7QF-WwF7g4aiWNbnXZZ7A/s400/Perfect+Road+Trip.JPG" title="" width="391" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trip on the map</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I am really bugged up, need a long break from all this-”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“From all of what?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You know – this whole schedule of getting up early, the boring tasteless breakfast, the
leaving early for work, spending countless hours doing without having the
slightest idea of its sensibility, smiling at the crackpot named boss, all
these defects, the dumbest customer of all, these meaningless thrillers I read
before going back to bed and the stupid movies I watch over weekends because I don’t
have anything else to watch - all these are making me a machine.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You just pointed to all about yourself.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Yeah! That’s all I want to get rid of and do something else for a change.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Oh! And what would you want to do?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“A road trip – I have made up my mind-” (<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">thumps the wooden table
with strength & determination</span></i>.)</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“A road trip?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Yep, a road trip – long, unplanned and carefree; not like something any other guidebook will tell me to but something different, something spontaneous.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Go on, I am all ears.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Okay, I am not a copycat but if you have watched ‘ZNMD’ (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">read Zindegi Na Milegi Dobara</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;">, <i>the 2011 extravagant Bollywood comedy
melodrama about three upper class men getting on a bachelor trip across Spain
and facing issues of their own as well learning to move on past them with life
by living free</i></span></span>), you’d have some idea of what I'm talking about.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Really, now? (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chuckles</i></span>) You plan to go to Spain? Did you hit upon a lottery or something? I mean no disrespect but is your pocket big enough to bear a hole to accommodate what you actually saw on that movie?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> “Err! No, not Spain –
our own India, of course; I don’t think it’s the idea of Spain that attracts me
to it, rather it’s the idea of roads and the maddening wildness, the oozing power of a grand SUV
rummaging the rough Indian roads, the entire ruggedness of it that draws me
towards it.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You surely have some fascination for what you don’t have.” </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Don’t we all?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“mhm, point taken. So, go on- you told me about the vehicle
so far, anything particular in mind?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I’d prefer something as powerful as Renault Duster or
perhaps the Mahindra MUV and it has to be black. Black is a symbol of power, mind it.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You barely manage to drive a hatchback for years, isn’t this getting
a little too optimistic?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You want me to go on or worry about such petty things?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Go on, definitely go on-”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Okay. So this will be about a long trip – about 1200
kilometers along NH-34, starting from Kolkata ending up in Assam.” </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Eastern India surely have some bumpy roads and potholes
along the way mate – May not exactly be the luxury that you are used to.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“What am I telling you? I am going to shake off every ounce
of comfort, I want to be free, I want to be myself, the daredevil, carefree
young man I once used to be when I trekked or climbed rocks.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I know, but that was a really long time ago.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“We are talking about the perfect road trip here – okay? Don’t
kill the flow. Let me go on with it.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Okay, okay…go on please.” </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“We’d stop after driving every two hundred kilometers or so - having snacks in the roadside <i>'dhabas'</i>. You know the tea they make in those places with a lot of milk and sugar, and serve you in this small clay containers - taste so wonderful.
First night we will stop over at Bolpur or Shantiniketan, the place known for the university
Tagore had set up, it’s a blissful place – calm and serene. There are some unique
hotels, which are small rooms in the open air in shape of real huts, having mud walls outside and straw roofs above the actual ceiling. We’d be lucky if we get to stay there at
night - difficult to get the reservations, though. May be we will spend the next day in Bolpur as well, drive across the land of red
soil in Birbhum, see the place, beautiful crafts made by local artists and then head north by crossing the Farakka barrage over Ganga before it splits and enters Bangladesh, one of the longest ones in the country - I am so thrilled to even think about it. See goosebumps rising on my skin! (<i>extends hand</i>)”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Sounds interesting so far!”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“We will pass remnants of old palaces and temples on our
way that you won't find on map books, see the face of rural India, up close, take photographs of those green
landscapes, fields with full grown crops, the birds that we don't get to see in the city, clear sky, the plateau and of course meet people and know their stories – feel
one with what makes are truly Indian. Who says I won't be able to write a book when we finally complete the trip!”</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You are good with words man, and then?”</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“On the next day, we’d reach North Bengal and stay in a
wooden cottage in the middle of the Jaldapara reserve forest, though we’ll have
to get special permit for our vehicle there, but believe me, it is one of the
best place to live, surround by the sound of murmuring of dry leaves, hooting
of birds and animals drinking water from the stream that flows around the
cottage; oh and the sharp noise of elephants of course. The taste of chicken in that area is a real treat to our taste buds, if you trust me. We’d spend a night there, probably waking up most of it watching animals in the salt lick in front of the cottage (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Usually a heap of salt is kept next to the stream for attracting wild animals who lick from it for taste</i></span>) and
then travel in the jungle, head north as far as Buxa and then return to base,
only to start the following morning to Assam, where will taste the fresh tea
from the passing estates and then end the extreme end point of the tour at
Himalayas.” </span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"And then?" </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"There is a bit of twist here - driving at night has its own thrill. So the last part of the drive from North Bengal to Assam could be a night trip. Once we reach Guwahati, we will take some rest and get directions to go north as long as roads can take us from there on, looking at the green valley, bracing the mist and then open arms as wide as we can, feeling one with one of the natural wonders of the world. When we finally stop - we will make a bonfire and watch the sunset from the top of the hill, that would be bidding a good bye to happy memories. While coming down, we could stop at villages on the hillside, listen to folk music and it would be the perfect end." </span></span></blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Sounds like a good plan, as a matter of fact, fairly
alluring. Doesn't sound unplanned at all to me." </span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Well, these are minor details, I mean a mere direction, a plan - the idea is to follow it in terms of journey but enjoy all those elements we'd come across while we move on. On the road, we get to see a different life altogether."</span></blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"So the perfect road trip happens all inside the brain?" </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"As of today, yes - but won't be when time comes."</span> </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"But I think you've missed something very important.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Sure, I didn’t – what do you think it is?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Who are you referring to by 'we'? Who would be there
with you? A trip can be a mess if you don't have the right partners.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“That’s easy! I’ll call up all those who'd be in town at that time and in
a mood to go. I can think of 5 of us who were in college together, sworn to a lifelong friendship (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>smiles</i></span>) - that would be including
you and of course (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>clears throat</i></span>) without our spouses or kids.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Seriously? Count me out in that case.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You may be obsessed with romanticism
of a road trip and I must say fairly imaginative considering a lazy man you are
– but I’ve grown to be a wife abiding husband, don’t want to put my marriage at
stake by coming along.”</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You know what – that’s why you
will never have it – the perfect road trip. It’s not just a road trip it’s our
redemption. What is your perfect road trip going to be – a drive from home to
the amusement park? Seriously man, shake it off and join me. It will be just us
and living a life that is all lost in running work and family. Open your eyes my
friend and seize the day!!”</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“It’s about time mate, I’ll look
forward to the day when you do.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“It’s not about me, it’s about us!”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Okay (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>smiles</i></span>), count me in when
you plan.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“That’s the spirit, my boy. ‘<i>Jis
toofan me dushman ke hosh ud jate hay, us toofan me hum chaddi sukhate hain!</i>’
(<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The tempest, that scares the shit out of our enemies, is what we use to dry up our underwear - a tagline aptly chosen by the group to describe themselves</span></i>.)”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“All in good time. Cheers!”</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<br />
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<![endif]-->Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-90885563319587279442013-07-14T17:51:00.000+05:302013-09-12T01:07:18.129+05:30Don't Angry Me~<br><br> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><i><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3">A hilarious argument between a couple on smoking - read if you smoke or planning to quit. If you don't or have quit, read all the same</span></i>.</div> <hr> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"></div> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Someone has got to stop smoking – for those vicious, obnoxious advertisements shown on the big screen every time I go to watch a film will kill me from disgust, if not anything else.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Oh! Now that they show what reality is like, you suddenly start hating it? What about the habit you have lived with for so many years? What about those countless pleadings, warnings, threats I’ve uttered, just to make you quit?”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Err… don’t get me wrong, those ads are pretty foul themselves. Come on now, don’t you think so? Why do you look away when they show it? All I am saying is that in order to having people to stop smoking, don’t kill the fun of going to theatre.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“All of a sudden, the most sensible message is foul now? Forget the nicotine, what about the methane, butane, methanol, toluene, arsenic, carbon monoxide and cadmium – no enough to make one sick?”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“It’s not a lot of good health, I agree but imagine the mammoth loss the film industry has to suffer if those limited hard-core cinema goers stop going to the theatres because of this – cinema is a world of magic. What if this increases piracy? What about the future of industry – why endanger oneself?”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Why do you argue on this? What good smoking has done after all?”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Well, it has nurtured intellect for sure, inspired some really, creative people – who have seen through …..”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Oh! And what intellect does a rickshaw puller have that he requires a ‘biri’?”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Well, let’s say it is habit for passionate people – the smoke from any form of tobacco takes off the steam at the end of a bad day. You can’t have a rickshaw puller to have a good day on his meagre earning.”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“You moron – you are now trying to justify it, even though you can’t even describe its taste?”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“I can’t – no one can - it’s as difficult as describing the colour of water.”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Don’t try to be poetic with me. I am starting to get really pissed off. The last thing I’d want is metaphor on the taste of cigarette. Tell me one good reason that you picked up this habit.”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Well, it started in the university days – saw people waking up with a cigarette in the hostel. They said it acts like a super good reactive agent for emptying your bowel. I’d thought it would do the same to me – which it didn’t, or I didn’t notice a difference.”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“You piece of junk – even then you actually continued?”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“It is difficult to explain honey – you’ve never been to the common lavatory in a typical boys’ hostel in an average Indian college, not run by a superfluous fun to maintain the cleanliness – in those circumstances, the dreadful combination of nicotine, propane, butane and all those things you just said – aka the cigarette smoke, actually keeps the otherwise overpowering stench of shit away. That is how it actually started for many.”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“You…you – after ten years, you are giving me such nonsense!”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Tell me honey – in all these years of married life, all that I’ve said – has they made any sense to you?”</span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Don’t angry me now…”</span></span></div></blockquote> <hr> Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-21842046878797882442013-07-12T19:28:00.000+05:302013-07-16T00:19:04.905+05:30Sowing My Wild Oats!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><i><b>Alert</b></i>: <i>A conversation between two friends on being father. Read if you love your child. If you aren't a parent yet, read all the same. </i> </span></span></span></span><br />
<hr style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;">
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"It’s a long story."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Okay, I don't mind listening - I have all the time in
this world."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"As you wish! To be honest, you may find this is a bit
ridiculous. It was another casual Saturday afternoon. I was standing with the trolley load of vegetables and meat supply
for the coming week, in a queue before the cash counter, of this big departmental
store. Somewhere nearby, there was a baby on a stroller with his parents. His
mom was in the queue before me and his dad was somewhere else in the store
itself. I said hello to the kid, for he was looking at me and just as I did that, he started
babbling at the top of his voice ‘pa-pa-pa-pa……’; made his own father rush in
from inside the store, but the baby was still waving his hands at me as if I was
his long lost father. I said to myself, ‘Oh! God, I am in Northern Ireland for
just five months now and you give me a baby who is nearly two years old.
WTF!!!’"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Was she a hottie? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Who - the girl at the counter? They usually were."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Not her! The mother of the kid - you dumbo,
one you supposedly had the baby with!"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Ah! Her – A typical Irish woman if you ask,
but I had hardly checked her out. I literally freaked out to notice anything
else."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Why were you so shocked – was this not the first
time when it happened?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Hell no! this wasn’t the first time."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"When you tell someone a story, you got to
start from the beginning" </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Okay! (<i>takes a deep breath</i>) A couple
of years back, I was in Coimbatore for training when it first happened. I went
out with some friends for ice-cream after a casual walk on a lazy Sunday
afternoon. We stopped before a big fruit and vegetable shop where there was an
ice cream counter. There was this baby girl with her mother, who started crying
and saying something incomprehensible, as soon as her eyes fell upon me. I
didn’t realize what was it that she said – could have taken it for a blabber if
it wasn’t for my friends who decoded that screaming to a meaningful Tamil word
for daddy."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"What did you do then?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"What could I do? My immediate reaction was (<i>pausing</i>) to her mother, ‘What kind of
a shameless woman doesn’t mind correcting her little one about who the real father is?’ I wanted to run
away from the baby as soon as I could and cursed her mother. But it
wasn’t easy with the pack of girls I was with, who found it funny. They chewed my head for next
couple of days."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"So that’s just twice – may be a matter of
chance. How bad could it be?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"I wish it was mate, but no..."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"No?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Nops! I was in sitting with a group of
friends in a garden in Leister Square – taking some steam off by hanging out in
the streets of London and stopping by for breaks intermittently. This time an
Asian baby, could be Chinese or Korean, was with his mother and rushed to me as
soon as he saw me. He offered me his ball and wanted to sit on my lap."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Oh! That’s kind of cute now – at least this
one didn’t scream."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Yeah, right – you think so? All those
events nearly gave me a psychological complex. I'd frequently end up asking myself -
what is it in me that make me look like a father? Was it for
my typical round, happy-go-lucky face or I looked older than I actually was? But I mustn't have been more than twenty two when
it happened the first time. It couldn’t be something that attributed me in a matter of
months."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"So what did you think was the reason?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"How do I know? I became a laughing stock
among friends. Once I went to a party that one of my senior colleagues had
thrown to celebrate the birthday of his daughter. My friends kept teasing me to
sit tight – because if his kid called me dad in front of everybody, it'd be really messy and all that."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"First time in Tamilnadu, followed by Ireland
and then London – you seem to have sown your wild oats across worldwide!!!"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"You are telling that to me? More and more incidents
started happening in airports, train stations and so on. I was so scared at one
point of my life."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"So did it actually end - ever?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Well, as a matter of fact it did. On one special
Wednesday morning in winter, I was walking nervously in a corridor outside the operation theater, all of a sudden my name was called and I rushed in, when a doctor
showed me this little, cutest thing, cuddled up on a piece of towel, all
pinkish among dried mucous all over – my daughter. That was the moment that
changed things. "</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"So you were not scared of kids anymore?"
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"I was never against kids or anything, I knew
I’d pour my heart out when I have my own child, but till then, I was scared of
saying hi to anyone of them."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">"Ah! All’s well that ends well." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">“About time mate – you shall see when you have your own child.”</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-16605042447389803382013-07-10T23:26:00.001+05:302013-07-11T13:57:48.540+05:30Welcome to the Jungle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">"This is about one of those days
that I’d always be able to recall with vivid and up close personal details,
right from the moment when I was shocked to see the party invitation pass
titled “Welcome to the Jungle” on a hot and sultry afternoon, rather extremely
unsuitable for parties, followed by the wildness for hours and the aftermath of
laughter next morning.</span><span lang="EN-US">" </span></span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Jungle, really – Is that supposed
to boost your sickening morale in some way - booze to get of the best of you?</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>In a way – yes, I know it sounds
kind of gross but it’s hard to explain why we, knowingly or unknowingly wait
for a release. These people were colleagues yes – but the hours in office
together, sharing the same creepy frustration of dreaming bugs, had formed a
connection between us.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Oh! No need to be so defensive,
they are your friends after all. I can understand – it’s a guy thing, but at
least make some sense when choosing a time and place? No?</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>As a matter of fact, yes I thought
that too. Trust me when I say you really don’t want to party in that extreme
weather in a shabby place with just couple of bowling lanes, pool tables and a
humble discotheque with earsplitting music.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Then why did you?</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>I didn’t – they did. It is a
collective decision – sort of a pact that says you can join the group at your
own free will, but you can’t say no. There was a common take that guys and
girls in the team, well we all were a little younger and more energetic back then
quite opposed to the old hags we are now – and it seemed to be the right thing
to do.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>So did that actually happen?</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>What do you mean?</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"About your motive of k</span>nowing each other, of course.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Oh! Yes, that was successful to a great extent.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Over uncontrolled booze and the
person next to you were out of earshot from deafening music – who are you
kidding?</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Well, I admit it wasn’t courteous.
It was rather a different form of socializing? I saw someone holding a girl’s
hand pulling her to dance floor, someone snatching the microphone from the disk
jockey to propose to a newlywed, someone offering a drink or someone simply
shedding tears after a lost love – you know what I mean.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>That is your idea of knowing a
girl or impressing a girl – tell me honestly.</span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>I’d say it bared a lot of our true
self, took out that fine sugarcoating of politeness and mannerism around us.
There was no air of pretense and we were following own free spirit.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>In which case, calling it lousy
would be an understatement.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Well, I was just trying to be
poetic – speaking figuratively.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Yeah right and those wretched
girls in your party had something different in mind for you lot.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Well, I’d not know if they did.
But finally we ended in a happy note. That was something to look forward to.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>You want me to believe after all
that?</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>It became fairly funny the next
morning. It turned out that one, who asked that girl for a dance, virtually did
so to every girl in the party, which sort of diluted the offense and the girls
took it sportingly. One, who had proposed over the microphone, eventually lost
his shirt to dance bare chest at the center of the dance floor and was forgiven
since he was clearly far from sober. One, who offered drink to everybody, ended
up tipping five hundred bucks to the cab driver that took him home. The last
guy was literally lifted by his friends and carried home. He couldn’t remember
any of it, of course, and called up <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>his friends to
confirm what exactly happened but his friends haven’t told him till date that he
vomited so much so that they had to clean the cab after stopping by a local
pond.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>And where were you amidst all
this?</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Clearly the only one in right
frame of mind and possession of senses to have gone through all this, make a note of all the little things and remember the same over years.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>You know that I know when you’re
lying, right?</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>Well, I know that you’d rather
know my secrets than catch me lying.</span><span lang="EN-US">"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>That too</span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">"</span>, she said looking at the
piece of piece paper that came out of a book while cleaning few minutes back before the conversation followed. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. </span></span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0n14Mpaiw-10SP_8CfGLLcBLZh7dROZhtsJE0lHFi8kW22-8F4an9pVCepk8kigNXkbecQn2xbivpRGXsDnhHxtzGSYbhwMniwsoAoLSCIch7PCiaKU1UCZzaCaVwGoZC4F2eQ/s1600/Welcome+to+the+jungle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0n14Mpaiw-10SP_8CfGLLcBLZh7dROZhtsJE0lHFi8kW22-8F4an9pVCepk8kigNXkbecQn2xbivpRGXsDnhHxtzGSYbhwMniwsoAoLSCIch7PCiaKU1UCZzaCaVwGoZC4F2eQ/s320/Welcome+to+the+jungle.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Welcome to the Jungle (Party ticket)</span></td></tr>
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Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com0কলকাতা, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, India22.572646 88.36389499999995721.634999999999998 87.073001499999961 23.510292 89.654788499999952tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-24960525987520299932013-07-08T02:58:00.003+05:302013-07-11T13:28:59.484+05:30Gift Ideas Challenged!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Alert</b></i>: <i>A conversation between two married men on gift ideas. Read if you love your woman. If you don't, read all the same. </i></span></span>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I gave something to my wife as an early birthday present.
Can you guess what it is?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Umm, well I probably can, but why do you ask?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Well, because I am sure you will find this quite a bit of challenge.You would love a brain teaser, won't you?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I do, but it's just a hobby that I love puzzles. It's not big deal, mate. All of us run out of options when it
comes to choosing a gift for a woman. It is a common trait in married men." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Yep - I don’t disagree and that's why I want to challenge your gift ideas. I'm quite sure that this will give
you some food of thought and then who says it won't do good to you in some way? As married men, it is our moral responsibility to watch each others' back when time comes, isn't it?" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"(<i>Nods approvingly</i>) Okay - lets give it a shot then, but at least give me some hints so that I can guess."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I already did, didn't I? It's a birthday present, it is something that is genuinely
unique."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Okay, fine. So does she like it?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Oh! Of course she likes it. Anything that costs me a dearly –
she would love it for no other reason. Love expressions, in married couples, comes with a handsome price tag, my dear."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Ah! Okay – and was this gift, something very personal?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Well, more than you can imagine, I'd say."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Ah! So I guess not a dress or some jewellery then, for sure –"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> (Nods approving)</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
"(<i>continues</i>)...because a dress would be quite a common gift now. Is it more like some fancy expensive
underclothing that they are bringing on to Indian market to provoke the male libido further?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Shit no! Not that personal – personal. If it was, I won't be asking you to guess. And I told you – a birthday
gift, not an anniversary gift, didn't I?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Okay...(ponders). A book but no – that won’t cost you dearly, some electronic
gadget won’t be that intimate. (<i>Scratches head</i>) I give up, can’t think of something
that would fit in."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Damn! I thought you, of all people, would be able to come up with something close." </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Well, clearly I can't - any last hints?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"One last - it doesn't come with privilege of exchange in any case." </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Huh! And it is not clothes or jewelery or electronics?" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(<i>smiles proudly</i>) "Nops."</span></span></div>
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</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Okay! Enough said - tell me what is it? I give up."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"A tooth."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"A tooth?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "Yes, a tooth."</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(<i>Looks up weirdly</i>)</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"(<i>Nods</i>) Yes, an artificial tooth on her lower jaw line. She lost part of her original tooth long
back. I gifted her with a new one – these things are so blessed with technology that she would be actually
able to use it to chew".</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Sick man, you paid for your wife’s medical expenses and you're calling that a gift?"</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Hell no. It wasn’t hurting her or anything. When she showed
it to me, I asked what did she want – and she said she simply wanted to get rid
of it if it hurt. But I didn’t stop there. Technology has evolved so much that
now they can effective replace one tooth, which one would be able to use as
good as other ones."</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"You call this intimate?"</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Well, it stays with her all the time. She can’t deny it."</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"And she loves it?"</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Well, this cost me couple of thousand bucks. She'd wear it proudly, tell others about it. You know women."</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Yeah! When it boils down to that I know that I don’t know everything."</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Don't we all?"</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<hr />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>PS - No disrespect meant to women. I love my wife a lot. </i></span></span></div>
</div>
Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-68566399826115868812013-07-05T01:10:00.000+05:302013-07-08T17:47:20.589+05:30And God created 'Biriyani'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">"<span style="font-style: italic;">God
created the world. He created plants, animals and then humans. He created everything beautiful in this world one by one......... </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">.......And then God created biriyani<b><span style="color: red;">*</span></b>.</span>"</span> </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'What nonsense? Keep your Biblical spirits to yourself. God didn't create biriyani, it is just a man made dish, that too out of coincidence. If you don't know the real story, then I've to correct you.' </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'I know, I know - but hold that argument for a minute. What I am saying is that </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Biriyani is not just a dish - it is what </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">lasagna does to Garfield. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span class="character">Winston</span></b>: </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We're preparing the royal lasagna, sire. Unless you prefer another dish. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span class="character">Garfield</span></b>: </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Did you say dish? Lasagna's not a dish, windbag. It's a way of life. A
state of being one's perfect achievement. What did the Indians serve to
the Pilgrims? Lasagna. What did Marie Antoinette scream to the rebel?
"Let them eat lasagna." What did Neil Armstrong say when he landed on
the moon? "That's one small slice of lasagna." It's not a dish. It's the
stuff of dreams. It's the food of the gods. It's what's for lunch. </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Think of the smell of pure ghee (form of clarified butter) and 'Jafran' (a kind of spices) that hits your senses when it is served on a plate before you. Think about the first mouthful you take and tell yourself that how are you going to enjoy yourself for next couple of minutes. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficult to put in words, eh?'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Oh! all that is correct and fine! But that doesn't prove anything. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mughal soldiers used to mix a great bowl of meat, rice and ghee and put that in a very low flame when they set out for the battle. It would cook slowly, blend everything into some sort of edible stuff without much effort. So it has more to do with the ease of cooking than actual delicacy.'</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Pure atheists, huh? There is a pretty interesting story behind all this.'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Oh! now there is a story? Go on-'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Right! and thanks of course. When I was in the university, I used to cook biriyani in the student hostel itself, with mere a pressure cooker-</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'And that is your interesting story?' </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'..Listen, that thing - whatever it was, became fairly popular among my friends and it gave me immense confidence that I was one good cook when it came to biriyani. But fate betrayed. When I started working, I promised my colleagues that I will prepare biriyani for them as well and it failed miserably. I took a second chance at it and that didn't go quite well either....'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Aww....'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'There is more to it. I became a laughing stock for them. I didn't have facts to back it up. Whenever I tried to say that I actually know how to cook biriyani; Pankaj would say that he used to play in Ranji cricket team or Soumik would say that he was 6 feet tall. I was hell bent to prove them wrong - and I didn't have a chance. I moved from one step further in perfecting my culinary skills - tried and finally made a biriyani, that cleared my name from the trauma and shame in front of my friends. And then I realized, it is such a tricky and delicate preparation, that one small mistake can ruin it all - so the person who has made the proportions just right, boiled it perfectly and cooked the meat just right, has to be God.'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Ah! so you are saying that God didn't create biriyani, but the cook rises up to play God. Is it?'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Bingo!'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were savouring every mouthful of Hydrabadi <i>kachhi biriyani</i>, the latest on my cookbook and had this little argument, which after a while were silenced till the plates emptied, re-filled and emptied and we could eat no more. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<hr />
<span style="color: red;"><b>* </b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: black;">Thanks to Wikipedia: </span></span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Biryani</b>, <b>biriani</b>, <b>biriyani</b>, <b>buriyani</b>, <b>beryani</b> or <b>beriani</b> is a rice-based dish made with spices, rice (usually <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basmati" title="Basmati">basmati</a>) and chicken, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutton_%28food%29" title="Mutton (food)">mutton</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_%28food%29" title="Fish (food)">fish</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_%28food%29" title="Egg (food)">eggs</a> or vegetables. The name is derived from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_language" title="Persian language">Persian</a> word <i>beryā(n)</i> which means "fried" or "roasted".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"></sup> Biryani was believed to have been invented in the kitchen of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughlai_cuisine" title="Mughlai cuisine">Mughal</a> Emperors. It is very popular in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_subcontinent" title="Indian subcontinent">Indian subcontinent</a> and is a key element of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_cuisine" title="South Asian cuisine">South Asian cuisine</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyderabad,_India" title="Hyderabad, India">Hyderabad</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabar_%28Northern_Kerala%29" title="Malabar (Northern Kerala)">Malabar</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi" title="Delhi">Delhi</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agra" title="Agra">Agra</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhaka" title="Dhaka">Dhaka</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmir" title="Kashmir">Kashmir</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata" title="Kolkata">Kolkata</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucknow" title="Lucknow">Lucknow</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahore" title="Lahore">Lahore</a>, are the main centres of biryani cuisine.</span> <br />
<hr />
</div>
Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-18611606550989328712013-07-03T15:12:00.001+05:302013-08-18T20:57:21.285+05:30London Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">This was about six years back –
somewhere in March’07; that was the first time I had been to London. There were
four in that group and none of us were married back then, not that it was a problem or
advantage of some sort, but has a very noticeable connection to the story I am
about to tell. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<a name='more'></a></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">As you’d probably understand, the
excitement of walking the streets of the same city that we’ve only heard in
stories or in films was intense. We touched the grass in Lords cricket ground,
walked in front of the old office of Scotland yard, visited the Buckingham palace,
spotted the MI-6 headquarters from the enormous London wheel – every bit of
that tour had a bit of surprise – but biggest surprise was probably watching
couples make out in public, a visual element hitherto unfamiliar for us urban
boys. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On our way to see the legendary British Museum</span>, we were in this elevator at Russel Square, a tube station in Piccadilly Line which is a couple of layers
below ground level, where it was absolute silence inside the elevator full of people
only to be broken by a significant sound of lip lock from a young couple. The
elevator delved into silence soon after the disturbing sound and it was
silently reached atop. When we got out, 3 of us were in sheer laughter while
the other, Arnab, who was probably dating by that time, said –</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> “There is no fun in here unless there is a girl with you. Guess I've to come
back once I am married, but then we'll walk ahead of you guys. You can follow
from a distance.”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Years passed and we parted our
ways. However, call it coincidence or not; Arnab was back to UK with his lovely
bride. I got hold of him, </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">“What about our plan of going back to London? Don't you remember what you said?”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Clearly the newlywed Arnab didn’t remember his promises and
when I reminded him of his very own words, he winked at me, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">“Oh that! Yes, of course I am going to London
soon but you guys aren’t coming after me at all. Stand far behind may be, if
you so wish.” </span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We shared a hearty laughter; been to London many a times since then but our paths never crossed. </span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.511213899999987 -0.1198243999999704151.195100899999986 -0.7652713999999704 51.827326899999989 0.52562260000002958tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-2913091572633099432013-07-02T17:13:00.000+05:302013-07-05T01:36:02.665+05:30Paying Homage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
This was a small town up the northern coast in Northern Ireland, Ballymena,
where we were waiting for the next bus and happened to notice a message carved
on a memorial, in a rose garden next to the bus terminus.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: left;">It read:</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>1914 - 1918</b></span></u><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">To the glory of God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">In the
everlasting memory of the officers, non-commissioned officers and men, from the
Ballymena urban and rural districts, who fell in the great war. They shall not
grow old, as we that are left to grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the
years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will
remember them.</span></blockquote>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Wonderful words,
they were. So simple, yet it was so meaningful. In a small coastal town in
Antrim, people remember their martyrs so warmly even after a hundred years. Even
today, they speak out, 'Yes, we remember you'. Sometimes, that is all it takes to show your love and respect. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salute to the poet
who composed this – a masterpiece of brevity. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com2Ballymena, UK54.865379999999988 -6.280380000000036529.343345499999987 -47.588974000000036 80.387414499999991 35.028213999999963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-23578889790578322972013-07-02T01:21:00.001+05:302013-07-04T13:26:20.580+05:30Happy Doctors' Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(via Facebook July 01, 2013 at 08:50PM) </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Having noticed from some of the random status updates that showed up in Facebook news feed today (1st of July) - that it is indeed National Doctors’ Day in India – I thought of wishing my cousin brother,</span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> who is not only a doctor but also a great inspiration to me since childhood in more than one ways, only to find that on the very same time another news of a doctor in a certain hospital in Kolkata being slapped by an agitated (somewhat politically backed up) patient's relative in full view of many spectators was on its way to be an even bigger news, for the same was actually caught on a surveillance footage and then I refrained myself from wishing my brother in a public social networking platform. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This was no isolated incident for some doctors have indeed come adrift from the supreme goal of their profession by malpractice and that in turn made the patients and their families hostile - though the outburst that we come across are often out of context. An irony at so many levels, I said to myself. Perhaps this is the most prominent of all traits in our surroundings off late and if writers had to take inspiration from life, there would be plenty. </span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"<i>Hope we hold good faith for our saviors in future and doctors live up to the respect. Salute to Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the legendary physician – hope you don’t become only a name we honour but also a pioneer, whose principles will be observed in true sense for greater good</i>."</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I am sure that my brother would agree no less. </span></span> </div>
</div>
Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-41431654500051588802013-06-23T12:13:00.001+05:302013-06-23T12:13:57.315+05:30via Facebook June 23, 2013 at 07:43AM<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Friends, who know me, often asked me a question – “Why is poetry so sad?” I didn’t know what to say back then. Everything I would write had a shade of gloom in it. If the ask me now, I will tell them that the most wonderful piece of poetry I have ever felt is happy poetry – a poetry that I see every day, alive with so much energy, fighting, crying, dancing, learning and trying to explore the world - a poetry whom I’ve shown the light of the day, is none other than my daughter. Now, I know poetry is a reflection of what we are deep within.</div>Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-48393072331385587322013-06-23T02:29:00.001+05:302013-06-23T02:29:14.563+05:30Why my blogs change?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, if anyone have really observed me in the blog sphere would know that I keep changing, moving from one place to another - if it makes some sense, but it baffles me as well.<br />
<br />
The most amazing truth about any form of creative writing is that it changes, gets better for its own sake and as I see it sort of transforms itself from a caterpillar to a butterfly, when you write it and leave it for any length of time as the chrysalis, and then rewrite - it only gets more beautiful.<br />
<br />
So my friends, my blogs are going to change. My writing is going to change. </div>
Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31405474.post-28173055134187783872013-06-22T20:57:00.001+05:302013-06-22T20:57:04.827+05:30via Facebook June 22, 2013 at 04:26PM<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Can you decode this? -" m mmmmmmmmmmmmm l.l.ll 6bvvn8mk86.j/h jh00kkni " Probably not, for it means - "I had a go at dad's keyboard - loads of fun", from my little one.</div>Mon.Esprithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11348192101465775124noreply@blogger.com0