Lift me up.....

It often happens with me….I write the best when I am the saddest. Well…I guess today is gonna be a real good …or I hope not!

Point in question….what does one mean when he says ‘he cares’? Does he show it to make it evident or does the care come from the heart? Why is it essential to be demonstrative? Why can’t you be discrete yet prove that you care? Why is there just a one right way to do a thing? Why isn’t just wanting to do the right worthy of the care you possess?

People are better at it and I am not….there is chaos around…do I care? There is heartburn….do I care? There is repentance…do I care? There is mistrust….do I care? There are tears….do I care? There is love….do I care?

Love….more than a 4 letter word…its an emotional roller coaster. I never proclaimed to have understood all or any emotions associated with it….I think I never will!!….And then they say when you’re in love everything comes naturally to you….is that generalizing? Does everything come that naturally? Walking comes naturally to humans…but u fall so many times before you perfect it….Speaking comes naturally to us…..but u fumble and falter until u can pronounce the words correctly…..

The intention to do it better is often misconstrued to be an effort to do it better. And once that happens, the vicious circle starts…

I wish I had it right all the time….I wish I could show I care. I wish my intentions weren’t mistaken to be efforts. I wish my actions didn’t end up raising questions about my priorities. I wish my deeds were answers to questions that mind throws around. I wish righteousness converged with my decision making as well. I wish my silences could be heard. I wish my heart could be bared to show that it had no space for any secrets. I wish my want to do things the right way wasn’t thought of as actions under force.

I wish I could do more, be more, say more…..

Questions questions….Wishes wishes…..loads of them…I guess I’ll never find the answers or have my wishes come true…...I climb into my bed each day thinking…have I made it better in any way…and more often than not the answer come…"Not half as well as you could have done.” If questioning oneself is being perfect, then the word perfect itself doesn’t hold valid.

Kiteflying…..I don’t know why I am reminded of it….You keep letting the string go so that your kite can soar higher….and look mightier than everyone else’s!!!…..As long as the string you have is long enough, the kite will soar….You let go of a lil bit of the string and it goes higher…Coz if the string isn’t long enough, the kite will feel restricted and soon enough fly off ….string and all ….and then there’d be someone there to catch the kite and add more string to it so that it can fly higher and mightier still….

We tend to complicate thing…..we tend not to think through at times….Its all about happiness….Its all about what others do for you when you have that tear in your eye…..Its all about being there when you most need it!! Love shall prevail…..if you want it to….

Robbie Williams; it seems realized it much sooner...

Send someone to love me

I need to rest in arms

Keep me safe from harm

In pouring rain

Give me endless summer

Lord I fear the cold

Feel I'm getting old

Before my time

As my soul heals the shame

I will grow through this pain

Lord I'm doing all I can

To be a better man

Go easy on my conscience

'Cause it's not my fault

I know I've been taught

To take the blame

Rest assured my angels

Will catch my tears

Walk me out of here

I'm in pain

As my soul heals the shame

I will grow through this pain

Lord I'm doing all I can

To be a better man

Me in the Wonderland

Tanuj came to a fork in the road. "Which road do I take?" he asked.
"Where do you want to go?" responded the Cheshire cat.
"I don't know," Tanuj answered.
"Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter!! Does it??"

Thats what I'd gotten myself into as well. I was living....not knowing how, not knowing why....just living. Until things changed and changed for the better....Realizations come to me...slower than they do to others!! I had an answer for the Cheshire Cat.....I wanna go on the road which would take me to love, to freedom and to learning....thats what I want from life.

The Cat showed me the way.....I have love which I cherish, I have freedom which I take for granted and I have learnings which I crib about.....

Love...what does it do to you? How long has it been since someone touched part of you other than your body? Its what has gotten me to where I am and those who are responsible for it know it as they read. I have been lucky, I turned my face away from love refusing to believe its very existence. It never went away. It stayed there till I looked back and from then on, its been with me through thick and through thin...!! One needs to learn to respect love... It makes the journey of life worthwhile. Its given me a purpose for sure....I teaches you to dream, to imagine, to plan....It inspires you to slog, to sweat, to succeed....It is the triumph of imagination over intelligence!! ....believe and enjoy it....:)

Freedom...Often taken for granted...Its an blessing, to each one of us. For me, its a chance to be better...Its my right to live the way I wish to. It is the reason why I am happy. Its what allows me to make mistakes and yet come up stronger..It gives me the ability to do what I want, to be what I am, to go where I want to- enjoy the trees, the sea,the mountains, the smell of rain on earth.., to read or hear what I wish, to eat what I want to. Freedom is also the ability to choose wrongly & irresponsible.
We are extremely lucky to have been born in a country as free as India. Its sad that a lot of us have chosen rather irresponsibly at times. With great power come great responsibilities. Freedom is our power. We can use this power either to be Hyde or Jekyll..

Learning....Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet...what do you wanna do? No matter where I go or what I do, I'll always live my entire life within the confines of my head. And I want my head to be as huge as possible. the learning never stops. Each day brings with it something new.... and to learn the new we must look at the yesterday as well. If I stop learning, I'll stop growing and if I stop growing, I stop living!! Be it books, movies, the TV, my boss, the office politics...it brings with it learning and if you don't learn fast enough, you're in danger of becoming extinct. And thats something I'm certainly not willing to do....

Getting back to the Cat..... Here's wht else he said...."Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do."

Nowz not for ever....but live now to the fullest:)

P.s- I don't know why I am writing this.....Saw OSO today....a decent flick...here's a quote from the movie which made me think...."kehte hai ki filmon ki tarah hamari zindagi mein bhi end tak sab theek hee ho jaata hai..happys endings...aur agar theek naa ho toh woh the end nahi, picture abhi baaki hai mere dost..." True...isn't it?? Wish loadsss of happiness to all of ya...:)

Slacker Blogger

"I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store;

For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have paid."

I love the last line in there......any wage i had asked of life ...life would have paid. I often find myself here and complaining of life...my work, my lack of work, my privacy, my friends, the traffic, the food....everything!! You get what u throw at life....if its complaints, life creates more and more reasons for u to complain.......U get what u sow!!!

I had nothing special to write in a long time, no personal memorable incidents, no excitement, nothing... seemed as though life had come to a standstill or rather had come to be a monotony...... Damn, this corporate world... The only happy moments left in the day was the 1 hr i got with mann every night......... and then I realised that there was nothing but me stopping myself from believin that the life is a memorable journey, full of excitement....I just have to change my outlook. I just have to throw things which'll make me happy at life and i'll get more happiness....!!

Ok...enough of gyaan....abhi abt me...the weekend was a rather non vegy weekend....Well yeah u read it right...non vegy... (Not that non vegy ....I am one of you guys... i know u think alike....!!!) The real non vegy...As in the food....yeah...If u are a regular reader here u would know that i am the happiest talking abt only 2 things....food being one of them and the other everyone knows...(*blushes*). Ok so the non vegy weekend...I had non veg for lunch and dinner on saturday and sunday....and believe u me...I was done by the sunday dinner...I could not eat a piece...can u beat that ...Me and not eating chicken!! Hmmm...I guess excess of anything does that to u....doesn't it???

I went to my mamu's place this saturday...I got caught for the first time for jumping a red light...well I did not jump the light....I just crossed it when it was yellow...and i was nice enough to stop the car when everyone else was crossing over inspite of the police wala askin them to stop!!! I am a nice guy u see....so I did stop the car when i could have driven straight on...So this fatty guard type person (with his tummy hanging out as though its gonna fall of any second or better still as though he was 18 months pregnant) walks up to me and asks for my papers and my license. By now I have strted to "congratulate" myself for stopping!! Ok...so i give the papers and walk up to the real cop...(who is sitting on a chair and has the buttons of his shirt opened as though he were sitting on a beach in goa)....who calmly tells me that he'll have to cut a challan unless i "think" abt it....Now it doesn't take a genius to decipher what I had to think abt....So i told him to read the name on the registration...(my dads name...hehehe ..he is in the army)....he did that and gave me a sheepish grin and asked me to go....Here's some food for thought......Assuming that the light changes every 2 mins.....and he has a duty of 8 hrs. And each time he catches someone he ends up earning atleast 200 bucks! Almost an opportunity of earning a cool 6000 bucks an hr...and in 8 hrs....48000 bucks!!! thats 48000 bucks for actually doing nuthing and catching hold of guys who innocently cross when the light is yellow....How unfair is that!!!!

Yes so that's the round up...the very unattractive slacker blogger status is creeping up on me and it really doesn't feel good....Do u see me rusting too??? hmm...maybe i should blog more....nahi?? (psst: Dont tell me if u think i have rusted;)......hehehehe)

Till latersss.....Now is not for ever:) :) :)

Found him.....

Dear Blog,

Its bee ages since I wrote something on you….Truth be told..its been so long that I would be surprised if you’d even remember who I am! I’ve just never felt the urge to sit n write something…I sometimes feel that it’s a worthless exercise! Bu then there are times that I get these guilt pangs that I haven’t updated u in more than a month. A lot has happened in my life…most of it you know already!

From the days of nervousness to today (the days of happiness)….I’ve had a helluva ride! And I’m glad the way things have turned out for me….I can only be thankful and hope that life gets better…..( it already is great…and u know why!)

[Mann…ur the reason…stand up and take a Bow…..]

Its been almost 2 yrs that I’ve known you M. Blog…..but do u know me well enough?? Just thought I’d introduce myself better…

• I think Jim Davis was inspired by me when he created Garfield…. eat (big eater), sleep mmm the word makes me sleep!) and hate Mondays (worst day of the week!)!
• I am not a chocolate fan…I have never bought or finished a bar of chocolate!
• I have this extreme urge to be in the good books of everyone and in this process I end up trying too hard and getting stuck
• I find it extremely hard to say a “no” to anyone!
• I have this maniacal urge to have everyone around me smiling!
• I was very conscious about my voice…I still find it too girly!
• I make extremely yummy food…IF I want to…!
• I am a self proclaimed introvert ………. I like it this way!!!
• I am a very slow reader…By the time I finish a novel, you’d probably have be a 170 yrs old!!
• I like sleeping... coz i like dreaming abt u know who
• I have oodles of patience which I loose very often:D
• I never had a cell phone until I was outta my college. I bought a 2100 for 7 grands (my first phone) & the N 70 for 19 grands both from my own salaries.
• I lock myself up and play music really loud music on my comp when I get angry…. I love fiddling with my phone when I am angry and that’s how I learn to use it.
• I love watching the Amazing race…I think the entire concept is a lot of fun!
• I hate…absolutely hate getting on the weighing scale! It scares me..
• I love mangoes….n litchis….n grapes…n oranges….n Chicken Mcgrill burger yummm!
• I am 26 and I love animated movie flicks!! Ice age is my favourite…:)
• My jogging shoes are Canadian worth $100. Extremely comfy!
• I DO NOT snore when I sleep!! (Mann thinks that I do…I refuse to accept it….)
• I have a yellow tiffin box with bunnies on it..and another with one with mickey, pluto n Minnie on it (cant find it any more :-( ) which i still love as much as i did when i was actually 7..
• I hate being woken up…except if its Mann waking me up
• I think I have weird hair….but atleast I have hair….am losing the lil that I have left…I wish I’d have them left before I get married.
• I love watching TV…even if nothing is on…it fascinates me no ends!
• I had a Citibank credit card when I was merely 18!!
• I’ve been to all the states in India except Tripura, Orrisa n Kerela. I love traveling around. P.s - Mann….can we please keep traveling?
• I hate the noise that comes out when u rub ur hand on a balloon!
• I am extremely scared of rides. The only one time I was able to sit on one was with the person I trust the most and of all the people on the ride, I squealed the most.
• I learnt to ride a bicycle coz my mom bribed me with jalebis!
• I learnt to drive a car when I was 15…I’ve had only one accident till date! Touch wood!
• I am scared to decide…but once I do I stick by it!

I know this is very rusty, but I am writing after a longtime…the only way to go from here is up! Coz now….is not forever!!

What did I do to Tanuj?

They said..."You're doing it again...!! Forget it...We don't wanna talk..". "But I'm not!!!...its just that I'm eating...(Its been a tough day...)...."

And then there was silence. The phone had gone off.. and the words echoed in my ears..

Do I really become someone else? Do I change?

Brain: No u dont...U try too hard and overdo it.
Heart: Overdo what?? Either I do it or I don't....where does overdo come from ..?
Brain: Thats your problem..You're not even willing to listen
Heart: I listen....I always listen...I've always been listening!
Brain: Thats what u've done to urself...
Heart: What? What..."Pray tell..."
Brain: Nothing...just forget it....
Heart: Forget what??
Brain: You'll not understand....U can't ever understand.You know what your problem is...you take everything upon u...anything that goes wrong...u think its because of u.....
Heart: It is....I did it again....I become someone else....!
Brain: You try too hard...maybe if u just let go of urself u'd be more u!!
Heart: Doesn't work...I am a no gooder...
Brain: U are...thats why u are what u are....U wouldn't be where u are if u were a no gooder...
Heart: Professionally maybe....personally, I am nothing but a dissapointment...
Brain: It'll be ok....You'll get there....keep at it..& quit pretending!
Heart: What do i do?? What do i do?? I wanna run away....
Brain: As if....
Heart: What??
Brain: As if thats a solution....
Heart: No its not!
Brain: There u go..
Heart: Patience...I wish they'd be more patient with me....I am not a bad person....I want them to be happy.....All I do is end up adding to their misery Can't live up to the expectations...
Brain: And Why....ever thought? Maybe u try too hard....maybe u are scared of something...
Heart: Failing!
Brain: You'll ensure it if u continue ur ways...
Heart: What do i do? What do i do??


Today has been a bad day...whatever I've done...said has backfired on me...I wouldn't wanna go in the details but it has all gone horrible wrong. Has been one of the worst days...& thinking that yesterday I was the happiest I've been in a long time....Life does pull u down...REAL HARD when it decides too...and u can't do anything but freefall and hope that when you hit the rock bottom, you don't get hurt. You know you'll have to climb again....and you know you'd fall again...and again and again!

The fall is much worse if u end up feeling that you were at fault.....or maybe if you are made to believe that you were at fault. Its much worse if you've been trying hard....Its much worse if you think you're climbing well...Its much worse if you can't break it...try as u might!

At such times i am reminded of something which my grandma once told me once when I came back almost in tears coz others would tease me that I'm too fat....I'd always try hard to fit it...participate in races, come last (be made fun of) and not tell anyone at home..Ignore all the hurtful (nicknames ranging from "hathi" to "sumo" to"fatso") that you'd get..
She said...

"You are what you are...be proud of it...you don't have to fit in...be what you want to be...let the world follow u..."

I ignored her...and i have been ignoring her...trying to be Tanuj Kapoor who others want to see.....and in amongst all this I think I've lost the real me...I don't recognize him anymore...Was he talkative or was he quiet? Was he fun loving or was he serious? Did he make fun of others or did he join in when somebody was being made fun of? Did he like being laughed at or did he detest it....? Where is me?? Who am I? Who have I become....

All I ever did was....Try and fit in....All I try to do now is...try to fit in....I wanna break free....do what I wanna do...not let them complain...not let them troubled coz of me...cos this is what I am...I wish i had listened to u dadima..I wish I would listen to u now....but I can't promise...I wouldn't dare to do that...for the fear that I wouldn't "fit in"...

This one is for me....I think Ciara was thinking of me when she wrote this.....


Everyone Wants To Be Like The Other
Look Around And You Will Discover
Take A Chance And Try Something Different
Don't Be Scared You Might Make A Difference

Some People Might Call You Crazy
And They May Laugh At You And Says You A Fool
But You Cant Care If They Say Cause
Before You Know It They'll Be Following You

Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da [x3]

Get In Fit In Get Out Get Out [x2]
If U Want Some Come Get Some
You Don't Want None Come Get Some

Say Iche Me Son
Itche Me Son

Get In Fit In Get Out Get Out [x2]

Try So Hard To Copy My Style
Take A Lesson Ill Show You How
But Why Not Try To Do Something Different
Take A Chance You Might Make A Difference

Some People Might Call You Crazy
And They May Laugh At You And Says You A Fool
But You Cant Care If They Say Cause
Before You Know It They'll Be Following You

Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da [x3]

Get In Fit In Get Out Get Out [x2]
If U Want Some Come Get Some
You Don't Want None Come Get Some

Say Itche Me Son
Itche Me Son

Get In Fit In Get Out Get Out [x2]

[Talking:]
Now This Ones For Everybody Thats Right
I Need For You To Try Something Different
Now You Can Move Move How You Want It
And You Can Do Do What You Wanted
Thats Right I Said It

Get In Fit In Get Out Get Out [x2]
If U Want Some Come Get Some
You Don't Want None Come Get Some

Say Itche Me Son
Itche Me Son

Get In Fit In Get Out Get Out [x2]

Some People Might Call You Crazy
And They May Laugh At You And Says You A Fool
But You Cant Care If They Say Cause
Before You Know It They'll Be Following You

Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da [x3]

Thats Right I'm Done

Itche Me Son
Itche Me Son

Do [x14]

Itche Me Son

Do [x14]

Itche Me Son

Pause:

(DON'T HAVE THE SONG ON mp3...i WISH I DID)

I KNOW IT CAN'T BE HEARD...BUT I AM SORRY THAT I DISSAPOINT...BUT I TRY HARD...I WILL CHANGE. BE PATIENT AND TELL ME THAT I AM TRYING TOo HARD AND I DONT NEED TO DO IT...PLEASE BE PATIENT

The Guy in the Glass

I reached Delhi about 2 weeks back….and its been real hectic ever since. Getting up at 7 in the morning… (it’s a pain) but thanks to people around me….i do manage to get up! I usually get ready by 8 and then get online to check my mails and have my breakfast …all at the same time.. The only multi tasking I manage to do….I’ve been told that I ain’t good at that either. Then strts the torture of an hr…driving to office! Its almost 20 kms from my home….music keeps me from getting too irritated…the traffic is horrible…reminds me of Calcutta at times….I never thought I’d admit it…but I do miss Calcutta at times…the ease of reaching office….proximity to office…it was fun…but this sure is better...!

Office is very different….Calcutta mein people either worked while cribbing or did not work at all…yahaan…u can actually see people enjoy their work..and when the environment is such…u feel like wrkin as well…! My boss is a 32 yr old GM…abt 5 grades above me…I just hope I reach the level he has by the time I am 32…:) The others around are fun too…It’s all very vibrant.

How can I forget the food…the food is awesome! Especially after Calcutta ke office ka food…I will remember it with sukto and maach….I had my quota full of them!

I usually strt back at abt 6.30and reach by 7.30….the day is almost over by then…..well…that’s a normal day for me in short….

But here’s what I have been itching to put up on this space for a while….I recently happened to read a poem… It is titled “ The Guy in the Glass” here’s how it goes:

When you get what you want in your struggle for self,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.

Truly speaking, I got this mail in a forward….I usually do not read forwards unless I have a lot of time…I just happened to chance upon this one. Made me think…yes yet again!! What do I see when I see urself in the mirror?? Am I proud of myself…? Am I happy at what I see? Can I look into the eye of the guy standing in front of me and hold my own??

I loved the poem … made a lot of sense to me….reminded me of soo many things that I need to do…I hope I do manage to live up to then…

Turn of events in life……I’m more convinced than ever…..

Now is not for ever!!!

Random musings....more of them!

Its been such a long time that I last wrote in here. I wonder why??….I can come up with reasons for the absence for sure…but the bottom line being, I just didn’t know what to write about. It often happens with me….I take up things with loads of zeal and then somewhere in the middle loose the enthu…I wonder if its normal or if it is me..!

The months seem to be passing by in a flash…seems like yesterday that I was sitting in my convocation at my college. Its been 7 months…7 long months which went by at a bat of an eyelid. It seems my destiny to stick around in Cal for some time to come…

I happened to watch Rocky balboa recently. Its an awesome movie with the usual punchy Rocky dialogues. Rocky is old now and owns a restaurant. He wants to get back into the ring and fight again coz he still thinks that he has some “fire” in his belly! How many of us give up much before the fire burns out? Do we tend to give up much before the breaking point? Isn’t it our responsibility to fight on ??

“…. This world is mean…life is unfair! To get something you gotta stop looking for shade! Go out in the sun…Each time you start to move ahead, you’ll get punched real hard on your face. Its not about how you’ll counter them….its about how after every hard punch, you’ll get up and keep moving. Life is not about fighting back…life is about living…you gotta do what u want to do , else you’ll never get up !”

That’s what Balboa tells his son who was rather edgy after hearing his decision to fight again! Doesn’t it make a lot of sense…I’m not sure if these are the exact lines he said….but the meaning is what is more important.

I tend to remember these small things which people end up saying … I remember long time back during one of the matches, Sidhu ( yes u read it right…..between all the talk he does often end up saying things which actually make a lot of sense) had said something…. “Between yesterday’s chances and tomorrows hope lie today’s opportunities….what are you doing about today?”

Which reminds me…work has been rather hectic of late! I moved into HR a week back and ever since I’ve been busy making something called the Manpower requisition forms and getting them signed off….for the last 6 months! Now ideally these forms should be made as and when there is a need to recruit someone. But obviously they weren’t being made. So now that the departmental audit is around corner, there was fire. I worked to get the things in order in time….working late….8, 8:30, 9…. (Yeah! That is late for me….). Each form required to be signed off by 4 people which included the ever busy departmental heads…here’s where I get proud of myself…Having worked under all of these people for the last 7 months…(and I’ve been through all that there is to understand….thoroughly cross trained :D)… I could use my equation with them to get these signed off in time. ( It is good with everyone…surprise surprise!!) . And here’s what I got for all my efforts…

My first recognition at airtel….even though if it was for something as stoopid as this…it feels great…!!
I have a feeling that companies do not appreciate their employees often enough….a simple thing like this bell can make a person like me feel proud of myself….a pat on the back, a certificate of apprecitation, appreciation in front of peers….I wonder why we are so miserly with them? And its not just corporate life…its even personal life…We are quick to criticise, back bite, bitch about people….how often do we appreciate ppl around us?

Let alone appreciation!!….How often do we go out of the way to get insignificant or maybe very significant people around us to smile…..the peons, the guards, the helpers, the servant… ….I make it a point to say a hi , a thank you , a good morning……trust me seeing their smiles just makes u feel all the more better…! Isn’t it what life is all about….spreading smiles?? If u’ve made him smile on 10 days, the one day that u have to shout at him…he wouldn’t mind…..its elementary human relations…..easier said than done but very doable…and it works…trust me!! Experience speaking…

Since I am done with my work, I am back to doing sweet nothings…..Isn’t it just great?? But hey now is not for ever….is it?? ENJOYJ

p.s.- feels good to be back!

Happy New Year...Here's something that I'm gonna try and live by this new year.....I hope it helps u in your resolutions too!

If you want something you never had, do something you've never done before

Don't go the way life takes you.
Take life the way you want to go .
And remember you are born to live and
not living because you are born.

ENJOY...coz NOW is not forever

Lucky to be me...!

I’m gonna start calling my life a routine from now on. As much as it brings in a sense of “the known”, it takes away the fun element. Why does everything look the same when they say that each day is a new day? Why do I find myself ambling through the day’s work and end up feeling that I’ve done this before? Why is routine so boring? Or is it I who finds the same thing painstakingly monotonous?

I, for one, find it really difficult to stay put in one place….and that’s why all the traveling (U shud’ve realized that by now). In yet another attempt to get out of the routine trap I planned a visit to Patna (well other people had a major had in the planning the trip…but who cares…I went through with it)….By the way….Yeah u read that right…Patna!! I do have a strong Bihari Connection….my dad was born and brought up in Patna and he stayed there until he was 17 before he got into the NDA. My dad’s elder brother, Bade Papa, still lives there. The last time I was in Patna was about 9 yrs ago…I was a gauky 16 year old (seems like ages ago)! The town has a strange sort of an aura to it…..for me it does! It puts my mind to rest. Maybe its the family...maybe its the home...i wouldn't know and I wouldn't think about it.. Should I?

This time was no different. The train chugged in at 7:30 and I couldn’t stop smiling as soon as I stepped down. “Back after ages….. You still are the same!!” The accented hindi, the crazy traffic, the insanely high autos, the potholed roads, the confusing crowd, the nauseating odour…it was still there. Rewind 9 years and the town was still the same.

Chetan Bhaiya was already home when I reached. The smile only got broader from then on. Meeting Ma, badepapa, Chetan Bhaiya ……The cherry on the icing was the food. One thing I miss here in Kolkata is the home food….the aaloo paratha, the bhindis, the rajmas, its not the same……whichever restaurant I go to. You’d think that I’d loose weight…I’m not one to loose any of it especially with the amount I eat out everytime even though I might complain about it. Makes me wonder at times how people manage to say they don’t have an appetite….I guess God created me to balance for them!

We had to go to Amrita bhabhi’s place to pick her and the two kids up. This was the first time that I would be going to her place and she’s been married 9 years….figures! The next two days went off in a flash…and all I can remember of the last 3 days is the people and what they mean to me..…

Chetan Bhaiya…referred by me more often than not as CK…he has been an inspiration to me in more ways than one even though I might never have told this to him. I still remember him telling rather scolding me (after I got a 40 odd in my Maths preboard) that anything less than a 70 % is a failure…. I guess I did my MBA coz I saw him do it and do well after it. I secretly admired him for the decisions he took howsoever unconventional …..his conviction, his belief in doing what he thought was right.

Bade Papa… Having stayed his entire life in Patna, I’m sure he has seen much more than I could ever hope to know. He is the quiet one…much like my dad or maybe me to a large extent. But it’s the small things that he does is what makes him special…. He is undoubtedly the pillar of the family and the strongest one at that.

Maa… need I say more?? The picture which comes to my mind when I think of her is, her standing and showing off that million dollar smile. Almost as though telling us that nothing is worth loosing it. She has been through a lot as well and I admire her courage to fight on and to never give in howsoever difficult the odds may be. A lot of people would have thrown in the towel where she fought on …and won….Courage personified!

Amrita bhabhi….She is the elder sister I always wanted…well not quite if u think literally….but in more ways than one. The more I say about her, the lesser it’d be. She epitomizes the word “mother”. Let Aatmaj and Aadhar (her 2 adorable kids) know that they are the lucky one’s…I’ve seen her through the worst of times with just a teardrop in her eye and a smile on her face. She has seen it all….and more!

The trip this time around was made even more special coz all of them were there. Each time I meet these people I realize how lucky I am. I wish we all stay the way we are….I always end by saying that Now is not forever….I’m tempted to wish that “Let now be forever….”

yup thats patna for u.... View from the top of the Gol Ghar... Well, this is the only view. The background has the Ganges. It used to flow right behing the yellow building. They say its changed course...I wonder why??? And thoughts cross my mind.. a lot of them....what has the city done to deserve this...I guess we all know the answer... here's a wish...Long live the city!!!

Sun, Sand and Vomit

Some trips are not meant to be taken….this was one! But when I look back, I’m glad I did…I know that’s confusing, but hey…I am a confused person!! We decided to go to Digha on Saturday evening. No reservations, no bus tickets….this was gonna be one heck of a trip.

Digha is a rather popular beach destination in West Bengal …about 4 hrs from Kolkata. We decided to take a bus…I was rather reluctant…I hate long journeys in a bus and that too a local over crowded one. Add to it the fact that this was almost a night bus starting from Kolkata at about 6:30 in the evening. The seats in the bus, as expected were cramped….especially for a gigantic person like me! I was with Nitesh and Abdul….and decided to take the aisle seat. We stuffed our bags with Lays, biscuits and pepsies knowing rather well that the place that the buggers are gonna stop at would be rather sad and overpriced to say the least! WE started moving at about 6:45 and almost immediately got stuck in the famous Kolkata Traffic near the station. By the time we were out it was almost 7:45. I was prepared for the worst and the worst was just about ready for me!

The bus was super full with people standing in rows or fours in the centre almost. The guy standing next to me was sleeping … yes sleeping while he was standing and kept falling over on me until I jutted my elbow into his leg. Not even an hour and my behind started to hurt coz the seats were that bad! The guy played Himesh Reshamiya songs on the TV…I don’t know what it is with the kolkatans and Himesh Bhai Reshammiya!! Luckily he decided to switch after about half an hour of torture and put on “Prahaar”…it’s the Nana Patekar- commando movie if u remember!

He stopped midway after which I took the window seat. The biggest mistake…I was merrily enjoying the movie and the cool breeze when suddenly the guy in front of me started to vomit….and my window was open …unfortunately….the rest as they say is history!! I ended up swearing and shouting at the guy and all he did was offer a “sorry” which infuriated me further! A bad start indeed!

We reached Digha at about 1130…rather late by Bengali standards and started our hotel hunt. WE did finally locate one which looked reasonably ok for the amount that it was charging….The first thing I did as soon as I reached was to have a bath…..no hot water..!! It was rather cold that day….the first time I felt cold in and around Kolkata. The bed was rather inviting after the tiring and eventful journey and crashed on it. O yeah….we did switch on the TV at the hotel….Late night TV at its worst! We decide that the sunrise tomorrow would be better than what was on.

I decided to get up early ….Abdul got up with me too. It was still dark. The air was still chilly…we took the road to the beach…it was uncannily empty and we wondered if we were too early! The beach was a rather unpleasant surprise. Hoards of people….and I mean loadssssss of them….looked as though they had spent the night on the beach…A whole lot of them dressed as though it is -25 degrees with their mufflers, monkey caps and everything else brushing their teeth on the beach as though it was a private bathroom and spitting in the sea water. Talking and walking while u r brushing…..bengal never ceases to shock me! I even saw early morning droppings on the beach which gave me a rather icky feeling and we decided to walk to the corner of the beach which would be less crowded even though far.

The sunrise was a spectacular site…U gotta see it to believe it! It gave a sense of peace, calm , tranquility almost as though telling us that this day would be better! We just stood there and watched it come up from the rather dull red small sphere to the bright orange and rather warm one…WE walked back to the hotel room and ordered breakfast. We were rather hungry having not eaten the night before so we ordered parathas. What we got was anything but a paratha…Square shaped pieces made of maida and oil deep fried to the point of them becoming papads served with guess what???? Aaloo…what else!! Rather disappointing!!

We checked out of the hotel and decided that we need to head back when we suddenly remembered about Sankarpur. I’d read somewhere that the beach was rather serene and quiet and u can actually see the fisherman work out there. Not expecting too much we decided to head off to the place. We took yet another bus to a place called 14th mile…It’s a village of sorts….14 miles from Digha. The beach is another 5 kms from the village. Not locating any mode of transport we decided to walk. Suddenly we saw a person an a Thela rikshaw which had a motor attached. He drove to us and offered to drop us to the beach for 50 bucks. WE decided to take the hitch and as we were going, realized that this is a rather common mode of transport here. The roads were empty and almost non existent. It gave us hope…yet again of the place being clean. It looked rather clean. 15 bone shaking but extremely fun filled minutes later we reached the beach. WE had to walk for about had a km through the trees to reach the beach. And it was a wonderful sight….The beach was absolutely clean….pristine. Abdul and Nitesh got excited and decided to jump into the water. I was not up to it for reason best known to me and decided to sit and relax as my mind started to wander over the last few months of my life which’ve been a big learning experience for more reasons than one. I decided to pick up my book and start reading it. I’m reading this autobiography of Lance Armstrong… “It’s not about a Bike” for the second time in as many months. A very inspiring book...very simple and hard hitting!

I could see the fisherman at work….pulling the net, which they put earlier, back. Little by little they pulled it back…looked like a Herculean effort and the catch was rather small. Yet another reminded that good things come only if u work hard and even then there is no certainty.

After having spent about 2 hrs there we decided to have our lunch and head back. WE hiked for almost a km before we found something to eat. We took another motorized thela…this time to a place called Ramnagar from where we were to catch our bus back to Kolkata. It was a state bus and the seats were harder than the ones we came on. However, in a way I was glad I was coming back…4 hrs later the first thing that came outta my mouth was…” I’m glad, we are in Kolkata…!” I never thought I’d say that ever!!

Another reminder….Now is Not Forever!!!!

Let's do the Kansas City Shuffle!!

Very seldom does a movie inspire me to think…this one did.

Sunday mornings are usually lazy. While reading the newspaper on the Saturday before, I’d come across this movie with one heck of a star cast and I just had to see it. Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu….had to be a great movie. We decided to catch the early morning show on Sunday….LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN!

The movie turned out to be rather disappointing…more like a Quintin Tarantino without the suaveness and the punch. Maybe I was just expecting too much….the plot was weak and much too predictable. When the movie scores is the performances in spite of the insipid plot and the dialogues….some of the best one’s in a long time. There was this one dialogue which really got me thinking….but first, here’s what the movie was about ….

A good-looking dude with a broken nose is crashing at his bud’s apartment when a mob boss calls him in for a visit. It’s a case of mistaken identity, you see, and the good-looking dude is now forced to kill someone or else…he’s a dead man himself. And as if all that wasn’t enough, the other mob boss in town also calls him in for a visit and gives him (well, the person they think he is!) 48 hours to pay up on some hefty debts. What ensues is a whole lot of jabbering and killing.

The movie begins with a man in a wheelchair (Bruce Willis) telling an inexplicable story to a stranger in an airport lounge. The story involves the story of a fixed horse race, and there is mention of the Kansas City Shuffle… when the crown looks left u go right and do ur thing….

Josh Hartnett, playing Slevin, arriving at the New York apartment of his friend Nick, and being mistaken for Nick by hired goons working for The Boss (Morgan Freeman). The Boss, played by Freeman with his usual suave charm, tells Slevin (or Nick) he owes a lot of money, but the debt can be forgotten if he will kill the son of The Boss's rival crime kingpin, Shlomo ,The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley). In no time at all, Slevin/Nick is hauled by an alternative set of goons before The Rabbi, who makes him an alternative offer he can't refuse.

I ain’t giving out the end here coz if ur interested go catch it….Here’s the dialogue I was rather impressed by…

Slevin is taken in by Rabbi. This is almost immediately after the Boss takes him in and asks him to kill the Rabbi’s son. (Its not exactly the dialougues…but the meaning is what matters here)

Rabbi: You look worried
Slevin: Should I be worried?
Rabbi: U should. You owe me $33000.
Slevin: I do?! Boy…do I feel unlucky today!
Rabbi: That’s relative….don’t u think? If you don’t pay up in 48 hrs, you might end up thinking you were lucky today! You see, probably yesterday you thought that you were unlucky coz you got mugged, today u might think yesterday was better and today is unlucky for u. Man is never happy…is he?
Slevin: I guess not! So how do u justify urself being a Rabbi and doing what u do?
Rabbi: U see, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I live on both the sides…..So u see, I always have green grass!

I love what the Rabbi has to say… and it made me think. Why do we end up wasting today
thinking that we are not having the best of days…maybe its better than the days to come!! Why not enjoy the green grass that we have? And if u don’t…move to the other side!!

Let’s do the Kansas City Shuffle……… Why be ordinary when u can do more much more?

Thoughts…just thoughts!! Now is not forever!

Devilishly Delightful

They say things happen for a reason….I believed that things happen coz they have to happen…its like ‘things’ have nothing better to do but to happen. …..Not any more!!

6 months seem like a drop in the ocean of a lifetime. Lifetime, which promises laughter & sadness, smiles & tears, joys & sorrows, hope & worthlessness. Emotions which make the lifetime worth living…Little was I to know that the ‘much acclaimed’ cheesy comment was to change my life…for the better.

A friend who listens, a friend who expects nothing, a friend who cares, a friend who bears the worst of my tantrums (and a lot of them at that), a friend who has seen and taken me through the highest of highs and lowest of lows, a friend who taught me the importance of being me and not to care about what others think ….This doesn’t even begin to describe Mann. She claims to be much older than her and somehow has made me believe her. She’s seen a lot more than I have, she is a lot wiser than I am… always has the right thing to say and has this uncanny knack of knowing what I am thinking.

Finally, it was to happen….after almost 6 months of talking to her and almost knowing her like the back of my hand, I was to meet her. “I was nervous” is an understatement. But I shouldn’t let it be known!! Coz, knowing her, I was sure that she would be too. So I pretended that I was the calmest person alive when we spoke on that fateful Friday afternoon. “We’ll meet at Barista…around 2 – 2:30. Don’t reach there until I call u abt me leaving from office.” My precise last words to her. As expected, she reached there at 2 and called me. I was still at office. Some 45 mins away!!! I took a cab and we spoke for almost about 30 mins about random things. I could sense her sense of nervousness as well and I wondered if she would sense mine too.

MD: You aren’t walking in t\with the phone in your hands. That’s would be funny!
Me: y would it be funny? I think that’d be rather appropriate!
MD: NO!
Me: Ok Ok….I’ll tell you when I’m abt 5 mins away from u……hey I can see the flyover. I am 5 mins away!!
MD: OK….
Me: Should I keep the phone down? Do you want 5 mins before the shock?
MD: Yes please….

I hung up and waited for the taxi to reach the new market. Those were one long 5 mins. I was walking towards Barista and suddenly something came over me and I stopped. I looked around, bought a mint and stood there for abt a minute and then walked past the Barista. Realizing suddenly that I’d missed it, I walked back towards the glass door …As I entered, I could see a rather squishy, cute bespectacled girl sitting rather edgily on the chair in her bright blue kurta reading on something. This has to be her!! I walked in and suddenly, the nervousness seemed to disappear in her aura. She still had not notices me or was she pretending not to have. . “Whack!!” I smacked (or so she says) on her head with the papers in my hand and she looked up…Suddenly a cold chill ran down my spine… “What if this isn’t her?” It was too late….!

Thankfully it was her! She smiled and we said our “customary” hi’s! The self proclaimed shy girl turned out to be a rather talkative person and very pleasantly so. We were at barista for almost an hour talking away to glory, still squabbling over petty things like her refusing to show her college I card. A cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin later we decided to get outta there. I suddenly remembered…. “You haven’t ever had a Gulab Jamun…Have u?” We started walking towards KC das when she grabbed hold of my hand for the first time and pulled me towards a shop or rather in front of it and pointed somewhere. I looked in to see 4-5 puppies sleeping at their cutest best. Zapp…she takes out her Motorola V3 and shows me a picture that she had taken earlier….

MD: Aren’t they really cute…?
Me: Yeah…very!! Those are street dogs….right?
MD: No…they are puppies…!!!
Me: Ok…can we go to KC das??
MD: look look…there are more of them….an entire litter…8 of them! I wish I had 8.
Me: You already have 4.
MD: I have 5. Don’t forget Gin! And another 20 at my farm house.
Me: Hmmm…Nice!! KC das?

We walked to KC Das after dodging through the Kolkata traffic. It took us ages to reach there. I made Mann have her first Gulab Jamun….and I’m so proud of myself for it. However, her face told a different story. She gulped it down….with an expression on her face that I’ll never forget. It was a cross between an expression that u make when you are made to eat something that u hate and one when u eat something u love. You had to see it to know it.

The plan next was to spend a lil time together…what better place than the banks of Ganges…Right? So off we went on to millennium park…took a ferry ride to and from howrah. The sun setting provided the most picturesque of all sights! She sat there, sitting on the wooden bench on the ferry dangling her feet in the air as though she was a 5 year old. The thing about Mann is that she never seizes to surprise u. One moment she’d be this really serious 17 yr old who’d seem like a 91 yr old and the other she’d do something which’d remind u of the kid in her which she tries so hard to hide.

All this while we kept talking …not a minute of uncomfortable silence. Never did it seem a first meeting. As the sun set out came the love birds…and plenty of them…hiding behind the trees….thinking they weren’t visible….Me and Mann had a laugh riot pointing at them and laughing at them. We decided to grab a quick bite at Bar-b-que and then head home coz it was getting rather late for her and uncle would’ve been waiting.

Here’s a list of what all I ate when we were together….one coffee, one blue berry muffin, 2 roshogullas, peanuts, Ice cream, soup and Prawns!! 4 hrs….lots of talking, food, fun…awesome time. I dropped her off at her hotel and we decided to meet the next day in the morning at flurry’s.

The second day… I’d heard a lot about breakfast at flury’s which is supposed to be one of the best confectionaries in Cal. I hadn’t ever had anything there except a glass of juice once. I was woken up in the morning by my phone ringing at the usual 8:00 am.
MD: “Get up!!! By when can u reach Flury’s?”
Me:…ehhhh…what time is it??? Umm….I’ll be there by 9:30…or maybe 10. I’ll call u when I get out.
MD: Ok…I’ll be there….Dad’s coming too!
Me: I know….
MD: Wish Dad…eat properly…joke around….dad likes funny people….Don’t be nervous!
Me: (to myself) Why would I be nervous….I’m just meeting a friend’s dad!! Its not like she is my GF…!!! He wouldn’t kill me….would he???!! Why did she have to say that??

I rolled out of the bed by abt 8:30 and got dressed….took the metro (which was supremely crowded) to Park street and walked to flury’s. We had breakfast …rather uneventfully..except me dropping the fork a couple of times . I wasn’t nervous….!!! I know someone who would tend to disagree. I had a cheese omelet and a couple of sausages. It provided for the strength I needed next to help move the luggage to a hotel. The hotel seemed pretty decent for the room. I couldn’t help but get a feeling that it was because of me that they had to stay where they had to….they deserved a better place though!!

I had an appointment with the dentist for Saturday morning. All I could think about sitting in the dentist’s chair is that I should get over with it soon. We were done by about noon. Mann and I decided to catch a movie. We got the tickets for casino Royale and decided to go eat something. Hakka was at the top of my mind for more than one reason. It’s a Chinese restaurant with great food. We had Hot and Sour soup which was the awesomest u’d get anywhere….I had crabmeat for the first time. Great food always makes me happy. More was to come. City center is an awesome place to spend time. We still had some time to kill so we decided to kill some time at Timezone….a videogame parlour. Yes …you read that right….We killed some dinosaurs and drove some cars and killed some more dinosaurs. The movie was ok….the ice cream and the coke kept me going. Saturday evening usually is rather crowded. And we were rather full…So we decided to keep it light . I left Mann with her dad at night. While coming back the only thing I remember thinking about is…. “Great company….I wonder why she wouldn’t accept!??” Had an awesome night’s sleep that day….the best day in Kolkata yet….Little did I know….there was more to come:)!

I for one am really scared of heights and that’s precisely I had to face the next day. We decided to go to an amusement park….the only one in cal….I was apprehensive at first. Little did I know that this was gonna be one of the best days yet….I decided not to have breakfast that day and popped in a coule of avomines fearing that I’ll end up puking on one of the rides. We reached Nicco Park at about 1130 which was rather early even by Calcutta standards. We decided to roam around for a while and then start of with the rides. The virtual simulator, the civilization boat ride, the water shoot, the ropeway….and more. This was the first time that I decided to get on to a roller coaster. To say that I was shit scared would be an understatement. My palms were sweaty and my heart was beating at the rate of knots!! I decided not to back out. As it began to move u grabbed on to the handle with all the force. It started to climb up and all I could think was “I wanna get outta here.” All I could say was…. “Oh ****!!” the next 2 mins of my life are a blur….the ups and the downs and the turns and more ups and more downs… As I got off it…I couldn’t help but feel proud of myself…My heart was willing for more, my mind said no. and the person who’d made me overcome this fear was right next to me…and I was glad she was there. I was glad I did this….

Once the rides were done, we decided to the next obvious thing….eat:D. Shared an egg roll of which I ended up eating the lions share. At the counter, Mann stood with her arms spread straight looking at the person making the juice with droopy eyes as though pleading him just like a 5 yr old would do to hurry up. Lunch done…Mann had this awesome idea that we should go to the science city….now I’d seen science city but I always thought it was a rather kiddish place to go. But we did end up goin there and believe me it was fun. I guess it’s got a lot to do with the company. Mann was almost like a child lost in a huge candy store…moving from one display to the other. I was there right behind her almost feeling like a guardian. Once I got into it, the roles reversed….!!! She became the guardian and I was the child in the candy store. The rather impressive Evolution zone, the rather sad 3D zone, the rather exciting time zone and the rather cozy space theatre, it was all a lot of fun! By the time we were done with all of this it was rather late…late evening and dark. And when the darkness comes, so do the coochie cooing couples. Unfortunately, we found ourselves walking out of an area infested….yes INFESTED by them. 1 couple per tree was the order of the day…and there were plenty of trees!! I always wonder why on earth do they need do what they do in public…?? Makes me icky..!!

We walked out with we making lewd remarks about what we just saw and Mann almost feeling embarrassed to the point of disowning me!! We took a taxi and decided to go get something to eat….The taxi broke down in the middle of nowhere and we had to walk almost half a km before we got another one to take us to where we had to go…the much acclaimed and awaited Honey da Dhaba…. I’d heard so much abt this place from mann that I soo wanted to go there. It was very unlike what I had pictured it to be…it was a proper restaurant with carved furniture, napkins, AC, an LCD TV and more. I was looking for a open air thing with charpais and manjas with onion and green chilly in glasses with trucks standing all around! I was a little disappointed; however, the disappointment vanished as soon as I started eating. Awesome food would be an understatement. I had butter chicken for the first time in Calcutta and enjoyed myself. I have this major weakness for food…. (As if it wasn’t already evident). Mann hardly ate anything in spite of me forcing her….Coming to think of it, of all the times we were together , I remember myself hogging everywhere and her…just pecking at food!! I always wondered, how anyone can manage to do that…my sister does that too! C’mon…its food…its there to be eaten!!! Mann said she was happy seeing me eat …. Ideally it should’ve made me conscious….I didn’t even notice it until she said that. Good foor, great company, great times….what else could I wish for??

Satiated, we took a cab and moved back to where uncle was. My cell played Goo Goo Dolls and Aerosmith while we drove back to Barista…where else? Funny how things come full circle…???!! I met uncle and we ended up having cold coffee ….rather yummy ….I guess it was the company again!!!

I went back thinking….What did I ever do to get such a friend? The answer I gave to myself…Ur just plain n simple lucky!!

The next day was a Monday…office time. Mann and uncle were to shift to Keshtopur. I was glad she was coming nearer. We decided to meet up at about 2 and I told her I would show her my flat. I know it was in a mess. She called at about 1:45 and said that she would be delayed….I fled to my house and cleaned it up a little. Made it just about presentable. At least what little I could do in the little time. Met her at about 2:30 and we walked about 10 mins to my house which I was rather proud of by now after cleaning it. She’d gotten her laptop…She was rather impressed to see my part of the house…I was glad that someone was…I always find it a lil too empty! Mann opened her laptop and all I could do was ogle at the huge collection of awesome songs. To my surprise she’d already burned most of them for me and she gave me 2 rather incredible CD’s which I just can’t stop listening to! We were there for almost an hour after which we decided to go grab something to eat. We went to the food court and had a kiwi shake which tasted rather bad but Mann still insisted on finishing it. And some Malaysian chicken curry. We had to go back to Time zone and kill a few more dinosaurs. This time we had a rather freaky idea…..let’s get a sketch thing done…. And we did…turned out rather well. We sat at CCD together and then she had to leave….We came back home…Mann did what she wanted to do for a long time….met Abdul…I wonder what makes her think that he is my househusband…..we just cook and clean…he ain’t my househusband. I did a rather stoopid thing by asking Abdul to come along for a walk to drop Mann off. She got yet another opportunity to pull my leg…I told Abdul that he should go home and I’ll drop Mann midway…which he did! I dropped Mann in front of her house…which was rather far (which I realized while coming back alone). While going all I was hoping for that it should be far….i didn’t wanna let the moment pass. I don’t remember looking at her eyes while saying a goodbye….nor do I remember her looking at mine….it was a goodbye in the hope of meeting again…yet again and having even more fun!

Mann was flying off next day morning….I reached the airport rather early. Almost about half an hour before her. … I was that eager to see her. It turns out that her flight was cancelled. She was rescheduled on an evening flight. I went back to office with a strange sense of happiness knowing that she’z still around. Even though I wasn’t able to take time off that day, I did manage to get out of office rather early and see her off at the airport for the second time….I had a feeling in my gut that this time, it was for real and I had to tighten up. I have never been good with bye’s ….. I always end up not looking at the person I am saying a bye to and start thinking of something else as soon as I leave. Mann, to her credit was a picture of composure. So was uncle…Neither of them cried, neither of them wanted to see the other person cry….! The inevitable was near. The byes were difficult, she flew kingfisher to delhi and then to pune…and I drove a ambassador taxi home. Things had come a full circle yet again….

Now is not for ever!!!

My Treasure!!

Mom-Dad I Wish they keep smiling like that .....Always!!

Family.... A large part thereof!

To Mumbai and Back!!

Long time no see....I've been procrastinating a lot lately..I've been thinking of writing something on this space for ages....but that’s about where it ends. Thought not transformed into actions....Is that me?? I hope not!!

I was in Mumbai recently and happened to attend a "wedding"...The quotes tell u that it was indeed a wedding with a difference...and i mean that in the best sense of the word!! It was by far the best planned wedding I've ever attended! And this is 25 years of experience speaking in attending drab and boring wedding parties! PK/KK....if you are reading this, take a bow...I know who are the exact people who're gonna be planning things for me!!!

The flight out from Calcutta to Mumbai was at about 0930 in the morning...I, much against my usual routine, had to get up rather early to catch the flight!! Early for me = 07:00 am!! I have grown to like Air Deccan after my initial harrowing experience...It is very cheap (if you book on time) and gives u an option to eat and drink what you want to...unlike other frill-full airlines! The flight took me to Bombay in about 3 hrs. As I landed there, the excitement grew along with a strange sorta apprehension! I called dad who made me speak to the 'father of the bride' who in turn wanted me to reach their residence. My cousin was staying there as well!! The bags took an eternity to come out. I could've gone back to Calcutta and come back in that time! I took the bag and stepped out into the world called Bombay...I'd heard a lot....I was finally there. Thinking of Calcutta gave me a lot of heart....If I can survive here, I can survive anywhere!! I took an auto who weaved through traffic as bad as the traffic in Calcutta and took me to the place. It took me all of 15 mins!

Walking into the house, I wondered if anyone indeed would know who I was...Luckily I met my cousin PK even before entering. He had just come back after yet another shopping trip with his wife to be, KSK and his B-I-L. I was proud of myself for the excellent timing. Now, KK belongs to a gujju family....it was all I'd ever imagined a gujju family to be like....and more....almost seemed a family right out of one of the regular hindi Sitcoms...obviously these were the happy times for our family. Chirpy....extremely chirpy.... concerned.....and extremely friendly!! Not for a moment did I feel outta place even though I didn't understand any gujarati! I guess my interactions with the bengali speaking janta in Calcutta helped me a lot.... The food that afternoon was divine...Maybe because it was my first decent home made meal after a long time. I stopped only coz I had to not because I wanted to!! I don't remember meeting my entire family together in a long long time. This was one such occasion was so glad seeing all of them together...

I had to meet this another friend of mine that evening....it'd been a longgg time since we'd met last...Cafe mocha, the pani puri at juhu, the sea side...it was all awesome!! Had a great evening. The night was meant to be even better....Dinner at my cousin's place...KM. KM is my bua's daughter...hadn't met her in a long long time as well. I was apprehensive yet again...I took an auto rikshaw to her place. Bombay traffic in evenings is horrendous! a distance of 5 kms took me around half an hr! The evening was more of a "family getting together remembering old times" event! Now I like hearing stories about me and my childhood....but not when they get embarrassing. DO all families like doing that? Add to it the fact that I was almost the youngest ...yes, youngest at 25...(my sis wasn't there). We had some awesome chicken and divine icecream! Naturals they tell me was the name of the brand...i loved the roasted almonds!! The stories, the whiskey, the chicken and the ice cream lasted till about 12 in the night when everyone realized that tomorrow was yet another big day!! So we split.....feeling dead tired!

Day 2 began rather early for me...one of my friends was to come down n meet me at the andheri station. I reached there well in time.....in spite of the early morning bombay traffic. The sheer number of people that I saw in Andheri that morning was extremely scary! I don't think I've ever seen so many people...totally unperturbed by each others' presence! It was almost a belittling experience. Mumbaikars for one are great with directions....I asked one person and was there...more often than not!! I had to meet my cousin and Family (CKF) at the airport and travel with him to Lonavala and meet up with everyone else who'd already gone there, the same morning. The drive to lonavala is the most beautiful one...awesome roads, beautiful surroundings, the ghats...its mesmerizing! Thank God for the expressway, we'd have been there in 2 hrs but for the traffic jam! It took us almost 4 hours to reach....the party was on. CKF looked visibly tired! They went straight to the room. And I to the venue. It was awesome to meet people after ages. And I mean after ages...I was surprised that so many people actually knew me even though I didn't remember too much about them. Almost a bit of a shocker!

The night was supposed to be an ice breaker night for the 2 families with the idea being that everyone should know everyone else...and it went off well. KSK and family showed how good a dancers they were by performing awesomely well choreographed sequences and we on the other side showed that dancing need not be choreographed as long as u enjoy the music and let go of urself!! (Psst: We were pathetic though...I have a video;)!)

Day 3 started off with me getting up early to see the sunrise....It was beautiful even though I was rather late. Standing in the balcony and looking at the sun coming up behind the hill infront, I couldn't help but feel lucky to be there...The place we stayed at, Fariyas, is a resort- a weekend getaway for a lot of mumbaikars. they have an awesome pool and even though I'd forgotten to carry my swimming trunks I managed to convert one of my shorts into swim wear and enjoyed the pool for almost an hr before the sumptuous breakfast. I had made quite a good appetite for it till then. I hogged on the salamis, the sausages, the eggs, the fruits and the juices. I probably looked like a person straight outta a food starved place.

The wedding was at 11. It was an Arya Samaj Wedding with most of the rituals in Hindi. It was a small affair- ended in about 1 hr. It was the best ceremony I’d ever attended. Short, simple and understandable. I slept the rest of the afternoon and the evening was just a formal dinner. By the end of the day I was soo sleepy that keeping my eyes open was proving to be difficult.

Sunday was when we came back to Mumbai. Mom came back early and caught a flight back to Delhi whereas me and dad came back later. We were with KM and family and had lunch with them at Ruchita’s wonderfully cozy one bedroom appt. Home food after such a long time tasted divine and I had to force myself not to hog ...yet again!!! I dropped dad at the railway station and took my flight back home the same night.

The 3 days did a lot of good to me. I was a little bogged down with work or maybe the lack of it …. This acted as such a welcome break! I was looking forward to meeting people..a lot of people after a longgg time….and I wasn’t disappointed. I met long lost family members, had great grub to eat and all this at a wonderful place. I was left craving for more by the time it ended. As they say….all good things have to come to an end for them to become memories….this sure would rank tight up there!!

Looking forward to “more” memories…….Nowz not forever……is it?

Problem....NO Problem!!

The past few days have been crazily hectic. I go to work at 9 and come back at 9 ( ok i'm exagerrating...i come back by 7.30-8) and still end each day with a feeling of being wasted; as though i've done nothing...achieved zero! I wonder why is that happening to me??

Was in Delhi this past week....quite an enjoyable 7 days. Home food was the best part of it all. Met a few friends of mine from back home and also some MBA days classmates. Everyone has a story to tell about their work and I have nothing....am I doing nothing for real or am I not a good story teller??

The little work that i did these past 4 months....not a whole lot of people seem to be interested in wht I did. Is it me at fault for not being able to sit up and take notice or is it them who're at fault??

Questions questions......I shouldn've been in a pensive mood, especially in the situation i am in. I am not....I am happy. I really don't care as to what future holds for me...I wanna live for the now.I wanna enjoy the friends around, the late night talks on my free cell phone, the loud poojo happening right next to my house, the whiff of fresh air, the food I eat, my sleep...I wanna enjoy it all!

Enjoyment....this reminds me of Indian cricket team loosing the match to australia recently shattering all my plans for november TV viewing. I decided to pull off TV for a while and start reading. I managed to convince myself to purchase a book on my fifth visit to a book-shop. This was in October when i was in delhi.....I still haven't picked it up and started reading it. Books have a strange effect on me.....They make my eyes close for some reason.

And then I received another mail today... which i absolutely adored...It puts a lot of things which I often end up thinking about into perspective.....here is it.its dilbert whackiness at its best!!

Some of the one-liners from Dilbert...

1. I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow is not looking good either.

2. I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.

3. Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it.

4. Accept that some days you are the pigeon and some days the statue.

5. Needing someone is like needing a parachute. If he isn't there the first time, chances are you won't be needing him again.

6. I DON'T HAVE AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM, YOU HAVE A PERCEPTION PROBLEM.

7. Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky, and I thoughtto myself, "where the heck is the ceiling?"

8. My reality cheque bounced.

9. On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.

10. I don't suffer from stress. I am a carrier.

11. You are slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter. (awesome abuse)

12. Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

13. Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.

14. Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

15. A pat on the back is only a few inches from a kick in the butt.

16. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

17. After any salary raise, you will have less money at the end of the month than you did before. 18. The more crap you put up with, the more crap you are going to get.

19. You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard.

20. Eat one live toad the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.

21. If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing would get done.

22. When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried.

23. Following the rules will not get the job done.

24. When confronted by a difficult problem, you can solve it more easily by reducing it to the question, "How would the Lone Ranger handle this?"

25. Only the mediocre are at their best all the time.

26. There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.

27. Bring ideas in and entertain them royally, for one of them may be the king.

28. If at first you don't succeed......skydiving isn't for you.

29. Life is a waste of time; time is a waste of life, so get wasted all of the time and have the time of your life.

30. When everything is coming your way......you're in the wrong lane

Doesn't it all start to make sense....suddenly:). Now is not for ever..ENJOY!!!

Of Kolks..

Ancient building, yellow cabs, busses that look like boats from inside, laid back individuals, murderous mobs, horrendous traffic, cheap food in variety, shoppers paradise....that Kolkata for you. You ain't seen it till u've SEEN it!

When I came to kolkata, I was told I would hate it and sure enough I did hate it. But Kolkata for what it is, grows on u. You suddenly realise that its not that bad....is it?? I would have loved this place was i not alone out here. There's something ...something that u just can't pin point. I'd like to call it the soul of the city.

The City : You want your cities clean and green; stick to Delhi. You want your cities, rich and impersonal; go to Bombay. You want them high-tech and full of draught beer; Bangalore's your place. But if you want a city with a soul: come to Kolkata.

The Kolkatan: Kolkata bong's are a more informed lot than anyone. The bus stops have notice boards where newspapers are put up everyday and people actually read them and not steal them. A kolkata bong is proud of his culture, which a lot of communities are not.Each morning, he will read at least two newspapers and develop sharply etched views on the state of the world. Each evening, there will be fresh (ideally, fresh-water or river) fish on his table. His children will be encouraged to learn to dance or sing. His family will appreciate the power of poetry. And for him, religion and culture will be in inextricably bound together.

The Traffic: The one scary thing about kolkata is the traffic.....heres a picture....

And this is usual here. So whenever u get out of ur house u gotta be patient and have time on hand.The taxis are jittery as though they were built without the shock absorbers so be sure that u haven't had a heavy meal when u sit in it lest u want it all to come out. The autos are a league apart. Blaring music!!! Yess....they'll have the best of the music systems in the autos and put it on full blast. Nights make the autos prettier or shud i say weirder. Small blinking lights...red, blue, green, yellow reminding u of Christmas or Diwali. It goes from one side to the other squeezing in between vehicles until there is absolutely no space to pass.The traffic jams last for hours.....they will move but at a snails pace.

The language: The city will make u familiar with bengali to the extent of u starting to atleast understand it....or atleast as my boss says....pretent to understand it. I do not understand anything...yet I speak with the guard at my office as though I am understanding all of wht he blurts out in bengali. and he does it day in and day out without realising it. You will not understand a kolkatans english either...you gotta pay real close attention.

Here's a comical mail that i received which explains a lot.I just had to put it here. (The following content has explicit language and requires parental guidance...)

"The Bonglomeration has risen in the past to fend of attacks from such savage races as the British and the Punjabis, who made the mistake of underestimating the capacity for violence in the Bengali, thanks probably to impressions formed based on Bengalis they personally knew. The following are transcripts of historic conversations.

Conversation 1: circa 1858
Lord Canning: Well, your Majesty, we now have to worry about ruling that bloody country.

Queen Victoria: Indeed, Lord Canning. I have no idea how we are to go about it. First of all, where in bblazes are we going to have a new capital?

LC: Don't worry m'lady. I have the perfect spot. Remember that town Cahl-cah-taa. The one that old Charnock stumbled on. I think it will be just marvellous.

QV: Why that place in particular.

LC: A little bit of research on my part, ma'am. The people who live in that god-forsaken place - Bungawlees I think they're called - are a bunch of spineless wimps. Wouldn't say boo to a goose. They'll give us no trouble at all, so its the safest spot on earth.

QV: How can you be so certain?

LC: I know a few of these Bungawlees myself. There's this chap Bonnerjee who takes shorthand at one of our offices - most subservient goose I ever met. Then there's Bose who practices law. Always gets shouted down by the judge and never says a word. Then there's...

QV: You've made your point, Lord Canning. Cahlcahtaa will be the new capital. I can see us ruling the bloody place for another millenium now.

Conversation 2: circa 1974
Gen. Yahya Khan: OYE! These bloody Bangalees have won! Oh meri maa ki ******. Abhi us Mujib ke bachhe ko dikhata hoon, behen****.

(Mujib answers phone)

Mujib: Hallo. Who eej thees?

YK: Oye, who eej thees ke aulad! Saale, mein tera baap bol raha hoon, madar****. You bloody phool. Just bikaz you er winning leckshun, you think we will allow you bh***********s into Slambad. Teri to...

M: Mishtar General Shaar. Pleej do not shwear like that. I am a bhadralok and I am bhery upshet at hearing shuch languages.

YK: Abbey ****. Abhi tujhe dikhata hoon. You bloody Bangalees will never be aybull to faarm a gvernmant.

M: Thish ij outrageoush. Bhe bhill oppoj thish infrigement on our bashic democratic rightsh. Bhee bhill phight on the shtreetsh. Cholbe naa, cholbe naa... (cut off)

YK: Dekh loonga, madar****.

Aide: Sir, agar woh bagawat shuru karein to mushkil ho sakta hai.

YK: Oh behen****. Woh kya kar lenge? Bahut behen**** Bangalee dekhein hai maine. Tu meri gaari nikal, Shahi Mohalla jaana hai.

"The rest, as they say, is history."

And in case I have given you the impression by the above extract, that Bengali men are as gentle as the Punjabis, you are right.......They are actually a race of well-bred intellectuals interested in art, culture and the finer things of life as mentioned previously. Gentlemen who watch and enjoy football, cricket and... What's that you say? Dravid is a better captain!?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN??? DAD WAS WAYY BETTER....REMOVE CHAAPAIL!! BOKA*****, KH***** CH****, LA****** B***! MAAR SHALA KE! KAALO HAATH BHENGE DAO,etc etc....

P.s. I'm goin homeeee on the 19th....The abode of Punjabi brashness... here I come!!

Cartoon Cartooons

Cartoons...I just love them. They help you forget everything, often passing on the subtlest of messages in the funniest of ways! Here are a list of cartoon strips that I admire in order of preference!!

1) Garfield- (Jim Davis) - the cool cat....lazy, hungry, cunning and lovable. Reminds me of me!!

2) Calvin and Hobbes -(Bill Watterson)- Explains life in the simplest of ways and makes u realise that life ain't as tough as u make it out to be.

3) Dilbert- (Scott Adams)- Makes complete sense of corporate life.Infact makes a mockery of it. A recent favourite!

Here's to the excellence of the 3 maestro's- Jim, Bill and Scott! Let the smiles flow forever.....

Its a Dog's Life!!!

The other day, I was just talking to a friend and we got talking about dogs....yes dogs of all the things....just goes to show how much(read:little) work I do out here. Anyway, the person was a big dog lover and mentioned a few things which stuck! A dog's life they say...I guess we stand to learn a lot from it.... This one is for Dinky(she was my dog for the uninitiated)!! Might I say, 'Jump around' in peace!

IF A DOG WERE YOUR TEACHER You would learn stuff like.....

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.(when was the last time you did that?)
• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a ride. (Get out!!)
• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. ( Ok I admit...I do that)
• When it's in your best interest -- practice obedience.(When it is in your best interest)
• Let others know when they've invaded your territory. (Do not take shit from anyone)
• Take naps and stretch before rising. (Naps are good)
• Run, romp, and play daily. (U'll end up happier...trust me)
• Thrive on attention and let people touch you. (U would stop getting it if u don't bask in the glory of it)
• Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do. ( Bite when u have to... & Bite Hard!!)
• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. (Take time out)
• On hot days, drink lots of water and never get out of an AC room. (I already do that too)
• When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. ( Let everyone know that ur happy and the happiness doubles)
• No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout... run right back and make friends. (Friends & Family are all u have)
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. (Don't forget to smell for new things when on the long journey...try them if u have to)
• Be loyal to your loved ones. (No matter what...)
• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. (Heck.... Dig even if you don't know what lies beneath!)
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
• Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough. (This is my favourite)

Ooh Baby....Its heaven on earth!!!

Statutory Warning:
1) This is gonna be long so brace yourself……:).
2) I haven’t read it over…so E&OE. Please to Bear…

I had been dreading the Pooja vacations we were to get. I’d heard people say that that’s one time when no one….NOONE in Calcutta stays at home. Now, anyone who has been to Calcutta would know that this is a crowded place… (And that’s an understatement). The prospect of facing scores of people isn’t exactly my concept of a holiday. So we thought of getting out of here……and get out we did. They say when you do something do it big. We planned a 3 day trip to Sikkim. The idea being to run away from the maddening rush. Here’s a small travelogue….

September 28th, 2006- We had booked ourselves on a Volvo bus which was to leave Calcutta at abt 6 pm and take us to Siliguri (I love the name of this place for some reason….Silly Guri). They said that normally it took about 12 hrs and a Volvo would get us there in about 10. So we decided to shell out those extra 500 bucks. I packed my stuff in my favorite blue adidas bag. (Its been places with me…). First look at the bus and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow….It was a huge bus with rather uncomfortable seats and to top it all, it was pink in color....rather jazzy. 28th is the pre pooja day in Calcutta. We hoped that we’ll beat the traffic. It wasn’t to happen. We got stuck in the Cal traffic….2 hrs!I used the opportunity to make a few calls…I called my mom, dad, Mann(shez a very good friend...hails from siliguri) and a couple of other friends trying to make them jealous! It gave me a sadistic pleasure: D.

The lesser I talk abt the journey, the better it is…..It was horrendously uncomfortable…..!!! And to top it all the bus wala put on Himesh Reshamiya’s numbers…..yes an entire cassette……..TWICE! The bus stopped at abt 11 for dinner. Bhaat with dal and aaloo dom is the only thing they were serving…..I decided to skip and instead munched on a big bag of Lays which I bought for myself……I forced myself to doze off at about 12……

September 29th, 2006- Its 5 am and the bus stops again for morning tea. I wash my face at a hand pump and ask someone how long it’d take…. "5hrs at least!” came the answer. I walked up to the shop and bought a Tropicana litchi swirl for myself….I do not drink tea! The bus moved again and I dozed off. An hour later I thought I heard someone cry in pain…..I got up only to realize Mr. Reshamiya at his nasal best yet again……6 in the morning…!! I looked out and it was sunny…..I smiled to myself and started enjoying the songs for the first time. I was on a vacation!!

About 3 hrs later I could see tea gardens…small green bushes spreading the expanse. I thought it was a pretty sight…..there was more to come….a few minutes later I could also see hills on the background. I had to talk to someone…I called up Mann and spoke to her for a while till I could see a snow capped mountain….People said it was the Kanchanjunga….I asked Mann if it was….she should know…she is from here…and I got the weirdest response….” Oh yeah…..if it is white….so white that it hurts your eyes….You should carry sunglasses!!”

We reached Siliguri at about 11 am….after the 16 hr journey through the single laned potholed road or rather the “roady potholes”! The minute we got off a bus we were mobbed by touts….”Sir Gangtok…sir Gangtok??”, “Bolo Darjeeling, bolo Darjeeling”, “ Pelling Pelling……??”. I almost felt like a foreign tourist…. We decided to ignore everyone and passed through the sea of touts into a small dhaba and eat something. We ordered for aaloo paratha and what we got was a poori stuffed with something which was supposedly aaloo….15 bucks for each poori. I ate two and told myself that I was full! Then started the epic battle to get to Gangtok.

We jumped back into the sea of touts and struck a deal with one of the agents….A hotel in Gangtok @ 600 bucks a night + food for all three of us plus a drop to Gangtok at a hundred bucks. And this was after 1 hr of bargaining…..and I’m not kidding when I say 1 hour. We felt a sense of accomplishment.

It was a Sumo which had to take us all the way up to Gangtok…..120 odd kms and 5 hrs. I popped in an avomine and I was all set. Siliguri was hot…but then I am used to hot. Abdul, being from Bangalore was loosing it and fought with the Sumo driver for not moving. We started at about 1:30 pm. As we moved through the plains towards the hills, I caught myself smiling a lot of times. My first “unplanned” trip….I could sense that it was going to be a whole lot of fun….There had been a few landslides and the roads were bad…..It took us almost 6 hrs….the thing that first struck me as soon as we entered sikkim was a board which read… “Forget your worries, you’re in Sikkim!” I could see the teesta flow along all the way and it was really flowing…. Flowing water, Green mountains, Fresh air, Small towns….stuff that dreams are often made of!!

Another bone jerking, bum hurting journey came to an end at abt 6 in the evening and I could hear my bones crack as I got out of the sumo. It was dark already…..we walked up the main road and enquired about trips to Yumthang. We had already lost a day. The hotel, which was supposed to be 5 minutes from to city turned out to be 20 minutes but it was a neat hotel. We were so dead tired by then that we just dumped our bags in the room, had a bath and hit the sacks at 9…..next day was a big one.

Sikkimese are a happy bunch of people. I haven’t seen so many smiles at a time…ever.

September 30th 2006- I had a rather early morning….I woke up early and looked out of the window…..I was awestruck and felt insignificant looking at the mountains. We got dressed and went out for an early morning walk and went camera crazy. Little were we to know that the beauty which we saw then was not even a fourth of what lay ahead for us.

We left for Yumthang at about 11. It’s a 130 km…7 hr journey to the “Mini Switzerland of India”… (YES…that’s how the travel agent sold it to us…). We had a 10 seater waiting for us …..We got the back seats again. The drive is awesome…mountain after mountain….each one looking similar to the last one….the roads almost non existent…..but we dint seem to mind. The path weaves around the mountains in an almost serpentine manner…..the mountains are rich green with hardly a brown patch visible….Water drops down from the tops of these mountains from places which you’ll never get to see and leaves you wondering where it comes from…And u cross many such waterfalls…..each flowing down into the stream way down below which joins the mighty Teesta river. Every now and then one of these waterfalls gets furious and overflows onto the road making it difficult to cross. But the machine proves stronger and we splash across it. It’s almost as though the nature is daring man…. “This is it……one more step and you’ll see the fury…!” I’m glad I did not…Sikkim is almost like a forbidden land and I hope it remains that way.

We stopped en route on seven sister falls which is by far the biggest waterfalls I’ve seen off a mountain top. It was awe inspiring. Lunch was at a small place called Phodong. Guess what…? Bhaat and daal…By now I was sick of eating bhaat and I promised myself never to eat rice again for the entire length of the trip. By the time we reached Lachung,( that’s where we had to stay for the night) it was night……and the drive on those roads and at those heights was scary. It was cold and I felt it for the first time…..The houses and lodges around were rather snug…made of wood. The silence was bliss. You could hear the stream flowing right behind the room. The bathroom window opened to a view which no bathroom had ever seen….U could sit on the shit pot and actually enjoy the view to the extent of not wanting to get up….( I was on the 3rd and the top most floor). Dinner was a nice homely meal….aaloo and egg curry with Roti….bliss!! I don’t think I’ve had a sounder sleep than the one I had that night……

Sikkim as a state is divided into 4 parts…..North Sikkim is renowned for its untouched natural beauty. East Sikkim is the more touristy part and this is where we have the Nathula pass opening into China…South Sikkim is heavily under the Buddhist influence and has all the monasteries. West is the place to go if u are an adventure seeker. They’ve got trekking and river rafting…..people often trek upto the base camp of the Kanchunjunga.

October 1st, 2006- Another early morning. We were ready for a long day yet again. The Jeep drove us all the way up a mountain and then down to Yumthang which is a valley….often called the valley of flowers. We dint get to see any but April is when you get lots of them. The distance is about 24 kms and takes all of an hour and a half. The pictures say it all……Surrounded by mountains which are in turn enveloped by clouds….the green grass…the yaks feeding on them..the stream flowing right through the middle of the valley…..You can even see a snow capped mountain as u look into distance…..All this…12000 feet closer to heaven …..Dream!

We were told that the zero point (that’s where the vegetation ends….thats where the roads end as well…..)is about another 35 kms and a 2 hr drive…..straight up. As we drove up we could see the vegetation around change….from huge pine trees to green bushes which changed to red and then brown growing shorter and shorter in height and finally nothing but rocks....The view up there was breath taking….it looked a replica of the Yumthang Valley sans the greenery. It was as though it was the replica of it but someone had forgotten to put in the colors….only brown…and white as well….White for the snow.

Wwe were at 20000 feet above the sea and it was COLD. The breeze hit against our faces and it actually hurt….but we had snow around….the breeze was the least of our worries. We started making snowballs and started a fight…..we’d thrown about 5 alls and we started to pant……Nature taking over….the lack of oxygen!! “Enjoy the beauty I have …..Don’t fight!” It was time to go……we had a long journey back to Gangtok and it was getting cloudy….We started to barrel down the steep roads as it started to drizzle….shower….rain….pour…..It just kept getting harder and harder. Just when we thought that it couldn’t get any worse, it did! We had a flat tire….We parked the car at a corner and waited for it to stop raining…and waited…the memories of the journey back are rather hazy except the fact that we stopped for lunch at a place called Chungthang. This place had the awesomest movie hall ever…( I’m sure u’d have loved to watch a movie here…..@Gunjan). I slept through the rest of the way… We reached Gangtok at abt 8 and it was still drizzling. The next day we were supposed to come back…..Dead tired by now we decided we needed one more day of Sikkim…so we added October 2nd to the length of our vacation and I am glad we did.

October 2nd, 2006- We decided that since we’d come all this way, we couldn’t go back without going to the much hyped Nathula Pass. We found out that the same is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays…..2nd happened to be a Monday. Even on a regular day you need a personal as well as a vehicular permit to go there…..and only about 30vehicles are allowed each day. We decided to go around for some local sight seeing around Gangtok We booked a cab. The driver was a sikkimese name MikMah… (a as in “at”). He was with us for an entire day. He urged us to go to a place called Changu Lake… (Also spelt Tsomgo Lake). It was a lake up above in the mountains which got its waters from the melting snow….It is the most picturesque lake you’ll ever come across….While we were there we saw the clouds come in over the lake and engulf it. It was the most amazing sight ever. One minute you are looking at this beautiful lake….within a minute it was engulfed by a large white cloud. You could be forgiven to mistake it for smoke…..It was as though nature was reminding you again that it has the power of protecting its beauty from you. It was the most belittling moment in more ways than one.

We moved from there towards a place called “Baba mandir”. A legend goes which says that there was a sikh soldier who slipped and fell into a stream while on a patrol. His body wasn’t recovered. One night, one of his mates had a dream and saw this guy who told him to make a “Samadhi” at a particular place. So this mandir for him at his request. Every night, it is believed, that his soul comes alive and guards the area surrounding the mandir. The legend itself is enough to amaze you…Add to it the beauty of the place and the surroundings that it’s built in. Words or pictures can’t describe it.

We saw some yak wala’s around and Abdul and Nitesh tried sitting on them. They looked funny….!

We drove back all the way to Gangtok. It took us about another 2 hrs. It was lunch time till then. We had momos (10 bucks for a plate….can u beat that???) for lunch and moved on to Rumtek monastery. I had been specifically told that the monastery is exceptionaly beautiful by Mann….And I wasn’t disappointed. It is one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been to.

I walked around the entire monastry…got a picture clicked with two monks…even got to see a small prayer happening. It was just two monks sitting and praying. I saw the young monks sitting and reciting their lessons. Just an amazing feeling walking around there!!! I sat there for a good 1 hour looking at people move about. Gave me a strange sense of inner peace and calm.

We came back to gangtok by 7. Decided to have an early dinner….we went into this hotel called the Tashi Delek. It had the most awesome of roof tops restaurant that I’ve ever seen….Just imagine….Night sky littered with millions of stars…a half moon….dark shadowy huge mountains in front tittered with yellow lights in front. As you look to the right…all you see is specks of lights as though fireflies…..it was infact the lights of Gangtok.. The realization dawned then….the trip's coming to an end….An awesome 72 hrs….!!

October 3rd, 2006- We decided to get up late….it was raining again. We took a 12 o’ clock cab back down to siliguri. The driver was a maniac. He drove at speeds of 60 on the mountain curves….While coming it’d taken us abt 5 hrs ….we reached the siliguri bus stand in 3and half hrs flat. The bus was at 7…..we had time on our hands…we had a little something to eat at one of the dhabas. We had 3 hrs and nothing to do……I remembered Mann telling me that in Siliguri we have to visit the Hong Kong Market….We asked someone and we reached the place…and all I could see was shops which were selling cloth. I was wondering why would she send me to a cloth market…..I called her up and demanded that she tells me a better place. She sounded taken aback and directed me to A place called Millennium Paradise. It was supposedly a bowling alley. We asked around and were promptly directed and ended up in front of a shop called millennium sports. The three of us with our back packs on our shoulders looking at each other as though we’re fools. Called Mann up for directions again and finally reached a place with a huge board….”MILLENIUM PARADISE”….we walked closer and saw a smaller one… “to let for sale”. Limits…..the auto wala took pity on us and dropped us to the ISKON temple where we managed to somehow spend 2 hrs. We happened to go in for a light and sound show which started with a girl dancing to the tune of a bhajan sang in the tune which reminded you of “ Kajraare”!! But it was fun…time pass…..

The 7 o’ clock bus waited for us and as we sat in it….we knew it was all over. We hardly spoke for about half an hour. Passed on our camera and gazed at the pictures. I suddenly commented…..” The pictures aren’t half as pretty as the place…!” Abdul and Nitesh just smiled in agreement.