The age of Policies

It was not so long ago that I used the shift+del keys to the messages that were sent by the HR department.(largely because it talked about some idiotic surveys that we were required to take which would help them connect between different data centers across all Infy centers). Those were the days…..
It’s nothing like it now. Here I am installing a new component on the new server, and a message blinks on my outlook…
Oops…my heart misses a beat… are they talking about a new set of people who would be layed off? Fortunately its not that bad a news but then it is certainly a slow poison.
Hello Infocion, we have a new policy for you.
I have to complement the person who drafts those mails because the dreadful news is so beautifully packaged.
It says,
We need to curb the expenses and you would be required to raise a request with the facility department for any stationary you require.
This is just a way to tell us that dare you pick those extra pens and notebooks from the stationary desk next time, you are thrown out.
The travel desk is keeping a check on the cost cutting to such an extent that, it seems at times that these guys are given a share of the money they reject to the employee who has spent an amount for official purpose.
The A/C’s rarely work these days in the food court, reasons given: We seek to instill discipline in your eating habits and want you to eat within specified time. Can somebody please explain how could a bunch of 7000 employees have their lunch within 2 hrs? But nobody raises his/her voice because this is the “age of policies”…. You raise your voice much and you can be “counseled” out.
That’s the new word in the market: Counseling out.
The business is on a slowdown and consequently we have been informed we should adhere to all the policies, otherwise we might be counseled out.
A sweet way to say, boy, you get your acts together. Work long hours, take minimum print outs, pay extra for the conveyance, be ready to live without any incentives (even if you are an extra ordinary performer) because if you don’t, you would be chucked out. Thrown out to “nowhere” (All companies have stopped recruitment)
They say “beggars are not choosers”. The idiom goes perfectly for us.
Choose it, even if you don’t like it. I believe in adherence, than being counseled out.
After all this is the Age of Policies. Isn’t it?

That I have much ado to know myself.

It’s already 12:40, but I am far away from feeling sleepy.
Something has been bothering me. That’s what my friends have been telling me since last couple of days.
I have not been myself, they say. I have not been the cheerful Rachit that they have always encountered, a typical free entertainment channel.
Am I behaving strangely? Is this the reason why I am still awake, trying to figure out what has gone wrong with me?
This situation takes me back to my English class in 1999.
Act 1, Scene 1

In sooth, I know not why I am so sad:
It wearies me; you say it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn;
And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself.

These words were said by Antonio to his friends Salanio and Salarino, in William Shakespeare’s play Merchant Of Venice. Antonio is sad about something but he does not what makes him sad? He asks his friends…..

Its strange that I still remember those lines even after a decade has sailed past, and its more ironical that I don’t remember what his friends had suggested him.

I am waiting for my Salanio/Salarino to let me know how to come out of this strange situation.

Love by Chance...:-)

My friend had come back from bangalore and with her came the I-Pod. I was missing it so much. After all I had created a playlist in it. I wanted to listen to all those all those songs badly. Those songs who had accompanied me on my numerous visits to the client location (It took me an hour and a half each day to reach office).
I was all ready to play my playlist, but then my friend wanted me to listen to some new song from Sikander. I was not at all interested. This is how I am? It takes a herculean effort for somebody to make me come out of my zone(I have a selection of approx 100 songs and I can listen to them all my life.) S told me that this was a beautiful song, and later became adamant that I “have” to listen to this song.
The first thing before I played this song was to check what’s the duration of the song? 4 mins 57 secs. Gosh I need to leap over these 5 mins to listen to my playlist. There were those obdurate S’s eyes, and finally I had to give up and I plugged in the earphone into my unwelcoming ears.

The song started…....

Hmm this is a husky voice. Is it Mohit Chauhan (Khoon chala(RDB),Tum Se Hi(jab we met),Masakkali(Delhi-6)fame. Yes it is, S confirmed. I really like this guy, the song continued.
Beautiful music, great beats, the guitarist is just too good. I was half way through and I started liking the song. Everything about this song was just so soothing.
I dint know how did that 4 min 57 secs of my life passed. I knew only one thing. I was in love!!! In love with this song.
Gulon mein….

I have listened to this song about 30-35 times now, without any break and I am not done yet. Beautiful composition, amazing lyrics, and Mohit Chauhan’s voice is just so mellifluous.

I can keep writing here but might still not be able to bring justice to this song.

As I write here it still plays in the I pod J and thanks S you made me fall in love with this song.
I am putting down the lyrics here, but you would bring justice to the song only when you listen to it.

The second stanza is so evocative of our parents and our childhood days (find second stanza in bold italics)

Gulon mein rang bhare
Baad-e-naubahaar chale
Chale bhi aao.. ke gulshan ka.. karobar chale (2)

Khwabon ka din hai.. dekho hawayein
Suna rahi hai khushiyon ki dastaan
Main choom loonga.. baahein uthaakar
Khwahishon ka neela neela aasmaan
Jaane kahaan yeh.. baadal chale hai
Kiss aur boondon.. ki mehfilein hai
Bheegi hai rooh meri.. kaisa yeh khumaar chale Chale bhi aao.. ke gulshan ka.. karobar chale
Gulon mein rang bhare Baad-e-naubahaar chale Chale bhi aao.. ke gulshan ka.. karobar chale



Humne suna hai.. chhote se haathon mein
Chaahe to samaaye.. saara jahaan
Hatheliyon mein.. thaame hai
Hamaare.. buzurgon ki nayi dua
Hum hai sikandar.. hum shehzaade
Chhote kadam hai.. bade hai iraade
Buri nazar se kaho.. hum nazar uthaar chale Chale bhi aao.. ke gulshan ka.. karobar chale Gulon mein rang bhare Baad-e-naubahaar chale Chale bhi aao.. ke gulshan ka.. karobar chale
Movie Name:Sikandar
Music Director:Justin-Uday
Singer :Mohit Chauhan
Lyrics :Neelesh Misra
Actors:Ayesha Kapur, Madhavan, Parzun Dastur, Sanjay Suri Director:Piyush Jha Producer:Sudhir Mishra
Year:2009

I have been tagged...!!!

Today I have been tagged for this post by my friend.
When I first read this post, I thought it is very easy to write about it but the reality was different as it was a cumbersome task to finish it off.
But I sailed through it and here is the result.

Read on:

I am: A dreamer!!!
I think: I will surely achieve all my dreams.
I know: It wont be easy to achieve all what I want, so
I want: to give my best, to make it possible
I have: A few plans stocked which would help me do that.
I wish : I was a cricketer.(A professional one)
I hate: It when India loses a match.
I miss: her whenever she is not around ;-)
I fear: sharp objects.
I feel: the godlike purity in children.
I hear: what I don’t want to listen toJ
I smell: I have the knack of smelling it, if there is something fishy.
I crave: for being pampered.
I search: (am looking) for the person in Nestle who made Maggi. What would I have done if you didn’t discover this amazing stuff? J
I wonder : how great people achieved what they finally did? What inspired them? What motivated them in going full throttle to achieve what they wanted to? Its so magnificent to learn about their lives. Need to imbibe a little in myself.
I regret: nothing! Life is a learning curve, with ups n downs. If there were No lows, I would have never appreciated the Highs.
I love: Cricket, Music, Writing, Cooking( Not the right space to go into people J)
I ache: to witness a battered child.
I am not: into adventurous sports.(Probably I am too scared to venture into the risky stunts).
I dance: decently.(A specialist in SAPERA dance J)
I cry: whenever I cant control my emotions(both overwhelming and tragic)
I don’t always: have regular meals. Have been made to go through a lot of “Sessions” J for not having my meals on regular times.
I fight: my apprehensions, inhibitions whenever I am not being really assertive on something I know I need to be.
I write: whenever I want to talk to myself.
I win: most of the “difference of Opinion” (It’s safe not call them argument) between me and S.
I lose: my temper very fast, but thanks to S, I am learning to control it now.
I never: thought I would be a software engineer. I was in love with heavy machines and mocked @ people who used to sit in front of the computer for hrs and hrs. As fate would have it here I am doing my job(I didn’t say loving still ;-) ),my eyes and back wearing .
I always: wear my watch when I step outside the house, to an extent that I even wear it with my pajamas. (I am awestruck by its beauty)
I confuse: between being open and being superfluous when I am interacting with people. Have found myself cornered because of this at times.
I listen: to soft music (inc romantic)
I can usually be found: whistling to the tunes of Kishore Kumar songs.
I need: to start playing guitar again. Have lost my touch. Some inspiration is flowing in. Guess, will pick it up very soon. J
I am happy about: being myself. Life is a learning curve as I said. Its beautiful to evolve each day.
I imagine: myself being a manager in a top firm managing my life in great way both professionally and personally.

All said and done, now the next step is to tag 5 more people for it. But why make it complicated. Lets find an easier route,anybody reading it would get tagged by itself.(You just need to copy the above template and fill in your responses)

Happy Tagging!!!