Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Limping Teacher

I was riding back home after a hectic day at work. Work has been hectic to say the least and today it was no better. Was frustrated with what was happening in life, and to add to that I was getting Red signals. The shrieking horns, the over crowded bus infront, the smoke laden air were all making me mad now. To add to the miseries I had skipped my lunch as I was stuck with some issue at work.
I decided to stop over at an eating joint to have something. As it was too late, the menu had only Dosa, and Dosas find the lowest rank in my priority list. I did not have the patience to look for another place and I reluctantly ordered for the same. It seemed the entire world was against me.
I was still grumping until something took my attention.
There was this old man. He must be in his sixties, bald, wrapped by a layer of hanging skin over a skeletal frame. He looked feeble. Eyes sockets barely managing to hold his eyes. He was standing on the other side of the road. His face was filled with anticipation. I wondered- What would be this man getting from his life? What could the hope be?
Constant gazing helped me reconcile to the fact that he was looking for traffic to slow down, so that he could cross. His legs were shaking.
I wondered. He must have had a fight at home and he would be trembling with rage. Or may be he had the fear of being run down by a speeding vehicle or may be his age must have taken a toll of him.
I looked.
And then finally the moment came. He limped through those ten feet. Those ten feet looked like miles to him.
And then he made it. The tension was flushed out with expressions of victory. He had won over his situation. He turned around with head held high to measure his victory lap.
I then realized - Such petty things become a challenge in life and there are people fighting against it, each day, each minute. Life is how you make it out to be.
I cursed myself - for cursing my situation.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The Star still shines bright

When I was a little kid I had a strange hobby. Those nights when the sky was clear, I used to lie on my back and look above. Above at the constellation of stars.
My fingers trying to figure out among all- “My favourite star”.
There it was, I used to discover and my lips made an arch –to smile.
And then, my star and I used to gaze each other for hours. That was the brightest star, my favourite star. Much later Physics and Geography taught me it was Venus, but the little kid of six years was more than happy with the fact that the brightest star had chosen him as his best friend among so many kids of his age.
I used to discuss with him practically everything.
How our new teacher gave us so much of homework to do. I used to show him the new bat that my mum bought for me. I used to complain to him whenever Mumma forced me to have a glass full of milk. I used to confide to him whenever I made a mistake. Cry to him when my naughty classmates used to beak my pencil when I went for lunch. Ask him why does Mumma cry so often?
In all our conversation, he never uttered a word but the fact that he never used to take his eyes away from me made me feel he is there, listening. I wanted somebody to listen to all my crap, and there he was, so patient, so calm - my best friend.
Sometimes the silent conversations went for long, and the next day I found myself wrapped inside my quilt. My mom then said, that I had slept in the veranda itself and she had to bring me inside the room.
There were days when we didn’t meet. Sometimes my homework kept me busy and the other times he hid himself under the clouds-Probably he needed rest too!!!
Its been 18 years since we became friends and we still have those gazing sessions. Our conversations have changed, but his reactions are just the same. He still shines brightly indicating that any tough passages would eventually be conquered.
I remember Papa, when you just went away from all of us. I saw those scary scenes but could not comprehend much. I was too little to understand that you would never come back to us.
On the night of 1st July 1991, somebody told me that Papa has become a star and she introduced me to you in your new form.
Your Mathur really loves and misses you Pa . Keep shining on me as you have always done.
Papa, the Sky is clear today. So, let’s chat?

Friday, June 19, 2009

Different strokes !!!

Its after such a long time I am here, but it feels great to be back. I don’t know what made me stay away from this beautiful forum. May be I was too busy, too occupied with the chores of life, too tired from a long days work , too feeble in the thought generation process or simply too lazy to write something. I received a lot of flak for not writing something for so long, but it’s such an astonishing feeling to be loved by so many people. Thanks all, I promise I will be more regular from now on.
The past few weeks have been a very absorbing one. I say absorbing, because there have been lot of things going around in my life which has been so captivating for me on the emotional front. Just to comprehend and not going to the tits and bits of each incident, I was too absorbed emotionally and wanted to spend some time with – “Myself”.
I decided to ride down to the beach and when I reached there I was astounded to see thousands of people flocking at the beach. I parked my bike and became one among the crowd.
I looked around for a vacant space and finally parked myself into a well bounded area.
The sun was “ready steady go” – to set. The sky was filled with violet clouds and the sun was playing hide and seek with me. The sun had lost its hotness and I could face the sun with my eyes open. It sprayed around its beautiful colour on the sea water and the ever rising waves seemed as if it was basking in the glory of being witnessed by so many living souls.
The noise of the waves was out-powered by the noise of the crowd. There were jingles of the hawker, chattering of children, twittering of birds. Romance was filled in the air. I then realized why poets spent their lives in the bed of nature.
The air was filled with different activities. I had my reasons to come there and I thought, there would be so many stories - like or unlike me. For me it was just a crowd but the reality was that each and every person present there, would have his or her story to tell.
I had my task cut out for another hour. Just to explore the innumerable “untold stories” flowing around on that beach.
I looked around to see children playing beach cricket. The little bowler looked dreaded enough to knock down the stumps where as the batsman, whose bat was bigger than him, looked fiercely competitive. It seemed that he wanted to deposit the ball straight into the sea. The bowler delivered the ball, and a wild swing of the bat saw the ball sailing into the sea. Boy, wasn’t the little batsman happy! He leaped into the air and then into the waters to retrieve the ball. The ego clashes were fought and won by one. The victor had one story to say when he returned home while the loser would have one to hide.
Now my eyes moved around to capture another story. I saw a young couple cuddled holding hands in hands. It seemed they were not yet married, but were determined to. Looked like they wanted to have a space for (just) themselves, away from the society which questioned their togetherness. They looked madly in love seeking inspirations from the sea and the sun which had just come together after the sunset. The soliloquist in me wished them luck and I moved around to witness the most soul searching story of that evening.
I saw a family of three. A father, mother and the son. They looked like a rich family. Probably they looked tired of shopping and eating out at lavish restaurants. The child was busy playing with the sand. Making temples out of it. He made a mess of himself with sand all around but didn’t he look overjoyed with the situation? It seemed he was brought to the beach for the first time. Contrast to this situation my eyes rolled and rocked to the family of three again. The father and the mother looked like some daily labourers. Just adjacent to the the rich guys child this child was making his temple. The sand temple was so beautiful. His tender hands were making a masterpiece and I suddenly knew he was an ace in that. Probably the poor guy didn’t have much resources to take this child out for other entertainments. He must be bringing his family here every weekend and this little guy would be making a temple every time. Here I was viewing the irony that life presents.
I realised that life has different stories to cater. If you look around you would see so many people who are doing much better than you, but there are many more people who are battling against life with their chins up.
Life is never a bed of roses and would never be the same. It’s on us how we take it and move forward. We might not get, what all we wanted from life but there are scores of familes who are fighting for the basics of life.
With cluttered thoughts yet a clear mind I hopped into my bike and rode back home.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

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?

Monday, April 6, 2009

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.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

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

Friday, April 3, 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!!!