The pentacle of eternity

Is it really Dirty ????

2011-12-06T01:59:00.000-08:00

The Dirty picture fails to deliver beyond what the title promises i.e. A Dirty picture. The posters and everything is in Tamil but you may hardly find anything indigenous other than “Nakku Mukka” track which is a symbolic of the 80’s era.
The journey begins on a good note with the early life of Silk where she runs from her traditional home to avoid being married. Silk lands in the male dominated hypocrite society of Chennai where everybody wants to have it but nobody wants to discuss it. Even in Cinemas, male heroes chose meaty roles and scripts revolved around them. There was hardly anything worthwhile for the actresses.
Silk had a bohemian lifestyle; she was neither an optimist, nor a pessimist. In fact she was an opportunist. She stubbornly refused to abide by the existing rules and carved a niche for herself. She gave some real sensuous scenes and there were times when males thronged cinema halls just to have a glimpse of her so called Dirty songs. Such was the enigma of Silk that she could spoil the party of the biggest film critic as well. Director fails to describe or explain the debacle of Silk from one of the top notch item number hottie to an actress without any work. In a sudden scene, Silk fails to deliver a scene and gets into a verbal spat with the Director of the movie. This incident marks the end of her glorious career. How ridiculous!!!!!!
She decides to produce her own film when eternal lover boy of Hindi cinema Emraan Hashmi (Ibrahim in movie) directs a better movie and wins the race. God knows how but he falls in love with Silk and there is a love song even when Silk is in great distress and her house is on the verge of being sold. Our Directors will not show anything depressing in movies because of the age old belief that depressing movies don’t do well with audiences in our nation. Except for the dark circles around Silk’s eyes nothing showed her spiraling downfall and the bad time she was going through. Her unceremonious death was also shown in the wrong light because when I read facts from WIKI it was mentioned that she hanged herself whereas in movie facts were distorted. The movie comes hard on the hypocrite, male dominated South Indian society where actors still rule the roost and there are hardly any worthwhile female centric roles. People love to watch voyeuristic cinema and songs but can’t accept female centric films.
Come on directors; if you really want to depict the sensuality and real life of Silk have guts to show the reality in every scene rather than her cleavage. I would like to appreciate Rajat Arora, dialogue writer of the movie for his impeccable dialogues. Good performances by Naseerudin Shah and Vidya Balan actually gave some life to this otherwise boring movie. Go and watch it if you want to witness a strong performance by Vidya Balan and some earth shaking dialogues by all the characters.

THE KITE RUNNER

2011-08-09T02:54:00.000-07:00

The Kite Runner is one of the most gripping books I have read. The story is so gripping that one is bound to complete it in a single go. The tale begins in the beautiful capital town of Kabul, a city once known for its panoramic views and aesthetic beauty. A city marked by beautiful architectural monuments, green fruit orchards and an amazing intellectual capital.
To begin with, it tells the tale of two Afghan boys who are best friends inspite of stark differences in their social status in the Afghan society. The protagonist of the novel ‘Amir’ is the son of a rich businessman. His father owns a palatial mansion and a flourishing business in Kabul. He is also a philanthropist who regularly takes part in the acts of altruism such as building an orphanage in the city etc. Amir’s father is a modern man who doesn’t believes in radical views held by many of the clerics and society members. Hasan is the son of the loyal Hajara servant who works in Amir’s household. He is a friend-cum-brother to Amir. They played with each other during the day. Amir would often read out the stories of ‘Shahnama’ to him which both the boys adored very much. They gallivanted frequently in the streets of Kabul and participated enthusiastically in many Kite flying competitions. The first few chapters are a symbolic of true friendship and camaraderie.
Aseef is a notorious sociopath who constantly abuses Hassan and sexually assaulted him on one of the occasions. Amir witnessed this but could not muster courage to report this incident. He starts living with a pang of guilt and shame and decides to get rid of Hassan. He falsely accused him of stealing; Hassan confessed when confronted by Amir’s father and left the house.
In the second part of the story, beautiful town of Kabul is invaded by Soviet Union. Amir and his father had to leave their home and flee the country they once called their motherland. They reach America via Peshawar and somehow start rebuilding their scattered lives. Amir’s father starts working in a gas station and Amir completes his education and is keen to become a writer. Amir falls in love with Soraya Taheri. She is the daughter of General Taheri, another refugee from Afghanistan who knew Amir’s father really well. They get married and settle down in a happy marriage. Meanwhile, Baba passed away after a critical illness. Amir and his wife were also sad because of the fact that Soraya cannot conceive. This very fact haunted them for 15 long years.
One fine day, Amir got a call from Rahim Khan who was Amir’s father confidante while they were in Afghanistan. He invited Amir to Peshawar to visit him for the last time. Rahim Khan reveals the greatest secret to Amir that Hassan was actually his illegal half brother. He told Amir how Hassan moved to Hajarazaat after being forced to move out of Amir’s house. He had a wife named Farzana and a son called Sohrab. Finally, Khan tells Amir that the true reason he called Amir to Pakistan was to rescue Sohrab from an orphanage in Kabul. Amir’s world was devastated and he decided to go to Kabul, he starts his arduous journey with Farid, an Afghan driver and a war veteran.
To his amazement Amir discovered that Afghanistan was very different from what it was when he left Afghanistan as a child with his father. The entire valley was in shambles. There was a scene of death and destruction all around. He was perturbed due to all this. To enter Taliban territory, clean shaven Amir wears a fake beard and moustache. Taliban had imposed most harsh laws and legislations in this beautiful hill country. Women were not allowed to move out of their houses without wearing hijabs. Music, games and other such means of entertainment were banned as Taliban believed that such things are sinful and blasphemous under Islam. They had interpreted Islam in a very controversial manner.
He found out the orphanage where Sohrab used to stay in Kabul. The caretaker of the orphanage told him that a Taliban leader who often visited the orphanage and took away young girls and boys, he apprised him that the same leader had also taken away Hassan few days back. Farid arranged a meeting between Amir and the Talib leader, the Talib leader actually turned out to be Aseef. Sohrab was dressed in women’s clothes and was made to dance and entertain like eunuchs. Amir was moved after watching all this. A fight broke out between Amir and Aseef and Amir was badly injured. However, Amir is saved when Sohrab uses his slingshot to shoot out Assef's left eye, fulfilling Hassan's threat made many years before. After all, history repeats itself. They escape from the clutches of sinister Aseef and Amir takes Sohrab to US with him. Sohrab refuses to talk to Soraya and stays in a cocoon which he had created for himself. It has been truly said that “Time heals all wounds”. Sohrab starts playing with Amir and Soraya and gets friendly with them with time.
The story is very strong with complex characters expressing a plentitude of emotions. The characters deal with emotions such as love, betrayal, friendship and redemption. A controversial book which has been vociferously opposed by members of Taliban and staunch Muslim clerics. The book will give you an insight into the history of Taliban before and after the Taliban invasion. Don’t deprive yourself of this visual treat; go grab your copy today.

Satire of Love

2011-05-30T03:44:00.000-07:00

The other day one of my colleagues was bragging about his superb IT career, best appraisals and a penchant for the other sex, I was all ears to him. I have always dreamt of such a perfect lifestyle but could never manage to do so. He started narrating how he accosted someone from some other organization for a dinner and then a hair raising disco night. And rest is just history for him. He is eyeing another such rendezvous this weekend.

I acquiesced but later gave it a serious thought where was our society heading to????
And friends I am still thinking. People tend to enter into relationships even without giving a second thought. There are girls who cannot think beyond MAKE-UP, BREAK UP AND PATCH UP. Pyaar ka Punchnaama was a movie which actually glorified the modern scenario. It is a story about three innocent guys who were happy and content with their lives until they fell in love. One of the guys(Rajat aka Rajjo) enters into a live in relationship, the second one(Liquid ) eyes a girl who is already in a relationship and the third guy(Vikrant) who is a real Casanova likes a girl who is in a ON-OFF relationship with her old boyfriend. These girls actually make life difficult for our men. “A happy woman is a myth” is perhaps the strongest tagline which conveys the message of this film. One liners and humorous anecdotes throughout the film make it cogent for the audience.

Rajat’s bursting soliloquy on why women are the way they are and can never be understood is very humorous. The movie has nothing provocative except a few humorous quotes here and there. The movie has a charm of its own and if you have ever been into a relationship, you will be able to relate yourself to one of these myriad characters for sure.
Surely a one time watch, it’s a satire of love and relationships. Go for it !!!!!!!!

DORK by Sidin Vadukut

2011-05-03T06:24:00.001-07:00

Sidin Vadukut is a very familiar name for me since I am a regular reader of online newspaper ‘Mint’. I was quite excited when I heard that he had launched his first book of his much anticipated ’Dork’ trilogy. The book titled ‘Dork, The Incredible Adventures of Robert Einstein Varghese’ priced at Rs.199/- was a safe bet as well. Skimming through the pages of the book, I found the narrative simple yet striking.

The story begins from the hallowed portals of one of the most prestigious B schools in the nation, IIMA (WIMWI). Robert is an academically gifted young man. The story of the book is a collection of personal diary entries of Robert. ‘Dorm’ names are very common at IIMA. Robert’s classmates nicknamed him as Einstein. Robert always dreamt of a prestigious consultancy job in MNC’s like McKinsey Corp, JP Morgan Chase, and Deloitte etc. But, unfortunately none of these companies considered our poor old soul ‘Robert’ for their Management Trainee positions. Finally, Robert lands up with ‘Dufrense Partners’, a mediocre, mid-market management consultancy firm largely run by complete morons.

The story continues at a swift pace and Robert moves to Mumbai to join Dufrense partners. Soon, he finds himself completely out of the place in the firm, Robert was stunned to find how Dufrense cheated its clients by providing them information available easily (sources such as Google, Wikipedia etc). His dreams were completely shattered and he despised his seniors at ‘Dufrense’. Moreover, Robert also has a short term goal of being promoted to Associate in under an year and beat the record set by someone from ‘Dufrense’ Vietnam office.

Robert is also concerned about his one sided affair with his gorgeous classmate ‘Gauri’. He adores Gauri but couldn’t express his love for her. Robert has a serious problem when it comes to women. He eyes every woman with lustful eyes and dubious intentions whenever and wherever he encounters them at different phases of life.

Robert gets utterly frustrated and gets drunk in one of the so called business meetings. In a drunken state, he blabbers the truth about Dufrense and its policies. The audio clip was aired on CNBC TV and he became an overnight celebrity in the field of management consultancy. The CEO of ‘Dufrense’ realizes his mistakes and promotes Robert ahead of others. Finally, a television interview of Robert regarding the future of management consultancy will force you to laugh out loud.

The humour is of a different kind and sarcasm is superb. ‘Dork’ is a hilarious story of Robert Einstein Varghese, a super dork (American slang for fool) and an unlikely corporate hero. He is an inspiration for all of us who ever sat depressed in our cubicles and thought of our jobs as monotonous and routine. ‘Dork’ is like a whiff of fresh air. Read the book and have your fair share of fun!!!!!

"Go Kiss The World "

2011-03-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

On my last visit to Crossword in Pune, I was quite apprehensive regarding buying a book on Management lessons. Most of the Management books I have come across so far have either been full of boring theories or clichéd ideas. Maneuvering through the piles of books, I finally picked up “Go kiss the World” by Subroto Bagchi. The cover was impressive. But, remember the golden rule “Never judge a book by its cover”.

I skimmed through the first few pages for a while. The book was more of a professional biography of Subroto Bagchi, one of the founders of MindTree Consulting. I was actually captivated by the narrative of how Mr.Bagchi climbed the ladder of success and co founded MindTree in spite of being born and brought up in one of the remotest districts and towns of Orissa. The childhood account of Mr.Bagchi is worth reading.Mr.Bagchi’s father was a Govt Servant and his job was gallivanting from one district to another for the sake of his job. Hats off to the values and ideals he had inculcated in all his children right from the childhood. Subroto’s mother was a brave lady who meticulously built hearth for the family wherever they went and took good care of her children even during such odd situations.

Subroto describes how minor lessons of modesty, humility and honesty he learnt during his unprivileged childhood helped him throughout his life. From his childhood, he takes us to his first recognized job as a Management Trainee at DCM. I just couldn’t believe that a person who started his career with a garment unit could establish a company like MindTree. His story is one of sheer handwork, integrity and commitment to his work.
He unravels the lessons he had learnt at various places from DCM to his sales job at HCL and finally his stint at Wipro.

Subroto utilizes and spends resources and wealth in most frugal manner as possible. He shows us the way business should be done and redefines Business Ethics in a completely different perspective. He talks about being honest and developing networks which helped him a lot when he finally decided to start his own business after quitting his job from WIPRO. Finally, he takes us on a ride of his entrepreneurial ambitions where he co founded a company based on values of integrity, honesty and scruples. He gives us an ideal example of how someone from a very modest background and humble beginning could also rise up to become an entrepreneur in our modern India which has clearly marched ahead of major Western countries in terms of the rate of growth and development.

MindTree Consulting is a product of IT Revolution which started in our country in late 90’s and has helped us to surge ahead with an annual turnover of around 60 billion$.
Go, kiss the World is a must read for Business Managers, Young Professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs and students aiming high in their lives. So, what are you waiting for?
Go, grab your copy now and kiss the world without thinking anything else!!!!!!

Mandir+Masjid

2010-10-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

Ayodhya verdict was on the cards. It was a moment of anticipation for everyone around as people were expecting a clear verdict after nearly 60 years of struggle. It was a dream come true moment for us i.e. IT professionals. We were asked to leave early in the wake of verdict as if the riots break out, they will attack the premises of these great companies where people are already dead in their hearts. Anyways, a break from the routine work is always welcome.

I started early with one of my colleagues. The buses were brimming with crowd from all corners of the city. We reached a spot from where we could auto rickshaws for our respective locations. I sat in the rickshaw after a while of haggling. To my surprise, my autowallah was a follower of a different faith. He was a follower of Ram’s spiritual brother, Muhammad. I started a conversation with him. I enquired about the roads of the city which were wearing a deserted look that day. He said “Arre sahaab Ye sab Mandir masjid ka khela hai ”.

I asked him that who should be held responsible for the whole fiasco. He promptly replied politicians. He said “ Arre sahaab hum mehnat ki roti khaane waale log,kahan in cheezon k baare mein sochenge”. I pondered over this for a while. I came back to my senses and asked him to drive a little faster. He nodded in agreement.

I was enjoying the cool October breeze of Pune city when suddenly noise levels soared high. I could hear slogans in the vicinity. The autowallah informed me that the area we were crossing through was dominated by followers of a different faith. The mob had turned unruly and they were attacking whatever came in their way. I was petrified. But my autowallah reassured me “ Sahaab ek baar agar sawaari hamari gaadi mein baith gayi to manzil tak pahunchana hamari zimmedari hai”. I was growing a bit skeptical about this fellow, but I had no option left with me other than trusting him. I put my trust in him and asked him to take through narrow by lanes. He adopted a shorter path and I reached my home in about half an hour. I thanked him for his noble gesture and cursed myself for my skepticism about him.

I switched on my TV. The same tamasha, hype and hoopla were aired on the screens throughout the country. Faith has percolated deep inside our lives, but its importance comes only after we satisfy our bare minimum necessities i.e. ‘Roti, kapda aur makaan ’.
Both the faith inspired by Ram and that inspired by the Prophet are universal in their common injunction of tolerance and compassion. So let’s take a pledge to live in peace and harmony.

Confessions of an IT Professional !!!

2010-07-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since I last posted something. My friends must have considered me reclusive.The other day I was really pondering over purpose of my life. After I completed my Engineering, things seemed to fell in place, but things have come back to square one. I joined one of the leading IT companies in the world (still confused about the parameter !!) . I was so excited about the nature of work with Projects from Fortune 500 clients pouring in. But,reality was a bit different .Let me take you to a journey called IT………..

Oops !!! Abbreviations are the most exciting part of Software professional’s life. The moment you enter into an organization, you are an AS(S)ET, Few days down the line ,you will be an AS(S)E. The organization has made it clear that there is absolutely no place for diligence here. All you need is assiduity. Well, we had training sessions too which help us to achieve core competency (bloody management jargon) in respective domains. I am still trying to recollect the domain I was trained in. Most of my training sessions were well spent in texting (SMS) messages to some long lost friends of mine. Anyways, after a mind boggling difficult test (pun intended) , I was ready for the acid test i.e. Projects. I was labelled as a ‘RESOURCE’ (never expected a better tag for myself). After a tortuous romance with a bunch of management wizards, I was mapped to some Project. The client is a Fortune 500 organization. So, I cannot even brag of my associations with the Project. It’s a complete hush hush affair.
Few technical questions and I was blank. Oops !!! the texting did the harm….

Hey hey, wait!!! Another important jargon is KT . A MENTOR is being assigned for freshers like me to ensure our smooth transition into Projects. But , he himself is in a dilapidated state and accuses organization of robbing away his health and precious years of his life. Anyways, BCG is another important criterion to be fulfilled before you get right to enter respectfully anywhere in office. Still thinking what BCG stands for. Don’t worry friends it’s not the Tuberculosis vaccine (Bacillus Calmette Guerin ), instead it stands for Background Check. What if you are a data terrorist and one fine day you abscond with the superfluous data. The client will sue your organization of irreparable loss and harm. Anyways ,I went through it also. I received phone calls from unknown numbers asking about positive and negative qualities of my colleagues for whom I became a reference. Ooh,,what if I tell somebody to be a confidante of Osama , will they fire him ??(stupid formalities).

HSB,ABFC,RC………..Don’t worry friends. These are not the names from a Computer Scientist’s vocab instead these are the names of a few eateries where I undergo gastronomical blunders on a daily basis. Can’t expand the abbreviation as it would harm the enviable reputation of these giants in the world. BTW, never saw or heard any of these names in North India ever. Nevertheless, organisation gave me ample opportunities to improve my backhand in Table Tennis and to tickle my mind in a game of chess. How could I miss the database we had built of the members of fairer sex with utmost patience and perseverance. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all my friends who helped me to go through the whole agonising process. I am indebted to you my dear friends.

First few months of my professional life have made it clear that may be I am not ready for this. But, let’s hope that there will be something for me to do tomorrow. Till then , Nothingness is creeping inside me……………………………………………..

"My ghazal,,My Music,,My Life......

2010-05-15T14:00:00.001-07:00

My favourite “Ghazal” is my solace. She stands by my side when I need her the most. She extends her support even before I ask for it. The sweet melody intertwined in her voice (especially in the morning) carries me away. When I heard her for the first time, I never knew that ours is going to be a long lasting bonding. But, when I started listening her, I was moonstruck. She has this habit of conveying her message in a few effectual words.

Her transition from one note to another is as smooth as silk. She never walks; instead she glides on the façade of my heart. She is so captivating that my heart ponders whenever I look at her visage. When in doubt or despair, I listen to her and slowly all my worries wane away. Such is the power of Music. It knows no barriers, whatsoever related to place, time, language, age etc.

Our bonding has grown so strong in a short span of time that it’s almost impossible for me to imagine my life without her notes (musical) and words. Her words have a healing touch. Though, I cannot see her, but, still her finer details are etched in my memory forever. May our resilient bond of togetherness grow stronger by the day.
My addiction with her grows exponentially with passage of time. May the HOLIDAY never end and I keep on listening to her. Long live my passion for my favourite “GHAZAL”………………………………………………………

I Miss You !!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

He was like my friend. From my childhood days, I had seen him growing hitherto in all directions and dimensions. He gave me everything I could crave for as a small child. While we played, he stood silent watching us growing by the day. Time flew like hell and soon we were into schools. Though he could not accompany me to schools, still he used to be there whenever I went to school or whenever I came back from school. I used to cross his path everyday. During summers, he used to be there in scorching summers while we hid inside our homes till late in the evening. During rainy season, he had to suffer the wrath of lightning at times. But, he looked plump in monsoons and grew fatter by the day. People loved his appearance during monsoons and even inched a little closer towards him in search of camaraderie.

We always remained close friends, be it any season or situation. We shared this resilient bond of togetherness for years with each other. He had a large size and so I could hide many secrets of my adolescence with him for the fear of being caught at home. All my friends were a little jealous of my friendship with him. As time passed and I went to college, he stood there to bid me a farewell. I completed my college and got a job. While I was leaving for my job, I thought of spending a whole day with him. But, to my surprise, I found out that the great Municipal Corporation or rather Development Authorities (responsible for non development) have decided to uproot my beloved friend from his place of birth. They considered him to be a bottleneck in the way of a new flyover. I really felt helpless as I could not do anything to save my dearest friend. Hack saws were brought and cranes deployed to uproot my friend. He was finally uprooted and his corpse was carried away in trucks. I could not sleep a wink and woke up early for my daily morning walk ritual. To my surprise, I saw a billboard being erected at the same spot which was occupied by my friend for so many years. On the board, it was written ” SAVE TREES”…………………………..

LOVE AAJKAL

2009-10-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

In my school days, I read a poem titled” Try try again”. I followed this policy in every sphere of life (with exception to studies, of course). I had followed this mantra after getting rejected once I propose someone. But, recently I had suffered a few setbacks. Whenever and wherever I go and see a beautiful feminine creature stuck over phone. God knows, who are they talking to?? Well, as soon as you think of approaching her once she has disconnected the call, you will get your shock of the day. A young, handsome (as the guy thinks of himself) guy comes from nowhere and escorts the girl. Yaar,,,,IS THERE NO SCOPE FOR LOSERS LIKE US??????

I think YES…There is very little scope for late starters and losers like us. It’s over guys. Trust me. Whenever I think of approaching or proposing (next step) a girl I find that she already has a BOYFRIEND (aashiq in hindi) who is ready to bear her whims and fancies for a lifetime. In many cases, when girls are fed up of disingenuous friend requests and barnacle romeos on Social networking websites, they simply change their profile picture. The new picture has her boyfriend hugging/kissing/munching her tightly. A clear indication to losers like us to “STAY AWAY.”

In some other cases, couples are making joint accounts on Social networking Websites. They share profile names, passwords and manage accounts in collaboration. A friend request from a stranger would be judged by both of them. If they think you are genuine and not a stalker, they may allow you to be on their elite list of friends. I think this trend has come down to them from the famous Hollywood couple “Brangelina” a.k.a. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Anyways, love has acquired myriad new dimensions today. So another clear indication to losers like us to “STAY AWAY.”

Another popular trend is follow one’s hubby on microblogging site “Twitter”. Follow each other through tweeps. Read your beau’s mind and give your piece of mind to him/her as well. It could be a good entrepreneurial venture too where if you start posting love tweeps which strengthens relationship between two people (of opposite sex, off course) , you will have a large number of followers and you can start your own consultancy. Love, in fact is an entrepreneurial venture hitherto unexplored atleast in the Indian Market. So, all you budding entrepreneurs reading this post, ponder over this for a while. So, all you single people just “STAY AWAY” from moonstruck people on this site.

All I can construe from my observation is that Love AAJKAL has become Love ONLINE. And don’t try or hope to fall in love because it’s like a battle almost lost. Stay single, Stay happy is the mantra of the day……….

"Reality behind Reality Shows"

2009-09-23T02:31:00.000-07:00

To escape from my boredom, while my stay at home. I switched on my idiot box. Thanks to Mr. J.L. Baird who gave us TV so that we could watch things/events taking place nearly thousands of miles away sitting in our drawing rooms or maybe bedrooms in a few cases. Well, all was well till our sweet, monotonous, archaic Doordarshan was there for all those years. Daily news twice a day coupled with a movie on Friday night and epics like Ramayana/Mahabharata/Shree Krishna on Sunday mornings ensured a healthy, wholesome entertainment for the whole family. But, no things started changing with the advent of cable television. With the cable television came a plethora of channels along with innumerable operators in the country. Cut throat competition in between all these channels ensured that every time you have to do something new, something fresh to retain the top spot for the most coveted TRP ratings.

With this very concept of attaining top slot in TRP ratings, idea of reality shows emerged. Reality shows have now become the need of the hour. Every prominent channel is telecasting atleast 2-3 reality shows every week. Well, I m on way to dissect these shows to disentangle the truth behind them. I still remember about INDIAN IDOL on Sony Television which I believe was the first ever reality show on Television. People got glued to their TV sets while the show was on air. God, voting lines and all, mass hysteria, hype and hoopla created throughout the nation regarding the best talent search of the nation. I still remember their words” bharat ke pehle rock star ki khoj and blah blah” . In a nation of billions, where there is no dearth of talent, will a particular channel be able to find the best talent, I seriously doubt!!!!.

The reality shows brought with them a whole lot of new emotions too. Recently I was watching a show with my 6 yr old nephew, the show was Sach ka Saamna on STAR television. A middle aged urban lady acknowledges the fact that she stole items of daily usage from shops, she had beaten her husband in the past, had a secret holiday with her friends and the list was unending. It was really petulant to watch the show. The whole episode really perturbed me when my little nephew asked me whether all are bad these days. What a negative impression on his immaculate mind…Huh!!

These days celebrities are even finding grooms and brides for themselves using reality shows. I believe most of you must be familiar with Rakhi ka Swayamvar. The nasty item girl of Hindi Cinema decided to look for a suitable groom for herself using this reality platform. Oh my god!!there were people dying to marry this b****????Engineers, doctors, NRIs…Everyone was in the bedlam voicing his opinion. The fake material accent of Rakhi, words like ‘Jejus’ etc. were really fractious. I was befuddled to find that guys were thronging in large numbers only to be bamboozled by Rakhi at last.

The jungle show on SONY was another delightful moment. Flop celebrities from all spheres of life gathered in some bulls*** jungle of Thailand. They were asked to sleep with snakes, f*** crocodiles and several other arduous tasks. People were forming relationships in the game show, girls were bitching, guys were back biting and let me tell you there was loads of gibberish.

Well, let us face the reality….These shows are made because we watch them. We love to see people in pain, we have grown sadistic due to our monotonous lives. Television is just a reflection of society. After a long day’s work, we look for something which could rejuvenate us for next day….But, the evils of these showa are flagrant now in the society. So, next time when you switch on your IDIOT BOX, better be cautious!!!!!

"Last Days@SMIT"

2009-08-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

Finally after my major project, I got an opportunity to visit my alma mater a.k.a. SMIT. We all were very excited at the very thought of reunion in the picturesque environs of Sikkim. The moment came and we finally reached college after the tedious train and taxi journey coupled together.
Attention folks!!!! Engineers@SMIT are any day more travel friendly than other engineers. For all these four years, journey to college from NJP has been very gruelling as soon as you de board the train at NJP. Often taxi drivers would ask for an exorbitant amount on pretext of puja season/tourist season/landslide season etc.etc……please suggest me more of these coz my memory fails me here. So, booking a taxi at a fair price was no less than sweating it out for grades in semesters. Well well….according to john bon jovi “Nothing good comes easy, all good things take some time” (courtesy: dry county).

As soon as I reached aritra’s room, animax started blathering regarding some great tormenter of CSE Deptt who had asked a fellow student to scribble down a 100 page report. Oooh god!!! I was stunned to hear this. For all my respected teachers of SMIT, all I have to say is “ I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.”

The CSE deptt. was hell bent on teaching students the intricacies of MS Word & PowerPoint along with a few programming languages(only the outdated ones). While we were enjoying the beauty of Sikkim and were slaying our useful time in superfluous activities, our fellow counterparts were working hard on their monitors. They were busy in making last minute arrangements/corrections in their reports and presentations. I think the deptt did all this deliberately to accustom these guys with pressure situations. I (un)fortunately got an opportunity to stay with one of the most intelligent guys of CSE. Even he was terrified of a few faculty members……

Other departments of the college made sure that students stay cool and calm during their last stay. Now, how could I forget fashion if I talk of SMITians(species from SMIT). Many of our female colleagues had a whole new wardrobe of clothes; others had got a trendy hairdo. Guys, a little less fashionable had bought themselves either a new pair of jeans or a few of them, a new mobile phone.

Gangtok was a quintessential part of our existence at SMIT. The capital of Sikkim and nearest civilized location to our college was the centre of our escapades after any gruelling sessional/lab semester/placement parties etc. etc……There was absolutely no question of skipping Gangtok from our itinerary in the last trip. In fact, I visited Gangtok twice during my stay. Hey, Gangtok has got a “Dominnoz”. So, SMIT folks have got another reason to rob their parents. The food in innumerable restaurants of Gangtok was the same. You will never be able to find consistency in any restaurant of Gangtok. So, better be cautious.

The pressure of final semester exams was also there. We had our presentation and it was pretty ordinary. Nobody sitting there was interested in knowing the basics of telecommunication from us. So, we better kept it to ourselves. Days were passing in quick succession. The feeling of being separated from each other really perturbed me. The D-Day came and many started departing in turns. At times, I controlled my emotions. But, it was not possible to keep these demons under my control.
So, I cried on a few occasions.

We live in a world where we have to make choices at every step of our life. Sometimes, it may lead us to the place we just dreamed of and sometimes into the unknown. On the way to our goals and ambitions in SMIT and life thereafter, there are some who stuck in midst and could not be termed successful, some however pull to excel and there are a few who choose the path less traversed. There were teachers who taught us, seniors (mentors) who guided us every time and showed us the path when darkness hovered around everywhere. But each one of them had their own style of functioning. But, they always had something to teach us.

In all these four years, there are things we achieved, things we missed, things we learnt. But, every time we did something, we learnt something.
But , the moments we spent here will be etched in our memories forever…and ever and ever……………

"Run With the Leader,OOps I fell down"

2009-06-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had a dream……I am gonna narrate it to you all. A stagecoach is running with so many horses….Oops!!! I just can’t count. Have I gone colour blind too???? God, I sincerely hope that it’s not a criterion for the initial success. Rush in your entries, the last date is approaching expeditiously. Huh!! I did it somehow. Keep your fingers crossed for the early triumph.

Days passed and nights spent in agony of flustered feelings. One dark night, mailbox looks more than unlimited after a mail struts laudatory messages. Those who didn’t receive it had fire of anguish burning with even more verve. Hey what are you waiting for??? Pack your bags and make preparations for your journey to an alien city where you have to perform. Perform?? Yes, perform like an acrobat cramming two questions specially tailored to inspire the so called managers was another arduous task. Well, engage a friend pursuing English (Hons.) Or mass communication to write perfect replies because an engineer is never trained to write/perform in such situations. Buy a mirror to rehearse your crammed answers; after all it’s a question of 5L bucks yaar!!

Ahhhh!!! At least free breakfast for all the contestants of this great show. These things offer a great respite in spite of so much pressure. Many of us were there with rosary beads praying for their eternal success. I befriended with a few guys (acrobats) from some other institution. The first round was over in a moment and we waited for the outcome. I was through it and we were given coupons of the great ‘luncheon’ with perhaps the best recruiters in the world, as perceived by most of the Smitians (species from my college). The meal was good in taste, but most of us were busy in inquiring about recession, Obama, banking laws and other such muddle headed but impressive talks. Next was the final hurdle of clearing the ‘grand finale’ of this mega touted feat.

The queries had a very wide spectrum ranging from anything to everything. Again a few crammed answers would have done the trick, nevertheless, somebody advised me to remain grounded, and I took it so seriously that I experienced gravity even more on this day. Finally a consolation prize was the only consolation for slaying so much of effort, energy, money, resources and time.

Bye bye stagecoach, my dream of running with the leader, perhaps some other day, some other time or maybe some other life.

"O Re Duniya"

2009-04-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, we encounter an incident wherein we face one or the other harsh realities of life. I also came across such an incident very recently. I met an acquaintance who had come all the way from my maternal grandparents’ place called Ballia. A poor old man nearly 70 years old, His dhoti kurta was tattered and seemed like he had to struggle a lot even in reaching Lucknow. I addressed him politely and enquired the reason for the purpose of his visit. He addressed me in Bhojpuri (incidentally, my mother tongue) and said “Babua ji, I came here for a help. I am in dire need of money to save my agricultural lands”. He narrated the whole incident of how he mortgaged his lands to a zamindaar (landlord) for supporting the studies of his only son and the marriage of his daughter. I asked why he didn’t go to his son or daughter for help.

He explained that he was not allowed to borrow money from his daughter or son-in-law.”Babua ji, paap lagi.bhagwan ke dware kauna muh leke jaawab deb?”(It would be sinful for me. I won’t be able to face god when I go to the heavens). Poor guy, there is no such thing as heaven or hell. But, I decided better not to shatter his faith in this age. I understood that his son must be one among the useless unemployed youth of the country. He then said “I went to my son for help. But he couldn’t lend a helping hand” I enquired regarding the credentials of his son. He said “hamaar ladkawa bahut bada saaheb hai babuaji, PCS officer ban gaya hai” (My son is an important officer. He is a PCS officer). I felt a bit strange and thought he was boasting mendaciously.

He narrated the whole story then. He gave accounts of his son’s callousness towards him. He said that he went to his son’s place without any prior notification. The security guard at the entrance gate asked him to stop and to explain the purpose of his visit. The old man said that he had come to meet PCS saahab. The guard asked him to take a seat near the visitor’s room. The old man sitting there grew restless after a few hours and started bothering the guard. The guard was now vexed and went to the PCS informing him about the arrival of old man. The officer grew anxious, as he was in an important meeting and was horrified of the fact that what would happen if his colleagues would discover that his father comes from such a humble, rural background.

The officer ran towards the visitor’s room and greeted his father. Looking at his father’s tattered clothes, he started scolding his father. He asked” why didn’t you informed me about your arrival? I should have bought new clothes for you”. The old man replied” I invested all my money in your education and in your sister’s marriage. I am a pauper now. I have come here to borrow money from you to save our agricultural lands”. The son said nothing after that. He ordered the sentry to take his father to the guest house located outside the residential bungalow. The old man tired of his tiresome journey took a bath and started waiting for his daughter-in-law and grandchildren to come and seek his blessings. Alas! It was night and no one came, not even his son to discuss the issue of lands.
The old man understood the intricacies of this modern world and walked away at the crack of dawn without saying a word to anyone.

I cursed his son for being negligent. But he retorted”naah, babuaji, hamar ladkawa hamesha tarakki kare.bada admi bane” (please don’t curse him. I wish from the deepest core of my heart that he always moves ahead in life). Such is the heart of a father. My father extended his helping hand as much as he could and gave him addresses of some other relatives in Lucknow.

Tears couldn’t roll down from my eyes, but my heart was crying. Have we become so insensitive to the needs of our parents? It’s a question which has haunted me since I came across this incident.

"Perils of Life 2"

2009-04-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my dear friend Kuldeep Yadav who could suggest a symptom of this fatal disorder. However, as far as my memory goes, I don’t remember him of following the symptom he suggested. Anyways, allow me to write the sequel of the earlier episode….

1. One has to prepare himself for free tuitions and lectures at all costs. Whether you belong to the same branch or not, is just a matter of luck. Preparations for such tuitions are utmost necessary. You could miss out your classes and assignments; they are trivialities of life for you now. Choose a suitable place for your lessons other than library because these lessons could also make you feel hungry and thirsty. Canteen would be a better proposition. Make her feel comfortable during your early lessons, this would pave the way for your future course. Don’t miss out this opportunity guys, DON’T…………

2. Dig into your wallet every time a bill comes before both of you. Never allow her to pay for anything even if you have to borrow from your friends. After all, in love money is never regarded as a constraint. You should always make her feel that you come from one of the richest families in the country. Ask your dad to increase your pocket expenses on the pretext of some exam fees etc. You have a girlfriend and a social status to maintain now. The pocket money you received earlier was not sufficient. You could justify this way if someone reprimands you.

3. Your presence is a prerequisite every time she performs/acts/presents anything. After all ,your presence would make her feel proud that at least somebody is there to applaud her, no matter how dismal her performance is!!!
Applaud her yaar, she is that someone special for you.

4. Never ever dare to forget her birthday or any other important day of her life. These are more important to you, even more than national holidays. On her birthdays, her friends would ask for a treat and you have to stand as a saviour for her by asking them to suggest a good restaurant. Be a sport yaar, after all they have a played a pivotal role in your love cycle. Give them a treat and set precedent for other Romeos of your generation.

5. Be prepared to drop her back home after your summer vacations. Even if your hometown is in opposite direction and you have to circumnavigate the whole nation just to drop her, it should not bother you. Love knows no bounds dear!!! It is unconditional, so you better make reservations for the journey of a lifetime. Recently ,one of my friends has started a courier company of his own from NJP to VIJAYWADA only for the sake of love. He launched this venture so that he could be remembered forever for this great heroic deed!!!

NB: I shall be grateful to the readers if they could suggest a few more symptoms.

"Perils of life"

2009-03-26T06:21:00.001-07:00

No more journey experiences, they are quite boring, I suppose!!!!!!! It’s time now to write about something which affects our very own existence in this ruthless world.
This post is dedicated to the perils of running after a girl/female. In typical UPite language, this is referred to as “laundiyabaazi”.hmmm……

Definition: The practise of running after a girl to lure her or to win her trust just to satisfy your imprudent desires and to swank of your enviable reputation amongst your friend circle is referred to as “laundiyabaazi”. There could be several hazards linked to this. I have tried my level best to recollect the symptoms and traits of this fatal disorder. I would still request the readers of my blog to suggest a few more symptoms, if they could……..

1. You will try your level best to avoid the company of your male counterparts. They should now hold no place in your priority list. They will no longer be a matter of thoughtfulness even in your deepest thoughts. Treat them as ‘untouchables’ or else you will be denied entry into this elite club.

2. You tend to become overprotective a propos the needs of the fairer sex. If they ask for a rose, you gift them the whole bouquet. I mean you should be in the likes of femme fatale.

3. You need to console her after every gruelling test she undergoes. She has to be pacified at all costs. After every arduous test she submits herself to, it becomes your unflinching duty to boost her morale. Remember, she is the meekest thing you have ever come across in your whole life span. So, go ahead make her worries yours and pray to the almighty for her unrelenting success.

4. Thanks to the telecom revolution, the world has never been more connected. Today mobile phone has become a necessity along with roti, kapda aur makaan. People in love would always praise “Reliance” for that matter.
“Dhirubhai ka ek hi sapna, har aashique use kare mobile apna.” The company has slashed the call rates exorbitantly low to ensure that love blossoms.

5. You have to move yourself anytime, any day, anywhere and present yourself
whenever she summons you. After all, she is the best thing you have ever had in your whole life span. So, even if she drags you out of your sleep even before you could take a wink, don’t be surprised. After all, it’s LOVE.

6. You will take a vow to kill your creativity and talents for her sake since they
are of least importance to you. You pursued all those activities to utilize your time. Now, you already have a big task of appeasing your girl. So, to hell with your talents. They should now be discarded like anything.

7. You have to find time out of your busy schedule in order to meet her. All
other activities will take their course. Barriers such as season, examinations and work schedules should never act as a deterrent in your meetings.

NB: Readers, please suggest some more symptoms. Please……………

AN "UNFORGETTABLE" JOURNEY

2009-03-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

Hey friends, no more addition to vocabulary now. A few words suggested were too ambiguous to define. I would like to share another very invigorating experience of mine. A few days back I made short trip to ‘VARANASI’. I am not writing a travelogue, so don’t worry!! Instead I will narrate some of the most inspiring scenes of my trip. So let’s proceed………

Huh!! The trip was made possible because of my pal Divyanshu a.k.a. Bhokalshree a.k.a. DivX. This jovial friend of mine is an inhabitant of this mystic city. I would also like to thank my ex-roomie and a true chum Chandranshu a.k.a. Chandu for his colossal assistance in disseminating valuable information regarding this city.

The city takes its name from ‘Varuna’ and ‘Assi’. So joining these two words we get the word ‘Varanasi’. Regarded to be the oldest inhabited city of the world since times immemorial, the city is a delight for those who come to visit it. The two words which often strike cord with my memory during this trip were ‘rural’ and ‘rustic’. The journey began with the famous ‘Vishwanath Temple’ situated near ‘Dasaswamedh Ghat’. The city is commonly referred to as ‘Baba Vishwanath Ki Nagari’ because of its prominence in worshipping the Hindu deity ‘Shiva’. It is believed that Lord Brahma performed Aswamedh yagya on ghat. A person who takes a dip in the holy Ganges here gets blessing of conducting ten Aswamedh Yagya. The only problem which could take a toll on you here is the mammoth parking problem. The lanes here are so narrow that you ought to make mistakes while driving. Moreover the cattle mania can give you jitters if you are not confident enough of yourself. I was really stunned to see all the things moving together at a snail pace to reach the destination. Thank god!!!! We were safe and sound, ready for our meeting with Baba Vishwanath. The gullies were so narrow that even three will be a crowd. The beauty of the temple lies in its construction. Everywhere policemen were scrutinizing us for security measures. They were there at every nook and corner of the temple. The meeting was nonchalant and quiet amongst us. Lord (shivling) was in front of me, submerged in a pool of milk. All I could do was to touch him to have my fair share of pilgrimage.

We came out and had a breakfast of ‘kachori sabzi’. Ahh!!!mouth watering, delicious kachori and jalebi to give one ‘nirvana’ during pilgrimage. We proceeded towards the ghat now. It was abuzz with all sorts of people thronging in large numbers to take a holy dip in the sacred Ganges. Sadhus, sanyasis, devotees from all over the world were enjoying the calm, serene, soothing, exhilarating, and invigorating (I am short of adjectives!!!) atmosphere of this lovely place. DivX decided to hire a boat to familiarize me with the ghats of the city. The air was so revitalizing that I felt spellbound with this spiritual city. Every ghat has a narrative to tell, a story to boast of behind its name. One could see small inns and motels built alongside the ghat. The prices are exorbitantly high. So, you need to cough up large sums of money if you wish to stay on ghats. We came back after an hour or so. Now, we proceeded towards Ravindrapuri Colony, the abode of Chandu. Here we met; the colony had wide roads, to my surprise much wider than Benares standards. We moved towards BHU now.

Benares Hindu University or BHU is a majestic place in itself. Located in the heart of the city in an area so large, even I am not very sure of was a real eye retreat. The campus was clean and green with a plethora of buildings serving as colleges, hostels, hospitals, greenhouses, faculty residences etc. etc. Chandu took us on a visit to the Viswanath Temple located inside the campus. Unlike the original one, this was built in a much larger space. The temple was airy with inscriptions on walls all over the place.

We then moved towards the IP Mall. Before I could set my foot in, I believed that the mall ended. It was so small and so crowded that you will regret visiting this place. Well, I can say that I visited the most talked about hangout of Benares. Meanwhile I continued observing the crowd behaviour during the whole trip. The traffic was as unruly as you could ever imagine. People can takeover you from either side, so beware. The so called roads were very narrow that you feel like crying over your decision to buy a scooter or a car in the long run. Really a few years from now, the authorities will have to ban the movement of traffic on these roads or eventual anarchy would prevail on these roads. The city is torn in a struggle between modernity and primordial. You could always get a rural, rustic feel while moving on streets even in the evening.

In the evening, we made a trip to ‘Assi’ ghat. Chandu took me to the ‘Dasaswamedh’ ghat for the much admired and talked about ‘Ganga Arti’. The air was filled with the aroma of items burnt in the arti. Chanting of hymns coupled with the claps of onlookers made the whole scene more euphoric. ‘Sankat Mochan’ temple was next on my itinerary. This temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Unlike my last trip, there were very few monkeys to be seen this time. I could see the security measures being tightened in the wake of terror threats. The ‘prasad’ is very delicious here, mouth watering ‘ladoos’ and ‘pedas’. I never had an appetite to digest all this, but no I had to take a dinner at Chandu’s house. Well, the dinner was luscious and I enjoyed every bit of it. It was time to have a ‘paan’ and we went to some ‘Keshav Paan Bhandaar’. To be very honest, I had never eaten such a paan in my whole life span. It was so yummy that I ordered a second one. The betel leaf used was of ‘maghi’ variety. I even offered the panwallah to open a shop in Lucknow. He was ready, but was reluctant to open it in the heart of Lucknow, Hazratganj. I told him regarding the space constraint, but he was not in a mood to negotiate Hazratganj for anything.

The city is marred by the public apathy, more than that of the authorities. People fail to realise that they are privileged enough to be a part of this oldest inhabited city of the world. The city has got a culture which is inimitable and eternal. The people who come here to take a holy dip in the ‘Ganga’ are held together by a strand of faith which peeps out of their eyes. I beyond doubt felt mesmerized on the ghats of ‘Benares’. Needless to say about the history of this city, I would suggest rather recommend every travel freak to pay a visit to this numinous city still bound by faith, traditions and values which are immaculate for the subsistence of humanity.

2009-02-14T06:26:00.000-08:00

CS = A game regarded as the most vital ingredient of SMIT Hostel life. Engg lads breathe, eat, sleep, dream, defecate, smoke, drink, study and do every other thing which one could possibly imagine with this game. The nights would be spent in fixing bouts to prove supremacy of one team over the other. All I could reminisce about the game is two teams of soldiers fighting in some arena (artificial environment), bloody aimless running over an area of not more than 1 sq.km. They will hurl bullets over their opponents to enhance their tally of scores. Possibly, this game could be regarded to be a raison d'être for the debacle of many students in the college. Even, I knew a handful of guys who fanatically devoted their entire time in college to this spendthrift activity. A sharp decline in CGPA curve was a strong stricture to indicate that there was an exponential rise in your CS proficiency curve.

PANU = hmmm…. Do I need to state the meaning? Well I suppose the most important data stored in any SMITIAN’S hard disk. Enthusiasts would compete with each other to download recent and superior versions of ‘panu’ to satisfy their strong cravings of bachelorhood. The bytes of ‘panu’ stored on your hard disk were an imperative indication of your so called covetousness of the fairer sex. Well without ‘panu’ life would have been a reprimand for the budding engineers of SMIT.

PMC = Well, one of my favourite seniors called Umang bhaiya utilized most of his spare time at this spot. Piya Milan Chowk was a boon in disguise for all those lovebirds who wished to defy the dogmatic beliefs of our stagnating society which forbids any kind of association between members of opposite sex. PMC used to remain under a cover of darkness after dusk and one could hear diminutive noises of all sorts in and around this spot which often sent college authorities in frenzy. I really miss this roundabout very dearly now.

AMBO (UMBO) = Hey, even I am not very obvious of the connotation of this Nepali slang. Earlier used mostly by ‘chink’ guys, now catching rapidly with students of all backgrounds involved either in ‘G’ or CS. Most probably this word indicates surprise over something. An exclamatory remark.

FIRST VIEW = An acclaimed deception point which has been driving engineers fanatically over the study prospects in this “Switzerland of India”.

Popularly referred to as ‘dhokha point’ by the student community, this spot is a rage among the so called ‘going around’ pairs of the college. These pairs spend hours in solace here away from the scrutinizing college crowd clicking snaps as memorabilia for the years to come.

SMIT VOCABULARY.....

2009-02-03T05:34:00.000-08:00

During my college days, I came across several words which I never heard before or after my ‘golden days’. Here are a few words, I could recollect from my bucolic memory. I would also like to acknowledge all my dear friends, colleagues, associates etc. etc. to contribute to my frail vocabulary.
So, here goes the list……………

CHAAP = Tension, anxiety etc… {Origin: bangla-perhaps one of the sweetest languages on earth} e.g. Ki chaap!!! I may fail in this paper.

ATTENDANCE BACK = One of the possible ways of flunking in college where if your physical presence in class is less than the desired criteria(unexpectedly high—80%),you will be barred from appearing in semester examination, used as a tool by faculty members to disdain students if they deviated from customary practices.

OBH= Abode of old boys viz. senior students in college. A seven+1 storey structure resembled an ancient fortress with all modern amenities and facilities one could ever look for. The rooms were well furnished with attached toilets and requisite furniture.

NBH= Abode of new boys viz. junior students in college. Every first year student is supposed to spend nearly a year in this hostel. The hostel is fabulous and with equipped with all modern facilities.

G= The word is nefarious in meaning as well as nature. Ranging from a wide variety of meanings to places, it holds a different meaning for everyone. Well, in SMIT, G generally refers to g____a. I hope you all got it… A multivitamin, energy supplement ‘G’ was a necessity for the hardworking engg. lads. Those who thoroughly enjoyed it would have narratives to boast of such as, who was the best bong maker, who sucked the bong most efficiently etc. ‘G’ has its repercussions too. The college authorities banned it. The hostel authorities re banned it. Unfortunately, none of these measures could refrain budding engineers from having their fair share of ‘G’. Frequent surprise check by faculty members ensured that every time one or the other groups enjoying ‘g’ were caught, reprimanded and suspended for a week or so.

NIGHT OUT = Well, Sikkim has no night life, so there is absolutely no question of any night outs. It simply means that you will spend your entire night either playing time killing computer games, studying (only during exams) or in some other bloody endeavour of least significance. The hip hop crowd of the college generally indulged in this imprudent activity in order to separate themselves from the mainstream.
TG = When expanded, it refers to a faculty member expected to provide guidance and support to engineers of SMIT. Teacher guardian or TG generally meets you in the first semester for the very first and last time. Being a Lucknowite, I would say that the TG is “Id ka chaand” for the students.

MALL ROAD = Hey folks!!! Don’t get confused. I know everyone of you will aver that every hill station has a mall road, what’s innovative in it???
This mall road was different. The dexterous engineers who are destined to shape our nation’s future spend their leisure time with their beloved and sweethearts roaming aimlessly in the evenings. Perhaps the only place in the campus where you could survive the ennui of bloody Sikkim.The installed lights on the mall road ensured that romance saga remains under control.

NB: I have a sincere request for all the readers of my blog to suggest a few more words to make this list more exhaustive. I shall try to incorporate those words in my next blog.

Our darjeeling trip

2008-11-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

Located barely 41 kms away from my college,the place is among the best hill stations in the country.We all took a sigh of heavy relief after our last goddamn fucking sessional. A few of our friends decided not to come for the sake of attaining "nirvana" on the kailash of Old Boy's Hostel.
Mobile alarm rang again and it was time to wake up. The splash of water in the toilet breaks the melancholy of morning's silence in Sikkim.
It usually takes sometime to decide the right clothing for an occasion like this,My roomie reached late and he resembled a struggling press reporter in 'khadi' dressing. The road was narrow and steep. It seemed as if our taxi was surging ahead on the curls of a sleeping snake from its tail to its hood.The sight of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway(DHR) really enthused me beyond limits.The warm sunlight falling on our skins made us feel really good.The sight of beautiful Nepalese girls was an actual eye retreat.We were feeling hungry as a long journey had drained us of all our energies. We looked for a hotel to eat and discovered one near clock tower. The food was good as well as economical.

ah!!!it was time to catch our taxi and venturing into the heart of queen of hills"Darjeeling". A Tata sumo with just five people was really very spacious. HMI(Himalayan Mountaineering Institute) was our first sight. Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park accompanied the institute. Several south indians thronged inside the park. All of them were talking in some 'alien to me' language and were shivering with cold.These hardworking guys are really nasty tourists. The zoo was full of creatures in their so called natural habitats.Mayukh has a penchant for photography.Time and again,he clicked photos with fake demeanours of a photographer working for 'Animal Planet'.
HMI was in front of my eyes.I entered the portals of this great institute estd. in 1954, just an year after Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary climbed Mt.Everest. I could never understand the explanatory logic behind conquering 'mountains'.Do something productive yaar instead of rubbing your feet on the mountains.

...It was diwali and once again i was away from my home.i felt nostalgic but couldnot do anything...

Day 1 over..

Day 2...It's 5:20 a.m. in the morning,god!!somebody please lend me a blanket,i'm shivering.....i'm on Tiger Hills to have a view of the sunrise.so,now i have seen sunset in kanyakumari and standing here to see sunrise in darjeeling,my quest regarding the forces of nature is growing even strong.Chilling winter airs pierces me just like scorpion's sting.The whole city is visible from this hill top.The glowing light bulbs in the city resemble a sparkling gem in bride's ornaments.A view of the clouds stuck in the valley looked as if they were stuck there because of a dragging vacuum mechanism....Oops!!did i sounded like an engineer????

There are two types of engineers in our country:

a.Engineers by choice

b.Engineers by chance

I belong to the second cateogry.Don't ask me why??

Knchenjunga clad in snow looks like a strong guard of the country.Wish i could capture a cool breeze of fresh air and take it back to my hometown!!People thronged the palce in large numbers.We drank coffee to keep ourselves warm,atleast the shivering got over!!hey!!a thin gleam of light was coming from the horizon,the big moment was about to arrive in no time.

I could see the whole road through which we came.This reminds me of an ant's trail to reach its destination.Snow on the mountains is glistening like gold.The first rays of light from the sun on the mountain top made it look like a large cake with a cherry topping on tip.The foreigner standing besides me wanted to know my credentials,if i was a reporter or a writer??I told them that i was just a student scribbling my feelings on looking at such a magnificient beauty.

ATTENTION!!!The photography session begins now.Chandu and Mayukh took charge and clicked till their fingers started aching.The next in the itinerary comes The japanese temple and Ghoom Monastery.

The ghoom monastery was nothing gr8888!!But,Japanese temple was beyond my imagination calm and serene.You could spend hours here without getting bored.The sunlight came through a row of pine trees, filtered and warm.The silence is overwhelming,even a pin drop or clutter of clinking metals could disturb the serenity of the place.The japanese temple was carved out of wood.We went upstairs,it was a large hall with the photo of founder"Guruji".A few noodle packets were kept in front of his photograph,ohh!!my god,do japanese people make their god also eat the same crap???A man was mopping the floor.I couldn't control my curiosity and enquired about the packets.He told me it was ment for disciples to eat.He told us about the prayer technique,timings and prayer 'mantra'.He told us that world peace was the primary aim of Buddhism.If u live in peace,the world will be peaceful,i think these teachings take a backseat in the modern world where people mind others affairs more than their own,well anyways,we listened to him in great details.Though,i love rock music more than myself,still i was awestruck by the silence of the place.

last part of journey!!!to be contd..........