West meets the East or the vice versa!! (Part 1)

India is a place of mystery for any foreigner every visit brings out something that they never expected they have never seen before! And if they are on their maiden trip to INDIA then it as fascinating as seeing a flying comet and they are more often 'Awe' struck with anything as small as vegetarian food!
For my luck I have been the official guide and take around guy for the foreign colleagues of mine.. While in petronas it was the Italians and the Malaysians! And now it the Scandinavian friends the Swedish speaking Finnish friends !! (Something that I learnt new).
I will restrict my ordeal with the Finnish this time around!! Especially since I was just out of a time out with my friends who were as usual taking my case point out how easily that I digress from the topic of discussion!! Oops there again I did it!!
The first of my interaction was with a fairly young guy!! The son of CEO.. As usual my perception was 'lucky brat' not here on merit! But apparently he knew what he was talking about!! He had been up the ladder the rightful way! Yeah whatever.. I am not blogging about his capability! He from the little interaction i had did look like someone with action unlike the big shots I have come across in the short career! Anyways we were on our way to Taj Mahal!! The crown we Indians like to show off to the world!! It was peak summer.. Yeah when you are talking to a Finn! Oh they have no idea about summer.. For them the summer is pleasant!! 23 - 24•C and that's when the sun is out and short clothes out and people are enjoying their time out!! But in India no no no!! Summers are dreadful!! 48•C it's crazy hot!! It's baking hot!! We were in our most comfortable outfits possible! Shorts and linen shirts! And while we were at leisurely moving along the country side we were to witness the India exactly as it would be in a first worlder - the land of snake charmers!! Yes we had the cobra dancing to the charmers awfully painful-to-the-ear music (rather noise) ironically most snakes are deaf luck them!! But it was definitely moving in a pattern probably the vibrations! Anyways this probably made my friends day.. Rather his trip!! He saw the 'real' india as per the perceptions he had.. The land of snake charmers! Anyways he saw it!! He would probably have stories to tell back home about his eventful India trip! Anyways there we were in front of the Taj! Really amazing sight it was my second visit, the first barely able to recollect would have not believed my dad if not for the photo so yes there we were in front of the Taj Mahal! The wonder India has to offer to the world!!
The epitome of love! The saying 'till death do us apart' symbolizes here.. Anyways as we walked in to the ticket counter and there I was kinda confused.. For foreigners it was 750/- per head and Indians it was just 15/- per head (around that I don't exactly remember, all that I clearly remember was that it was strikingly cheap!) anyways to my surprise he had an explanation- if we have the money to travel from a different country probably we are better off to pay a little extra for keeping it clean and spotless! There you go like I said he did look intelligent and now he is logical as well! While we went about exploring the beautiful Taj we were constantly surprised by the guide who was narrating instances from the emperor's era as if he was there!! It was amazing to see the conviction with which he was narrating! It was amazing, my colleague and I joked wondering if we salesmen could talk to our customers with such conviction! Anyways on our way back, now that we had established a rapport it was a interesting drive back talking about incidents and funny stories and out came the truth! He was in a Live in with his girl friend, he is merely engaged, he is a to-be father! The expectation that in India where men, grown up 25 - 27 year old men stay home with parents till they married and sometimes even after that! So he had assumed if he had told the truth about the equation he shares with his fiancé (now) it would have been a cultural shock for us Indians! Yes if he was talking to my mom I bet she would have collapsed! I still remember her jaw dropping when I told her that the gang with whom i was going to goa included 3 girls! She said 'you will not stay in the same room as them is that understood!' I didn't but yeah imagine she hearing about this and top of it if she knew they were expecting a baby she would have probably snapped! Anyways it was me! And I was instead wishing damn!! I had such progressive women in India who wouldn't want to marry the moment you kiss them! Or rather will only kiss if you promised that you will marry her.. What if she is a horrible kisser?? Kidding I bet she would be most often cheated into kissing some ass! And then she becomes even more guarded! It's a chain reaction and I bet the western world did go through this cycle before it became boring and mundane and opened up!
So there you go something to chew on about the contrasting lifestyles of western and the eastern world!!
End of part 1

Life in a Metro... Chapter 4

Delhi...
The national capital.. The crime capital.. A city which had more Beemers and Mercs than taxis or autos! the most common phrase - "Ho jayega JI "  so respectful in there language and so loving in their interactions. Delhi is often referred to as city of show offs.. yes indeed there is show off but when you can afford it why not? Money flows in Delhi (by delhi i mean NCR) and it flows in style no doubt about it! I wonder at times where does this money come from? Land some say.. corruption some others.. but nevertheless money is in plenty.. it very easy to get carried away and spend the money you don't have!
Delhi weather is of extremes.. in the summer the heat gets to your head.. and you will see fights on the road for something as small a hairline scratch on the bumper..  thinks get out of hand when power goes off! the heat is quite unbearable.. i have heard the winters are too.. had just a glimpse of it in 2010 when i had come for Auto Expo.. and during my brother's wedding the same year in December.
hoping this time it would be fun .. thank to my great abode.. with a massive balcony.. where we can have all the bon-fire and sit around and sip our drinks!!!
Delhi, its been just 7 months, so quite early to make my conclusion so it won't be the conclusion about Delhi but definitely my opinions.. which if you may ask me on a later date, it might have changed.. or worsened!
I have my best friends from my pune days  here in delhi! so life is awesome over the weekends.. 
Beautiful roads.. nice plush green after the first rains.. delhi has its own beauty. Talking about beauty.. yes best looking girls, atleast well dressed giving a good fight to pune in this regard.
especially around the location of my house.. gk the crowd is notch higher and definitely well dressed!

Moving on.. one of the craziest incident happened to me the day it rained for the first time after the really hot summer. it was a friday evening.. as usual i was enjoying my drive back from office to home in the rain.. its just a beautiful feeling! anyways i was really close to my home when it started raining heavily.. since it was the first rain people were standing under the trees, bridges etc. to save themselves from being drenched... i saw a middle aged couple struggling to find an auto, as they were out for their evening walk, assuming they wanted a ride i decided to stop and ask if i could drop them, i used to do the same when i was in bombay and many a times have dropped people to their destination which was not on my way back home. Assuming the same kinda response (a smile and thank you) i asked the question to the gentleman waiting. 'sir can i drop you somewhere?' but to my surprise i got a response which was stunning.. the lady and guy looked at me in such a disgusting manner as if i had asked the guy if i could sleep with his wife.. for a couple of minutes i expected they will change the expression and say 'no thank you!'but they kept looking at me and finally the lady gave smirk and there i had it, i just left deciding in my mind never to offer help, but later i did understand after i could calm myself down that its delhi.. people suspect you to  be a rapist first, then a burglar, then a brainless ass, a politician's son, a rich spoiled brat and after this you if you still continue to be nice they might think you are mad! It's not wrong to have such a perception it can be misleading at times but when it comes to Delhi it might be more often right than wrong!
CWG was famous for its corruption but i had the chance to see and play in one of the facility and see a few others, trust me we needn't be ashamed. its world-class but yeah what could have been done in 50 was done in 50000 so yes tax payer's money did go into the wrong hands. but at least they didn't compromise on the infrastructure. anyways thanks to delhi i got back to playing badminton!! something which i loved while in pune! That too playing in international standard courts!
Coming into Delhi changed a lot of things for me personally and professionally.. celeb parties... stand up comedy events... hauz khaz village.. India gate... big wide roads.. chandi chowk... kareem's @ juma masjid.. beer breweries pubs.. Delhi has its charms and yes it may have its flaws as well.. but after all there might be some truth in the common phrase.. 'dilwalon ki dilli'! hoping to have more experiences!! :)

How i forgot to breathe.. n blink... while looking at you!!!!

Most often words ‘romance’, ‘blush’ are associated with girls... women... ladies... but somehow we men do all crazy stuff and we blush too... we also feel like making it special for that special someone... But somehow the male complex ego steps in to remind the first line of this blog... “associated with girls...” now you don’t want to be termed swaying in that direction... and obviously manly , rugged outlook fares better with women also... so there you go an already complex situation just swirled a couple of more loops!

Women want their men to be rugged and ‘manly’ - defined as “with qualities thought to befit a man”, now please tell who thought of this... and what are the freaking qualities that befit me best? If we get too romantic, we get too clingy or we get too cheesy, ewew!!! And when we be all manly then ‘why are you so insensitive! You don’t care!’ I really don’t know!

All I know is that I want to romance the way I want without being judged. Or frankly I don’t care if I am judged.

I want to take that plunge! I want to chat endlessly about things that rarely matter to anyone... I want to hold hands and stare at the sea for hours... I want to go on the long bike ride with someone talking into my ear about stuff that may not be life changing but if said while she is clutching my shoulders or my waist and her warm breath gushing in my ear, will definitely change mine! I want to write (with the help of Microsoft word dictionary) a rhyming poem and gift her. I want to put in effort and time and make a gift that means a lot in value and gift her… I want to lie down on her lap and get my hair caressed… I want to dance in the rain with her at the Worli sea face… I want to her wet hair splashing rain drops on my face… I want her hair slip right between my fingers while she turns and twitters looking deep into my eyes… I want to make her swing on the swing in the children’s park till her heart skips a beat and she feels the tears of joy trickle down her cheek while it wakes up the child in her… I want to surprise her when she least expects it… I want to fly many a kilometers to her doorstep when she feels lonely even in the middle of the night or may be a middle of career changing deal somehow I feel that career may not be worth what I might lose – that few minutes with her when she wanted me the most! I want to share my smallest failure to my biggest success and my smallest success and biggest failure with her and feel elated or light at heart! I want to do stupidest and craziest things to convince her how much I love her… enact and rehearse those stupid things through the night to perfect it next day and while doing so always enacting a happy ending, perhaps play in some rahman melody in the background to perfect the mood… Get lost in her eyes so much so that I forget to breath and her touch revives my senses… I want to love her so much so that she skips a beat when she feels my love… just like how I freeze in time when I know that she loves me too… just like how I forget to breathe… or blink while looking at you…

I want yell my heart out but somehow something pulls me back from Romancing ‘love’… the love of my life…

Love is a beautiful feeling, its blissful… it’s like the fresh green look just after a rain… it’s like that beautiful orange sun rise on a winter morning… it’s like that sip of coffee on the veranda on a rainy Sunday afternoon… it’s like the rehydrating feeling that drop of cold water brings right from your lips through your tongue down your food pipe all the way to your stomach making your subconscious mind spill out ‘aaa ha’… it’s like that little chuckle of a new born when he sees something he likes…

Its love... it’s like everything that’s wonderful!

Rise in love (© Taal movie) cause its divine and its up above!

Life in a Metro... Chapter 3

 

Chapter 3..
Salaam Mumbai! first stint at staying on your own, paying rent, cooking and all this after struggling to work from 9 am to god knows when, usually 11pm and sometimes even 2 am. I was pretty sure i wanted to stay alone, didn't want to share with strangers and obviously a girl friend in my life also demanded a little bit of privacy! (blush blush.. soon turned to flush flush though! :p) anyways after a 6 month stint living alone i guess the rent was overburdening me and to my luck my close friend from coimbatore chapter... Tushar Chhapia came in from nowhere (actually not nowhere from another part of town only) to put some life in my abode. With him and other friends from Coimbatore mumbai was a different place altogether. Bike ride (to start with) to marine drive, meeting and dinning in crystal for their famous 'aam rass' and 'phulka roti' and trips to Regal Cinema, Sterling Cinema, Eros Cinema, Metro Adlabs, and to Mohd. Ali road during ramzan! Mahalaksmi race course during India's only derby! Mixed fruit cream at Haji Ali Juice center! Siddhi Vinayak Temple and Mahalakshmi Temple on Sunday Morning post which some awesome non-veg brunch at monde cafe or leopold cafe! then desert at theobroma! oh god! mouth waters even now!!
Clicking pictures from the Mahalakshmi bridge of the white white Dhobi Ghat! panorama clicks of the queeen's necklace, getting really great deals for electronic stuff from lamington road! Going to crawford market to bargain your heart out (never could but was interesting to see nevertheless).
"Govinda aala re aala zara matki sambhaal bichua"!! festive season the best enjoyed by the marathi manoos! i guess i should say mumbaikar!! with the rains in the air and competitive spirits in getting the tallest man pyramid! (i couldn't remember the colloquial term) and procession and dance, life which sees the maximum tension and pressure like no other city but somehow during the festive times they just seem to forget everything and enjoy! Then comes Ganapathi!! lalbaugcha raja!! various ganesh pandhaals and then comes visarjan after 21 days! a day when mumbai is inaccessible and proudly so!
A very few know the 'sort of private' beach at worli which is quite deserted and is so calming to spent a few minutes or if lucky may be an hour or so.. very soothing to hear the sea and then see the worli sea link all lit up, a beautiful sight.. sometimes to top it off i usually take family helping of Baskin & Robins and while away some time.. Sometimes did have company and sometimes wooed some company! and sometimes me and my tanhaai!
Work wise life was awesome.. great boss who mentored me and set my professional life to a trajectory that was upwards!
Life is most complicated in bombay, hours spent on the road traveling or a faster and more adventurous  means called the locals to reach office and back home, living in a pigeon hole, busting your stress on friday and saturday nights and finding time for family and friends after all this! that was life in Bombay! and yes spot some celebrity at bandra carter road or if not slurrp on really hot chicks in short dresses!
Life ki choti choti khushiyaan powerpacked in a small congested city rather metro called Mumbai!
Aamchi mumbai really solid mumbai!...

to be continued...

Life in a Metro .... Chapter 2

Chapter 2...

Pune, the oxford of the east! from a highly restrictive and conservative South Indian city to a wham baam! thank you ma'am! fast paced, young, vivid, colourful and vibrant Pune!! oh! yeah! it was a wake up call! A student who spent a mere 50K in 4 years including mess fees while in Coimbatore, my dad was in for a shock when i first called him in 5 months after wiping clean the bank account which had 75k at the start and when all my mess and books were paid for! he got a shock of his life .. a very little clue did he have that his son is spoiled and has changed himself to a spendthrift who had no value for money! i had taken a plunge a downward spiral! good thing was i had company! Life in Pune was fun! too much fun in fact! Road trips to Mahabaleswar, Matheran, Lonavla, Mumbai and what not! Life was spent on the bike and yes had a beautiful company to make it a really nice experience. 2 years went by with a memorable t20 World cup final in the auditorium and with out doubt the loudest man in that audi! many a cricket matches with seniors and splendid bowling spells and some really bad days on the field. Many management games and presentations! Winning the Deloitte competition working with extended hours outside the hostel, only to spent time with a girl when all work could have been done in the boys hostel but no.. take special permission and sit under girls hostel and while away time. Being part of the Placement Assistance Team making a lot of batch mates really jealous of that fact, bunking classes on the pretext of placement, eating 1 full Medium Sized Cheese Burst pizza + a portion of garlic bread on my own with my best bud for company! Placement parties and placement fights life was really adventurous and coming to class for presentations only and when you know no head and tail of what you were speaking! still putting up a confident face! life was different back then! Having the famous Cad B was more important than staying fit, playing badminton had altogether a different intention especially when the court was right in the middle of girls hostel! Priorities were different and choices were different! May be not as eventful but yeah full of life.
In Pune i was exposed to a wide variety of people north south east and west, though i did get a glimpse of this back in Coimbatore as well this was different, this was more crude, more raw and yes put to practice the long lost handwriting and behavioral analysis and to my surprise i was good at it and did increase my popularity. I did see the worst of fights, worst of politics and worst of exploitation! oh yes i did see the best of people as well and have till date my best friends thanks to this era of my life! Talking about era brings me to PINK FLOYD! Def Leppard! Queen! & GNR (though heard a before but never before was fully into it) in other words classic rock struck me! Nights spent sitting on the balcony with Pink Floyd playing in the back ground looking at the beautiful Pune Night sky, no targets no reports and no stress but just plain classic music and me! life was blissfully beautiful.
Another exposure was the time of multiplexes and free pricing of movie tickets. From fixed balcony rates and a mere Rs 50 / ticket at the most premium cinema halls back home to Rs. 225 / ticket for the worst movie ever (Om Shanti Om) and that too for second row from screen @ E-Square symbi's own backyard cineplex.
So from a action filled life losely tied around spending my dad's money, to paying that same money for stupid ass movies and countless dining outside the mess and those milion countless CAD-B's! it was time to move on the commercial capital of India.. Mumbai here i come..

to be continued...

Life in a Metro .. Chapter 1

For the past 9 years i have been living away from home! and from little 2nd tier cities of Coimbatore to Oxford of east Pune to king of Metros - Bombay and now Delhi..

life has been quite different in each of these cities.. some dreams.. some great memories.. some romantic moments.. some lustful moments.. some adventurous moments.. it was nothing short of excitement. Life as it was... my life in a metro..

Chapter 1..

Coimbatore had a lot of interesting encounters.. struggling in a beautiful abode under the Nilgiris! One of the most beautiful location to have college.. and the irony was most romantic location to have girls and boys under one roof... but the moment you talk to one another, sit and sip a coffee you were under the radar... but like every other restrictions didn't stop any of us from rubbing the authorities the wrong way..

Weekend movie at Apsara theater, a zillion bike rides on friend's bikes to palaghat to have those yummy biriyani's at the noorjahan hotel, catch some Mohanlal movie at paradise cineplex the train journey's with out ticket to Coimbatore and dodging the TC at the station and running to delhi dhabba to have the most yummy aloo ke parate, having chicken at he Cuckoo ra koo and loitering around R S Puram to check out hot chicks from GRD and PSG. Bus rides and train rides to home and getting coffee and food for my friends back in hostel. The Trip to Goa oh! my god that was indeed the highlight with all my friends except one (that ass had a pain in the butt girl friend), Dil Chahta Hain poses.. bike rides, water rides, the dance (imitating 'main aise kyon hoon' from lakshya) and cooking back in our bunk! Freakish Bike Accident! oh that eventful trip to Goa!
Another eventful trip to our backyard called Ooty! that was fun too with crazy drunken dancing, acts which may be on the verge of being called inappropriate in more than one way!! and probably i was the only one not in those videos as i was busy capturing the same on camera!! anyways crazy trek and chess games and escapade to the cremation ground down the hill from our resort. it was funny as there were 6 of us 4 really drunk, 1 busy talking to his new girl friend (drunk in other words) and then me who was shitting in his pants trying to cook up a conversation with a ghost if i encounter and probably convince him / her to let me off and take the rest!!
Coimbatore went by in a flash with a few encounters of the heart and a few encounters with the wrong people and a few encounters with the faculty and a few encounters with the unknown and the relation with non -veg food started here!

to be continued...

God is a women and she is in love with me!

Spirit is something which is irreplaceable and most often under rated! I have a medical theory linked to cheering your team during a game! I personally feel cheering does help.. Yes players do get distracted by the pretty, barely dressed women dancing their way to glory (I am talking about NFL, NBA etc not our lost souls in the IPL) that got me thinking that cheering / motivating does really helps, quite contrary to my beliefs till very recently!
So coming back to my theory.. We all are pretty aware that brain is the super computer that handles / manages the body and it's vital parts! Senses are decoded and acted upon, reacted upon by the brain which sends signal through its nervous system. And we are all aware that white blood cells are the ones which fight foreign bodies and help us survive illness.
Now assume white blood cells as the army that fights the enemies! And my theory assumes that these white blood cells can fend off almost anything if cheered and motivated. And that cheering / motivation comes from the 'spirit' I was referring to!
A person suffering from terminal cancer diagnosed only in the final stage at the age of 26, today he is 44 - talking walking playing teaching and laughing! He is single and when asked he always says 'god is a women and she is in love with me and didn't want to share me and I am sure I will not die soon as she is still not loved me enough!'
I really think 'god is a women and is in deeply love with that guy'

Mom, dad, brother and me!

Yeah one big (big in terms of the size of people!! Including me all well above their limits) happy family!! Probably it's the same story everywhere but I like to believe mine is as unique as it can get - a supercool dad with whom u can discuss your first love, a conservative but protective mom who protects you from the blazing rage of an angry dad (at times when you are wrong), a brother who fights with you to decide who bats first and at times teams up with you to get permission for a movie during exam time!
So yes I do have a unique and loving family which may be very envious to a lot of people in the world!
Today i sit out in the open, with cool wind in my hair! Enjoying the lovely weather of my beautiful hometown of Kochi! Sadly out in open is outside the multi-specialty hospital! Dad had a cerebral hemmarage a couple of days back! He is out of danger and is recovering well and is out of the ICU as well. If not reached in time could have culminated in paralytic stroke! God at times gives people enormous amount strength and courage which is usually absent or is assumed absent! That's what happened to my mother and that's what saved my dad! Both my brother and I don't stay in kochi! It was all mom and god! She handled it the best way possible! Anyways what this did (I assume may be too early) is that it brought close a pack of cards which was lying scattered - career, wife kids and health and spirituality and all that creeps in to push each other out and struggle for complete dominance! Seldom we realize that all this can go hand in hand! But if we knew life would have been so boring!
Relationships are something which one needs to work upon ('cliché' I know) but what we forget is we can work with it as well! One's gain may not necessarily mean other's loss!
A son suddenly becomes not just a son, or just a brother or just a husband! He becomes all of them and then starts the fun!
A son becomes a crawling kid, a rebellious teenager, a spendthrift working bachelor!
A caring parent, an over interfering parent, a paranoid parent, an expecting parent!
Sometimes it feels an overtly overwhelming complication that needs to be tackled! (surprising that I am phrasing it with words like tackle and complication! Words that are scripted by the brain though would prefer those from the heart for a subject like this one!) and tackled rightly giving due importance and priority!
I don't think a set rule or a golden rule will suffice as there is none right now! Probably one gets better at this as he lives his life and learns to behave or develops a behavior. Hence I believe behavior is an art and it's no science!
An art that paints a beautiful picture that calls itself life in which dad, mom, brother and me are happy at each of our last scene!
:)

Pick up lines are overrated!

More than a zillion times I have rehearsed many wonderful (in my head atleast) pick up lines. in my cases its more often pick up paragraphs! recently i was in a very popular stores in GK-2  (24/7) to buy some eateries and there stood a very beautiful girl at the counter! in my hand was a pack Bournvita Lil Champs (yeah! yeah! i know its for kids.. i was impressed by the ad so picked it up out curiosity to just get the feel of the pack!) anyways.. immediately a really nice approach struck me! (for those who haven't seen the ad here is the link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26W_seEWd7w ) lil champs talks about the growth of brain within the first 4 - 5 years and thats why bournvita lil champs is important! anyways.. the pick para was as follows : - " hi! der! just wanted to confirm if you have seen the new bournvita lil champs ad! cos if you haven't you may not have realized why am i taking this pack! it says brain is developed within the age of 4-5! and i guess mine didn't cos i really cannot work my brain to cook up an interesting conversation with you to convince you to have a coffee with me! so i decided to pick up a pack and see if it improves! i mean my brain! and see.. just picked up the pack and i am here explaining it to you but boring you to death! "
seemed like a nice para! but by the time i rephrased and rehearsed and became confident .. no trace of her in the store! damn it!
anyways. i have always wondered why is it hard for me to take that final plunge and see if these cheesy lines are actually something that works!
so then do they actually work? the whole concept of first impression is critical and how is it that a nice pick up line(the phrase pick up line itself is sooooo cheesy and demeaning) going to work for you?
i guess these days the women are more mature and smart to identify the threats of what happens after the pick up line! and i guess it is more assumed that those approaching with these cheesy lines are infact better stayed away from!
so obviously these line are overrated! so no love lost that i couldn't work up a good pick up para in time!
:)

Less wrong or more wrong!

How many times have you been in a situation when 2 close friends of your are in a fight about who among them is more wrong and less wrong? And suddenly they turn towards you expecting a judgement from the arguments they just laid down? "Ooops! Me? I have to tell you?" god damn it! This is a tricky situation when you know both are right on the point that the other person is wrong and both are wrong on the point that they are less wrong! And therefore right!
I have always been criticized of being too black and too white with no grey!
And therefore the expectation is that I have a judgement but what is not understood is that the judgement i have is not what they expect whether 1st guy is less wrong or 2nd guy is less wrong because for me those words are grey! (less wrong n more wrong) For me they both are wrong! The dilemma comes in when you realize the fact that magnitude of the action is the parameter! Then? Then what? If one person can accept the others mistake does that make his (other guy who has been forgiven) mistake lesser in magnitude? Does that make it less wrong?
For example in this age what our older generations call as 'kalyug' cheating has become a common thing. And we all know its wrong, the other day in 'satyameva jayathe' they were talking about domestic violence and we also know that it's wrong. Now lets assume a situation where the wife cheats on the husband and husband finds out and he beats her up! Now tell me who is more wrong and who is less wrong?
Morally the biggest argument is she cheated and she deserved what she got! But she is a weaker being and the fact she can't defend herself doesn't give you the right to beat her up!
In India since we have been skewed in our judgments as we were a male dominant society with a deep rooted connection to our conscience would automatically come to the conclusion that the female is wrong and her action led to the males mistake! (not wrong but mistake see the difference in perception) and deep down I second it! Probably my conservatism is to be blamed here! But then I would like to stick to my black n white theory is telling me to treat the both independently but can you since both are interconnected!
It's easy to say "keep it simple, silly" when life is god damn complicated as it is.. Rarely we can!

Glimpses of romance!!

It's been 9 yrs, 2 months and 17 days since the first time I fell in love.. Sitting on the couch in her house waiting to meet her and give her the heart shaped pebble I snatched from my brother.. It was her birthday and I was invited for a small birthday party the last one for her in school! Hosting it upstairs she came down to greet us (my best friend accompanied me for moral support) and there I fell in love with her.. Incidently i had propsed to her more than a year back, i probably was infatuated then but it was clearly this particular day that spun my head and i fell head over heels! In a pretty black Indian attire.. Smiling and hair combed side ways.. She came from the front door.. I tried to get up but slipped and fell back on the couch.. She looked stunning.. I had to leave soon since I had classes to attend.. Don't burst out when I say IIT coaching.. Yeah yes I did! But those 15 - 20 minutes (thanks to the ever studious and righteous friend of mine.. Who was eager on the classes..) were cherished even after these many years.. My first instance of falling in love!!
Very soon she is getting married.. And I will be in a different continent! No hard feelings.. Because I fell in love again and many a times too.. I just hope she did and is marrying him! God bless her!!
Then came Onam festival .. Final year of college and the mallu's in our traditional attire.. There she walked in to the class.. No that she had me aw! Struck it was more of developed or a triggered feeling.. Scanning through the photos with friends back in the hostel room.. Comments and remarks on a photo of mine with her triggered that nice feeling.. Yes there I go again through that whirlpool of happy and blushy feelings.. Still do look at that photo sometimes not for love but for those comments and the fun moments with friends! Not a moment of love probably but did have a good feeling which i spoiled by proposing her after a fullfledged brainwashing done by my friends. But even today feel good about those days.. She ain't getting married but nah! Not going that road again!
Last year of college.. Engineering.. Busy preparing for final project, final placements, MBA exams.. And the college fest.. Dept. fest!! Bunking classes and sitting in the Audi for other department's events.. She came on the stage, knew her all along and had spoken to her a several times as well.. No bells were rung till that day! She stepped up and sang one of my favourite malayalam songs and My heart had already launched itself and was free falling from way above.. For that 4 and 1/2 minutes or so I fell in love with her several times! and there we go again.. Even today when I hear that song I fall in love with her all over again! But she is married and has kids and frankly don't even know where she is!!
Then came my longest colorful days being in love.. Was already dating this girl for probably a couple of months! Seniors were hosting a party in the most happening joints in Pune 'Arthur's theme' food and food and food all over.. Pretty seniors high on alcohol and asking for a dance.. Suddenly I was missing her... Never felt like that before.. Told my best friend to cover for sped back in my bike all the way back to campus to be greeted by a tight hug and kiss on the cheek (no smooches in public please) and yeah this time free falling from the land of cryptonite or the seventh heaven.. Everything else had become so small as a dot and it was just her! I was in love.. so was she.. !
A few months later.. probably an year had passed.. Was strollig with her outside my canteen and had a call to attend.. It was from home.. While talking she sat down on the small parapet guarding the plants.. She sat down on a plant and jumped up immediately to look what it was.. Realizing it was a plant.. She caressed it and then she caressed all the plants wished them good night and gave them all kisses.. Even today that thought makes me fall back in love with her to that extent that sometimes I end up calling her.. (not this time) on phone I told my mom I got to go cause I had to hug her! Probably the most striking romantic moment of my life.. Today she is found her true love and moved on.. Sad at times but happy mostly now! Could have been different!
After all that I still had an fickle heart all geared up for a roller coaster ride!
This incident does not involve me.. This is my brother and bhabi helping me get that ticket for a roller coaster ride.. Giving hope! My brother had shifted to Bombay and bhabi was still in delhi for more than 2 weeks and desperate to meet each other.. Me being the designate chauffeur as is the case always ( I like it though) was with bhabi all the way from delhi.. And it was late evening that Saturday we were planning to meet my bro close to there new apartment in powai. He was waiting for us for more than an hour and we were stuck in the famous and notorious mumbai traffic! Finally we entered powai and see him standing on the foot path, I park the car and bhabi steps out and runs (exaggerated) but yeah her eagerness was evident in the way she went to him.. And they hugged in the middle of the hiranandani market, they hugged so tight and for long it was like- the only thing missing was flowers falling from heaven! It's a very interesting love story and marriage that they have probably write another blog on that on a later date! Yeah seeing them and that day.. I feel it is worth buying the ticket and taking that ride!l over n over again!
The latest one happened very recently..
I was back in Bombay for a week and had planned to meet a friend (to start with) that entire week and probably deep down was expecting something would happen.. Don't actually know.. Day 1 I ditched her since I had to be with my brother and we were having late dinner and had to drop a few friends of his back home! Anyways day 2 met her at around 8:00 in the evening and spent a wonderful evening.. Night.. Late night.. Early morning.. With her on the most romantic location in Bombay - Marine drive! Nothing triggered then.. Come day 3 met her and there she was in a red dress! By then the virus was spreading and had eaten up my senses to an extent! Anyways spent a great time enjoying some ice cream, rating men & women passing by and then playing a game that triggered that feeling back again.. Sat down on the front seat of that scariest roller coaster without seat belts! It was official we were seeing each other.. So from meeting a friend to being with your 'more than a friend' ! The eventful day 2 had to be ended soon as I had promised my brother for dinner again! Took a taxi and went to drop her.. Spoke a lot and blushed a lot.. And got out to open the door for her but she had already stepped out .. Stood there at an arms length from each other and she smiled and blushed, me too! After that moment. I said bye! And gave her a side hug and got back in to my car, as the car was reversing I popped my head out and looked at her.. She was smiling still so was I.. Something inside me said "get out and just hug her!" The roller coaster had taken off! But the sane or the probably stupid version of me refrained me from doing so thinking 'Arrey she would think you are a despo' and I just looked at her and smiled! Probably a reason that this roller coaster derailed! Anyways today I am as far as i can be from the ticket counter! But leaning towards it! And she is probably somewhere else reading this right now! (caught u!)
Anyways glimpses of my romantic side has been very colorful! And probably the next roller coaster rides me all my life!

The weaker sex!

Lately I have realized that the smiling face is the prettiest face of a person! This is my experience speaking.. Obviously not talking about myself.. But lately the number of photos I have been seeing .. Thanks to the arranged marriage concept! Going through a zillions profiles on keralamatrimony.com I have realized a smiling face takes off several negatives out of one's face.. Probably because the smile is a very refreshing site and one tends to look at it than a frown!!
Obviously if you have really bad teeth to showcase then probably a closed smile would be better.. I mean the lips should be touching.. The upper and lower not with somebody else's! Anyways the irony in my case is these smiling faces I am looking at would probably be the reason for me not have a smile on mine! I know very pessimistic! But then I wonder why is der so many such forwards about the man suffering in a relationship? Why movies like pyaar punchnama become a hit with every guy coming feeling 'ghosh! That's my story?' girls probably have to take these signs seriously! Or else there will be an uprising just like how you women folks have got 33% reservation! The men will uprise and back a 100 years! Funny part is The whole idea of men and women are equal goes for a toss when women folk themselves fight for 33% extra? Ironic isn't it? I am not saying women folks shouldn't be given that.. I am just saying men were never given anything extra we took it (not right I agree) but we took it primarily because you let us, we didn't want reservations. In western countries probably the women were oppressed by the church as per what a lot of rebellion books suggest but haven't they come out and earned a place for themselves more respectfully! I am not saying you shouldn't have reservations but don't you all feel it's a better way earn it on your own merit?
This tag of being a weaker sex out of the two.. This is something I never accepted.. Yeah go ahead call me an MCP but the fact is women folks are not weak in fact if you look at it neither physically nor mentally (emotionally) we are strong.. Physically one on one kick between our legs even the great Khali will fall! Emotionally don't even get me started on it.. So then why this tag? I shouldn't be complaining nor should I be taking this fight on which I am pretty sure that may not turn out good for me.. But why is that the women folk tend to play this card? Is playing this card what makes them strong? Gone are those days when the wife is ill treated (may be happening in interiors as per amir khan's new show)! But from 95 out of 100 cases it has definitely come down to 15 - 20 out of 100! In fact there has been instances where the women have falsely accused of ill treatment to force money / property out of the guy ! Yeah yeah you might be thinking why am I going out right against women. I am not! I am just saying exceptions today should not be considered as rules and we should probably look at this as a period were we are equals and not weaker or stronger!
Coming back to being the independent one, it is a common scenario in the urban populations today! Is it the education that makes them independent or stress and lack of time of the male counterpart that forces them to be independent. Isn't it something worth discussing about?
I always believe in a quote - 'need is the mother of all inventions' slightly tweak it 'need is the mother of all revolution' yeah! need to be free lead to struggle for independence, need for touch and feel lead to touch phones! Need for speed got you the supersonic plane and need for safety got that project shelved! And similarly the need to sustain a family in the expensive urban lifestyle forced the women to come out. One may disagree but the truth I believe is that! Lifestyle of westerners are really expensive and therefore it becomes the need of the hour! And that forced them toncome out very early. I quite believe this is just one angle to this argument of why haven't the women broken her shackles may be education is a vital portion that empowers the girl in the urban outfit to be independent but then again somebody set the ball rolling by educating their daughter and empowering her which became a revolution similarly it may take some time before we figure out the same and somebody revolutionizes the rural outfit! But till then we fight on!
But I suggest we do our bit, educate the kids join save the children, Balraksha bharat, sishu seva, Protshahan, being human, Akanksha, teach for india! Let's empower the girl child! And in the struggle also not to forget the boy child, we can't afford another revolution to emancipate the boy child!
Jai hind

World culture!!!

Disclaimer : this is not to offend / hurt / insult any person any religion or any country.. This purely my point of view and everyone has the right to disagree to what I feel just like I have the right to express my views..!

I was in Bangkok recently (yeah yeah I know you might be thinking why the hell am I writing about world culture and not about happy endings !! Sorry!! Only thing happy about this blog is that it will end!! Ghoshh! That was a sad attempt I agree) and one thing that amazed me which is quite different from the rest of the world at least the world that I know!! (and yeah I don't know all the 255 countries, I just guessed the number btw)  but nevertheless.. world has been forever a male dominant society.. (yes girls please fact is a fact.. today u might earn more than us and be our bosses but the society or the expectation of livelihood has always been from the man of the house!!) but in Bangkok life is otherwise women bring in the livelihood and the man of the house is happy to just sit around, sing, drink, dope and pimp!! and they are cool about it.. i don't think the women are cool about it!! i will be surprised if they were cool about it! Women there are expected to "Boom Boom" and feed the family! since every other profession there may not be sufficient as they are cheap to Promote tourism..
Thailand for that matter is thriving on this one aspect (boom boom) which i would politically word  as an effort to 'promote' tourism, since men, in any part of the world, will be men and enjoy sexual companionship of the opposite sex!! and since the men are the ( 'man of the house who earns' ) are the decision makers!! this promotional scheme is the most lucrative one!! (so i am right about the male dominance)
Another Interesting sight I had the pleasure of witnessing was to see an arab couple walking around in Sukhumvit in the night.. The guy was in his trunks (thats it) and his wife (i assume) covered from head to toe  in the traditional black gown!! can you visualize what i am saying!!! almost nude Arab with his wife who was just a pole with robe! not even sure there was a lady behind the robe!!  Not that i am hinting i couldn't catch a glimpse of the beautiful lady! its just the contrast / disparity in how they differentiate men and women! culturally very different from the western world! the sultan can have as many companions he wishes to (can't handle even one for a long time!! imagine 10 - 12) anyways moving on..
The Americans!!! bloody white skin arrogant bastards!! (pardon my language) but the fact .. the underlying cause for why Thailand is like the way it is.. or perceived as a brothel than for its beautiful beaches / corals / Buddhism / elephants and so on.. it was during the Vietnam war that the Americans camped in Thailand and they exposed the Thais to easy money!!! and ever since the highlight of Thailand has been yes 'boom boom'!! so the initiator and initiated are both responsible for the outcome right? and where the contrast lies is the fact that in Thailand they look up to the white skin? wondering probably about the dollars coming their way!!
And then comes the Indian Subcontinent ... the cheap bastards!!! that's what they refer us as..!! they feel an Indian is in Thailand with only one agenda "boom boom" and that too cheapest available!!! walking on the streets and the moment they see an Indian, boom boom & massage leaflets are out from no where and they stalk you till you yell at them and say "NO boom boom!!" Imagine back in India .. Sex is a taboo... and we refrain from talking about it and consider it not apt to bring such topic on our dinner table!! and guess what, the biggest target segment for boom boom in Thailand are Indians!! why this double standards then? or is it that whatever happens in Thailand stays in Thailand??suddenly you feel soooo bad that we Indians are considered like any other 3rd world country in fact worse!!! suddenly you see a different kind of perception about Indians!!! The land of rich heritage.. Hinduism.. Buddhism.. Jainism.. Sikhism.. and many more .. the CULTURE we hold so close to our hearts are not what these people perceive about INDIA.. and sadly when everyone who visits Thailand irrespective of his race or creed or origin.. has boom boom in his agenda!!
its just the random emotions and conclusions that came in to my mind!! pardon me if this was offensive!!

Jab we Met!!

The title definitely suggests a love story!! today it was on TV and there i was watching!!! and cometh the scene where he burns and flushes down his ex's photo! got inspired and decided it was high time to let go!! and move on! so i take up all the paper gifts and burn em!! thought i would feel bad!! but actually it did help!! cos more than the gift burning, it i guess, symbolizes the small hope i was nurturing in my heart of a chance!! anyways as i was burning it down.. but i guess there was this one last hope that she might come back!! and BaaM!! squashed it heard that she is getting married.. but for once i feel light!! i don't have to forcefully look away from the compartment of the closet where it was kept!!

certain things however kiddish it seems and stupid it may look to another person, it does serve the purpose!

amazing .. was therefore planning to write a book on 'how to get over a break up.. esp. when u are the one dumped' 

certainly this 'jab we met' burning will be in the crash course chapter probably as a must do!!

what else.... ahemmmm emmmmm??? go to places strategically important during the time u wer dating.. so many times with several people.. as if u are pushing the memories of u and her in that place so far down that u will not remember the date.. yeah u will remember u were der but when, why, what did you do?? naah!! human mind is constrained of space so yes some memory location needs to be over written..so facilitate the brain to choose those memories to overwrite!!

once you have overwritten those memory spaces.. you would realize that the memory space or the compartment in the brain named 'love' has a dangling pointer (c++ kisi ko pata hain?)  is sparking off un inhabited memory spaces with references to that person.. this i am afraid will continue till you find a replacement.. now don't get all 'idealistic' and worked up.. how can it be a replacement.. it is a replacement.. in plain simple words.. automatically situations where u had missed being in a relationship will have a new character to satisfy!! now this needn't be a new lover... a passion which u let go cos of her.. ;p.. a friend.. your parents you became close now since you could spent more time with them and with undivided attention.. it could be also a new lover.. and nothing is better than the other.. or worse than the other (last 2 sentences meant the same) but yeah .. who cares the readers of my book will be too involved to realize as they are desperate to get over!!

some people also say sex.. is a good way  to get over.. but i feel it also forms a part of the erasing of existing memory of sex with new ones.. so is covered.. but yeah if he was a virgin .. dude.. be happy you are not a  'poor guy' anymore and enjoy that better!! and definitely in this case sex does help..

 you will also be surprised to know that all those memories would probably be of a dinner or a early morning breakfast or a kiss or a moment of uncontrollable passion... see whats common??? the basic need!!! food and believe it or not the physical companionship... yeah .. u r right i am being cynical here...bull shit!!! you will enjoy a good dinner in the sample place irrespective of your company.. just try and remember the conversation you had over dinner?? nah!!i bet you will remember the dish u enjoyed!! ok there is an exception in this rule.. unless it is like a important date like u proposing or giving a ring etc.. but as we all know exceptions are not rules. And when it comes to a kiss .. comeon who are u kidding.. everyone enjoys a good kiss... and yeah sex.. please i don't even want to get started with this..if u don't enjoy it either something wrong with u (u r gay!!) or something wrong with the companion.. (again ur stupid mistake of choice)
so everything does revolve around till you let it!! everything and everyone is replaceable.. yeah except your parents!!
i just realized my book doesn't have much content beyond this blog?? what to do??? i can narrate a story and make my readers understand?? that will fill up a good amount of my pages.. my friends would agree .. my stories can fill up zillion pages.. as i digress to the minutest detail... but that's my style.. so let me rush to a new word document.. "how to get over a break up (s)..!!.docx" included the '(s)' some of my reader may be in deeper shit!!!
wait up will publish it .. and will send a copy to u all!!