Being Harish....

An Abstruse Episode

2016-09-21T11:48:00.002+05:30

A legion of thoughts kept bombarding me in an unusual way. My weird mind had unknowingly started an expedition inside a wild cave of darkness and uncertainty. I felt hopeless. I left office in quite a hurry. On my way to my room, I had a cup of coffee from the Cafeteria. Even caffeine couldn't be of much help. It was one of those depressing days that you would want to go home and sleep.

The lonely walk to my room which was supposed to be calm extended my suffering. The same old narrow pathways, pale street-lights and dark skies added to the distress. I switched on the TV as I entered my room. A TV anchor was having a puerile conversation with one of the callers. Then started a song that (kind of) emulated my feelings,

" ಅಲೆ ಮೂಡದೆ ನಿಂತಿದೆ ಸಾಗರ
ತುಸು ದೂರವೇ ನಿಂತನು ಚಂದಿರ
ದನಿ ಬಾರದೆ ನಿಂತಿದೆ ಆ ಸ್ವರ
ಮಾತಾಡಲು ಮೂಡಿದೆ ಅಂತರ
ಈ ಕಂಪನ ಏಕಾಂತ ತಂದಿದೆ
ಕಂಡ ಕನಸು ಮತ್ತೀಗ ನನ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಬರದಾಗಿದೆ......"

In no time, I chose my bed over TV. I tried hard to sleep but couldn't close my eyes off. My unruly mind had been infected with trivial to profound matters of my life. Once in a while, I unlocked my cellphone, connected to wifi and read all the notifications. It was getting terrible after some time. Someone was holding the time as their slave and didn't allow it to move freely as it used to. All those inspiring posts on my Facebook timeline and motivating quotes on Twitter didn't have an impact on me, anymore. But...the problem behind all this strife was unclear.

My optimism was shrinking as the night got darker. The agnostic in me had transformed into a firm believer in God. I had started to pray the almighty like never before. The fighting spirits had surrendered to the intimidating present. I was no more in control of what was happening.

The main reason behind these periodic blue days was ambiguous. I wasn't suffering from a broken relationship, my job was not that unconvincing and even RCB was winning a few matches these days. But we all have that audacious part in us which wants to explore life and do whatever our soul really wishes to. It wants us to unleash the full potential in us and do whatever is possible from us or even more than that.

Just like it happens with most of us, I didn't have a genuine problem to be unhappy and this became my biggest problem. The mediocrity of my life was beating the shit out of my mind. The biggest problem, with most of us, is that we don't have a genuine problem. We are either in search of a problem or consider this life-without-problems as a problem. We never make an effort to change the way things are. And when we plan to do so, we hardly try for a longer time. This was disturbing me a lot. Life was lifeless, to say the least. I know, it sounds weird but that's what bothers a few of us, at least. As this soul-searching and grief continued my alarm started ringing with the most depressing tone as I snoozed it for 3rd time.

Yet another day was waiting with it's claws open for me.

A Tribute to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam !

2016-02-23T21:34:00.001+05:30

Prologue: Last year, on July 27, a great soul left a huge void in us and traveled towards an unknown place. This post was written to pay a tribute to Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Here I am publishing this piece now.

The corridors of my school building and notice boards were brimming with the ideas, quotes and contributions of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Those were the times his ambitious 2020 plan was the talk of this nation. We had a chapter about this amazing human being in Class 9th English. My English teacher explained about Mr. Kalam's childhood and motivated us in the best way possible. Newspaper columns discussing Kalam's intentions and plan for future made us proud. More than anything else, his auto-biography 'Wings of Fire' had a strong impact on me.

Our school library had a brand new copy of 'Wings of Fire'. It took me quite some time to read this inspirational saga of one of the most influential leaders of this country. 'Wings of Fire' isn't another flashy tale of false hypes and self-appreciation. This book made an earnest effort to explain the reality and unfold the life of Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. I loved the poems in this auto-biography and jotted down a few on my notebook. In the coming days, I used these beautiful poems in my elocution and debate competitions. Unknowingly, I had started to admire him.

Source: Wikipedia

The struggles faced by him during his childhood didn't discourage him at all. He went on to give his best in everything he did. He had to sell newspapers to help his family. His journey from being a hard-working student to become scientist was a remarkable journey. Kalam worked in the field of aerospace and has a lot of achievements under his belt. From being a great scientist to a remarkable President, Dr. Kalam achieved great heights. His concern towards the betterment of the society and pragmatic efforts for the emancipation makes him one of the best. Simplistic attire, honest words, discipline and compassion of his are a true motivation to all of us.

In a nation where President's post isn't considered to be too significant, Dr. Kalam set a new meaning to this post. His tenure marked a revival in the way we looked at ourselves. We had started to dream big and started considering ourselves to be the world's next knowledge super-power. The ambitious Vision 2020 was laid out by our President, Dr. Kalam. Our nation had taken this as a challenge and started working towards achieving this. The part played by Dr. Kalam in inspiring, leading and working towards the development of this country is something incredible.

After such an amazing run as the first citizen of India, he still continued to strive hard to achieve in what he believed in.His active involvement in various educational institutes in research, motivation and guidance speaks great volumes of this intellectual person.

Dr. Kalam is not with us anymore, physically. But his dreams are with us. Let's give our best in achieving these dreams.

“God has not promised Skies always blue, Flower-strewn pathways All our life through;
God has not promised Sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, Peace without pain.”
― A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Wings of Fire

The Curious Case Of A Birthday Cake - Part 2

2015-11-19T22:45:00.001+05:30

To read the previous part Click here

I consciously made sure that I looked the best way possible. I had planned to meet Akash and celebrate his birthday. But before that I wanted to meet that girl - The 'Cake-Palace-Girl'. I am not sure whether it was her sparkling eyes or the interesting conversation that we had, I urged myself to meet her. As I parked my two-wheeler in front of the cake store, I saw a bunch of people in and around the store. There were a few cops as well.
"What's happening ?", I asked one of them.
" Somebody has looted the shop yesterday. The owners had closed the shop early last night to go somewhere. When they came back late in the night, the cash counter and many valuables were stolen.", The Cop elaborated.
" I mean, where did they go? When did the robbery happen?", I asked.
" They had been to a Mall to watch some movie. The show was from 10 o clock in the night. By the time they returned, around 1 o clock, all this had happened. We are investigating on other details now. Are you a regular customer here? ", The Police Constable entered the interrogation mode.
"No! Not really. I came here seeing the crowd. Carry on with your investigation ! Sir, if you don't mind, I have one last question."
" No problem, tell me "
" Out of curiosity, do you know which movie they had been to?"
"Some movie called Jawaani Hai Deewani Hai"
"Its Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Sir! ".
I left the place in a hurry.

I was shocked , amused, surprised and impressed (not in any particular order) for various reasons! Should I say more ?!

-------------------------- THE END --------------------------

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The Curious Case Of A Birthday Cake

2015-11-19T22:45:00.000+05:30

The clock was ticking faster than I had ever noticed in my Life. It was sprinting towards 12 as I was still searching for a cake shop to give a surprise to my friend on his birthday. My cellphone showed 11:27 PM and popped up an alert saying "Battery Low". I had exactly 33 minutes to get a cake and reach my friend's place which was 1.5 KM from the place where I was standing. I thought that J.P.Nagar would have umpteen shops opened till late night. I was reaffirmed that my understanding of Bangalore was null.

My "Search-for-a-Cake" mission was ON. I didn't even find a single shop to get a cake or even some sweets. To my bad luck, even the CCDs were closed. I had to give up on my mission and started moving towards my friend's place. I was a few yards from my friend's flat when I saw a board 'Cake Palace'. It looked more like a small villa or may be a sumptuous 3 BHK home as I opened the gate. A small board said "Closed" welcomed me to the shop. I kept aside all my inhibitions and entered the shop to see a young lady finalizing her accounts. She was minting the currency in the dark.

"You should switch on the lights, its too dark here.", I interrupted her.
"Sorry, sir ! We are closed", She replied.
"You can call me Sid! I see that you still have your gloves on.".
I searched for the switch-board and lightened the place.
"Sir, we can't take any orders now. We are done for the day. We don't have any cakes as of now. I'm sorry".
"OK. I don't need cakes but would you mind listening to a story, please !".
Now that I had found a shop I badly wanted to get a cake.
"Hmmm. It's getting late. Only If you make it fast, I would"
"Here goes the story.....where should I start....OK...24 years ago, his parents were..."
"24 years back !! Its one hell of a flashback...forward it...".
She was hastily grabbing all the currency in the counter.
"Let me forward it...From the last few months he was deeply in relationship with a girl, fortunately. They were too close for more than 5-6 months."
" 5-6 months! That's quite a long time, these days."
"Even their names sounded good together. Aditi and Akash were so happy, you know. Both of them were very compatible."
"Wait ! Did you just say "were". Aren't they together anymore."
"I can only reveal if you promise to bake me a cake."
"Fine. I'm not interested !"
" OK. No issues. Let me tell you what happened...."
" Stop! Sid, I don't have time now. It's almost 12 in the night."
" Listen to me, please. A month ago, she broke up with him and got married to someone else."
"That's a shame! How could she do that?"
"Not everyone is as sweet as you are."
" Stop flirting with me. But what was the reason behind this break-up ?"
" Will you bake me a cake ? Please !"
" No ! "
"Anyway let me continue the story. Actually, two weeks ago both of them decided to go for a movie; their first movie together. She decided to go for 'Go Goa Gone' and he chose 'Ishkq in Paris'. They had a big fight and lead to several other disparities among them"
" Seriously !! That was so lame !! How could they choose those films when they had Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in theatres?", She laughed.
"I second that. I love Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone!"
"Cool. He is one of the best actors in recent times."
"Plus the director of the movie has such credentials. I fell in love with the movie."
"I usually like non-fiction, real, humane and emotional movies. This movie was too good and I could relate to it, totally."
"For the one last time I am requesting you..will you bake me a cake, please!"
"OK. Let me see. Before that, tell me why is this cake so important?"
"Its Akash's birthday and he is kind of depressed. So I just want to give him a surprise. By the way, that break-up story was more complicated. What I told was utter bullshit? I was just trying to earn a cake from you."
" I got it ! I am not a bimbo! Your story was pathetic ! ", She smiled at me.
I laughed at myself for such a stupid story as she went inside the baking area and returned within a few minutes.
"Sid, you are very lucky. We have a fresh cake for you that I had almost forgot. Is Vanilla flavor fine?"
I took a bite of the cake.
"Its not vanilla, its white-forest. Works for me !"
She packed the cake and I paid her cash.
" Before I leave, may I know your name ?", I asked.
" Next time !",She (kind of) winked at me.

As I left the cake store and took a last glance at her I was very sure that I was going to meet her again !

A new day had started and the time was 12:13AM. I knocked at Akash's door and there wasn't any reply. I tried it a couple of times and finally called Akash. I was a bit worried as he was going through a rough phase in his life.

" Akash, where are you ?", I asked him as soon as he picked the call.
" I am at NightLife pub, Sid....Indiranagar !", He replied.
" You fine?"
"Ya, totally. I am with Sakshi now !"
"Sakshi?!"
"Guitar classes Sakshi ! She called me out. Where are you?"
"Cool. I'm in front of your flat to wish you on your birthday !"
"Sorry, bro. I'll catch you tomorrow"
"Fine. No issues"
Needless to say, MEN WILL BE MEN.

There was no dearth of romanticism in me to get into the cake-store again. But I thought of postponing it to the next day.

In retrospect, what happened on the next day made me truly spellbound.

To know what happened next Click Here

The Perks Of Owning A Window Seat !

2015-07-31T16:55:00.000+05:30

Prologue:

Well, here comes the 50th post on my blog. You read it right, this is my 50th post ! It has been quite a journey jotting down articles on various topics, close to my heart. I am not sure whether my writing has improved from the day I started this blog but I am pretty sure that I have grown as an individual in this amazing journey. Thanks a lot, everyone, for all the support, love and appreciation. Happy Reading !

"ಲೋ , reach ಆದ್ ಮೇಲೆ ಕಾಲ್ ಮಾಡು ",

"ಆಯ್ತು.... but ರಜೆ ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಕೆಲ್ಸಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಹೋಗೋಕೆ ಬೇಜಾರು ಕಣೋ "

"ಏನ್ ಮಾಡೋದು.....ಹೋಗ್ಲಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂದ್ರೆ ದುಡ್ಡಿಗೆ ಏನ್ ಮಾಡ್ತಿಯ?"

"ಅದು ಸರಿ ಅನ್ನು...ನೀನು ನನ್ ಜೊತೆ ಬಂದಿದ್ರೆ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿರೋದು ?"

" ನಂದ್ ಇನ್ನು ಎರಡ್ ದಿನ leave ಇದೆ ಲೋ... next weekend ಸಿಗ್ತಿನಿ ಬಿಡು ... cya...take care "

A fine vacation had ended and I had to travel back to Bangalore. My friend accompanied me to the bus stand to see me off.

It was a long journey and I had no other option but travel all alone. You can imagine the misery of travelling without an enjoyable company. My smartphone showed '27% Battery Left' and had to be used very efficiently from then on. I boarded the bus but could not get the seat next to a window and the person sitting next to me was all asleep even before the bus started. I kept looking at all the commuters and prayed God for a seat next to the window. I had an old copy of "Reader's Digest" with me and started reading it, waiting for something to happen.

After few hours of boredom, I got a Window seat. I am not sure whether you have a liking for the window seat but I prefer them, a lot. There is a strange sense of serenity and joy hidden in those seats.Window seats come with a "Happiness Guaranteed" tag attached with them. I remember a few instances in which I have snatched/borrowed the window seat by acting like I'm sick. I cleared the window glass with a waste paper, I was carrying, to have a better sight.

In this world of jobless-yet-busy life, we forget to talk to ourselves, at least once in a while. We rarely find time to introspect because of the humongous amount of distractions. In the act of running, we forget the real purpose of our lives. The Window seat is a perfect escape vehicle to spend the time with the real You. The cool breeze was having an affair with my body. I felt refreshed in no time and a legion of wild thoughts kept creeping. The inner self wants some time to listen to it and this was the best time. I experienced the ultimate calmness as I looked through the window. Large trees, lush-green fields, setting sun and umpteen other things unraveled the beauty of nature.

As the time passed the conversation with the inner-self got weird, crazy, conflicting and what not. But there is a strange sense of happiness in the debate that happens within us - Discussing the positives, negatives and 'I-am-not-sure' things. To be able to plan the future, rejoice and regret the past and to live the present moment sitting next to a window is a treat. If it rains and you have a good collection of songs, I think, that would be the epitome of Joy.

My saga of pleasure was disturbed once in a while when the bus entered big cities and passengers boarded/unboarded the bus. But it was a delightful journey altogether. Moon was saying a big hi from skies as I entered the outskirts of Bangalore. The busy roads, 'I-love-Red' traffic lights, 'OMG-Tomorrow-is-Monday' faces, 'I-am-gonna-kill-you-soon' gases and many more things greeted me all through the way. I took a city bus to Electronic City and walked towards my PG as I WhatsApped my friend, "Reached my place. Good night". He replied with a thumbs-up emoticon.

PS I know, most of you would have enjoyed sitting next to a window while travelling. But for all those who haven't experienced this (or realized this experience), it's time for a long journey - pack your bags, board a bus/train, get a seat next to a window, have some melodies on your smartphone and enjoy the finest ride. You can me thank me later !

From What We Get, We Can Make A Living; What We Give, However, Makes A LIFE !

2015-04-01T17:52:00.000+05:30

It was unusual for clouds to celebrate in the month of December. May be, Bangaloreans' hankering for cool weather was heard by the skies. I was waiting for my bus at the Bus Stand as the rains changed the entire set-up. I got a cup of hot coffee and a packet of potato chips and sat on a bench. The look of evening rains and mouth-watering snacks gave me heavenly feeling. I searched for my earphones from the unevenly packed bag of mine and finally found it. I was unmangling the earphones to plug it into my cellphone and enjoy music.

Two men interrupted me, "Is anyone coming here?"
"No, you can have a seat", I said as I removed my luggage from the bench.
"The bus will come only after an hour or so. You better carry on", One guy said to the other.
"It's OK. Let me wait for some more time. Anyways, it's still drizzling and I have some work to complete in the mean time", replied the other.
He started writing something on pieces of drawing sheets. He was totally into his work as I kept sneaking.
I couldn't control my curiosity and asked him, " What are you writing?...... I mean, sorry, if I am bothering you"
He smiled and replied, "I am preparing a project. It's on Jnanapeetha award winners of Kannada Literature"
"Oh ! You've got long list of winners. Are you still studying?"
"No, not really. It's for my kid"
"You look too young to be a Father.Which grade?", I kept asking him questions.
"Ha ha ! I am still a bachelor."
"So, this is for your sibling's kid"
"Nope, it's for someone else"
"I mean, who's that?....If you are not interested to share that, it's OK.", I couldn't stop myself.
"Nothing! Leave it aside,what's your name? What do you do?"
"What's there in a name? Bro, don't be shy. He took some pictures and drawing sheets while coming. What's the matter?", His friend interrupted us.

" We all visit a Orphanage near our office every now and then. It has around 30 amazing kids. Today, we met them to give sweets on the occasion of Christmas Eve."
"Oh ! That's great", I said.
"I talked to one of the kids....his name is Akash and....", He paused.
"What did you guys speak?", I asked.
"Hey, what was that conversation all about?", His friend also wanted to know.

He narrated the incident,
Akash, what did you ask from Santa?
I don't think Santa will have time to listen to my wishes.
Why do you think so?
If he were to, he wouldn't have left us without our parents to take care of us.
Probably he didn't want to limit you to only your parent's love. Don't over-think. Now make a wish, let Santa hear you !
Hmmm... I want my Kannada project to be completed.
What's that all about?
I need to write an essay on Jnanapeetha award winners of Kannada Literature with their photos and all.
OK. You have made your wish. Let's see what happens.

"OMG! This is awesome. So you are here writing this on his behalf.", I felt so good.
"Cool, man. Proud of you !", His friend was glad.
"Shall I help you on this. I'll write a bit", I offered my help.
"The handwriting will change. Please paste these pictures if you would really like to help."
" Sure. My pleasure!"
" But, does this make any difference ?", His friend questioned.
"I am not sure. I'm doing my bit. It makes me feel good. May be, you should also try !", His friend replied as I pasted the cover photo of Mookajjiya Kanasugalu on a drawing sheet.

In spite of all the misery in the world, few special people have rolled up their sleeves to work for the best of our society. I appreciate their work from the bottom of my heart.
Let us stop being ridiculously pessimistic and selfish. It's time for us to do something nice for the society. Let's get this started !

With compassion, this place would be a more happy place to live.

PS : I hope, this post inspires at least a few of you to do something good for the society !

Nandi Hills and 100 grams of Serenity !!

2015-03-17T19:24:00.001+05:30

The Earth has Music for those who listen !

Time and again, when life gets monotonous and we are bored to death, nature stuns us with it's beauty and lightens our lives. If you want to be on top of clouds (literally), watch the most beautiful sunrise, breathe fresh air, feel good and experience the truest form of nature, go visit Nandi Hills. New Facebook/WhatsApp DPs and a travelogue are added advantages.

Visiting Nandi Hills was on our bucket list for a while. A plan was laid out on a fine Saturday evening. My friends filled the fuel tanks of 2 motorbikes from the nearest Petrol bunk while i was enjoying SaReGaMaPa Li'l Champs on Zee TV. One of the finest luxuries about weekends is to go to bed without having to set an alarm. Nandi hills plan made me set the alarm to 2 AM and sleep. Why 2 AM ? We had to leave our place by 3AM and it's always good to know that you have 60 more minutes of sleep left. Somehow, we were all set to make our way towards Nandi Hills by 3:30 AM.

The journey reminds me of streetlights,pale-yellow shades, lesser traffic (there's nothing called zero-traffic in this city), chilly atmosphere and mild-darkness. Morning breeze was having an affair with my body as I looked either ways with sheer excitement. Make sure you are covered well enough to beat this cold. Google maps and signboards guided us towards Nandi hills. We were accompanied by OLA cabs, KSRTC buses, nocturnal human beings and few so-called travel-enthusiasts. Throughout the journey we discussed the shit happening in each other's lives. We stopped our motorbikes near a bakery and had some coffee. All we needed was a hot cup of coffee (or may be two cups) to rescue us from the cold and add flavor to this journey.

As we reached the view point, it was a heavenly bliss to watch the fog that covered all around us. It seemed like we were on top of clouds. The sun was sneaking from the horizon. Sunrise never looked this beautiful and enjoyable. Not to forget, we clicked dozens of pictures which included a few selfies/groupies.We saw tippu drop and the architecture to view the inception of enemies to the fort/hills. That stroll we took, made us feel so happy. Serenity is nature and some light-music. Nature never ceases to create more and more enjoyable moments in our life. But strangely we cease to experience nature in our I'm-really-busy life. We took a nap on the bed of rocks for a while.The sunlight acted as a fine bedsheet and provided us the much needed relief. Nature made us forget all the worries and provided us an acquaintance that would last forever.

While returning, we explored a different route of travel. As we drove through, several villages and lush-green fields greeted us. The smartphones were shouting "Battery-Low", fuel tanks had very less petrol left in them but we had all the confidence in villagers. We knew, they would help us out, if there were to be any problem. It was hot as hell as we reached the outskirts of Bangalore.

I was astonished looking at the contradiction of the world that we came from, a few minutes ago and the one we were about to enter. Disturbing noises, choking pollution and humongous urban life welcomed us. My watch showed 4:30PM when I reached my dis-organised room and I slept for the whole day.

PS: If you are planning to visit Nandi Hills make sure you cover yourself with the warmest clothing, have tank full of fuel, cellphone fully-charged (only for GPS), reach before 6AM, carry some food & water and don't forget to take your (or your friend's) camera. By the way, get your 100 grams of serenity for Free and you can thank me after the visit !

The Bicycle Diaries

2015-02-02T18:00:00.000+05:30

All my life, as far as I can remember, I have lived away from my hometown. I studied in a residential school, stayed in a different city during my graduation and now I am working in Bangalore. I had been to my hometown to spend a long weekend. It was around 5 in the evening while I was making my way towards home after getting some groceries from a shop in the city. My home is quite far (almost 2Kms) from the city center and this serves to be a fine reason to take a long walk. The weather was gloomy and showed great chances of heavy rains. My neighbor's kid was riding his bicycle back home after a tiring day at school.
He looked at me, "ಅಣ್ಣಾ ಸಿಟಿಗ್ ಹೋಗಿದ್ಯಾ ?"
I replied, "ಹೌದು ಕಣೋ ... ಸ್ಕೂಲ್ ಮುಗಿತಾ?"
"ಮುಗಿತು.... ಸೈಕಲ್ ಮೇಲೆ ಕೂತ್ಕೊ , ಡಬಲ್ ಓಡುಸ್ತಿನಿ", he stopped his cycle and offered
me a ride.
"ಅವೆಲ್ಲಾ ಬೇಡ.... ನಾನೇ ಓಡುಸ್ತಿನಿ ನಿನಿಗ್ ಆಗಲ್ಲ"
"ಓಹ್ ! ಚಾಲೆಂಜಾ ?? ನೀನ್ ಸುಮ್ನೆ ಕೋತ್ಕೊಳಣ್ಣಾ"
"ಆಯ್ತು ಸಮಾಧಾನ... ನಾನ್ ಸೈಕಲ್ ಓಡ್ಸಿ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ದಿನಾ ಆಯ್ತಲ್ಲಾ ಅದುಕ್ಕೆ ಹಂಗಂದೆ", You never mess with kids.
"ಹಂಗಾ!! ಆಯ್ತು ನೀನೆ ಓಡ್ಸು", He agreed.

I proudly rode the bicycle with ultimate joy. No matter how attracted you are towards cars and motorbikes, but nothing can beat a classy bicycle.I got nostalgic and my childhood memories kept flashing in front of me.

It was during my summer vacation after successfully completing my 4th standard, I had been to my grand parents's home. Villages provide ample opportunities for kids to explore and enjoy. My cousins added fun to the holidays. 7PM marked the evening news on radio and an untold pin-drop silence. After a quiet news-session we were all discussing random things. During dinner all focus shifted on me and they started this unending talk on "Harish doesn't even know how to ride bicycles". Unlike urban families who want their kids to speak english, play chess and stay back at home, we were growing up in quite a different set up. They were not worried about the bruises but my inability to ride a bicycle even when I was 10 years old.
"I won't learn bicycle. Big deal ! I mean, what's the use?? I'll get a car for myself ", I argued.

5th Standard classes started and I came back to my hometown. Few of my friends used to bring their bicycles for school and used to go on long rides during weekends. Somewhere deep inside there started a desire to learn bicycle-riding. One fine Saturday evening, I decided to learn riding a cycle. We had a classy Atlas cycle at home (Geared cycles hadn't even entered the small cities that time). I took my cycle to the nearest ground and avoided all my friends: I didn't want them make fun of me. I found a steep slope and started my practice. Each time I ran the cycle from the top, I would fall and add one more injury to the count. This happened for the next 2 days. One of the worst part was, I was short and the seat-height was non-adjustable. So I took the tricky way of riding.I am not sure how they term that technique of riding a cycle: you take your right leg between the bars and peddle to ride. It really looks funny now but I had no option left, at that time. I kept failing in every attempt and learnt something new and tried again. My inner voice told me "Don't-give-up" and I kept on trying. After several tries, I was able to ride the cycle on the fourth day (or may be fifth day). It was such a nice feeling that I can't express in words. That day, I had announced my feat to my family, friends and everyone that I met (Thank God, Facebook didn't exist those days else I would have updated a lengthy status with my bicycle-riding pictures).

In the coming days I started hiring cycles and it cost us 1Rs/Hour (I know that's very cheap). I was getting better day by day. We, me and my friends, used to go on long rides during holidays. Ayudh Puja marked an untold competition to decorate our cycle with balloons and weird props. Whether it's going to a shop next to my home or to reach playgrounds, cycle was my (mandatory) companion. The relationship between me and my bicycle had grown strong. But I had to shift to a residential school for my education and I had no opportunity to ride these bicycles. Nevertheless, I still have a liking for bicycles and never miss out on an chance to ride cycles. Well, today I rarely get to ride bicycles but I still rejoice those moments a lot.

"ಅಣ್ಣಾ, ಇಲ್ಲೇ ನಿಲ್ಸು ... ಮನೆ ಬಂತು", He stopped me in front of his home.

P.S. Cycling is more like poetry in motion. The pleasure in riding the bicycles, over-taking a bike/car, double/triple riding, wheeling, travelling alone on a deserted peaceful road is something every bicycle-rider relishes. Today, we have sophisticated cycles which are so convenient to ride: a single push on a peddle and your cover long distance. This world is now filled with too many automobiles with advance technology (and with unbelievable price-tags attached). Regardless of the features in modern-day automobiles, I would always opt for a classy old-fashioned Atlas/Hercules.

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Black and White - Episode 3

2015-01-09T15:10:00.000+05:30

To read the previous episode Click Here

I was shocked; I mean, I was pleasantly surprised to see this invite from him. I took some time to decide and then sent a message, "Sure. Let's hv dinner 2gthr"

Though I agreed to join Adithya for dinner, a lot of thoughts kept on troubling me. A feeling of unease came over me. I didn't want him to assume this as a date or something like that. Probably I wasn't prepared enough for this.

Next day I felt it was all fine to go out with him. My mind said, "Come on, it's just a dinner ! ". But it was during lunch I called Madhu and requested her to join me. She was more than happy to join us.

Later I messaged Adithya, "Madhu wl join us for Dinner. No prob, right?"
I got an instant reply, "K"

Madhu was working on a painting and had stayed back at her apartment. After finishing my work at office I drove my moped to her place. We both dressed up and made our way towards the Restaurant. Madhu wanted to drive the vehicle and I was all busy explaining my day at office to her. Both of us were not aware of the Restaurant so we had to call Adithya.

"As you told, we reached Green Valley Road now. So where is that restaurant?", I explained.

"Where are you, exactly?", He asked.

"Green Valley Road...In front of KFC", I answered.

"Wait..I'll be there in 5 minutes"
Adithya was there in no time. He was on a stylish 2 wheeler: I don't know the model and brand. But he knew how to carry himself elegantly.

"Hi! Just follow me. It's just 2 Kilometres from here"
It took us 15 minutes amidst the traffic to reach that place.

"Let's park our vehicles there", He pointed at a huge parking slot where so many vehicles had been flooded with.

"So which is the restaurant we are going to?", Madhu asked looking at a road filled with too many shops.

"BY THE WAY", he replied.

"What?!", Me and Madhu exclaimed.

"That is the name of the restaurant. BY THE WAY. They serve delicious Rajasthani food."

"Have you come to this place earlier?",Madhu asked him.

"No. This is my first time. Actually, a friend of mine suggested this place"

A big LED board display "BY THE WAY, We serve you the best Rajasthani food" welcomed us.

The place was serene and looked hi-fi. DJ was playing some music for a hall filled with around 30 people. We occupied the seats and kept waiting for a waiter.
"They are playing some mindless english songs. I don't get the lyrics and the music is not that great", Madhu said.
I am fine with any music: Not that I didn't have a choice but I like all types of music irrespective of language and genre.
"I too don't like these english songs. I can't get the lyrics, you know.",Adithya had the same opinion.

Adithya went up to the DJ, had a talk and joined us, again.
A waiter stood in front of us to take our order. We all helped each other and took Waiter's advice to choose some delicacies.
We started discussing on random topics when a hindi song started playing "Lag jaa gale ki phir....Ye hasin raat ho na ho"
"This is one of my favorite song! “, Madhu shouted.

"So did you request the DJ to play hindi songs?", I enquired Adithya.

"Yup. But he had only english songs in his computer. So I gave my cellphone to him: it has some good songs in it", He said.
I was impressed !

Costly restaurants are preferred more to it's ambiance, privacy and luxury rather than the food it serves. But food was very delicious and it was great talking to Adithya and Madhu. Yummy food, Bollywood melodies and some great company made my day. I had a terrific time. The clock was ticking 11 in the night when I reached my place after dropping Madhu. I switched on my laptop and clicked on Facebook bookmark to view Adithya's profile on Facebook. Unfortunately, the internet was not working and I had no time to resolve wifi router's issue. I slept off.

Next day, I had to reach office early for a meeting. I left my home a bit earlier than my usual time and reached office to the news that the meeting had been postponed. I took my laptop and went to the cafeteria. Sipping a hot cup of coffee I opened Facebook. I had a notification: "Adithya Sharma's friend request is pending". I accepted the request and went through his profile. They say, Facebook profile doesn’t reflect a person who you are but whom you wish to be. Must say, his profile was quite interesting.

To be continued....

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Black and White - Episode 2

2014-12-30T19:18:00.000+05:30

To read the previous episode of the story Click here

"How does it make a great piece of art “, I had to change the topic.

"There's nothing like good, bad or ugly, we categorize it based on our perspectives"

"So which is your favorite painting among these?"

"I don't have any single favorite. One painting was made on a rainy day, the other was painted late night, after a fight with my friend and this painting was made just a few hours ago. Each and every work has its own significance. Few of them for the audience, few of them for the fans, few of them for me, few of them for the art and the rest for something beyond everything."

"Probably I'm not that crazy enough to understand what you said now.", I chuckled.

"I admire your honesty. In fact, I'm not 100% sure about what I said now. Painting is more like poetry, you know. I mean, all the art forms are a way to reach peace. It takes the creator to a different world and viewer to experience something surreal. We cannot describe the influence of art in words. "

“Oh my God! I can’t believe that you are having a conversation with Adithya”, Madhu intruded us.

“She is Madhu….a dear friend of mine. Madhu brought me to this exhibition”, I explained to Adithya.

“I know Madhu. She is a part of Artists Guild”, Adithya replied.

I knew that Madhu wanted to get trained under Adithya and work with him but I wasn't aware that they knew each other. Adithya and Madhu got into a serious conversation on arts. I tolerated it for some time but couldn’t take it anymore.

“Sorry to interrupt you guys. Madhu, shall we leave?”, I interrupted.

“Oh! It’s 9:30. Adithya, we’ll leave for the day. Shall I have your contact number? ”

“Ya, sure. I’m sending you my contact.”, Adithya took out his cellphone and sent his contact number.

“Thanks, Adithya”

“No problem. Sarah, can I have your contact number?”, Adithya asked me.

This was quite unexpected from Adithya but I managed to put on a smile.

“I have sent her contact number as well”, Madhu said.

I was not sure whether sharing the contact number was the best thing to do. There are a few moments in life which leads you to something big. This meeting was an unexpected package for me. I was happy that I got to meet Adithya; he was so adorable, even Madhu felt the same.

In the coming days, Madhu built a strong rapport with Adithya. After few hiccups, she started working with Adithya. She was very happy about it. Once in a while, Adithya talked to me and we had regular chat in WhatsApp. Conversations with Adi were endearing. We always had a good time talking to each other.

I had entered into Adithya’s life and he had made his way towards mine.

“Wat kind of food do you like?”, He asked me mid-way through a long chat.

“I’m not a foodie….fine with anything but veg”, I replied.

“Do you like Rajasthani?”

“I don’t know…I haven’t tried anything before”

“There’s a fine Rajasthani restaurant near my place…shall v go for dinner, tomo?”

I didn't know what to reply. So I kept him waiting for a while.

To be continued....

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Black and White !

2014-12-18T18:56:00.000+05:30

It was a fine Sunday evening. Let me think again.....Hmmm…Fine Sunday evening??? Not really. It was one of those terrible Sunday evenings that you curse your job, dream about your passion, feel homesick and miss your parents. Monster Monday had opened its claws and was inviting me for a dreadful week ahead.

I switched on the television to come out of this awful feeling. There wasn't much happening. All the channels were repeat telecasting one or the other awards show, a classic movie, songs with mindless lyrics from the latest albums and News-channels were too busy showing the wardrobe malfunction of an actress whose first film was yet to go on floors.

My friend WhatsApped me, "Hey Sarah, Whatsup??"

This was my opportunity to kill some time.

I replied, "Nothin much, Madhu. U tell me"

After a delay of 15minutes she sent a new message ,"was goin out for chats. U wanna join me??"

I agreed and sent a "Thumbs up" emoticon to her.
A ladies meet-up was fixed in no time just because I was in no mood to argue or discuss.

We planned to meet up at Bluebird Café around 5:30 PM and managed to show up only by 6:20 PM. It wasn't much crowded, inside. This Café offered much needed serenity and my friend was a treat to talk to. We ordered a Hazelnut Cappucino with Chilly Cheese Toastizza and Macchiato with Double Cheese Veg Wrap. Don't worry about being so ignorant about what we ordered - These are just 2 cups of coffee with some bread, each of them costly, and sounded hi-fi.

"I came here to attend a painting exhibition at Artist's Guild. It's right behind this Café . Just a walk of 5 minutes. Are you joining me?"

"Hmmm. I’ll join you. When does it start? ", I concurred.

I am not an ardent fan of paintings but going back to room wasn't a great option.

"It's 7:50 now. Exhibition starts around 8"

The Café bill doesn't look strange to me, these days. I know, we are not only paying for the 2 cups of coffee and chats that we had but also for the pleasure of leisure, privacy, luxury and serenity. Though it didn't make sense for the first few visits but now I'm acquainted. I know, I am sharing the cost of electricity, rent, comfortable couches, luxurious interior design and salary slips of the employees over there.

After swiping my friend's card, we headed towards the venue.

The hall was beautifully decorated and looked so lively with too many paintings. The theme of the exhibition was "Black and White". For someone like me, who is an illiterate when it comes to paintings, this was a refreshing experience.

We stood in-front of a painting which depicted a young beautiful woman's face.

"This is mesmerizing. Such an amazing piece of work", I said.

"I think, the outline is a bit too dark", She disagreed with me.

"Shit! You are just jealous of his work. The painting is aesthetic!"

"Oh! Come on. I am a huge fan of Mr. Sharma. But this painting is not that great"

We looked at different paintings in the hall. Madhu was passionate about painting and spent a lot of time watching every single art-work with a lot of interest and passion while I kept hopping from one painting to the other.

"What is this?? Two slashes and they call it art" I said to myself, looking at a painting and smirked.

The Person standing next to me overheard what I said and replied, "What's so funny about it?"

"I mean, look at it. There's nothing substantial. Even I could do that"

"May be, you aren't able to understand the painting"

"May be, the painter thinks himself as a genius. By the way, he isn't"

"May be, he really is"

"Let’s stop arguing over some unknown artist and this unwanted painting"

"He is not a stranger and this painting surely is dear to me. I'm Adithya....Adithya Sharma and I painted this", He smiled at me.

I had nothing to reply but smile at him, bluntly.

To be continued...

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Bangalore Days !

2014-12-02T19:47:00.003+05:30

Alert: Sorry to disappoint all the film-buffs, this article is not a review of the super-awesome movie Bangalore Days. I am just sharing a story of mine with you in this post. Happy reading.

It was yet another Sunday in the city of Bangalore. I had slept for the whole Saturday, so I had to do something. My smartphone showed 11:13 AM, Sunday and Mr. Sun was all high. The body was tired to sleep any further. I had to do something for the day. My routine for the weekend had become predictable; sleep, sleep and sleep. I was not happy any more to spend the day inside my room. I needed some freedom from internet, WhatsApp, movies and myself. I took a quick bath and was all set to go out for the day.

I made my way towards bus stop and sat on the bench. I took out my smartphone and googled “places to visit in Bangalore”. A BMTC Volvo bus stood in-front of me with LEDs displaying “360B KEMPEGOWDA BUS STATION” and the conductor shouted “Silkboard…Majestic…Majestic”. My planning was interrupted. I boarded the bus with unclear plans. I had to forcefully buy a daily-pass from the conductor.

The whole bus was empty, I mean, who wants to waste Rs. 70 when they could travel the distance in Rs. 25. Weekends mark lesser traffic, they say. The bus was empty and no passengers boarded the bus in the coming stops. The bus had reached Silk Board, I could have diverted my way towards J.P.Nagar/Whitefield but I was reluctant. A pretty lady boarded the bus and occupied the seat next to me. There were umpteen empty seats but she preferred to sit next to me. She was sober and didn't care to contact eyes with me. My smartphone had started shouting “Battery Low”. Smartphone batteries are more like our savings amount; before we rejoice the “Fully-Charged” message, there is a “Battery Low” alert. After a while, she got a call from someone. She spoke for a while and hung up. I was still in my dormant mode to eavesdrop her conversation on phone.

“Are you in a relationship?”, She asked.

This question was totally unexpected of her. It was more like a Bangladesh-Kenya World Cup finals.

“What?”, I was shocked.

“ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP?”, She repeated.

“No. Why?” I replied.

“Obviously! Why would you travel all alone on a Sunday afternoon in a BMTC Volvo? You look so peaceful” , She said.

“I guess, I didn't get you. How about you? Are you in a relationship.”

“Leave me. My answer to this question would spoil our conversation”

“Ufff! Chuck that. I wish, I had a girlfriend. My work and family commitments doesn't motivate me to have one. By the way, what's your name?”

“My name? Exchanging personal information would create prejudice. Stereotypes won't help us talk and let our heart out. Knowing someone is an indirect way of agreeing on a give-and-take policy. It creates expectation....So, you have a lot of work at office.”

“Weekdays, I work like a machine. But there are days in which I don’t have a single thing to do”

“We, human beings, are the most complex creatures on this planet. Striving too hard to earn currencies so that one day we will attain satisfaction and be happy. In the pursuit of almost-impossible complete happiness, we spoil the present.”

I was liking this girl and her thoughts.

“I second that. We created these valuable pieces of paper which are ruling us. For me, leaving far away from my family, hometown, and friends concerns a lot. Financial stability and ambitious future plans make us do all this rubbish.”

“True that. Living a life in Bangalore where we don’t have anything that belongs to us is horrible. It’s a strange world you know.”

“What does it have to do with Bangalore?”

“I meant, a bigger city when I referred to Bangalore. I don’t have anything against this city. In fact, Bangalore is giving me rice and sambar…. I mean, bread and butter”,She giggled.

“Good one! My company helps me lead a life. It gives me a new lease in making me believe that I’m making a great difference to this world. I think, I am on my way to attain financial stability. I, kind of, like what I’m doing.”

“I’m not bothered about my work. I almost never relate to what I’m doing at office. But I’m happy that I can take care of myself, financially.”

“Hmmm. It’s amazing how we both share a common opinion. In spite of being totally unknown to each other, we have a lot to speak ”, I made my point (The flirt in me had started to come alive)

“No, we don’t. Actually, we haven't had a long conversation as such. But we are trying to understand each other and deal without any prejudice or stereotypes. When you are dealing with a stranger with whom you have nothing to give or take, this happens."

"Agree. That's a very nice analysis"

"It's Shantinagar. I was here to pick my parents. They are here to attend a marriage ceremony. Bye!”

She ended the conversation so abruptly. No clue at all. I was hoping for her to be with me till Majestic.

“Can I have your contact number?”

“Note it down”

“OK. Let me take out my smartphone and save your number”

The smartphone was dead by now.

“My phone is dead. I don’t even have pen and paper.”

“No issues. It’s good that we remain strangers.” She smiled and walked away.

“As you wish” I said.

I had reached the heart of the city and conductor shouted, “Majestic. Last stop! Last stop! ”

“Shit! I could have given her my contact number. Retard me!”, I said to myself after getting out of the bus.

PS: The talk ended before it actually started. Conversations like this make us feel good. The essence in this short talk was trivial and obvious but there is a sense of happiness. Few things are so simple but yet create a huge amount of joy. The human in all of us connects to others. We like to share stories. Personally I relish these moments.

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IGNITE- 2013 !

2014-11-04T17:25:00.002+05:30

Warning: This post is a description of preparations and after-effects of IGNITE-2013. IGNITE is a Career and Personality Development Workshop organised at JNV, Balehonnur! If you don't belong to the JNV community, you might not understand a single word in this write-up.

This blogpost goes out for all the members of JNV, Balehonnur.

Prologue:

@Electronic city on a gloomy Sunday evening

4 of us,batch-mates at JNV, met at Electronic city and started a conversation. Of all the topics we discussed, JNV was the prime point of this talk.

One of us said, “This time, we’ll go to JNV and attend alumni meet. It’ll be a get-together for us and we can also visit JNV, meet teachers and staff. What say?”

Rest of us agreed.

20th October, 2013 @ Cubbon Park

The first call for IGNITE-2013 was through Facebook. Few of the alumni members met up in front of the Central Library, Cubbon Park. Diganth Anna spearheaded the brain-storming session. Before the discussion started I (and most of my batch-mates) was not aware of IGNITE’s significance and holiness. Here started an amazing saga. We had a fine extempore midst the drizzle. Last year's feedback from Kids was considered in the planning. We, somehow, laid the rough plan for IGNITE. (Thanks for the Lunch, Nadig Anna.)

In the coming days, through Google Group, we all discussed upon the plans and executing them in the best way possible. Conference calls, every now and then, helped us to collaborate. WhatsApp, Facebook and Gmail were all saviors for us. It reminds me of the unbeatable chemistry and understanding that we JNVians have. It was a great learning period for me, personally. To speak up, To listen, To differ, To support and To grow – We were a great Team. From deciding upon the Title to Tag-Line, Fonts to Timings we had it all sorted out. The Blue-Print was ready (Almost)

Teaser/Short Movie

Then came the task of creating a Teaser for IGNITE. We collected the photos and videos from past 8 IGNITEs. Using the best possible tools and limited time, we started preparing the short movies to show the legacy of IGNITE. ( Thanks to Sampath Anna for the collection of photos/videos.)

Sessions/Speakers

It was really tough to finalize the topics and select the speakers for the same. Each and every thing was critically discussed. The content and it's presentation was taken care of. (Thanks a lot, Raviprakash Anna for coordinating and guiding us.)

Games/Activities

Our Batch was given the responsibility of arranging Games/Activities. We had to plan and execute activities coherent to the content of each session. Activities were supposed to keep up the tempo of students and lighten-up the sessions.

17th November, 2013
We all met up at Lal Bagh to decide upon the games. I was overwhelmed to see the enthusiasm. Many ideas were suggested and few were finalized.

It was heartening to hear, “GP, I’ll take that responsibility. We’ll do it in a proper way and let it be very useful to the kids.”

Each game had an owner and the Volunteers strength increased. The next few days went on discussing the topics for debate,buying the logistics and planning the execution.

25th November, 2013
The Promo videos were shared with the Alumni through Facebook. We received good feedback for the same.

As we were nearing to the D-Day, the excitement started increasing. We had a long list of tasks - Finalizing the sessions, selecting the speakers, getting props for games, editing the PPTs, fine-tuning the games, coordinating with JNV Staff and many more. We were racing against time. Thanks to Srikanth Anna for taking the lead.

26th November, 2013 @JP Nagar

Few days before IGNITE, I had been to our Senior’s place. (Thanks to Karthik Anna, Rudresh Anna, Shankarnag Anna, Nagraj Anna, Ramanujam Anna, Arjun Anna, Ravindra Anna). We sat the whole night to prepare slides for presentation, time table for the day etc..

I still remember what our Seniors said, “Just imagine, you are going to talk to your brother/sister about what next? What would you say? If you care for them, prepare well and convey the message properly. Plan it. Every second is important. Anyway you have spent a lot of time on this, execute it in a good way.”

IGNITE- 2013 (30th November, 2013)

IGNITE started off with an inaugural function and screening of the short-movie that we had prepared. All the sessions went off really well. We felt satisfied with the way things turned out. The reception and student’s feedback was incredible.We had sessions on Leadership, Team-building, Confidence, Communication and Presentation. A brief information on scholarship and loans was provided to students. The supplementary games/activities were awesome. Later in the day, we opened the session for questions and feedback.

We got a fine chance to inspire our juniors over there. We were stunned by the talent pool at JNV. Their knowledge levels, skills, aspirations, hunger for achieving something big made us more enthusiastic.

After-Effect:

Students expressed their views on IGNITE. We got a tremendous feedback from Kids. I could see a lot of change in them. Teachers saw a tremendous improvement in students after IGNITE and conveyed the message to us.To get inspired is good but to inspire others is something incredible. To inspire kids, guide them with all the little knowledge we have, visiting the alma mater, being selfless and to be a part of legacy makes me feel proud about myself.

A mere thought of a get-together with batch mates went on to become a memorable experience.

I know, we are all busy with the day-to-day schedule. There are deadlines at office, you need to visit your hometown, meet your friends and several other commitments to accomplish, but why not spend some time for this noble cause. JNV has given a lot to us, its time for us to give something back to this holy institution. Bringing in a change, guiding our younger generation in a proper-path, telling the kids "We are with you!!" matters a lot. IGNITE was a great learning curve for me. I got to re-unite with my batch-mates, meet our seniors, visit JNV, talk to staff and students. Next day, we were part of Alumni meet. Played Volleyball and Football in the leisure time. We went on a small picnic to places near-by Sringeri. All in all, it was one of the best weekends. Events like this make you feel 'Life is worth Living'.

P.S: A big thanks to all those who contributed and attended IGNITE.
A special thanks to Abhay, Archana, Ashwini, Divakar, Hemesh, Namitha, Pramod, Punith, Ramaswamy, Praveen, Sahana, Sandhya, Supriya, Vidya for always being there for me. We had a fine time.
(Sorry if I have missed any names)

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In the name of Modi !

2014-10-28T19:42:00.002+05:30

Background:

Everyone loves talking. Majority of us would rate chit-chatting as our favorite pass time. We were about to end a long day of learning at TCS, Trivandrum. Three of us joined for a chit-chat session.We were touching upon general topics like sports, technology and current affairs etc. Somehow the focus shifted on Politics. Then came this topic on Mr.Modi. All of us were applauding his work at Gujarat. His rational, progressive and unique working style. This man had a lot to speak upon. Three of us had the same wish, "I would like to see Modi as the next PM of this country". Within few months, Mr. Narendra Modi became the PM of this country.

My father is a Journalist. Needless to say, we add to the TRPs of news channels. From TV9 to CNN-IBN, Public TV to Times Now, me and my Father irritate others in the home by watching news channels and discussing politics, in-depth. After being regarded as a rubber stamp, not-so-expressive and not-so-impressive Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh left the office with a lot of criticism.The whole country welcomed Mr. Modi as the next Prime Minister of our nation. Like many of you, even I feel that it wasn't a tough act to follow. It has been almost 6 months after being sworn in as the Prime minister of India. Here is what I feel about the Prime Minister of My country.

I was travelling in a city-bus towards Kempegowda Bus Stand to board a bus to my hometown. It was August 15th and the whole country was celebrating the Independence day. I could see tri-colors, children with white colored uniforms, automobiles sporting small flags and loudspeakers playing the patriotic songs. The bus-driver switched on the FM radio and made us listen to one of the best speeches, till date. It was our Prime Minister's speech from Red Fort. Modi's idea of "Make in India", cleaner India, Jan Dhan Yojana, Clean Ganga, Safer India, Digital India and many other progressive thoughts made me think. His encouraging words and plans for a better-India made me feel good. I know, he didn't lay out any concrete plan or mentioned a blueprint for these ideas. But as time progresses, he and his government will. As a Prime Minister he sowed the seeds of positivity in our souls.

Modi's efforts in maintaining cordial relations with Pakistan, Japan, China, America and other countries is appreciable. With a lot of Foreign investment coming in, the good days are ahead for India. His Independence day Speech, First speech at LokSabha, Speech at Madison,Japan,Bhutan,UN, SAARC etc were above all standards. Use of social media to inform public about the government initiatives and to gather public opininion/suggestions has been tremendous. The monitoring of his cabinet members has been spectacular. Few interpret this as a dictatorship, but I feel happy about the way Ministers have been working and behaving in public. It is nice to see that no minister has come up with a bull-shit interview or a controversial statement (Very few exceptions). Modi's efforts in projecting India as a great nation is truly amazing. I am not sure about how worthy, truthful and productive Modi is, but his actions have always instilled our faith in him and his government. I can see improvements in economy, Trade markets, decrease in price-rise, increase in value of INR, various innovative development projects, SIT on black money probe and many more. I know, there are a few short-comings in this tenure. Above all, Modi has been a source of inspiration. His actions have been above any political games.

Most of Modi's impressions are created by his public appearances and speeches. His defame of being the darling of paid media has always made me think Modi as a mystical figure. I don't see much of work happening at the ground level. I still feel there is some amount of advertising and false-hype creation. As we all know, this government is just re-packaging the policies of UPA and selling them in better packages. We're all tired of false-hopes and fake-promises. It is high time for Modi's team to work and take us towards "Acche Din". We all are with you!! I wish this government won't do the same thing that we have seen for years. The nation's hope for change brought BJP into power. Let BJP realize this and work towards growth of this country.

Hope, we all get to see Government work on ground level to implement the ideas that have been put-forth. I would love to see them work in the same way as his manifesto and speeches reflect. Like any Indian, I want him to take up pragmatic policies and materialize all the visionary ideas he and his team has. Let us stop being over-critical and pessimistic, and be a part of this change.

P.S : Dear Modi & Team,
Good Job!! But this isn't enough !!

Thanks for your time. Drop a comment and let me know how you felt.To get the update of my posts and to follow me, click on "Join this site" button on the top left corner of the page.

Shopping !!

2014-10-17T18:34:00.001+05:30

Prologue:

The advertisements on internet, newspapers, hoardings and too many SMSs promoted the Big Billion day by Flipkart.With Rs.1-Pen drive, Rs.600-Hard disk, Rs.1800-Tablet device etc on charts, everything seemed unreal. 06th October, 2014 saw a revolution in online shopping. With Flipkart and even Snapdeal declaring sales of over 600 crore in a day, it was marked as a red letter day in online selling. Among the billion hits that Flipkart site got, I contributed a few of them. But all I saw on it's site was "Out of Stock" "No Results Found". With manipulated discounts, cancellation of products after booking and false hype, Filpkart lost it's clean image.

I'm neither a compulsive shopper nor hate shopping. I finish my shopping before it actually starts. I make my selections quicker and wiser. My shopping time has always been increased by my family and closest of my friends.So with all the limited experience and exposure on shopping and marketing, here goes my thoughts on this arena.

Long back, a petty shop in the street served all our needs. May it be a match box or sugar, coffee powder or a geometry box, vegetables or a tennis ball, we had it here. The shopkeeper charged us with an extra rupee or two. The perk of having a chocolate/eatable every time I had to buy something at the shop made me really happy.
If a washing soap cost Rs.15, essentially my mom would bribe me with one-rupee coin to buy the soap from the shop.
Though we bought essential household items from a wholesale retailer on a monthly-basis, we always had some need which was served by the shops near our homes. The wholesale retailer always had good discounts, sold the items on MRPs and had a reputation. We could return or replace items whenever we had an issue. Going to city market to buy vegetables, shopping for dresses before the festival-weekend was one of the delightful experiences. The act of bargaining from our parents was something to watch out for. Shopping was real fun.

Then came the era of super-stores, malls etc which gave us an unique experience of getting all the items in a single place. It almost became a weekend ritual to visit malls in big cities.The prices were high, but the shopping experience was good. The luxuries like centralized AC, posh infrastructure, and the elegant shopping experience made the customers pay a very high price for goods purchased. For me, who has always been in a sub-urban/rural setup, it seemed extravagant.Though, I visit malls very often, I am not used to purchasing here. Just like the majority of us, I prefer window-shopping inside a mall rather than lessening the weight of my wallet. There are no bargaining acts here. The price tags make us faint. Nevertheless, people adopted themselves to shopping at these Malls.

In the early days of this decade started a new trend in shopping called online retailing. The whole shopping mechanism based on internet, took some time to establish itself. It became popular and trust-worthy in the coming days. We could search for an item just from a device connected to internet. We had a mega store in our device offering items with the best prices. Though, people had insecurities with online payments, virtual-selection and other issues with this unconventional shopping, e-retailers made our shopping experience better. In the book, "One Click" by Jeff Bezos, the author explains the challenges faced in the starting days of online marketing. Even a single mistake would cost the e-retailer badly. The job done by Amazon, Flipkart, eBay and other companies in this field of online selling is truly commendable and inspiring. To a country which loves to bargain, the discounts offered here were satisfying. These companies are even having the best customer support. In case of replacement/returns the customers are taken care of. The human tendency to buy unwanted was a blessing for these stalwarts. To gaze at the new stuffs in market and to buy the needless gave a push to online selling. Big cities found this shopping a fine experience. Ordering a product and getting it delivered to your doorstep was the best thing that could have happened.

Lately, Flipkart's Big Billion day was a debacle in itself. In an attempt to overshadow and emerge as the King of Online-selling, Flipkart lost it's esteem. I was an admirer of Flipkart's marketing, selling, delivery, customer support etc. But I was totally disappointed with the Big Billion day bait. If you aren't selling the product on such low prices, cancelling the ordered products and creating cheap publicity, I don't think you are creating a brand. The Brand Flipkart 's morale-less masquerade was hugely criticised. I agree, if Flipkart sells a product on a lesser amount than others in future, obviously customer will prefer Flipkart. Nonetheless, it's very important to have ethics in your business.

Few companies cancelled their deals with Flipkart for selling their goods on predatory prices. Indian Government has received so many complaints on Flipkart. Government is planning to formulate laws to manage online selling. They want to restrict online sellers offering items less than the cost price. I don't agree with this decision, to be very frank. I know, it creates unethical trades, wage and weird practices but as a customer I should be the one to make choices. I guess, the big-shots of retail industry, owners of big malls are stepping into the competition. Lets see how they influence Government in oppressing the online shopping.

It's festive time and we are eagerly for a long-vacation. Time to go Shopping!!

Thanks for your time. Drop a comment and let me know how you felt.
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The Story behind the Story

2014-07-31T19:06:00.002+05:30

I have always wanted to write something from past few years. I write a diary, scribble nonsense on bits and pieces of paper, type something on a notepad in my laptop and compose blog posts via my Blog. These days, there is an author constantly running in my mind. Writing has given me so much of pleasure. Looking at my blogposts, my improvement in writing, reader's appreciation and wanting to write more, gives a new lead to my life.

Long back, after reading my blogposts, few of my friends had suggested me to write something real and big. At that point in time, I didn't know what 'real' and 'big' meant. Later, when I started my career, few of my colleagues advised me to write something real. They gave me an idea to write a story-series, which would enhance my writing abilities and my journey as an aspiring writer.

I thought about it for a while, discussed few ideas but didn't start anything. I kept on postponing the plan. I was happy writing short articles, travelogues and petty posts. After a tiring and not-so-good day at office, I started writing a love story. I wasn't sure whether it was an article or a short story when I published the first episode.

Few comments: "Shit!! Why do you want to write a lovestory?" "Nobody reads these romantic stuff, these days" "Is this your lovestory?" "Looks mediocre" "Interesting! Good start!!"

My thoughts of writing a triangular lovestory went on to become a quadrilateral. Sometimes it appears like a dirty mixture of few films and novels to me.

I was amazed to see good response. Though I lost few of my readers due to my infrequent publishing of episodes. But I am happy that I could reach out to good number of readers.

Few complaints: "Dude, I forgot the whole story" "Its irritating to click on "Click Here" " " "Post episodes regularly. You know that few are waiting to read the next part of the story"
If I say, this is a fictional story, I would be lying. This is a combination of what I have seen in my close ones' lives (My friends and colleagues) and my imagination (Wild, eccentric, and cheap, at times). I have never been in a relationship but I know a lot about this experience through my dear ones. Not to forget, I watch a lot of movies and soaps, read a lot of books and write-ups in internet. It isn't anyone's story in particular. You needn't go through that experience to write about it. Nobody wants to tell his personal story to the world. It is a fictional story with a lot of real-life elements in it. I kept on improvising the story. This story had actually become a part of my life. During my loneliness, travelling and various other instants I was thinking about the next episode. After writing each part, my friend, Jagadeesh used to come up with few suggestions. He is responsible for few twists in this story. From nowhere, this story reached somewhere and made me go through a fine journey.

Few appreciations: " I think, you should take it to the next level. Make a proper draft and we will talk to a publisher" "I never read lovestories, except this one. You are quite good" "Man, you write so real. Your narration is mind blowing. It must be your story" (My reply: If you know its real, then you must be in a relationship. Pat on my back, I'm good as an author) "It makes a lot of sense. You are getting better" "Every episode, you surprise me and keep me hooked up for the next part" "Good job, dude!"

I was happy to hear all the appreciation as well as criticism. At times, I didn't like the thought of me writing some shitty love story with so many episodes. That isn't real writing. But I define Real for myself. This writing was a memorable saga. Thinking like 4 different people was amazing. To weave a story that's unseen, to explain the emotions not experienced and to narrate the incidents which i wasn't part of, was splendid.

Thank you, for making this journey more enjoyable.
I'll miss Rahul, Aditi, Shreya and Sid.

Thanks for your time!!

A Journey To Remember - Episode 18

2014-07-31T19:06:00.001+05:30

Here is the next episode of the story. To read the previous part Click Here

Prologue:

Its not about how long we wait, its about how well we understand why we are waiting. Sometimes our reasons seem trivial for others...but for us..those are reasons which makes us breathe one more time.

I kept staring at the clock, I tried to pack things, I imagined all the good things that had happened to me over the years but nothing seemed to make feel alive.

Melancholy had deeply penetrated to each and every blood vessel. Will I be happy without Shreya? Will Shreya lead her life peacefully, without me? Is Aditi serious on me? Should I clear the way for Aditi and Sid? Rather than going abroad, shall i start my life brand new, with my parents? Going to US is the best thing thing for me? I was torn apart by all these thoughts. Well, human brain can come up with innumerable permutations and combinations. His enemy, human heart agrees with one option at a time and changes it's decision, the next moment.

My mom called me and I picked the call after 5 rings, " Rahul, It's 4 am. Wake up and get ready. Give me a call, before the plane starts."
I replied, "Sure,mom"

I knew, my parents wouldn't have slept the whole night. My decision to fly abroad had disturbed them, a lot. Unlike other families, middle class parents want their kids to be with them. All they care about is relationships, not professional milestones. I informed them 2 days ago to avoid all the emotional hi-drama. I didn't want them to see me off at the airport.

I got Aditi's message, "I'm ready!"

I called her, "Taxi will be here in few minutes. I am all set. I'll pick you at your place."

She reminded me, "Get your headsets and don't forget to turn off the gas cylinder. One more thing, wash all the used utensils. I know, you would have had a lot of coffee last night"

She was damn right. My headsets were lying on bed,coffee-mug on the table and I hadn't turned off the cylinder. Aditi knew me and I knew her. We were perfect to be friends. I had no thoughts of seeing her in some other place. We were fine to be together as buddies.

Taxi arrived and I picked Aditi from her place. We were at airport in 20 minutes.

Sid had been to his hometown. He called me to say Goodbye!!

After a few formalities at the reception, I came back to Aditi, "Aditi, I want to tell you something. If you think Sid is the best for you, stop not! You never know. There isn't any rule that first love is the best. Love is such horrible arena that there is no guarantee. You give it a shot. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But before you get into this relationship stuff, make sure you aren't fake. You are real. You stay in it only if you feel like. I'm not telling you hop on to too many guys and find good pair. Don't beleive in people who say, "There is no perfect match. We have to perfect what we have". Life gives you soulmate. My father and mother make the best couple. Their's was an accidental pair. You make efforts and give it a try, but if it doesn't work you must be good enough to end the relationship and move on. You aren't married to him, you are just dating. If you want to keep correcting your relationship everytime; better go with your parent's choice and go with an arranged marriage. It will atleast make your parent's happy, if not you. If you take a risk, do it properly. You find the best one for you. Not finding the best one will cause a hell lot of problems to you, your guy and both the families. Love marriages just end up with a small world with only two of you; your parents aren't bothered anymore (not that much, really). When life gives you an opportunity make the best of it. Regrets and wrong choices won't help anyone"

Aditi replied, "Hmmm. I agree. But how do you realize that HE is the one? "

I replied, "You'll get to know, soon."

We had a cup of coffee. Aditi gave me a music CD of retro bollywood songs.
"This one is for you Rahul. To the witty, not-so-smart, hilarious, heartful, not-that-rich, sensitive, dramatic and caring person I have ever met in my life. Thanks for making my life what it is"

I controlled my tears,
"Aditi, you know how much you mean to me.Take care of yourself. Take care of Sid. Visit my place, once in a while. Then, what else?? I'll miss you!! "

I hugged her. There were tears. I took my boarding pass and made my way, towards the waiting bay.I had to wait for 30 more minutes to board the plane. Each second was so terrible to pass.

After a few minutes, I got an announcement, "Mr.Rahul, please come to the reception. It's an emergency"

I had one more disaster waiting for me. I rushed towards the reception.

And There she was! Shreya !

I was shocked. Shreya came running towards me. We stood against each other.

There was a long silence!

Shreya went on her knees and said, "I know, this is very much unlike me. Uffff!! Me, Shreya, totally awkward, highly weird and extremely abnormal girl wants to spend my entire life with you. I have been always afraid of myself, my intentions, my parents, conventions, society, and many other things. Today, I no longer care about you, myself, our parents, our future or anything, else. I like you and I can never get anybody better than you. You can take care of me better than I do. I've hurt you, dissappointed you, and given you so much of trouble. Probably, I'll continue doing the same in future. More than anything else, I have always seen a companion in you. With you, I can talk non-sense, sing, do rubbish, dance, be totally myself and still be loved by you. I know, I made few wrong decisions, but I'm eventually here. All I can say is, " I LOVE YOU and I'M ALL YOUR'S ".

Shreya finally got to know her Truth. She disrupted her wedding ceremony and was here.

Life comes down to a few moments, and these moments shape our lives. Well, I didn't say anything. We both hugged!

The whole airport was looking at us without blinking their eyes.
There are a few things which cannot be explained. Sometimes we don't know the real worth of our dear ones. We make wrong choices and continue to live with them. But we don't want it that way. Without confronting the problem we can never resolve it. Accept the reality, acknowledge the love and make good choices. Quitting from the wrong thing at the right time is as important as Staying with the right thing till the end.

THE BEGINNING!!

Most of you have WhatsApped me, sent SMS, mails, talked over phone, talked in person or via others about this story. I would really appreciate if you comment your views (Good, Bad or Ugly). It feels great to know my reader. Its gonna make my day.

Whether you know me or not, if you have read this story please drop a comment !!

To know the story behind this story Click Here

Nonsense !!

2014-07-18T20:27:00.002+05:30

This article goes out for all the insane people over there, to all the introverts who are shy to accept their absurdity, to all the "I'm-Mature" people who hide the anomalies in them and to all those who appreciate, celebrate and respect Nonsense.

Disclaimer: Read this blogpost at your own risk.

Prologue:

College life is a golden life. I truly agree ! It was my 3rd semester in B.E. and I was on a 2-day trip with my friends. We were traveling in a mini-bus towards Hogenakkal Falls from Kollegaal. There were too many talks,screams,songs and all that is considered to be happy, energetic and youthful.

I was busy talking to my friend. It was a very long conversation when she said, "Nonsense is the only thing that has LIFE".
"Really?", I was awed.
"Ya. Nonsense keeps us alive",she replied and giggled.
"Hmmmm!!", I liked the thought.

For me, Nonsense has always made sense. Though it's kind of a paradox,i still believe that Nonsense makes too much of sense. The sense in Nonsense is more than the sense in Sensible. Nonsense is a forte of limited number of people.Not everyone can deal with nonsense. It needs enormous amount of talent, uniqueness, patience and a lot of craziness. Few may consider it as insignificant, but I regard it as the oxygen of our lives.

The charm in non-sense is it's lust for imagination, it's liking for the incorrectness and being totally absurd. To talk abnormally, to imagine beyond all the realities and sensing the craziness is an amazing feeling. Nonsense doesn't need facts, it doesn't require statistics, cheesy lines, logic and whatever that is considered to be conventional. Nonsense just requires 'The-Weird'-You, 'The-Child'-You, 'The-Crazy'-You , 'The-Innocent'-You and most importantly, "The-Real-You".

Nonsense is not an unconscious ignorance. It is a conscious behavior. May be, that is the reason why Nonsense is an eternal bliss. To discuss with a dear friend of your's (I have got few) about wage theories on life, to shed light on relationships, profession and everything that is too high is the beauty of Nonsense. To know the reality and the correctness of the context, but to continue being wrong, crazy, fun and soulful at the same instant is an unmatchable ability of Nonsense.

Long back, I had a weird conversation with my friend (I call it Nonsense)
"Nonsense is holy! "
"Bullshit!!"
"That's what I meant. Bullshit is holy. So is Nonsense"
"Dude, that was a rotten joke"
"God is holy, because he is surreal (I call it unreal) and gives a way to escape from the reality. Same way, Nonsense is surreal (I agree) and gives you ultimate happiness. By prayers and believing in Almighty we hope for all the goodness. Similarly, Nonsense is a saga that's bound to create a joy. We aren't hoping for happiness through Nonsense but we are getting it at the same instant, unlike our prayers to God"
"I feel like puking, listening to your conversation"
" There you go, Nonsense is giving you a salvation by helping you to throw away bad things from your body. You are loving this Nonsense. Aren't you?"

Nonsense is not always being wrong, crazy and being abnormal. Nonsense can be challenging the accepted truths, to laugh at the hard realities of life, accepting the weird part of the story, emphasizing the false in Truth or finding the truth in False. It is all about breaking all the boundaries and ignoring the norms. You don't agree? Well, that is not my problem. May be, Nonsense isn't your cup of tea.

Nonsense is an escape vehicle to get rid of sad things, heartbreaks, failures, dissatisfaction and all the earthly existence. You get into this vehicle and take a joy ride. Make sure you have got few like-minded (I mean, Nonsense) passengers with you, it's gonna be much more fun. No need to worry about the fuel or the destination (I mean, Sense). It's a trip that'll be short but enjoyable.

No matter what, you aren't going to stay alive forever. It's time to stimulate your brain cells with some Nonsense. Let the child in you do all the crazy stuffs he wants to do. Think beyond the conventions. Let go! Ignore all the inhibitions and enjoy the ride.

Long Live Nonsense!!

Thanks for your time. Drop a comment and let me know how you felt.
To get the update of my posts and to follow me, click on "Join this site" button on the top left corner of the page.

A Journey To Remember - Episode 17

2014-07-10T21:39:00.001+05:30

Here is the next episode of the story. To read the previous part Click Here

Things were going fine at Office. Every single day was a challenge. I had to work smarter and harder to get things done. Though my schedule was too busy, there was Sid and Aditi for the relief.

One fine day, my Manager came to my cubicle and said, " Hi Rahul, I have nominated you as the Module Lead for our next project. You need to join our Onsite counterparts within few days."

I told him that I'm not willing to shift from Mumbai. Yes !! I didn't want to lessen my chances by moving abroad. I wanted Shreya at any cost. It may sound too silly for most of you, but I said "NO".

Manager: " Rahul, Its a great oppurtunity. USA is a land of opportunities. Your career will take a leap over there"

Rahul: "Thank you, so much for the opportunity. But I have my own priorities."

Manager: " I am not sure about your priorities, but you are a man of ultimate conviction. I know, you would have made the best decisions. Before I look for an alternative, I'll wait for your final decision till next monday."

I always make the best decisions. But it won't get executed in the same manner, because there is someone else who is a part of my decision.

All the colleagues got to know about this news. Few already started lobbying for this opportunity.

Aditi took me to the office cafeteria, one evening.

" Why did you say "NO" to that US offer? You are rejecting the onsite oppurtunity for the second time in a row. Are you crazy? "

"No, Aditi. I am fine. I don't want to go abroad. I like where I am and what I am doing."

"Don't tell me that shit again. You are waiting for that girl. You are hurting yourself and doing no good to anyone"

"I know, what I am doing. Everytime I ask myself, "Is it really worth it?" my heart has never said "NO" in these years. Going to US, professional achievements and exploring life isn't going to make me happy. That girl is what i want. Most of us don't know what makes us happy, but I'm damn sure. The only thing I wish is "Shreya", nothing else"

" That girl is stupid and you are crazy. I'm leaving. Catch you tomorrow."

Aditi was pissed off by what I said.She didn't speak to me for the next few days. She was disappointed by my actions. I liked Aditi for caring me and being always there. Aditi was a friend that everyone wishes for !

I was on an online meeting when I got a call from Shreya, " Hi Rahul, how are you?"

"I am fine. How are you?"

"I'm OK. I called you to say something...I mean, I don't know how to....(After a long pause) Well, my marriage is on 17th of this month. I am not even forcing you to come to my marriage, but I want you to forget me and lead a peaceful life ahead. I don't deserve you, by any means.You should always be happy."

"Hmmm..." I couldn't speak anything. I was cursing God and myself for what was happening. I was dumbstruck!

"Well, I knew you would be waiting for me. Accept the reality and live your life. Stop being too good for those who aren't worth it.Wish you all the goodness in this world. Bye! "

I had no reason to live anymore. My only wish was thrashed by the almighty. Just a phone call turned my life upside down. All my love, care and concern from past so many years had no meaning. My dreams went on a long walk to an unknown place, crying!

I went outside the office, ran harder and harder, for a long distance till I had lost all energy. My tears had dried. My wishes didn't work. My goodness didn't yield me anything. I was lost.

Next day, I went to my manager's room and expressed my acceptance to the onsite offer.

"You are leaving on 17th. For more information contact Admin Team. All the best, Rahul", My Manager said.

Life has few cruel coincidences and this one was ultimate. Shreya's marriage and my departure was on the same date. I made my mind, chose to dive into an unknown world. I knew, it wasn't the best thing but this option looked good.

Should I go to Shreya and convince her for the one last time? Should I choose Aditi over Shreya and live peacefully? Should I go away, far away from this world and forget everything for a while?
Well, few questions have no answers!!

I dropped an sms to Aditi:
"I know you are angry on me. I'll be expecting you at the airport. I want to speak to you before I leave."

Aditi replied,
"Will b at airport at sharp 6 o clock. Happy packing. GN."

To my suprise, I got a text from Shreya which read,
"Happy journey. All the best. Thanks for everything. Good Bye!!"

With my laptop, old movie tickets, boring novels, unpacked clothes, "Ye Dooriyan" song on loop, untidy sneakers, air tickets...there I was sitting and watching the wallclock which showed 1:25AM.

Hard choices are hard because there is no best option.

Drop a comment and let me know your feedback!

Next and the final episode coming soon. Keep waiting !

A Journey To Remember - Episode 16

2014-06-19T17:35:00.000+05:30

Here is the next episode of the story. To read the previous part Click Here

As Sid wanted to switch his job, he joined our company through my reference. It was not a great time for Sid. He had to go through that phase of change. Though he had come in terms with Shreya, his new job and different lifestyle at Mumbai kept him sad.

Aditi gave me a new lease of life. Ameliorating work conditions made me feel better. Sid got along well with both of us. Life was becoming better. One fine day, Shreya replied to one of my mails.
"Hi Rahul,I am so sorry that I didn't reply to any of your mails. I somehow lost my cellphone and I don't have any contact numbers, even today. Just call me whenever you are free. My number is +91-9XXXXXXXX."

I took no time to call her, after seeing the mail.

"Hi. Rahul here", I felt happy as well as uncomfortable.

"Hey. How are you?", Shreya replied.
Her voice had the same magic and I felt terribly awesome.

"I'm fine. How are you?", I asked her.

"Not bad. I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you anything. I vanished from Goa without anyone's notice. It was good for me and you too", She said.

We got in touch again. It took some time to get back to normalcy, but we managed it fine. Once-in-a-week call and many text messages were exchanged.

Aditi : "OMG!! So when did you guys meet up, lately?"

Me: "A few months ago. 8 months to be specific."

Aditi : "What are you guys up to?"

Me: "After repeated requests she met me on a sunday, I still remember. Actually, her father got transferred to Mumbai and the whole family stays here. We roamed that Ecstasy heights Mall for sometime. She told me a lot about how things changed in an year or so".

Aditi : " Oh !! 8 months is too long. So what's the present status?"

Me: "I don't know !! She told me not to expect anything from her. Shreya is still depressed about choosing Sid over me. She disagrees on both of us getting together. Actually, the chances are too low."

Aditi: "Seriously? Shreya still wants to commit the same mistake?"

Me: " Not sure. Aditi, one thing is for sure...Shreya got into a relationship accidentally. She had no conviction in her relationship. When she realised that they weren't meant to be together, she couldn't avoid him or abandon the relationship. It took both of them, a very long time to break up. I feel sorry for Shreya. But she isn't ready to get along with me again after rejecting me. She has her own perspectives. Probably, we wont be together....It always happens with me. I'm so so unlucky. Ufff!! "

My eyes were wet.

Aditi held my hands and comforted me.

Aditi: "Don't tell me that you are still waiting for Shreya."

Me: "Yup. I am waiting for her. She'll be back very soon."

Aditi: " You are crazy and she is stupid."

Me: "We both know that !"

Aditi: " Funny!!..You are not doing the right thing."

Me: "I know that. You know what, I am in at most conviction that she is the Lady of my life. I have made her realise my intentions. Aditi, I have been waiting for Shreya from few years. I'll keep doing the same thing. Though I won't trouble her by enforcing my wishes. I know my limits and I won't pester her. Probably, I'll wait for few more months and then she might get married to someone else. After few days, I might be convinced that I can live happily without her. But my point is, I don't want that to happen. I desperately want to be with Shreya."

I could see tears in Aditi's eyes.

Aditi: " I wish, I was Shreya !"

The conductor shouted, " Nariman cross. Nariman Cross"

Me: " Hey, we need to get down"

We had to finally end the past stories and the debacles of present and unboard the bus.

All of a sudden the person sitting in the adjacent seat stopped me,
"Sorry, i was eavesdropping you the whole night. I guarantee you that you'll surely get Shreya. God isn't that cruel to burn down your life . Shreya is doing the wrong thing by rejecting you. She'll spoil her life and her to-be-husband's life. Hope you can spread the happiness to others, if Shreya won't reach out for you. All the best, bro"

It made sense. It instilled faith and my heartbeats said, "Everything will be fine". I told myself, " I know that everything will be fine, but I want it to be Awesome"

Thanks for your time. Drop a comment and let me know how you felt.
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Amazing Theories !!

2014-06-12T20:00:00.000+05:30

Prologue:

Well, these days, there is a tremendous decrease in people reading newspapers. Few of the readers just look at the last pages, film news and Page3 sections in it. Particularly, Kannada dailies have lost their readers count significantly. No time, modernization, mediocre journalism and low-quality writing are some of the reasons that we get if we ponder over this issue.

Not to forget,there are a lot of people who read Kannada newspapers for the centre page articles. I am one of those old school types who still admire the write-ups of Vishweshwar Bhat, Sudha Murthy, Prathap Simha, Ravi Belagere, Pranathi and many more. No matter what, it seems impossible to miss on center page articles by these awesome writers.

To talk about life is a joy in itself. Here are 2 amazing theories on life that caught my attention and I have always been in awe of these theories from the day I read them.

Seven Years Each !

I was a huge fan of Cricket (I just realized that i used "was"). Cricket was one of my fantasies during my childhood (Again "was"). I used to fall sick to bunk classes and watch cricket at home. Waking up at 6 o clock in the morning wasn't an issue at all, if i could play cricket for an extra hour or two.

Well, things have changed a lot. Cricket doesn't excite me anymore. Not that i watch or play cricket these days, but there isn't that anxiety and entertainment in it. Football is my new game of desire.

Our relationship with a particular person, liking for a certain dish, hobbies,places etc change over a period of time. The desire towards anything will last for a maximum of 'seven' years.

Consider a normal human life-cycle, we all are unaware of what we do in the first seven years. The next seven years is all about games and fun, teenage is more into friendships and relationships, 22-28 is the period where we worry about our jobs and career. Once we get married, our spouses are everything to us. Then we have kids, the next few years are spent on these kids. Our children become the most important thing in our life. It doesn't end here. Then we thrive for an own home and taking care of our parents and their last few wishes. We are then worried about our children's marriage and cute little grand kids. Then starts the unending love towards spirituality, religion and all that is Good.

But we do act, at times, in such a way that we will own something forever. There isn't any guarantee of liking something for 'ever'. We are in an illusion. A favorite song of your's, a few years back, sounds so boring today. Your favorite hero, best friend, place to visit, hobby have changed over the years. Never ever be in an illusion for a temporary desire and lose something really worthy. This is the nature of life. Though, not everything loses its virtue but life turns out to be this way.

If you love something or someone for more than seven years, that is what you lived for !! There are obviously few things that are liked and loved beyond time. These things represent us and symbolize our life on this earth. At some point you'll realize your passion, find your soul mate, a satisfying profession and many other things. This is the point in life where we shouldn't compromise but hunt down our targets to attain what makes us happy. You should never put anything in abeyance. It's your life and You Live Only Once !!

We never live in the present !!

One of the biggest illusions of life is that we are living in the present. Actually, we always tend to live in past or aspire for future. You are watching a movie that was made long ago, listening to some retro, remembering the good old times, worrying about the future, your plans for the next weekend and many more.We are repeating what was done before or thriving to do what hasn't been done yet. It's a life which resides in past and hopes for future, it isn't actually present.

Well, right now, you are reading this post and thinking about clicking the "Like" button or dropping a "comment". You aren't actually in the present - You assume to be in the present. Chuck that. Now, either you are amazed at what i mentioned just now or it didn't make sense to you. You are into your imagination mode but not in reality. That again proves that we are in an illusion of living in the present but we aren't in reality.

Few of you may disagree with me and say that, living in the past and for the future is nothing but living in the present.
It sounds a bit complex and would vary with each person's perspectives and logical opinions.

We never live in the present, either we reside in past or future.

But these two theories make a hell lot of sense (at least for few of us). If you have come across such wage thoughts just drop a comment and let the world know. It feels good to share!!

PS: Life itself is a complicated stuff. We can never ever make generic conclusions and theories out of it. We are here for a reason , that we don't know. Lets live it to the fullest.

Ernest Hemingway once wrote, "The world is a fine place and worth fighting for." I agree with the second part.

Thanks for your time. Drop a comment and let me know how you felt.
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A Journey To Remember - Episode 15

2014-06-04T19:22:00.000+05:30

Here is the next episode of the story. To read the previous part Click Here

Prologue:

This episode deals with more of perspectives. I have explained a bit more on dating, love, life and priorities which most of you will agree (You are right!!) but few might disagree (Come out of the Ignorance!!).

Happy reading !!

There are a few moments in life which makes you neither happy nor sad. Realizing there was a huge disparity between Sid and Shreya was one such moment. I didn't like to see two of my best friends in such a situation. I knew, my chances were increasing but I couldn't digest the fact that both of them were suffering a lot.

Very few days were left for the marriage and I hadn't received an Invitation card yet. Neither of them called me or texted me about the preparations and what was going on.I heard a few gossips that Sid and Shreya had a series of fights. It was hard to believe those rumors, so I ignored them. My workload was too heavy and I was not that selfless to help them out in resolving their issues.

2 days before the marriage, I called Sid to enquire about what was happening, "Hi Sid, how are you?"

"I'm fine, dude. Whats up?", He replied.

"Nothing much. How is everything going on? How is Shreya?", I asked in a meek tone.

"Sorry, Rahul. I forgot to inform you. Things weren't going well on both the sides. So we had to quit before it got worse.", He elaborated.

"Sid, what are you telling? Are you serious?", I was stunned.

"Yup. I am very serious. I had a lot of disparities and fights with Shreya regarding various issues. We both never had sync with anything. Probably, we were acting it out, during the good-old-college times. This relationship was more of a tactic to pass time and share personal things. It had nothing to do with emotions, marriage and life. We realized these things a bit later, but we took some time to end this fake journey.We would have cheated ourselves and our families by tying the knot. It was the best decision we could take and I believe that we have done the right thing.", He confessed everything.

Man, I ruined my whole life for Shreya. I worried so much about you and now you have forgotten to inform me about the cancellation of marriage. Anyways, it cleared my routes.

"Are you both fine?", I asked him, genuinely.

"It is kind of tough for both of us. But as time flies we'll appreciate our decision", He was confident and sounded happy.

Shreya had moved to her native place with her family. The tragedy was, she had changed her phone number and didn't reply to any of my mails. I was deeply saddened by the fact that she didn't share anything with me. I guess, she tried her best to explain when I met her at the railway station. But I was dumb.

Aditi: "Ohhh!! That's a pretty complicated story. So you were very happy, I hope?"

Me: "Nope. Not really. I didn't want both of them to be hurt. But I always knew that they weren't made for each other. Sometimes, the loneliness suffered and the affection & comfort shown by opposite gender takes a bad turn called "Love". One more thing, when they realised they can't get along and they have huge disparities, they shouldn't have waited any longer. Many of us do this mistake of holding on to a dissatisfying relationship when we have better options. Dissatisfying doesn't mean anger, fights or discomfort. It is not getting the best you could get"

Aditi: "I still wonder why did Shreya disregard you, when she knew you are better than Sid, for her? Atleast, she could have explored more about you and gone ahead"

Me: " She had given herself to Sid. She didn't want to take chances and make things miserable."

Aditi: " Rahul, pre-marriage relationships are meant to check whether someone suits us or not. There isn't any promise involved in it. Both of them are trying and they should be mature enough to break-up, if they found someone better. In a way, Shreya cheated Sid by not trying you. You don't avoid the best match just because you are dating someone. At the end of the day, what really matters is - Are you living your life with the best match (not just the right person)? It doesn't matter whether your date was perfect or not? It doesn't matter whether you took chances with more than one? Shreya would always regret the decision of staying with Sid because she would be thinking about you forever, unknowingly"

Me: "Hmmm. Makes sense for both of us. But Shreya had different perspectives."

Aditi: "I know!! Anybody would feel bad at that point in time. Eventually, Sid would have understood. But any time, relationships are meant to try. She wasn't married to Sid. Once you are married to someone, there are no options at all and you have to bare it all. There is a promise involved in it. Shreya messed it up for you as well as Sid. So did Shreya ever call you?....(After a pause) Sorry, you carry on with the story"

Thanks for your time. Drop a comment and let me know how you felt.
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Coffee, WhatsApp, Nature, Friends and Happiness !!

2014-06-03T21:41:00.000+05:30

Prologue:
This is a travelogue of a Trip to Dandeli and DudhSagar with my friends.

Disclaimer:
It's quite personal and might be boring !

May 18th, 2014 Sunday night (@Electronic city Phase 2)
Four of us joined at a cafe (It was a bakery, but cafe sounds cool) for no reason. Everyone was worried about a long week that was ahead of us and confessed about the regrets of wasting the weekends, doing nothing.
We ordered a few cups of coffee (and someone ordered tea, i guess).Caffeine and smartphone did the trick. We searched internet for a place to visit and have fun.

One of us said: Dandeli?......I guess, Dandeli would be fine!

Everyone of us opened our smartphones and Miss Google helped us in getting too much of information.We came up with a plan in 20 minutes(or may be 30 minutes).

One of us posted a message in WhatsApp and the rest of us accepted this trip invitation in no time. Within next few hours the total was 8 in number.

May 19th, 2014 to May 29th, 2014
From booking a HomeStay to planning the places to visit, internet was more than enough ! WhatsApp was the saviour. All the decisions, information, discussions and notices happened here. Finally, 16 members were all set to Dandeli and Doodhsagar Trip (DudhSagar? Yup, Plans do change!)

May 30th,2014
We started our journey from Silk board at 7:30PM. After 2 hours or so, we picked all the 16 members and the real journey started. Everybody was so hungry that few packs of biscuits, Lays and other home-made snacks were finished within few minutes. We danced for sometime inside the bus. Music is such a rejuvenator - everybody was back to their senses after a long day of work. We had our dinner at a restaurant on the way. Few of us had coffee, as well, after the dinner!!

16 of us know each other from July 31st, 2001. We all studied in a residential school for a span of 7 years (Uff!! That's a pretty long time). It was so refreshing to talk about what's going on in each other's life? Sharing joys and sorrows with your loved ones is so comforting. I had a (fictional) story to tell, my friend had few poems to recite and there were few PJs(Poorest Jokes), RJs(Rotten Jokes) and whatever. Few dozed off, but others continued their never ending series of tales. The moving vehicle showered a thick breeze and a view which set everything right for me. Obviously, I was sitting besides a window and was at ease. Darkness and breeze is kind of special.

During my childhood, I used to predict that we are nearer to a city, when we were travelling, by the view of electric lamps and brightness. But today, darkness is an illusion. Every village has so many electric lamps and street lights, the roads are filled with Cafes, Dhabas and tolls (there are too many). Darkness is rare in today's world but we still have a shade of it, inside us.

May 31st,2014
Google maps and navigation served the purpose of guiding us the roadways to Dandeli. On the way, me and my friend had a long conversation with the Driver. The Driver took a quick interview of what technology we work on, our native places and other things.
He and his family was from Kengeri. He told a few things which impressed me "Life in Bangalore is tough, sir. So much of price raise, pollution and insecurity. Most of the time is spent working, we rarely get to spend time with family. Kids aren't allowed to play outdoor games.Our childhood was too different and more enjoyable."
We touched recent election results, his trip experiences and much more. He added, " If Government reduces Diesel fare, then everything will be a lot better. It would help us a lot".
We all got to know so many new things.

My friend always iterates this poem,

ಸರ್ವಜ್ಞನೆ೦ಬುವನು ಗರ್ವದಿ೦ದಾದವನೇ?

ಸರ್ವರೊಳು ಒಂದೊಂದು ನುಡಿಗಲಿತು

ವಿದ್ಯೆಯ ಪರ್ವತವೆ ಆದ ಸರ್ವಜ್ಞ.

As we were nearing to Dandeli, the atmosphere got better - fresh air, greenery, fields, patchy-roads, small villages and a sense of happiness. Dandeli has a rich forest cover and a tropical climate (Go to wikipedia for more info and stats)

The Homestay (http://www.sangwayhomestay.com) welcomed us with the rusted gate, morning dew, mango trees, green grass and a secluded building. We freshened up, had few idlis with sambhar & chutney and rushed towards the White water rafting camp.

We need to travel a distance of 12Kms to the rafting location. This part was very funny. Everyone was talking about water disasters, ending life and all the worst consequences. It was great fun (and gyan) to realize how thrifty our lives are. Water rafting was great fun. I took a plunge into the river Kali while rafting.Water entered though mouth, ears & nose and I couldn't breathe till I started floating with the help of a Life-Jacket. It was more of a magic than reality. Touching a friend's hands floating, shouting with all the strength, challenging the risk and experiencing the surreal was awesome (The Hrithik Roshan's moment in Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara). The 9 kms of rafting with the scenic backdrop and River Kali's aggression was memorable. 8 of us rafting and facing the challenge was amazing in itself.
When you know, you have your dear ones, you will rejoice everything.

The rafting experience was described and discussed upon, during the lunch at Homestay. After a voting, we planned to leave for Synthera rocks and Kali Backwaters. We played few childish games inside the vehicle and danced a bit on the way. Syntheri rocks explain the marvel of nature. A nature-created water falls - Kali river's tributary flowing beneath the 300ft rock,too many bee-hives on rock and serenity. Then we shifted the gears towards a dam to take a glimpse of Kali backwaters. It isn't a nice view to see a barren river. The water was less as the monsoons had not started yet. But the peace in sitting on the bridge, listening to melodies and talking bull-shit with friends was awesome.

The camp fire with pakoda in Homestay was good. We tried the swing, danced for sometime, had dinner and finished our day with a long discussion on our life at Bangalore, IT field, Life and some very serious topics.

June 1st, 2014
After a peaceful sleep, we woke up to the early sunrise.

Few of them were still sleeping and others tried their hands at badminton, volleyball, football, swing and Photography. I took a morning walk which had a great impact on me. The calmness of the place, nature's existence, less falseness, people working their hearts out early morning and many more. Women draped their saree to make them comfortable to work (which was quite interesting), lush greenery, the sight of buffaloes & cows grazing, people were gratifying and had a fair knowledge about the place, villages were under-developed but maintained their nativity and life seemed to be more lively.

DudhSagar was on cards for the day. We bid adieu to the HomeStay and started our journey towards Castle Rock railway station. We took Yashwantpur-Vasco train and reached DudhSagar. The train journey was spectacular with tunnels (and people shouting when the train passed through a tunnel), mountains, water springs etc. I talked to a fellow passenger about IPL and the places around. He said, "Aaj toh Punjab hi jeetega. Zabardast match hoga. DudhSagar toh rainy season mein bahut acha hoga dekhne ke liye. Ab toh dry hai aur falls mein paani kam hai"
"Does that matter? 16 friends midst the nature!! Dude, we would even party in hell",I said to myself.

The 300 meter falls was awesome to look at. Water being guided by solid rocks and forests was a treat to eyes. We trekked for sometime, had lunch and fed few monkeys. Most of the friends tried swimming, but few of us just put our legs in water flowing. It was cold, refreshing and soothing (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani moment). The cold water current has a magic and I wont be foolish to explain it. We spent some time peacefully over there.

As obvious, the return journey started. We traveled via Dharwad. I have read a few books and articles which celebrated the culture, living, educational institutions and the legacy of this city. So I just got out to a hotel and had a Ragi-Idli.

It was delicious and heavy enough for a snack. The atmosphere at Dharwad was different. The heat waves, Kannada accent and the signboards made me feel Dharwad. Two of us, keeping aside all the inhibitions, danced for a very long time inside the vehicle. We were nearing to Bangalore and the gloominess was spreading. I talked to one of my friend on mid-life crisis, work tension, family and let my heart out. I felt so good. Few people erase all the sorrow and comfort you. After cutting through the Bangalore traffic, I reached my place at 10am in the morning.

PS: My dresses still smell the aura of Dandeli and DudhSagar. My dreams still deal with river rafting, waterfalls, nature and spending time with friends. A few cups of Coffee, WhatsApp and internet helped in organizing the trip. The Nature and friends created the happiness. Stupid conversations, nature, amateur dance, silly thoughts, philosophy, music and what not. It was a Lifetime-Experience.

A Journey To Remember - Episode 14

2014-05-22T19:09:00.003+05:30

Here is the next episode of the story. To read the previous part Click Here

Prologue:

XYZ: I guess, this is your lovestory. Who is Shreya, dude?
Me: Shreya?? If it were to be true, do you think Shreya would be still with Siddharth even after reading this?
XYZ: Probably you both are in a relationship, now.
Me: Seriously?! If Shreya were to be mine, do you think she would allow me to publish this story?
XYZ: Hmmm. (After a pause) By the way, good writing and imagination, and you can improve in few areas.
Me: I can't agree more!!

Both, Shreya and Sid, were really happy. They were on cloud9. Every single thing on earth had fallen in place for them.

A ritual was organised at Sid's place before the engagement. All the meetings happened in restaurants and public places prior to this and there wasn't much awkwardness. Shreya and her close relatives had been to Sid's home. Here started the trouble for both the families. Each one of them felt too uncomfortable.There were few awkward incidents and embarrassing moments. From the rituals to cuisine, every single thing added to the inconvenience.Cultural differences had a lot to play.

Even though both the families agreed to the marriage, there were still hiccups and turbulence. Shreya and Sid were feeling the heat. Both of them were fed up of all the drama that was happening. They started disliking each other's family (Probably, their decision of tying the knot).

Sid called me a week after their engagement.

"Hi Rahul. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Whats up? Why do you sound so dull?"

"Nothing much. I wanted to talk to someone. I wasn't feeling good."

"Its OK. Is everything fine over there?"

He told me a few strange things that it took me some time to digest.

"I have lost interest in Shreya, dude. I feel like there isn't anything to discuss.I don't feel like talking to her or spending time with her. Even if i do call her or meet up, I can't sustain her for more than 2 minutes. I'm getting worried these days. Its not working anymore. We both are very different people than what we had thought. Being in a love relationship and being a married couple are two entirely different things.I think, its not too late to quit. Both the families never gel up well. There are a hell lot of differences. All these differences and uncomfort has been creating hatred. This relationship is not going to stay long. I think, it is better to both of us that we separate before things worsen up."

I was shocked.

Sid was really frustrated. He went on and on, for a long time.

"Rahul, I don't know how to tell this to Shreya and both the families. I'm trapped. I was drowned in an illusion. Shit !"

There was a huge crack in their relationship. Situation got worse on the issues of wedding venue, rituals,costumes, food to be served and many more.

Few months later, Shreya had been to Mumbai to attend her friend's marriage. I met her at the railway station before she left for Panaji.

I used to be a bit sad those days and Shreya could recognize it within a flash.

" I'm leaving in an hour. Glad that you came, else it would have been so boring here. Why do you look so sad?", She enquired.

"Nothing like that. It was a long day at office", I lied.

I could sense that Shreya wasn't in her best mood. She made an attempt to convey something but she wasn't clear.

"Rahul, we are all fake. Human beings change so quickly. It is not anyone's fault but we are born and built that way. We get into a false dogma of hope,trust and love. Later we realize that truth is something else, but we can't come out of it. Life is a bitch and pretty complicated."

Thanks for your time. Drop a comment and let me know how you felt.
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Dear Politicians, We are watching you !!

2014-05-19T20:46:00.002+05:30

Congrats BJP. Please don't let us Down !!
Dear AAP, Thanks for all the false hopes!!
Dear Congress and all its allies , You deserve it !!

I am a keen follower of Indian Politics. I consider, Politics as one of the most intelligent games in this world. It's a sport which can make the biggest impact in this world.We have just had the most vibrant elections till date. The whole country is brimming with hope and looking forward to a golden era. Here are my thoughts on The rising of BJP, The Flopshow of Congress and other major political developments.

When a struggle against corruption took a political name called AAP, I was thrilled. I thought, AAP was the biggest hope in front of us. With great thinkers, activists and young leaders in its team, AAP had set everything right for itself. The common man, so-called aam aadmi, saw some kind of revolution to happen.People were ready to raise funds for a political organisation.Social media was buzzing about Arvind Kejriwal and Company. AAP challenged the political system by taking good number of seats in Delhi Assembly elections without spending much. When AAP government was formed in Delhi, the whole country was happy. Whether it was immaturity or over-enthusiasm or dumbness or other reasons, AAP made us lose faith in democracy. All those who believed in AAP and supported this political movement were badly hurt. AAP wanted everything to happen within few moments. They had no patience to wait and no time for struggle. Sometimes, they even forgot that they were ruling the state and stuck to their 'protesting' mantra. AAP dismally resigned from their duties in Delhi and started to impose thier illusion to the entire country. AAP brutally fooled us with a political drama and publicity stunts. It was a great setback to Indian politics. Thousands of false aspirations were burnt and the people of this nation were cheated.

I said to myself, "Does this country ever change?"

History won't forgive UPA for being so passive to the burning problems. Innumerable scams, price rise, corruption, tolerance to terrorism and crimes were few of the reason which cost Congress a lot. Not-so-expressive PM who was remotely handled by someone else was a bitter truth. Someone who was touted as the greatest economist didn't deliver well. Our PM was never an open book but time isn't yet over to tell the truth to this nation. UPA leadership never existed at all. The campaigning was pointless. Projecting Rahul Gandhi as the probable PM had negative effects.All the allies of UPA, including Congress, had one point agenda of "Secularism". We, the people of this country, are fed up of hearing this word again and again.

To all the regional parties over there, you were worse than National parties in understanding and serving the locals. The voters have strongly rejected you. I was excited to look at the pathetic performance of the so-called secular, pro-development regional parties who did nothing at all. (Respect #TMC #AIADMK)

Indians wanted a Change and we saw it in the face of BJP. Modi's track record was a bonus. Congress's failure was a blessing.I am not sure whether media creates the Public opinion or broadcasts it. The pre-poll surveys certainly benefited BJP. Election results remind us about the beauty of Democracy. I am not sure we have voted for the right party but I am proud that we are ready to welcome the "Change".

So much has been written and spoken about Mr.Modi, BJP ,RSS and all, so I won't get into that. All i want to say is, BJP has the golden opportunity to prove their mettle. To serve this country and take us to greater heights. This is the right time for BJP to grow beyond caste politics, Ram Mandir and other conventional agendas. If BJP misses out on this chance, trust me, it would take them more than a decade to regain their strengths. And for Congress, be a good Opposition party (First of all, you need to form a coalition to form one) and please don't just oppose anything and everything.

2014 LokSabha Election results has instilled faith in democracy again. Dear Politicians,We are watching you !! Invest your time in development works. As an MP, keep serving the people of your constituency. Behave yourself during the parliament sessions, in public, on social platforms and everywhere else. The country needs your service. Do your best and we won't let you down.

PS1: Long Live Democracy.
PS2: Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.