The Second Thought

My Sunshine

2018-10-03T10:20:00.002+05:30

(Picture clicked at Posadi Gumpe, Kasaragod, Kerala, India at 06:25 am on 02-10-2018)

She was beaming with happiness when I had met her the last time. I wished to see her again. I yearned to know how she looked when she is just out of her bed, in the early hours of the morning, fresh from a good night’s sleep yet yawning always like a sleepy panda, cursing her routine and wishing if she had a few more minutes. This very thought of her silhouette pumped up my heart. So I decided to meet her again today. I hoped she would be there. That she would be feeling the same way as I felt. That she would be excited to see me again.

I woke up at 03:30 am. It was after a long time that I woke up so early on a Sunday morning. I had slept a little late the previous night but I was feeling fresh. I was so excited about meeting her that the bed beneath me felt hard on my back. I took a quick shower and wore a bright coloured Tee. It was already 04:30 am by then and I had to drive close to a little more than an hour to reach there. I didn’t want to keep her waiting. I wanted to be there much before she appeared, so that I didn’t even lose a minute with her. But i was disappointed when I got out of my home. It was drizzling. It seemed like it rained heavily the previous night. I wondered if she would be able to come out. I kept my hopes alive and got into the car.

It took me around 1 hour to reach the spot where I had met her the last time. I parked my car in a corner and waited for her. I looked into the emptiness with my love filled eyes. I wanted to freeze forever in my heart the memory of that first frame in which she appeared. I waited for a long time. The evil clouds of darkness were still awake. She couldn’t come out. The hopes of meeting her were slim. I decided to give up and got into my car. Just when I was about to leave she appeared. At first, it was nothing more than a bright dot. Slowly, as she came close to me, the dot became a ray, then a cluster of rays and finally, the brightest of the things I have ever seen. She was the sunshine, my world and my awesomeness. I smiled at her. I might have missed the first frame but I was happy. Every frame was as good as the first frame. I couldn’t see if she smiled back or not. Her face was so bright and filled with glory.

I was deeply in love with her. I wanted to hold her hands. But it could burn my hands. I wanted to hug her. But it could choke me to death. I wanted to kiss the black moles on her back. But she was forbidden for me. I could only see her from a distance. I wondered how beautiful life would have been if i were in her arms, resting my head on her lap and looking at her flawless face. I realised that she would never be mine. But i was so glad that she had appeared, fighting the evil clouds of darkness just to show her face to me. I winked at her and shouted, “That’s like my girl”. She was my girlfriend even though she would leave me soon. But she kept me happy for as long as she was with me. She then played hide and seek with me for sometime until she finally disappeared behind the clouds. I waited for sometime hoping she would come back. Unfortunately she couldn’t. The evil clouds of darkness had already stolen her away from me. I wished her goodbye and drove back home. I decided that I would visit the spot once a while hoping that she would be there, waiting for me, her face as pretty as ever. After all, she was my love, my world and my awesomeness.

~saHi

One MAD Journey

2017-01-19T23:35:00.000+05:30

Random thoughts revolve in my mind always. Most of the times, I fail to connect myself with these thoughts. But right now, when I put this down in words, there is only one thing that is going on in my mind - The Dream Camp. I have been teaching the kids for the past few months. I have noticed how patient listeners they are at times and how unruly they can become when they are tired. But the one thing I haven’t got a glimpse of yet is how exuberant they can be when they are taken out of their shelter homes, into that fun world. The Dream Camp is the password to this fun world and I am super excited about this. Until now, I have never been to any camp with a bunch of kids, which makes it even more enthralling. But it is mortifying to realise that this excitement comes with a price. Nothing lasts forever. The Dream Camp signals that the journey with MAD is going to end, and the beautiful engaging moments will turn into eternal memories.

I must confess here that I never intended to join MAD. Three years ago, I was living my life at a very different level. I had the best college life I could ever dream of. Hogging at random food joints, breaking into parties uninvited, sending add requests to random girls in Facebook (and getting accepted sometimes and rejected most times), camping at high altitude places with friends, I was a happy man. But then life changed all of a sudden. Unpredictability is the best and the worst thing about life. You never know what the next moment would be like. All that we have control on is the moment now, and everything else is either history or destiny. Most of us break down before grabbing that moment and fail to live our life to the fullest. If you are reading this and are in your college days now, trust me, never waste a second of your college life. Now, when I look back into those years after my college life, I see the three most important things that changed my life - I failed to get a campus placement, the company that I worked for had to shut down forever and I had a breakup. I felt lost in the busy polluted city. Finding another job was very difficult. Grief-stricken, I wanted to put an end to my Bangalore life and come back to Mangalore. A change was inevitable. I craved for peace. I wished I had never grown up. I wanted to be a kid again, without the burden of any responsibility. That’s the moment I decided to be with the kids and do something for them. My friend suggested me to take a break from the boring cubicle-centered-IT-life and join Teach for India, a NGO that is almost similar to MAD. Delightedly, I applied but they did not call back for a month. My search for another job continued for a few more weeks without anything positive. But, to be frank, all these never broke me down. Apparently, I came out as a stronger man every time I fell. It is very true that success is only a few walks away from the moment we decide to give up. So all we have to do is to continue walking. Peace out, I told myself and I decided to leave Bangalore. I got a call from Teach for India two days before i left Bangalore. I couldn’t take up the job as I had already made up my mind to move back to Mangalore. Along with my colleague from the previous company, with a couple of years experience and a heart full of faith I started a company in Mangalore.

I celebrated the fruitful first year of my company in 2016. With life back in top gear, I decided to pursue that one thing I wanted to do in Bangalore - to be with the kids and thereby to feel younger. Unfortunately, Teach For India didn’t have a centre in Mangalore. But Make A Difference did, and the rest is history.

It was never an easy journey in the beginning. Getting the kids into confidence was real tough In my first interaction with them, they used fake names to introduce themselves. Two of the kids walked out of the class. I over heard a kid scream at my fellow volunteer that he hates her. Even the pet dog at the centre seemed to have sensed the dislike of the kids and he tried to chase me away. Everything seemed to be totally against the warm welcome i expected. I wished that I had never joined. For a moment, I had even thought to quit. But like I said before, when we feel like quitting, all we have to do is to walk that one extra mile, just to ensure that we are doing the right thing. I never felt like quitting after that. In fact, I have tried my best not to miss any of the classes and substituted for my fellow volunteers as and when I could.

As days passed by, I became very attached to them. My life revolved around their lives. I wanted them to be the best. I became more organised. I had a full week planned upfront. I prepared notes, googled for tutorial videos, talked to friends for ideas, and did everything that could possibly help them. I became one among them. I played with them, chased them to make them sit for the classes, fought and argued with them. I succeeded in being a kid finally. I loved to be a kid again.

I always fancied capturing the beautiful memories I made in my journey with MAD. It was heart breaking to realise that MAD never entertained photography. But MAD taught me that memories stored in heart are cherished more and they are eternal. Now, when I rewind the year, I understand how sweet the memories feel in my heart as compared to seeing them on the display of a phone. I had the best start to my new year this time. It is because of MAD that I started my year celebrating the birthday of a child I hardly new, but to who I am very attached to now. All the happiness in the world felt converged into that one piece of cake she shared with me. She showed me that waking up with an alcohol triggered dry mouth is not the only way to celebrate new year, like how most of my friends would have woke up that day after an all night new year party.

I am not sure if I will be in Mangalore this year. I am not sure if I am on board for another journey with MAD. I am not sure if i have made any difference in the life of the kids I taught. But I can say with confidence that MAD is one awesome journey I will never ever forget. Also, I will never forget my co-travellers in the journey - the benefactors, volunteers and fellows. You guys are top-notch awesome. And what we did together is commendable. The journey was a short one but the eternal memories are going to stick there for a long time. I am very grateful to MAD for this beautiful one year. I am a happy man again with lots of positive energy. Thank you MAD for Making A Difference!

~ saHi

Follow me on insta: @saheerkumble

Signs of Wisdom

2016-02-29T01:52:00.000+05:30

(Pic Courtesy: www.google.com)

Me and my friends were on our way back to Kerala after watching a second show in Mangalore. The showtime elapsed a little more than two hours and it was past midnight when we hit the roads. Fearing that we would be late to reach our homes, we decided to take the shortest of the shortcuts to reach at the earliest. But it seemed like we all had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. There were patch works going on at couple of spots and we were forced to take diversions to the roads that lead us to places in the city we were unaware of. As expected, we lost our way and circled around the city. Our frustration shot to the sky.

After a few turns towards either sides, we saw a couple of Kerala registered vehicles and we decided to follow them. Soon we saw more vehicles ahead of us and was excited to know that we were back on the right road again. After travelling some distance, we saw a signboard which read 'Kerala' pointing towards the left. But the vehicles ahead of us continued straight without bothering to turn. I was double minded and on suggestion of friends I decided to follow the car in front of us considering that they knew the road. We realised that we had done a mistake when the cars stopped at a dead end, confirming that we had to take a U-turn. The signboard was the right one and had we followed it we would have been on the right track by now. We all sighed!

This is exactly how our society is. We just follow the masses blindly without trying to contemplate if the decision is right or not. When we saw more than a couple of vehicles going together we concluded that they knew the road and followed them in spite of seeing the sign board. We ignored the sign board. This is what we do. We ignore the signs of wisdom.

We become a part of the events around us without knowing the credibility. A group of students raise a few slogans against the country out of frustration and soon we saw that many joined them assuring support. And to counter these, we saw another group raise slogans against the first group thereby calling themselves nationalists, which means that the other group became "anti-national" as a matter of fact. In no time, the entire country is divided into two sides, one in favour of the first group and the other against the first group, or to put it in another way 'Nationalists' and 'Anti-Nationals'. What would have ended as a mere debate has lead to destruction and divide. We started arguing for a cause which had no outcome.

We are slaves of our own society. We don't try to find out what is good for us. For instance, we are forced to get married at the age 'others' got married and not at the age when we wanted to get married. We enrol our children to courses which 'others' have done successfully without trying to find out what our children want to do. We do everything for 'others' or because 'others' have done it. We buy things which others have bought, and not the things that would serve our purpose. We have stopped doing things for ourselves. We have stopped asking ourselves what we wanted. We live because 'others' are living. We are stereotyped.

Life never gives us too many chances. We have to grab those few chances life throw on us, and mould those half chances into astounding prototypes which will be valued by future generations towards their success. We should learn to follow our conscience. One wrong action takes years to get sorted out. One unfollowed sign pushes you miles behind on the wrong track. We need to realise our mistakes at the earliest and take the U-turn.

Sometimes it would be too late to take that U-turn. And our lives end meaninglessly. Let us ensure that each of our lives are made meaningful. Good luck!

~ SaHi

https://www.facebook.com/saheerkumble

My Soul Departs

2015-11-24T00:26:00.002+05:30

(Pic Courtesy: www.google.com)

It was my last day in this world. My body had detached from my soul already and in a few more hours I would be sent away, forever. I had seen this coming and had anticipated it every single day. But when I was finally told today was that day, I shivered from within.

It happened exactly six hours ago. I was not feeling very comfortable since morning. Someone kept telling me about an imminent danger. Our intuitive mind always sense the danger people close to us are about to face. I called my son and ensured he was safe. My wife was in the kitchen doing her routine work. The kids, my grandchildren, fought and played in the courtyard. Everyone was safe. Then I realised that the one in danger could be myself. Yes, I was the one about to lose control of my body. I felt it coming. But I hoped that it was just my feeling. I always felt so these days because of my multiple health problems. One tight sleep for sometime and I would be fine, I assured myself. I popped in my routine tablets and closed my eyes for sometime. There was breathlessness and I sweated profusely. Then slowly, i fell asleep. When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was standing besides my body. I tried to force myself back into my body, I couldn’t. I screamed, but no one could hear. Then my wife came to me with a glass of water. She tried to wake me up, wake my body up in fact. She failed. She tried again. She wondered why I was in such a deep sleep. She called out my name and started to shake me hard hoping I would come out of my sleep. How could I? I badly wished I could open my eyes one last time and smile at her, the same way I had smiled when I first met her forty years ago.

My wife panicked. Her lips trembled. She looked around and called for help. No one was around. Then she heard the sound of a car approaching. It was my son coming back from his work. I quickly went outside to check if it was him. I waved my hands at him to come inside soon and save me, if at all possible. He din’t respond. I realised that he can’t seen me. My wife came running behind me telling that I seem to be not well. Oh God, I din’t want my son to see me like this. I had always tried not to show my pain in front of him. He had already done too much for his dad and I din’t want to be trouble to him anymore. He came near my body and checked its pulse. He immediately knew that the worst had happened. They both started crying and I looked pitifully at them without being able to console them. I sulked.

Ten hours passed. My body was being shifted to a freezer. I guess my body might have started to smell. How ironical is that we take so much care of our body all the years when we are alive, but when we die, nothing counts. We start to stink in a few hours. They couldn’t take my body to the graveyard yet as they were waiting for my eldest son to arrive. He worked in a foreign country and would arrive only by morning. Apart from him, I have a daughter who is my eldest child. She has gifted me with my greatest asset, her daughter, my grandchild, who is 23 years old now. It was my dream to see her get married, in her bridal dress and walk away from my home holding hands of her husband. How badly I wished I could roam around here until that day came.

My home was crowded with guests now. My friends, relatives, neighbours, business partners - their wives and children, everyone had come to pay their last visit. I was so happy to see all of them. But no one saw me or looked at me. They all peeped at my body and went away. Some had tears in their eyes, my close friends and relatives. Some looked at my body and sighed. The kids, my grandchildren, looked at my body each time they passed the hallway and asked to each other when is grandpa going to wake up. They all had different answers but no one knew the real answer, that I would never again wake up and play with them. I wanted to plant a kiss on the foreheads of each of them, one last kiss before I went away. But death is one truth in the world which came with the hardest rules we could never break.

It was close to midnight now. People kept pouring in from everywhere and it seemed never ending. Chairs were brought from outside so that people who decided to stay here for a little longer could make themselves comfortable. I went around the home. My wife had fallen weak on her legs and her sisters were consoling her. My son and his uncles made arrangements for sending me off tomorrow. I wished to tell them I din’t want to go. But i had no choice. My time was up.

It was morning very soon. My fear and anxiety increased as each moment passed. They took my body for bath. The water was boiling. I never took bath in hot water. I wanted to tell them I was scared of hot water. I closed my eyes when they poured the hot water on my body. But i felt nothing. I couldn’t sense. My sensual organs had gone from me when the body got detached. I was nothing but a soul now. A crying soul. They dressed my body up after the bath. I recalled how my friends dressed me up the same way on my wedding day. Time just flew. From birth to death, the journey seemed very short.

My body was taken to the graveyard from my home. I stepped out along with my body. I was going to say goodbye to the same building I had laid the first stone 25 years ago. I had taken care of it just like how I took care of my body. Each stone of it was precious to me, a reward of my hard work. I looked back. I saw everyone crying and screaming loudly. I waved at them goodbye. I tried telling them this would be the last time I see them all. Unfortunately, they were all deaf and blind in my new world.

As I reached near the graveyard, I saw my new home at a distance - a tiny place beneath the surface only 6 feet in length and roughly a foot in width. That’s so small, I sighed. How would I survive there? I would suffocate. I tried to run away. I din’t want my body to be rested there. But no one heard me. They rested my body in that 6 feet length bedroom of mine.

I winced with pain as each moment passed by. Each one came near my grave and dropped a handful of mud on my body three times ending up everything that had been there between me and them for all the years. And they went away. After everyone got their turns my grave was covered fully and I was left alone.

I went near my friends to hear what they were speaking about for one last time. They spoke about politics, greed, money, religion and what not. I was not interested. I was going to a better world. A place where love would be the only topic people discussed, where no one fought with each other. I looked at my sons for one last time. I wished them good luck in their lives. I hoped to see them again, in the better world. I departed.

This is the journey called life. Just like how our birth is one of the biggest truths about our existence, so is the death. All that matters is what you leave behind when you go away. We all should leave that one mark here which would make the people who remain here remember us years later from now. And always, try to live for others. Only them life becomes meaningful.

~ SaHi

www.facebook.com/saheerkumble

EID MUBARAK

2015-07-18T09:17:00.000+05:30

(Pic courtesy: http://www.pcj-t.com/blog/eid-mubarak/)

Finally, yet another Ramadan came to an end. Its Eid tomorrow. Its the day when we are supposed to be happy in spite of all the sorrows. We have days ahead to worry about the sorrows. Tomorrow is the day the Muslims cherish the most in their lives. After one month of fasting, we attend the special morning prayers and embrace each other wishing "EID MUBARAK". And then the celebrations begin. I wish all of you friends a very delightful Eid. Please be a part of the celebrations irrespective of the religion. We are all humans. Just like how we differ in names we differ in religions.

This Ramadan was indeed different to me. Well, this would probably be my last Ramadan as a bachelor. Unless my parents extend my bail for another year, I would be eating biriyani of my own wedding soon. I have already submitted the request and I am hoping for the best. If my dear in-laws are reading this article by any chance I request you to grant me some more time to prepare myself mentally to take care of your beautiful daughter forever. :-)

Ramadan is the only time in the year when my mom's special biriyani is pushed to the second place in the list of my favourites. Of course, the first place goes to the Ramadan special 'Samosa'. Its not the usual 'Samosa' we get in coffee shops. This is a special perfectly triangular one that is seen in the stalls only during Ramadan. And surprisingly, I have seen that non-muslims are the majority buyers of these 'Samosas'. Its happiness unlimited to see such a thing. Let me not forget to mention that the oil used on the first day gets boiled more than 100 times in this 30 days giving the 'Samosas' a special unmatchable taste as days pass by. It goes without saying that no dosas become tasty until the cook wipes his forehead and mixes the last important essence to the flour. The same applies here too. :-P

Fasting hours were really long this time - a little more than 14 long hours to be precise. Waking up for 'sehri' at 4 a.m. was another impossible task, especially for a lazy guy like me. And the first couple of days I spent most of the afternoons sleeping as I got tired too fast. As days passed I got more and more used to the fasting. Towards the end, I must confess that I even skipped a couple or more of 'sehri' sessions making me fast for as long as 19 hours. Uff!

One mission I had during this Ramadan as always was to lose at least 10 kgs. :-o . I was 78 in the beginning of the month. I had bet my friend to reduce 8 kilos at least and bring it down to 70 kgs. Well, I lost the bet. You might be wondering I might have lost it by a small margin. Unfortunate to say that I weighed myself sometime back and found the needle very hesitant to even come near 77 mark. It stood leaning on to 78. I still look like a cross-bred huge pumpkin when I wear body fit Tees. They need to wait more to come out of the shelves. :-(

Dates must be the one food item that was sold in large quantities today. Tomorrow, wherever I go, I would be greeted with them first. Dates of different varieties - dry dates, seedless dates, dates fry, long dates, honey dates, etc. As I have read somewhere that dates make men 'stronger', I might quietly consume a few tomorrow. :-P

As always, I badly wish we friends go for a long drive tomorrow. A few plans have been made already. I will be uploading the pics if it works out. Once again I wish all of you a very pleasant and peaceful EID. EID MUBARAK!!!

~ SaHi

Tele-caller Lady and Me - a Conversation

2015-06-12T23:13:00.000+05:30

Marketing calls! Promotion calls! Confirmation calls! Feedback calls! Information calls! Hoax calls!

(Pic courtesy: http://weblinkservices.net/)

"To hell with your company", I howled at my phone after I disconnected the call. I had bought a four wheeler and that was the fifth call I got from the company congratulating me on my recent purchase. I was in deep thoughts about my budget and expenses when the lady called. I seriously meant no offence against the young lady who spoke to me in the sweetest possible manner and listened patiently to my awkward replies. Rather, I raised my middle finger to the air screaming in agony against the company who made these poor tele-callers burn their asses day-in day-out to lure people into buying their products or similar tasks. Sometimes it so happened that we showed all our anger and frustration to those helpless staffs who were just following the instructions and working for meagre salary. But at times, these people who called us just had no idea about the products or the impact of the kind of questions they asked. Funny at times, frustrating otherwise. I thought of penning down a couple of such instances where the calls became awkward and hilarious. The instances are generalised and not related to my purchases.

Purchase from www.shopkart.com - Cleanser, lubricant and a pack of condoms.

Caller: Hello Sir, I am Mohini from shopkart.com. Am I speaking to Mr. Saheer Kumble?

Me: Yes, the same. ~~Where the fuck is this truccaller app?.~~

Caller: Is this the right time to talk to you Sir?

Me: Yeah, please go ahead. ~~You assholes, each time I block the number you people call from a new number.~~

Caller: Are you satisfied with your recent purchase Sir?

Me: After a deep thought. In fact, yes, very much. ~~You have no idea. Had such a mind blowing time that I finished half the pack in a single night.~~

Caller: With pleasure, we would like to inform you that the product can be returned within 15 days if you are not satisfied Sir.

Me: Oh, thats great. ~~Damn, I just flushed all of them without a trace.~~ Whats the procedure?

Caller: Sir, you have to return the product with the original packing and invoice. If you have tried using the product, make sure the product is in its original condition.

Me: Cool. ~~Once tried, it can never be brought back to its original form.~~

Caller: Do you require any assistance in using the product Sir?

Me: ~~Wow. That would be awesome. Like how? Will you come down to my place or ?~~ Maybe next time. I have already started using the "product".

Caller: Are you satisfied with the delivery Sir?

Me: Yes. As per schedule. ~~In fact, I would appreciate if you don't deliver it directly to my home~~ ~~next time~~ ~~and embarrass my parents. I would collect it from the courier office myself.~~

Caller: Sir, you are eligible for a 10% cash-back if you write a review about the product on our website.

Me: Sure. It is a wonderful product to use. Fits in well. Lasts really long. Very safe to use. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. I am really thankful to shopkart.com for this amazing product and speedy delivery.

Caller: Would you like to recommend the product to your friend Sir?

Me: Very well. They already know about the "product". ~~They might be using it more than me.~~

Caller: Ok Sir, thank you for your valuable time. If you have any further queries, please feel free to talk to me using this number Sir. It is ........

Me: Took a pen and notepad without wasting a minute. Yea yea, please give me. Man, she is giving me her personal number. She speaks well. She is smart. Maybe she is some sexy good looking girl. Will try to catch up with her soon.

Caller: 9800126014. Anything else I can assist you with Sir?

Me: Jumping with excitement. Do you use WhatsApp in this?

Caller: Sir, this is my user-Id. You can call to our toll free no and request for me using this number. Thank You for shopping with us. Have a nice day.

Me: Crashed to the floor with disappointment. Thank You. ~~Please provide me some sort of privacy when I buy such personal care products. Please do not embarrass me. Her fucking user-Id.~~ Threw the paper to the dustbin.

Promotion of a new insurance policy.

Caller: Hello Sir, I'm Rashmi calling from Bharath Insurance Company Pvt. Ltd. Could you please spare a couple of minutes Sir?

Me: I am a bit busy right now. Please .........

Caller: It would take just a few minutes Sir.

Me: From a couple of minutes to few. Okay, go ahead.

Caller: This is regarding insurance for your purchase of new vehicle Sir.

Me: Okay.

She confirmed my name, address, DOB, nominee and other details. 15 minutes passed.

Caller: I would like to inform you that this policy comes with an insurance coverage of 3 lakhs sir.

Me: Ok. Three lakhs.

Caller: You get an additional medical coverage of 5 lakhs with a premium of just rupees 1250 Sir.

Me: Ok. Three plus five. 8 lakhs.

Caller: We also provide an instant impact coverage of 50000 rupees sir. No additional charges for that.

Me: Hmm. Will party with that 50k. I was super excited.

Caller: You also have a third party claim of 1 lakh Sir. All at a premium of just Rs.11500 Sir.

Me: So altogether I get close to 10 lakhs. All I had to do was to take my brand new for-registration vehicle to the road, hit the first vehicle that came my way, be assured I broke my spine and fractured my leg in the process, hit at least two people on the footpath in the follow through and create a havoc situation. I become super rich. Anything else?

Caller: Thank you so much for the time Sir. We appreciate you for making the right choice. Have a good day.

Frankly speaking, the only reason why we take a vehicle insurance in India is to escape from the hefty fines of the Motor Vehicles Department. No claims fetch the amount they assure and claims are not as easy as they appear to be.

These are just a couple of instances. Every day, we get so many calls from different parts of the world with the tele-callers promoting their products. In fact, there are times I have gone to the washroom speaking to a tele-caller on the phone. It would feel like heaven, if a day went by without getting a single call from them.

SaHi

One Kiss Everyday

2015-06-08T00:01:00.003+05:30

(Pic courtesy: www.pinterst.com)

Fictitious names. Based on true incidents.

I decided to have food in cherry square Friday night after a tedious job in my office which forced me to work late night. While I and my partner Sidharth (Sid) patiently waited for the order, my friend Arshad came along with his family - his aunt and 3 kids. As I knew the aunt well, also Arshad's compulsion, we decided to have the food together. Aunt had a son and 2 daughters. Her son Samir was in Class 6. A handsome boy with freaky hair and fair complexion. He looked like a tailor-made celebrity for the future. He was very smart. He worked with gadgets like a professional engineer. I admired the way he was going through the menus in mobile phone, made it appear very simple. He ordered for himself and his attention went back to the open FBM in his phone. Notifications kept popping out like pop-corn in the oven. He was chatting with a gal. I was sure even gals older than him would fall for him and chat just because of the pics he had uploaded. While Sid was busy staring at aunt's eldest daughter and aunt finding it too difficult to manage her youngest kid from toddling around, I asked about this smart guy to Arshad. I got to know that he saved pennies from his daily quota of money for food and travel to school, and also the money he got from his relatives for his birthdays and festivals, collected everything and bought the iPhone - 6 plus he was using. He didn't even have to ask his parents permission because it wasn't bought with their money. I got shocked to hear that. I was working for the past 10 years and couldn't manage to save money for more than a second-hand Note 2 which is now 2 years old. I wondered how he amassed 50k for that phone. He was a good football player and a movie freak. I insisted in knowing more about him. Arshad told me that he was as naughty as he looked. His dad found him very pampered and couldn't do anything to bring him within his limits. His dad was very unhappy about him. His mom worried everyday thinking about him. Even though very brilliant, he was very poor in studies because of all that. Everyone had failed in their attempt to bring him back to track. He opened FB when he was supposed to open books, read chats instead of chapters and skipped classes to watch movies first day first show. The food arrived and our attention turned back to the table.

"By the way, this is a success party", Arshad announced.

"For?", I asked without taking my eyes of the Thay-ano-Kay-ano chicken piece on my plate.

"Samir has decided to correct himself and become an obedient student", Aunt replied.

I got shocked. How can someone change so drastically in such a short time? Samir had decided to quit the school he was studying and join a boarding school in Belgaum 500 kms away from home. He had agreed to sacrifice all his freedom. Even gave away the cell phone he had so much loved and purchased with so much effort and patience. He had vowed to sacrifice everything which a boy at his age would not live without. I wondered why.

"There are good strict schools here. Why did you choose a school far?", I asked aunt.

"He choose the school. He is ready to sacrifice anything to join that school. Today is his last night with the iPhone+. I get it tomorrow", Arshad replied.

The school was not a very attractive one but a widely known one. It was like any other boarding school. But it was rated the best in Karnataka for its strict rules and good results. Students considered it a juvenile home. No student joined there by choice. They were all sent to correct their mistakes. And the students who lived nearby to that school joined there as day scholars. I was not ready to hold myself back from knowing what makes this young boy join that school. I decided to accompany Arshad the next day to Belgaum.

Samir's class 7 and 8 would be in Belgaum. We finished the admission procedures and was taking a stroll on the footpaths of the school and surrounding hostel and playground. Samir asked Arshad for his phone to send a message. He typed something and gave the phone back to him. I took the phone eager to know what he had typed. He had deleted it smartly. Using my phone hacking knowledge, I decoded his message.

"Mission accomplished. I am meeting you at 5", was the message he had sent.

What mission, I wondered. My curiosity had reached its peak. I was anxious to know the story behind his sudden change and the secret mission he was onto. Was he recruited by some militants and asked him to join that school to train him? My thoughts worried me. I started to panic. I decided to wait till 5 p.m. outside that school and see who was that person Samir had planned to meet. Meanwhile, his parents decided to go back in train. Me and Arshad stayed back as he also got curious after I shared the news with him.

5 p.m. Samir walked to the school gate and then hired an auto. We followed him in the car. The auto took a couple of turns to a pocket road and stopped a few yards away from the gate of a small old house painted in dull yellow. He got down from the auto and stood in a corner away from the gate entrance. Who was going to come from that house? We wondered. After sometime someone came from behind and hugged him. There we saw the most cutest gal we had ever seen in our entire life. Dusky complexion, her strands dancing to the tune of her footsteps, eyes echoing her words as she greeted him.

"I have fulfilled my promise. I have left everything, all my happiness just to be with you. We could have texted each other, interacted in video calls and shared our pics when we missed each other. But I chose to see you everyday instead of all that. I was depressed to know that you left the old school. I wanted to be with you. And the gift you offered me is what brings me here", the excited Samir spoke to her holding her hands.

"Here comes the first of it. And you get it everyday from now for 2 years. I vow to fulfil my promise", saying that the young gal planted a kiss on his cheek nourishing his love. He literally flew to Mars with excitement.

And they departed waiting to see each other in class the next day and Samir only wishing to live till tomorrow evening to get the next kiss from her.

"So much sacrifice for a kiss? What makes it so special?", Arshad asked me as we returned from Belgaum.

"Love is such a tale. We never know how best we can define it. A kiss felt very small for us in love, but for them that was everything. We reject love for the many faults we find in the person we loved once. Ever wondered what life would have been if we held on to our loved ones for just one good quality in them. We would never have to regret in our life. These kids have not learnt to define the bad in them. When they do, they will also be like us. Until then, let them love each other with all sincerity.", I cherished myself for witnessing such a wonderful love tale. My hopes in love was restored.

SaHi

Shatter the Silence

2011-11-01T19:36:00.000+05:30

Sunday, 11 pm

They were all waiting for the arrival. Except for the kids hopping around, cheerful fights and playing hide and seek games, nobody seemed to be interested in breaking the silence. They all had something to say about him, with some people having yesteryear memories to cherish and they whispered to each other about it. It rained heavily outside, the flight had delayed, the roads were pathetic, there was an accident, but that could not contain the number of people who had united there, who had joined the family in their house, waiting for the arrival. The clock ticked towards midnight, but the crowd remained the same, the news spreading through the air that they have reached the town and would be there in a few minutes. As I waited there, I just recalled the chain of events that had coiled around me in the last three days, nothing blissful.

Thursday, 6 pm

I was on my way back from Pondicherry, tired as the journey had elapsed for almost 20 hours and still a few more hours to reach my home. But that wasn't the reason for my uneasiness. There was something else. There was a distant shriek that I had heard more than once in the journey. I didn't know where it came from. It seemed to be by someone close to me, in danger calling for help. I was aware something bad was going to happen and just prayed I face nothing bad in the journey. Everything was connected, when I got a message from my friend Saturday morning informing me about the tragedy.

Saturday, 4 pm

As I descended the approach lane that connected his house to the highway, I just prayed that everything was just a dream. I just hoped my mom would come to the room, shook me up from my sleep, glide her fingers over my hair and she would say: "Son, relax. It's just an evil dream you had. Everything is fine". This wasn't such a dream. The news was confirmed. Everything about it was getting real and I flinched with pain. The house was crowded yet it appeared very empty. His brother, more a friend than my cousin, had gone to Indore to bring him home and his dad was yet to arrive from the work place in Lakshwadeep. I wished I could talk to his mom and speak a few words of consolation, but she was all heart-broken, praying to God to give her the courage to withstand everything and to forget everything. How I wished I could say a few words. I was short of words. I stood there in a corner hoping for someone to shatter the silence. His cousins, uncles, close friends and relatives were all there waiting for the arrival, and none shattered the silence.

Sunday, a few minutes past Midnight

He had arrived and was kept for his relatives and friends to pay their last respects. After completing the rituals, he was laid to rest. My words here won't do any justice to what went through everyone who were present there. We all have to die one day. All I pray is for a peaceful death.

Monday evening, the next day

My friend and I went to the house to meet his dad, mom and brother. His dad had recovered from the shock and was very calm and composed. He told us about how he had a call from inside that he would lose his son and had told his son to keep calling him everyday. His brother hugged us the moment he saw us. His mom's tears hadn't dried up and she had so much to tell about her son, and she missed him a lot.

Many called his act a moment of negligence. Many called it fate. Many called it the moment Death knocked his door. Many consoled his family that whatever has happened cannot be reversed. I feel everything was written, invisible and irreversible. All we can do is to wipe our tears with memories or to wipe our memories with tears. God bless us all. Ameen.

Note: Written after attending the funeral of my cousin who had died in an accident in Indore when he fell into a waterfall. There is no post in my blog on which he had not told his opinion to me. I dedicate this post to him and this is the best I could do. Miss you a lot brother. Peace be upon your soul.

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All because I fell in LOVE

2011-10-29T21:44:00.000+05:30

PS: A guest post. This is about a friend of mine, about her life, put into words by me. Unfortunately she doesn't want to reveal her name. Read. Like. Comment.

It was not until I reached class 8 that I realized what I had lost. And to be with my friends all the time agnizing that I had lost what a girl esteemed the most in her life demented me then. I had no choice but to live like a girl handicapped from birth or to end my life in a few seconds. I found the latter the easier choice and set about it more than once, but in vain. It seemed even God wasn't interested in having me in his paradise. To be abused by a person so close to me, someone who was like my father was far more than what I could bear. A girl, a victim of child sexual abuse much before she knew what it meant to be a virgin, I hated guys to the depth of my heart. I was determined to kill him, to be assured he doesn't do that to any other child, and through him to send out a message to all the guys around the world to respect women. Every vacation, I went back to the place where I spent my childhood hoping only to spot this man, who now was a total stranger to me as I couldn't recall his face. I only knew that he lived next door then and was close to my family that he exploited the freedom in my home. But I could neither get hold of him anytime since then nor did I get to know his name or where he lived now. But he was there in my distant memory, the hellion still haunting me in my dreams, and I knew I would recognize him once he showed up his face to me. And as days elapsed I just found reasons to hate guys and scribbled poems that targeted them. I published them in my blog and made sure it reached the maximum people around me, to let them know how much I detested guys. I dedicated myself to the books, the fictions that could drag me away from the present. From the class best performer to an average student, a big leap that stunned even my close friends, I could do nothing to prevent it from happening. And I was at the verge of a mental collapse when a comment in my blog, just the 2 lines scribbled by an anonymous reader changed my life..........

There was something impressive in the comment. From the language used by the reader, I could decipher that it was a guy, and it was the first time a guy had commented on my blog and it bewildered me. The comment was peculiar as he had appreciated my work yet he had proved me I was wrong in the way I thought. The essence of the comment amused me and I wished I knew the guy. I sought to meet him, to open my heart to him. I replied for the comment, appreciating his feedback and indirectly expressing my wish to hear from him again. And I waited............

It was the first time in many years that I really wished for something to happen in my life and God was kind to me this time. 10 days later I got a mail from him. He was a guy settled in Bangalore with some business he carried forward from his father and was doing pretty well in it. He seemed to know very well about my past that he advised me not to repent about that and to move ahead in life challenging the persons who had ruined my past and present. There was a charm in the way he messaged me. I opened my heart to him, explained him how a man made me "handicapped" all my life, how I wished to kill myself and how his presence had saved me from a mental collapse. He convinced me that I'm foolish to consider myself "handicapped" and healed the physical and mental wounds that had engulfed me for years. We messaged each other throughout the day and shared everything about each other. We became very close. But he never called me. We never spoke to each other. And days passed........

2 months into the relation but we never talked to each other. I tried to call him a number of times but each time he would give a reason for not being able to talk. Sometimes he would text me that our hearts have spoken beyond words and that he had no words to speak to me. I insisted on hearing his voice and dialed his number everyday. He would never pick the call. He would never talk. I must say his arrogance irritated me a lot but nothing could make me hate him. The only guy I ever got closer to in my whole life and I could never afford to lose him. I was well aware that I was back to life only because of him, ALL BECAUSE I FELL IN LOVE. Yes, I loved him a lot. We loved each other a lot. But, we never talked........

6 months passed and he was coming back to his hometown for Diwali holidays. I insisted on meeting him and after an hour long persuasion through texts, he finally agreed to meet me. Cherished I was, in cloud nine for the first time ever in my life, I was lost in thoughts about him. I had seen him in a number of snaps he sent me, but meeting him was still a special moment. Days passed like years and only 2 days prior to our meeting I realized that I haven't bought a gift for him. I had no idea about what to buy and after series of thoughts I decided to buy a shirt for him. The gift wrapped up, I held it close to my heart and waited for him at the place we decided to be the safest to meet. And I waited there longing to see him..........

Half an hour passed and he did not turn up. I tried his number and it was switched off. I sent many messages hoping that one would get delivered. An hour passed and still nobody came. I convinced myself that he had realized that he need not accept a girl who is "handicapped". Heart broken, I decided to give up and started walking back when a car stopped in front of me. He got down from the car and smiled at me. I was frustrated so much that I stood still waiting for an apology from him. He spoke not a word and was staring at me, a smile printed on his face. I couldn't hold myself back any longer and started talking to him. All he did was to smile at me as if his heart is doing all the talking. I spoke non-stop for 15 minutes and still the same response. I handed over the gift to him, suggested him to open it right there and let me know his opinion about it. He opened the gift, came closer to me and hugged me. He went back to his car, took out a heart-shaped jewel box and opened it for me. It had a ring in it, above which he had scribbled how he wished if he could talk to me, how much he longed to hear my voice. Only then I realized the truth about him and my love for him only increased. Yes, he was deaf and dumb.

Note: The author is a victim of child abuse and wants to spread the message to the people around the world to join hands against this brutal act. I extend my sincere support to her. And she is still trying hard to convince her parents to accept their relation which is the only reason why she is sane. I wish them all the best. Your personal comments to her may be sent to my email id safsaheer@gmail.com. Do drop your views on this heart touching article.

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I am HUMAN

2011-09-10T23:19:00.002+05:30

(Courtesy: Wikipedia)

PS: An article from the bottom of my heart. A must read.

I was returning home after overnight Onam celebrations in Cochin on board Mangala Express heading to Delhi. The newspaper spoke mainly about the alcohol consumption surpassing all records this Onam and about the blasts in Delhi High Court premises to which the guy on the opposite seat, likely from Delhi, was fully committed to reading and staring at the sketch of the suspects in between. As soon as he finished, we had a chat and excitedly he spoke about the Onam celebrations in Kerala irrespective of religion, the trendy youth in Kerala, and the many beautiful places he had visited during his brief stay in my state. He seemed to be very much pleased with the people in Kerala that he spoke with me nonchalantly. But the moment we exchanged our names, nothing seemed to be the same and he hurried to his upper berth ending the conversation abruptly. I was taken aback by this sudden twist in the scene. Was it because I was a Muslim? Was it because my face resembled with the sketches in the newspaper, the beard less the mustache a common factor? I didn't have the answers with me but I was hurt, hurt deeply I must say.

Feeling uncomfortable, I went to the door and stared impassively at the fast moving trees and houses. I recalled a similar incident that happened at the Bangalore International Airport during the last IPL season. It was just after the blasts near the stadium and security was beefed up all over. I was sporting a beard, not like the ones that Islam ordained. A trendy one but along with a 4-worded-name on my passport, it was far more than sufficient for the police officer to do a thorough checking. My crime there was simple- I was a Muslim.

I thought about it. Will a person hate his friends just because one among them proved dishonest? He will just ignore that dishonest guy and get along well with others. If that's possible, then why hate the Muslims allover just because one guy, born a Muslim, break the rules of Islam? How can you call him a Muslim when he has committed a sin? If the so called terrorists are Muslims, then why are they killing the innocent Muslim brothers in Kashmir? Why don't they care about the Muslim brothers who get killed when they attack people? They are Muslims just by name. It is said in Qur'an, the guide to Islam:

A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. It is evil enough for a Muslim to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for another Muslim: his blood, his property and his honour

A true follower of Islam will never commit any act of terror. I went back to my seat boiled up by the unpalatable behavior of my co-traveler. I wanted to argue with him, to prove my point, to have a friendly chat with him again. He had settled back to the seat opposite mine and was glued to the paper again. He showed his disgust when I appeared in front of him.

"So my friend, if you consider Muslims as terrorists, how can you justify the newly erupted Saffron Terror in India allegedly involved in 2006 Malegaon blasts, Mecca Masjid Bombing (Hyderabad), Samjhauta Express Bombings and the Ajmer Sherif Darg Blast?", I asked him keeping myself calm and composed.

"They are extremist thinkers from India. They are not terrorists. They are just criminals", he snapped back.

When the difference between criminal and terrorist was searched for in Google, no apt search results came out except for two definitions, not justified enough though. One says that 'terrorists are the outsiders to a country who commit a really big crime' and other one says that 'all terrorists are criminals and all criminals are not terrorists'. How do you define a big crime?

"You mean to say causing terror by killing people cause more damage than a crime?", I wanted a nod from him to come up with my point.

"Yes", he clenched his jaw angrily.

"If killing people is terror, a big crime, then how big is the crime wherein a man raped and murdered his 14 year old daughter? How big is the crime wherein a girl was burnt alive in a village just to please the Gods? How big is the crime wherein a drunk man killed his pregnant wife asking for more dowry? Aren't they big enough to be called a big crime, a terror?", I tried to be as delicate as possible.

"I don't know". Saying this he crawled up to his berth again.

I was dejected. I couldn't convince him. Rather he must be hating me more now. How can a Muslim convince the world that he is not a terrorist? A Muslim is taught to respect every religion, to treat people from all communities as his brothers and to hurt nobody. After all, religion is just a belief. Like a herd of sheep that needs a shepherd to show them the right path, religion is nothing but a belief that unites people as one and leads them in the right track, towards their destiny. And there is a bigger religion, the religion of humanity, to which we all belong to. The religion that distinguishes us from animals.

Tomorrow, a day might come when people might call me a terrorist when I say my name, when I say I'm a Muslim. I won't shout at them. I won't argue with them. I won't avoid them. I might get hurt. A tear might drop from my eye. But I would still proudly say I'm a Muslim. And I would not go to the President with a banner in my hand saying 'I'm a Muslim but not a terrorist' like in the Sharukh Khan starred movie 'My Name is Khan'. I was taught to believe in Islam from birth and will continue to believe in Islam till my last breath. And I was taught to be humane, to behave as one. Yes, I am HUMAN.

@Saheer (Sahi)

GF v/s BF: A late night chat- The Other Side

2011-09-09T19:20:00.000+05:30

(Courtesy: Sprite Ad- for ringing the bells in my head.)

A late night chat between a gal and her boyfriend. All the characters and incidents are fictitiously used. I don't intend to hurt anyone with this hilarious post. My sincere apology to those who are offended after they read this. Here I go.

Gal: Hi honey, are you awake? ~~(Are you chatting with some stupid female friends of yours?)~~

Me: Yeah dear, watching a movie in my lap ~~(an adult movie in fact)~~. What keeps you up so late?

Gal: Nothing. Just crawling in bed, lights off, dreaming about you. ~~(Actually, I'm waiting for my room-mate to fall asleep so that I can go to the study room. My score was one less than hers in the last test).~~

Me: Yeah, Jess sleeps early right? ~~(She just wished me Goodnight).~~

Gal: ~~(Jess? How sweeeeet?).~~ Mm. Ya. How did you know JessICA ~~(bitch)~~ sleeps early?

Warning: 'Mm' has appeared in her reply. It can mean anything. Beware.

Advice No.1: Never show you know anything about your girlfriend's friends.

Me: I had met her near the college library in the afternoon. We had a casual chat. ~~(We chatted through lunch till tea.)~~

Gal: Oh. ~~(That bitch didn't tel me)~~. I think she forget to tell me about it. ~~(I will screw her for this.)~~

Me: She is very sweet. Speaks very well. Was telling me how good friends you are. ~~(She is awesome. Gorgeous. Sexy.)~~

Gal: Mmmm. ~~(bitch.. bitch.... bitch.. )~~

Warning: The length of 'Mm' has increased. Imminent danger.

Me: And she is very cute. Got a charming face. Wasn't she the college best face last year?

Silence. 10 minutes. No reply.

Advice No. 2: Never praise other girls in front of your girlfriend.

Me: But she has too much of attitude. I just hated her for that. Yuck!!! ~~(God! forgive me for this lie.)~~

No response. Another 5 minutes passed.

Gal: Yaaaa. Right. You know what? She hangs around with so many guys. And she doesn't take bath in the morning. And she doesn't even know to behave in class. And she studies whole Sunday. And doesn't share her assignments with anyone. And *some text missing* a bitch. ~~(Wish I could write more)~~.

Me: Oh. I see. Very Bad. Wait. Got a Call. Brb.

Gal: Who is it? ~~(Is it Simi? Nimi? Sona? Nayana? Ragi? Magi? any other bitch?)~~

2 minutes passed.

Gal: Who is it? ~~(Why did 'she' call him?)~~

Another 2 minutes passed.

Gal: Who is it? ~~(Why is ‘she’ taking so long?)~~

Me: Rahul dear. Birthday. I forgot to wish. ~~(It was Simi actually.)~~

Gal: -Angry- But Rahul’s birthday is on September 25th you had told. More than a week left.

Me: No dear. Rahul called to remind me to wish Ajay’s birthday. Ajay’s birthday it is. I think my previous message wasn’t very clear. ~~(God! Save ME!!!).~~

Gal: -Very Angry- But on April 4th, when we were having dinner at Snack-shack you had told me that Ajay's birthday is on April 6th, and told me to remind you and don't you recall you were wearing grey T on that day, your cell phone fell down while taking my snaps and also rained that night and above all I had called you the night before his birthday to remind you and do *some text missing* you recall? ~~(I recall many more things.)~~

Advice No. 3: Never lie about a date to your girlfriend. Her memory can beat the fastest supercomputer ever made. She remembers every single thing. Ufff!!!

Me: ~~(I remember nothing)~~. Dear, listen, I'm so sorry. Simi called to know if Deepak, my room mate, has slept or not. They are not in good terms now. She is so upset. I had to pick her call. Really sorry. I love you. ~~(Simi and Deepak don't even know each other.)~~

Gal: OK. I love you too honey. ~~(Why did she call him? I must find out.)~~

Warning: Gal's 'OK' means nothing is OK. Stay Alert.

Advice No.4: Never talk to any other gal when your girlfriend is around.

Silence. 2 minutes passed.

Gal: What do you love the most in me? ~~(I'm better than all those bitches right?)~~

Me: -Yawning- Your beauty. ~~(and your sexy figure)~~.

Gal: What? Is that what you look for in a gal? Won't you ditch me when you find a more beautiful gal? ~~(Does he like Jessica? Has she spilled the beans already?).~~

Warning: Situation out of control. Shut the movie down. Pull up your pants. And use both hands to text.

Advice No. 5: Never tell the truth about what you like about your girlfriend. Get high. And just say some crap.

5 minutes passed.

Me: - after 3 shots of whisky- Dear, I am so comfortable when you are around. I feel complete. I like your presence. I love the way you are. I love you. ~~(No more jokes please.)~~

Gal: How chweeeet honey. I love you too. ~~(Has Simi and Jessica got a better figure? Are they more sexy? Are they more beautiful? Are they ....... ?)~~

Me: Meet you in college tomorrow. Goodnight. Sweet dreams. ~~(Hope Sim and Jess come in my dreams.)~~

Gal: Goodnight Honey. ~~(What is he going to do now? Will Simi call again? Will he chat to anyone else? Will he ............. ?)~~

Last One Advice: Now that you have read the entire chat, click on 'like' if you have enjoyed reading it, drop a comment to encourage me to write more. Thank you all.

Business OR Profession?

2011-09-03T23:52:00.000+05:30

Ever since I joined the family business, I kept wondering if I made the right choice. Enormous advices had flooded to me from all corners at this turning point of my life. I had chosen against joining a 30k-salary-in-hand-profession in Bangalore. So here is my take on choosing business or profession. The facts scribbled here are what justifies my stand and not intended to mock or offend anyone.

--> Money

Business is all about money. In fact, a huge amount of money. The business in consideration is worth 160 Million rupees this year and still growing. Did you hear that? Yes, a lump sum. Take 10% of the money as profit and the money still weighs more than any professional earns in his early years of profession. But mind you, business is risk. It doesn’t take very long for a ‘-‘sign to appear before that sum. A scary thought indeed.

--> Social Status

That's where business weighs more. You might be an MD, CEO or say any two or three lettered position holder of a multinational company in a place miles away from your hometown. You return home once or twice a year as a much awaited guest of the town, a proud professional with utmost dignity. But do you weigh more compared to a business man in your locality? Absolutely not. He moves around in a vehicle that costs not less than a Mercedes C-class luxury sedan, a person famous amongst the people residing in even the most remote areas of the town, someone who leaves a mark in every social cause, someone who appears for all public meetings. He, the business-man, is the most respected person there. Where are you then, Mr. Professional? You will have to hold out your ID card for the people to remember your name. A disgusting feeling.

--> Leisure Time

Mr. Businessman, when was the last time you went for a movie with your girlfriend/wife? When did you have three shots from your favorite brand hanging out with your friends? And when did you do anything that made you happy, that lifted your mood? A professional, no matter how hard he gets screwed on the week days, does get a chance to make up for all the sufferings by enjoying the weekends to the core. He gets to hang around with his friends, he spends time with his girlfriend/wife and he is happy. A businessman has to be on his heels 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He is on business throughout his life. No weekends, no hangouts, no leisure time. My dear professionals, I envy you for that.

--> Tension

I sometimes feel that the words business and tension can be interchanged and used without changing the meaning. Yes, business is tension from day one. Unlike in profession, where a person jumps to another company when the former one collapses, businessman has to stay afloat and keep swimming until he gets carried away by the currents and drown forever. I remember the words once told to me by a businessman very senior to me the first day I met him after I joined business. "Business is like prostitution. Once you are in, you don't get out for two reasons: First, it is fun. You meet new people everyday. Spend time with them. And earn a lot of money in quickest possible time. Second, it is a vicious circle. Once you are in, you can never get out of it.", he had told. How true???

--> Future

A professional gets to plan his life very well. He prepares a budget on how to spend his cash, how much to save, how to invest and how to live. His career grows in stages and years from now, he wouldn't be the same person who he was now. His dreams are fulfilled. He reaches his destiny. He leaves a mark on the society. A businessman's future is very unpredictable. He might expand his business, get richer everyday, buy expensive cars, build huge mansions, get more people to obey his orders, and what not that is possible under the sky. But does he live a single day happily? What will happen if a crisis hits his business? He lose everything and when his college professor asks him "Didn't I tell you to take up the job? What is left with you now"? and he might have to say with pride like in the super-hit movie Deewar "Mere paas Maa hai" (I have my family with me). Pathetic!!!

Whatever it may be, business or profession, both has the good and bad sides in it. There might be times of happiness and moments of sadness in either case. But like my dad says, once you have taken a decision you have to stick to it. So, I carry on with the life chosen by me hoping for a better future. Good times or bad times, all I say to myself is THIS TIME WILL PASS LIKE ALWAYS.

@ Saheer Kumble

The Untitled Story

2011-09-02T17:18:00.001+05:30

Note: Please suggest a title after u read this story.

He came fully drunk to his house- his only source of money, a thatched roof cottage with a small shattered door, water dripping inside from all spots on roof. He had not turned up to his house for the past three days, the argument with his mother a reason for him to get drunk all these days. He had a reason every day. His mother, a 60 year old lady, almost dying, deprived of all happiness, health deteriorated by worries for her son, was waiting there as usual for him to arrive. She always kept something cooked, hoping him to arrive for dinner every night, and ate only after he ate his fill of the food, the flour for which she begged her neighbours. He pushed open the door and dashed inside without looking at his mother. He never looked at her, for he would have realized her agony.

"Come my son, have dinner", a mother with all her care can never bear to see her son empty stomach no matter how much he hurts her.

"I don't want your rotten food old lady", he kicked the plate, the food now scattered everywhere. He fell down unable to steady his legs, the intoxication of alcohol at its maximum.

"Oh Lord, that's the only food we had. Even I had nothing", she cried out.

"Don't you have? Just go and die", he roared from where he lay eyes blood red.

"Son, I don't have any more money. I gave you all my belongings. You have sold out everything in this house", she leaned to help him stand on his foot, tears filled her eyes and rolled down the wrinkles on her face.

"Give me the keys of that cupboard. I know there is money inside", he threatened her pointing at the only furniture in the house.

"No, son, that's my only treasure. I have protected it all my life. I can't give it to you", she took a step back tightening her hold on the rusted key, knotted to her waist. She looked frightened.

"Give it or I will kill you", saying it he pushed her forcefully. She collapsed to the floor, her head banging on to the surface. She blurted out a few broken words that seemed like verses from the holy book. He snatched the keys from her waist, not caring to make her sit, and went to the cupboard. He opened it and threw everything on to the floor. He was shocked. The materials that now lay scattered on the floor brought him back to senses. Torn clothes that he used to wear in his childhood, his broken toys, a water bottle, a small school bag with some scribbled notebooks, some medical prescriptions, his birth certificate, some old faded pictures of him curled in his mother's lap, and finally an insurance policy with a premium of 50 rupees every month with him as nominee. It just had everything related to him from his birth, his childhood memories. A small wallet with some torn notes of 1 and 2 rupees and a few coins is all the money he found in the cupboard. He felt like a hole punctured on his chest and fell on to his knees. He was ashamed of himself and burnt with guilt Pity on her and full of regret he turned his head towards his mother. She hadn't moved from where she now lay motionless. He sat by her side and shook her more than once. He tried to call out 'Mom' loudly but he couldn't. He couldn't remember the last time he called her so. He tried to force a tear out of his eye. She had breathed her last.

(P.S: Alcohol worth crores are sold out in Kerala everyday and thousands of mothers and wifes are victims of the after effects of alcohol intoxication. With deaths on rise, its time to rethink about our deeds. Let Almighty lead us on the right track)

TELEGRAM : A joke for the next generation?

2011-08-30T15:08:00.002+05:30

With dual Sim mobile phones getting flushed to the market by a countless number of companies and text messages costing only a fraction of a rupee, can we think of a period in our life when we had to pay for each word we transmitted and that too the transmission taking hours time? Our parents have used it, we have heard about it, but I bet our children would not believe it. It is the TELEGRAM.

Search forTELEGRAM in Google and this is the first link that appears:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegram_%28album%29

According to this page in Wikipedia, Telegram is the first full-length remix album by Icelandic singer-songwriter/musician Björk. Is Telegram an album? Was it something before that? Yes, it was. But it is no wonder that the modern search engines wont show up such an outdated technology in the list of top results. A technology which was once very vital for the transmission of urgent information is obsolete now and disappeared beyond traces that your child would probably need an explanation to comprehend what it is all about. Here I go with the basic definition.

Telegram can be defined as the process of transferring long distance written messages through wireless services or such other services that do not require the physical transport of letters. It is a Telegraphy technology characterized by the use of Morse Code. The image below shows a sample Telegram:

How many of you would be surprised if I say this message above costs Rs.25, adding to the hours delay for the message to reach the receiver? Its true. Telegram used to be that costly. During the days when telephone was new in India, everybody could not afford it and so people had to use Telegrams to communicate urgent information with their near and dear ones who stayed far away. This means that calling up a person to convey the above message was more costly than sending a Telegram. Kudos to the mobile companies for bringing second pulse rates. The above message wont cost me more than a rupee now. That explains the growth of technology in the world.

With e-mails replacing letters and mobile phones leading the telecom revolution, the leading telecom operators had no option but to withdraw their telegraphy service. BSNL, the Govt. owned Telecom company in India and the leading provide of telecommunication services withdrew its International Telegraph Service w.e.f from 30-04-2011. Here is a chart that once appeared in their website showing the tariffs for telegraphy services.

(b) Minimum word count shall be 30 words and charges shall be as tabled below:-

S.No	Item	Word count	Charges for and upto 30 words ( in Rs.)	Charges for Additional words (in Rs.)	W.e.f
1.	Rate for all telegrams i.e. Express Telegrams Except death telegrams	Upto 30 words	25.00	Re. 1.00 for each extra word (beyond 30 words)	16-05-09
2.	Rate for death Telegram	Upto 30 words	5.00	Re. 1.00 for each extra word (beyond 30 words)	26-06-09

The countries around the world have discontinued their telegraphy services with countries like Germany and Canada stopping it as early as in the beginning of 21st century. However some countries like Bahrain still offers telegraphy services.

(Courtesy: Wikipedia, BSNL)

An INTRODUCTION in the END

2011-07-03T00:41:00.002+05:30

(DISCLAIMER: all the characters and incidents in this story are products of my imagination or are used fictitiously.)

A week off to Hong Kong and Macau, that was the best my dad could offer me to get myself back as a dedicated and hard-working businessman. He considered himself more or less responsible for my present situation and tried every possible alternative to get me out of it. The best I could do was to bury everything deep inside my heart and pretend very happy outside. But things had gone from bad to worse the day I heard about my girlfriend's marriage and the only way to avoid hurting myself was to drag my mind as far away as possible from the very place of her marriage. During the journey, I was thousands of feet higher and miles farther from her but with real life becoming more and more dramatic than the incidents in fictions I was reading during the flight, I could hardly concentrate on a single line and my thoughts were only about her. And thus a week had passed after her marriage and now I was back in the town sitting in the Manager's cabin of Union Bank, getting updates on the major events of the just concluded week and the financial position of our account. Being one of the major account holders in the bank, I enjoyed a friendly interaction with all the staffs there. We were discussing about the import bills that had to be realized that day when a voice from behind interrupted us.

"Excuse me, Sir. Need to open an SB account", a young man spoke with a purdah clad women standing closely behind him. The accent was a very familiar one to any Keralite and so I carried on with my work without paying attention to them. While they took the seats next to me, the Manager got the application form for them. Unusual I must say in my town, and to some extent all over Kerala, the women, or rather say, the young lady, sat next to me and the man took the seat next to her. The Muslims in Kerala are very conservative. Moreover, I have seen in the buses that ply in the Kasargod-Mangalore route that the seat next to a girl remains vacant most of the time even if many guys would be standing in the bus. But things had changed a bit in the last few years and this being one such change, I felt good about it. Taking the application form from the manager's hand, the man spoke again.

"But Sir, there's a problem", the man had to speak in English as the manager had no clue about the local language.

"Go on", the manager spoke working with something on the computer.

"Sir, my wife is recently married and so .............." , he couldn't complete as the Manager interrupted him with eyes bonded to his.

"WHAT?", the manager almost roared at him. It was the funniest thing I had heard that day and though I was hardly out of the predicament situation, the incident could lift my mood to some extent. A grin appeared on my face but I dismissed it fearing it will annoy my companions.

"So...so...sorry Sir, I mean she is my wife and we are recently married. The account has to opened in her name but her address hasn't been changed yet. Her name is not added to the ration card I mean", he corrected himself in a flash introducing his wife to the Manager.

"Did you get the marriage certificate?", the manager asked.

"Not yet Sir, we have applied for it", the first words from the girl's mouth.

A familiar voice. I told to myself. But fearing that it might just be an intuition, I bent my head down and continued with the work.

"No problem, Mr. ah.. your name?", the manager was bound to find a solution.

"Noushad."

"OK Mr.Noushad, we will open the account in her name, as your wife and with your address for correspondence and her address as the permanent one", the manager explained to him.

Excited that a consensus has been reached, he handed over the form to his wife for completion. I finished adding the entries to the inward register and went ahead to the clearing counter to hand over the cheques to them, returned with the counter files and took my seat. She filled the form and handed it over to the manager.

"Nazna Noushad.. Right?", the manager read out her name.

Nazna. My throat went dry and I gulped. My heart almost popped out through the mouth and holding my trembling lips together, from the corner of my eye, I captured an instant frame of her. She was the same girl who had parted ways with me a few months back. For an instant everything seemed to be the same. We both sitting next to each other, close enough to feel our breaths. But there was a third person now, the most important in her life and the least important for me. Didn't she notice me? If she has why didn't she smile at me? Not even a hi? Air conditioned room but the burning sensation inside me won the battle giving birth to identical pearls of sweat racing down my forehead, fighting for space and uniting to gain speed, forming a battalion and marched towards the destiny. I glanced at her yet again, this time with a clear dislodging of my statutory position, and no response again. This is torture. But this was the promise we agreed not to break till death, to behave as strangers from the day of separation as being friends meant fooling ourselves. But I felt pity for her. Of all days, she had to chose this day to open an account and what a predicament situation now- sandwiched between her ex and husband, maybe wondering which side should the head tilt.

"You shouldn't be leaving this column blank", the Manager broke the silence pointing to the Introducer column in the form.

"Nobody I know has an account here Sir", worries back on the other man's face again.

"But it's mandatory these days"

"You didn't inform us in the beginning", he was about to explode.

"This is something everybody know these days and needs no explanation. Please find someone you know who has an account in this branch", a weary smile is all the Manager could bring out.

While the discussion shifted gears with voices riding their way out of the cabin, I unfolded my laptop and titled it sideways, capturing her on the mirror like screen. Evident on her face was the brightness that appeared on any newly married girl. Very beautiful. Now confirmed that she was throwing quick and repeated glances at me every now and then, a state of euphoria slowly engulfed me that my hands almost moved close to hers, a brisk change of posture from her brought me back to senses and I realized that the argument had reached its threshold, making her look worried.

"Sir, I'll do it", I crept into the discussion for the first time.

"Do you know her?", the Manager angled towards me now with both my companions eyes on me, anger overflowing the man. My eyes met hers but the question had caught me point blank that I drifted away from their focus.

Silence was indeed golden here. I knew her more than anybody else would know ever. An YES here meant she would have to explain EVERYTHING to him word by word. A NO meant they go away without getting the work done and she would be depressed. Inviting problems was a routine affair to me and this one rather immediately followed the previous one. She seemed obvious about what my answer would be and went on to say something to him that I blurted out something at him interrupting her.

"Excuse us for a second", I spoke breaking the silence again and raised from my seat requesting Manager to join me for a word in private, calling out to my ENEMY that I would get it done. We returned back to our seats and I filled the form as required and handed it over to the Manager. Informing them that the process would take 3 days time, he told them to pass it over to the cash counter along with the cash, concluding the formalities. She glanced at me one last time with an evident smile on her carved out face as she made her way through the exit. I folded my laptop, and as I lifted it to put it back in the case, a paper folded from the middle eased out from underneath the laptop. I unfolded the paper to see a few lines scribbled on it.

"Memories in heart,

My worries apart,

I walk along the silence

Your presence the only absence"

"She must have scribbled it while filling the form when he was having a discussion with the Manager and slid it under the laptop when I went to the clearing counter", I argued with self. Cherishing the way I helped her and the beautiful lines she had scribbled, I packed my bag and hurried to the exit to get a glimpse of her somewhere in the crowd. She had faded away. As I descended the steps, I took repeated breaths to get the scent of her. Strange is my love. An INTRODUCTION in the END, I told to myself. The day seemed to be long and never ending with the sun showing its first appearance as early as at 6 am. I got up from the bed and descended the steps to the front door, to skim the newspaper, hoping to dream about her again tonight, a dream a little more real than a dream.

The Prophecy : Chapter 3, Part 1

2011-03-22T22:35:00.001+05:30

Previous Part First Part

PS: A continuation of the previous posts that explain some of the incidents in my life on the backdrop of a thrilling story penned by me. Before reading this, please go through the previous parts by clicking on the links above. As always, suggestions are welcome. Read. Like. Comment.

In spite of the drizzle, it was a summer day that sizzled. The aroma of the rain touching the earth engulfed the room giving relief from the sting of death. The sun seemed to be tired of its hide and seek game with the clouds and was shining as dominantly as ever. It was 11 a.m. then. The short journey into lost memories had given life to my old clumsy hands. I slid my hand under the pillow to take out that only treasure that I had carried with me all life, the diary she had given me before we parted ways. The same fragrance. Nothing seems to have changed when I hold it close to my heart. As she had told once, it had everything about us. Our first meeting, the words shared, the feelings expressed, the breakup, everything she had written till the day she gave it to me induced a sudden euphoria all over me whenever I peeked into it. Adjusting myself to an inclined position, I held it close to my face and opened the first page of it. It read:

"To my dear BITTER-HEART"

My heart popped up and nearly hit the temples when I read those lines carved in blood red. I realized the pain she must have sustained that made her give such a title to the treasure of her life- the diary. In spite of all the break-ups and puppy fights, we loved each other to the core. No words could express our love. My hands trembled as I glided my fingers to flip the page when I heard the creaking sound of a door being opened. Startled and afraid of the dairy catching the nurse's attention, I slipped it under the pillow again, pulled up the cloth over me and closed my eyes.

"Medicines", she roared at me as she knew I was pretending to be asleep.

"Please get me something to eat", I pleaded as I opened my eyes.

"You are not supposed to. You are on liquid diet", she placed the glass of water and tablets on the table besides me and made her way to the door.

"Wait", I called out and consumed the tablets, wincing as I swallowed them.

"What's the condition of my sister?", I asked her as she approached my bed.

"Oh, you remember? Boy it is. She delivered last week. Both are keeping well", she retorted with a wry smile on her face.

Something which I wanted to hear so badly. My nephew, like my son. Excited by the news, adrenaline rushing through my blood, I slowly lifted my head and with her help I sat on the bed folding my legs.

"Where is she now?", I asked her cheerfully.

"Here in this house. In the floor below", she used minimal words indicating her lack of interest.

"Will you please take me to them?", I begged grabbing her hands with mine.

"O...K", something moved her this time that she couldn't resist.

Conveying my feelings of gratitude to her, I sat on the wheel chair straining my weak legs. How would he be? Would he be like his father? Or would he resemblance my sister, his mother? I was buried in millions of thoughts as the chair wheeled across the hall to the room where my nephew, the new member of my family, was probably sleeping. As I approached the door, my eyes caught attention of a calendar that hung from a wall on the other side of the hall.

"What's the date today?", I asked her.

"September 9th", she snorted out though I had lost half of my weight in the last few months.

Tomorrow is September 10th. A date I can never forget. I flinched with pain as the hole in my heart deepened.

(to be continued...)

@Sahi

The Prophecy : Chapter 2

2011-01-19T20:06:00.003+05:30

Previous Part First Part

Sunday evening. Rain had settled into a quieter drizzle. The Ram Sena issues had obturated almost all love birds in Mangalore and all were very cautious. As meeting in home town was far from possible, we decided to meet in some off city restaurant in Mangalore. With the help of my friend, I arranged a private cabin in a restaurant in Airport Road. "Its the last time", she had pleaded the previous night when I had called her. We would be meeting for the last time before we pretend ourselves to be strangers and part ways. 8 years had passed, most of which was marked by absence and unnecessary fights. From puppy love of high school days to life making decisions now, things had changed a lot.

"Hi", she came in partly drenched in rain.

"Hi", I was pleased to see her arrive.

She was wearing a white shirt of designer origins. She knew it was my favorite color and wore it on all special occasions with me. Age had drawn no marks on her face. She was as beautiful as ever.

"Sorry I'm a bit late. HIS parents had come to my home", she spoke after taking the seat facing me.

HIS parents. She could have given some other reason. I had invited her to refresh the memorable days of the past and she has made an entry through the wrong gate. I had no mood to even hear HIS name today. Has she done it deliberately? The cushioned seats could no longer give comfort to me. I tried to block the anger that filled me gradually.

"You could have canceled it then", I said gruffly, not ready to dump my ego.

"But I thought you wanted to meet me", she retorted in the same tone.

"It doesn't seem important to you".

"Will you please shut up? It's not easy for me to get out of my home. I had to do so much to make it here at this time"

"Oh, so much sacrifice for me".

"You won't understand", she moaned.

U wont understand. Until last year, I understood every second of her life. She craved for my opinion in almost every decision she had to take.

"Ya? May be HE understands you very well", I spoke with no emotions.

"I'm leaving.", she raised from her chair.

The waiter knocked.

Right time. I thanked God for diverting her thoughts. Dammit! What am I doing here? I had called her to apologize for the miseries I caused in her life and here I am trying to prove myself correct. She was always good to me. I had dragged her into my life and then threw her out in a creepy way. It was all my mistake.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I..I..was in a bad mood actually", I told after placing our orders. I had to make her stay.

Silence.

"Last 8 years had been terrible to me", she broke the silence.

"I know, it's all my mistake", I looked sallower now.

"I know things hasn't gone well between us. It's all my fate. I still cherish every moment I spent with u", she threw a quick glance at me and backed off.

The moments I spent with her were priceless. I still remembered every second of the night we had made love, when she had lost herself to me. The impinging had sent electric currents across our body. She was jiggling out of excitement and was more beautiful than ever. She passed the whole night holding me tight. Tears of joy drifted down her eyes and all she told me was "Never leave me alone". She loved me so much.

"I had tried day and night to make everything happen. It just didn't work" I started my confession.

"Mmm.". She wasn't convinced.

"You know very well about my family, the problems inside. I was buried in them. And above all that, my parents weren't interested in your family.", I sulked.

"Mmm."

"I loved you so much and I'm missing you badly these ............".

"My marriage is on November 20th", she intercepted me.

"Oh, congrats. I will come for sure", I pretended to be excited hearing the news.

"I'm sorry. I asked HIM if I can invite you and I didn't get a positive reply".

"But I thought you invited me", I was furious.

"No. I just told. Actually, I have told HIM everything about my past, everything between me and you. HE doesn't want me to keep contact with you. I'm really sorry".

I felt I'm exploding from inside. I appreciated the way girls twist words and play with them. She just told. Doesn't account for invitation. I had to flush out my anger. I said nothing.

Silence.

"Sometimes I feel you never loved me. It all began as a game right? Those stupid games you and your friends play without caring for the hearts that get wounded in the process", she glared at me.

"I have told you everything that happened. Don't crucify me again", I muttered.

For the first time since she came here, my eyes made contact with her. She had the most attractive eyes I ever came across. "You were named after your parents saw those beautiful eyes",I used to tell her. Her name had the same meaning- beautiful eyes. It was written somewhere: Love begins when we don't need it and ends when we need it the most. How true!!!

"Sometimes I feel I was just one among the many girls in your life, a co-traveler for a short distance of your life", she spoke with her eyebrows knit together.

When a girl is in love, she is always boastful about the good qualities of her guy. The moment she breaks up, all his good qualities are shadowed by the few defects he was born with. And the qualities of her new guy becomes good. I wasn't a many gal person when she was with me. Things had changed a lot after she left. I was known for all the wrong reasons. I can't convince her anything now. The harmony seems to have faded away. I decided to accept it.

"Ya. I'm trying to bring myself back, out of all that completely. I had taken my life for granted and hurt many persons in the process."

Silence again.

"And yeah...... thanks a lot.....", she spoke pleasantly all of a sudden. I gawked at her.

"For what?", I blurted out.

"I had met your best friend last week. Had he not told me everything, I wouldn't have made my mind to come here today"

Knock at the door. The waiter came in with our orders.

"I need to get fresh", she sauntered forward to the rest room.

She came back and took the seat besides me. The pursuit to happiness had reached its destiny. I must say I had felt her presence after a long time and that made me feel very comfortable. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"Y aren't you having anything?", she interrupted my journey to heaven.

I took a sip from the juice I had ordered. She glanced at me and darted back to the table.

"You were always too good to me. I was trying to hate you all this time. But your memories are as cheerful as you are. I was acting rude just to stay away from you. I cried the whole night last week after I met your friend. He told me about the effort you put to convince my parents to accept HIS proposal. I was at the verge of a second collapse and had no other option but to end my life had you not entered my life again. Every good thing that happened in my life is just because of you.", her voice was glum when she finished.

"Mmm", I gazed at her lips as she spoke.

"You know how much it hurt me when you did all that to make me hate you. I realized you just wanted me to go away from your life. And the moment I left, I felt all alone in this life. And this GUY was very good to me ever since my childhood. And HE loved me too. So I accepted HIM hoping that would keep thoughts about you away."

"Mmm", I was getting excited each moment.

"But I couldn't hate you even for a second. I was cursing my fate for not granting me a life with you. All I pray now is to keep us together in next life. I want a life with you"

She was almost in tears now. I had to stop this from developing further.

"I promise you I will come back and live a day with you before I go away from this world.", she spoke as she wiped off her tears.

"I LOVE YOU", I couldn't resist further.

She looked at me. Her eyes were red now and made it even more attractive We got closer to each other. Slowly our lips touched and we kissed for the last time.

"I LOVE YOU TOO". She was in tears again.

I wiped her tears. This girl is priceless. Y did fate play this dirty game with me?

"I want to spend my last days with you. To die in your arms. To make your beautiful face the last visual of my life", I spoke as she rested her head on my shoulders.

"I will be with you."

We spoke nothing. Our hearts had exchanged a millions words already. We didn't want to disturb them. The door knocked again. The waiter entered and wasn't interested in hovering around. He was happy to leave the room with the money and leave us alone.

"I have to go. My friend must have finished her work now. She would be waiting for me. I had no other option but to take her along with me", she spoke as she arranged herself.

"Will we meet again?", I was forgetting she is not mine anymore.

"We will. You keep this diary of mine till then. It has everything about US. Start writing your story from the page where my words end. By the time you reach the last page of this, I will be with you. Bye dear"

She handed me the diary and left. That diary had the same fragrance of her. I held it close to my heart, raised it and opened the first page. A tear dropped from my eye.

LOVE NEVER ENDS!!!

(to be continued...)

Next Part

A HALF DAY at EYE Hospital

2011-01-12T18:28:00.003+05:30

I got down from the bus at Mangalore at around 11 a.m. Facing me on the other side of the road was this prodigious multi-storeyed building with EYE CARE carved on its head in bold letters. All these for an EYE, I wondered. A member of the G4 security opened the entry gate for me. Hmm! So much respect for me. Deliriously, I stepped in. The switcheroo from sunlight to the room had blanked me out for a few seconds. I took a few steps forward when a voice from the side startled me.

"NAMASTE", she said.

I was dumbstruck. The last time when I heard that word was when I boarded an Air India Express plane. I was sure this place was different now. Back to your senses, dude. I looked around. A bunch of young beautiful ladies all dressed in saris. Wow!!! The purpose of my visit was all but over. I had an enhanced vision now. I could see beautiful things around. I gazed around and haven't missed a single thing. You jackass! Stop bird watching. Someone has interrupted you. Answer her. She is waiting.

"Good afternoon...I..mean..morning..ma'am", I faltered.

"First time-r?", her eyes focused on me.

Definitely not. I bet you aren't either.

"Pardon me", I countered, still ogling around.

"Are you coming for the first time?"

Oh! that's what you meant.

"Yup", I retorted and smirked.

"This way, SIR"

In one look, it was nothing more than a SPA. A large hall with counters on every corner of the room. The girl piloted me to one of the counters with "Reception" written above it. She inquired my name, postal address and contact no. After uploading the details, she threw her final question at me with a printed smile on her face.

"How did you know about this hospital?"

Dude, here is your chance. Impress her.

"Well, my friend recently visited your hospital in Coimbatore. He was really impressed by the... (girls)... by the treatment in this hospital and suggested me to get my eyes tested here".

I succeeded in my first attempt to impress her. She gave me a card which I had to carry every time I visited the hospital. Then she guided me to the waiting area.

Waiting phase 1............................ waiting....................... waiting...........................

"Please follow me sir", a third girl, even more beautiful than the other two, approached me.

She took the lead and guided me towards the lift that would carry us to the 1st floor of the hospital. After getting there, she pointed to a squab and I knew what I was supposed to do.

Waiting phase 2.......................... waiting........................ waiting............................

No magazines to read and the girls were out of sight. The TV was ON but was being played for the deaf people (volume muted). I went into hibernation.

"Tea SIR", a voice woke me up.

A girl, much different in looks and appearances from all the previous girls I had encountered there was holding a tray and some biscuits. I checked the time. It was 2 pm. Almost 3 hrs had passed from the time I arrived in that hospital. And my stomach was groaning. definitely not for the biscuits. I needed something heavy.

"No. Thanks"

"Take a biscuit at least SIR"

"No"

"Just one SIR... Please SIR"

Huff!!! She is not gonna leave me. I took one reluctantly. Just hope they wont make me wait more.

"Saheer.... ...............Saheer", someone called out.

I got up from my place.

"This way SIR"

I was perplexed. This part of the hospital seemed to have endured a hurricane recently and all the beautiful girls had vanished. A dark ugly looking girl deprived of some serious love making was waiting for me at the door. I'm not going inside with her. A long room, length four times the width, with a chair at the other extreme end and a set of machines to its side. She told me to get seated there. I strode my way inside. The door closed after me. This is scaring me. She came close to me and sat on a chair attached to the equipment.

"What's your problem?", she asked.

I gave a sheepish smile. What should I say now? Of all the beautiful girls in this hospital, I had to get tested by this ugly female and upon that she thinks I was checking her out. This is insanity.

I remained silent.

"What's the problem with your eye? Do you wear glasses?"

Oh. "I lost my glasses and thought I will do a testing before I go for a new one"

She gave me instructions... Do this.. that.... etc... In 20 minutes, my eye test was done and I was told to wait outside. Relieved more because I got out of the room "unhurt", I eased my way to the waiting room.

Waiting Phase 3..................... waiting...................... waiting......................

"The doctor is waiting for you. Please come with me", a gal called out.

And I thought I was waiting all this time. I followed her to the last room in the 1st floor I hadn't jaunted. The doctor observed my eyes with the equipments he had, wrote a prescription and spoke to me.

"Nothing wrong with your eyes. The eyesight has gone down a bit. I have noted it down. The girls outside will take you to our optical gallery where you can choose the desired frames. Alternatively, you can go for contact lens about which the girls will explain you"

"Thank You Doctor", I stood up to leave the room. You "saved" my life.

"Where is the optical GALLERY?", I asked the girl as we moved out of the room.

"3rd floor SIR"

I checked the time. It was 4 pm then. Another floor to be circuited. Another 3 hours at least. I'm not doing this.

"Hey listen. I gotta go now or I will miss my train. Its hartal in my place and I have no other option for getting there. I will come again another day", I explained her.

"Not at all a problem SIR. Here's your prescription. You can come here or get your lenses from any place of your choice."

She guided me to the lift that would take me back to the ground floor. 5 hours for an eye test. I was frowning at myself for choosing this hospital. I could have done this in less than an hour at any center in my town. I reached the exit door.

A SPA that gives more pain and less pleasure. That's what this hospital resembled More of hospitality and less treatment.

"Thank You", the girl mumbled as I made my way out.

All I had in the last 5 hours was a biscuit. I had no energy left to be wasted on unnecessary gesture.

I smiled. I will miss you.

The Prophecy: Chapter 1, Part 3

2011-01-09T23:18:00.003+05:30

Previous Part First Part

Unlike what my religion taught me, I always believed that most humans pay for their mistakes and settle all scores before they leave this world. That justified my fate at the moment. I might have hurt a million around me during my brief stay in this world. And I must be repaying for those sins now. I was left alone in a dark room, counting the last few days of life, trying to recall my past, craving for family and friends. I'm all alone now. What illness I had?

She came back with a towel and water diluted solution in her hand. I observed her closely. Her eyes resembled that of the girl I once loved more than my life. In fact she even walked just like her. The thing that contrasted the most was her character. This girl was very stubborn. She has some serious personal problems. That must be the reason for what she is now. She finished her job, covered my body with a fresh blanket and moved towards the door.

I raised my head. "Are you OK dear?" I asked in a low voice.

"Sorry?"

"You look worried about something."

"You think you can help me out???"

"I respect you for what you do. I owe you my life for the care you give. I will try my best. Maybe I can suggest a way out."

"You respect me??? Did you ever ever respect any women in your life? Your neighbors have told me everything about you, your past"

She disappeared through the door showing all her anger on the door. I turned my face towards the window. It was drizzling outside. Morning drizzle, cold weather, a pleasant feeling allover. MEMORIES NEVER DIE!!!

(to be continued...)

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The Prophecy : Chapter 1, Part 2

2011-01-08T17:24:00.002+05:30

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There was hardly anyone out there sharing the same intentions as mine. Except a retired civil surgeon, I knew nobody in my town who were interested in jogging. Most youngsters preferred a multi gym or never woke up early morning. It was a downhill road and I was picking speed gradually. “A few yards more and I will sit for a while before I start for my home again” I said to myself. I was about to stop when suddenly my legs hit on something. Imbalanced, I fell on the ground.

I was on the FLOOR. I opened my eyes slowly. A low-lit room stinking with the smell of sweat, medicines, used bottles and whatever on earth that gave out bad odor. With one hand stretched to cling to the side of the bed and other hand pushing the floor for thrust, I lifted myself slowly and crept on to the bed. I wasn’t the same guy who was jogging along the highway now. It was a dream, a pleasant one. I am a wrinkled and deprived old man in one look now. Wrinkled smile line, tired eyes. I don’t remember my age anymore. When was my birthday? It seemed to me that I must be at least 60 years old now. My legs no more responded to the signals from my brain. I could move my hands. Skinny they had become. Where am I? What happened to me? I can’t remember anything. I was lying down, staring at the ceiling, about to close my eyes when I heard a door being shut.

“Who is it?” I called out.

“Why the hell do you keep repeating the same question every morning?” some female voice roared at me.

I ask the same question every day? But why? My memory was playing this strange game with me. I remembered almost everything on some day and remembered nothing some other day. The women came closer to me. She was the nurse from a nearby hospital appointed by my nephew to look after me as I had resisted to get treated in a hospital a year back. She was a good looking woman on her early twenties. Even though she seemed to carry a caring heart, she never spoke to me sweetly. She was always the same roaring female who was looking after me just because she was getting paid for it. She took out a box from the shelf which had the tablets in it. She took out 5 or 6 tablets, filled a glass with water and held them out at me. The look on her face was terrific that I consumed the medicines without any hesitation. I experienced a terrible pain as the medicines passed through my food pipe to the stomach. A tear dropped from my eyes because of the pain. She pretended that she hadn’t noticed it and turned her back to me and went back to the table. Wiping the tear off, I called out:

“Dear, will you please take me to the bathroom?”

“Not necessary. There are provisions for all that. I will get water from the bathroom and clean your body” she replied.

She was right. I was on liquid diet for the past 4 to 6 months. Glucose trips were provided whenever I looked very tired. Provisions were made for me to empty my bladder. A piece of cloth was all that was covering my body and she used to change it everyday after cleaning my body with some solution she had and water after that.

“But I need a good wash. I’m stinking very badly”.

“Don’t you understand??? I don’t have time to do all that. Go get your wife”.

WIFE!!! Did I have a wife? Where is she then? Where are my children? Oh God, what’s wrong with my memory? Y can’t I remember anything when needed?

(to be continued...)

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The Prophecy : Chapter 1, Part 1

2011-01-07T14:22:00.003+05:30

It was 6 am in the morning and my cell phone had begun its first task for the day: to wake me up. The window of my room was partially opened and though covered with blanket I could feel the cold weather outside. My hands stretched for the cell phone to refrain it from finishing its task. But I had to wake up without fail. I hadn’t gone out for jogging in the past three mornings and that had made me feel unfit. With great pain of leaving the comfort zone for the rest of the day, I lifted myself from the bed and freshened up. With a small towel tucked to my waist and iPod on, I left my home closing and locking the door behind.

It was all the same outside. Elderly Muslims were on their way back to houses after finishing their morning prayers in Masjid. It was Sabarimala Piligrimage season all over South India and the bare footed pilgrims were marching in groups reciting some verses I couldn’t make out. I focused on both of them and found no differences. They both seemed identical except in their way of living. I was still disturbed. The previous day’s incident was still crawling in my mind. I was going towards Mangalore with my mom and sister. There was some Hindu gathering in Mangalore city and devotees dressed in saffron were on their pursuit to attend the event in lorries, mini trucks, buses and even bikes. The instant they saw pardah clad lady in my car, their voices got a new vigor. I saw a sudden burst of energy in them and the slogans became louder. As if that wasn’t enough, they began hand gestures at us. I was surprised by their behavior. My family and I had respect for every religion and their beliefs; and showed no signs of hatred towards their pursuit. My heart felt heavy. Fearing more aggressive acts from them, I changed gears and got my car out of their sight. The day had ended but the thoughts had just begun.

My thinking had transformed from a strict religious follower to a more rational one recently. I believed in every religion that existed. But more than that I believed there was something beyond all these religions, some power which I believed is the root of all these religions and GOD is the one who enjoys that power. He has existed since time immemorial and accounts for everything that occurs in the universe. His scope is beyond our imagination. Feeling satisfied with my way of thinking, I started jogging along the highway.

(to be continued...)

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