Happy Independence Day

Since last month, each day I had been waiting for 15th Aug and I am sure almost all of you would have been doing the same. The reason for such a wait is quite obvious and no points for guessing it. ‘Independence Day’ is one of the most awaited days every year as it breaks the no-holiday season of may-jun-jul. And nothing can be better than 15th Aug falling on a Friday. So this day gets its share of recognition but for reasons which are different from what our forefathers had in their mind while declaring it has a national holiday. Anyway, like a ‘true’ Indian, my plans for this day included getting up late, brunch, calling friends and family and wishing them a very happy independence day or rather a happy holiday..!!! Then a not so short siesta, followed by some chatting, playing some deshbhakti geet in the background, dinner and back to the land of dreams. Wow what a day..!!!

But as my luck would have it, when I got up today, it was just 6 AM. Wished myself a happy holiday (though the start was not so happy) and then called up my friends to wish them a happy holiday (why should only I get up early). And the first thing I get to hear on our Independence Day is “Hey…tell me the lyrics of our national anthem. I have to go for a flag hoisting ceremony!!” I couldn’t believe that I was actually hearing these words. My obvious reply was “How is this possible? How can anyone forget the national anthem? It should be in the blood of all Indians. You must be kidding.” That friend of mine actually didn’t know the national anthem and was getting late so without further arguments I recited the national anthem.

Feeling proud of myself, I thought “At the stroke of this hour, when all Indians are sleeping, I have awakened to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely, when I step out of my bed at 6 on a holiday, and when the soul of the nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment I recite the national anthem and take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.”

With this pride, I switched on my laptop, logged in gtalk, changed my status message to ‘Vande Mataram’, played some deshbhakti geet in background and at the end of the day did nothing other than criticizing government, its policies, growing terrorism, people’s indifference towards the country and its independence and updating my blog.AAKHIR DIL HAI HINDUSTANI!!!

This ocassion was too good to be missed out for a post

Finally the 120 hour long wait is going to end. It’s just 1 more hour and then the weekend would start. Today was a day with moderate work but still I was bored to the extent that my jaws were aching by afternoon due to innumerable yawns. My dull and idle mind went into a retrospective mood.

What good has happened to me this month? A few good dinners…a few heart warming calls…some deadlines getting postponed at work (for which I was not the reason...!)…and yes my convocation trip.

All of us had waited for this day since last 5 years for sure and people like me had waited for this day since the time I had seen others dressed in black robes receiving degree on television. The importance of convocation increased exponentially during the last days of college. This would also be our first reunion. Two great occasions on a single day!!

While the train was speeding towards Ranchi, the only words which were coming to my mind were “Ghar aa ja pardesi tera desh bulaye le”. It was like returning to homeland after spending so much time in Chennai. Finally reached there and then started the ‘re-living of college days’.

Eating out in ranchi, bargaining with the rickshaw-walas for church complex and auto-walas for BIT…walk along the OC road...samosa at Sharma…running from one corner of institute to other for various forms…long queues for registration…embarrassing bashes from profs for no reasons during the 5 hour registration process…cursing the institute for charging so much for the convo…walking through the woods at night for dinner (this was something which we were doing for the first time…!!! and it was amazing…)…morning walk…and so many more things…




And then it was time when we were dressed up in over-sized black robes with green piped “lapels”!! It was truly the moment of my life time dressed in highly esteemed black robes, walking with my proud parents to the OAT (where the convocation was held). Due to time constraints we were just allowed to stand at the podium with the degree for not more than 2-3 secs but I was predetermined to pose for a good photo while receiving the degree. I still haven’t seen that photo but friends say that my determination has not gone in vain and that the life time moment has been captured beautifully..!!





And finally time had come for rejoicing with the hard earned degrees in our hands.





But our faces were not lit up that brightly. We had in our minds that this also means the end of the best days of life. I had not felt this sad even on the last day of my college as I had the hope of coming back and meeting everyone in convocation. Now there was no such hope. But then all good things also come to an end and this was no exception.

However, the memories will remain fresh deep in our hearts till our last days. These memories are bright enough to light up even our gloomiest days. And the only thing which made 4 years of college and this convocation the best days of my life are my friends. All of you have a very special place in my life and my heart and hope I will be close enough not to miss any of you ever.

My last post

I have decided not to blog any more due to some reason. But then there are incidents which are too difficult to resist and one such incident is the reason behind this post.

My cell is ringing every now and then today and the last words of every call are “take care…esp today..!!! :P” And the result of so many warnings was this :

One of my friends : hey mujhe call karo na
Me : arey caller tune to same hi hai..!! (She generally asks me to call when she changes her caller tune)
Friend : Ph ki??
Me : haan..chk ur cell
Friend : arey I lost my ph.!!!
Me : ha ha ha… good try…kuch acha idea nahi mila tumko… (people’s warnings had made me immune to such tricks..!!)
Friend : Nahi yaar ..! sach me kho gaya… nahi mil raha.. ring karo na pls
Me : ring to kar rahe…no one is picking up…I know you r a very good story teller…par mujh par kyu try kar rai ho…had u lost ur cell it wud hv been swtchd off by now…
Friend : Can you call airtel and ask them to block my no ?
Me : Mujhe to abhi bhi lag raha you r making up stories
Friend : And call at my home and inform them about this
Me : par mujhe to abhi bhi vishwas nahi ho raha..sach me kho gaya kya..?? :P
Friend : now call my no
Me : it says not in range
Friend : abhi vishwas hua ya nahi…ab mere ghar pe call karo…
Me : Arey tumhare story making n story telling ki history mujhe yaad hai..and on top of it u r telling all this today
Friend : tumlog samajh nahi rahe ho…sach me i hv lost it...!!

And by now her status msg was “Lost my ph...pls send in your nos..”

It’s so difficult to believe things today however genuine they might sound. But the title of this post still holds true. However such incidents as this can/will always be tagged as exceptions!!

Real world Vs Virtual world

Finally my office hours are again normal. Just 10 hours a day, 8 to 6 and the mere thought that I don’t have to slog extra hours in office for the entire next week gives me an immense pleasure. After almost a month, I went out today. And shopped for 8 hours (some things are still left which had to be shifted to tomorrow’s schedule) and that too alone..!! This is my real world...living all alone…slogging for 13 hours daily and wasting the weekends either working or lying like an inanimate object whom no one even bothers to look at.

But then there is some thing which still keeps me going...my virtual world. Half of my salary and three-fourths of my life here is dedicated to this virtual world. My cell has become my best friend here. I spend hours on phone trying to kill my time and find some reason to smile in spite of the fact that all my friends are PJ experts and they make me go crazy!! My source of strength and inspiration also comes from my cell i.e. the ML sessions given on phone by a few CHOSEN ONES!! But there are times when I have to hear “the no you are trying to reach is busy” or “hey I am busy now...will give you a call in 5 mins”. Thanks to chatting and blogging that I can still some how spend whatever free time I have. And in the remaining time, I chase sleep and my dreams chase me.

I want my virtual and real worlds to swap places. There are times when I wish I could feel and enjoy the actual presence of my friends. I wish some one could actually give me water and medicine instead of telling it over phone. I wish some one could stroke my hair with affection and tell me that he/she is there with me always. I wish I could laugh with some one, I could care for some one, and I could help some one in stead of saying it all just over phone or chat. I miss all my friends in my real life even though they are always with me in my virtual life.

“Yaaron dosti badi hi ajeeb hai,yeh na ho to kya phir bolo yeh zindagi hai”





PS : Some of my friends are not there in the pic because I didn't have their pic.. :(

Things which still keep me going

Without this working 14 hours daily would have been impossible...






My favorite dessert...



My lucky charm...




My only friend who accompanies me in the darkest of nights...



The fragrance of my life...





The sweetness & freshness of a rose remains forever...even when it is broken into pieces...





My soul mates...

A Walk by Moonlight

To take a break from our monotonous “guest house to office and office to guest house” routine, we decided to go out for dinner yesterday. Thus started the search for a suitable place for the evening and what better place than a beach. We found out an Italian Beach restaurant within a few seconds (thanks to google). After the initial ordeal with autowala we finally reached the beach. And what a co-incidence!! It was a full moon night and the shimmering calm water of sea was all we could see.

While we were walking on the soft sand towards the restaurant, I suddenly remembered the poem “A walk by moonlight”. And then I understood the power of moonlight. It actually alleviates us of all our worries and soothes us in a divine manner. That was the moment when I actually experienced the “bliss of solitude”

Yes; there are in the backward past
Soft hours to which we turn --
Hours which, at distance, mildly shine,
Shine on, but never burn.

The cherished memories of college, golden time spent with friends and then best 8 months of my life, all flashed upon my inward eye. I relived my college years and the golden 8 months all over again during that walk. I bunked lectures, spent entire days chatting in canteen, late night gossips in hostel, enjoyed long leg pulling sessions with friends, remembered hours spent on phone during exams, all the fun filled weekends of my Kolkata stay, special visits by special people in Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore and the innumerable treats I forced out of my friends in Bangalore.

At the end of that walk I found my heart, mind and soul immersed in moonlight, shining with happiness. This walk by moonlight gave my mind the peace it was craving for since last so many days.

Happy Valentine's Day

"But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams beneath your feet;
Tread softly, for you tread on my dreams..."