Story behind the Haze...

Curiosity pumped into my veins when I saw that place for the first time. A pub named after Jimi Hendrix. Well the place surely looked inviting. However when we reached there, baggy dragged me to another pub right on top of JH. This other place was named after one of Jimi's favorite song, Purple Haze.
"Its upto you, which amongst these places do you, wanna check out? The one below plays only JH's songs where as the one I am taking you to, plays awesome rock songs" Screamed Baggy at the top of her voice. The music that was being played at Purple Haze was loud and I missed the rest of her words when the music drowned it. Knowing Baggy's taste in music, I didn't believe what she said, but the others around supported her and also the song Dream on that was being played on top contradicted my conviction.
PH would have looked dull and dim if it weren't for the the bright light from the flat screen. The place was well ignited for people who were looking forward to have a not-so-peaceful night. The music & the nectar acted like a transporter and took us to a different era. I swayed with the crowd as they played my favorite numbers. Survivor, PF, Scorpion, Aerosmith, G & R, Dream Theatre, Led Zep, The Eagles, Metallica etc., were few of the redundant bands whose songs were being played. I was lip syncing most of the songs. The staff provided us excellent service, something I would rate "exceeded- expectation" rating.
Soon the night came to an end and we continued our night driving around Bcity.
Purple haze, surely plays monotonous numbers, but one can never get bored of it. It reignited my passion for music. I would choose it over any other pub in the Bcity.

Life in a Metro

My craving for a fast moving life brought me to this city, the Bcity. By the time I comprehended the impact of my culture shock, I had become ‘one amongst them’. I enjoyed partying every alternate night. Meeting new people turned out to be a daily affair. The city life looked glamourous through my tinted glasses. It was a common thing come across weird stuff, which I had only read about or watched on TV.
Stuff like,
one of my acquainted friends who was pregnant with her BF’s child was not quite sure if her BF was the right choice for her
the girl next door was dating a guy who was 9 yrs older than her and was engaged
my friend’s best friend was dating a girl who spent most of her time hugging and kissing another guy who happened to be a good friend of that guy
coming across a guy who would do anything to sleep with any female that he meets
making friends with dopers and smokers
These were some common things. The worst part was to witness my friend trying her best to live up to the Bcity expectation. To me, most of these things seemed stupid. Though I enjoyed hanging out with my so called new friends, I still missed the peaceful outing that I used to have with my usual gang. Soon I had to relocate to the other part of the city for some work related training.
I still thank my stars for blessing me with that prolonged period, as that was when I realized the extent to which the new lifestyle had transformed me. I got enough time to consider what my friend Phoenix had been trying to explain to me.
Once the training period was done, I moved back to my former location. But I was a different person. Though I continued to enjoy the usual parties, I knew when to stop. I joined salsa & jive classes to keep myself occupied. But I quit it soon when I saw complication down the way.
This brings me back to my current life style. I recently moved to a peaceful place towards the outskirt of the Bcity which sort of cuts short my night life by 90%. The place is serene and peaceful. I surely miss my ex-fast moving life, but also am glad that I don't live it anymore.

Simba

“..nu…, wake up!! The vet is here. Simba is not keeping well”
I sprang awake when I heard these words. As I rushed out of my room, vivid images flashed before my eyes, one where Simba lying on the ground with his mouth wide open and others were following the same pattern.
Over the years I have had many dogs for a pet. Most of them were short lived. But Simba was the one who has been around for a while. In other words he grew up with us.
I still remember the day when my bro brought him home. I had returned home for my study vacation from my hostel. My bro was standing in front of our house holding 2 puppies, one in each hand.
I rushed towards him and took the darker of the 2 pups. That was him, Simba.
Simba, the lion king, was the perfect name, as per by brother’s opinion. The other bitch was named Sherly. Well there they were, Simba and Sherly the 2 perfect pups.
Sherly, apparently, was given off to my brother’s friend as we found it unmanageable to train her. She lived up to her breed, a typical Doberman, Ferocious and unpredictable. But Simba won over everyone’s heart with his charming nature and great personality. It was my job to keep him clean, which I did.
Soon Simba became a part of the family. Everyone loved him irrevocably. He always poured extra affection towards me. His howls made a sounded different “….nu….. nu…..” whenever I was around. Ambu always believed that his howls sounded like he was calling me.
We kept him tied the entire day and used to let him lose during nights. But whenever I was at home, I used to play with him in the evening. Fetching the ball has always been his favourite game. He just used to modify the game by not getting the ball back to me when I threw it off, but instead run around indicating me to follow and catch him. When I used to give up, he slowly walked towards me tempting me to catch him and then used to run off.
Simba always acted like the smart dog. Even when we brought home other dogs, Rocky, chintamani, Benzie and Julie, he never attacked them. Rather, he behaved more matured and showed them that he was the boss.
As of today, we have only Simba and Julie as our pet. Fate took the other dogs away. For the past 9 years, Simba has been more than just a pet to me. That morning when I saw Simba feeble and weak, I realized how important he was to me. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to let go.
4 days back I wrote this blog, but due to circumstances I was unable to post it. Guess it needed a good bye note. I called home to hear the news. Simba is no more.
Bye bye Simbu …. You will stay in my heart for ever. You took away one of my reasons to be happy when you left, leaving a hollow space in my life. I ll miss you.

Bcity traffic

“ … I like the way you walk, I like the way you talk… Oh Suzy Q” I sang as it played on the player. It was an old song by Creedance Clearwater. I was stuck up in the exit passage of the parking lot at my work place. The security guards were trying their best to manage the traffic. The man in the car next to my smiled at me and gave an expression which read ‘ I guess we are stuck here forever’. I was at the same spot for the past 15 mins. It was not the first time that I was stuck up in a maze of vehicles.
B city traffic has been this way for a while now. The upcoming Metro, which is supposed to make traffic management easy, has created a mess out of the Bangalore city. The construction is being done at a very slow pace. Roads are dug at various places which has lead to a blockage of the traffic flow. Apart from these, Flyover construction at certain other spots has created a hassled environment.
Three wheeler drivers drive on these roads as though they are driving on a free lane. Disregarding the presence of other fellow drivers, they squeeze in every opening and gaps that they can find in the traffic. Unavoidable deep water filled pits welcome us everywhere. Bikers add to the blockage by riding on the wrong lane.
Rain fall acts like sweet poison. While travelling in a car, if there is a rain fall, you can do nothing but drown along with the entire city. Where as a bike ride in these cases often lead to a fever or cold. It is impossible to stop somewhere once you get on to the main road. The only option you’ll be left with would be to get drenched for an hour or two.
There is no way to avoid this mess. If one travels during post-office hours, they are bound to get stuck in this traffic. I just hope Metro brings in joy and satisfaction to the vehicle users in the Bcity.

The October fest- Day 3

That was not the first time I was carrying that look on my face. I felt lost even though I knew right where I was standing. People strolled past each other like the people before them were invisible. Loud music geared up the people who were in their early phase of intoxication.

I quickly checked my pocket to see a message from dip. She was supposed to meet me there. As I walked with family pack (my x colleague) piercing the crowd, I could see people wearing weird hats which read Had KF?. Now, who in their proper sense would wear something that unfashionable? Soon I could see the lot. 80% of the crowd were proudly presenting themselves with the KF hat. Some had devil horns and some angle ring.

Wow!! I exclaimed.
My face still reflected the same expression as it did earlier. But this time I was standing in the crowd near a counter, waiting for my long lost friend.

“…nu….” I heard someone say. Dips was walking swiftly towards me with her usual grace. As we hugged each other I realized how the distance, that we had all this while, never mattered. Meeting her after such a long time brought back old memories.
“I missed you” she said. Soon I could see guys behind her. She introduced me to those friends of her. I could not get their names, but it didn’t matter as I knew there wouldn’t be a need for the same. With a special request from dips, I had to make a guest appearance to the ‘Super Loo’ (this is not my idea of a name, the toilets was named so).

We started our usual drink, a can of milk. We never forget our values & where we come from. In our childhood, we were taught how milk is nutritious and keeps us healthy. To boost out morale we all got one can each.

Once we were done we walked around swaying like daffodils. William Wordswoth, in his poem Daffodils, describes the bliss of solitude he feels when he finds an array of Daffodils beside a lake. In this context, we felt like the daffodils, swaying around with stupid hats on our heads talking to strangers who greeted us like long lost friends.

I was still in pain because of my lower spine problem. But the can of milk provided me sufficient energy of overcome it. I managed to stay put on the mechanical bull for 45 secs, which was appreciable. Then I took my chance with the artificially set rock climbing task. It was a piece of cake. I was glad to see dips make it to the top. Guess the milk gave her strength to overcome her fear.

After enjoying the fire show and the violin performance, we decided to go to the main ground for the Lacuna coil live. I have been a Lacuna coil follower for a while now. Ever since my cousin Nit shared a video of the band, I’ve fascinated to be at their concert. So this was a dream come true.

We still had 15 mins left. We met a group of German guys. They told us about their experience in India, why they were here and how different the fest over here was. One guy put a rose on my hair. It was funny and weird. We finally said our goodbyes as Christina spoke.

There I was tearing my way through the crowd, desperately wanting to reach the first row. Once we were there, I got into the trance and started enjoying the music. She started with the song ‘down’. The entire crowd sang along when they performed ‘Heaven’s a lie’. It was beautiful.

I was offered a bite of burger. The people around me were enjoying their burger as they were listening to the music. I took a bite and realized that it was not a Mc D burger; it was some other brand, with extra cheese. Still I continued to enjoy the music, head banging for a while. My friend family pack stood there beside me throughout the band’s performance.

I went back and joined the rest of the group once the performance got over. We sat there and enjoyed our Flavoured Mega Burger, the one without cheese. As me and dips watched a group of guys dancing near a table, one of them actually on the table , we walked straight to them and acted like people who s throwing money at them. Then we got on the table and danced for a while.

It was stupid, but we still enjoyed it. We spent some time chatting and dancing. Once we struck the height of boredom, we decided to leave. We enjoyed a decent meal at Empire after which Family pack dropped me home.

As I went off to sleep that night, I realized how happy small arbit things make me. I enjoyed that night and will always cherish this memory.

The Team outing

“Its past 4.30”, I heard Ms Mumbai say. “Why don’t you shut down your system, Ms Lotus is waiting for you”.
It was a Friday evening and my colleagues and I were all set for our team outing. I was not really enthusiastic about it as we were all set to go for a round of bowling and dinner.
‘What’s the point’ I thought, ‘I can’t play’. Not that I sucked at bowling, but due to my recent mishap I had a minor back injury which ceased me from lifting any heavy object or from bending. And to my luck Bowling constituted both these No’s.
I reached the venue with Ms Lotus, the friendly and sweet girl from our counterpart sub team. Apparently I had to travel in a mosquito, the 3 wheeler vehicle. Why do I call it mosquito? Well I’ll update that in my next post.
Anyway, the ride was bad. I had not taken my vehicle as I was scared of causing discomfort to my back. But the mosquito ride put my usual ride to shame. It was the heights of discomfort. The driver made it a point to drive on every pit on the road. I thanked my stars as we safely got out of it.

Tosh and his reviewer (veggie) were at the entrance of Amoeba. It felt really good to meet the guys from our other office. “Where are other” I asked Veggie. From nowhere someone tapped on my head. I turned to see Smokey and my reviewer (well now this is really hard; I can’t find a suitable name for my reviewer) walk away. Probably they were out for a sutta, I thought.
We went upstairs to find many familiar faces. It was quite formal for a while but the all wear pretty geared up for the game. I was playing the role of the boring person in the group who looks after all the ladies bags. That was strange, as I had never been in those shoes. I was always at the other end wondering why some people stood back and just watched others play.
I sat there, feeling like a loser till the DJ played my numbers. Well that surely made my day. I was sitting there tapping my foot lip-syncing every word that was being played. Not that I was sitting there alone, I had my buddy there, sitting next to me. We were watching the two teams play.
“Only if I could play, I would have surely added to the score,” I told buddy, “I would play in HK’s team, just like the last time”.
Buddy thought otherwise, he thought that it was better if I refrained from playing till I could get a proper diagnosis done.
We chatted for a while, till the game got over.

We then had a photo session. I didn’t know most of the people from the counter sub team. Our interaction was limited to just exchange of smiles.
For the first time I saw my reviewer in a new form. He was not the snub serious person whom I interacted with on a daily basis. He was different. That just reminded me of how I used to call him an un-cool person, and he used to tell me that he is not the same when he is at work and otherwise. He was not lying.
He was jumping around like a kid at the carnival, enjoying every single bit of it. So true, first impression is never the last impression.
Café Masala, the restaurant where we had our reservation, was on the 5th floor of Eva mall. I stalked around the mall with buddy. I could get a proper look at the camera I was intending to buy. We also checked out few keyboards (musical instrument) and apple laptop.

After a while it was time for dinner and we went upstairs. It was quite strange to enter Café Masala, with a different group of people. Normally I go there with my other friends after a visit to Vaayu, the next door hangout place.
But for a change, I actually got to see the interiors of Café Masala. It had a nice ambiance. The sight of UB city enhanced the beauty of the night. The table was set for 25 people. It reminded me of a train, though there are passengers at the other end going to the same destination, you never really know what might be going on at the other end of the train.
I sat adjacent to Ms Mumbai who kept telling me how hungry she was. She made me realize that there were mice playing football in my stomach. Buddy sat opposite to me and Smokey placed himself next to him. My senior sat next to me and Veggie on his other side. That was it. I was ready to attack the food. I did not know what was going on at the other end of the table. Colleagues from the other sub team were seated opposite to HK RJ and GH. PP sat diagonally opposite to Ms Mumbai at the farthest end of the table.
It was quite funny to watch Veggie eat. As she was a very careful about the food she had. We were engrossed in random conversations like, Veg food, Smokey not drinking as it was Friday, why Buddy was in formal attire, How Ms Mumbai would be going back home, Why Tosh was sad of late and the pure veg item- Green Chilly.
Buddy and Ms Mumbai left early and their seats were occupied by Tosh and Veggie.
I watched my reviewer eat the green chilly with ease. I couldn’t believe my eyes at first. Realized how stupid it was of me to try it. It was strange, to be just a spectator for a change, watching Tosh behave like a (……… sorry I can’t describe it), my reviewer talking and acting like a kid and Smokey actively participating in all the conversations.
Amidst all this PP gave a small speech on public demand, which was barely audible at our end. Smokey was trying to capture it on Veggie’s cam. Was I deaf? I could not hear anything that was being spoken at the other end, how could the camera record it??
Anyway, we waited for Tosh to finish his last piece of Cake, which was offered by GH. Someone around thought that GH was upset only because he was not allowed to drink. Lolz

We walked out realizing that Café Masala, would never make any booking on my reviewer’s name, after what they witnessed that night. The booking was for 25 people, but I am sure that the food consumed was for more than 50.
Outside the restaurant, there was another photo session, after which we parted our separate ways. Thanks to my reviewer, I reached home safe and sound. We had to travel with the car windows down lest we die of lethal gas. The way RT and my reviewer were commenting on every one on the road was damn funny.

That night I realized lot of things:
- being a spectator is not always bad
- First impression can be wrong
- Tosh can eat a lot.

The Journey - Part 2

Its amazing how small things in our daily lives bring back childhood memories, the tingling sensation of fresh grass at the feet, the adrenalin rush caused while chasing your kid brother in the backyard or the sand gust at the beach. What was it about that place that made me fall in love with everything around, the wind, the lights and also the people?
I was on the roof of the Chabi. How did I end up there? Well that is where it all begins.
A smile stretched on my face as I stepped out of the Motel. We were heading back to B-city. I walked with heavy steps towards the vehicle. Of course I was glad that I was going back. But just the idea of leaving Hassan terrified me. I wanted a vacation, away from pollution, away from the constant bickering of people around me, away from work and mainly away from dreadful thoughts. The time off at smiley’s wedding was coming to an end; and that was breaking my heart.
The drive back was like having an ice-cream; smooth and relaxing. I feel bad when the ice-cream in the cup reduces after few scoops. The trip was just like the cup of ice-cream, it was coming to an end.
Lot of things happen during the return trip; we touched out previous record and raised it to 165kmph, Well Garu tried to capture the moment, but was unable to do so cause of the speed, I learnt to identify a White-Browed Wagtail, had an annoying time trying to avoid the baldy in Alto, took the wrong route twice and also had a pit stop at the CCD.
The return trip was like a Hollywood movie, there was no dragging of time and it provided us an instant gratification. Time flew by faster than our speed.
Soon we reached the station, where Garu was supposed to board the train to H-city. After 2 long and beautiful days, I did not have the heart to leave Garu at the station. It was an emotional departure. But sadly, destiny called.
As we reached the city, Birdy checked with one of his friends if we could drop by at his workplace to drop off the vehicle. The vehicle was a rented one. Birdy’s friend Jerry helped us get it using his influence. Once Jerry gave us thumbs up, we headed towards the hotel Chabi, the place where he worked as MOD.
I was visiting the place for the first time. The hotel was beautifully designed, mainly for the business class. Jerry took us around the place acquainting us with the configuration of that place. He also offered us scrumptious dinner. The best of all was the roof. Bcity was at its best. Displaying the night lit beauty of the deserted, but otherwise crowded street and the wind adding to the pleasure.And finally I was there, at the top of the world enjoying every bit of it. The last bit made my day and also the trip. As I left the place I had the same smile stretched on my face, which I had earlier in the morning that day. :)

The Journey- Part 1

As I was rummaging through my bag for my wallet, I heard Birdy say, “let’s go!”. It was weird how things were changing so hastily around. The number of people who were to make through the trip had fallen from 9 to 3. But somehow it did not make much of a difference to me. All I knew was that, I wanted to reach Hassan on time.
Little did I know back then that this would be more than just a travel from Bangalore to Hassan; it would be a journey.

I often find it hard to frame my thought. But Birdy did that for me by describing what made a trip, a journey. “Travelling”, he said, “is when the destination is more important. A trip is when the journey and not the destination, is important”. Well, those words said it all.

I sat there in the front seat like a dreamy li’l kid watching Birdy and Garu talk about lenses, apertures and focal lengths, which actually took me back to my College days where I had to study the types of microscopic lenses. I shook my head and thought that Greek or Latin would be easier to understand.

But then the topic changed. It was more about roads and mile stones.

Two and a half out of the three of us were starving. Well, I count my appetite as half as its well known that I cannot compare with other’s. The growling noise that our stomachs made would have put Lions to shame. All we had with us was 450 bucks. Unable to find any ATM at a stretch of few miles, we decided to suffice our craving for food with the little food that we could afford. That is when we found heaven on earth - Manoj Dhaba!!!!!

The best dhaba I have ever been to. We did not eat a great variety. All we had was dal and roti. And believe me when I say this, the food was scrumptious. I had 4 roties in a row, which has never happen before, ever. Altogether we had 16 roties and 3 dal curries.And the whole lot fit well in our budget.

And, the journey continued…..

It’s strange how something’s in life just falls into its place. This trip described that phrase well. It was so easy going. No one offered us any unsolicited advice, no differences of ideas, no one snagging or cribbing about anything totally irrelevant and also no bee stung faces.

It was peaceful just like it was supposed to be. The roads were good. Though it has an “Indian” aspect, displaying lot of ‘Take a diversion’, ‘road under construction’, and also vehicles following a US lane drive pattern, we could effortlessly touch 150kmph.

We talked about random things, Garu’s discovery a-Deiti , Indian roads, cars; and also about how strange it was to see 2 of our friends getting married. Birdy tried his best to teach me to identify cars by the way they look. Well I did learn a little. Throughout the trip I kept trying to name the cars that crossed us. In fact I guess I learnt a lot …

We had a pit stop at some place an hour away from our destination for a cup of tea and another one to watch the sunset. It was a serene scene. The sky portrayed a painter’s imagination beautifully displaying a field behind a huge tree and few distant tiny windmills at the far hill under the multicoloured sky, which reflected the colour of fresh grapes and oranges. The beauty described itself.

The last hour of the drive was not as eventful as the rest of it as we knew that the drive would end soon. Also the city roads which were best suited for bullock carts gave us a tough time.

But finally we were there… destination Hassan.

where there is a will, there is a way

As I was scrolling down, reading the highlighted terms on the PDF file, I pondered over a term that my eyes sited, 'psychopharmacological society’. Nicolas Rose beautifully encapsulated his ideas about the society where people modified their thoughts, mood and conduct by pharmacological means.

‘Human subjective capacities have come to be routinely reshaped by psychiatric drugs’, read the next line. The paper mainly described about the impact of the psychiatric drugs on the society. How people tend to depend on drugs for every minute psychological predicament of theirs and how psychological issues are treated as an ailment. Drugs are taken as the only solution for every phase of the mood cycle, which is pre-analyzed by the psychiatrist.

It was very thoughtful of my friend to send me the article. Considering my past encounters with psychiatric drugs, she knew that this article would be of my interest. And it surely was. The article not just helped me understand where I stand, but also encouraged me on relying on an alternate solution for any psychological fix.

I am never particular about ‘wrong usage of words’ in casual discussion. But there is this one term, which I am very particular about, ‘Depression’. I’ve often come across people who use the term ‘depressed’ as a synonym to ‘sad’. Though the dictionary says the same, the definition of the two terms differs significantly.

‘Sadness’ is a mood which is caused due to unhappiness or grief, whereas ‘Depression’ is a chronic disorder (not illness) which may or may not be a resultant of unhappiness. Google surely provides abundant links to the symptoms, treatment and reasons for depression. Science has taken a great leap over the past couple of years. Research has gifted human with psycho pharmaceutical products which has helped us control our mental equilibrium.

Well those words sound really good; but are these drugs actually that effective???

The answer is a simple, YES; these drugs are really very effective. But like its known, every good thing comes at a huge price. And in this case its compromise on one’s health. The drug surely helps a patient through their phase of depression, but at the cost of his health. The side effects of these drugs are way more deteriorating than the disorder itself.

At the end of the day, one has to question himself, should I rely on drugs or look for an alternative way? Remember, where there is a will, there surely is a way.

Mysterious Stranger

It was a windy night. The moon was fast asleep cuddled in the blanket of clouds. As I rummaged in my handbag for my wallet, the sharp edge of my file etched a deep cut on my finger.

“Ouch” I yelped.

It was my first month of training at my organization and I was very particular about the stuff that I carried. So in other words, my handbag not just contained my basic amenities, like compact, eyeliner, eye shadow, eye gloss, lip gloss, lipstick, face cream, face wash, and my cards; but also contained a study manual, a file and pen. So I always prejudiced and put the blame on the manual for burdening my shoulder.

It was already late and here I was at the ATM waiting to reload my nearly-empty wallet with ‘the human’s most precious invention’. Ever since I understood the concept of cards, I irrevocably followed a routine of keeping an empty wallet.

“Damn it!!” I said when I saw this young guy entering the ATM. I loathed waiting outside ATMs, and how unfair, I was only 2 steps behind him. ‘Why don’t these rich brats carry money with them’ I thought as I saw his car parked on the road beside the foot lane. ‘Must admit, beautiful car’ I thought as I saw the ‘W’ sign embedded on the front of the car. I have always been bad at identifying cars and its logos, so I didn’t give a second thought about the features, price and brand of the car. My only concern was the withdrawal.

As I reached the door I realized that the ATM center had 2 machines in it. ‘Awesome’. I inserted my card once at the entrance, and entered in. The door shut behind me. I walked up to the ATM and swiped my card.’

“What the…..” I said out loud as I realized that I was standing in pitch darkness. I looked around to confirm the presence of the guy. Yes, he was there, could see his vague figure. A power cut!!!! Now!!!

‘Lord!!’ I thought and walked towards the exit. To my surprise the door was locked and my strength was not playing its magic.

“I tried it. It’s not working. Apparently we are stuck inside” said the guy.

“uum ohk” I said. It was pouring cats and dogs outside. I could see it every time the lightning struck.

I took out my cell from my pocket and dialed my roommate’s number.

“Bad reception, I tried that too” he said.

I could see him watching me. Though it was dark, the lightening surely did a good job of lighting the room. I leaned against the wall.

“Do you mind if I smoke?” he asked.

“er…. Yeah surely I do. Please don’t smoke, am allergic to it. Moreover, it’s not allowed” I said.

He gave a hearty laugh which lasted for 2 minutes. I was sure that I didn’t crack a joke. Either the guy had a poor sense of humour or was mentally ill.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Nothing …. Please don’t feel offended” he said in his not so Indian accent. “It’s just that you r so bloody freaked out”.

“What makes you think so dude? It’s not I who wanted to smoke” I said.

“It’s not I????.... Wow!! You Indians still follow the ancient English” he said.

“You mean the real English” I said. “And ‘YOU’ Indians???.... Hey you are racially Indian too!!” I exclaimed.

“Only racially. Not culturally” he replied. Ya Ya… the same Russell Peter’s dialogue I thought

If I had the financial strength, I would have bet for a million dollars that the bloody Alien smirked while saying those words. The guy surely must not have realized the impact of his heavy words, but I was burning with rage at his words.

It’s a well known stereotype that Indian Aliens come down to India and criticize every single thing that we do. I was often targeted by most of my alien cousins as a walking talking joker. I didn’t want that to happen. Not here, not now and surely not by this guy. I was not going to stand there let alone this guy mocks my culture.

“I love being an Indian; there is so much to learn. Family bonding, love and integrity” said the person whom I had developed hatred towards just a while back. My jaw dropped.

“Then why are you criticizing me?” I asked

“Oh no no no… that was not my intention. I was just being friendly” he replied.

“Wow!! Dude, next time, try being friendly to a stranger by not making a racial comment” I exclaimed.

I sat down on the floor, exhausted and a little scared. Vivid picture of my roommate came to my mind. She must be freaking out. She had warned me not to go out at this time of the night. But my born stubborn character refrained me from doing so. And here I was, sitting in this ATM center with a stranger.

“So are you a student” he asked.

“No, I work.” I replied.

He was still standing. Well actually, leaning against the wall. He walked swiftly towards me and sat beside me. For an instance my heart beat increased. I could feel my pulse throbbing in my neck. But somehow I managed to stay calm.

“So you work, that good. Where? I am still a student, in my final semester of MBA”.

“Hah” I smirked. All this while, I was too busy thinking about other stuff, that I didn’t acknowledge the fact that this guy standing before me was a ‘kid’. I was probably a year older to him as I had completed my post graduation six months ago. ‘A kid, immature and is talking like a grown up brat.’ I thought.

“What??” he asked.

“Nothing…… So which college are you graduating from?” I asked. Somehow I knew that the answer would be a big-shot college. But I waited for him to brag.

“London Business School” he replied.

I raised my eyebrow in disbelief, but didn’t want to make him aware that his reply made a big impact on my judgment about him. “Wow!! That’s nice.” I said. “So you are here to attend the seminar on ‘Impact of ultra structure development on microeconomics, huh?” I asked.

I had read it on the morning’s paper that LBS was organizing this seminar in IIMB. Had also checked if I could sign-up for the same, but my financial crisis ceased me from doing so.

“Wow, you are good. I must admit. How on earth did you know about that.” He asked.

”I just completed my MBA in the month of June, and I keep myself updated with such news” I replied.

“So are you gonna attend it…. the seminar??”

“The registration dates are up, and also its way too costly” I replied sincerely.

“I can get you in!! I know the organizers.”

Though I loathed the subject micro economics, the idea of attending this seminar appealed to me. But I hardly knew this lad.

“Why do you wanna help me” I questioned him.

“Is that important? I mean, can’t you just thank me and accept the offer?” he said in a child like manner.

“Sure thank you” I replied.

“I wanna get outa here” I cried out.

“Well I don’t. As a matter of fact this encounter seems like the best part of my trip to India. I can tell everyone about it” he responded. “Such incidents never occur to anyone normally”

I looked at him in disbelief. Sadly he couldn’t see my face.

“You are such a kid man!!!” I exclaimed.

“Kid! Don’t call me that” he said.”I turned 23 this June”

I made a mental note that the guy sitting next to me was a fully fledged adult and was a year older to me.

‘He had to burst the bubble!’ I thought.

“I am cold, hungry and wanna go home” I said. Like a reflex action he took off his leather jacket and put it around me.

“Chivalry …. Not bad” I said.

He smiled. I could see his face clearly as the lightening struck. He was very handsome, a little child like though. His while complexion reminded me of a horror show.

I was not sure if I was sane, but I had fallen head over heels in love with this stranger. Just then a thought struck to me, ‘he s the kinda guy who goes out with gals with killer looks, why the **** will he remotely be interested in a gal like me’

As I was being drifted away by my thoughts, he intervened.

I looked at the time on my mobile. It was 1.45 AM.

“I am doomed. I won’t even get a rick now” I said in a panicked tone.

“What was that?” he asked in a confused tone.

“Cab!!! I was referring to cab” I said.

“I can drop you home” he said.

“I don’t accept lifts from strangers” I replied in a naive manner.

“Ya, a stranger whom you spent the last 2 hours with” … “honey! In that case you better pray for us to be locked in here till the morning, that way you’ll get to go home safe, and I’ll get to spend more time with you”

“And why exactly do you wish to spend time with me?” I asked him.

“Because, before I leave this room, I am gonna make sure that I ask you out and u accept that offer”

My jaw dropped. I shook my head in disbelief. “Stop joking dude” I said.

“Stop being skeptic about my intentions” he replied. “What is wrong if I put forward my aspiration?”

“Aspirations???? Whoa!! Kiddo, you are walking way past the line” I said and laughed out.

“Line??? I don’t see one” “Oh you mean the hypothetical line”.

“Dude, stop it. You are making me uncomfortable.”

“I thought you were already uncomfortable in here”. “Relax I was just pulling your legs”

I punched his bicep.

“Ouch, that hurts” he said.

“That’s what I meant when I called you a kid”

“Ohhh so what you mean to say is that adults don’t feel pain? Hmmm that’s a new theory that you have come up with. I should probably ask my government to carry out research on this theory”

“Adults have increased strength because of their leveraged hormonal action. Especially men, Androgen plays an important role in the same. And research has already proved it. So you don’t need to walk an extra mile to do that.” I replied in a smug manner.

“I don’t speak Greek and Latin” he replied.

“Then I suggest u to keep your basics strong. They might expect that from you at LBS”

“Yeah I know that I sound too dumb. Could never figure out, what played role in my admission. The lump sum amount that dad paid, or my sheer luck”

“Doesn’t matter as long as you keep your grades up” I replied.

“I am trying my best to”

“Well in that case, that’s what matters. At least you have not taken it for granted”.

“Thanks” he said after a long pause.

“For what” I asked.

“For not calling me a spoilt brat. That means a lot to me” he replied.

For a minute I considered telling him that ‘brat’ was the first word that came to my mind when I judged him the first time. But why hurt someone. So I thought otherwise.

The silence played its role well; I was feeling really uncomfortable. Once again I explored inside my hand bag, this time a little more carefully, for my ear phones. It took me less than half a minute to put it on my ears and set a song on my cell phone.

‘Avenged sevenfold- Afterlife’ read the display on my phone.

My passion for music was getting me high.

‘I don’t belong here… we gotta move on dear…. Escape from this afterlife….’

As I realized that I was humming the tune, I forced myself to remain silent.

“Do you like The Ministry of sounds?” he asked.

“huh? No… I mean Yes I like em’ but not a follower”

“So Who’s yer’ Fav?”

“You dun wanna know” I replied.

“No! Tell me…..”

“I like soft music…. Bryan adams, punk style…. Kurt Cobain….”

“Whoa!!!! You are a Nirvana fan…… Didn’t know whom I was dealing here with”

“Do you mind elaborating your implication sweetheart!!!?” I exclaimed.

“Nothing” he said.

“Whom do you worship?” I asked.

He replied the names of a few rock bands. I had never heard of any of those except pink Floyd of course.

“I like PF too, the lead in few of their songs are really good”

“I agree” he said. “Some old songs never lose its identity”

The Lights turned on. I was extremely happy. “YES!!!!!” I screamed in relief.

In no time it went off again.

“No! No! No! No! No!” I exclaimed as I struggled to pull the door open.

“Why god! Why!” I cried.

“Gal! Live with the fact that you are stuck here with me” he said.”C’mon am not boring you with my talks, am I”

“It’s not that” I said “My roommate gets scared if left alone in the room, I don’t want her to freak out”

“You are the one who should be freaking out, not your roommate” he answered.

“Why should I freak out” I asked.

“Honey, you are the one stuck up in an ATM center with a total stranger in the middle of a night like this!!” he said pointing a finger at the glass wall.

“You are not a stranger exactly” I said.

“Oh, is that so…. What’s my name?” he asked.

“Hmmmm that’s something I should have asked. What is it?”

“Neeraj…. ”…. “n urs?”

“Palak” I replied.

“I thought that was a vegetable” he smirked.

“That’s paalak” I refuted.

The lights turned on, this time I was quick enough to insert my card and unlock the automatic door. A pulse of relief ran through my body.

“So palak…. Mind giving me your number?” he asked.

“Sure” I said as we walked out of the room. “Give me yours first”

As he told me his no, I saved it on my phone and returned him a call.

“That’s me” I said.

“So how are you planning to go home” he asked.

It then occurred to me that I didn’t have any means of commuting.

“Hmmmm…” I said.

“Would it kill you once to take a favour?” he said. “Come, I’ll drop you home”

He walked me to his car and opened the door for me. The trip back to my home was not so eventful. We only exchanged glance and listened to Radio Indigo. It was easy to direct him as the roads were deserted.

We big farewell with a hug and I walked inside.

I had a tough time dealing with my roommate who as I expected had freaked out in my absence. Though she remained quite as I narrated her my experience.

“So you spent a night with a cute stranger in an ATM center?” she said after I was done with the narration.

“Handsome… to be precise” I replied.

“And you hav his jacket” She said.

So it was the jacket that was keeping me warm.

I was already tired and went off to bed. I opened my eyes to the sound of a msg beep.

“It was a nice experience being with you, stranger from the ATM center” read the msg.

I smiled and fell asleep.

Birdy to the rescue....

With all the commotion about the prejudiced team allocations, I just feel that my workplace is a glorified version of the movie Zeitgeist. People come out with theories with a reference from ‘the reliable source’, which seldom makes sense.

As I stepped out of the room to avoid the conversation, I realized how dynamically these issues left an impact on my mind.

No wonder I hate Philosophies. It hits on me like a quicksand. Once I get in, I can’t come out without a helping hand. Normally, that is when my bird lover friend comes into the picture.

It’s strange how a single word encapsulates an esoteric concept, ‘Friend’. When you are in the deepest dilemma, you know the exact thing that can help you get your mind off things. Well in my case it was just the mere voice of this friend, and it worked magic. Just two simple words, “what’s wrong” from my friend and I was out of the quandary.

My bird lover friend is an exceptionally gifted person. He is borne with the gift to love nature, a dreamer in fact; Dreamer, because he dreams beyond the heights of impossibilities. This guy dreams of a pollution free place for animals to dwell which is nothing but a history. Sometime I wish I had that passion in me, not for Birds or conservation, but for animals and music. My passion for anything eventually fades off. That is one reason I respect this guy.

Getting back to my story, I am just happy to have a confusion-reliever friend like him. He surely came up with the same solution that my other friends had suggested me, but coming from him, it surely helped me understand the pros and cons of my decision.

So ultimately, I was feeling much better when I went off to bed