How many??

I don't write movie or book reviews,but this is the closest I have come
to doing it.I am sure that I watched Hotel Rwanda pretty late,but just
in case you have not,its a personal recommendation.

Voices of some of the characters in my words...It is chaotic but then so
were the emotions...


This is not rain,mere drops of shame,
For no one and nothing could wash off this blame.

I was made to choose,one human over another,
Mere color to guide,humanity was to be smothered.

Removed the umbrella,blindfold blacked it out,
Sight of red tears blackened,Ah!!just couldn't block out that shout.

How many??

How many cries should I drink?
Before they taste just like water,
How many of these wounded bodies would make my soul shrink?
Before its all normal,this ghastly slaughter.


Just how many...how many bodies would push me off brink?

Squatting....Does it hurt?

We like sitting.

There.

This was the single most important philosophical anecdote you will ever get.
Yes. Thanks to me.

This would be your torch light in India. Whether you are up against a bureaucracy,
a corporation,a babu,a boss anyone. We all like to sit.

Another piece of this anecdote is this.

We like squatting.

[For those of you who have a warped mind and have thought of 2 places where we sit
 and squat the most, well, you just earned yourself the title of "The Sisquater".
 For the simple minded,well,you are going to have to learn buddy.]

Wait.This is not complete. There is another part to it.

Sitters and Squatters are most often,a mutually exclusive bunch.
[There is an exception to that rule]

Any which way, if you really had the multitasking capabilities of reading this and
thinking at the same time,why the heck am I reading this,and,why on the planet would
someone write this,you lost that title from above.
You should have got it now.

But the nice hearted guy I am,here it goes.


You are from Rajasthan,aren't you?Words mingled with a dirty look asked me.

That menacing look was the look that Bhajji gave Srisanth,who,in my opinion
were on "non menacing look" terms till they were playing for team India.

Suddenly my friends,who were busy ignoring me through out the trisem (which is
as close to being on pleasant terms ) started giving me the stinker look which Bhajji
had given Sri during the "ModiMakesMoney Premier League".

However,there was no violence in my case.Not for some more time.

On my mildly autistic remark of praising Rajasthan and all things associated with it,
I was abruptly,and quite rudely I must add,given "talk to the hand" gesture.

"Your guys squatting,train delaying,Mommy waiting,Home needing.
These seemingly incomprehensible flinstonish phrases only reinforced my belief that
MBA does turn smart people into incoherent bozos.

It was only after 10 minutes of my expert deduction prowess and tapping my friends head
like Rakhi does to her dead children in Karan Arjun ( to snap them into life ) that I
figured the complete sentence.

Gujjars are squatting on the railway tracks,my train to Bombay is getting delayed and I
need to go home you dolt!

I smiled.

Like that guy who did something and achieved Zen ( was Buddha the last guy to get Zen?)
I started explaining my friend,the Sitter-Squatter philosophy.

I know its so intriguing that you are desperately scrolling down to figure it out.

Didn't I tell you I am a nice guy?Behold...

In our country we have a certain system called Democratic Marketing. No,its not democracy.
It doesn't matter what you studied dear.

It is democratic marketing and its not same as Kotler marketing.

And how.

You don't under promise and over deliver.You overtly over promise,and underly under deliver.

Customer is not the king.Customer is the squatter.Leader is the sitter.

There are no 4 P's here. Its 4 L's.

Lie.
Lie some more.
Lie again.
Lie.

So you see.Leaders lie to a tribe/cast/religion/region while they are standing.
Then they sit.We provide them with chairs.
Then we stand.Ask them for manifestation of lies they told us.And what they do.
They make us squat.

And in that eternal hope that we will share the chair back where we will be a little
more comfortable, we squat.Meanwhile pushing others from whatever state they are in to
this deadly mixture of states.

Denial and Squatting.

Denying that we did a huge mistake while we voted.To use a cliche,we literally voted our
casts instead of casting a vote.Denying the truth that squatting wont help.Denying that
it is only going to hurt more if the whole country squats.

Saddest thing ever.I even faked wiping off a tear drop while explaining this to my friend.

It took some time,vehement Buts and Nooo's from him but he got it.As he turned back,shutting
door on my face ( After all the good thing I do,door is what I get ) I bent my knees and tried squatting.

Tried to feel how my nation feels now,down on knees.

Does that hurt?

Grandpa...

Should have written this long back.
Just needed some time...Actually needed a break..
There is never a dearth of time no matter how busy you are.
Or so I believe...All I need is the illusion that I am off.

There are some people in life who are a symbol of constancy,
an anchor which you just need to hold on to when everything
else just seems to wobble.

My grandpa was such a personality.Everything about him was just
perfect.His routine,his life style,his achievements,his hobbies
and interests...just about everything.

Even his interest in religion was so clock worked that gods must
have felt bad if they didn't respond back to his timely prayers.

But as much as he was a firm believer in the divine,he was more
concerned with what was in front of him,the life as we see it now.

And when he left this place,he made sure that he was not
cremated,and that his body would be donated to a medical
school.
To be studied,understood and above all,imparted meaning to...
Isn't this all that matters...meaning...in your actions...

Grandpa...you extended that search for meaning longer than a lot of
people could even think of...Miss you...


Saw him there,day after day,
Shaping his life,from that baby's clay.

Those walks,silent,sprinkled with a question or two,
Always about future,steered clear of past,no rue.

Days,a clockwork,but never a clocks slave,
For Time,not his enemy,no actions,a close shave.

A pole star,sure,constant,guiding through dark,
I am a little lost Grandpa,trying,treading,tracing your marks...

Car...no windshield...

Again, one of those days when I write without an explanation or a prologue.



Pricks a little sharper,
Surface slightly more paler,

Initial Heights,targets,a little more steeper,
Sights,blurred,though wipers were rapidly clearing moisture.

Just one thing for me,this wide expanse,open field,
For everything has hit me,this car is without windshield...

Fatty's Bday

I dont write about birthdays,we tend to make a big
deal out of them.I mean,it is okay to be happy but
hey,not that you did anything big right ( that line
had an ulterior motive of letting my friends know that
there is no birthday treat coming form my end...ever)

But this one is for Guneet Pal Singh Crazy.
Happy B'day...



Its like this craziness walking,
Laughing,shouting,cursing,belching.

Looking for something,a little light,a small ray,
Picks up everything embraces,that comes along the way.

Happy,always happy,rarely,but sometimes a little sad,
His depth,his good,unfathomable,thinks it kay to act bad.

Stay the same,keep the kid alive,shouting,laughing,new
For a part of us wishes,a little part of us should be you.

Day 0

Its crazy. Absolutely crazy!!

A day in a B-Schooler's life which crosses lines of sanity.

No support, no resistance. Its like our darn sensex. [ I am fishing for compliments from Fin enthusiasts..Hello..]

Back today after a whirlwind of a day and I am dead tired. But not enough not to write a few lines.

Lots of No,lots of yeses,
Big hearty smiles,some long faces,

Being measured for a fit,up close,
Twisted,turned,asking you to pose.

You do it,do it all,with hope tucked in,
Inside you,fidgeting,barely held by a pin.

End of day,all is wrapped,done,
Behold O suitor,for tomorrow will come.

Solitude!!!Dude...

That dude was just to make something absolutely boring sound interesting....So now you do realize that I am taking my courses on marketing very seriously...
This is for a friend whom you I call upon rarely these days. So many things happening,so many people around that one tends to lose the sense of self.
I do hope I regain the sense soon.

On a brighter note...my friends is sending my Kindle!!!
SORI!!! Thnx dude...
Remember how Calvin felt when he got his Propeller Beeni cap?
Hmmm...Look on your face say you don't.
Check it out,look how happy I am and then go on to read some serious stuff... :)

Me and my solitude,in a crowded place
Unable to talk,negotiate,face to face.


It just shouts,complains,You don't have time,
I am all but a filler,when things just arnt fine.


Unable to refute,I smile,in my regale,
Busy,in this market,making another big sale.


But today,I return,to that earmarked page,
Coziness of my home,inviting this guest again,in this cage...

Time out!

While working there was this intranet space where I used to blog.
One of the most prolific blogger there used to have this doodle/picture
based poetry competition. Used to really look forward to Friday coz of that.
Yes,only for that,otherwise I was so immersed in work that days really
didn't matter,I am not your regular TGIF guy [And I so saw you smirking ] :P

This is the pic I saw, and this goes out to that group of friends who
still put up with me...

Time Out!!!

Would be great if you guys left couple of lines on the pic..


Always switched on,Boolean one,
Always hassled,occupied,on the run,

Ticking,ever so ever,unable to stop,
Race was against self,slave to a clock,

Looking for happiness,everywhere but within,
But isn't it difficult,introspection under your skin?

Was until met a friend,through a lucky route,
We looked,understood,sighed,relaxed,as dude said...TIME OUT!!

Long wait for another short race...

Okay, not the best of days...first results in b-school and well that data did not go as per projections.....It was way off..way way off...Mr. Kalmadi would be so proud of me...Mom & Dad...not so...
Any which way, its long since I saw my name figuring that low in the list...and its not the best of feeling...

Going by tradition, I intend to devote 4 lines to this first result here at IIFT.
Of course I made it sound way too big...a life altering event types...But nothing that a little patience and a chocolate bar could not make up for :)

Standing, in that corner,seen,but a little hidden,
The race over,shouts there,but here quiet space,
Old name on the trophy,a little dull,now stricken,
I run to join shouts,perturbed,desperate for next race...

Words...Again??

This is probably 3rd or 4th post on Words... May be I am obsessed or a firm believer in the power of words.

But I do think we tend to take them granted a lot of times... Words should make one sit up, think, even feel good...for they are too easy to use for hurting anyone...

If words could heal,
Go a little deep,make us feel,

Help us a little more,
To make sense of world,why is it sore?

Reach,where no one else could,
Answer them all,the little whys,the big would.

Too much to ask?Words,too lame?
Not strong enough?To crack that icy silent pane?

I Blame Delhi!

Again!! It’s a combination of a desperate attempt to reach 100 on the blog space and my futile attempts
to read Organizational Behavior.

But it’s not like this one is an absolutely arbitrary soup of words.

Hmmm….Soup…

Jhurani. Concentrate.

I know title is overtly sensational. But with the traffic this page generates.
You guys leave me with no choice but to resort to India TV way of reporting (Nothing But Truth!! ) :P

But seriously, Delhi is to be blamed for ruining my career.

Why??

It’s cold out here.
And those of you know me…don’t start.

Dude, you are from Jaipur. It must be darn cold there. This should be like normal for you.

a)I was cold there in Jaipur too. Just that I was too proud to accept. Common, that nonchalance of
  me being super cool/unaffected by cold is ehhh…kewl.
  Frankly speaking, even a dude from Alaska would be freezing here in Delhi.
  Just that bugger would be too proud to say “Yes…I am cold”.

b)I am not a winter baby. The only way I am a winter baby is when I am under a blanket made up
  of 2-3 quintals of cotton. And my mother is not pulling it away.

c)My immunity sucks. My nose has been behaving like an Alien since November. Only something
  disgusting has to come every time it is messed around with. Okay, don’t leave the page,
  not like I touched your computer monitor or something. Jeez…what a wuss!

d)I am not exactly a “Jaipur cold loving person”. The reason I was able to survive
  Chennai/Bangalore/Hyderabad was because these places were like COLD FREE!!
  And after 8 years of living in normal temperature zones…Delhi is a pain.


So essentially my nose is not going to get any better, immunity is not gonna get strong no matter
how much Chawanprash my dear mother stuffs down my throat
[ To all the makers , why can’t you just put in some effort in changing the way it looks…Yikes!]
Nor am I going to get up in time for any of the classes, quizzes and presentations that are scheduled before 1 PM.
Ergo no grades, no CV short listing, no career.
[This has absolutely nothing to do with my lack of efforts or wasting time, not planning well, not working hard etc….Mind It! ]

I so wanted to use this line.

I rest my case.

A little drop...

So goes out to lucky ones who will find such happiness :) Hey a tear is not always bad...

[Not often I tag a post to "Happiness" :) ]

A little drop, out of nowhere,

Just caught life, claimed its share.

I closed my eyes, hoping, it would pass,

Failed! , that little devil, notorious, crass.

It wasn’t meant to be seen, the happy visage,

Only stony look of a traveler, hitting another mirage.

I hate what that sight did to me, that oasis,

Forced me to shout, giving the silence a miss.

The happiness just trickled, reached right up to my eye,

Leaked a little, from that dry corner, unvisited till today.