Faces of life...

It was raining heavily, pouring down, a welcome respite from the heat of the past week. Huddled under the small over-crowded bus stand, I was waiting for the rain to let up so I could walk back from work, when suddenly, out of nowhere she came walking towards me, and then, as if to intrude into my thoughts, she came and stood beside me. She turned around, probably to check if there was anyone familiar. That is when our eyes met briefly. She smiled at me, but as usual I found it difficult to return the favor; maybe it was my ego or maybe my guilt. I looked away.
This was the fourth or fifth time that I was seeing her from the same bus stand. She catches the same bus every day I think. But it felt little odd that I should see her again today, as it was my last day in the city. Hmm I will never forget the day I saw her for the first time.
It was on the evening of my birthday and as a treat to my friends, they wanted me to take them to a dance bar. None of us had been to a dance bar before. And when one of my friends said he knows this place where you will find the best ‘hot chicks’, we were all excited and ready to go. We got there by 9. Our first impression about the place was that it was cheap and filthy. The crowd wasn’t too great either. But as more and more alcohol went down our throats, we started liking the atmosphere more. The spirits started to have an effect on our spirits too. At some point we were even head banging to the loud bollywood number. And yea my friend was right, there were many hot girls dancing at the bar. When I say hot, yeah they all had good bodies, some had pretty faces too; all that a man looks for in a woman, but still their faces lacked something. That was the first time I saw her.
Some days later, when I was walking back from office I saw her again for the second time from the bus stand. At first I didn’t recognize her, but she looked strangely familiar. As I passed her, it struck me. She was one of the girls from the bar. One of the pretty ones I must say. I turned back to have a second look and saw her getting onto a bus. She looked at me as she felt my eyes on her. She gave me a suspicious look from inside the bus and I quickly turned away my face and the bus rode away. There after I saw her 2 or 3 times at the same bus stand. When she saw me the next time, she gave me a small smile. I didn’t reciprocate and acted as though I am seeing her for the first time. Maybe she recognized me from the bar and there is a very good chance that everyone present at the bar that night might also recognize me and my group, as one my friends threw up on the table. :)

As I was lost in my thoughts, a bus came and she started getting into the bus. Though I prefer walking, I also got into the bus as the rain was not showing any signs of calming down. I grabbed a seat in the middle of the bus. She stood a little away from my seat, holding and leaning onto a pole. I started watching her closely from where I sat and soon, I was again lost in my thoughts. She looked so different that day at the bar. She was clad in a light blue salwar today. Her hair was tied together at the back and there was a small jute bag hanging on her shoulder. She held her wet umbrella on one hand and with the other she was holding onto the pole. A baby’s wail from the back of the bus was disturbing all in the bus but to me, it seemed like a far away cry. My eyes were glued on her face. She looked so calm and composed. She looked herself.
Before I could ponder more, the bus stopped in the front of a school and she got down. I turned back to have a last look at her. She went up to the front of the school gate and a small girl came running from inside the school towards her. And before I could see more, the bus started moving away. I strained and put my neck out of the window to see her. I saw her smile and put out her arms and hug the girl and before I could see more I had lost sight of her. I sat back properly on my seat. I felt something hard in my throat. Her face was fresh in my mind. I stared outside the window. No way! It can’t be her kid!?…Hmmm... Or maybe it was… Or maybe she was picking up somebody else’s kid.
I will never know. I will never see her; never will I get a chance to smile at her again, but I will never forget her.

All that glitters is not cricket

Thanks to IPL, for pushing cricket through bidding to gambling to controversies to, lately, politics. All for the ‘love for cricket’!!
IPL has indeed become one of the fastest growing businesses considering the fact that it is estimated at an enormous $4.13 billion today and that too in less than 3 years. Some people are even predicting it to soon out cross English Premium League (EPL), which, by the way, is totally absurd. EPL, which is currently valued at around $12 billion, is one of the most watched sporting league with it’s viewership spread across over 200 countries and is also known for it’s deep rooted league culture of Europe. IPL, on the other hand, has neither a rich league culture nor a global viewership. In fact, IPL is less about sports and more about glamour. It is merely about owing teams based on economic and politic strength and attracting crowd through various sporting and non sporting gimmicks, including the foreign cheer leaders and the late night parties. But we Indians are so much in love with this sport that we forget that all that glitters is not cricket.
This is evident from the controversies that are filling in the news papers nowadays, that speaks of the lack of authenticity and transparency with which this whole business is being handled. The BCCI who is supposed to be in the governing role; they are themselves the biggest promoters of IPL. This is because those who are associated with IPL or the franchisees are part of BCCI board too. Due to which the sporting spirit has been replaced with the greed and hunger for more money and power.
And today, the whole nation is discussing about Modi, Tharoor and BCCI. Our government and income tax people are wasting their time, energy and resources and running around to get to the root of this conspiracy. Hmm, was IPL worth all this? Isn’t cricket much more than just bidding and cheap politics?


Courtesy: TOI

The Intruder!!

The first time I saw him, it was just for a fraction of a second. He came and peeped into my world and disappeared. It happened so quick that, I was left wondering whether I imagined it all.
Some days later, when I had totally forgotten about the incident, I saw him again! This time I saw him clearly. He was young …with small eyes, which were searching for something. He saw me looking at him, and then again he vanished!

After that, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I was becoming so paranoid that I keep looking around every now and then. He had left me all frightened and fumed up.
Until one day I decided, enough is enough! I have to face my fears and have to find a way out. Hmm!
I discussed my problem with my friend and he gave me a few suggestions. Hmm but I knew whatever it is, it has to be done soon and it has to be done by me alone. So I sat down and made up my mind and decided that I will go for it. Yes! Only this can stop him. The Rodenticide!!

The next step was to lay the trap and it has to look real. So for that I chose places where I have seen him and waited for his arrival, but he didn’t appear. I didn’t lose my heart and waited for the next day too. That night, I was almost dosing off waiting for him, and then from the corner of my eyes I saw his blurry image! But alas! By the time my eyes were wide open, he was gone. The trap I laid for him lie untouched!

It’s been 3 days, and there has been no sight of him. Where did he disappear?? And why?? I don't know..Hmm but hey...Should I care!? Anyways, I hate intruders!

Reel effect!!

One of the many brilliant Malayalam movies made till date is ‘Thirakadha’. Yesterday when I watched it again for the second time, I couldn’t help thinking how a movie manages to create an impact on people?
Two major aspects of a movie are script and performance (by artists). Script, I believe, is the powerful of the two. A strong script with moderate performance has a more impact than a moderate script with a great performance. Like in the movie ‘Thirakadha’, the story itself captures you and you can feel the journey within it. The performances also were more than just moderate, in fact they were good, especially the protagonist role played by Priyamani. Some of the movies that stands out for its script or subject are ‘Water’, ‘Page 3’, ‘Taare zameen pe’, ‘Kaazhcha’ (mal), ‘Walk to remember’, ‘Step mom’, ‘Forest Gump’ etc, to name a few. (The list is really long! :)). But a movie like ‘Jab we met’ where the storyline is not that unique or different, the performances and direction took the front seats and got the attention of the viewers, which eventually made the movie successful.
Thus each movie has its own ingredients, and its own flavours which attracts the audience towards it.
Salute to all the brilliant scripts, performances and the individuals behind it!!

Another chance !?

It’s been long since I wrote anything here. J

All I have been writing all this time has been crap emails and documents to clients and my team at work. Hmm J Work is good if u like it. But you also have to be careful enough to be not too committed. Especially in a team, at times you tend to push yourself to make things right for everyone and everything in your project until a point comes where you think ‘Is it worth all this effort ?!’.

IT industry is interesting, though not interesting enough for me to involve in it passionately. It is true that I don’t follow the technologies or the trends in the market, but it is not that. I find something missing otherwise too. Let’s just say IT doesn’t fascinate me. J

After all these months of work and mindless pursue of things, I have lost track of why I did all these in the first place. I feel lost and tired!! Hmm, I want to start afresh with things !! I am not asking for ‘another chance to grow up once again’ or anything! ;D Just that, this time I want to do things that matters to me and makes more sense and gives a meaning to my life.

Life in a metro....its been a year...

June 9^th 2008: the day I joined the corporate world..well software world to be more specific but since my job doesn’t deal with coding and stuff, I would just say corporate world.

One of the main reasons of me not joining TCS was that I was looking out for something diff other than the usual coding job. So when my uncle offered me one, I gladly accepted and so I came to Bangalore and joined Nous Infosystems as Business Analyst Trainee. (No longer a trainee!!;))

I have always liked to be independent from young so staying with my uncle in Bangalore was out of question. Within a month, I moved out to a place as paying guest (PG). PG is another growing business here with hundreds of people coming to the city every year to join various industries (mostly software) and if you are ready to pay you can get any kind of accommodation according to your comfort level. Anyways, as I didn’t have any friends with me when I came here, i was more eager to be in a sharing room, so that I can meet and be friends with new people. And I did too, some good ones and some bad ones and some whom you will learn to ignore as time goes.

It’s been a year but still my every weekday here begins with the feeling “Ah god! I wish it was a weekend and I didn’t have to go to office” as I get up from bed after snoozing my alarm for half an hour. As I step out of my PG to office, the roads will be filled with cars, school buses , autos....with people rushing to their offices so that they can ‘swipe in’ in time. J As my office is nearby, I normally walk which I think is better considering the traffic here at times. Office has been a good experience for me till now; have learned a lot and met different types of people. Anyways, coming back to my day...so day passes fast/slow depending on my work. If it’s something interesting its fine or else when it is just about to be 6 30 in the eve, I feel the same urge to run out that I used to feel when the bell used to ring at the end of the day in school. :D

Weekends here can be fun if you have friends to hang out with.:) Even though its expensive and also you might have your diet to worry about, you might still find it hard to restrict at times as the city has got too many theme restaurants, eat outs, bowling points and malls to check out. Shopping is another way of passing time and spending money..;) If you are a lil bit shoppie like me then you will find it lil hard to stop urself. In fact nowadays when I see some nice top or t shirt I think “ No! I am not gonna try that on and see.. cos then I may think its good on me and then i will have to buy it !”:D Nevertheless you can also get clothes and others for good bargains if you know where to go. Or else you always can widow shop. J

Yeah the city has many things to check out and see and learn about, but still it has a weird feeling of loneliness in its air which touches you in between as you walk through the busy roads and traffic..which makes you and your world stop for a while and makes you think. But, don’t worry you won’t feel it for too long..cos u just can’t afford to stop like that in life..not in a metro.

Father and Daughter (Michael Dudok de Wit)

Year: 2000
Director: Michael Dudok de Wit
Writer: Michael Dudok de Wit
Genre:Short Animation / Drama
Awards:Won Oscar. Another 20 wins & 1 nomination more

Plot:A father says goodbye to his young daughter. In time the daughter grows old, but within her there is always a deep longing for her father.

This 8 minute film took around 8 years to make. This is wordless, minimalistic and beautifully animated short. This is one of the most touching pieces of art I have ever seen, and its effect on audience might last for life time. I found this through another blog and found it so touching that I couldn't stop myself from posting it again.