Happy New Year

Time always seems to win the race. Another year passes and we are left with some more memories. Like every year wonder how fast it has gone and think about some happy-sad moments while forgetting some other. Like every year some sit in front of the TV, waiting for midnight before they silently switch off the lights and then wake up on a new year morning. Some others are partying crazy without any knowledge of the time whatsoever. But at midnight even they will stop dancing, take a deep breath and hug their loved ones. Probably New Year for them is a time when they have finally got a chance to spend time with their family. As for myself i am sitting in my room with a book of Russian short stories.

The year 2007 has been a mixed bag and i will just stop at that.

I also am not sure about my feelings about the next year. 2008 year is going to be the last year in college. There are sure gonna be some tough times. Saying goodbye to people who were part of your life for 4 yrs is going to be very tough. In spite of the million fights or so many times when you haven't talked to them for weeks, the thought of not seeing everyone of them daily sometimes is scary. But, 2008 is also going to be the first year of my career. So i am also waiting for the stuff i am gonna do as a working man.

Right now i can only wish for the best. May 2008 be a great year for everyone. People who are gonna go away to far away lands, may god bless them with success in their various endeavors. People who are gonna stay close, may god keep us together in happy spirits.

Happy New Year Everyone.

Holidays Part 2

There are times in your life when all things seem to be coming your way.
Well it seems that i am going through such a phase again.
One such thing was an Opel Astra car.
Yes, I had an accident, my car got crashed real bad and though i came out unhurt but i have the right to crib and be very pessimistic about my life.

Most of my plans for the holidays have not been successful.
Revealing any more information will be too much detail so i will be all secretive and pretend that i have a life.

This world is going to burn...

Factors And Outcomes

Life is Weird :- SDH

There are some days when you have to take some decisions that can turn out to decisions which change the course of history. This post is about such decisions and the factors and the outcomes of those factors which influence the decision.

The decisions are easy to make if the outcomes of factors which influence these decisions are in your control, but it is not always the case that the outcomes of the factors which influence these decisions be in your control. When such is the position the decision making becomes very tricky situation as the outcomes of the factors which influence the decision is not in your hand and you can not do anything. If my friend, the outcomes of the factors which influence the decision are in your control than consider yourself lucky as it is not always the case that the outcomes of the factors which influence these decisions are in your control.

I know all this because i have made a lot of decisions. There were times when the outcomes of the factors which influence these decisions i made were not in my hand and there were times when the outcomes of the factors that influenced the decisions were in my control.

The bottom line is that be careful when you have to take decisions when the outcomes of the factors that influence these decisions are not in your control because when you have to take decisions when the outcomes of the factors that influence these decisions are in your hand you don't have to be careful.

Aaaaaccchhhhooooo....

Winters are here.
I want to go outside.
Its raining outside.
I have cold.
I cant go outside.
I am very irritated.

Hello everyone.
Yes, i just behaved like so many people read my blog.
But i have things to say and i am gonna say em all.
Because its my blog and i can do whatever.

There is this one place in Chandigarh i used to go a lot with my pals. Loved the whole ambiance. Good food and the prices were just fine. We used to go every third day. But the idiots have changed the interiors and i hate them. Earlier it had dim lighting, wooden chairs which gave it a very cozy feel. It was like some cafe in English countryside. Yes i have never been to english countryside but i ll take the chance coz i know most of you also haven't. You could just sit there for hours. Now they have put so many lights. You get blinded by the glare the minute you enter it. The wooden chairs are gone too and also the seating capacity has been increased. So much noise. My friend said it was done because a new place had opened right next door. I d just like to say that by changing your original style you just lost four very regular customers.

These are my last winters in Chandigarh. Heres a list of things i wanna do
1. Take a walk every night in dense fog.
2. Go out every evening with friends.
3. Sleep in my rajai till 10 am, read newspaper in rajai till 11 am and watch tv in rajai till 1 pm.
4. Write something good. Infact want to write a play but thats tough.
5. Have loads and loads of coffee from a nearby market. Its not the coffee thats good but the walk back with a hot cuppa of coffee in hand.

hmmm... will write more later.

Rok do wo kal abhi...

…Zindagi ke char pal

Sang bitane ke liye

Dosti ki har bat par

Muskurane ke liye

Is ghadi ki har ghadi ko

jeet jane ke liye

rok do wo kal abhi

rok lo ye pal yahi…

The Amazing Bhupi...

Tools Of the Trade...

And Here Comes

coz we love the outdoors...

<Trip to Ponta Sahib 7/11/2007>

Phook de

The Last Smoke

She had appeared from no where. In his study, where he felt the safest, she had ventured without any difficulty, appearing from some dark corner of his room. He knew it could only be something super natural. God or some spirit which had appeared to fulfill its destiny and pass on to the next life. Her eyes reflected peace from somewhere out of this world but he could feel a much greater meaning behind it. As she silently sat on a chair in front of his, he looked at the most beautiful face he had ever seen, realizing not that death unlike all its descriptions was beautiful and after looking at it you want it more than anything else in the world. As the truth slowly dawned upon him he lighted a cigarette, silently pleading her to let him have a last smoke.

Sitting in his armchair he was having his last breaths. Long drawn breaths of nicotine. He would look at the cigarette after every long puff and see how his life got shortened by some more millimeters every time. He would then take a smaller puff but not fully enjoy it. He was amazed at how he had just asked for a cigarette as his last wish. His life did not flash by his eyes. But she knew how people always descended to asking only the smallest of favors in their last moments. The small things only symbolizing the triviality of their lives. He again looked up at the figure sitting in front of him.

She was smiling. Smiling at his desperation to somehow not burn the cigarette quickly and still get all the good out of it. She smiled at his confusion too, as he waited for some invisible fist to crush his heart. Death after all was a sadistic little bitch. Enjoying every moment of the final act like a pervert kid.

She walked up to his chair and took the burnt out cigarette from his trembling hands and led him towards probably the same dark corner from where she had come. She kissed him on the lips and he realized, why death was so painful. It was so much like love.

The Motley Crew

(L2R: polly, suarabh, swati, bhuwan, karan, arjun, me,silvia, sid)

(Place:- Daghsai Graveyard)
(Date:- 6/9/07, Time:- 1:40 pm)
(Purpose:- Raise HELL in a graveyard)

Skeletons

Skeletons from the past...

Today my wallet got washed with my trousers. One by one i took out the remains and found some wormholes opening into a universe which i had long shut.

Found were the slushed remains of something i wrote about 4 yrs back, but every single alphabet of which was most important to me and still had 110 pc relevance.

Another piece of paper also surfaced, but this time it was a skeleton of cello tape which was supposed to protect it. Maybe tearing it down in anger was not the only way it could have perished.
I can recall the whole sequence of events through which this paper was passed on to me. I can recall the exact look in the eyes, the exact smile and the exact spot where this happened. The place has been shut down now. The smile is not there, the look is not for me.
Everyone said, "Bhupi, it was not meant to be".
These words have today crystallized into reality and in turn have dissolved into water what were the last remains of something which was special and very very dear.

Only things that were saved, some bank notes and coins...
if only we could buy love... i would have Rs 490 worth of love thingies....

Abandoned

(the touch of Death)

a life of colors
once promised, now no more
coz lost in some tumult
were all glimmers of hope
when his soul was traded
when his heart was sold
he trod the path unknown
looking for happiness
in strange places and strange eyes
coz the tears he had once shed
were now dry
it has ended now
his life of sorrow
under sheets of clay
inside a wooden box
he lays abandoned
unwanted, unmourned

Taking a Break

After a very long time i spent some time at home on a weekend. Watched some TV, read some stuff, ate a lot and in the evening went to market for some groceries. Usual leisure time activities. Felt good.
Life has come full circle. Lot of things which were occupying my mind, many of my worries are now over. Right now I am at a place where time looks like a giant sea... flat and seamless. Not knowing what lies beyond the horizon, which is fast approaching, i am waiting to see how future unfolds.

~~

On 29th i tried my first cigarette. It was a promise i had made to myself. So i fulfilled it. Coughed through most part of it, so probably i am not in a position to comment if it was good or bad as nothing "hit"... and i was already high. Though I kinda love the thought of smoking with a cup of cutting chai on a rainy day or maybe with some black coffee but am not sure if I will be motivated enough to do it.
The judgment on smoking and smokers :- Reserved.

~~

These days i have started feeling lonely. Its a strange and a new feeling, um giving loneliness a chance... coz people have failed.

~~

Is it OK to tell people that they have a fucked up life and are still no way near getting it back on track. Also is it OK to tell them that they are committing the same mistakes again and will end up at the same place.

It Happens only in INDIA

ABANDONED

Interview

Chandler: (entering) Hey Phoebe! (To Rachel) Fatty!

Phoebe: Hey Chandler, why so fancy?

Chandler: Well, I got a job interview. It’s kinda a big deal too. Its a lot more money and I’d be doing data reconfiguration and statistical factoring.

Phoebe: Wait, I think I know someone who does that.

Chandler: Me! I do that. So… Seriously, do I look okay? I’m little nervous.

Rachel: Oh yeah! You really—You look great.

Phoebe: Yeah, just don’t get your hopes up.

Chandler: Why not?

Phoebe: Well, the interview…

Chandler: What about it?

Phoebe: Y’know! You don’t make a very good first impression.

Chandler: (shocked) What?!

Phoebe: Oh you don’t know.

Chandler: Are you serious?!

Phoebe: Yes, when I first met you, you were like, "Blah, blah, blah." I was like, shhh!

Chandler: What is it that I do?

Phoebe: Well it’s just like you’re trying too hard. Always making jokes, y’know, you just—You come off a little needy.

...............................

Chandler: I can’t even believe this! I really come off that badly?

Phoebe: Oh! It’s okay, you calm down after a while and then people can see how really sweet and wonderful you really are.

Chandler: Oh good. Good, because I’m sure this interview is gonna last a couple of weeks.

Phoebe: All right, don’t freak out! Okay? I-I will help you. How long before you have to leave?

Chandler: An hour.

Phoebe: I can’t help you.

Chandler: Phoebe!

Phoebe: All right, all right, we’ll just do our best. Okay? So let’s say I’m the interviewer and I’m meeting you for the first time. Okay. "Hi! Come on in, I’m uh, Regina Philange."

Chandler: Chandler Bing.

Phoebe: Bing, what an unusual name.

Chandler: Well you should meet my uncle, Bada. (Pause) I’ll let myself out.

................................

Chandler: …I think you’ll find if I come to work here, I don’t micro-manage. I don’t shy away from delegating.

Phoebe: Um-hmm, that’s good to know. But let’s stop focusing on what you don’t do, and start focusing on what you do do.

Chandler: (suppressing a smile) What I do do…is manage to uh, create an atmosphere of support for the people working with me.

Phoebe: I see. Nice sidestep on the do do thing by the way.

Chandler: Hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.

Phoebe: You gotta go!

Chandler: Oh! (Stands up.)

Phoebe: Okay, don’t worry. You’re ready.

Chandler: Really?

Phoebe: Absolutely! Just fight all your natural instincts and you’ll be great.

Chandler: Okay.

The Window

the dew of winter morn
on rough glass, her heart
some light struggles in
to brighten what was dimmed
a battered soul
a stifled whim

Calvin and Susie

...forever...






.



अकेला

:-?

The first time i fell in love
she said, "you dont call enough". And left.

The second time i fell in love
she sadi, "you call too much". And left.

What should i do now?

प्लास्टिक

dukaan ki khidki ke andar ek butt
dara hua, sehma hua
plastic se pareshan, kehne laga mujhse

roz ek bheed nikal jaati hai
meri aankho ke aage se
kuch kadam duur hi hoti hai manzil, par
kuch kadam pehle hi tuut.ti hai himmat
kuch kadam pehle hi chhuut.ta hai saath
plastic ka pyar, plastic ki mulaqaat

plastic ke cup mein coffee pee rahe logo se hairan
saara din has rahe in chehro se hairan, kehta phirse
kya hain inke chehre akde hue
plastic ke chehre chaaro taraf
plastic se ehsaas, plastic se jazbaat
kyun kaat rahe hain ye log
kaanch ke bulb ke neeche
plastic ke din raat

plastic ke aasun hain
plastic ki muskaan
plastic ka to main bhi hun
par kyun plastic ke insaan

...Soch...

na kaeh sake mujhe
jo kaehte the afsaana

na sun saka hai koi
chaahe suna tha jehaan

na nazar ka hi giraftaar hun
hun chooh ke us paar

hun safar main
falak se gulistaan taq

soch hun bas
inteha se inteha taq

Nayi CAR :D :D

MERI HAI !!!

Gay Harry Potter

The latest movie sucks bigtime... its slow... its boring and has many loopholes...

and heres what you get on youtube if you search for Gay Harry Potter... they are hilarious. Some clips have scenes from the latest movie too... the guys who make these spoofs stay up to date. Good job...

and Hermione looked much hotter in the last movie...


Emma Watson Watson was ranked number 98 in the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2007 list.

kyun ?

क्यूँ तू समझता है
तू मोहब्बत का फरिश्ता है
जो तेरी बेरुखी से हैरान
ये दिल दोज़ाख में तड़पता है

क्यूँ है तुझे गुरूर
हुस्न पर तेरे
जो छूह से है दूर
बस, परदे में सुलगता है

क्यूँ लरजते हैं तेरे होठ
मेरा ज़िक्र आते ही
क्यूँ मुझे गैर केह के ही
मन तेरा बेहलता है

Sad to sadistic

~<0>~

Its not good to have a prophetic vision if you can see people who were once close, weaning away. Slowly, Very Slowly. But you can see it on their faces. They are just waiting to snap away or are pretending to be there, coz it might look bad on em if they leave you in a lurch.
Shoo away people, don't waste my time.

Yeah, doesn't feel very good. Kills the fun of knowing that you can see future.

~<0>~

A friend invited me for a beer/whiskey/vodka thing today. I refused and tried being a good boy.
I had coffee instead. I am already regretting my decision. Its not that i don't like coffee. I love it like anything. But sitting like an Owl(3 str8 nights) doesn't feel very good. I 'd have preferred snoring like a pig today.

~<0>~

Hi

I don't love you at all. I never did. Whenever i said that, i was plain lying. It was good fun.

When i come to think of it, i did like you for a while, but that was all physical.

And yeah! the day you said that you don't love me and we should end it, i was so turned on i wanted to take you down there and then. But you started crying and spoiled the moment.

So are we cool now?

Muaah...

~<0>~

A dining table at the house of a newly wed couple's home. Dinner time. Lots of thoughts and dialogs.

HE: (Tries to hold his wife's hand. Wife takes her hand away) Hey!! why don't you let me hold your hand.
SHE:(Smiles... smirks) coz its MY hand.
HE: But we are married. I own you now. I can touch you wherever i want (smiles cunningly)
SHE: Nooooooo... you don't own me or anything, you chauvinistic pig ( Is disgusted). You are lucky to have me as your wife.
HE: (disgusted and insulted) Its because of women like you men have extra marital affairs.
SHE:( Starts laughing Crazy) If on this table anyone can have an extra marital affair, that is me. who will ever start an affair with you.
HE:(turns red with anger, says nothing)

The husband takes a fork and stabs her hand. The wife cries in unbearable pain. Husband leaves the table.

The audience applauds. Husbands and wifes go to their homes, never to fight again and live happily ever after.

--Finally i wrote a happy ending--

~<0>~

; )

If you dont know where to go
If you dont know which road to choose
If you dont know which turn to take

Just Follow Her Activa
;)

Silence!

aaj nazro.n ne bhi daga de diya
shar.m ka bahaana kiye wo bhi palkon mein chhup chuki thi
ungliyaan bhi dupatte se khel kar thak gayi
unhein intzaar tha, kisi ke hathon se bandh jaane ka

baar baar...
khayalon ke bulbule jaise zehen se uth.te aur
jazbaaton aur takallouf se takraakar apna wajood kho baith.te
Hotho ki harkatein lekin shabdon mein nahi badli

kehne ke liye bas ek hi baat thi
par samay bahut zyada

TAGGED

Well Well Well
After a long time in blog-land i have finally got it...
my first tag :D thanks to Sumit...

So what i have to do is to list eight random facts/habits about me and here I go

1. Mood-swings: Wth me they happen a lot and i love it. I can be totally quiet and "thinking" at times and next minute i am jumping up and down for no particular reason. sometimes i like to just sit alone for hours and at times i just cant stand not having people around me.

2. Music: something i would really be incomplete without. I am humming some song all the time. The first thing i do after getting back home is put some music on. I enjoy almost all genres except indian-classical but folk and sufi music are right on top, with rock of course. I also have a weird thing when it comes to listening music on my PC. I just have one or two songs in my playlist. four is the max. I can keep listening to the same song for like hours. "yeh jo halka halka suroor hai" by NFAK did 33 hrs non stop after i downloaded it.

3. FRIENDS: Cant live without them. I just need to know that they are always around. I keep pretending otherway though and sometimes I do behave like an idiot with em but i know that they ll stick around. Thank you ppl... muaahh to you... muaahh once more.

4. F.R.I.E.N.D.S. : The TV show. I just love it. I can keep watching it over and over again. I am currently watching it the 5th time and am immensely proud of it. Though i think that it was better in season 1-7. But i still love every episode. I can spend hours discussing it with saikat and eshan over at CCD(it gives a central perk feel, to me atleast).

5. Coke, Coffee and Kudi : Cant have enough o' em :P :P :P Well... atleast i have plenty of the first two. Wrote the third one coz i think it looks cool :P and i certainly will like to have some dose of it too. I tried to quit Coke once but have given up now... I love Coffee and how i cant sleep all night after having three cappuccinos back to back.

6. Mehnat karne se kya fayda : This is my and goofy's (disney wala, if all you grown ups cant remember) motto. I am a lazy bum and i am totally at peace with it. Can do nothing for hours and never feel even a tinge of boredom.

7. Sentipanthi, Gussa but still i try to adjust: I like some things and i dont like some things and some times when i don like em even a little, i do get a bit carried away. From little sentipanthi to extreme anger kuch bhi ho sakta hai... depends on who you are and mera mood kaisa hai. I cool down thodi daer mein... pretty adjustable if mood is fine.

8. Reading and Writing : I can read almost anything. From great novels which got bookers etc to "dirty" ones they sell at the railway station, from all sort of editorials in newspapers to lewd ads written on walls... everything and anything. I like writing a lot though am not too gifted in this department but i keep trying.


dunno whom should i tag... Sumit covered everyone i wanted to :|

Waah TAJ boliye!!!

Thank fully TAJ has been selected as one,well let me add... first of the seven wonders of the world and i am very happy about it. I will also be frank in admitting that i was really scared about the whole thing coz the scene that would have emerged if the result was different, would not have been a pretty one.
Firstly, it would have been a shame that a country of 1 billion plus could not vote one of its most prized possessions to the list which was going to be purely based on public voting. Believe me it could have easily been the case coz We the people of india, SMS free ho tabhi karte hain :P. But i guess people do vote for indian idol jaise wehli things. Iske liye bhi kar diya hoga. Maine bhi kiya and this was the other reason i wanted TAJ to win. Do rupaye bahut hote hain. Waise there were free methods to vote also but BSNL ko aag lag gayi thi :|
Secondly, I am very sure that some political controversy or scam would have emerged out of this ya zabardasti emerge karwa dete. I am also surprised that no party has taken the credit for this. Abhi tak to kar dete hain generally.
Thirdly, Aajtak and other sisterly channels would have certainly made a SANSANI or a KHAUFF out of it. Jokes apart, i think indian media did a great job and had a huge part to play in this success.

But like they say, all is well that ends well. My fears have been put to rest and I feel proud about this achievement and also about all other things which make me feel proud :P. I mean, all other things which make me INDIAN...

PS:- some issues with the title wala text box... so wah TAJ boliye!!!

foot steps :)

a small step for a (wo)man, a giant leep for MAN kind

hmmm...

dunno

kaafi kuch abhi bhi blurred hai...
am worried...
but kya kar sakte hain

ppl say it will get better
but all that comes to my mind
are a seer's words
he was a traveller
and he told the truth
am worried...
but kya kar sakte hain

...every things so blurry...

the last shot

i had lost count long ago.
seven
eight
nine
ten...
...vodka vodka vodka...

my eyes were searching for you
coz after each shot you vanished
in the maze of dancing zombies
slaves of booze, cigarettes and loud music.
hide and seek, yeah it was fun
after some fuddled steps guided by fuzzy vision
i found you at last
dancing... flying in heavenly mists
i kept looking at your face, ohhhh!!! that need of you
i wanted another drink
i wanted to play hide and seek, again
to lose you and get you back, again
the song ended and you fell into my arms
and whispered
puhleezz... don't leave me

...dancing queen...
melting into an embrace we danced
like two fools in love
like there was no one watching
our eyes met, you smiled
your head on my chest and we danced
like there was going to be no tomorrow
coz we were one
for happiness and sorrow

...i had lost count long ago...
...but i remember the last one...
...coz when our lips met...
...you tasted like wine...

Quote of the Day...

i am sick of being an emotional fool
now i want to be a practical one


he he he ha ha ha ha

Its not the liquor i miss :)

The Doll and the Rain

The summer was now at its peak. The lands were scorched and so were the residents of the village Nandpur. The trees had become bare, only the deep rooted cacti and small trees of kikkar produced scattered bits of green in the landscape. The farmers had given up hope, the hope of rains, a good crop and a good harvest in the end. The cattle in the village had given up hope too, the hope of rain, a good crop, a good harvest and green fodder in the end. The life in village had slowed down. Every thing happened at a deadening pace. The conversations took place in whispers. The street dogs lay all day under a tree and moved only their ears and whimpered only from under the tree. The days were dragging on.

The village was coming to a stop.

But a girl of 8, Jeeti, was getting restless under the neem tree, where her grandmother was sitting on a cot, in the courtyard of a farmer's home. “Bebe, do you know? Dad is bringing a doll for me from city today. The doll with a pink dress and golden hair. I am telling you Bebe, it will be the best doll in the whole world. And i am not going to let veera and bhaen even touch it” The grandmother, who had long passed this stage of getting excited about dolls, did not show much interest in the innocent talk of the 8 year old girl. The grandmother had also slowed down but not due to the heat. She was trying to preserve life in this way and praying to live for another summer. The 8 yr girl after failing to get any response from the old woman gave up and went inside and tried to start a conversation with her mom. “Maa, did you have a doll too?”. Her mom also shooed her away. Her older brother and sister who were twins and 4 years older came inside and started planning about something. Talking in hushed voices they were planning something very important. They had found out the way to end the summer. Last night after Jeeti had gone to sleep grandmother had told them about a ritual, a sacrifice, which could bring rain. They were not going to tell Jeeti about it.

In the evening Jeeti's father came back from city. He also had a box with him. Jeeti was looking at the bag expectantly but she did not dare ask her dad about its contents in front of her brother and sister. She waited till her father had dinner and only when he was about to sleep she asked him about her gift. the father who was surprised, why she had not pounced on him when he had come back laughed after hearing the reason and gave the doll to his 8 year old daughter. Jeeti took the doll to her bed, kept it's head on the pillow. The doll closed its crystal blue eyes. Jeeti went to sleep with a smile on her face.

The next morning Jeeti woke up and looked at the doll which was still asleep on the pillow. She smiled. She thought about all the games she was going to play today. While having breakfast she kept some tiny crumbs aside for the doll. When Jeeti's mom combed her hair, she also brushed the doll's hair with the tiny pink brush which came in the box. She took the doll to all the rooms and introduced her with all members of her family except her brother and sister, who she had not seen since last night. She wanted to know what they were up to? But she forgot about them quickly and began to convince her mom to sew a new dress for the doll. By afternoon she was tired and after having lunch went to sleep with the doll by her side.

Jeeti woke up in the evening. She got up and went outside to play with her friends. She played all evening without thinking about the doll. She did not think that the doll could no more be on the pillow, that the doll could have been taken by someone while she was asleep. She kept playing and came back home only after dark. She ate dinner and went to her daadi where her elder siblings were talking with the old woman. She sat on the side and listened quitely.

“Daadi, we did it today. Its gonna rain tomorrow. Just see... haan. It will rain cats and dogs and we will all be spared from this heat. Haan ji... and we cried like someone had actually died. We cried for full two minutes ji. We ate the prasad later and we also put flowers on it.”

“You little miscreants”, daadi shouted at them, “I did not tell you to go and burn Jeeti's doll. You rats! You could have made any doll out of cloth and sticks and then burnt it. Now wait till your father comes home. He is going to remove your skin today”. There was silence for two minutes. Everyone was in shock. The 8 year old girl ran inside, crying loudly, into her mother's lap. “Maa, they burnt my doll. I did not let them play.. thats why”. She cried and cried until sleep came to her tired eyes which had run out of tears long ago.

Next morning the sky was heavily overcast. Dark clouds had gathered over the small village of Nandpur. People came out of their homes, on to roof tops, in the streets and also near the peepul tree, which was favorite spot for the old men who would gather there to share some gossip, discuss politics or just to sit in the shade when there daughter-in-laws would holler them out of their homes. The village sweet vendor had already begun preparing jalebis and pakoras. The kids went to the open ground just outside the village to play games which they had long forgotten, hidden inside their homes due to the scorching heat.. Women-folk were standing in gullies, discussing how the clouds were the darkest in five years and how the rain was going to fall for at least 5 days.

The village had come to life again.

But a girl of 8 kept sitting inside with a small new dress and a pink hair brush in her hands.

Then it rained.

P.S. :- the ritual of burning a doll, actually cremating a doll, to call rain was actually performed in some villages in punjab(by kids ofcourse as a doll-play stuff). I was told about this by my grandmother only. And when i tried this in class 2 summer vacations... it actually rained. Don't know many details about the ritual though.

The weather in Chandigarh is awesome.

Its a perfect day to go to Kasauli, Padech, Morni
Its a perfect day to sit at "sip and stare"
Its a perfect day to maaro "drifts" and "geris" around lake
Its a perfect day to listen to jagjit singh
Its a perfect day to play "aam-lelo"
Its a perfect day to sit on the ramp and have coffee and read a book
well this option isn't quite possible as there is no coffee near ramp

Its a perfect day to be with friends
who are away... vanished...

I feel happy for the "day", its perfect for so many things
naaaaaaa..... saali dhop nikal aayi :(

aakash ke baadal bol uthe...

आकाश से बादल बोल उठे
तुम भी तो अब कुछ बोलो ना
झूम उठा है मेरा मन
तुम भी इस रंग में हो लो ना

धरती ने जब थी आह भरी
आकाश ने प्यार दिखाया है
वर्षा है अब हर आंगन में
तुम भी अब मुझे डुबो लो ना

है हवा में भी कुछ शरारत सी
पत्ता पत्ता सहलाया है
मुस्का के तुम सौंधी मिटटी सी
मुझ को भी अब बहका दो ना

आकाश से बादल बोल उठे
तुम भी तो अब कुछ बोलो ना...

Rain is here
and i feel
drenched in your love already
this scent of wet sand
is definitely you somewhere...

the TRIP to MUSSOURIE, Part DoOsRa

The story so far...
Four guys ( Arjun, Saurabh, Bhuwan and I) have finally decided to leave for Mussourie-Rishikesh on 29^th may.

This part of the trip is called the INITIATION

We decided to take the night bus from Chandigarh to Haridwar so that most of the journey is covered in the cool of the night. We planned to meet at 11 o' clock at the bus-stand only.

Time - 2300 hrs
Place – Bus stand

I had asked Mannat to drop me at the bus-stand that night. We reached there on time but as expected none of the touring party had come. So Mannat and I walked here and there and tried to pass time by some bird watching at night. Fortunately enough, there were many at the bus stand even at this hour. Finally when the guys arrived after about 20 minutes the first words of explanation, before my uttering out a single abuse, came out like this...

Arjun: Chuza bahut bada koosa hai.

Chuza: Arjun bahut bada koosa hai

A2C: Hum teri wajha se late hue.

C2A: Nahi, hum teri wajha se late hue.

Bhuwan: ha ha ha ha

Me: What the fuck?

So the next 10 minutes were spent in discussing the reasons of the delay. Arjun said that Chuza was having an international conference with some of his “professional” contacts but somehow they had started playing the game of who will sign off first. Pahle aap... nahi pahle aap. Also due to Chuza, arjun had forgotten his Mp3-player lying on the bed. Chuza vociferously denied these allegations. Amidst all this hullabaloo an Old aunty ji who was sleeping on the other side of the bench woke up. We all were given a pretty sound tongue lashing. This also reminded us of the real reason why we were there. We bought the Tickets and got into the bus.

But hey! this is not any bit different from normal, usual stuff and when we are concerned things are not supposed to be like this. So as the alchemist says, “the universe conspires etc etc...”, the trip started with... read on...

There was still sometime for the bus to start. Chuza, Arjun and i were inside while Bhuwan was outside talking on his cell phone. I asked arjun to get some toffee-chewing gum-polo. He tried to pass on the task to Bhuwan but he seemed pretty much in love with his phone. Arjun had to go. So now Arjun and Bhuwan were not on the bus. Chuza was still trying to explain to me that how it was not his fault which caused the delay. Suddenly! The driver came in from nowhere. Turned on the engine and revved it up for a little while. Arjun and Bhuwan were still not on the bus. The Bus started to move. Arjun and Bhuwan were still not on the bus. Damn it !!!

“Stop the bus, Stop the bus”

“Run Run Run”

I got off the bus and ran to the shop where Arjun still had not paid the shop wala. The transaction was being conducted in slow motion and to top it all, the shop-wala didnt have 500 ka Chhutta.

“Bhai, bus chal padi”

“bhaiya do center fresh aur de do”

“Bhai, chheti kar. Bus chal padi”

“bhaiya, ye lo paise... WHAT”

“Jaldi bhaag”

We quickly took our stuff and found Bhuwan (the phone had stuck to his ear) and ran towards the bus where saurabh was standing in the door... Dilwale Dulhaniyan Le Jayenge style.

Finally we are on way.

The bus stopped at a dhaba where we had chai, chana-daal and lays. There was an old hindi flick playing on the TV. A hot steamy scene was on. The driver waited for it to end.

So finally en route to Haridwar, in a rickety bus, we tried to sleep-talk-lookoutsideintodarkness before we finally entered the dream lords realm.

AGLE ANK MEIN PADHIYE: Haridwar mein subha ka drishya, breakfast, how we slept on pavements.

the TRIP to MUSSOURIE, part PeHlA

Well hello folks. Finally i have made up my mind(basically overcome laziness) to write about my trip to Rishikesh-Mussourie. It will be a long series of posts as i have lots to say about this wonderful experience.

In the first part I ll be talking about how it all got started. I ll call it THE PLANNING...

Scene: Some table in an Air-conditioned library reading room.
Time: Some day in the preparatory leave before the end-sem exams.
Characters: The extended Flip-Flop family[[bhupi(Me) arjun(bhai) saurabh(chuza) karan(K) siddharth(sido) bhuwan(umm... bhuwan)]]

Chuza is highly frustrated and is trying to find some bakra for time wastage. Everyone seems to be reading for the exams that are gonna commence in about 4-5 days. There is an eye contact between Chuza and Bhupi. A conversation follows which everyone finds irresistible.

Chuza: Yar kahin bahar chalte hain.

Me: padhle yar, abhi aaya hun bahar se. Hmmm... chal 5 minute baad CCD chalte hain. Aur tu abhi to us se mil ke aaya hai.

Chuza: Chal chhad. Chhutiyion mein kahin chalte hain yar.

Bhai joins...

Bhai: lets have a trip like Kangra.

Chuza: mast idea. Manali or mussourie.

Sid joins...

Sido: beep beep beep. I ll be in London. Beep beep beep.

Karan joins...

K: yar, padhlo yar. Oye sid kitna syllabus ho gaya?

Me: yar manali nai, i have been there three times. Lets go to mussourie on bikes.

Bhai: chal theek hai... i can arrange lodging in mussourie.

Me: yar bikes pe chalte hain.

Chuza: nai yar, mujhe “relax” karna hai. Bikes pe nai.

Sido: beep beep beep, yar ye trip bhi miss ho jaayega, beep beep beep.

Me: saale beep beep, you ll be in bloody london. That is like theonewithhotbabes.

Sido: hmmm, chal ab i am playing age of mythology.

K: yar padhlo yar. Mera to abhi bahut thoda syllabus hua hai. Ab ghante baad baat karte hain.

All agree

after 5 minutes

Me: yar bikes pe chalte hain.

For all those who are curious, bhuwan was sitting at an adjoining table with another member of our family :D. Though he agrees to go anywhere with us... But there are yet, many a hurdles.

Before the exams are over, Chuza has tried getting a room in Manali but has been unsuccessful and as bhai would say alongwith his danger look... “chuze tu kabhi kuch dhang se nai karta”.

After exams we had decided that we ll be going to Mussourie. Only bhai, chuza and i were fully sure about going. Bhuwan hadn't asked his parents for permission. Karan had some other plans. Sid as you all know was going to London. Though the exam results did make me waver but a little pep talk by bhai helped me in choosing the right option.

Though we had no plan but we tried to stick to a rough outline which is here...

-Leave by bus on 29^th may, night.
-Reach Haridwar on 30^th morning.
-Leave for Rishikesh same day, after exploring Haridwar.
-Stay in Rishikesh for one day.
-Go to Mussourie and come back when our cash finishes. :D

Two days before leaving Bhuwan confirmed he will be going. So now there were four of us and Karan was saying that he will join us in Mussourie (i was really very unsure about it though, and i turned out to be right... hu hu ha ha ha).

One day before i got a buzz on messenger from Chuza saying that Arjun wanted us all to go on train. We made quick calculations of fare and found out that none of us had even Rs 200 so we decided to meet at the reservation office in sec 17. En route, i got four messages from chuza which conveyed that we still weren't sure how we would be going.

Arjun-train

Bhuwan-bus

Arjun-train

Bhuwan-bus

Me- bikes, bikes, bikes(one final try, but salon ko samajh hi nai aaya, wot fun would it have been)

Chuza- BAS, BAS, BAS

We finally decided to go by Bas... i mean Bus :P (small joke)

So one night before...

Bhai, chuza, Bhuwan and me ( arjun's wish comes true... a trip like kangra ), all set to conquer heights of fun and masti, sleep with a smile on their faces, looking forward to the great great MAZAA it turned out to be.

AGLE ANK MEIN PADHIYE: The bus journey to haridwar, why we had to sleep on pavements, and how we reach rishikesh.

PS:- All those who are reading this. Please leave comments and be what all good readers are... REGULAR

PPS:- to chuza bhai and bhuwan... if i missed something... do add to it.

A bus journey... whatever

There was no seat left after i occupied one just behind a fat lala ji. There were still about 20 minutes for the bus to start. I opened my paperback and tried to read myself to sleep, but the hero of the novel had other plans. He was about to accidentally kill a policeman which was going to land him up in great trouble and change the course of the story. When the bus moved, i was deep into finding solutions for the murderer who would marry a beautiful bride in the end and totally missed the conductors requests, which were slowly becoming jibes, to buy the ticket. “Sahib ji, you have to pay extra money to use the benefits of a moving library”. I paid for the ticket amidst smiles from fellow passengers and a subduing glance from the conductor.

The bus was now moving at a steady pace but in the heat of Indian summer it causes greater discomfort as the loo strikes you with greater force causing more perspiration. Adding to my woes were a punjabi lady and her baby. The baby, which was genuinely discomforted due to the heat that was pouring out from every direction, would not stop wailing and the mother would not stop cursing the baby. Finally a solution was found out and the baby was thrust in my lap, as i was sitting on the corner seat. I tried not to feel embarrassed and started looking at all the colorful people from my land who were thrust in a bus which was made for carrying only half of them. My reverie was broken when the bus came to a sudden stop and half of the people fell over each while the other half cursed them.

An old man had come in front of the bus. The driver applied the breaks just in time and the old man was saved. The driver already much irritated by the heat could not control his temper and started throwing curses at the old man. “Sardaraa! why cant you just jump in a well if you want to die”, he said. The old man, who had actually wanted to board the bus, silently came to the other side and threw his potli inside followed by his walking stick. He somehow managed to drag his frail body inside the bus before the driver moved the bus impatiently. Angry looks were exchanged and driven by the punjabi spirit of not staying put, the driver tried to start an altercation. “Baba ji, why dont you buy a marooti if you are so uncomfortable.” The old man replied by just suggesting to the driver that he was unable to buy a marooti as he had paid all his money to the driver's mom last night. The driver was at a loss of words so he started to concentrate on the road again. Many of the passengers who were looking forward to an entertaining session of “punjabi courtesies” felt let down and the rest of them heaved a sigh of relief as a fight would have been too hard on there already tense nerves.

As for myself, I kept looking at the baby which was not mine but was comfortably asleep in my lap. I patted its back and waited sullenly for this ordeal to end.

M Back

Due to persistent insistence by two out of five regular readers of my blog i am back.

And i am back from a short hill trip to Mussourie. Had great great fun. Will be writing about it in my future posts.

Nothing to talk about abhi so signing off.

keep walking...