Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak

Andaz Apna Apna

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar

Sarfarosh

Lagaan

Rang De Basanti
And Now,
Taare Zameen Par!
We have been fascinated by the bubbling young boy in QSQT and delighted by the stomach-aching comedy of AAA. The ultimate spirit of competition and the riveting climax of JJWS have thrilled us to the core. The honest and dedicated ACP Rathod of Sarfarosh is still fresh in our minds. We have loved every moment of Lagaan – cricket and otherwise. Then we moved one gear up into the RDB mode – A watershed movie in Bollywood. And, now TZP!

These are just a few magic spells – courtesy the majestic wizardry of Aamir Khan. Magic: because they hypnotise us like nobody else can.

I still remember the RDB era, when the spirit of nationalism reached its pinnacle. The period preceding it as well as the aftermath of RDB was marked by that “Kuch Kar Dikhana hai” attitude. We all wanted to “Be a Rebel” against the corrupt political system.

So what sets apart Aamir Khan and his movies from the rest of the pack? Why do we feel that adrenaline rush and sense of enlightment during those unparalleled cinematic treats? Well its simple! Its because the characters, the storyline – cause and effect are not taken from an alien world. The AK show is to the people, by the people and for the people. For once, the real and reel world metamorphosis into each other. The 8mm world frame displays our world – feelings, emotions and passions. Couple all this with some breath-taking performances and the ‘magic spell’ is complete.

And then AK decided to put up the Director’s shoes and we all were mesmerized again! For TZP can’t be described by one single adjective from the vast English vocabulary. Well, I atleast could not find one!

2007 has infact been one of the better years in Bollywood. ‘Life in a Metro’ (7/10) and ‘Bheja Fry’ (7.5/10) were two special movies this year. And if ‘Johnny Gaddar’ (8/10) was an outstanding edge of the seat, fast-paced thriller; then, ‘Jab We Met’ (8.5/10) was entertainment at its best. A pleasant surprise and a welcome change from the other insipid Shahid-Kareena ventures. A perfect case of ‘Jab They Clicked’! “Chak De! India” (9/10) was the front-runner for the ‘best movie’ crown for most part of the year (till 21st December to be precise). Infact, this rare masterpiece has already been blogged here! But, then the ‘jaadugar’ wielded his magic wand for the umpteenth time.

“Taare Zameen Par” has been exquisitely reviewed and then reviewed again, quite a few times already. And it deserves all the accolades too.

Ishaan Awasthi’s portrayal of a dyslexic kid, under the perfect direction of Aamir Khan is a treat for the eyes, music for the years, an emotional saga for the heart and food for thought for the mind.

Well, we are all mortals living on planet Earth. But, some of us manage to dodge the universal truth – ‘To err is human’! Because these chosen few rarely put a foot wrong. They are all around us. Like the Sachin & Lara’s of cricket, the Federer’s of tennis and Schumi – formula one etc.

And now the time has duly arrived, to hail the greatness of the man who continues to amaze us over & over again – for more than a decade now!

If there was ever a slightest doubt about the quality, meaningfulness, the sense and sensibility of Hindi cinema – Then this ‘enigma’ erases it for once and for all. For until the moment the ‘one and only’ Aamir Khan graces the reel world with his esteemed presence – film industry in general and Bollywood in particular would never be worthless!

Remember Aamir Khan and his genius! And be thankful that we all lived in the era of ‘The reluctant star”…

Let his magic show continue till eternity…

“Beh Chal Kahin, Ud Chal Kahin,
Dil Khush Jahaan, Teri to manzil hai wohi”…

This post is dedicated to all my dear friends who are indeed the wind beneath my wings! (As one of my dearest pal once pointed out)

6 days to go: Well I don’t have a best friends list in particular. But if I had one, ‘Sid’ would top it any given day! No I would not go waxing eloquent about him. His orkut testimonials serve that purpose. So as we met in gurgaon, there was a surprise awaiting me. My first B-day wish in advance with a special card and barista cake!

3 days to go: An email from China office, wishing me in advance… No points for guessing who had mailed dear buddy!

2 days to go: I was in office. And then my phone rang, a good old Thapar friend calling… after quite some time… A soft & refreshing voice that brought an instant smile on to my face. “Happy B-day in advance”. Before I could ask why so much in advance, bang comes the reply: “Because I know you would be at home and I am sure you wont pick up the phone on roaming!”. If only she had known, the roaming blues that lay ahead!! I reaffirm that this wont be the case and she promises to call me again.

7 hours to go: The standard EVS B-day mail hits my inbox! And this time I am also in the hall of fame. What follows is a sudden rush of B-day wishes mail and office colleagues wishing me ‘in advance’. The eternal “When is the party” question is next! I had already prepared for the answer. I am going home and party will have to wait till at least next week!

45 minutes to go: I am on my way back home, trying my level best to catch up with some sleep. But the B-day excitement has gotten over me now. And I just can’t sleep in that luxurious AC coach deluxe bus. My mobile starts ringing again. Its Harpreet@infy calling... from Mysore! She had a bad habit of forgetting things! But this time around, she more than made up for those forgotten times… With this call, I was completely on my heels now, for the ensuing callers…

20 minutes to go: This time its happy b-day wishes via written communication, as a sms beep has my cell ringing again!

5 minutes to go: An EVS-Doon friend calls up to wish me in advance, lest she sleeps after 5 minutes!!

22nd December, 2008 (12 am IST): Phew its my Birthday now!!! And another of my sweet friend calls, bang on time: Bingo! Piyush: He is always at the right place at the right time!

And then follows a flood of calls…
7 in the next 45 minutes: ranging from as small as 20 seconds to 16 minutes!! They come from everywhere: from RJ, left stranded in ambala (now that is another story) to Devein calling from Kolkata, from ‘Sid’ wishing many many happy returns of the day! to Vikas wishing in true Punjabi ishtyle! In between few sms also make their way amidst huge rush! Then the longest call till then (16 minutes), from the lady that gave me the idea to write this article. Thanks yaar :-) I will discuss that amazing trip some other time! 4 missed calls on my cell when the call ended: from my dear cousin@faridabad! Its 12:45 am now…

I wait for half-an-hour more anticipating some other well-wisher taking the pains to call me up at this weird time! Well my other friends are sane enough I guess, no more calls then. So, I finally slept!

6:50am: Once, twice, thrice… No I am not going to wake up. Well, I am sleeping in my cosy bed at home sweet home! So hold-on guys…

7:45am: Ha.. this one does wake me up! Maybe its because from a far-off place seeking urgent attention. A call from Jamshedpur: crisp & concise. Happy B-day!

9:00am: Now this one is special. Because its MJ calling from Chicago,USA. Its still the night of 21st there…

9:15am: “She” calls me again. And I do pick-up the phone on roaming!

The calls keep coming! And I also unfailingly receive all of them! They are all from different zones of India…
In between, I also swap wishing roles. Its Karan’s B-day too! And I take-up the honour to wish him in the afternoon…

From my chemcool batch to the EVS group, all my close buddies: call me, sms me or scrap me!!
There are some nostalgic college days conversations and some funny office ones too! I listen to everyone with growing amazement… There are talks of screwed up jobs and there are ramblings of being unemployed still! There are some unexpected wishers too and some friends who forgot the all-important-day!!

I had to charge my cell twice in the day and almost lost a fortune on roaming! But these things just did not matter… What mattered was how some people not only remembered me, but also those small things in our relationship! And how they made my B-day full of wishes, unforgettable…

The final caller was My flat mate Dheeraj at 10:50pm, making the cut just in time! (Otherwise I had planned to call him at 11:55pm, his b-day is on 23rd, and to make him feel guilty!)

So as the clock ticked 12 again, completing a fascinating B-day, I had perfectly understood the nuances of this very special occasion in everyone’s life!

Many Many Thanks to all my dear friends for making the 22nd December so special for me :-)

Do you like Music?

And

Do you like to Dance?

If the answer to both these questions is NO, then please don’t read on. (It’s not worth the pain!)

But if you answered YES, then: Let the Music play and Dance to the tunes of MAD in a trance…

The atmosphere is Rocking! Sound levels are hitting maximum decibels. Lights are at their flickering best. On the disc floor: Body is moving at top speeds. The head is banging up and down. The hands are in perfect synchronization with the leggy mechanics. The bends are rotating and the curves are revolution(ary). The heart is pounding and the pulse is racing. The Dance Club is freaking out, the floor is creaking and the shrieking crowd is going crazy. The adrenaline rush is on: For the last 300 minutes!!!

Welcome to the M A D world of “Music And Dance”…

This was a scene taken out from the M A D parties, which serve as the ultimate stress buster from the workaholic world! Because when you dance, you let go everything. The mind is in a state of absolute relaxation. It is a matter of spirituality redefined, the MAD way. The everyday monotony is broken, paving the way for an all-out fun and enjoyment! The ideal tonic for the upliftment of the soul.

In this MAD world, there are no boundaries of formalization. There are no rules to be followed and timelines to meet. And most importantly, it gets people connected! There is instant interaction amongst seemingly unknown souls, irrespective of your hierarchal status. It units one and all. There are no racial overtones and cultural stigma attached in this carefree world.

Looking for a companion and bondage with opposite sex: MAD time is again the best time!

A win-win situation for everyone.
So guys, it just does not matter if you have no clue about which song is playing in the disc or you have never ever stretched your body, let alone dance.

Just go Mad about MAD and everything would fit in smoothly! Put your dancing shoes on, in this musical world and rock the party…
Aaja Nach Le…

“Good-Bye”

And with that one last word, she was gone…

Around 2 months ago:

I was stumped by that one-liner flashing on my computer screen. It read- ‘Would you like to be a buddy, Jitin?’ The question was asked by my manager. On first thought, I took it as some sort of mistake. So, I reconfirmed and to my amazement, it was intended at none other than me. I thought for a split second and then answered in the affirmative. How I relish that decision now!!

Miss Patricia Wang (or ‘Pat’ as I call her) graced India with her presence on the night of 15th October. My colleague and great friend ‘Sohail’ accompanied me for her pick-up from the air-port. I knew her face but carried a sign-board with ‘Patricia’ written on it, just in case! Suddenly a cute girl walked out of the airport with an intriguing expression on her face and a yellow bag on her back. Both of us shouted: “Patricia”!!! Our eyes met and there was instant recognition. Something told me that the next 45 days (the duration of Pat’s stay) are going to be fascinating. This time around, I was right!

We had already developed a great rapport, even before meeting. This was courtesy: Instant Messaging (IM) service. What followed were some amusing conversations…

Now, Pat is an interesting character. She can be quite serious at times (read: 1 out of 10) and almost notoriously funny at other times (read: 9 out of 10)! But her biggest asset is: Adaptability. Even after couple of days in India, she was completely at home. So much so that, she had chosen her home-town also: Chandigarh! And it was this quality, which made Pat’s stay all the more enjoyable. Infact, she loved anything and everything about India from day one:
The food was spicy for her taste, but she made it look delicious…

She was unawares of the Hindi language initially. But in no time she had learnt many good words. (The best ones being: ‘Theek hai’, ‘Accha Accha’,’ Haan Haan’(with that trademark neck movement :-) and her favourite one- ‘Chalein’).

Before stepping on the Indian soul, she knew only a handful of people. After one week, she was friends with everyone!

And then came the exhilarating weekends…

We went to the Malls of new gurgaon and also checked out the small shops of its old counterpart. Patricia tried everything for commuting: the rickshaw, the auto-rickshaw, the cab and what not! Yes, she was fond of exploring all the new things…

Then came the Delhi trip which simply rocked!! (My best weekend to date here). Steve and Rishabh joined us for this rendezevous with the Capital of India. The ‘Fantastic Four’ explored the heights of Qutab Minar, the markets of Delhi Haat, the handi-crafts emporium, the spicy restaurant of Connaught Place. The best part was the visit to India Gate. This all-out fun ride culminated with the glorious Rashtrapati Bhavan (President House). We had the times of our lives.

The following days were even better: We had this night-out party (sponsored by Manish and Rachit) with Adi’s show being the icing on the cake ;-)

Then our dearest Sanjeev sir invited us to the Lotus temple. And this ‘terrific trio’ performed a total hara-kiri there. We had lunch at an outstanding South Indian restaurant with Sir treating us :-)

Miss Pat also surveyed the International Trade Fair, Delhi and the wondrous Taj Mahal etc!!!

And then came the D-day…

A befitting farewell followed, with cake, sweets and gifts pouring in… All of us penned down our best wishes on the farewell card!

The journey back to the airport was next. Life had come a full circle!

At 1.30 am in the night of 30th November, she checked inside the airport and waved us…

I was assigned as a buddy to her. And in the end, we were the Perfect Buddies!!

Take care Pat and stay in touch :-)

The story-teller is back…

It is always a pleasure to be back in Doon, even if its only for a few days. And once this sweet period is over, I have to rush back to gurgaon. And I am not really fond of it. But alas! You don’t have a choice. So as I geared up for the monotonous journey back – all alone, I had no idea what was in store for me…

There is just one direct bus shuttling between the two cities. Officially, it leaves from ISBT at 11pm every night. For any ordinary bus, reaching 10-15 minutes in advance would have sufficed. But, then this is no ordinary bus: Welcome to the Bus Extraordinaire (BE)!
Infact, some of my well-wishers had already advised me to reach ISBT earlier. This meant: 9.30pm to be on the safe side (90 minutes before the scheduled time!). Anytime later may jeopardise my plans. So I decided to play safe. And the rest is History:

Scene 1 (On Independence day break)-

I was there at 9.35pm (a trifle later than expected). Now as this was my first rendezvous with BE, so I was unawares of its location. I went to the enquiry to check it out! There was this typical enquiry guy (in his mid 50’s or so). I started: ‘Bhaiya woh gurgaon wali bus kahaan…'
I was cut short, as boomed the reply: ‘Arre bhai late ho gaye ho aap toh, jaldi jao platform no. 14’! I don’t exactly remember whether it was this urgency in his voice. But whatever be it, I literally ran to no. 14. One look at the maddening crowd there and I had a hint of difficult times ahead. There was a huge line (never ever seen anything like that before). I gingerly searched for the end as I stood there dazed. Well, it was my lucky day or night: I got the all-important ticket (a big achievement keeping in mind that almost 30% of the people did not!!!). Well everything went smooth from there on…

Scene 2 (On Rakshabandhan break)-

This time, I came well prepared. Infact, I was there at 9.15pm. But My God! As I reached no. 14, there was not a single soul to be seen. All had vanished without a trace. Then I recollected my thoughts: During my journey from platform no. 50 to no. 14, a bewildered crowd was running haphazardly towards me and there were familiar faces.


Suddenly, a voice roared: ‘Gurgaon jaane wali sawariyon se anurodh hai ki who platform no. 42 mein line bnaiyen’! And it was Run-time again. On no. 42, CHAOS prevailed…
A ruffled up person was standing on a bench and shouting at the top of his voice: ‘Agar tumne line nahi bnaiye to saa*** kisiko ticket nahi milegi aur…’. Before the conductor (yes I had recognized the poor soul) could finish. The raging crowd backfired: ‘Hamein pagal samjha hai kya b***c***, picchle 2 ghante se kabhi yahaan kabhi wahaan bhaga rakha hai. Teri toh ****…’

I was almost paralysed at my place. When I finally returned to my senses and got hold of the situation, it seemed too late. I was standing on the 7th new line (the guy ahead of me told me this highly controversial no. – he had arrived at 8pm to catch BE). Hoping against hope, I gazed at my watch: 9.55pm. Then I looked forward at a gleam of hope. For there right at the start of the line, stood my old coaching class friend- Mayank! I knew: it was now or never! I dumped my bag on the ground and ran towards my would-be savior. After a quick introduction (Thank God! He recognized me too). He agreed to buy my ticket also, if allowed. But there was one small problem: His bag was lying somewhere in the BE. I assured him that I would take care of his belongings.

The interior of the bus told a different story. People had already occupied 90% of the seats and his Red & Black bag was nowhere to be found. Then I glanced on that last seat: Yippee! There it was lying beneath 3 big bags. In an instant fit, I took the bag in one hand and jumped to the nearest vacant seat. Two seats were booked now by yours truly, but where was Mayank?
More people had started filling the bus now (with those precious tickets in their hands). And then I saw a family of 4 people approaching the last seat.

‘Bhaiya yahaan koi baitha hai kya (pointing to the bag)’
My reply: ‘Haanji’
‘Kahaan hai???’
My reply: ‘Mera dost hai, washroom se aa rha hai…’
‘Jab aayega tab baithna, abhi utho yahaan…’

Before I could bounce back, there he was: my dear friend with the tickets. I have never been so much relieved to see a person.

So as 8 people sat on the last seat of BE: victorious after waging a herculean battle, the bus finally moved! I was again lucky. Because the whole bus was completely packed to the doors, with people standing everywhere (believe me even on a night journey)…

To be Continued…

I was LOST:

‘The vagaries of an uncertain mind’ had taken over…
Suddenly there were too many questions and too few answers???
There was too much to do & so less time to do it…
I was always one step short and everyone else seemed to be a step forward!
Everything was becoming unmanageable day-in and night-out!

Something was wrong, very wrong somewhere!
The smiling face had LOST its charm, work was assuming gigantic proportions and to top-it-all, I even freaked out at one of my dear flat mates (without any reason).

Life was going haywire, spinning out-of-control, never like before!
& then happened the unimaginable: I LOST myself physically: on that dreaded night, I bled like it was going to be The End of Days! Courtesy, my flatmates it became nothing serious…
And that was the wake-up call for me.

Because, then I relaxed (oh, how I like that word). I decided to take a break and it paid off! I remembered: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! And then I implemented it…
It was a journey of rediscovering my inner self.
Peace, happiness, laughter, joy… Everything was back!

It all turned out to be a BIG learning for me, though it came the hard way. But this is something I will never forget for the rest of my life.

My six-pence to the world is: Take everything by the smooth handle. And SMILE, because it is infectious!

No gyaan here, just lessons from my experience.

And hard work counts, but smart work counts more!

Because, The Smarter you work: The Luckier you get!

The earlier uncertainties had evaporated and I was pretty sure in my head now! There was answer for every question now, because I had erased many questions. The time was on my side yet again. Everyone was on the same page. And I FOUND the key to managing my life better.

Yes, I was Lost earlier…

But I have FOUND myself again :-) :-) :-)

P.S. This post is based on some real experiences, which I can’t detail too much. But I assure you those were hard times. Nonetheless, the good, no the better, infact the BEST thing is its all back to normal again. Hence, I am back to blogging again.

I call ‘it’ the “Blogging syndrome”. Now, this refers to a curious situation in which a blogger can’t stay away from updating his/her blog after a specific duration (Otherwise there is a big crisis!). This time-period may vary from being few hours/days to maybe weeks and months. He/She has to religiously follow this regime or abnormality beckons! Its latest victim is “yours truly”. The time-frame happens to be a couple of weeks or there-about. So here I go again…
The purpose of this post is two-fold:
1. Ofcourse, to remind my dear readers that this patient is a severe case of BGS. Infact, it is fast becoming an epidemic in the blogosphere. So fellow bloggers: Beware!
2. To answer the eternal TGIF (Thank God Its Friday!) question:
What are you planning to do this weekend?

Now, this is a rather tricky question. For had it been dehradun, one could have come up with some interesting solutions after a bit of brain-storming! Well there are so many places to visit & lots of things to enjoy in ‘my’ doon.

But, alas its gurgaon, we are talking about! And when this query is about ‘there’ gurgaon, you always unfailingly utter this stale one-liner:
Malls, Movies etc.
Oh I almost forgot, there is Mocks in the end too (reminds me of how I forget to give the mocks too!).
This is not a complete answer. It is applicable when you are not busy with other very important weekend activities such as sleeping, sleeping and more sleeping………………………
So when you are not pursuing this favourite hobby of mine, you try (with not-so-great expectations) to explore the minimum city (liked this name more than the city itself!). The first place you go to (the word ‘visit’ should not be used here: it sounds too good) is Malls and then there is no second place! (Stumped?)

Though there are quite a few of this type here, you will not find any striking differentiation between all of them. But its quite amazing how most of this city’s junta targets the one & only: The Metropolitan Mall (Its in the name I think!). You must have heard about the Delhi marathon and stuff like that. Well, something very similar takes place here too. For those wise people, who don’t wake up early in the morning (like me) for a walk, this turns out to be an intelligent alternative. They walk ones & tens of kilometers. From one shop to another, from one elevator to another. They go forwards & backwards, upwards & downwards. Sometimes (no most of the times), they stop, so as to admire the artificial beauty around (no offence to the fairer sex, but its meant to be a wake up call for the relevant readers). And yes, some of them (who are fed up with money) are interested in ‘shopping’ as well. (And just in case you were wondering: ‘I’ have been a part of ‘they’ from the last century of days or so…)

But there are exceptions: As there is indeed another different class of ggnites, which does not walk but sprints to the ticket counter, watch the movie and then ‘quietly’ move out.
‘Quietly’ because they are always baffled by this query: “Was this worth 200 bucks?”

In this context, the ‘I’ in this ‘they’ has been lucky so far. As all I’s movie ventures here have been worth the fortune (Harry Potter-5, Ocean’s 13, Chak De! India & The Bourne Ultimatum).

And then there are the ‘Mocks’.
My long-term relationship with this species has witnessed different phases: ‘The Good, the Bad & the Ugly’ (exactly in this order). The Ugly phase seems to be almost over now (or so I hope). And most probably, the ‘Good’ would be back pretty soon (how I wish that!!!).

So as I try to prioritize & implement my plans (to bring the mocks before the malls and movies). Its time to change the gears for ‘The Race Ultimatum’ on November, the 18th.

And if you were quizzing yourself about what ‘I’ meant by etc. (in the rare case that you still remember the title). It referred to my incessant gossips & some interesting conversations with friends! {Ok enough of brackets & commas, must be some sort of a record by now :-)}

So as my office colleague shoots another question at me:

What are you going to do this week?

Work, Work, Work etc. :-)

COUNTER

What If

The Sky was green and leaves were blue,
And all the things that I imagined were true.

I was not just another ordinary guy,
And there was more to a conversation than a simple ‘hi’.

What If

Gurgaon was another home away from the picturesque landscape of doon,
And the city had more to offer than lots of confusion and an aura of gloom.

The people were sane enough, the weather was more tolerable & everything was not in a fix,
And House no. 20 in gurgaon was somewhat similar, if not exactly like doon’s House no. 166.

What If

Life was a 24*7 masti, with not so hectic office and an all-out weekend fun,
And all this was an exception to the famous saying: ‘Its easier said than done’!

Everyone was not in a tearing hurry reminiscent to the hustle & bustle of 20-20 cricket,
And one had more time to stop, gaze and then enjoy life, much like the slow rumble of 5-day cricket.

What If

I knew the ‘reason’ behind my mortal existence on planet Earth & what exactly I was required to do?
My goals were a lot clearer, my dreams were less hazy and I stuck to my plans like the binding glue.

November 18 was not the most important date of the year 2007 for me,
And I had the courage to lock all my CATastrophic books in a room and throw away the damned key.

What If

The sole motive of my every endeavor in life was not only about: ‘I, Me & Myself’,
& I could contribute to my fellow beings, my nation and the whole world, unperturbed by the fate of thyself.

I was not just another brick in the wall,
& stood up, took guard and lead India, whenever there was a call.

What If

The Sky was green and leaves were blue,
And all the things that I imagined were true.

The “poetic me” was not an outright loser,
And my dreams & reality were not far away, but distinctly closer!

This post is on popular demand of my friends:

Its been 10 days now, out of my comfort zone (refer my last post). And as I sit back on the cushioned chair in ‘my’ EVS office, on ‘beach time’ ( which means free time) after a long, tiring & relatively boring project ( all those adjectives are very carefully chosen), its time to introspect, circumspect & retrospect on the chain of events & their consequences too!

Exhilarating: They say you have to see it, to believe it. Before joining EVS, I had a very positive feedback about the no.1 KPO in the world… & I am glad to say that EVS has lived up to its reputation! Once you enter into cyber park, gurgaon into their offices, you can almost feel the difference. Their motto is: Quality & its almost remarkable how they not only follow it but also exceed the standards most of the times… You are a part of an elite class here, amongst the best brains in the country & from abroad too: IITians, IIM grads & the cream from all the reputed institutes.

Venerate: They almost demand respectfulness in whatever they do: in interaction with clients or with employees or with anybody else & most importantly they respect everybody too! Its almost an unsaid & self-understood principle here.

Skillful, strategic & sublime: They follow this “3 S” rule. They have a group of highly skilled & motivated people working for a project, those who strategize well in advance & then are sublime in their execution, always delivering 100 when the client has just asked for 10.

This was the EVS effect..!!

But once you move out of this majestic workplace, not everything is rosy here…
Because then you look at gurgaon & its side-effects:

Take out the malls, skyscrapers & some other time-pass places here & the place is in a complete mess! Yes I don’t like it at all (at least till now, hope my perception changes though!) , it’s a tough & fast life out there, you have to run for everything: from finding a good place to live ( believe me its an uphill task to find a decent PG in all respects), there are power-cuts, the heat is scorching, the food & water is not upto the mark ( as a result of which I have been very ill, the last few days), its one of the most unsafe places in the country, the whole place becomes a muddy swimming pool whenever it rains ( irrespective of the quantity),i.e, the drainage system is pathetic & the people are anything but warm & caring!
All in all, a sea change from the world of “dehradun” ( which incidentally remains my favourite destination till now & by a good enough margin).

There is more but I would not dwell about it now… ( actually have to submit the project now & the beach time is over)…
So all in all its been a mixed bag till now…
But I sincerely hope that EVS continues to march forward in its quest for excellence & I contribute my level best to it!
And I also hope that I have been seriously mistaken in my assessment of gurgaon!

Till next post ( read beach time), good bye & take care…

“ Ting ting ting ting…
It’s been 20 min. since the alarm clock is ringing, the snooze-mode is on…
Finally at 7:35 am, a still tired soul moves out from bed after sleeping for 200 minutes or so… but there are no regrets (it’s a routine now)…
At a speed which would put Schumacher credentials in a jeopardy, the guy is moving out of his PG room at 7:58 am, the bus stop is not exactly a 2 minute walk, but the poor soul sprints like a would be Gatlin to reach there at 8:01 am & to his relief the company cab has not left yet…

He reaches office at 8:30 am, reports at the main desk & starts working at 9am after completing yesterday’s work in a hurry! He works continuously for 10 hrs with a mini-lunch break in between. Gets out, absolutely distressed not only by the workload but also by the scorching heat of Gurgaon, at 7:30 pm, reaches his room at 8pm. Falls down on his bed like a lifeless body. Sometimes he takes dinner also & chats with his room-mate too, then goes back to complete the pending work again. He does not remember when he slept but fixes the alarm all rite…”

Meet professional Jitin Sharma working in gurgaon!!!

No all this has not begun yet but starting 18 june, all this & more is about to happen, maybe in a lot gruesome manner then what my dreams tell me…

Yes, this was a dream (the part that I remember, that is) & I don’t want it to come true… but somewhere deep down in my heart I know for sure that from a few days from now I would be ‘Out of my comfort zone’…

Life would be a hectic 24*5 schedule (Thank God weekends are off!)
Part & parcel of the professional world…

And all this after completing 4 enjoyable years at college, well its almost unbelievable how life can change at such a short notice…
Not that I was unawares of the fact on 23rd March(when I got placed), but now reality bits me harder as I come closer to the P-day ( a bigger cousin of the D-day)…

Not all is lost though, infact I am looking forward to this rendezvous, to come face to face with the corporate big-wigs for real. The world I have only heard about till now or seen on TV & cinema only!

I am in transition mode yet again…
From being an innocent child to a schoolboy,
From being a teenager to an adult,
From being a first year college junior to a complete engineer now…

& I have always been amazed by the challenges, which accompanies such transitional phases…
Whether good or bad, these experiences are an integral part of one’s learning curve, the metamorphosis of an amateur into an all round human being, & for complete personality development too.

So as I enter into the offices of Evalueserve(EVS) from next Monday, rest assure I would be ready for another transition!!!

The journey is about to begin…

& there are Miles to go before I sleep...

Samuel Johnson, the 18th century English poet & critic, once said:

“Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance”.

Now, this post is on TENNIS.
But it is not about the ‘genius’ of Roger Federer.
It is not even about the heroics of the glam girl Maria Sharapova ( two sportspersons I have written about earlier).

Nor does it deal with the Roddick’s, Hewitt’s or Safin’s of men’s tennis.
& Neither it describes the exploits of the Williams sisters or former no. 1 Amelie Mauresmo or the Russian brigade: Kuznetsova, Dementeiva, Myskina, Chakvetdze etc… (this is a long list indeed).

Infact, this is about the quotation of Samuel Johnson…

And this perseverance was on show aplenty during the French Open’07.
As for three years running now, the tennis folklore has been amazed by the sheer dominance on the red clay of Roland Garros by 2 players.

Well for those tennis dimwits who have not guessed it by now, I am referring to:
Justin Henin-Hardenne & Rafael Nadal.

Justin Henin-Hardenne:

A snapshot of her performance in French Open’07:

Quarters: def. S.Williams 6-4,6-3.
Semis: def. J.Jankovic 6-2,6-2.
Final: def. A.Ivanovic 6-1,6-2.

Which means that she overcame the current Australian Open champ effortlessly & then steamrolled past her miserable opponents dropping just 7 games: semifinal & final combined!

& If you thought that it was just a showcase of temporary form by the little Belgian, then beat this: The indomitable star has now won 3 straight Frenchies from 2005 onwards, 21 matches in a row, without breaking a sweat ( most of the times ). One of the rarest feats in the modern era indeed!

Rafael Nadal:

There is just one match on one court during the whole year when the King himself becomes the miser. When Federer sheds his favourite tag & plays like an underdog. When His Majesty, Your Highness, The Emperor himself bows towards his more fancied opponent. The occasion is:

FEDERER vs NADAL on a clay court.

But this year the tables were turned around during the Hamburg Masters, when Roger, after many failures, finally succeded in beating Nadal, with a 6-0 thrashing in the final set.

The million-dollar question was:

Will the history repeat itself during French’07 grand finale???

Well, the history did repeat itself, but it was not of the Hamburg Masters but on the contrary, it was of the French’06 finale!!!

With the title of GOAT (Greatest of All Time) at stake, the Swiss maestro gave it his all… But when you are facing this clay perfectionist, one thing you know for sure is that sometimes even your best efforts are good for nothing… And Roger learnt it the hard way: Vanquished in 4 sets yet again & for now the GOAT title took a backstage!

Conclusion:
They came almost like nobodies at Roland Garros in 2005…
They saw the red clay, the French hospitality & their opponents…
& then,
They conquered one & everyone who came in their path…
They are now the King & Queen of the French Open…

Queries:
Would Federer be able to win the French open ever?
Is ‘he’ the GOAT himself?
Would ‘they’ conquer the red clay yet again in ’08?

Remember Samuel Johnson & his golden words…

PS: I would really like to know your opinion on the above questions & I owe the origin of the term GOAT to one of my fellow bloggers. And I am fond of it :-)

Question: “How would you describe your stay in Thapar in three words?”

Answers: A Sine Curve
Roller-coaster ride
A learning experience

…B L A C K & W H I T E…

That last answer came out of the blue or did it? Well, these two colours represent the two extremes. The end-points of the line segment which started its journey sometimes during September’03 & came to a halt at the end of May’07. Now ‘Black’ refers to the minima’s of the Sine curve, lows of the roller-coaster ride & bad experiences of the learning curve. ‘White’ is the spectrum of my colorful days at Thapar, the maxima’s, the highs & the good experiences!!! So here it goes…

B L A C K
My very first day at my alma mater: I had just left my parents & home far behind. I was about to enter into a new world. The fear of the unknown had horrified me to the core. I knew no one here. I was a stranger & all alone.

W H I T E
A month into the college, the scene had changed for the better. I had made many new friends & had come to terms with the rigour of college life. Even the hostel-life seemed very fascinating to me now.

B L A C K
The last days of the first semester were like hell. I had never ever studied all night long in my whole life before. Those exam days brought me to my wits end! And worst of all, even after those sleepless nights, I came up with a terrible result!

W H I T E
Aha… how I liked that first semester break. I was back to home for a two weeks break at a stretch. Something that seemed almost impossible during those exam days. This break rejuvenated my spirits…

B L A C K
The second semester was even worse than the first one (academically that is). I broke all my previous records of low scores. The subject I dreaded the most was: EGRA. Infact I came tantalizingly close to a D grade in it!

W H I T E
From the start of the second year, commenced the ‘golden age’@Thapar!
I became a part of the most rocking batch ever to grace the then TIET: ‘The chemical 2k3 batch’… ( & its not an exaggeregation)
So much so that the Blacks almost disappeared from my life…

W H I T E
The next two years turned out to be one of the best phases of my life. I made same great friends… had a fantastic time during all those trips… had a jamboree evening every now & then… studied under some very good teachers & even improved upon my acads!

B L A C K
Though the seventh semester training period at home in Dehradun should have been another enjoyable phase… I messed it up by screwing up with the MBA entrance exams… I regret that moment till now!

W H I T E
The start of the final year brought joys to the faces of many as it was the placement time! I still remember the no. 786(7th Aug ’06), when I got placed… I felt on top of the world at that moment…

B L A C K
The last semester started with an anti-climax. A six month gap during training seemed to have a negative impact on our otherwise mast batch! Then some further misunderstandings (scrapping time in particular) compounded the matter further. The million dollar question now was: “Would our batch never be the same again”???

W H I T E
The answer to that question was a big “NO”!!! Because during the next few months, we dissolved all our differences & had the most rollicking time of our lives: The Mcleod Ganj trip, the farewell party, placement parties, thanksgiving party to our respected teachers followed by colour dress codes in our final dayz, scribbling T-shirt day, Dandia night with director sir etc. All this enlightened our spirits…

B L A C K
And then came those last days of college: the partying time…
“As to meet, to know and then depart is the saddest tale of every heart”…
One by one we all left the hallowed portals of the now Thapar university (TU)… Everyone tried hard to keep the emotions under check… but tears kept on flowing… Within a moment it was all OVER!!!

W H I T E
On the brighter side: The initials Er. were now a part of my name. Finally. I had become an engineer!
So as I prepare myself to enter into the professional world of cut-throat competition…

Walking down memory lane, I will always remember the day when my life took a TU turn…

Sayonara…

During my last 4 years in college, there have been many ‘Fridays’…
Even more no. of lectures in E-block… Many times my cell phone on silent mode has beeped with a new sms…

But 11 May, 2007 was different from all other ‘Fridays’, & when I checked that sms on 11:55 am from one of my friends, my heart skipped a beat, a rush of emotions went through my head, the msg read:

“Never again the campus shall v walk, Never again in break shall v talk.
Its all over, v r leaving everything here.
The end was so far, but now seems so near.” :-(

And it was at that very moment, when reality hit me hard.
During the next 5 min. the time had come to a standstill. All those moments of college: the good, the better & the best, the ups & downs, went through my mind like a flashback. During all these years, I have never ever yearned a lecture to go on indefinitely, but today I wished so. Never ever had I listened to my teacher’s words with so much attention. But it was hard to concentrate, I was on the verge of breaking down.

And then the clock ticked 12…

It was the beginning of the END. It was going to be my “last lecture” in college. My last hour in the lecture rooms of college. My last interaction with the teachers in a classroom. My last notes ( not that there were many of them already), in the notebook. The last of everything…

My eyes roamed through every part of the room. There it was written on the blackboard: “Last working day of 2k3 batch”. Half of the class was empty. But one sight at those who were present & you knew that were also going through a flood of emotions. Our ‘mehta sir’ sensing the significance of this moment & the look on the face of the students, halted the lecture & shared his thoughts & experiences with us. At the end of it, like what has become a ritual now, there was a ‘photo-session’ with respected sir & everyone of us thanked him for his advice.

On any given ordinary day, the class should have been empty by now. But today was not ‘any ordinary day’, no one wanted to leave the room. So around 10-11 of us friends stayed there, discussed about our experiences, the best & the worst moments, our first days in college & what not!

When we finally decided to leave the room for that one ‘last’ time, everyone had gone nostalgic & went out with a heavy heart. As I moved out of room no. E-106, my cell phone beeped again. There could not have been a more appropriate sms to sum up the occasion. It read:

“ I walk back towards d large gates, breeze rustling leaves across d road, fluttering in wind! Walk past d lifeless canteen wid no one to shout! Peep into empty classes, missing d screams of joy. Stand at d tree where a hundred love was declared n broken. A single tear escapes my eye n falls towards d emptiness of d sand, as my mind races in thought. Alone I stand, as I think its all over. And only memories remain.”

I exist in two worlds:

The “imperfect” (I) world-

I have been living here for the past 22 years or so. I have a permanent name here & some nicknames too. This is because I don’t have the liberty to decide about either of them. My parents decided the former one & my friends the later ones. Infact, this could be generalized to almost all my activities here, because I seldom have control over my life. I make plans about my near future & they are thwarted, not once, not twice, but again & again… till I almost give up & resign to the fate. Yes, destiny plays a very significant role here. But, the most soothing thing here is that I know for sure that whatever happens in this ‘I’ world is REAL. I can feel it, physical entities exist here & emotions have their say too. Moreover, it is more fascinating because you can never predict the future.

What is going to happen with you during the next day, next hour, next minute & even the next second!!! “Uncertainty” rules the roost. And that is why it is an “imperfect” world. And this is the reason why I LIKE it so much.

Till 2006, february was the month, I don’t remember exactly: this was the world in which I lived, I survived, I laughed, I cried, I made friends & then more friends. I went through almost every human emotion possible.

And then something happened……………………………..

“Virtual reality” (VR) world-

5 MAY, 2007: jitin.sharma@gmail.com

Welcome Jitin(~College~)
You are connected to 51,799,530 people through 271 friends.
Grow your network now!

You have 43 fans.
3,369 scraps.
Your profile views:Since Feb '06: 4,932, Last week: 39.

And so on & on it goes…

I can bet 99 percent of the people who are reading this article know what I am talking about. This the homepage of the most famous social networking website on internet: orkut. And I am also sure that not even half of you all ( including me) would have had any idea whatsoever about this, before feb 2006 or so ( one year back from now).

This is MY world. I control everything here. I can change my name here. I can write whatever I want in my profile. I can even explore other’s people world here without any restriction. In a nutshell, I can do whatever I like & whenever I like to do anything.

But still I don’t like it more than the ‘I’ world. And there are reasons to it.
This is an UNREAL world, almost a case of “virtual reality”. Where you cannot feel anything physical. You have friends, but you can’t touch them. You can write scraps, but you can’t talk. You may be connected to millions of people through one another, but you may not be knowing even 0.1% of them all. Here, you don’t know the TRUTH. Just like yourself, others possess the same powers too. They can penetrate your virtual world, whether you like it or not.

And this VR world is the one which is dominating our lives now. It is spinning its web on us, without our knowledge. We are being caught unawares. We are getting ADDICTED!!!

But the fact is that now, we have become slaves in this world. We can’t survive without it. The Yahoo messengers, google talks & other chat rooms are intruding in our daily life.

So what should we do?

“Everything in excess is a mess”. So the need of the hour is a perfect synchronization between the two worlds. A harmonious relationship between both of them.

Because its not a battle: REAL vs VIRTUAL world.

Infact its just the opposite: REAL & VIRTUAL world.

A mixture of both ingredients would make a delicious & nutritional dish. The excess of any one of them would spoil it.

What should be the percentage of both???

That everybody has to decide for himself.

After all, its always a matter of personal choice.

Hope all of us make the right decision!

PS: This is not meant to undermine the inherent benefits of social networking sites in any way. This only serves as a wake up call from the slumber we are in now. To get over this addiction.

As Australia marched into the semifinals of the World Cup cricket ’07 as the “ONE” & only team with an unbelievably unbeaten record yet again (the last time they lost a WC match was way back in 1999 vs Pakistan), it almost looked as if everyone else has resigned to the fate. Just have a look at the way the Aussie juggernaut has steamrolled the other 3 teams already in this event:

· South Africa: They amassed a mammoth 377 against one of the best pace attacks in the world, eventually winning by 83 runs.
· Sri Lanka: They routed the hapless islanders by 7 wickets in an utterly one-sided encounter.
· Newzeland: Now this was one team which had blanked the kangaroos handsomely by a margin of 3-0 in the last series before WC ( an awesome feat by any standards indeed). And it is horrible to contemplate what happened to them??? They were crucified by 215 runs in the last Super Eight match!!!

It’s no longer a contest anymore. It is a case of Total annihilation, complete decimation & absolute destruction of the opposition in all respects.
It’s the Power of “ONE” unleashed…

They say that sport is a great leveler. But let me ask you some questions:

How many times have we seen “ONE” tennis player from Switzerland win every single match, against every possible opponent, every single time, day in & day out?
OR
How many times have we witnessed “ONE” formula one driver winning every single race on every single surface & then every championship year after year after year?
OR
“ONE” golf player stamping his authority again & again & again!
“ONE” soccer player beating innumerable defenders to score an impossible goal!
“ONE” basketball player breaking all NBA records once & for all!

They also say that GOD is invisible! But in my opinion, these are the blessed times when GOD himself or herself decides to play on earth by entering into the souls of the mortals. There may be people who won’t agree with me, but then how do you explain these inexplicable achievements with a logical & rational school of thought? The fact is that you simply can’t do that!

Because there are certain things which are better left unexplained or if these have to be explained somehow, then we will have to believe that there are times:

When Roger Federer can’t hit a shot long or into the net, however hard he may try… When Michael Schumacher can’t slow down his Ferrari or take a wrong turn even if he wants to… When Tiger Woods can’t control his eternal magnificence even if he desires so… When Pele can’t pass the ball to a wrong player or hit wider of the goal post even from the half-line… When Michael Jordan can’t fail to shoot even from the farthest point of the opposite side of the court…

These are the times when “ONE” species ( be it a team or a player etc.) rules the kingdom of sport!

Now coming back to cricket, if this is what awaits the Proteas in the semis against the mighty aussies, then even the almighty can’t help them out, bcoz then they would be up against the GOD themselves. Then the lanka-kiwi match would only be fit for the runner-up position indeed.

But only time will tell whether or not the GODS decide to play again…
& whether or not: The Power of “ONE” is unleashed yet again…

The last semester in college for me has been different from earlier SEVEN in more ways the one. There are 4 rules, one has to follow:
First: You don’t study…
Second: You don’t let others study too (in the rare case if anyone wants to)
Third: You keep reminding everyone of the first two rules…
Fourth: You never ever break the first three rules.

But then what the hell do you do, especially when you are a hostel resident?

Well either you can sleep & sleep & sleep even more…
Or you can join the HBO MOVIE CLUB!
HBO refers to the Hostel Box office.

So I decided to go for the later option & since then it has been a roller coaster ride during this never-ending movie fest. One of my dearest friend is the organizer of this fest, in which movies are screened almost everyday, irrespective of any time frame, there is no difference between a.m & p.m whatsoever. The only thing that matters is: Quality.

A brief glimpse:

It all started with the Matt Damon & Leonardo Di Caprio starrer, oscar winner DEPARTED, to the movie which brought down the sales of diamond all over the world: BLOOD DIAMOND, then to the amazingly hilarious AMERICAN PIE series, a disappointing sequel FINAL DESTINATION-3 ( I was hoping for a much better one), a mesmerizing showcase called THE ILLUSIONIST, a new 007 in CASINO ROYALE, watching LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL for the umpteenth time, the Brad Pitt starrer SEVEN, horror movies like SILENT HILL & THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE, to scintillating thrillers: THE RECRUIT & SPYGAME.

For a change, few top-notch hindi movies also made it to HBO. From the oscar nominated WATER to Nagesh Kukkunor’s (My favourite Bollywood director) awesome twosome: 3 DEEWAREIN & DOR. I also remember watching OMKARA during exam nights.

Now I come to the most exhilarating season of the movie fest, where every movie seemed to surpass the earlier one. Just have a look:

From one of the most sensational thrillers I have ever seen: MINDHUNTERS, to one of the greatest movie of all times SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION… From the Brad Pitt’s electrifying FIGHT CLUB to the longest & most incredible movie of this fest SCHINDLER’S LIST…
& last but not the least: From the most unique movie of HBO: THANK YOU FOR SMOKING to the latest movie which was screened, a movie which moves in a flashback all the way, a movie which we had to pause after every 10 min., so as to keep pace with it, a movie which you can watch any no. of times & still enjoy it, a once-in-a-lifetime extravaganza: MEMENTO!!!

& many many more…

And its still not over… with a month still to go (till may end), there is still ample time for more such blockbusters… But out of all these my pick of the best 5 (not in any specific order) is:

Departed , Blood Diamond , Shawshank Redemption , Mindhunters & Memento.

Whats your pick guys?

PS: Well I would be very much interested in knowing whats your pick of all these??? & if you can recommend any more blockbusters which could be screened in HBO??? Reply soon… only one month to go…

One of the best things of being a part of chemical 2k3batch of TU (formerly known as TIET) Patiala is tha tyou get to do a lot of things that students from other branches can only dream about! Take for example theno. of so called “industrial trips” that I have been apart of. The no. stands at 5 as of now. And when youthink that some students can’t even think aboutorganizing let alone going to even a single trip, thisindeed is a big number. Infact, it is a TU record! We“chemchiz” have been to NFL nangal, a brewery inSolan, Nestle, shreyans paper mill during the courseof the last three years. The one thing common betweenall these trips was that each one of them was more enjoyable than its previous counterpart. So thebiggest challenge of our fifth trip to McLeod Ganj waswhether or not we could yet again have a fantabolous time. And take my word for it that this time we surpassed all our expectations!!!

The big difference was the fact that our junior chemical batch was also along with us this time & thatmade this trip all the more memorable. Actually officially we were supposed to visit a food industry named shivambu, but like past trips it was just a formality as this again was a “fun trip” instead. We left for this amazing journey at around 6am fromTU. The private bus was a video coach & unfortunatelyit started with never-heard-of & intolerable Punjabi songs. Moreover both senior & junior batches were busyin their own groups & I wondered what lies ahead?

Ourfirst major stop was at the anandpur sahib gurudwara,where we all took the blessings of the “wahe guru” forthe ensuing journey ahead. We reached the industry indistrict Una at around lunch time as was expected. Andthis is what we did there: Drank mango & pineapple juices made by them, then had a sumptuous lunch afterwhich amidst loud yawns, most of the tired souls wentto sleep in the comfortable sofas there. So much sothat the industry guys had to serve us tea to wake usagain. Then we had a whirlwind round of the industry in a record time of exactly 40 min.!Then we left for dharamshala & henceforth the most interesting part of our voyage began.

Now “antakshari”is one game that everyone can play & in this case itserved as the binding glue between the two batches.The contest was intense with both sides singing onesong after the other & so on… The whole group was nowenjoying. It first started drizzling when we reachedour hotel & then the clouds bursted during dinnertime. Everyone had a sound sleep of 3-4 hrs that night. Because we wake up at 5am again the next day &left for the “valley of hills: McLeod Ganj”. Thescenery was enigmatic, mountains were majestic & the whole atmosphere was magnificent. Our firstdestination at McLeod Ganj was the “Dall lake” &everyone was busy capturing each & every moment ontheir cameras, mobiles, digicams, handicams & what not!

And then we had the thrill of our life. Next targetwas the waterfall & the road leading to it was nothingless than a trekking experience. 2-3 times we had almost decided that we can’t go any further because itwas almost impossible to do so without risking one’slife!!! But the sight of the wonderful waterfall keptall of us going… & finally we reached there & what asight it was???

An out of the world experience which mesmerized everyone of us. The place was simply stunningly beautiful, the water was icy cold & all ofus had gone berserk at this sight. It was 2 hours ofpure & uninhibited fun & frolic…Then we had our last stop at the Dalai Lama monastery& after doing some shopping we were on our way back.This time though the journey was even more fascinating. Kudos to our hosts, we played games likeKoffee with chemchiz, Dum shiraz, song dedication &Intro time!!!

The best part was that now there was no demarcation between juniors & seniors, everyone wasenjoying now with everybody else…Finally we reached our college again at around 1am,with everyone exhausted not because we had traveled around 16kms in hills for around 7-8 hrs but becausenobody of us had ever dreamt that we were going to have such an electrifying trip!!!

And for those who think that its all over now… justfor your kind information that we all are now planning “A trip to vaishno devi”!!!

And I assure you that we will have even more funthere…

Till then good-bye…

One of the dictionary meanings of “spectacle” is: An unusual or unexpected event or situation which attracts attention, interest or disapproval. And “spectacles” also mean glasses.

So one fine morning while attending a lecture in college & sitting on one of the last benches (a must for a final year student), I realized that not only the words of the teacher were creating confusion in my mind but even the writings on the blackboard were blurred! It was time I had an eye check up. The result: a power of –0.25 in both eyes. Not very bad for sure. But somehow the idea of wearing new fashionable spectacles was ingrained in my mind, partially as a result of most of my friends having good looking spects already & also because I desperately wanted to know how I looked like in them! So from that day onwards these “spectacles” of mine have created quite a “spectacle”. Just read on to find why?

A group of boys & girls are waiting for the next lecture to commence outside the lecture room in college.

Mr. A (with an incomprehensible look on his face): This is impossible!!!
Miss B: Hey what happened?
Mr. A (pointing towards me): Any guesses who is this guy coming towards us?
Miss B: My goodness! Don’t tell me that he is jitin???

Before Mr. A can give his opinion… another guy barges in…

Mr. C: He is Jitin Sharma for sure but what the hell is he wearing?
Mr. A: Looks like some sort of WELDING GLASSES yaar!!!

The whole group breaks up into peals of laughter… & this unfortunate soul (me that is) has almost joined the group now…

Mr. D (pointing to a chair in the room): Cum on jitinda just weld this chair… it is broken!
Miss B (in an uncontrollable fit): haaaaa… haaaa… haaaa… stoppppp!!!
Miss E (joining on this fun riot): On a serious note, I think jitin should be made the CEO of CWC ,i.e, C welding corporation (actually that first C word is uncensored, sorry!) So when are you coming for campus recruitment here? And…

Before Miss E has the pleasure of announcing the package that CWC should offer… it’s the turn of others to have their share of the cake…

Mr. F: NO NO NO! you all are wrong… he is our new masterji!!! Now everyone get ready masterji will take our attendance starting with me… Present masterji!

Finally the mute character in this whole discussion (me again) gets the chance to speak…

Me: Its too much yaar! Do I look so weird in these spectacles???

And then hoping to find some solace from his best friend Mr. G…

Me: What do you say G? Don’t I look good in these???

Mr. G: Well now that you ask me dear… these spectacles are indeed funky no doubt! Actually I was just contemplating which one of these would fit you better: IT professional or a fashion designer from Milan?

Me (proud of himself & with an air of satisfaction around him): SEE all of you… Mr. G is absolutely correct!!! I prefer to be a…

But before “Me” could finish… the icing on the cake…

Mr. G: Waaaaaaait!!! There is a third option also & that would fit you perfectly yaar… You remind me of BUGS BUNNY!!!

And now even all the laughter champions combined can’t generate more laughs than these!!! Even “Me” has a smile on his face…

What a spectacle!

24 years is a long period of time, considering the fact that personally I have not reached that figure as yet! “1983” was the golden year in the history of India in general & cricket in particular. When the Kapil Dev led vintage Indian team did the unthinkable of beating the mighty Lloyd XI in the World Cup finals. Somebody once quoted:
“Cricket is by chance & hockey is by dance”.
And 24 years back, we took our chances & henceforth the crowning glory. The Heaven was indeed with the Gods!!!

Come 13 March 2007, & the search for that elusive WC begins again. Though cricket is a game of shocks & surprises, still one can safely assume that the no. of teams: 16 are only for statistics. For when it comes down to listing the title contenders, we have 8 teams vying for the title: Amazing Australia, Enigmatic England, Indomitable India, Never-say-die Newzeland, Pulsating Pakistan, Super South Africa, Scintillating Sri lanka & the Wonderful West Indies.

At the start of the year, it looked as if it was a foregone conclusion that the Aussies would have a cakewalk in this cricket mahakumbh. But much to almost everyone’s relief, this no longer seems to be the case, especially after “A series of six shocking losses” for the defending champs & the tournament is wide open. England is a rejuvenated lot, Newzeland are on cloud no. 9 after blanking the kangaroos 3-0, Pakistan are as always the unpredictable lot, South Africa is the most consistent of them all & my favourites for the title, Sri lanka come along with their “chuppa rustam” tag, & the hosts can never be underestimated especially with inspirational leader Lara at their helm.

So this leaves us with the million dollar question: What about the Men in Blue???

Well Dravid may not be a perfectionist when it comes to captaincy, Sehwag may be woefully out of touch, Dhoni is not at its riveting best, Irfan is no longer regarded as the next Kapil & so on…

But the point is this: According to Kapil paaji himself this Indian cricket team is much superior to those 1983 fanatics in terms of talent & has the potential & the ability to go all the way. Ofcourse its easier said then done, but with Sachin slowly but surely coming to his majestic best, Ganguly: the man on a mission, Yuvraj & the younger co. ready to put all they have got. There is indeed a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel & maybe just maybe when the curtains fall on this grand saga on 28 April, the Heaven is indeed returned to the Gods after an agonizing wait of 24 years.

GO INDIA GO!!!