The Universe Is Aligning Itself...

The Project Begins

2011-05-21T17:22:00.001+05:30

“We were so happy together” she said. There was a smile on her face and wetness in her eyes suggesting that she was overwhelmed by what she was thinking about.

“Why did she do it? Why does it have to be the way she wants the world to be?” she asked as a tear rolled down her right cheek.

“Are we getting back together?” she asked. She was ready this time, ready for any response.

“No”, he replied. “I am here to do justice”

She nodded and looked outside the window thinking about what had happened.

Just two years ago, she was so happy. For the first time in her life she felt accepted, respected and appreciated. It was a new experience for her. She didn’t feel comfortable with her parents because she felt that they don’t like her and see her as a burden. Her workplace, a large multi-national company was her worst nightmare because of the politics it harbored. She had a lot of people around her, but she knew that no one really cared about her. Her shields were up, ensuring that she would not get into a bad relationship like most other people she knew.

But her shields were not strong enough to block the feeling of love. She looked at him and knew that he was right for her. They really didn’t know each other that well, but somehow her shields were off in front of him. She was emotional and caring while he was cold and ruthless. “Opposites attract!!”, she told herself. Somehow things went well and they came together. Her instincts were right - they were made for each other. She showed him the power of love and the ability to feel things as compared to just form an opinion around them. He showed her ways to deal with the real world. Lost in their newfound worlds both of them failed to see the storm ahead of them.

Although she didn’t fit into groups, she felt very comfortable with her only friend, The Bitch (of course this fulltime name was coined much later). If we look at it, The Bitch was not that bad at one point of time. Somehow unfortunate people feel nurtured with other people’s misery. The Bitch lived on people who gave her all the attention she wanted. A sudden loss of attention filled The Bitch with rage.

He suspected this and suggested that the presence of The Bitch was not healthy. But she told him that things will improve with time. She trusted The Bitch with her whole heart and made him accept The Bitch as a part of their new world. Her hope and optimism encouraged him to take decisions with his heart. In less than a year, they were closer than all the other people they knew.

“Why do you love me?” she asked him one day.

“I really can’t express it the way it’s expressed in cheesy books and movies, but the thing is that you know what needs to be done and I know how to do it. We need each other to take everything from start to finish”, he replied knowing it didn’t sound very impressive.

There she was, two years from that day. It took her two years to realize that The Bitch could not bear the lack of attention and played some dirty mind games to separate them, just like he warned her then.

“I know what needs to be done - Ruin her relationship like she ruined ours!!!!” she cried.

He looked into her eyes suggesting that he wanted her to ask for it.

“Complete me!! Tell me how we can do it??” she asked with her eyes red in fury.

With a wicked smile on his face he walked behind her and took a card out of his pocket. He placed it on her palm and then revealed the picture of a parachute on it.

“Project Eject” he whispered in her ears knowing that it had already triggered a few memories in her head.

to be continued....

The Formula for Fear

2011-02-24T02:08:00.002+05:30

Most of us are afraid of something or the other. It could be darkness, heights, animals, insects, etc. Whatever it is, the fear stays with us forever. Some adapt, some take precautions and the rest remain within the grip of this fear.

I feared sleeping alone in the dark. I have slept in a dark room for all my life. I enjoyed being alone most of the time and seldom approach others for company. But when I had to switch off the lights and sleep all alone, it was next to impossible. I spent sleepless nights for three months!!
Then one fine day, I decided to work on this fear. After spending some time on how I can reduce my fear, I found the answer in fear itself. I discovered the formula for fear

F=(e.a)+r

where F is the level of Fear
e is the emotional level of fear at a given point of time
a is the activity that triggers fear and cannot be controlled
r is the regulator that can be used to control fear

Since I am not afraid during broad daylight, we can say that e is lower. When it turns dark, e starts increasing. If there is light in the room, the activity is at zero, however a power failure is a trigger that changes this zero to a one.

Beyond this, activities like watching a horror movie, listening to ghost stories, keeping strange posters, etc could increase the fear. These are regulators that can be controlled by us. In a similar way, keeping a handy source of light, is a perfect regulator that can be used when a changes from zero to one.

Its been five months and I am sleeping alone in the dark, peacefully. I have ensured that a battery operated source of light is available in every room, thus pusing the a to zero, every time there is a power cut.

I wish this formula helps a lot more people to manage their fear and lead a good life!!

People Management

2011-01-16T19:16:00.003+05:30

We all have a lot of people in our lives and it's not easy to give equal priority to all of them. It could be family, close friends, colleagues, clients, rivals and yes... a complete stranger you plan to impress!! Just 24 hours to deal with so many people, sounds unfair, doesn't it?

I constantly faced this kind of an issue few years ago and decided to create a shelf for everyone I knew. Understanding that situations change people and relationships, I created a mechanism to move them around from time to time. Since I had 13 groups and 5 classes in each one of them, I simply decided to call this design - "G13 Class 5"

Based on how people interacted with me and how comfortable I felt with them, I created 13 groups and divided them by 5 classes. Everybody entered through Group 7 and depending upon the initial relationship, got placed into one of the five classes. If they meant more to me, they move on to the next group. Number of people and their priority, told me what phase of life I was leading.

Take a good look at this table and you will understand where people stand in your life and what phase of life you are living!! Enjoy!!

The Platinum Rule

2010-11-01T13:24:00.000+05:30

Those of you who watch How I Met Your Mother, must be aware of ‘The Platinum Rule’ – Never Love Thy Neighbors. The rule suggests that you should never get involved with people within your circle – people who meet you everyday

However I feel that this rule cannot be limited to people within your circle. In today’s dynamic world, there are so many cool people and things out there that this rule will apply even if we move beyond the circle. So what are we talking about anyways?

All relationships – romantic or non romantic, will go through the following stages at some point of time. Since this could be a person, couple or group, let me use ‘they’

Attraction – We look at them and just fall for them
Bargain – People tell us that they are not right, but we feel it will be ok
Submission – We do whatever they tell us. Everything they say feels so right
Perks – Being with them gives us added advantages
Tipping Point – They start getting possessive or too close
Purgatory – We regret being with them, crib about them and suffer for a while
Confrontation – We finally tell them its over
Fallout – They react making us feel like a bad person
Co-Existence – We both choose to move on and it ends there (not applicable to psychos)

So, make the best of it and remember... nobody's perfect!!

Everything is priced at its Perception

2010-05-19T20:27:00.001+05:30

Three brothers were travelling by air. Two of them were frequent flyers while the eldest one was flying for the first time.

"I just hope that I get the window seat", the second brother thought. "I can comfortably sleep throughout the flight, placing my head against the walls" he thought as he saw his elder brother moving ahead. "... and the best part is that I don't have to bother myself when someone wants to get up.", he concluded.

"I just hope that I get the aisle seat. Window seats feel like a corner and middle seats are for prisoners!!", the youngest brother thought. "The aisle is the most happening place!! You can easily access the overboard compartments and chat with the attendants too!!"

"The stars would look so big and bright", the elder brother thought as he took the window seat. He signaled the youngest one to sit besides him."

After ten minutes, the elder brother starred outside the window with a glee, watching the runway lights disappear. He was slightly bothered about the fact that the attendant showed him how to open the emergency exit while landing on water. "Why would they land on water?? We are not going to some tiny island!! How stupid!", he thought without noticing that his brothers sat folding their arms, one because of disappointment and the other because of a lack of choice.

After a while, the elder brother looked outside the window. There were no stars, let alone the bright and big ones!! He wanted to change his seat, so he looked at the youngest brother who was pretending to be asleep. So he looked at the second brother and suggested that he should switch places with him. As he tried to get up, a fellow passenger bumped into him, forcing the magazine in his hand to fall down. "I hate the aisle seat, how inconvinient", he thought. But he was happy that he finally got his window seat!!

The youngest brother realized that he once again missed the aisle seat and cursed his luck. As his brothers exchanged seats, he went back to his disappointed position... arms folded!! The second brother ignored the dark void outside the window, leaned against the wall and went to sleep with a smile.
The elder brother was getting upset as people 'pushed' him everytime they got up. "How uncivilized", he thought taking it personally and regretting his decision of exchanging seats. He looked at his brothers who were asleep by now.

After an hour, the youngest brother shook him a bit with an excuse to go to the washroom. The elder brother was annoyed because he had to get up. But his mood changed as soon as he realised that the middle seat was vaccant. He quickly took the seat and felt like he was a king sitting on a throne with his two brothers on his side!!

When the youngest brother returned, he could not believe his eyes! "The Aisle Seat", he thought and sat with a smile on his face. It didn't matter to him that he only had one armrest for himself. He watched the 'live space' and exchanged smiles with fellow passengers and attendants.
As the plane reached its destination and everyone started walking out, the two brothers took a quick halt in the business class. "I love this seat", said the youngest one pointing at the aisle seat. His brothers walked away just smiling at him. "What's wrong with these two??", they all thought as the walked towards the door.

"I could see the sky so clearly", thought the eldest brother wishing that he could get a seat inside the cockpit while returning!!

Laws of Gravity... Deciphered

2010-04-27T20:40:00.000+05:30

“If laws of gravity can attract everything to the ground,

can they also make people fall in love??”

I was thinking about why people resist something as wonderful as love. I wondered why they make up theories that associate practicality, wealth, insecurity and sugar-coated pessimism with this matter of heart! While my thoughts were in full swing, my eyes fell on an apple… a big, red, juicy apple!! Perhaps this made me think a bit like Newton and inspired me to share this thought with all of you. I deciphered a hidden or possibly ignored application based on Sir Isaac Newton's - Laws of Gravity!!! In this post, we will refer to people resisting love as 'subject'.

Inertia and Newton’s First Law
Inertia is the tendency of a body to resist change and motion. If we relate this to subject's thinking, it occurs that they might have started believing in their theories and felt balanced by resisting change. However, Newton’s First Law states that a body remains in a state of inertia, unless an external force acts on it.
"Hmmmm… so lack of an external force is the problem!"

Momentum and Newton’s Second Law
Momentum is the product of mass and velocity (in a particular direction). It means, subject's beliefs were encouraged by people who were willing to implement these beliefs in their own lives. As simple as it sounds, if other people would have resisted these theories, subject would have thought in the other direction!! Newton’s Second Law states that rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to the force acting on it and takes place in the direction of that force. So subject's personal belief in their theories is the mass and the amount of encouragement/discouragement is the force in that direction.
"Ahh, I see… so this lack of discouragement is the reason why subject resists change!"

Force and Newton’s Third Law
This is one of the most popular laws amongst the three. ‘To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction’. So far we know that subject is in the state of inertia (resisting ‘vulnerable’ ideas) and encouraged by the momentum (like-minded people). Certain forces that have worked upon them, so far, have failed because they were neither equal nor opposite to the subject's views. Therefore, all they need is someone who strongly confronts their nonsense and sets them in an upward direction!!
"Wow!! Now that’s what I call a solution!!"

Now for those who are heart broken, there is a term called 'friction'. But dont focus on it. Instead remember that "Love is not just a feeling, it's an ability". So forgive and move on.

For all these years, Newton’s theory had a hidden way for liberating people from their beliefs, all it required was a great mind like me and a juicy apple, to decipher it!!

Common Interest

2010-04-27T20:37:00.000+05:30

Its an African illustration of two crocodiles (denkyem) with a common stomach. When both of them think about their individual requirements, they fight. All they have to understand is that ultimately the food enters their stomach.

I was looking out for something that would illustrate the importance of common interest and the behavior exhibited by the current society. This was just perfect!!

How do you relate this to your life?

The Deccan Queen

2010-01-02T04:37:00.002+05:30

It was evening time and the temperature was dropping by the minute. Winter had definitely returned to Mumbai after two long years! Somewhere in my backpack, I was prepared for a harsh winter. After all, weather reports for Pune indicated that low temperature was approximately five degree celsius.

I was travelling by train for the first time (in four years). It was going to be an unusual, inconvenient and annoying experience since I was not boarding the train by choice. I actually lost a bet and all I had to do, was travel by train for more than two hours, outside Mumbai!! Looking at the positive side, I had an uncomfortable cab ride from Colaba to CST and my eyes were looking out for a train to crash into. As I walked inside the station, I asked a man wearing thick glasses where Platform 3 was. He pointed out at a train and walked away. That was the first time I saw the renowned 'Deccan Queen'... yep that was my train. I got in and reached my seat. I just had a backpack and therefore dumping it was easy.

"Is this window seat taken?", a young girl in her early twenties asked me as she looked at the seat I was about to occupy. "No", I said. I don’t care about seats in a flight. Would I really care about it in a train? I thought. "Thanks", she said as she hung her handbag and sat down. Nice chick. Almost great figure, flawless skin and open hair. She looked amazing in her red sweater and blue jeans. But my delight died as soon as I saw more people entering the compartment. I took a seat besides her and wished that my three hours journey would get over in a flash. In a couple of minutes the train started moving and then picked up speed. I flipped through pages of a book called 'If God Was A Banker', to catch-up from where I left it.

I was reading for almost ten minutes. "I will do whatever you want me to. You know I can work wonders for your career. I will also move you to an AVP position." The antagonist in the story was talking to a woman as the plot was steaming up!!
"You don’t seem to travel by train very often", the girl sitting next to me asked with a smile. That very moment I felt like throwing her out of the window. Unfortunately, train windows were as dysfunctional as plane windows. "Yes", I replied with a fake smile and got back to my reading.

"Are you travelling for business or pleasure?", she asked again. I really wanted to throw her out. "None. Actually it’s somewhat like a punishment", I replied instantly, without looking up. It hit me that I made a mistake. I gave her an open ended answer, I suppose.

"Why do you say so?", she asked with a voice that was loud enough to gather attention of all fellow passengers. "Chill", I said assuring her that she has my attention. A character in the book had just fallen for the antagonist's trick and therefore focusing on a real life scenario was really painful. However, I closed the book and kept it aside.
I looked at her and said, "I don’t like travelling by trains. I lost a bet and therefore I am travelling to Pune in this train." I took a pause. 'Dude, don’t act desperate!! Show as if you don’t care about her. Make her feel that she made a mistake by disturbing you.'
I continued..."Now, if you don't mind, may I continue reading my book without any interruption from your side?" She shrugged and I continued reading my book wondering if it was appropriate to ask her name in this situation.

She dug her brown handbag and removed a Transcend 1 GB music player. I could tell because I had the exact same one (now its used a storage device)
For the next fifteen minutes she was humming tunes that I never heard of. She sung a few lines in between and tapped her thighs. A few lines were good, the rest were mushy. Her colourful nature made me lose interest in my book, but I wanted to be a tiger (not Tiger Woods, just tiger... the animal... the king of the jungle!!).

After some time, I closed the book, opened my backpack and removed my iPod!! iPod Nano... Silver and black... supports mp4 videos... 8GB. As I plugged in my headphones, I felt a power rush. The train slowed down as I closed my eyes and imagined all fellow passengers standing up and applauding with great enthusiasm. On the top of my voice I screamed (in my head), "Sunaa Chahatey Ho Duniya Ka Saaaaaaaaabse Badiyaaaa Music???!!!!" To kill my excitement, the train was actually slowing down and finally came to a halt. It was Karjat station.

"Do you want to eat battata vadda? You got an iPod?", the hot chick asked. "Yes", I replied referring to the iPod. "Ok, hurry up then, the train will leave soon.", she responded, probably referring to the vadda. I stepped out because I wanted to just get out of train for a while. Before I could say something to her, she disappeared.

I looked at the station. People were walking around, filling water, entering and exiting the train. Ok, nothing great, I thought and got back in. She was already on her seat. "Foe me lo vopo", she said chewing almost half the vadda and pointing at my iPod. "Give you my iPod?", I asked trying to understand what she said. She nodded and I gave it to her. I should have asked her to clean her hands, I thought as she moved her greasy fingers on the clickwheel. Ever since I bought this sleek & sexy gadget, I ensured that it looked new. Batta vadda oil?? I thought watching her scroll through my playlists.
"Only hundred songs??", she asked in disbelief.
"Sixty Nine", I corrected.
"Do you want to listen to my iPod?", she asked handing over her Transcend MP3 Player. "...I have some great songs!"
"Sure, I would love to listen to your iPod", I smirked.

For the next thirty forty minutes, we went through each others playlists. I made a mental note of over seven songs I liked, from her never ending collection. It was getting cold as we moved up the mountains. She fell off to sleep with her head on my right shoulder. She looked so beautiful with her eyes closed and mouth shut. Both of them are very talkative!! I could smell her hair it had a hint of.... i don’t know... coconut? Soon we reached Lonavala station and she woke up.

"Sorry, I just fell asleep", she said with an apologetic eyes. "My pleasure", I said, worried about the fact that she might start talking again. She smiled and looked at her watch. I returned her music player and said, "You have a good collection!" She smiled and replied, "I know. What is that book?"
I gave her the book and told her about the storyline and lead characters. She was listening to the story with great interest. Since I had read the book three times, I told her the entire story with details, in a few minutes.

After sometime, people started getting up. "Its my stop", she said as she returned my book, picked up her brown bag and got up. "I travel from Mumbai to Pune in this train very often, but this was fun!! Hope you enjoyed my company", she said as the train halted. "Yes, more fun as compared to a plane's aisle!!", I replied. She gave me a dirty look and got out of the train.

I sat down wondering what I was doing! I quickly got up, picked up my backpack and rushed towards the door. The train was about to move when I got out of it. I didn't see her anywhere.

"What are you doing on my station?" I turned around. It was her.
"I thought you were going to get down at Pune station", she said with a confused look.
"Missing you already!", I said with a smile on my face.
She smiled and asked, "Would you get down for any girl who spoke to you in a train?"
She was quite serious and wanted an honest answer. Bloody talkative eyes!! I thought for a second and asked, "What do you think?"
She looked at me and said, "I know you for a very long time and trust you completely. I feel you won't get down. But I want you to answer my question."
With a serious look, I replied, "I will get down for any and every girl whether she spoke to me or not." I took a pause and continued, "... if she did not bother to return my brand new iPod Nano!!!" At that very moment both of us burst into laughter and started walking.

"I thought you would ditch and make me travel alone", she said. "I would never do that", I replied pulling her cheeks.
"How is your dad? His back is ok now?", I asked. "Naa.. he hasn't completely recovered. But thanks for remembering! Wow! I told you about it long time back", she said with a delight.
"The Strangers-On-The-Train game was fun. You liked it?", she asked. I squeezed her hand a bit tighter and nodded. The next few minutes we sat down and spoke about how life was treating us and how new reality show sucked big time. We walked out and approached a cab.

"So, did you like the Deccan Queen?", she asked while pulling up the cab window, expecting nothing less than a yes.

"I loved her. Quite an experience!!", I replied with a grin, knowing whom we were referring to.

Out of Sight

2009-12-28T06:56:00.004+05:30

These days the word party means nothing more than drinking for hours. The best part is that spouses attended such parties and feel that their partners are spending time with them. It was a Saturday evening and Saurabh was attending one such party. He did not want to attend, but a name on the email invite grabbed his attention.

It was a small party arranged by his friends Milind and Varsha. There was no music or entertainment; most of the guests were either family or friends. Milind greeted Saurabh and his wife Abhilasha at the door. Saurabh exchanged pleasantries and walked straight towards the bar without bothering to meet anyone. He prepared a drink for himself and joined Rakesh who was lighting a cigarette in the balcony. Abhilasha waved at Varsha and both of them met with great enthusiasm.

Saurabh and Nishi exchanged glances and both of them looked away with a sense of dislike on their faces. Everyone knew that Saurabh had relieved Nishi from his team a few months ago, due to downsizing of teams. However, her skills were required in another team and she received a promotion while taking up her new role. Ever since, Nishi and Saurabh had been bitter towards each other. Milind was aware of this conflict and he had to invited Nishi, afterall she was his boss's wife. Since Saurabh had declined the invite, his arrival was a surprise to Milind.

By 10 PM, most of the guests had left. Milind, Varsha, Nishi, Rakesh, Prajakta and Abhilasha were catching up with each other. In spite of their differences, Abhilasha spoke politely with Nishi, who responded to her in a similar manner. Saurabh was busy on his cell drinking his second beer, after two glasses of whisky. "Why do people marry?" PrAJAKTA asked. Rakesh, her husband looked at her and smiled.
Prajakta : Come on! Why do people marry?
Abhilasha : Well, when two people like each other it only makes sense to get married and stay together.
Rakesh : Abhilasha, marriage is not just about accepting likes, its also about accepting dislikes
Prajakta : Oh really! Would you like to tell us what you dislike about me? I will take this as constructive feedback
Rakesh : Darling, you are the best wife in the world but sometimes, I feel annoyed by the fact that we have to eat dinner at midnight!
Prajakta : What rubbish! We eat at 10:30 every day. At the most 11:00. And if it annoys you so much, why don’t you cook dinner?
Rakesh : Why should I cook?
Nishi : So you expect her to work, cook and still ensure that your dinner hits the table at 9?
Rakesh : No Nishi, we discussed that we can hire a maid to cook for us, but that plan never took off.
Varsha : Rakesh, it is not easy to find maids these days. Since I am a full time mom now, things have become easy for us. But Milind never complained about timings before that. You need to adjust.
Milind : Yes Rakesh, adjustment is necessary.
Rakesh : Saurabh yaar, come here and sit. Abhi toh Milind bhi aapna naa raha
Saurabh : Dost, let me stay out of this. I am happy with Abhilasha. No dislikes, no regrets, no complaints!
Abhilasha : Thank you jaan. I am hearing these words after a long time. But I surely have a few things that I would like you to improve upon
Saurabh : Not picking up the towel, not wearing shoes inside the living room, what else?
Abhilasha : A lot more. But still, you get a 4/5!!
Saurabh : But you get a 5/5 jaaan!!
Varsha : Lets do a quick round. What is marriage all about?
Nishi : Passion
Milind : Compatibility
Abhilasha : I agree!
Varsha : Me too!
Rakesh : Adaptability!!
Prajakta : Compatibility
Varsha : Saurabh?
Saurabh: I wont disagree with anyone of you, but I believe that the keyword is Companionship
Varsha : Enlighten me!
Saurabh: There is always a chance of finding someone more compatible and distance might increase that chance. Companionship keeps you in sight and reduces the chances of meeting other compatible partners.
Nishi : Aditya is in Delhi indefinitely. But we are still married.
Saurabh: (smirks) Yes, you did mention Passion

This conversation went on for a while and dried up. Rakesh and Prajakta left first. Saurabh and Abhilasha were next. Nishi decided to stay over.
Milind and Varsha did not like Saurabh's views. Before going to bed, they spoke about it for the last time. "Marriages are made in heaven", Varsha said. "Yes and they achieve the highest level of compatibility, understanding each other."
Two weeks later, Saurabh was packing for a business trip when he recieved a message "Hurry up!! Missing u already - Luv Nishi". He smiled and quickly deleted the message. Abhilasha was sitting on the bed with a frown. "It’s just a week jaan", Saurabh said while pulling her cheeks. "Now smile for me jaan!!" Abhilasha smiled and Saurabh got back to his packing.
Aditya was in Delhi when he received a call on his cordless. "Mere transfer kaa kuch karo naa Adi. Can’t live without you". Aditya got out of the meeting room and said, "Prajakta baby, just two weeks. Ho jayega. Tension mat lo." That very evening, Aditya received a call from Rakesh. "Sirjee, I am getting so much business for Mumbai, why are they transferring me to Chennai?" Aditya chuckled and said, "Sub rumors hein yaar. Tension mat lo. Aur sunao. Prajakta bhabhi kaisi hein?"
Rakesh didn’t believe a word that Aditya said. He called up Saurabh's place. In a shaky voice he said, "They are transferring me to Chennai. Can you do something about it?"
The voice on the other end laughed and said, "I heard it was just a rumor, but you seem tensed. I have other ways to calm you down, why don’t you come over to my place?"
Rakesh smiled and said, "Thanks Abhilasha, give me thirty minutes."

Lake Ulsoor

2009-12-28T02:46:00.002+05:30

"Ulsoor Lake... hmm... ok..... No... I know where it is. Not sure, but its just ten minutes away from my hotel... great ... see you there". I was talking to my friend who relocated to Bangalore three months ago. I was on a short business trip and it was my last evening in Bangalore. We were not talking to each other over a small fight and meeting her after such a long interval was definitely heart warming.

I looked at my watch. It was 5:20 pm. I had to reach Ulsoor Lake in thirty minutes. Since I had just returned from work, I had to freshen up and definitely required cologne. I washed my face and dialed reception for coffee. Room service managed to serve me tea instead of coffee for three consecutive days. So I redialed and reminded them that it should be coffee and nothing else. I dug my suitcase for the gift wrapped bag I brought for her. So far, it had managed to stay intact.

There was a knock on my door.... "Coffee Sir". A new boy was standing with a tiny cup of coffee in a tray. First sip, ah.. its coffee... not bad. Second sip, would she slap me hard? Third sip, I was not wrong so I should not apologize. Fourth sip and a look at the gift, I hope she likes red, maroon whatever the colour is. A look around the room (particularly the towel on the bed) and fifth sip, she did sound like she was happy to meet me. Sixth sip... what? Coffee over?? Five sips for ten bucks?? Anyways, "Command Center to Falcon One..... it is 1740 hours. You are authorized to take off. Acknowledged… Command Center ... Performing wallet check… room keys out…. Falcon One is now airborne!!"

Everything from that point went well, even the auto guy was friendly and charged reasonably (read by meter). I looked at my phone. I had two missed calls from her side. I called her. "Where are you?", I asked. "There is a Cafe Coffee Day", she said. Why do they need coffee shops near lakes... I thought, as I imagined looking at a bill of 300 INR. "You are at CCD?", I asked. "No, right opposite... its a landmark."

I saw her standing at a distance. Red T-shirt, blue jeans. "I think I can see you. I am at 9'o clock." She didn't move a bit... I think it’s not her. "What is that???", she asked. "Turn left, silly.", I said watching her look at he. "Furball!!", she said and started running towards me. I could see that she had a black jhola on her right shoulder. It struck me that I was on roaming and I quickly ended the call.

"It's so good to see you!!", she said as she hugged me. A thought of moving aside and letting her fly crossed my mind. I think it also added a genuine smile on my face suggesting that I was happy to see her. "What happened to you?" she asked. I was not sure if I had put on weight or lost some so I said, "It’s my new Six Sigma haircut". She rolled her eyes.

"This if for you", I said as I presented the gift that I bought for her. "Wow! Thank you!! You seemed confident that I would come and meet you.", she said. I just nodded.

"So, how is Bangalore treating you?", I asked. "Missing friends in Mumbai", she said without looking up. "I missed you too", I said with a smile. "I didn't think about you even once, till I got the text message", she said giving me a quick glance and getting back to the unwrapping task. "It's beautiful", she said as she looked at the bag. “…who bought this?”

"I was meaning to call you", I said as I pointed out her new Bangalore landline number on my phone. She looked surprised but recovered instantly. "I know where you get your info from", she said as she pointed out at a number on her new cell. It had a picture of the contact.

I wanted to shake her, so I pointed out at her new employer's contact on my phone and asked, "So when are you returning back to Mumbai?" She laughed and said, "You are sick!!"

"When are you leaving?", she asked. "Tomorrow morning", I replied "...do you want to send something?" She shook her head.

"Are we ok now?", I asked.

All of a sudden my phone alarm started ringing. I tried to search for my phone but it was not there. The tone increased and was quite irritating.

I finally found my phone and snoozed it. I was in bed and it was 7:00 am. I sat for a few minutes and wrote down everything that I remembered from this "dream". I wondered how I didn't realize that it was a dream knowing that it happened the day before.

After a few hours, I left for the airport. On my way, I passed Cafe Coffee Day and turned towards my right recollecting that I met her there in my dream.

Six Types of Love

2009-12-26T14:16:00.002+05:30

I was sitting in a meeting that was not heading anywhere. Most attendees were either thinking, scribbling or looking at their watches as the meeting had extended by ten minutes already. All of a sudden my phone buzzed... "New Email Message for you Sir!". Everyone reacted as if they were released from a prison of deafning silence. Well... everyone except the two new interns who felt sad knowing that the first corporate meeting of their life was coming to an end!!

I opened the email. It was from my friend Karuna. I read:
"What is Love? Finding someone who suits you or Dragging yourself just because your heart says so?"

I smirked at the message, without realizing that every eye in the room was watching me. The meeting organizer got up and announced that we should revisit this issue when we come back from our holidays. For some reason, I sensed a little bit of sarcasm in his words, but I ignored it and got back to my email.

Karuna generally writes such messages when she is drunk or lost in thought. The latter seemed obvious this time. I was least interested in discussing this topic with her knowing that she only seeks approval in her beliefs instead of looking out for answers.

I responded back to her with "Six Types of Love" an article that I read few months ago:

Eros is passionate, physical, lustful love—the kind that gives you butterflies in your stomach.
Pragma is a practical love. People who conceive of love this way arepragmatic when looking for a partner. They choose their mate based on rational decisions about whom they fit best with.
Banquet is love that expresses itself through altruism, or making sacrifices for another person.
Mania is an obsessive love that, while intimate and intense, often includes jealousy, possessiveness and a lack of communication. Maniacal love can lead to domestic violence.
Ludus is love that's a game. A Ludic lover wants to have fun, but doesn't necessarily want a serious relationship.
Storge is friendship-based love. A Storge lover wants a companion who shares her likes and dislikes and who can form a long relationship based on closeness, trust, security and affection.

Karuna responded back to me telling me what her type was. Reading her answer, my head subconsciouly played this song called "Kitney Ajeeb Rishtey Hein Yahape" sung by Sharad Wadkar in Page 3(movie).

My First Poem

2009-12-13T23:08:00.008+05:30

I just thought about writing a poem that could suit any mood and any reason. Just change the meaning slightly and it could suit any kind of loss or gain.

Jaam, Jaam naa raha. Dost, Dost naa raha
Raat, Raat naa rahi. Din, Din naa raha

Hul, Hul naa raha. Pal, Pal naa raha
Gum, Gum naa raha. Man, Man naa raha

Hum, Hum naa rahe. Tum, Tum naa rahe

A Contemplative Explanation (After falling in Love)
A drink was was a way of celebrating success, but your presence has become my way of celebrating success these days.
A friend who extended all his support, feels like just an acquaintance today.

A night that offered only peace of mind, leaves me dreaming about you these days
A day that would come up with challenges everyday, feels so effortless today

An advice that I used to offer everyone, is not even working for me these days
A moment that would slip away so quickly, feels like ages today

Sadness had become a part of me but your presence has wiped it off completely these days
A mind that used to wander around searching for something, is not even willing to step out today

I am not what I intended to be someday
You are not what I thought you would be one day

A Contemplative Explanation (In times of Loss)
A drink was was a way of celebrating success, its not even helping me in getting rid of failure these days.
A friend who extended all his support has lost hope and has given up completely today.

A night that offered peace of mind, leaves me thinking at odd hours these days
A day that would come up with challenges everyday, feels so effortless today

An advice that I used to offer everyone, is not even working for me these days
A moment that would slip away so quickly, feels like ages today

Sadness has become a part of me and doesn't feel like sadness these days
A mind that used to wander around searching for something, is not even willing to step out today

I am not what I intended to be someday
You are not what I thought you would be one day

The ATM

2009-12-07T00:13:00.003+05:30

**** I typed my PIN into the ATM keypad and pushed the button to proceed. Punching a few more options, I finally opted for 7000.00 INR. As the machine started making weird noises, I looked at the door. There were three people waiting. One of them was an old man who was texting someone. He was finding it difficult to read the letters, so he took off his glasses and left them hanging around his neck. A fat lady behind him was listening to music and humming it too. As our eyes met, I quickly looked at the third person in the queue. It was her. At that very moment, the ATM machine roared and pushed my currency notes out.

We haven't met each other for quite some time now, avoided each other to be more precise. I wished I could disappear in thin air and I was sure that she would be wishing the same. But since I could not vanish, I realized that I am stuck in this ATM room. I moved towards a corner, pretending that I was counting my money. I waved at the old man and he understood that I was asking him to enter and proceed with his transaction. As he entered, I got into a flashback mode. The last few months ran in front of my eyes like a movie. "It was her fault, I didn't do anything wrong", I told myself "...if I did I would remember it."

"Beta you forgot something", the old man said tapping my shoulder. I was about to turn around and defend, when I realized that he was talking about the ATM card I left inside the machine. I gave him an apologetic and appreciating look and got back to my counting. Why did she have to come to this ATM point?? I mean I have been making transactions over here for the past four years, she is not even a local.

I created an exit strategy to avoid any kind of confrontation. I will appear busy talking on phone and get out of this situation. I dialed someone who is known for wasting hours on his cell, back-biting everyone he knows. He will feel good about the fact that I finally return his missed calls ... 139 calls I guess. But his phone was busy. I decided to just walk out while listening to the busy tone when all of a sudden the old man rushed towards the door. I returned to my note counting area. The security guard who was sitting inside the room was feeling suspicious about my motives by now. Anyways, Plan B... the old man leaves, the fat lady enters and I walk out while typing a text message... ETA five seconds. I turned towards the door and saw the old man leaving. But he was leaving with the fat lady.

She entered the room. All I could think of was... "All stations alert! Secure perimeter has been breached!" Tsssshhh

She walked towards the machine and I walked towards the door. I could see her reflection and saw her turning back. I was about to open the door when she said "How are you?" I stood near the door holding the knob. It was simple, just press the button and pull the knob."I am fine... ", I said looking at her reflection in the glass and continued. " ... How are you?" Her cell phone rang, the music was familiar. It was Strange Love by Koop.
Straaaaaaaaange Love! Even though you hurt me I feel blessed ... love! Life sings the right music at the right time, but this was not the right music.

She disconnected the call and smiled at me suggesting that I must have got my reply. "Wait", she said turning around and punching her PIN. "I won’t", I replied pressing the button to open the door. There were two people standing outside the door, wondering if the door was locked. "I don't know how to operate this, it’s a different bank's card...", she said looking at me. Her eyes looked like pearls, shining in the brightly lit room. "...Please", she said. I walked away from the door while the people outside confirmed that the door was locked.

"How can you forget something so simple?", I asked in a stern voice. "Thankfully, I don't forget people.", she replied sarcastically. I punched a few buttons and asked her to fill in the amount she intended to withdraw. "How much does it cost to get a good life back?", she asked. "Doesn't matter, your bank has a limit of 10,000 INR a day in this ATM!!", I replied. She punched the amount and I walked out of the ATM. The crowd outside felt relieved.

Walking towards the left, I plugged in my earphones and browsed my iPod's playlist. A hand tapped my shoulder. "You really don't want us to be friends again?", she asked catching her breath. "Breathe..", I said wondering if she took her cash and card from the ATM, before running. "You know what that word means to me." , I said, looking at the cash getting sandwiched between her cell and card.

"I have an important call for you Sir, should I connect?" my phone buzzed. The person I was calling (as a part of my exit strategy) was returning my call. I pressed ignore, counting 140. "Your ringtone and cell-phone have not changed. I guess your number has not changed either." I gave her a silent nod and started walking. "Call me sometime", she said as she started walking in the opposite direction.

I pressed the play option on my iPod and the music began. I turned around and stood for 30 seconds, watching her walk away with her back towards me. "I am sorry", I muttered silently at the 28th second and the lyrics began... "Straaaaaaaaaaaaange Love...."

Non-Verbal Communication

2009-11-29T10:57:00.003+05:30

"Mom! Where is my tie?? And socks???", I was watching a regional movie about challenges faced by a newly wedded couple (You can imagine how idle I am sitting these days) The guy was getting ready to go to office and was annoyed by the fact that his mother forgot to keep his tie and socks in the living room. His mother is about to go to his room when the girl steps in and stops her mother-in-law from doing so. She asks her husband to get it himself. The guy's mother gets annoyed, but returns a fake smile...

We all know that this happens in every house. However what some of us fail to understand is that the guy may or may not be lazy and his mother may or may not want to spoil him. They are simply expressing their care and attachment in a very non-verbal form. The girl on the other hand took this as a bad habit that she might have to entertain when they start living separately. When you watch the whole movie, you realize that there is an alternate meaning to the girl’s action!!

I enjoy my morning coffee as it changes the way my day proceeds. Two years ago, I left BPO and started working during the day. On the very first day, my mother asked me if I would like to have some coffee. I asked her to fill half a cup. She did so and placed the cup on the table. From that day, the conversation and the action following it, has been a daily routine. There have been 117 instances in the past two years when I left home without coffee. But seriously, is it really coffee that I want??

A friend of mine told me that his girlfriend (who works in the same building) calls him for lunch and offers her tiffin. She expects appreciation and feedback for her everyday cooking. He confesses that her cooking is amazing but says, “Roz kya feedback deneka yaar… hum roti saabzi ke age toh badteey nahi!!”

While discussing about non-verbal communication, my workplace colleague says that he and his seven year old son wake up every morning at five to offer their daily prayers. He holds a garland whose threads are entangled and his son quickly disentangles the same. “He liked to do it since he was four!!”, he says thinking about those wonder years!

A chat friend says that when she took a break from work for her study and certification, her husband used to forget his wallet every day. He used to come back and she would be standing at the door holding his wallet. They would talk about his forgetful nature (everyday)!! “He remembered his wallet, from the day I took up a job!!”, she exclaims.

Non verbal communication can be seen everywhere. You can see it when strangers just exchange smiles in a train for years and offer their marriage invitation to you one fine morning. It becomes obvious when your neighbor makes frequent visits to your house after realizing that you share his interest in art and literature.

It is seen when your friend tries to run away from you after he feels cheated. It is seen when you try to stop your friend from running away. It is seen when a stray dog comes running towards you but maintains a distance knowing that you will feed him if and only if you feel confident that he wont bite you.

Actions speak louder than words.

Perception of Insecurity

2009-11-28T20:00:00.001+05:30

"You are not drinking my friend!!", I said as I looked at my friend Sachin. So far, he smoked fourteen cigarettes(well, technically he smoked seven as he smokes only half of every cigarette)

"I made up my mind to propose Mitali", he said, removing a ring from his pocket. "Kitne ka hein?", I asked looking at the ring, pretending that I know a lot about diamonds. "Fourty two grands!", he said. I was betting on seven eight thousand, so I placed the expensive ring in its expensive box and handed it back to him. My subconscious mind decided that I will pay today's bill. I looked at him and said, "Congrats yaar! Tu bada aadmi baan gaya!! Bindhast reh ... tension maat le, she will say yes." Sachin shook his head and said, "Gauresh, I know she will say yes! But what will happen after that?"

In the next thirty minutes, Sachin told me about what kind of expenses he forsees after he gets married (moving out of his parent's house, new furniture, etc). He was worried that he might not be able to fulfill basic financial needs after spending on these things. I thought about advising him to run away and get married in a court (to cut off marriage and reception cost) and to go for a honeymoon to Dubai (where rates would have fallen drastically by then) but knowing him, Mitali and their middle-class-yet-insanely-spending family, I decided to avoid that conversation.

"Your glass is half empty", I said changing my topic to an all time favorite... drinking!! Sachin got irritated and said, "My future looks screwed up and you are worried about beer??? If it is half empty, it can be refilled!!!"

"Thats my point!" I said, thumping the table loud enough to gather unwanted attention. "The perception of insecurity!! Insecure people worry about reaching the bottom of the glass... the confident ones know that there is a lot of beer for everyone!!"

Sachin looked up and nodded. But I wanted to give him his own example. I said, "You dont feel insecure about Mitali and therefore you bought this ... ring", As I said this, I thought about a lot of appropriate and inappropriate adjectives to describe the ring. "Get rid of your insecurity, talk to Mitali, take wise decisons and you will find a way out!!" I didnt see a change in Sachin's expression, but I told myself that he bought my point. Either it was my over-confidence telling me this or the miracle that he smoked his cigaratte completly.

Sachin got up with an appropriate expression on his face when Mitali arrived. I exchanged pleasantaries with Mitali and they took off. Before leaving, Sachin turned back and said, "Gauresh, you should start drinking.... see how much it teaches you!!"

I smirked and replied, "I learn from other people's mistakes!"

-----------STATUTORY WARNING------------
CIGARETTE SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH.

Karna - A Great Hero

2009-11-23T23:05:00.000+05:30

I have great respect for our epic - Mahabharat and Karna has always been my hero. He was a person who always knew what was right and wrong but he decided to stay on the wrong side. However, when we look at his decisions, all we can say is.... Fair Enough!! Being the eldest Pandava, he was born to become a great King, yet, he lived a life that he didn't deserve(because of his mother). At every stage of his life, he faced bad luck and curses for mistakes that were unintentional and pardonable.

He was not accepted by teachers and was forced to teach himself. Still he managed to become a great warrior.

He was completely eligible for Draupadi, but she rejected and humiliated him because he was a Sut Putra (charioteer's son).

Everyone, including the Gods took advantage of his good nature and left him vulnerable at the most critical stage of his life. He lost his eight children in war and yet he was not able to avenge their death because of Kunti (his mother) who made him promise that he won't fight anyone except Arjuna.

But his tests didnt end here. He was tested on his deathbed as well. Krishna and Arjuna came to him in disguise and asked him for his golden tooth, as alms. When he broke this tooth and offered it, they said that they cannot accept it, because it was covered in blood. Karna didn't let them go empty handed. He cried and washed off the golden tooth with his tears!!

And here is a great story that tells us, that even God bowed down to this Hero...
Arjuna and Karna were engaged in a one-to-one combat and Arjuna hit Karna's chariot with an arrow, which dislodged Karna's chariot by a hundred paces. Karna angered by this retaliated in sort and Arjuna's chariot bared moved a few inches. Krishna appreciated Karna's effort and shouted, "Baley Karna!". Arjuna was angered at this compliment and lamented to Krishna in anger by saying, "You have never complimented to any of my heroic deeds but here you're complimenting an enemy who is out here to kill me??"
To which Krishna replies: "Arjuna, you have Hanuman - who has the strength to hold the entire world on your chariot, if he wishes. You also have Me - the one who burdens the entire Universe. If Karna can dislodge both of us combined by a few inches, imagine what would have happened to you, had we not been here!"

A great warrior and a great human being!!

Attractionomics

2009-11-11T01:24:00.000+05:30

I was making an attempt to impress someone for quite some time. Lately, I started realizing that my efforts were not getting me the kind of reaction I was expecting. So I decided to take a passive approach. To my surprise, I received a reaction that exceeded my expectations, in every possible manner. I told myself that maybe I was expecting the reaction too early. With a positive mindset, I decided to continue my efforts. The very next day, her reaction tumbled down to touch its lowest level. I started wondering .... possibly why did this happen?

A textbook on economics gave me the direction I required. Consumer’s Demand is inversely proportional to the price of the product and Manufacturer’s Supply is directly proportional to the price. So as the price fluctuates, the supply and demand changes accordingly (and vice versa).

So, what is the deciding factor? Is it the demand quantity (expecting more than required) or is it the supply quantity (offering more than possible) or is it the price?

In my opinion, its the perception about the product decides everything. This perception could mean a satisfactory product better future, for the consumer. It could mean a promising market or future security, for the manufacturer. The more we start believing in possibilities, our perception grows. When we lose hope, the perception fades. As perception changes, price of the product fluctuates... thus leading to extreme changes in the supply and demand trends.

Ultimately, the cycle ends when either the consumer is not interested in the product (due to availability of an alternate product) or when the supplier is not interested in manufacturing the product (due to a low profit margin)

"Perception" ... that's the deciding factor.

The Fruit...

2009-11-05T01:56:00.001+05:30

A nice and red cherry was floating on top of her drink. Every now and then she would gently stir the sugar syrup that was sitting at the bottom of the glass and take a quick sip. I was slightly annoyed by the fact that she was using a new paper napkin every time she wanted to wipe off the tiny water droplets that gathered on the surface of her glass.

That evening, we were talking about a controversial reality show. Well, honestly speaking, she was talking about it while I was more indulged in her drink. I was about to do the "Hmm, hmm" part when the fruit just dived deep inside the glass and surfaced with great joy!

"Do you think they will have a second season?", she asked.

"Are you going to throw away that cherry?" I asked without realizing that I just blew up my cover.

"No Gauresh", she replied rolling up her eyes. "It's the best part, I am going to enjoy it towards the end." Her face glowed with happiness as she said this. I just smiled.

"We often do this to our life.", I said. "We know what we like. We know what gives us joy. But we wait. We wait for the right moment, the right mindset, the right person, the right situation or in simple words .... we keep on postponing our joy, till we feel that we are eligible to enjoy it."

"Makes sense", she replied. "But there is joy in waiting, isn’t it?", she asked.

I gave it a serious thought and said, "Agree... the joy of watching the red cherry floating is mesmerizing. But we forget that we are here to enjoy the drink. Instead, we focus our energy and effort in saving the fruit for the last moment and subconsciously decide the quality of the drink; on the taste of the fruit."

She got my point and said, "So... when the fruit turns out to be a bitter experience, we decide not to order that particular drink for the rest of our lives."

Realizing that I sold my passing thought, I asserted, "Correct... and there are also other times when we are busy enjoying other things on the table, that we forget that our favorite fruit is left at the bottom of the glass."

Looking at nothing in particular, I continued, "So it is in our best interest to just eat the cherry as soon as our eyes fall on it."

"Its all about enjoying your life as compared to living on small joys and sorrows, isn't it?", she asked, looking at me getting lost in my own thoughts and theories.

"Yep! Enjoy the drink", I said, suggesting a metaphor, as I quickly picked up the cherry with a spoon and ate it with a wide grin.

The Girl...

2009-11-03T02:51:00.001+05:30

I was sitting in a cab waiting for the signal to turn green. I was begging for my cab to move ahead and take a u-turn. I have seen everything in this city, except one thing ... a perfectly traffic free ride. "New Text Message for You, Sir" my phone said as a message flashed in front of my eyes. It read ... wtf??? i have to leave!

This was sent by Anushka, my self-obsessed friend. We attend the same business school and I am generally forced to wait for her till my stubble starts growing into a beard! So I was sure that she was not annoyed because I was late and ignoring her 8th missed call and 1st text message. Maybe she was just looking at this large wave of traffic and was asking me if I was 'With The Flow'.

My cell phone battery was looking healthier than my network and so I responded back to her with a lame message that said 5 mins. The main idea was to check who reaches first, me or my message. I was simply betting on the fact that my service provider was busy serving 110 million people at that time!

I was about to look at the signal again when my eyes fell on a girl on the other side of the road. "Let a thunderbolt hit me at this very moment if I don’t believe that she is the most beautiful girl in the world", I said to myself and quickly moved towards the right window... ummm... with an intention to get a better view of this girl.

I watched her open hair sitting on her shoulder playing with the breeze. Suddenly the breeze blew away the curtain of hair off her eyes, revealing a set that would have pierced right through my heart if they looked at me. I bet they could speak a thousand words that even her pouting lips could not utter. While I imagined her smiling, the world around us just stood still, partly because of my imagination and partly because of the red signal I was thanking by now.

And she smiled!! I could tell that she smiled looking at something at a distance as her flawless face glowed with magic, for the lack of a better word. As I traced her sight, I realized that she was smiling at a B.E.S.T bus. Sad... but I would buy that bus, or at least its number plate... just to keep her smiling like this.... forever!

But I got back to reality as the bus stood right between us. That was it? Would she board the stupid bus because it made her smile?? Should I get out of my cab, chase the bus, get inside, walk up to her and say "Koi seat le lu, yaa dil mein bhi jagah hein?" Well that is the best line that I can think for a girl who smiles at a B.E.S.T bus!!

The bus moved and I released my crossed fingers as I saw her standing and watching a plane!! "Expensive taste", I muttered as another message flashed on my cell. It read ... hry up im hngry. Message reached first ... Airtel 1, LostSoul 0.

I looked back at this girl and got lost again as the breeze had already.... hey wait... what ... why is my cab moving? In a fast forward mode... the signal turned green, traffic started moving, my cab took a u-turn and we almost drove past this girl when I said "Stop". The driver looked at me as if I had pulled a chain to stop the train. I quickly paid him and got out.

I walked towards her and our eyes met. "You look beautiful!", I said. Her smile vanished and the expression on her face changed completely. "Eight missed calls???", she said showing me her cheap cell phone.

"Look at the bigger picture", I said as I placed our air tickets in her hands. She looked at the plane that looked like a small lantern in the sky by now. She looked at the tickets with a smile and said... "I am".

Destiny

2009-11-01T21:06:00.000+05:30

I made this drawing in early September 2009. I experienced the true meaning of this quote a few days ago and I decided to upload this picture here. The quote says,

"We often meet our destiny on a road we take to avoid it"

Drawing something was not the original intention. I read a nice quote on the Internet and started thinking about a situation to illustrate the same. Somehow the flower and moon idea struct me and I decided to use the same.

Just to make it more elegant and artistic, I started searching for some pictures. But when nothing felt perfect, I decided to draw. The shape and position of the flower was taken from a book cover.

The initial idea was to show a flower watching its reflection in water, illuminated by moonlight. However I felt that if the flower really had to touch the moon, it had to sit in the pool and therefore I made this drawing.

Time is the most valuable commodity

2009-10-30T23:13:00.000+05:30

When we look back, we realize that we could have done a lot better if we had taken certain steps at an initial stage of our life. Sometimes we hear people regretting their past actions related to investments, relationships, education, habits and career choices. At the same time, we also see people who have succeeded because they did the right thing at the right time. Looking at these situations, it makes sense to say that above all things - Time is the most valuable commodity.

If you want to really make use of time, just change your perspective. Stop looking at time as a mere dimension that exists around you. Instead, start looking at time as a commodity that can be exchanged for happiness.

Happiness is pretty much what we seek throughout our life. Sometimes working hard for money gives us happiness, sometimes chasing a dream gives us happiness and there are times when just sitting idle for a while gives happiness.

Now that you know what you want to trade, start looking at every action in your life as a transaction. Determine the value of your time and understand the value of other people’s time as well. With this mindset, take a look at how you have spent your as well as other people's time in the past and whether it has returned happiness to the investor. Remember that thinking about your past is also an investment, so think smartly!

Next, look at your current lifestyle and determine if your habits, job, relationships and activities are worth your time. Analyze how the value of your time is going up or down because of your actions. In simple words... are you getting happiness for your time?

Final step. Stop doing things that do not give happiness. Don’t think about what society, friends, family and logic says. Respect your time and invest it for receiving higher returns!

Living Your Dream

2009-10-22T09:00:00.000+05:30

You always had a dream and you wished you could see it again and again, every night. Many a times you made attempts to think about it before going to bed, so that you experience it in the most perfect manner. You hated the alarm clock, sun rays and unexpected wake up calls for not giving you just one extra minute to live your dream. You spent hours remembering what you saw and enjoy imagining it. Somewhere inside you, there is a small desire grew up... to live this dream just once!

You worked your entire life to achieve multiple things that complete you as a person. A big promotion, your first house, your happy family, the last installment on your fancy car.... but when you are lost in your dream.... everything else fades off. When you wake up, you do miss your dream. You just smile at the fact that everything else is real!!

Now imagine that you return home after a long and tiring work day. You close the door behind you, drop the keys, toss your shoes and just walk towards your bedroom. You don't even bother to change your clothes before dropping into bed. You switch on the air-conditioner with the last bit of energy you have. As the room temperature starts falling, you drift into sleep like never before and start living your dream!!

As always, you enjoy your dream for a while and tell yourself that this is the best that could happen to you. You are a bit surprised that the bad world outside is allowing you to enjoy your dream a little longer. You feel happy about it and feel rewarded!! Then you reach a point where you tell yourself that although you are completely satisfied, you will explore your dream a little more. You start enjoying every bit of it and decide to treasure it for the rest of your life.

This dream always had an end and that is pretty much what you desired. You never thought what would happen or what you will do, if this dream extended. Its longer than usual. You wait for a while for someone to wake you up. You get a bit irritated about the delay but you wait. You unwillingly make an attempt to explore more, slowly losing your patience and interest. You start criticising the real world for not waking you up and make an effort to wake up. But you cant, your dream has become your real world. You try to call someone in the real world.... but its 'Not Reachable'. Your dream has transformed into reality .... a nightmare!!

Many of us are living such dreams today. At some point of time, we wanted them badly, but we didn't expect them to turn true. Perhaps we wanted to experience these dreams but only for a while ... afterall its just a dream!! What happens after that? We dont know.

My writeup is inspired by this book called 'The Secret'. Maybe there exists a Law of Attraction that fulfills your desire when you really want it. But everything changes with time and so does your wish.

Believe that your dream will come true
Make sure that you want it in a long run
Accept the fact that it might have its own version

I am not sure if you really want to hear this anymore, but... "May all your dreams come true!!"

Mother's Kitchen

2009-10-17T10:52:00.000+05:30

People say that mothers are the best cooks in the world. In some cultures, judging one's mother's cooking is considered as a taboo. If you look at some of these kitchens closely, you can clearly see a bell curve comprising of tasty weekends, average weekdays and god-skip-this-day-please mondays!!

Ever since childhood, I was encouraged to eat at home. However as college and work life rolled out, I was exposed to a large variety of dishes ranging from delicious to experimental. I realized that when we look at things that are better or worse, we see a scope for improvement within our own system. I made up my mind and broke the taboo. I told my mother that a particular dish was not good. With a smile on her face, my mother agreed that it could have been better. Over a period of time, my quest for quality was on a spree!! Very soon comments transformed into criticism and there were rumors that cooking was going to be outsourced to a quality conscious lunch home!!

I realised that criticism and lack of direction reduces potential for improvement. Therefore, explaining the importance of quality is the best way to achieve a mutual agreement. It also leads to acceptance of a standard process. I sacrificed several lunch breaks understanding how a good quality management system can be introduced and wrote a three point plan:

Explain the importance of quality and set expectations with regards to how a standard item should taste
Regularly evaluate items on a scale of 1-5 (one being the lowest) and discuss how it could have been better
Review progress on periodic basis and draw an action plan for more improvement (E.g Google a recipie!!)

In the next six months several evaluations and reviews took place at restaurants, marriages and parties. However they happened at irregular intervals and often lead to conflicts. Surprisingly, food rating soared from a 2 to 4.5!!! After a careful analysis, it was found that the score went up due to lot of delicious yet unhealthy delicacies. After seperating these, rating came down to 2 and the credibility of the overall system was challenged. To mitigate this situation, three new points were introduced:

Food will be evaluated on frequent basis and feedback will be provided immedietly
All unhealthy items would recieve a low feedback in order to reduce health risks
A benchmarking process will be introduced and food will be compared with some of the finest cooks we know

Today I feel proud to say that my mom's cooking gets a rating of 4/5 almost everyday!! So what do you vote for? A taboo or some scope for improvement?

Money is God

2009-10-10T21:24:00.000+05:30

When God realized that man finds more security in materialistic things as compared to love, he decided to live with us in the form of a commodity that is very dear to us. It's called Money. He decided that he will give us what we deserve. But he also decided to constantly test our integrity.

There is no upper limit for earning money. The amount of money we make is just for our amusement. It's how we make money that defines us as an individual and updates our score, on The Scorecard of Life. Hard work leads to a positive score while misdeeds lead to a negative score. Discovering one’s talent and putting it to good use that fetches bonus points. Misusing this gift leads to heavy losses. God wants us to earn till we feel satisfied. At the same time he wants us to stay ethical and perform our duties towards family and society.

Ultimately, fate decides our future based on our current actions. We are not answerable to anyone else. Just look at the way you deal with money and think about dealing with God. Have you worked hard to earn money or have you earned it through unethical means? Did you save your taxes through unfair means or by investing your income the right way? Is your business funded through right source or did you cheat someone for it? If you feel that you made a mistake in the past, accept it and don’t repeat it again. Fate will make a fair judgment and you will get what you deserve.

So dont feel bad if you love money, instead devote yourself to it the right way!!

Appreciating Beauty

2009-08-16T00:44:00.000+05:30

Leisure by William Henry Davies

What is this life, if full of care,

We have no time, to stand and stare.

No time to stand, beneath the boughs

And stare as long, as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide, their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn, at beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait, till her mouth can,

Enrich that smile, her eyes began.

A poor life this is, if full of care,

We have no time, to stand and stare.

I decided to add my favorite poem to my drawing. In this drawing, you can see a person who sees beauty in open landscapes and beautiful women. He is reciting this poem, slightly regretting the fact that he cannot live a life of his choice, everyday!! What does beauty mean to you?

Leisure - This is perhaps the only poem that I know and perhaps the only one I need to remember. As a school kid, I never realised how a person can become so busy, that he can't get time to spend some quality time for appreciating beauty around him!!

Today I feel that this is a reality for most of us. In an effort to get a paycheck that we desire, we resign early from an experience called life.

The Death of Sorrow

2009-08-02T21:50:00.000+05:30

For the uninitiated, I usually like to draw people and objects, for fun. However the above picture is my first heartfelt drawing and I intend to frame it in the living room of my new house.

Recently, I was annoyed by a series of disappointments in one single week. Realizing that there is no one to talk to, I bribed a stray dog with some food. I told this dog about my ambitions, expectations, disappointments and plans for a better future. Looking at the way it was eating, I was worried that this one-way conversation won't last long. To my surprise, the dog ate all the food and sat besides me, till I left.

I recited a small poetry at the end of this conversation (wishing that I remembered it in the beginning)

Poetry: Aapne gammon ki yuh nummaish naa kar...Apne taqdir ki yuh aazmaish naa kar...Jo tera hein, tere dwaar par aayega jaroor...Usey roj roj paane ki khwaaish naa kar!!

Meaning: Don't exhibit your sorrow like this, don't test your luck like this. What's yours will come to your doorstep one day, don't waste your wishes to gain it, everyday!

Sorrow can survive only if it remains inside us. The best way to kill it, is to let it out.

Lessons Learnt

2009-07-25T11:57:00.000+05:30

On July 19, I completed five years in my organisation. I wanted to share what I learnt in these years.

Focus on your bigger and long term goals: Disappointments as well as opportunities are designed to distract you. When you are disappointed, vent out the emotional side and weigh this distraction with your bigger goals. When you see an opportunity, check if it aligns with your long term goals or improvises the same.
Interact with people: This might sound simple and obvious, but people around us teach us a lot. They give us tips on managing our computer and code, they demonstrate leadership that makes an impact, they make mistakes and show us the pitfalls and also offer a few lessons to survive a journey called life!!
Nothing Personal!: I have seen people quitting jobs, projects and personal initiatives because they could not tolerate some people. I have observed that generally people are good at heart and come to work for feeding their family or passion. However, there are some individuals suffering from some social disorder or a disturbed past who just enjoy annoying others (passion, eh)!! Simply report, counsel or forgive such people. Giving up something you love for these people is definitely a bad idea.
Never hesitate to teach someone: The thought of being indispensable forces specialists to stop sharing knowledge. Remember that enabling more people to become like yourself is more rewarding than keeping the knowledge to yourself, till it becomes obsolete. This also allows you to explore more opportunities (aligned to your bigger goals) and removes the barrier of waiting for the last moment to create backups.
Reward Yourself: Turn your achievements into agents of self motivation. Most of our achievements are celebrated by related groups, however there are certain achievements that family, friends, leaders and co-workers fail to recognize. Don’t dismiss your hard work, recognize it with a treat or a gift!!

I am sure that if most of you take this advice seriously, it will help you in a long run

Moral Responsibility

2009-02-26T02:27:00.000+05:30

Many a times we are carried away by the idea of being a leader or a teacher. When we look at these titles, they appear to be important positions with greater control and a sense of power. However many people fail to understand that these are not a mere titles, instead they are positions that are responsible for the wellness of others. With this said these individuals are clearly accountable for success and failure of their dependents and undertakings. I found an excellent verse from Manu Dharma that relates to this topic.

It says:

"Rajyo rashtra kritam papam, Raja papam purodhasa.
Bhartu sva stree kritam papam, Sishya papam gurorapi "

It means:

A king is responsible for the sins committed by his people since it is his duty to think about short and long term effects of his decisions.
The king's mentor is responsible for the sins commited by the king since it is his duty to ensure that the king not only recieves but also adheres to his good advice.
A husband is responsible for the acts of his wife since it is his duty to take care of her and ensure that situations that lead to misdeeds don't arise.
A teacher is responsible for the sins commited by his diciples, since it is his duty to build a strong foundation and ensure that knowledge is passed on to only those who deserve it.(An alternate version says that the father is responsible for the sin of his children, since they try to adapt to his personality and decisions)

In simple words, being a leader is all about taking responsibility for someone else's actions and ensuring that they are guided properly. Those who do not wish to take responsibility that comes along with this position should not take this position till they feel that they are ready for it.

Love is not a feeling, its an ability

2008-10-06T04:43:00.000+05:30

"Love is not a feeling, its an ability" I am not sure where I read this line, but I like it. Lately, I started believing that its fun to move away from a conventional path and explore a road less traveled. Let us look at love from two different perspectives and try to understand what is love after all.

Love as a feeling has always been a complicated thing for many people. Some of them feel that they fell in love every time they met someone wonderful while there are others who say that they never fell in love. Just to add to this complication, we have a lot of constraints when it comes to expressing our feelings towards someone and this is not just limited to the common fear of rejection. There is a lot more that comes from the society as well. Just imagine what your cat and your neighbor will feel if you love your neighbor’s cat more than yours! But in spite of this fear many people go after what they love and are able to get what they want. That leaves us with one question about those who were not able to express what they felt..... Did their feeling fail to develop into an ability?

Love as an ability on the other hand makes sense. Expressing your love is like talking to a crowd. Either you can do it or you cant. You don’t need to think about reactions, you just have to say what you feel. An ability is all about what a person can do. If he cannot do something, he can develop himself to gain this ability. Some look at other people while the rest wait for a situation to push them beyond their limits. Lets say, just like every other ability, its possible to develop your ability to love, all you need is the right person or the right time! For those who have given up hope, all I can say is that if you follow the trail of what you thought is lost, you might be surprised to find something better at its end!

So what do you think, do you just have a feeling inside you or has it developed into an ability?

The Circle

2008-09-24T22:08:00.000+05:30

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POST IS JUST MY OPINION. IT IS PURELY BASED ON MY DAY-TO-DAY OBSERVATIONS. THERE IS NO RESEARCH OR STUDY INVOLVED WHILE WRITING THIS POST.

As you walk through the crowded streets of Mumbai, you realize that this is a city of fun. When you spend more time watching its people, you experience a lot of social dynamics, unspoken interaction and changes that are not required in the first place.

Prachi was a very good friend of mine. She looked beautiful and was quite bubbly and cheerful in her college days. She had a high fashion conscious aptitude complimented by a natural tendency to work on flaws, pointed out by her so called ‘social circle’. As she started working, her social circle became larger. Initially, this circle started telling her what they thought is good for her and gave her examples to make a point. As a result, she started listening to people carefully, analyzed their body language and worked on their feedback to meet expectations. The efforts she put in, were rewarded with compliments, self confidence and a high self esteem. As this circle grew wider and opinions started varying drastically, she felt a strong need to boost her ability to cope up with this change. What initially started with a change in hairstyle and wardrobe, proceeded to a major change in behavior. The word appealing was replaced by attention seeking and the circle decided to move on to other deserving members. Unknowingly, she started craving for feedback from people who approached her with personal motives and felt insecure without adaptation.

I was looking out for a book in a bookstore. I was about to go through the table of contents when I was irritated by a baby who was crying loudly. What an attention seeking kid! I started thinking about instances when babies cried in theatres, trains and buses and how irritating it was! But before I could continue thinking about anything, his mother placed a bottle of milk in his mouth and the kid was quiet! The woman and her baby were in the store for the next fifteen minutes and all I could hear was ‘the silence of satisfaction’! It’s common sense that the baby was hungry, however what hit me was the fact that the baby did not do this with a motive in its mind. He cried when his tummy was hungry and stayed quiet when his tummy was satisfied.

Thinking beyond the crying part, I realized that babies are born without conscience and motives. They use their basic communication techniques to satisfy the requirements of this so called body that they are responsible for, all of a sudden. There is no plan to have milk assuming that tomorrow will be a no food day nor a conscience telling them that crying irritates people around them. Babies are exposed to a lot of reactions, first from the mother and next from other people around them. As they experience more and more reactions, they start understanding what is appreciated and what is deprecated. Reactions are used as a guideline for all repeated actions and over a period of time a burnt child dreads the fire!

However its important to understand that till now they are using someone else’s reactions. Now, let us imagine a child playing with mud. This child is exploring the feeling of mud on his fingers without thinking about anything else. If the mother does not mind this kid playing in mud, the child feels its accepted and continues to play. At some point of time, this child is punished by his father who does not like his child getting dirty. As these clashes happen again and again the child is surprised. There is a voice inside its head saying that something is going wrong. He starts thinking “Mom doesn’t mind me playing with mud but dad does. I should not play with mud.” This is the point when the child develops a conscience. However this is only built on opinions of other people and not the child’s own. When the child grows up and starts interacting with more people and diverse reactions, its conscience is constantly challenged with opinions coming from all directions. Stronger opinions are accepted while weaker ones are ignored. Stronger opinions with greater capabilities crush the weaker ones. Soon the child is exposed to reactions coming from friends, books, television and other sources that influence his conscience. However at some point of time, two strong opinions clash. This is when self-conscience comes into existence. Throughout our life, this conscience is exposed to various situations, opinions and results. There is never a second side when it comes to what is right and what is wrong. These ideas are well defined and we just choose to support or ignore either one of these ideas. I believe that people without this sense might have some kind of a disorder.

Let us enter the mind of a person who is about to engage himself in shoplifting. Before he picks up the stuff, his conscience places the right and wrong ideas before him. Shoplifting is wrong, purchasing the item is right. This person has complete realization of these facts and either supports or ignores them. After he picks up the stuff, his system justifies his act by telling him that how minor this act is, how worse the society is, how big his needs are, how irrelevant it is to the owner, etc. The conscience tells him about how bad it is to steal, it asks him how his family and friends will feel if they get to know about it, it tells him that it might become a habit, etc. However depending upon which justification is stronger, the shoplifting may or may not happen.

People who follow the right path are strong since they don’t compromise on their principles. They have a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. They make mistakes however once they realize that its wrong, they avoid repeating it. They don’t justify wrong deeds and look into their own eyes with a great amount of self respect. They appreciate opinion as it gives them a larger picture, however they don’t depend upon it. They don’t run behind crowds, instead they maintain their pace.

Prachi was just acting upon reactions. Its just that she didn’t realize that the circle does not really care about her, it just tries to align . The circle cares about its personal motives and feels insecure without its supporters and therefore creates a sense of insecurity amongst its members, so that they decide to stay. A store manager might tell Prachi that her selection looks good because he cares about the money he would recieve when she buys it, her spouse might agree in order to keep her in a good mood or to avoid conflict. Its up to her to decide what’s good for her. Perhaps the best answers can be seen in the eyes of a street urchin, who really does not care about strangers or the kid who cries without thinking about what the nice person in the bookstore might feel!!

The Bookshelf

2008-08-03T04:36:00.000+05:30

Throughout my childhood, I have been told that books are supposed to be treated with great respect since they give us knowledge and help us in gaining a new insight on various subjects. As a matter of fact, during Dassera we followed an entire ritual dedicated to book worshipping! A similar ritual was followed one night before the exam. Well before I reveal more about my academics, lets just say that although I don’t like to read, I respect books.

My friend Neeta is an avid reader and extends her hobby by sharing her books with others, whether they need it or not. Perhaps its not unusual, but what bothers everyone is the fact that she analyzes (read assumes) your current situation and offers advice in the form of a book. Somehow she believes that the book she is giving, has a solution that addresses your problem. Returning home without a book is next to impossible. You may start hating me for this, but I was planning to start a betting website for her friends, acquaintances and victims. If you manage to talk to her and go home without carrying a book, you are a winner! The time you spend talking to her, increases the value of the bet!

We know each other for quite sometime and several books got the opportunity to sit idle on my bookshelf. I never read any of these books, not a single one. The books didn’t feel bad about it, in fact they enjoyed it. I started believing that the only objective in their life was to visit my bookshelf, feel good about it and go back home. It was more like coming for a vacation! “Hey Fish!, how was your visit to ‘The Bookshelf’?” “Oh it was wonderful! I was given all the space and privacy I wanted. You wont believe it but I was sitting right next to The Monk who sold his Ferrari”. As you can see books had a great time in my bookshelf and didn’t feel bad about returning unread. Hoping to make it to the new hangout, the magazines on the coffee table started exchanging pleasantries with me.

Over a period of time Neeta realized that something was wrong. The books kept coming back happy, without oil or coffee stains and with absolutely no feedback. “What did you learn from this book”, she asked, looking at 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. “That effective books deserve a vacation”, I thought. My silence confirmed that I did not read this book. All of a sudden her entire library came to a halt. It felt as if the books were wondering if they were going to be sent back to ‘The Bookshelf’ just that this time they will be read and judged. Everyone looked at Who Moved my Cheese, who promptly resisted this change!

Neeta is a very good friend and I didn’t want to disappoint her by telling her that I don’t like her extended hobby. Expecting an instant round of applause, I said, “I didn’t get time to read”. That very moment, I heard a tiny yet painful cry. It came from a Time Management book that was peacefully sitting in a corner. While getting dusted, this book swore at me as if it was saying, “Couldn’t you just say that you get some negative vibes when you are sitting on your sofa to read and then take away that Feng Shui book that everyone talks about?!” I took the book and walked away. Somehow I saw a mixed reaction amongst other books. They were happy that they were safe for that moment, however they also realized that it might be their turn, next time. For the first time, the magazines did not flutter.

Back home, the Time Management reluctantly turned to its table of contents. “I can’t do this”, I said. “Well if you read a chapter on ‘How to say NO’ at least you would not skew someone’s happiness in the future”. I knew that it was not right. I had to do something about it. I had to stop these books from getting shared.

One week later, I went to Neeta’s place, empty handed. Some of the books ignored me, while most of them looked at me with dismay. “What did you learn from the… wait… where is the Time Management book?”, Neeta asked me with great concern. “I don’t remember where I left it”, I said as I picked up a toffee on the coffee table, while teasing a magazine that was meditating for some reason. “What do you mean by I don’t remember?”, she asked. Without waiting for her to say anything else, I asked,“You didn’t read it?”. “Of course I read it, what do you mean?” by this time I could see ire on her face and curiosity within the books. “Why do you need a book that you have already read?”, I asked while waiting for a round of applause. “Because they are my books… they have to stay with me!!!”. Neeta was turning red but slightly confused. At this moment I was convinced with my answer too. Seriously, why do we need a book once we read it. I think I am taking mankind to the next level of thinking. “I cant give you my books, not anymore.” Neeta said that still confused about why she needs the book back. “I think I wont give my books to anyone from now on.” I heard a cry of joy. They are not going to be sent out, they are not going to be judged or criticized by anyone!!! With a fake apology on my face, I walked out. Just before I stepped out, an old and sagacious book looked at me and said I’m OK, You’re OK

As I entered my house, I heard some conversation at ‘The Bookshelf’. A distinct, familiar and respected voice said, “Someday … and the day may never come … I will count upon you… to do me a service… till then, consider this as a gift… ” As the door closed slowly, I heard a gratified voice that came from the Time Management book, “Thank you … Godfather”.

AMBITION

2008-06-27T02:37:00.000+05:30

What is an ambition? A cherished desire ... a very strong drive for success .... a passion, to get what you want. Ambition triggers, ambition exites and makes us do something that is way beyond assumed potential. The true purpose of life is derrived through its experiences. If we know what we want from our past and present experiences, it is easy to define a level of satisfaction. There is no point in living with a mistake for the rest of our life just to please what the society believes. My story revolves around the life of one such ambitious individual who gave satisfaction, the highest priority as compared to social beliefs.

During those days, he was working for a small electronics manufacturer. He held a good position in the sales department and his judgement and forecasting was impeccable. He joined this company at a junior level, however his determination and a distinct way of dealing with people helped him to move up the ladder in a very short span. But this was not enough, he wanted more. He didnt believe in being a big shot of a big company, flying first class and drinking champagne at the company's expense. True professional success was in owning a private jet and multiplying money as compared to his current trend of simply adding tiny savings every month. His ambition was to become his own boss and getting a fair share from his hard work.

Everyone believed that he was going to settle down with a former colleague. There were wild speculations about their relationship, but it really didnt matter to them. She was beautiful, devoted and caring. He did everything he could to see her happy. However, he knew that the feeling of content on his face was fake, deep inside, he craved for something more. He tried to look out for a different person within her. He tried his best to make her look and sound like what he desired. When he failed, he left her and started looking beyond her. His ambition was to meet someone who would be just perfect.

He had a decent house. Well furnished, equiped with all basic amenities, inclusive of all gadgets and toys that were available in the market. He lived with his parents and made sure that he fulfilled their every wish with utmost dedication. They had dinner together, while discussing how their work day was. But deep inside his heart, there was a discontent. His ambition was to build a "home", instead of staying in a house.

As his car stopped at the signal, he started thinking of someone he spoke to last month. She was his perfect mate. Her "energy levels" matched with his own. They had a long chat over the phone and both of them enjoyed every bit of it. He learnt that she had a boyfriend, but it didnt matter to him. He knew that his determination was sufficient to win her . As the signal turned green, he realised that he was closing more deals than ever for the past three weeks. Looking at this kind of a potential, a local competitor had offered him partnership in his company. This oppurtunity was going to allow him to unleash his expertise and earn a lot more than what he was earning in his current role. He believed that his perfect mate was responsible for this level of motivation and it made him more determined to make her his life partner. In a way, his ambitions were mutually motivating each other. He had already booked a new house and was going to take his parents to this wonderful place. He parked his car outside a tall building. He looked at the 20th floor, his new home!! While thinking about his new wife, job and home, for the first time in his life he felt truely satisfied.

As he walked towards the gate, he thought ..... "The biggest success in life, is to achieve satisfaction"

Making Sense out of Humor

2007-11-08T13:41:00.000+05:30

There have been several instances where I stood in front of a group of complete strangers and made a sincere effort, to introduce humor. A few weeks ago, someone said that I should have been a standalone comedian. Initially my sense of humor was appreciated and complimented with laughter, soon expectations went up to an extent where people started judging me! Before I could recover, everyone forgot to react individually and my 'audience' started interacting.... amongst themselves. In a couple of minutes, their "what will others think about me if I laugh" thing made my humor sound like some boring or sick session. This observation started a new topic in itself.... audience!

I don’t make up stuff before delivering the same. Its just that people around me act funny all the time and send out these funny vibes. A gimmick is like an extra incentive! As an individual they enjoy anything that I throw at them, but if they are in a group, they become conscious. Sometimes the look on their faces make me feel as if my title is changing from Standalone Comedian to Standby, Comedian! At some point of time, I don’t have to look at everyone's face, they all look alike. Languages play an important role. Regional languages can be major turn-on or turnoffs, in a diversified crowed, so I restrict myself to English & Hindi. (They do understand French, if it is limited to a Kiss, Toast or Fries) Sarcasm is yet another language that I speak. Unfortunately people disappoint me by taking it as a compliment.

Humor is around us all the time. All we need is a humor conscious aptitude. Last week, I was getting a lot of messages from people saying Happy Friendship Day. All sorts of cheesy messages which actually made me feel like I have friends! I feel sorry for this person who sent me a message, explaining how friendship is like wet cement, which hardens when we stay together and leaves a mark even if we leave. I replied back pointing at the irony that this day comes in the monsoon season disturbing this thought of hardening cement and footprints. 3/5 people felt this is funny. Just one person threatened me that she will kill me. I know how precious life is, but I could not control saying "What will do with my dead body?" Now 4/5 people were laughing... and my wannabe killer, started laughing too. Today everyone finds this funny.

Bottomline, it was a group that was listening, not an individual. An audience has a whole new meaning for me now.