Pani Pani re….

It was a usual bright sunny day…and I was getting late for the office again…we did not have enough water for our daily activities…we had been facing water problem for the last couple of days…was very frustrated ‘coz nothing good was happening with us that day…we were planning to buy toilet paper ‘coz it was sure that we would need it sometime….when the things become so urgent that we cannot bear the pain until the time it takes to come to the office from home….anyway…we thought that it’s time to talk to the person “Paaji Buddha” who looks after all the maintenance activities ….as soon as we opened the door our Janitor showed us a notice….”Fatwa”…in the “fatwa” the “Paaji Buddha” has written that the water usage has increased in the society so we need to pool more money…he asked to pay double the maintenance we usually pay….it was not possible in any way that we are going to pay a penny more…we had to write our stance on the “fatwa”…my roommate wrote...”The time has come when the two of us should leave this place…”

Then our cook came…we were happy that at least we had some water left in the kitchen…I plugged in the FM…it was playing, “Ye kaam kamaan bhavein teri..palkon ke kinare kajrare…maathe pe sindoori sooraj…hothon pe dehekte angaare…saaya job hi tera pad jaaye aabaad ho mera veeranaa…chandan sa bandan….chanchal chitwan”….I really like this song…it made me feel good…I asked my cook…”Bhai saab, valentine kya hota hai jaante hain…”..bhai saab who is a boy aged 23 replied, “sab janta hoon main..14 farvari ko hota hai na…”...hmm….I asked, “tabto apki koi dost bhi hogi…jiske sath aap celebrate karte honge 14 farvari”…”Bhai saab” became nostalgic…he looked up and started telling us his love story….”I used to share drinks with one my friends…one day when we were drinking…he asked me if I want to get married…he said,” If you want I know a nice girl…all you have to do is to make her father happy”….and how can I do that…he said, “He also comes here for drinks...be a friend of him”…so I started working on this plan…gradually her father became a good friend of mine…Then one day my friend conveyed the marriage proposal to her father…he agreed asked me to come to his home and stay for a night…I told my all my roommates that there is a “Jagrata”…put on a new “Kurta Pyjama” and reached to her house…As soon as I entered here I saw 12 children in her house…some with running nose…some with running (censored)…I was stunned to see such a scene…all of them were her siblings…Then she came…her name is Anita…she was a nice girl…I told her clearly that I would not marry her but we can become friends...we are still friends…and I do call her once in a month...”….

I said, ”Sahi hai bhai saab ekdum…sahi aadmi ho ap..sab kuch ek baar main saaf saaf keh dia”….while listening to the story I finished the breakfast….but it was already 9:45 AM and I had only 15 minutes left to reach my office…..So, the race began…I took my bike out of the parking place…and suddenly…”Piicch” …Something dropped on my bike’s speedometer….”Shit”…An poem I read recently came into my mind…this is how it was…

“Birdy birdy in the sky…
left a poopie on my bike….
me don’ care me don’t cry…
me just happy that a cow can’t fly…”

The poem made me happy…I raced my bike and reached office just a few minutes before the clock could hit 10 AM….Success…”Don ka office late pahunchna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai…”

Plan……………

“Ae Sala, Abhi Abhi Hua Yakin Ki Aag Hai Mujhme Kahin..Subah Hui Main Jal Gaya..Suraj Ko Main Nigal Gaya..Roobaroo Roshini…”…FM was playing this song on the antique Radio owned by Kakka Ji…We usually go to the Kakka Ji’s tea stall to grab a cup of tea and discuss anything which bothers us….So, Me, Utkarsha, Anushka, Anumeha and Kushagra were sitting on the bench enjoying the tea and of course the fantastic song also….We all had one common dream…To be a successful entrepreneur…To leave a landmark on the path less taken…But, how were we going to achieve it…Everyone of us had a different opinion on this…I had always dreamt to be in a top class B-School after completing the graduation in engineering….but…after spending 2 years 7 months and 13 days in the software industry I’ve started thinking in a different way…Well, I thought that a MBA degree will give a lot of money and an edge over the people who are only graduates…and if I could get into an I-Bank…aah…can’t confine my feelings in the realm of 26 letters….but, is it really what I want…shall I leave a landmark on the world if I get a MBA degree with a specialization in Finance…May be…or…May not be….both the possibilities are equally probable…I told all my friends about this feeling …
Kushagra: So, what are your plans..?”
Me: I shall work for the next couple of years…will think about something new which is feasible and can be done with few people…
Anumeha asked,” Like…”…
Me: Like I can start a service company…and start preparing a prototype of something which interests the product company and on which the product companies would mind to spend time and resources…
Anushka: But, that will require some initial capital…
Me: Yes…that is why we have to work for the next 6-7 or probably 10 years….
Utkasrha: It’s all waste…There is nothing in India…The salary doesn't make much difference here…we are not going to achieve anything if we keep working here…either get a MBA degree or go to US…earn a lot of money...come back to India…and settle down…”Yahan Koi Kuch Nahi Ukahd Sakta”
Me: Did you every tried to do something…”Kuch Ukhadne Ki Koshish Ki Tune Yahan…”…We should not blame our country for the opportunities…I agree that the opportunities are less if you compare India with US but still some people have managed to find an opportunity right here in India…e.g. ”Mumbai Tiffin Waala”….
Kushagra: But, wouldn’t you mind to do that kind of work…?
Me: Yes…I am just giving you an example….We can think of something which is related to field we work in…
Kushagra: If you see Mr. Narayanmurthy…he has not done any innovation…he did not come out with a new product idea…but he identified an opportunity and worked on it…we have to do the same thing…
Me: And he does not have any MBA degree or a MS degree from a US university…
Anushka: But if you take an example of Indra Nooyi…She’s a graduate from IIT, Kgp and a PG from IIMC…and four I’s made her a positive reality……..
Utkarsha: The Google Asia Head….He’s a graduate from IT BHU, MS and MBA from US…
Me: Yes, I agree…Qualifications help…make things simple...But we can achieve everything without these degrees also…all we have to do is to put more efforts….I may also try to go for higher education but now it is not essential for me…
Anushka: hmmmm…..
Me: Let’s think on this…After a few years some of us may be an MBA from a IIM or a premier US University or a PG in some engineering stream or only a Graduate … But…lets make a commitment…after 10 years we shall start our own company….and we all shall keep thinking on this….and we shall keep in touch…”Hum Honge Kamyaab…..”

All of us said: AMEN….

“Dhuana Chata Khula Gagan Mera…Nayi Dagar Naya Safar Mera….”

Love at first Sight....

“It was love at first sight”….yes… I had just started reading “CATCH 22”….I was sitting comfortably on my berth in Karnataka Express...I was trying to concentrate on the novel when somebody asked…”Excuse me…”…No answer(..I should say that my concentration is good or perhaps I could not believe that somebody with such a sweet voice wants an excuse….)…Then I felt a hand on my leg…”Yes”…She was an extremely beautiful girl conforming to all the standards I have set for a beautiful lady…I had realized by now what is “Love at First Sight”…I did not want to miss her face even for a millionth part of a second…”I think this berth is mine…”…I said,” Which berth..? ”…”The berth you are sitting on.”…”I shall not leave this berth... (I though)”...but actually I said,”Oh…! I am sorry for the confusion…but would you mind if I sit here for some time…at least until the train starts…”...She said,” I do not mind being nice to others (She winked)...U can sit here...”…I asked where is she going….she replied,” Delhi”…..I was happy because I had two days to be a good friend of her or at least to be in the proximity to such a personality for the next 44 hours…I was looking at her image formed on the window glass of the train….Suddenly, a voice came from the adjacent compartment,”Anushka, Everything fine there… ”…She replied,” Yes…”…She asked,” Can you please take care of my luggage until I come back…”…yeah sure…it’s my pleasure to take care of anything that belongs to you(It was in my mind)…what I actually said was,” Sure”…She gave a perfect smile I had been waiting for ages and left…I started thinking…actually started making a plan how can we become close friends …made a list of questions in my mind …first: Her Name…Second: What does she do…Then...what does she like to do while traveling…etc etc…I was preoccupied with my thoughts to the extent that I could not feel that she had come back…”Excuse me…”…No answer…”Excuse me”…Oh…I am sorry...”It’s okay”…Then an old lady came from behind and sat beside me…I was puzzled…She said,” my Grandma is going to Delhi…my Grandfather is also there but we could not get the reservation in the same compartment…So, Please help her if she needs anything…” …I sad…”Yeah…sure”…She left after greeting her Grandma…The train started from Bangalore City Railway station and her grandmother started asking questions, ”Beta Kya Naam hai Tumhara” Ans : Ravish…”Kya kaam karte ho..?” And: Software Engineer hoon Dadi Ji…”Sab yahi karte hain Bangalore main…hamari beti bhi wahi karti hai arey jo mujhe chorne aayi thi…”…I was thinking ,”Kya se kya ho gaya…”

The Bash......

New Expectations, new Joys, new Ambitions, new Success, new Girl Friend or the first Girl Friend or better relationship with the earlier one …with endless possibilities we ushered into a new year again…
So, how did we celebrate the New Year event?
Well, all my friends gathered at my house and we decided to play a few cricket matches as a warm up activity. Went to a party in the evening …

Everybody was drunk even before the party started. It looked like we have reached a catastrophe hit place where every person was running after anything eatable. We could not even get to see what the menu was but fortunately we tasted the gravy of a curry. It was good so we predicted that other food items are also well prepared. We tried to get something eatable but could not penetrate through the crowd around the food. Finally, we gave up. Then, I went to a beer kiosk and asked for some cold drinks. He replied something I could not understand because he spoke in Kannada. Then we thought at least we can go to the discotheque and enjoy ourselves. Suddenly some one announced that the dance sequence is about to begin. A ”Pehelwan Ji” became very excited after the performance started. He climbed on the stage and started performing so every person who thought that he can dance well was on the stage….Suddenly, everybody started running towards the beer kiosk….A leader had taken the initiative to rob the beer…so, nobody wanted to loose this opportunity….Now, there was enough beer with the party animals so they started throwing the beer bottles on each other. The beer was in the air…

All of us agreed that we should not start our new year in this way. So, we left at 11 PM and reached my house by 11:30 PM. At 12:00 we wished a very happy new to each other and engaged ourselves with our phones for the next one and a half hour. Then we started playing cards and seven hearts rules until all of us were asleep. And yes we decided that we shall not go to New Year party unless we have a company of girls and only couples are allowed in the party.