TIRADE OF DECADE’S ESCAPADE – 2001 TO 2010

 The second most crucial decade of my life has come to an end. The Decade of 2001-2010 means the Decade of 16-26 of my life. What a journey it has been. Life hadn’t been so lively and eventful before. In this decade, I have acquired the virtues of awareness, rationality and consciousness in life. However I am still to master the art of the uncompromising use of my mind. I used to (and may be I still) believe that I am that kind of a person who can spend his entire life even in an Island alone. I am neither an introvert (ask my close mates) nor an extrovert (ask my colleagues). But I have developed the ability to adapt with any kind of given situation. This is may be because I have seen, felt, observed and handled too many adverse as well as favorable circumstances in this decade of my life. I have gone through the worst phase of my life and have come across very complex emotions as well. Sometimes I believe in destiny and think that may be it was all written and I was bound by it with no mercy and no escape. These circumstances were my apprehensions and nightmares when they did not happen. These were problems and hitches when happened. And these have become lessons when I look back. Yes, we all do look back and laugh. Sometimes regret as well. We all are one and the same. Living in present isn’t independent of looking back into past and dreaming about future. If you haven’t looked back at all, you haven’t learned from your mistakes and you are bound to commit those mistakes again. And if you do not look into or dream about future, you cannot progress. My dear friends, life is all about living based your own experiences. Hearsay is voidable. Life is complex but beautiful. All of you are grown-ups, have been learning the tricks of the trade and are mature people. And as I always say, you all have your own experiences and different circumstances, so live life accordingly. In this post I wanted to record for my own memory (when I grow old and start forgetting things) the summary of things (that I remember) which happened in my life in this decade. But I couldn’t complete this post on time and ended up breaking my own promise of writing a most every month. But I condone this delay as I was caught up in some other important and nice things.
 
However, I shall put here what I had already typed instead of going in details. There is a lot to remember and think about but following is the summary of this decade:
 
The beginning of this decade was marked by falling in a relationship. Yes, I am not wrong when I don’t use the word love. I call it falling in a relationship. I define love as the depth in a relationship. All relationships have love but all relationships do not have a name. So people, for their convenience, tend to call it love. Be that as it may. All this started around February, 2001 and ended in January 2008. Wow, I just realized that it was for full 8 years. A very longtime indeed. And at the risk of being called “girlish”, I admit that I remember most of the “Dates”. I know everyone has to be very particular about “Dates” and anniversaries of all small and stupid things that you do together with your partner. Sometimes you do it out of love and sometime you do it as pretence and out of obligation but you have to do it. Okay I don’t want to profess about it anymore.
 
I gave CBSE 10th Board exams in 2001 and was quite successful as well. And I will tell you something won’t believe. I don’t remember the month (may be it was May). We were waiting for our results which were scheduled to come on 31st of that month. And I had a dream between the 27th night and 28th morning (most probably it was early in the morning) that I have score 85.4% in the Boards. And guess what I actually scored 85.4% in the Boards. Who sees percentage in decimal points in his dream and which turns out to be bang on target. I never had such an accurate dream before. And may be I will never have.
 
Then since my dad got transferred to Indore, he made an attempt to take me as well as our family planned to shift in phases. First dad and me. And then mom and brother as my brother was preparing for engineering entrance exam. It was very difficult as I did not know anyone else in that city except my dad. And I spent three difficult months there. I was fully involved in sports during these three months and almost quit studying. And I thought my relationship was over. Finally I had a typhoid and dad decided to export me back to Bhopal in my old shool. Old villain re-entry. Arrey mind blowing (remember this dialougue from rehna hai tere dil main?). Then started two golden years of 11th and 12th standards of my school life of endless fun. Danbhai, how deadly we were in those days. Phod Dengey !!! And my relationship resumed. I also recall me and rishi wanting to take PCM with Economics in XI Standard in Campion School (which combination was not there in our school) and we went upto the extent to clearing the entrance exam and even dared to go for admission alone with each other and were finally thrown out because we had not informed our respective parents about the same. That was hilarious.
 
Then is the tale of my college life between 2003-2008. A saga of the golden days. There are so many things to share. First year, Bhopali-Delhites, Introduction, Pole-dance, Fahion show, dance in the freshers, boycott, Friends, Infatuation, Commitment towards my relationship, Mindori, kerwa, flooded savanna grasslands, Café-chino, cricket three times champions, football one time champions and 2 time runners up, volleyball one time champion, play, Spiritus-2006, Invicta-2008, Viruddhaka -2008, Kerla Law Academy Moot-2006, Henry Dunant Moot-2007, Internships, Beer-Pitchers at TC, Microsoft Scholarship and what not. This list will never end. May be I will cover each and every aspect sometime later in subsequent posts.
 
The period between October, 2007 till November 2010 was the most tragic phase I have ever been through. I need not explain anything here coz I shall remember everything throughout my life.
 
Then there is another new phase of life after joining WG on 7th June, 2008 till the end of this year. I will son finish three years here and I am still happy till I get exhausted by the heat of this profession. I must confess, work has now increased like crazy and there aren’t too many things left to do after a days’ play is over. It is all about creating a balance in your lives.
 
So my dear blog readers, my advice to you in this new year is that accept people the way they are. A jerk will always remain a jerk and humble will be humble always. But both exist in this world with their set of ideologies. Accept them without cribbing but restrict your behaviour and actions based on their character. Please all of you, show the love and respect you have for your parents, friends and other people in your lives. Only in tragic and sad moments of life we realize the value of people in our lives and then some times regret. Live life such that you do not have to regret. Be loyal and faithful and do not betray the trust and confidence that people have in you. Always be truthful and honest with yourself. Once you learn this, you shall be truthful to everyone else. Even I shall try to stick to my these words. May this decade brings a lot of love, happiness and prosperity for you and your loved ones.  

P.S.: It was unintentional but the total number of posts in my first year of blogging was 29. And that is a lucky number for me. Those who know me know why.

And November still wakes me up!

I never had such a happening birthday since sometime now. I did not want to have any celebration at all but I ended up cutting 3 cakes. One at home in Indore, one at the Airport  and one at home in Mumbai and it stretched till today around 2 am.m. Ek baat toh satya hai ki Jis cheez se bhago, who tumhare peechey bhaagti hai. And now since I have mentioned abot my birthday, therefore I must mention about the strangest flowers ever received. And since it was perishable, there I thought of putting a picture of it here to make it everlasting.

I even thought of naming this post as Bhopal Gobhi phool(read as Genda Phool). Such was my experience in Bhopal (Nliu). It was as wonderful as always to be at Nliu. It will always have a special place in my heart and memories and I shall always do any possible thing for it. But things have changed drastically. The students (ofcourse since they pass out every year), the culture, the surroundings (which I liked) and most importantly the air. I do not know whether it is good or bad but it was a bit repulsive. For eg. It is a very small thing though, but I never thought the students I knew would fight over the college T-Shirt. And change is unavoidable. It happens but the air shouldn’t flow in the opposite direction. There is something wrong. Anyways. I do not know how am I concerned with it. It is a dynamic institution which makes its own way. Just like a river. It may be good it may not be good. Everything in life in uncertain.

Okay now coming back to the wake up call of November. It is the November. When I was on my way to home in Mumbai from the airport, I got a call from a stranger who told me that I had picked up a wrong luggage from the conveyer belt (okay. A small sentence on my observation about conveyer belt. How many of you have noticed that conveyer belts are manufactured by and show the name of “Gannon Dunkerly”- the famous case on works contract taught by Mr. Ghayur Alam???). That stranger was very polite inspite of the fact that it was entirely my fault. I went back and right at mid-night, when my birthday was getting over, I was exchanging the bags correctly at the Airport. Wake up call here is that you cant be careless. If you do something foolish, then you have to somehow pay for it. But when I reached back, there were a lot of surprises with friends waiting for me at home even after 12. It was a pleasant surprise. And I am really thankful for making me feel nice. 

The other wake up call was at office. And its a hattrick now. Hard days in November when MFKP isn’t happy with your work. Despite of pressure, your work shouldn’t be shabby. It should be as good. Learn to handle pressure. And I am still fighting with deadlines including finishing this post before 12 to keep my promise. December starts tomorrow. So does the WG Cricket season. Take care.

Before October Ends………

We all know about the famous poem by Robert Frost – Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. And since I have a keeda of keeping promises and commitments, I am specially writing this post to keep the promise that I had made with myself and this blog that No matter what, I shall write at least once in a month.

I feel as if I am in army because my mom keeps asking – “Ghar kab Aaogey”. I should be there in Indore this Monday for a week. I was supposed to leave for Delhi today morning but I did not get tickets. But then unexpectedly very early in the morning that there is an urgency in a matter and I have to stay back. Though I do not have substantial things to do in Office but I am here. Such uncertain has been things in my life since sometime now. But that has given me a chance to write to you. I really hope you all are doing well. My best wishes are always there with all of you. Yesterday it felt really good to hear that Vikram got through the main exam of the MP Judiciary. Well done!

I have now been working in Bombay since 2 ½. So far so good. This profession is such that it either causes burn out in a year or two to those who are bright but do not really enjoy doing such hardcore legal practice or who do not have what we call Aptitude or stamina (mental) to sustain the consistently swift pace and ever increasing load of work. Those who are able to manage but are not from this town find themselves in a catch 22 situation where they have a good job and handsome salary but life style is totally screwed. They feel they cant go back to their respective home towns to start from scratch on their own. After all who wants to give up on lakhs of rupees they are earning. And in their home towns there is no guarantee of earning even a decent sum of money, getting good clients. So they are stuck in their jobs just for earning money and being on their own. It should be respected. Everyone is fighting for their survival. Then there is another category of people who are talented and doing pretty good in this profession but who do not know what else to do in life are not very ambitious at this point of time. And of course there are focused ones who are brilliant. They plan for everything considering their growth in the profession. They invest, earn good appreciation and interest from their properties and reach at the higher levels in the profession. And there are other classes of people as well who are not covered above.

I am not discussing here the reason for people being like what they are. There could be hundred of such reasons starting from their family and economic background. I am just assuming and accepting those people as what they are today. Point is that this kind of classification exists in every profession and field in life. May be this creates balance. Because just because of such classification there the CEOs, the Secretaries, the Clerks, the peons, the drivers, etc they all exist in this system. I am not questioning the so called “Quality of Work”. I believe work is work. And if required, even a CEO should do what a office delivery boy has to do. I am not just preaching but I do this in practice.

Okay coming back to my life. I have abnormally lost some weight in previous 5-6 months. Plus haven’t been lucky with weekends either. And in most of the weeks I have ended up working on 7 days. This isn’t a complaint but a fact that I realized after a very long stretch of too much work. You people remember my “its raining men” posts in this regard. Anyways. It has been damn good fun and learning as well.

Looks like that not too many things are going in the right direction for me. Lack of physical exercises is not showing effects. While playing sports I realized that my stamina has come down considerably. That is obvious. And somehow I have realize that I wont be able to play competitive football much. As I would be playing with a fear of breaking my right fibula. Which is very saddening. But then I am weird. I know I will still play until I really break fibula once again. And too add to my misery, Liverpool is in the relegation zone and is being extremely unlucky. And Rajasthan Royals are out of IPL. Quite mysterious is sequence of all these events. But I am determined.

Finally I am Home for a week after 4 months. It is always good to be back at home. May be on November 3rd and 4th, I will be in Bhopal. I miss being in Bhopal.

Dear Blog, I am fulfilling my promise in the 11th hour. Please forgive me for this. And dear readers, I shall try come up with some more interesting stuff next time.

P.S.: I started writing this post a couple of days back and have finished it today.

सितम्बर का सितमगर

माना  कि  हमने  बहुत  गम  सहे  और  आंसू  बहाए
तुझ  ज़ालिम  के  ख्यालों  के  समुन्दर  में  बेखौफी, बेदर्दी  और  बेशर्मी  से  डूबे
फिर  ज़िल्लतें  सहीं  और  लोगों  कि  नज़रों  में  बदनाम  भी  हुए
पर  जब  बदनाम  हुए  तब  मुस्कुराये  और  शर्मसार  हुए  तोह  खिलखिलाए
क्योंकि  इस  गुस्ताख  की   हर  गुस्ताखी  में  शराफत  और  मासूमियत   थी
तभी  तो  भले हमारे   कदम  लडखडाये   लेकिन  सितमगर  तुमसे  ही  सब  सीखा  और  होश  में  आये
अब  कहो  मैं  बेचारा  हूँ  या  वो  गरीब  जिनकी  जिंदगी  में  ऐ  सितमगर  तुम  कभी  न  आये !

During our office retreat i heard someone saying that everything in Bombay is double. So is this second post. Just because I am too tied up, I dont think I will be able to be in touch with you all for sometime. But nevertheless, here is my Second Post.

Dear Teachers,

A VERY HAPPY TEACHERS DAY TO ALL OF YOU!

I believe that if the thoughts are wishes come from within your heart then they somehow get communicated or absorbed by the subject even if you do not communicate. No ! This is not an excuse for not being there for you not only on phone but also not being on your msg boxes and inboxes. But all of you are always there in my thoughts and memories. Each one of you. I rememeber. Being an Indian, I also celebrate teachers days by thinking about all teachers I have had in my life so far and wishing happiness, peace and prosperity for all of you. I wont name any but they all know who have been my teachers. Including you! 

Today wherever I am or whatever I am, its also because of you teacher (I know its sounding very childish but thats what you are to you teacher. A child). I still remeber what all I have learnt from each and everyone of you and how valuable and dear you all are to me. You might just not remeber my name or what you have done for me or in my life, but I always (especially on this day of every year) pray for you. May you all have happiness, prosperity and peace in your life. I owe you alot.

P.S.: 

Dear Friends,

I honestly do think I would be able to see all of you on eid in Bhopal as i had committed. Professional hazards. But I am surely going to visit Bhopal and see you all on whichever coming weekend I get free.

Samachar

Dear G1G2 and its regular readers (presuming that there are no stalkers. Who would stalk on me anyways???),


I have been really out of touch and deliberately so. As you all know I am not on facebook anymore so you, dear G1G2, are the facebook, okut and all other social networking mediums of this minutely social person who walked out of “social networking” a few months back. I only tweet rarely. And twitter too has become an office tool since we started representing ex big chief of IPL. Okay as a principle I wont ever discuss my office or work here. It isn’t that I was super social before this. To my surprise I was told by someone that I am a Social Butterfly. But then again it is not unreasonable as everyone has his own perception which must be accepted as it is. Okay accepting all perceptions as they are, here is the brief record of a few things happening with me or things which I have come across and thought about:

 First of all many congratulations to all those who have been placed in the first session of placements this year at NLIU. It’s a delightful news that placements are back on track and of course behind this success is the lady with the magic wand – Dr. Raka Arya. Res Ipsa Loquitur. I hope the glory-hunters now realize that placements are not a cakewalk. Ofcourse, I am taking away the credits from students, their merits and the hard-working committee. But then it is not that the students from previous batch were less meritorious or so. So, it has to be the magic wand.

 It is damn funny but true as well that Lawyers do not get credit card easily. Especially those like me who are located out of their hometowns and staying on rented premises and not having too many assets to show. I do have an office credit card and it isn’t like that I badly need a credit card. In fact I am totally against this concept of credit howsoever practical it may be. My third credit card application got rejected last week. And the most ironical thing is that the bank this time is HDFC. Boy! Everyone knows that we do so many transactions for HDFC but you cant get their card. Very stupid but true.


 I have been so busy and more than that so much out of touch with my friends that I did not even know that Danish took a very big step to convert his idea into a movie. Yeh Gustaakhi hai. Aur jisme yeh gustaakhi karne ki himmat nahi hoti who bada bhi nahi bann sakta. Main abhi bhi aisi koi gustaakhi karne hi himmat juta raha hoon. Insha Allah……tumhara yeh project kamyab ho. Aaj nahi toh kal ho lekin zaroor ho.

 Okay I am taking my own liberty to discuss something about my work. Not what type, variety, nature of work but something about satisfaction. Apart from doing work for big fishes, big banks, developers, etc, working on very small matters of wills, family disputes, making old couples, men, women feel secured about their properties n similar such matters which provide repief to them give a lot of satisfaction. Trust me. At the end of the day you (at least I) don’t even care to know how fast numbers in your bank account are increasing.

 My Brother just came back from Australia and got settled here with a new job here. And just see his luck. He is now going to France and Switzerland for training. What a luck. If anyone know palm and foot reading, please come and tell me ki mere haath mein kuch aisa yog hai ki nahi?????

 The Mumbai v. Delhi debate has increased like mad. This is good about Delhi, that is bad about Mumbai. Even a minister in UPA Government during BCCI disciplinary comm. proceedings made a statement (off the record obviously) about how Mumbai lawyers tend to increase the size and bulk of their documents. Very unfair. This is not true as I have experienced it. People here care so much about environment. Its not that much as well but better than anywhere else. But I am neither for nor against for Delhi or Mumbai. I love and enjoy both the cultures and I am not at all a city specific person. Except Jabalpur and Indore, put me anywhere. I so badly wish to go back to Bhopal and settle there. I might just do it. Wait for a few years.


 I am still confused whether to buy a classic 500 or a car. I have to buy either of these within next 6 months.


 I have to cover mansarovar or amaranth, Bangkok, Andmaan and Europe in about next 2-3 years. I really have to. I am not including in the list rest of India which I am going to visit as and when opportunity strikes.

 I never ever thought that I will have hair like what I have right now. It has been 75 days since I last used a comb. Thanks to elders, senior partners in office who tolerate me this way. Its not at all indecent but still only a couple of people have their hair like that. Every looks sober as I used to. Ha ha. I am still sober but do not look like one. Its damn cool. I am liking it.

 “Dil ko laga ki tumse kuch kahoon... lekin zubaan ko laga ki kya main dil ki sunoon??? Dimaag inhi khayalon mein uljha raha aur ehsaas hi nahi hua ki hum kitni aagey nikal gaye!!”


 
Phir Milenge.

Ladki Kyun na jaane kyun Ladko si nahi hoti!!!

Ladki Kyun na jaane kyun Ladko si nahi hoti!!!

Ladki Kyun na jaane kyun Ladko si nahi hoti – Remember this song from Hum Tum?? Yeah ! only difference is that here in this post it is not a question. Its a statement. Looks ironical to me.

Amidst heaps of pending and new work piled up before me, I was today successful to find a thought to share with all of you (Assuming that there are atleast 2-3 readers of my blog). It was something which I was forced to think. And the reason for this was a call. An old and respected relative of mine (the name and relation is not so important hence not mentioned) called me up today to find out the postal address of our home at Indore.

I was very nicely told that he (my relative) is genuinely very concerned about my brother and our family. I don’t have any doubts about that. Therefore ( he continued) , as a matter of concern, care, respect, worry and other bullshits, he was looking for a nice homely girl and wanted to mail photos and kundli of that girl. Despite of not been so inquisitive by nature, something forced me to ask the question WHY and WHO IS THE GIRL???. Then he went on answering my simple question (who is the girl) with his additional CARING inputs. And since language should be no bar in describing his real intention (and also since I am not the master of this language), I shall narrate the real hindi version. He said – Ladki bohat Sundar hai. Chemical Engineer hai. ME kiya hua hai aur Indore based hi hai (minus markings for those who pronounced it as Mera wala Me. Its Master of Engineering). Dekho beta ! Apan toh aisi ladki dhoond rahey hain jo maa baap ke boodhey hone ke baad unka khayal rakh sakey. Jissey khana banana aata ho, jo sanskari ho, baat maaney aur zyada tez naa ho. Aur Dahej toh achha milega hi kyonki tum dono bhai badi achhi posts pe kaam kar rahey ho. Despite of disagreeing with each and every word, I kept saying yes for everything because of two reasons. Firstly I did not want to waste my time in office in getting into any kind of useless arguments. And secondly there is no point arguing with old relatives unless and until it is earth shattering for you.

Now let me highlight the issues in the above conversation. Firstly, all these old relatives just for the sake of their ego, image, reputation and word given by them, why do they unnecessarily bother looking for girls and increase my heartbeats ( ofcourse they are finding girl for my brother but after him, its me). Kata kata bechara bakra..........kata kata bechara. It feels as if ki humari aarti uteri jaa rahi ho bali dene se pehle.

Another issue is that y a homely girl only?? This is the most popular and accepted fact by 75% of guys that ki shaadi toh gharelu, homely type ki ladki se hi karenge. But y? Ask yourself that are you homely too? If not, then why do you expect your wife to be homely???? And homely means who makes home. Takes care of every household thing. And behaves well. Listens to what parents/elders say. Doesnt argue much and all that. I am saying all this because if being homely mean and therefores having all these characteristics, then I am not homely and I do not expect my wife to be homely. I believe that love always happens between equals. And unless it is not mutual, then it is not love. Just like this, even in cases of arranged marriage, it is marriage between equals. A guy or his parents shouldn’t expect their bahu to be extra talented and dedicated than their son (Ofcourse my statement is quite unreasonable but in my views thats the way it should be). Why do you want only that kind of bahu who can take care of old parents? Ladka marr gaya hai kya? Ya ek dum dabboo aur gadha hai ki he cant take care of his parents? If he cant then why should his wife take care of them????

Next issue is. Y is it necessary that ladki should be sundar if your son is ugly??? Is she going to increase your TRPs in the social circle???? Is she going to be a showpiece????

Why do you expect your prospective wife to be an expert chef when you yourself do not know how to cook?? I am actually very lazy and unless and until I don’t get a kick from my own self or I am in a mood to cook, I don’t cook. Infact If i had to live alone and on my own then one day I will die starving. Ofcourse I can cook few things but then I will get bored eating those things and wont cook only and then die starving.

Next is dahej. What have you done in life that you should get dahej in your marriage????? Its okay you might be an IAS or a CEO or whatever but you did not become an IAS to get dahej? You became IAS because you wanted to become an IAS. For your ambitions and satisfaction. Now to avoid the terminology of dahej, now a days parents of girl “GIFT” her car, loadza jewellery, cash, gadgets ,etc. If they gift her these things, then your parents should also gift them similar stuff??? Or otherwise nobody gifts anything to each other. Make it equal.

I don’t know how many of you would get inspired by my these stupid thoughts. But I think like that. I am trying to run away as fast as possible from this devil (being institution of marriage). It isn’t that I want to be in a live in relationship. Infact I do not want to be in relationship unless and until I find, meet and have a girl who I like. Infact, I am not looking or waiting for any girl at all. I am just living my life in the way I want to. If I had a girlfriend then I would be on phone uselessly chatting with her instead of writing this post here.

p.s.- Substantial part of this post was written long back. Today I have just finished it. Had been working like mad since sometime now.

Its still raining men !

Today I have resumed work after the holidays. But I find no change in the circumstances. The intensity of rain has become stronger. Its pouring cats and dogs. Its raining so heavily and so much that authorities (MFKP) have informed that I wont be able to get out of this city for a holiday (which is always of minimum 7-8 days for me) till December. I hope weather changes fast. Too much of any of the seasons is injurious for life. Isnt it???? I am not complaining. Till this weather changes, I will resist and fight with all my heart. I will try to develop a new approach/technique to handle these rains and will try to enhance my existing skills. After all, my batteries have been recharged. Pray for me and visit me to boost my morale in these hard times as I wont be able to visit you. Take care. Sorry for keeping out of touch for sometime now. I shall get back with pending posts as soon as I get some time to breathe.