Saturday, 24 December 2011

Being Nice!

It starts with a little small talk. They try to match your interests, even your excitement; making polite conversations that show their friendly intentions. And as soon as you get to know them more with time, you realize it was all just a bunch of lies. The person you grew fond of never existed. They just take a few days to open up. That protective shield for their true-self is now shattered! And talk of imbalance - They have 100 people like you they call friends, you have maybe 10 odd friends you never would call people! But what-the-heck, how do you complain? Hah! Afterall, they were just BEING NICE :-)
Need I say.. ADIOS!

Saturday, 5 November 2011

Release Me!

So flawless in your flight, you were
as free as the Nature's first would be,


I stood there fascinated (her enigma),
As nothing could what you taught me.


No quests, no reality, no liberation;
Or wisdom that comes with age,


As I breathed in: that freedom hath no owner,
And wilderness no cage.

Friday, 4 November 2011

ठहरे से इन लम्हों में भी हिम्मत अपनी पुरजोर है,
गौर करो, दूर कहीं वो बहती इक नदी का शोर है..

क्यूँ रुक जाऊं मैं यूँ ही इन वादियों  की  हस्ती देख कर
जब फिरता हूँ मैं अपनी मंजिल की मस्ती देख कर!

हौसला मेरा नहीं ये शायद, इक चिराग की रौशनी में जलता हूँ
आइना सा बन कर मेरे दिल में जो रोशन है, मुस्कुराता झूमता चलता हूँ;

कभी कभी अपना रस्ता भूल जाता हूँ मैं, दूर निकल जाता हूँ मैं,
वो कशिश है या ऐतबार, बंद आँखों से भी रस्ते पर लौट आता हूँ मैं

याद नहीं ज़मीन पर उतरे थे, या पहले कदम लडखडाये, तब से थामे कोई डोर है
अरे सुनो, दूर कहीं वो उसी नदी का शोर है!

ज़मीं को चीरती, अपने में मसरूफ, मस्ती से सराबोर है,
दूर नहीं है, अब वो यहीं है, ये इसी नदी का शोर है.. 

Friday, 9 September 2011

Like LAZARUS..!!

25th May, 2005. UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul. A crowd of 70,000 who were about to witness the biggest heroics of the footballing history.
By half-time Liverpool were 3-0 down..

A huge sea of RED seated among the audience, around 40,000 in number, started to sing, "You'll Never Walk Alone"! That was FAITH. Those were the fans who BELIEVED!

54' A six minute magic spell,  and Reds were back level with three goals scored in that time.. 3 - 3!!

Final Result: Liverpool won the game on penalties...

Liverpool were crowned the CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE!

Moral: Whatever be.. never never never NEVER GIVE UP!

"Walk on, through the wind
Walk on, through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown,
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart.."

Sunday, 12 June 2011

What A Wonderful World!

Another day another story!
Sometimes stories are so vague and subtle that a description makes little sense. Though, that does not make them less important in life. They make up what's called LIFE! More importantly, I need this one right now!


I go out for a walk on an evening cool and wet, rains having washed the streets a couple of hours ago; small streams of water trickling down the slope. Trees are greener, with the green that could treat a gloomy face! Young boys on motorbikes vrooming past, splashing the muddy water upon the passers-by; in their own excitement. Just like old men walk by the side, some with their canes, eyes searching for dry land to step on. There's a glow on every face, a shine in their eyes. Grocers have a chat with their customers, sharing a laugh. Street lamps are already glowing although its still time to dark. Kids, perhaps living the best part of their lives, make the highest noise - running around, teasing friends and playing games. They don't miss a thing. Often the energy with all that innocence inspires me, and others likewise. 


What makes me love everything I see, what makes it so freaking special? Rain, the wonderful sky or people? Or is it something in me? I know it. For this one time, I sure am happy. I feel content. I am smiling.


A SMILE can change the colors around, a smile can wipe off all anger, a smile can make you fall in love with this world!




 At this place we go to for breakfast, for Vada-pav and elaichi-tea, there's a kid among the waiters who serves us. This 8 year old Nepali kid never stops smiling. NEVER! And he plays with everyone. You might ask for a Butter-toast, and he'll dance his way down to the kitchen, smiling, fetch your order, shoot* you with his fingers and tell you, "Jaldi khaalo bhaiya, fir bolo aur kya laaoon?" And mind you, you can't say no to him; you don't want to! ;-)
His innocence and peppiness induces a smile on my face, like most others out there! Everyone who visits that place loves him!!


He makes me think. Once I told a friend,  "this is how I wish life was!" The friend, is quite opposite to my thinking; not my opposite exactly; but quite contrary to the direction where I'd place my ideal (- makes no difference to me, its a matter of  choice!) He had other thoughts, and was quite surprised at my choice(of life). A waiter serving tea, can't get no education at will, working for his share of bread at such a tender age? List pointers and you'll find a million. I myself can!


But there is this theory all will agree with. Happiness. I could be someone be sitting in an air-conditioned room, sipping mango-pulp reading my favorite book.. or the new face in the TIME magazine's cover.. or an Olympic gold medalist.. or this.. a 8 year old boy working in a tea-stall. If I can be happy at all times, manage a smile on my face with no effort, be it out of innocence or wisdom, I'll have a perfect life. 


Diwali 2010, I decided to spend with village kids as a volunteer with a less-known NGO, who are whole heartedly driven to educate (a part of) the rural India. These people are happy people. The vibes around them are positive. And the children love them. Not the best of organizational skills, but their motivating force sure was a smile.. happiness. Working with those people and the children was quite an experience in my life!


A happy mind is strangely a busy mind - busy enough to give hate, jealousy and vanity a skip. Each one finds his/her own wisdom, and owns his/her own innocence. Give no reasons to smile and no reason to love this world!



What a wonderful world!


Something that inspired this thought, click on the lines above for the video - you know the man: Louis Armstrong. I bet you can't help but SMILE! :)

Saturday, 21 May 2011

Possessions

The other day I was wondering how sophisticated these kids(who are under-12 right now) are gonna grow up to be! To my inquisitive self, my father would often tell me how things were different when he was a teenager, and "moving on" has been the mantra of their generation. And rightly so, keeping in my mind the technical and cultural advancement in all these years! He had to listen to the commentary for Hockey and Cricket on a transistor. Although Desi Ghee costed around 15-a-kilo, a motor-car was reserved for the filthy rich and well-to-do! Long queues for Trunk calls, Chitrahaar on Doordarshan.. (if you know all this, I've perhaps made my point, if not - I'm just boring you :P) The point is, I was wondering, now that I'm in my 20s, how distinctly did we grow up?


The immediate thing that came to my mind was, being a boy - a Cricket BAT! You could win the world if you own that.. and now all you need is balls! And not just any ball - Cosco! or even Khanna would suffice! These costed us gang around 25 bucks; and buying a leather ball was a totally different affair. Pocket money doesn't buy those balls! ;-)


I would have to be a sucker critic to claim that this was all I ever cherished. But as I said, I could immediately recall and re-paint my favorite Bat :)
Sad enough, I don't even have a picture of it; infact none of my possessions.. which I took a lot of time to figure out! So I'll now shut up, and put up a few 'things' here - these are absolutely personal and our choices do differ.... but maybe and just maybe, I remind you of something similar! And then you can go on smiling about how-funny-those-time-were.. PRICELESS!




What if I say the following were my fantasies.. PG-500, Gypsy or Beta? No sire, they are not cool names of cellphones from the XYZ brand..


Gypsy, boiiii; How bad I'd flaunt it !! ;-) Add Gel Pens were quite the thing to keep in your school-bag! PG-500 was absolute class; smooth-ass pen for the marathon notes the teachers try to spoon-feed!
And Parker's Beta, it has a story! I won the first debate competition I took part in, at school level. And this was a souvenir. Grand.


Although a freak about these rather common pens, I never completed my homework. I think standard VI was the last I maintained a note-book! Rules and me :/ As much as music interests me now, I could have done anything that could eat up my "homework-cum-study-time". A Philips Cassette Player or WALKMAN was just the thing! No iPods, mp3 players for this kid, not even a disc-man! ;-)


You'll know its hard to find images of the exact one on the internet for obvious reasons, but this was pretty much it. Automatic Stop, thats what it read!
AA Batteries and a cassette that could hold only 10 to 12 songs - but you are the king, and you know it!




Surely it was not that we didn't have gadgets while growing up. Because no one grew up without playing Tetris, even if it sucked(in your head, big time!) You got to have atleast touched that thing!
Suck-up all you PSP freaks! An ALL-WINNER is here!


The BRICK GAME!


Where Brick Game was a HUGE thing to be fiddling with, the TV Video Game had its own special place. SEGA is the only one I can recall for now. You see I didn't have one until I was in the 8th standard, so I couldn't quite master all those games except Mario for one! Because before I could, I had lost interest in sitting infront of the television, or at home, or apparently I had screwed my Joystick toooo soon to be reporting it to my father.. to replace it :P



Oh yes, I had that trendy-colored "educational" one, and a 64 in one classic.












Adding to the list I much adore, I had a Casio keyboard right from when I was 7 years old! Still have it at home, as a piece of.. well, it still works ;-) Achievement, I know!!
That's where I learned the Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do's and the Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa-Dha-Ni-Sa's ;-) And some sick jingles I won't wanna mention here :/




These things are things that one.. or me, to be specific, would use for a particular time in a day. But there was something that was actually a part of me 24x7.. Flesh and blood, shall we call it gentlemen and ladies!


My wrist watch! er, watches! The first one I owned was a Maxima, which was unbeatably water-proof; and me for one, exploited every sing;e feature of my possessions ;-) It just never came of. Sleeping, eating, playing in the field, at school, bathing, and uh-oh, lets not go there(where the time stands still :P)
Coolness as it was, but change is for better. I lost it, I got a new one - Titan Dash!  The Absolute! (Don't mind my exaggeration, that's what I've been doing throughout this post, hehe!) Still remember that ugly morning, while watering the plants in the garden, for one rare time, I took it off my wrist for the fear of damaging it, and kept it somewhere. And next I recall, I was searching for it all around the garden the following evening with a naked wrist and a gloomy face :( Miss it!
If anything that could beat my affinity for this watch of mine, it had to be on splendid object. The very evening, I remember telling mom, that I had lost 'one' of the two most important things I had for my own, and so I am going out to spend some time with the other. No drama, all out of disappointment, that :P And I was out on the streets with my AVON ALTON! (one day, that was stolen too!)
My bicycle. THE BICYCLE! So what, if it had no gears, or shockers, or indicators(that was a lame feature, to be honest) - it was special to me!
No street of Lucknow was left unmarked; no corners unexplored! It would often speed up to 35kmph while going down hill.. and boy, that is some speed for a bike!
Also, that is not how it looked back then :( Again, don't have a picture of it,  and the model seems to have changed!
Mine, was a blue-cum-silver colored Avon Alton - K-series; with the top-tube, down-tube and seat-tube forming a K shape! Who needs gadget when you have that! Get out on the road and kick some ass!
My love for biking never faded out, even as I went to school on a bicycle right till the XII standard! The reason why I never requested for a Dish or Cable connection at home, never cared.. or abandoned my Video Game, was this. 


You think that's crazy :P I'll add more. This adventure race, held around Pune every year, Enduro3, which I participated in 2010 demands a lot of cycling! Roughly, I biked around for 80kms in two days :O No exaggeration here, sir! None! ...Funny(& awesome), that I found an unclaimed Apple iPod(yeah, Nano - the new-age gadget) during that race.. which we, being a team, couldn't finish :/ (and which I have already lost!)




Feel like adding a conclusion here :P So, even if we didn't have a PS3 or an Apple iPod or a PSP or a Laptop or an iPad (blimey, kids now have those too!) or a.. ok, enough! I don't wanna spoil the mood :P.... things don't matter; what is cherished is memories and we had what's precious, a childhood

Thursday, 19 May 2011

TEN dramatic idiosyncrasies of U.N.G.I.N.E.E.R.S



We are incredible.. We can define beauty on a graph-sheet, build a software recreate the Universe, a machine that brings about world peace, and a circuit that replaces Nature! Er..
We do nothing during our 4-year vacation at graduation. Then, we work hard(dude.. seriously!) for that campus placement. We get The Dream Job. Then one day that dream thing turns into a nightmare, water rises upto the neck; and we head towards betterment of the organisational part of the corporate world. We get an MBA - we get The Dream Job-2! Some like myself hear about ROIs and look for an MBA+Dream Job-2 directly. Even then, you'll find us in every freaking job in the world! Best camouflage-ers in the country, WE ARE.
Comparing us to the next big thing post 10+2? We are successful and don't need to lie. We ain't under any "Hippocratic oath"!

Marked with our own individual & specific traits, we usually find a gang of similar people struggling in that some Engineering College. Here's a few common ones, where most of you will connect to atleast one of them!

10. Gyming

A few intelligent boys hit the gym. 2 times a day. 7 days a week. Good... for them:/ Easy to identify though- and not just their not-so-toned muscles. At lunch, all that this kind of a guy will talk is CALORIES. And if he has made some more research, it'll be proteins, vitamins and bla-bla. You, as an impatient listener might never wanna know! Its yummy, you have money. What bigger reason is worth considering?? Having said that, I'm already an idiot by their definition :P

9. Gaming

A guy in his sleep shouts out loud, "Fire in the Hole!". Someone, somewhere in the other part of the hostel goes "Affirmative!". You are not supposed to be scared. These un-earthly words aren't a part of their nightmares! Infact they lead a parallel life to this Engineering-shit, when awake. They GAME. Perhaps, that's the only verb they end up their engineering in. Of course they have a blast(bombs, guns, swords etc) You try to talk to them of adventure, and they'll narrate you how the previous night they freed a princess! If you're lucky-enough you'll meet that one who has a fantasy for the animated-princesses, and vomit next :P
And lest we forget, GO-GO-GO!

8. Wake Up Call

The literal meaning is what we are never struck with. But we do get wake-up-calls on our cellphones. No. Not for lectures :/ Vivas, submissions, Exams! The more important ones.
Who gives that life-saving call, varies with the person-in-sleep. Of course if you have an STD girl-friend, she calls you almost an hour earlier than you EVER could have asked her.. with some emotional melodrama, or while asleep, or hangovers!
For lucky-dogs like me, there always is a friend who has religiously been sleeping at 11 in the night(so he calls it) and waking up at around 6 in the morning. And shitting 15 minutes later. Know what, I often accompany this kinda for a cup of tea in the morning, before going to bed.

7. The Relationship Bug

The STD girl-friend I talked about is the prevalent version of the BUG.When she called you, she just bought some time for the good-lucks, wishes, kisses, i-hate-that-bi*ch, screw-the-moron and oo-YOU're-so RUUDE! chats. For most of those on the other side of this conversation, and very much my protagonist, there are two cases -
Case I : Boy - This piece of rigid humanity usually shies away from his friends to avoid what could turn into a biggest embarrassment of his life. You smell what I'm cooking, don't you!

Case II: Girl - The weirdness is characteristic here; she might be having two of her girl pals listening to what the oOOoo-so-caring and lovely guy is talking to her. And this is not it. Not without mentioning the "awwww..." sound!
mini-PS: When I said oOOoo, the sound has to rise to a higher pitch with O, and fall back to normal with an 'o'. Take note!

6. Bob Marley

This isn't about Music. This ain't about Rastafarianism either. Marijuana? Maybe.. A bunch of guys who have heard the name and think the junkie T-shirts with a Bob Marley print are cool-stuff! And they have a mutual understanding. They never question each other about credible info on this man! All is cool in this part of the world- cool-nuff eh, dude? Oh wait, did I just remind you of the Ernesto 'Che' Guevara's or Kurt Cobain's pseudo-fans? :P
One Love!

5. Hello, this is _____ at your service!

Some of us talk how how drastic it would be to be in a job, the routine life and the working hours! Well, quite contrary, a few others who would love to call it a JOB, work for some extra money.. er, extra on what their parents send them- and for the money they get, they are ready to sacrifice 6 days from their week! Call centres or BPOs(like some may claim, KPOs are different!) are like a new life-line to the hopeless and what-am-I-doing-here lives of these poor souls.
Serves good for booze and more. Though some claim to be doing the same to gain some corporate experience, which certainly they do- the clients from UK have a list of slangs prepared just in case they learn that the caller is from India! :-O Best of luck with that!!

4. Pangaaaa

Though the universities across the country might fail to understand the reasons, but the truth stands, that without a panga in college life, one does not qualify to be an Engineer. Oh, talk of the spirit, the vigour at these times - this is what will make us innovators of the world!
Going a bit deeper.. is actually not an option. Mostly, there are no reasons behind the scene; it's all action! And before you realize, you're into a tussle (for no prize!). Never had a gang, but now suddenly there is a battle for supremacy!
I'd say "You know it only when you've done it"! Also, trust me, first hand knowledge.. even if you are as single-boned or lanky as I am(yeah, I said it :P), and you are in for one, you'll always get that one chance to swing your fist - advice: GO ROCK HARD ON THE JAW! Because you are gonna live with that scar under your eye for a few years anyways :P Atleast, you won't regret those dead cells!

3. Cutting Chai!

Okay, first of all- "cutting-chai" is way too less in quantity for us engineers, or probably anyone with atleast some chillar in his/her pocket. It just sounds cool the way it is said, much like the name of a graffiti magazine ;-) Also, this is not a characteristic of a particular set of people- its universal. Unless you are one of those Coffee-type, who don't like tea. Well, SHUT UP, Bitches! For all the others, it has been the best companion of all times - 3'o clock in the cold-cold night, breakfast, evening break(from doing absolutely nothing), or the morning saviour when you are rushing in to the boring lecture hall, (in rain, hope, despair etc too).
Some of us even love to stare; at the rise-and-fall of the bubbles when being heated right upto the pouring into the cups!
There are sub-classifications within. Like me, for one, can kill for adrak waali chai! And then, Tea goes down awesome with anything right from Marlboro to Four Square. Another class discovered!

2. Know-em-all

Everyone knows this in-true-spirit Ungineer, with vellapanti resulting in him being more popular than The Beatles(damn these controversies!) themselves. I'll emphasize upon the pronoun him as(here comes a fact not much talked about..) girls are already popular in an Engineering college! They are a rare species in this mini-world afterall! Sorry, can't take the hard-earned prize from our type-2 guy! Well, this guy never met a person without a smile, and hand-shake is the next activity he might be doing after every 5 breathe-in's-breathe-out's!(or some statistic..) Sometimes, a great help without even knowing, as what an engineer would call medium for transmission.

1. Music

For much part of their well-engineered lives, they have been dipping into their mp3-players and iPods. Never seen without the headphones, this group has an affinity for stereo-sounds and a dislike for stereo-types. As much as I myself hate to fit in one, I guess somewhere, I-hate-stereotypes are a stereotype! ;-)
We have a an absolute lingo, where we start with A for Aerosmith, B for Bob Dylan, C for Coldplay... and so on! All the conspiracies, controversies and legends are the favorite talk-abouts. Deeply ingrained is the philosophy(as we see it) of the western music culture. The lyrics have an impact more than what any other form of poetry could possibly have. This is what most fail to see, or maybe we see more than there is(I've been told :P).
And okay, before you try to fit in here, let me tell you- we HATE Justin Bieber(fans, especially), or Lady Gaga(as a complete package). So if you are one of them, no Type 1 for you! Infact, we might call your's Muzak. So, STAY AWAY! :-)



I mostly end up with more points than I start with, so if you did not relate to any of those; being a I-know-it-all-genius, or a lick-ass-er, or an arrogant-bastard sorry for ignorance! :/


Last year, when I posted this, I thought it would be kick-ass to continue this TEN affair. I loved it, to be frank! ;-)That's how this one came up.

Wednesday, 18 May 2011

Silver Dreams


A dream- what the heart craves, and the head fights to live for,
roused by the desire to break free, desire to soar!


But your thoughts are made up, your dreams are surreal;
What do you know of reality - when nothing's like you feel?


Captivated by the illusions, barely might you see;
And may you do, you know- these nuances are mine, but it's not me!


And afraid- not of the dark; you lay in your cozy bed;
For your questions sound cliched, their answers well-bred;


Careful! for you might break the enchantments if you ever warn them.
Now there's a struggle within; wisdom no more it may seem-


Give them what they want, it was always their's for the taking;
those thick glass walls break and shatter, sounds of a breaking dream..!!

Tuesday, 10 May 2011

The Nights That Were

A few years back.. those chilly and silent nights.. sitting on the terrace.. with one of my friends.. and a hot cup of tea to accompany... favorite music playing at surprisingly low volumes.."Nothing Else Matters" or "Comfortably Numb" many a times.. looking at the deceptive night-sky.. and shades of moon-light.. we'd know what the other would be thinking.. and philosophical talks would start.. completely honest; and in spontaneity.. each time.. the mystifying thoughts would overpower our minds.. words forming up from thoughts.. and thoughts from words.. stimulated by the ambient perhaps.. the why's and why-not's.. life and death.. right and wrong.. how it should be what never was.. going beyond what a normal eye sees.. and a normal mind would perceive.. finding a weird explanation that overlaps with past experiences... all that I'd never contemplated before..the cups would soon go empty.. dry up.. but we never seemed to get out of the syllogisms.. idealism; in theory.. setting up axioms.. 
Then watching the night transform into the day; that was routine.. there would be no conclusions.. yet.. the moments I'll cherish the most!!


"There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all"

An Expression

A sweet melody
in my heart;
She is a boundless dream,
a free man's art.
This girl; in my life,
makes my spirits rise;
Her cherubic face-
her smiling eyes;
I never incurred,
my heart had turned fragile;
a girl simple yet perfect-
a thought of her: like a fool I'd smile.

Not love! It isn't all that this could be-
to me, love has been a mere word;
A hyperbole much splendored,
reality never heard.
All I know, she is a symphony,
that soothes my ears;
Like tulips for the sick;,
a flip-side to all pain and tears.
My heart choses to;
and my mind takes respite,
The air spreads her fragrance,
and these nights are bright.

She is a reality;
the golden bird's grace in a human,
The way she makes me feel;
Waiting for the sun.
Is it that too secluded,
my emotions, I keep in store;
Or is it right not to express,
and let love open the door?
When it comes to love, humans act selfish,
with her, I don't want to be;
Where does this road go;
Being nothing or a young love as I see?

For in the darkest hours
her face from the vivid memories shines;
In the strong imagery I drown,
in her aura that binds.
I dream,
and wish I'd never be awake,
Lost in solace,
around her a comfortable abode I make.
Or in the wilderness,
where Nature's music plays;
and the purity in the virtue that compares-
For eternal is the love that stays.

I feel her,
besotted; I am indeed-
My desire, I'd cherish her,
In turn my craze she'd heed!
Although Time heals, as they might say;
the way under the sun colors would fade,
Life is what she does mean to me;
As much would it cost: if my happiness I grade.
Or I'd rather find truth in reality,
We'll find our wisdom, and my muse she shall be-
To make me nothing I'm not,
and everything that is me.

Saturday, 7 May 2011

Heresy

I believe; as a belief in its true character would be,
Not driven by Fear, Greed or Respite;
Or the high-minded-ness of the society-
Not by expectations, or merely what is supposed to be,
Not where legacies and divinations make an alibi:
For curiosity and righteousness guide my demeanour,
Nor by the throne or any crown do I perceive-
I believe in love, and love is how I believe.

Saturday, 9 April 2011

She's a BITCH!

In some alien world, and the movie-la-la-land ofcourse, they say all men are dogs. And when a girl cheats on a guy, she is a bitch in the latter's words! In this real world, I have heard boys to be uttering a few words in such cases, girls sometimes even more than you'd expect their gentle kind too ;-)


Well, if you sprang up from your chair on reading the title of this post AAND also, started thinking how your girl-friend is a B**CH, well I must say you most certainly are at the wrong place X-( 
Still, does her excessive love annoy you? She's too loud, ain't she? Do you hate it when she acts needy? Do you wanna break-free when you are around her and she won't let you leave? Well, I recently felt every effing bit of these emotions!! But my chivalry challenges me when I try to use such a word("bitch" ofcourse!) for a lady whom I've personally known!(unless, you know..some variant of a sphinx resides in this world). Mister, your thoughts were in your head, don't blame me now! I just quoted them!! Because, the BIG difference is that the protagonist of this story is a bitch.

It started when me and a friend moved into our new apartment this September. It was supposed to be the apartment. We moved in at 1st floor.. a girl in the flat below. And her generosity is how we got SNOWY into our lives. A new-born pup when "she" was brought to live within our building. At first, you don't consider a stray to be quite sharing your space - because they are like everywhere!!! Plus I've never had pets to be able to read their behavior. And I mostly "disliked" dogs.. But soon I realized that she is also one of our neighbors. News, that! :D


Snowy, she(I'd no idea how my roomie discovered this indispensable he/she thing!!) was a little thing that didn't have teeth, and she hadn't barked so far!! - so I was the master! The girl from the ground floor - thats how we mentioned her in the earlier days, me thinks GFG(Ground-Floor-Girl.. hehe) would be easier here - fed her and of-course plenty of other things you have to manage!
One fine day I learnt that GFG was her mother("mumma" to be precise, even if it gives me goosebumps!) Well, atleast that's what I heard. See, this is what happens when you hear a girl and a puppy in-a-heart-to-heart-conversation :P


Dog-behavior, she used to sniff my shoes to start with, and soon started licking too o.O. Human-behavior, I whistled at her sometimes.. :-/ I liked the way a dog can recognize you from a distance.  All good, still!! Until GFG one day moved to somewhere else. I remember going down to her while she was packing to ask if she was taking the dog with her. All I can recall is she narrated a loooonngg story as to why her new landlord won't allow the dog in there, and then the words, "Atleast you people are there naa.. for her!"
"Stop...lady.. right there! What!?"
Perhaps I would have as well said that, but all I could manage was my infamous shying-away-smile with the sound- hmmm. Damn it!


Yeah, that is Snowy, enjoying her share..
From the main-gates of our building to the staircases, it was a rat-race with a puppy chasing a ..well, ME :-/ Noteworthy that she couldn't climb up the staircase because we had a wooden plank(huge enough for a pup) placed at the bottom set of stairs. Yet, more often than not, I had to offer her my shoes which she would- I don't know- what! Sometimes she was even on my jeans- funny thing, initially I used to wash them each time that happened, but soon, accounting to my laziness I emblodened the philosophy of 'That's what denims are for, get them dirty' \m/


A grand method was invented one day, bloody-thank the doughnut I bought on my way back home, one super-fine day! Throw her a piece of it in some other direction, tell her- "You're my bitch" and guess what, she is ;-) And soon this became a trend, as doughnuts got replaced by Parle-G. I used the famous-neverfails-magic We're Students.. please try to understand! line. Budget constraints! We already had a big-big pack of the G for genius biscuits, now we shared it with Snowy!!!




Soon, I could notice what was upon me. The wagging tail was getting swifter by the day! Honestly, I had no plans of taking our relationship any further, BUT - O sweet lord!, how do I explain it to this feminine creature! Next thing I remember, the whining sound at the most awkward hours. I got alert. (link_alert!!) Soon she had learned the art of jumping-over, and the wood-piece on the stairs could no longer keep us apart :-/ 


If there's a whiner at your door, slide out some Parle-Gs - the Mantra.


The rat-race was over by now with some kinda silent MoU between us - I would understand while she silently mauled me :(


There was this creepy affection in her eyes, that would give me goosebumps. Now I knew, how hard it must be to say, "Look, I don't love you the way you love me....


Shit! Shit!


No affections for me, please! All I can offer in these times is pity, which I shouldn't. I'm no loner, but I can be unavailable to people(read: humans) I don't wanna be with! And what about all the anti-social crap I usually utter? 


I wasn't sure if this little piece of life was counted in the society. A stray. That's what you are called! Okay... I could relax now! o.O

Turns out time works good upon both humans and dogs alike. Phobia turned into sympathy, and sympathy turned into.. something new. I still don't enjoy the licking, but now there's some difference. Feeding is somehow a routine I don't miss. I'm not sure ppl.. tell me, is this LOVE? O.o 


*takes out a gun and puts in his mouth* ठांय-ठांय-ठांय! :-(


PS- In all honesty, no-offence-to-no-one with that title! And I hope I've made it clear that I won't ever wanna use that word in any "reference"!!!! Losers, Bullshitters, sorry to disappoint you :-/

The Playlist

Dedicated to my lost iPod(with 1202 songs) and the few friends who helped me with there gyan to allow me to explore this massive world of good(yeah!) music.


Now I wasn't quite sure how to present this. So I decided to go for chronological order. The timeline is appromixate, and so is science. So here are the 50 songs begged-borrowed-stole to make it into my kick-ass blog. Not ranking my playlist; these are the ones that crossed my head during this following activity (oops! yeah, you read it right, my mind) :P


Year 2007 - The Beginning


1) Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
This was the mega start. I started believing.. This song was the religion. The cult I followed! John Frusciante! The fan in me was born!! :)


2)Imagine
John Lennon
First heard it when I was in 7th standard, was revisited this year. John Lennon. This man truly was incongruous. Unmatched personality with a set of principles of his own. Respect.


3) Nothing Else Matters
Metallica
If every life had a theme song, I would take that one!


4) Fanaa
A.R. Rahman


5)Snow (Hey Oh!)
Red Hot Chili Peppers


6)Time Of Your Life
Green Day


7)Stairway To Heaven
Led Zeppelin
Best Guitar solo ever. Jimmy GOD Page.


8) Holiday
Green Day
This song is awesome as it is. I remember how I had the first of innumerable viva's of engineering life, and 2 days prior I didn't even have a book. Plus, those were the days I thought its sad to fail :P Last day, I was on a mission. Still remember the day in the Reading Hall. And this song!! Trust me.. its far better than caffeine :P

Year 2008 - Pink Floyd and Trance!

9) Another Brick In The Wall
Pink Floyd


10) Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd
Psychedelic Rock. A new world. What music can do to you - David Gilmour is the best at it!


11) November Rain
Guns N' Roses


12) Hotel California
The Eagles


13) Ecstasy
ATB


14) In The Dark
DJ Tiesto
Ecstasy and In The Dark were two of the few songs that incited an interest in the Ambient music, precisely all that is Trance. This was like adding another shade to my complete life. Trance does give you a new perspective!


15) Carnival of Rust
Poets Of The Fall


16) Illusions & Dreams
Poets Of The Fall
The poetic style of the Poets Of The Fall is captivating. The lyrics!


17) The Legacy
Iron Maiden
The intro - the raw sounds of guitar; nothing beats this one!!


18) Phase I
Porcupine Tree


19) Lazarus
Porcupine Tree
If I ever rank the songs I've heard, Lazarus would definitely be one of the top '#1's ;)


20) Under The Bridge
Red Hot Chili Peppers


21) Viva La Vida
Coldplay


22) Coming Back To Life
Pink Floyd


23) High Hopes
Pink Floyd


24) Ten Years Gone
Led Zeppelin
Absolutely love it esp the part where Plant cries, "Do you ever really need somebody.." :)

Year 2009 - The numbness & nothingness

25) Jalpari
Jal


26) Mausam & Escape
A. R. Rahman


27) Working Class Hero
John Lennon


28) Following The Sun
Enigma


29) Turn The Page
Metallica


Just WOW!


30) Eleanor Rigby
The Beatles
As much as people put Yellow Submarine from this album, Revolver as the best ever by The Beatles, for me Eleanor Rigby wins feet-up-hands-down-pee-in-the-sky!


31) Stand By Me
John Lennon


32) Riders On The Storm
The Doors


33) Behind Blue Eyes
The Who


34) Dream On
Aerosmith


35) Like A Rolling Stone
Bob Dylan
I remember the day I heard this first. I was ecstatic about having the world's fucking best song on my playlist!


36) Falling Slowly
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova


37) Norwegian Wood
The Beatles

Year 2010 - "Yes Sire, MUSIC is all I do..."


38) While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Beatles


39) Lady D'Arbanville
Cat Stevens


40) The Heart of Life
John Mayer


41) I Feel You
Schiller
In case you've not heard this, just youtube it.. right now!(Ah! just click!!) :)


42) Adiemus
Adiemus is a kinda musical project, or a series rather by Karl Jenkins - about whom I know nothing more than that he is a big-moustached-Welsh-man who composes such EPIC pieces!!
I would seriously regret my death, if I haven't heard THIS a million time by then ;) 


43) Love Generation
Bob Sinclair
Clearly, Sinclair is one of a kind; and this is Preity Zinta's favorite, hence.. ;)


44) Free Bird
Lynyrd Skynyrd


45) Underdog
Kasabian


46) Love You Till The End
The Pogues


47) Fairytale Of New York City
The Pogues
The last two songs feature in the movie P.S. I Love You. Well, I love you or not, I damn love these tracks!

Year 2011 - Hello World!

48) Acid Darbari
A.R. Rahman


49) Guaranteed
Eddie Vedder


50) Society
Eddie Vedder
These two Eddie Vedder songs feature in the movie Into The Wild, which also happens to be my fucking FAVORITE!! Not until recently had i discovered the kick-ass-ness of the OSTs and Eddie Vedder, the LEGEND!
.
.
.
I am sure there are a few hundred songs which I can't recall while finishing here, and a few which I deliberately skipped, coz I have personal favorites within my personal favorites :P To give credit to those who have been missed, this piece is so-MAHA-awesome, yet so incomplete because I'll never be able to choose the BEST 50 ;)