Do Not loose a Good One - Art of Picking

I found that I love telling a story rather than thesis and here I go.

I was 13 and was growing younger ( or older .. its complicated). My parents thinking of burdening me with at least one responsibility decided that I should bring vegetables alternate days. Being a young quickie, I used to rush to the vendor and ask him for vegetables. He would tell me he has two types of vegetable: one is imported from other places which always looks good and another is local. I inspected local vegetables when I visited first time and out of them few looked pale and I decided not to take them and opted for good looking vegetables every time.

After few weeks of this practice, my mother walked with me ( though I never liked, it used to take lot of time for any activity when she accompanied). We reached to take vegetables and she started selecting from the local vegetables basket. She picked them one by one, inspected and put in our bag. Finally, we were able to buy vegetables ( and I was not sure did we invested or wasted time).

On our way back, I asked for logic. She stated "Local vegetables are always more fresh and hence a better choice but we often reject them because either there packaging is not good or because they always have few or more pale cousins along. But this doesn't mean that we should overlook them as if we do so then we would loosing some good vegetables". I was though impressed in adolescence.

When we reached our house, she turned back to me and said "Do not loose Good one". I heard that, nodded head and was off for play in whisker.

But now I understand it. Its two things rather:
You don't always get good things by their brand or packaging.
We invest time when we look for something good.

And its always an art of picking.

I wanted it to be a prank

It’s a story about friends:  Vijay, Raman and Chintan. They had been friends since school days. Definitely loads of good times during school days and fighting as well. Raman being more mischievous had always some or more pranks in his pocket to throw away on Vijay. Vijay sometimes shouted, sometimes smiled and sometimes kept mum. On the contrary, Raman was equally emotional and sensitive. He always used to surprise Vijay with his efforts on his birthdays and good days. And Vijay knowing that every activity of Raman being provoked by Chintan and Chintan a sadist, had a job to keep Chintan positive which in turn kept Raman in usual instinct and protected him from being over mischievous.

School days ended and they parted. Life went more complicated and friends more busy. One day a letter arrived at Vijay house. Vijay opened it and was shocked, unmoved; tears rolled down his face. The letter was from one of his friend stating Chintan has killed Raman and himself.

Vijay tried to contact Raman in best possible ways but no luck. He called one of the friends to look for him. Friend asked for 2 hrs till he reaches Raman’s house and gets any information. Vijay was disturbed. Vijay panicked and cursed his friend. He remembered old days and was not able to believe the message.  Vijay wept.

Vijay wanted it to be a prank. He desperately wanted it to be a prank.

After 2 hrs, phone ranged. Vijay picked it. His friend told that the message is true. Vijay was not able to respond. He knew it could only be Chintan and no one else. He knew keeping Raman and Chintan alone to themselves is only reason. In sometime some common friends came to his residence and as Vijay was moving away after opening the door, suddenly from behind Raman appeared and started laughing. Yes, it was a prank. Vijay angrily went to him and slapped tight and hard and hugged tight and hard.

Yes, it was a prank and it was a story but in real life and in most cases, it’s not prank.

In my life, Vijay are a group of lot and I am one of them. And Chintan is an emotion.

 I too wanted it to be prank as well and see him coming, smiling from behind and slap him hard.

But he betrayed us. Left us shocked, disturbed, panicked, cursing him, remembering old days and weeping. He will never appear from behind.


I too wanted it to be a prank.

A Software Engineer and the City

It was a beautiful day and I was walking along my girlfriend and so beautiful was the climate. We just walked lit bit, talked lit bit and then I called my Driver to pick us in my beautiful red shining Ferrari and drove us to my 10 acre villa. Just at the gate we jumped over a little bump and I Fell down off my chair.

Oh Crap!! I was dreaming. I am Software Engineer.

It was my Manager who pushed my chair while I was sleeping and as I woke up he was yelling at me with few technical, few professional, few abusive and lots of menace words. As usual it didn’t bother my processor and went ear to ear. Sometimes I really doubt how can an input device route these jargons to another input device for output and feel confident that at least I understood something in this profession.

Once upon a time, it was prestigious to be an engineer and honorable and most profitable to be a software engineer but as time progressed the profession descended from riches to rags and yes this article displays a darker side.

My alarm was ringing hard at 6:30 am with tune “Om Jai Jagdish Hare”. With closed eyes I was trying to locate my cell phone. Finally I succeeded and pressed it to snooze after 15 min. This process continued for 3 more times and finally I woke up at 7:15 and my day started. Let me clarify about the tune as well. It was my mother’s earnest desire that I should wake up and do some prayer before going to office and I thought of same as well before joining the job but after the job I realized that one shouldn’t think of something which is way beyond his capability but showing some respect to my mother’s anticipation I recommended myself to have at least morning alarm of the Bhajan. God please forgive my sins for not being obedient but you can see this is the best I can do for you.

After my morning daily schedules which I do flawlessly like a robot I ensured to do some exercises. Ohkk why exercises? It’s never due to fact that exercises keeps you fit because earlier I never did and never thought of its benefits instead it’s because since few days when I sit anywhere I find some 4-6 packs of my bulky stomach come up like a man became pregnant with 2 month baby.. Aaaah!! I hate it and I started doing exercises.

I galloped litre milk... some cornflakes or bananas or sometimes nothing and rush for the company bus. While I was on the way I saw the bus at few meters and I shouted at driver but the completely rule bound and loyal driver didn’t stopped for 2 seconds and drove away leaving me in only option that now I have to walk for 2-3 km in this soaring sun to get the public bus as I cannot afford a private taxi.

Walking all the way I reached a stop where I could get some public transport but in next 20 min I couldn’t find a bus hence at last I had to go for the six seater autos.

Now let me tell you about these popular vehicles first. Most of these don’t have seats but just wooden planks and you can imagine the state of bums when these autos run on the high density Indian bumpy roads. These auto sounds like a 400 cc bike running without silencer and exhausts as much as pollution an inefficient US rocket emits.

As these are completely open... you can expect lots of dust on your face, body and hair and of courses your clean and crisp dresses go to hell. The most fascinating part is the auto can barely accommodate 3 person on a single slab but the drivers insist rather force to seat 4 in a jig jag way if you want you get transported.

I really wonder and appreciate the Indian s/w engineers who regularly ferry using this transport. May be they would be saving some penny to get closer to their dreams.

Finally after doing something whole day, I thought of having some fun so I skipped my bus to go for hang out with my friends. We three friends jumped into an auto rickshaw to minimize our expenses and asked the driver that we need to go MG Road. He told us fare as Rs. 200 for that. I was quite amused and asked him “Is his taxi air conditioned for he has got the seats from Germany VW”. A 10 km travel nowhere asks for such a big rate. We left him and asked other drivers as well but the drivers were well in unity and we had no option. I don’t know why the hell these guys think that we are earning the salary of Prime Minister. Hey dude!! the buildings doesn’t belong to me and please make a note that we might save less than you guys as for many education loan repayment tears one-third salary.

I was travelling to MG Road and I suddenly felt like I am in Afghanistan. All the ladies had covered their faces with cloth. In excitement I tried to talk with one for direction and peep into the face but bared eyes of the girl feared me. I pulled my legs back. It’s always a stupidity to annoy educated and literate ladies. They always have lots of reasons and solutions.

We crossed the road and went in a restaurant to have some food. Food was good, ambience was beautiful and so was the bill. My friend placed his credit card on the table and I placed my Identity card to get some discount; at least 10%. I still remember the look waiter gave to me and he was also sure that we are never going to give any tips as well. We paid the bill; waiter used the card and didn’t return it, he almost threw it to us. We gathered our accessories and moved back to our flats, obviously crossing Afghan gals.

As we reached our flats, there was some gathering outside. We oozed into that to know more and later we understood it was for us only. Few bachelors had created some nuisances and the society members had decided not to give flats to bachelors. I argued with some valid reasons but all in vain. It was like beating another child as other one has done mistakes.

Depressed: We had still 1 month’s time given by those folks to search for our new nest. So, we left this thought apart and came to our flat. It was really nice to them.

Tiffin was there and I had dinner.

Suddenly my friend came with beer bottles and he made my day. We initially blamed each other for making addictive to it and just yesterday I had vowed not to touch it. But I couldn’t have wasted it as he had brought with so pain. We scored some smiles, remembered our college days and he left.

While on bed I thought of my day… It was a waste but one day it will be mine… I slept for dream and  to face the city tomorrow again.