Vitamin "I" - Part Two - Vitamin Deficiency

"Shekar.... Shekar, can you hear me Shekar..."

"Oh Rajeev, why are you lying down on the bed? What happened to you?"

"Huh! You fool, you are the one lying on the bed, I'm standing! You'd fainted, you know that?"

Shekar fell back to sleep and it was only the next morning he woke up. And Rajeev told him George does make up such stories.

"And what if it was true, what if he was the reason that we were losing so many deals, what if.."

"Shekar, stop blaming others, accept your own responsibilites! Its the company which is responsible, not any tea-wallah George!"

Shekar understood what was said, and after this he really did work hard. Hiss boss never ever complained to him that he wasn't working efficiently or wasn't meeting deadlines! Shekar started to enjoy working here now and surprisingly, the company was back on track, not that Shekar alone was responsible for it, but it made him more confident.

After a few days Rajeev noticed that Shekar had become a workaholic and was becoming very overconfident. Rajeev thought for a few days and he knew what had to be done. He straight away went to George's and he was back in a flash.

A few days later Rajeev and Shekar came down to George's for a smoke!

"Shekar babu, I hope you didn't faint the other day when I'd told you that tale. Don't listen to me so seriously."

"By the way George, who taugh you such good English?"

"Oh, Rajeev sir did! You know it is too tough to teach someone like me English."

"Ah come on, I can teach someone like you in a month! Uh, lets say, I'll teach your brother!"

"That sounds good, I will send him to you house tomorrow then!"

Shekar took it as a challenge and rigrously started teaching George's brother, Albert, spoken English. The last day he asked Albert, "So you can confidently speak in English now no?"

"Yes sir, thanks for what you have done, you are like Rajeev babu, now can also talk like my brother!"

"Ok so tomorrow we'll show your brother how welll you can speak."

The next day Rajeev and Shekar arrived at George's.
"Albert, tell your brother how well you can speak in English."

"Sir, I speak English bestly! See bhaiya, English good mine!"

Shekar again fainted!

end of part two

You are here, so is Loneliness

Sleep, is such a naughty pet of mine that it plays hide-and-seek all the time. Sleep is ironically a very active puppy.

Anyways forget about him, he is just a dog in this man's world.

The problem right now is that I have to catch a flight tomorrow early morning. And I am scared of Flights. Althouh I feed Flights everyday, he falls under the nasty category, he comes and scratches me! Am really scared of him, I feed him from a distance nowadays!

So what I was saying is that I have to wake up early in the morning and as I can't get to sleep, because I can't get to Sleep, I will either miss my flight or get some sleep only in the flight. Ah did I tell you Sleep and Flights are good friends, the rarest of ther dog-cat friendly combination! So my problem will be when I will be away and there will noone to feed Sleep and Flights.

That is why I have kept a girl. She is responsible for keeping my pets with her for the weekend. But I haven't given her the house keys! She wont be able to feed my pets and sadly I wont pay her for this and she will surely cry in front of me!

Ahhh, dont cry girls please! They always do. Anyways the girl problem is sorted out, I will pay her instead. But what will happen to my pets - ah let me se, right, I will overfeed them, how does that look.

So all the problems are sorted out and am still roaming around like there are still things to do and two hours only for me to go. Ah I am leaving on a jet plane, ah I hope I am and not singing loudly, otherwise Beetle might wake up.

Nah, she is not my pet, she is what you call, yeah she's my wife. And she's bald, and I used to have a beard which I took off out of respect on the day she went totally bald. What a canvas it is, her shiny head - I keep on drawing a girl with hair on it, its fun!

So is my problem now to not let Beetle wake up. She might come and give me a headbutt, ah that Zidane guy really is an idol for all bald people. My wide by the way plays lacrosse, and she represents one of the Canada's funnily named province in it. Forget the name, but how big she has become in size scares me, plus she eats Anything.

Right, I told her Anything Corn Flakes have additives which are harmful. Anyways she will die soon, she smokes 7 packets a day, 7 because at the same time she commits the seven sins mentioned in the Bible.

So now I know that am deep deep down in the scale of down to up for a good life. What should I do? Umm, why not pack my bags, for a change.

"Will you shut up John!"

"Are my thoughts so loud?"

"Nah, you were mumbling what you were saying too!"

"You know why I talk to myself? Because tum bhi ho, tanhai bhi - aisa to kam hi hota hai. But in your case it always happens - you are here, so is loneliness!"

Meine Jo ko nahi Maara

It is really interesting the way she behaves when she has to say something, half open-mouthed smile appears on her dimpled face and then suddenly you expect her lips to start moving; it would take a few fine fractions of seconds more when her lips would really move. And you cannot believe that that sharp featured girl has a very sober and mellowed down voice. At that moment, her eyes begin to wander and one tends to follow them, and you are suddenly lost - you don't know what to follow, her eyes or her lips.

"Sir, sir, sirrrrrrrr."

"Yes Jyoti..."

That delightful smile again, "Sir, I asked you something..."

I guess I quit the job the very same moment in my mind, and I really did it in the evening. As it I was taking these clases just for some extra cash, but as now I had a big crush on Jo, I had to leave the job. I didn't see her for many days and suddenly a call came on my mobile.

"Hello, I heard you left your job... The new guys really sucks..."

Ah and as on the phone I was able to concentrate on what she was speaking, I could make out that she was interested in me, and soon we were at the coffee shop having coffee....



"Jaaaaanu"

"Joo darling. Hey lets have some coffee first before dinner..."

"Ok, CCD at the corner will do no?"

"Lets go...."...



"Jo, don't worry, you will have a beautiful girl, I will be besides you..."....



"Jo, look where Jigyasa is going, don't let her go out alone..."

The same dimpled smile, the same wandering eyes, made me forget that Jo was not around!

"Papa, mummy is not here!"

"Oh, I almost forgot, anyways Jigyasa come on in, don't wander outside...".....


Next time I uttered the word Jo was when I mistook Jigyasa for Jo. She was a replica and a memento for me. She never let me forget Jo.

"Papppaaa... try and forget mommy, please, I can't see you like this! You have become a hermit!"

"Pappaaaaaaaaaa, do you even listen to what I say?"

"No Jo, your wandering eyes doesn't let me..."

"Papa!!! Don't call me Jo......"


How could I explain it to my daughter what that smile meant to me. How I am still crazy about those eyes. I was and I am in love with Jo....

One day I went to the same old CCD where for the first time we had had coffee. I saw a middle-aged lady sitting in front of me. She looked like an executive of a very big firm. I would have been something like that had I not left my life lose in the memory of Jo. I suddenly thought to walk upto her, from the back she looked very attractive.

"jo............................."

She had many explanations to give, which I didn't want to hear this time.... I took off in a hurry in my car....

"Papa, you look furious, what happened? Oh, don't tell me you saw mommy?"

I just had bought the gun for fun, but today I picked it out from the drawer and in a rush I shot Jigyasa, and suddenly I saw Jo on the door and the second bullet pierced her belly....

Judge had asked me, "Do you want to defend your action of firing bullets at your family members?"

"Meine Jo ko nahi maara. I can still see those wandering eyes...."

The Bewda

Hungama hai kyu burpaa,
thori si jo pee li hai....

These interesting lines are picked up from a very famour Ghazal by Ghulam Ali. Really, there are some people who drink to make a scene, some make a scene to drink and there are some who make a scene when someone else is drinking. Really drinking is bad.... Or is it?

There are people who detest it, and I agree people can do without having it! But there are people who equally love it, and I still agree they can too do away with drinking it ritually. There is a slight difference in what we know is right and what we do, even knowing it is wrong. And there is a slight difference in what people think is acceptable and what is not. All in all it is really a big jump for someone to drink the spirit, some people consider it a plunge whereas some a high!

I personally have no opinion, factually, I cannot beg to differ that alcohol in very small contents only is not harmful, but still I cannot offer any advice, neither do I mind a bewda nor a teetotaller. But rather I suggest, thori thori peeya karo. And I also suggest, hungama hai kyu burpa, thori si to pee li hai!!!

For me, I believe as long as you have something or someone that can make you high, so be it, but when someone or something makes u a bewda, then hungama to hoga hi!

Flashback Part V - The Finale

"Hey, he'll come for my treat today! The same place as we discussed in the plan"

"Beep. Message recorded. To replay press 1, to.." CLICK.

She had delivered the message. The three sisters were more than ready for the plan! Her next phone call was to me to confirm the timings of her treat.

Somewhere else another call was made:
"Hey, you confirm the seat bookings with the restaurant manager, your role is verryyyy crucial!"

"I have done it!"


So that is how the plan was made. I had no idea why such an elaborate plan was made for me! What really was the mystery? Why was this plan made? I was sure now that my friend was involved and I was imagining how the girls had proceeded with the plan. But wait a minute, where am I, as far as I remember last I had fainted. And to think of it, I was going to my office, it was a Friday, Thursday I had my previous accident, and it was only Wednesday when my diabolical friend had given her treat! Aah, that means I hadn't lost my mind or...

I had already fainted so many times in the last two days that nothing could shock me more. I was lying on my bed and the Television was on and I had just noticed it. The weather news was coming...

"There is chances of slight rains on Wednesday, thunderstorms expected on Thursday, and heavy rains surely on Friday..."

This time I did faint again!

PS: The complete title of this part was supposed to be "The Finale is it?"

Flashback - Part IV - Normalcy

Yes everything was back to normal! I wasn't getting any more flashbacks...

The girl who had brought in my highlighter explained how I had fainted while driving my bike and had survived with minor cuts. She was the one who was driving the car who had flashed the light, so she had responsibly taken me to the hospital and had even left me at my home. And I had forgotten all this!

That is how the highlighter, which had fallen off my bag had reacher her. Anyways she confessed that she was unable to talk to me yesterday as I was unconcious, and so had come to ask me how I was feeling. I thanked her for whatever she had done and explained her that it was probably because of lack of sleep since a few days that led to me fainting on the bike.

But I wasn't still sure who my mystery girls were and out of a spontaneous reaction I asked,
"Whose dress is this?"

"Pardon me, its mine!"

"Oh, because I had seen a girl wearing the same dress yesterday, I fainted after seeing her."

"Hmm there are other pieces also of the same dress!"

Anyways, I thanked her once again and started off towards my office....

When I had fainted the previous night, I fell off the bike on the grass on the side. It did hurt a lot at that time, but it wasn't serious. I had seen three girls coming out of the car and I could now see clearly who they were. All the three girls who had worn the blue dress. At that time also they were wearing the same dress!...

And while I was consumed by my thoughts I fainted again on my bike....

Jaggery Tales

One morning, I suddenly woke up at 5 am. It felt that someone was banging on the door. Very hard. Thak thak thak thak......

I woke up to see the time on my watch. It read 11 am.

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaate again!!!"

That is what my inner soul shouted. But I suddenly realised that when someboday was on the door it felt like it was 5 am. Where did I lose my 6 hours? Then I realised I had a taste of jaggery in my mouth. I went to my kitchen and a lively aroma of makke ki roti was present there....

I woke up and glanced at my watch : 5.10 am. Ahhh bad dream, but a tasty one. Then I realised that why am I waking up again and again at such an early time? Yes, the door was still banging, and it was even louder this time. I went up to the door and very politely asked,

"Kaun hai subeh subeh?"

My dear friend from Pakistan had come. His name was Iqbal. I had met him in Canada where we both had worked for in the summers.

"Iqbal bhai, you in India? You never told me, when did you come."

"Actually was here for a conference. And my flight reached Mumbai today morning, and have straight away come to your house. Thought will give u a pleasent surprise."

"Mast kia aapne! So do you wanna rest?"

"No, look I have brought food from my house, lets warm it right away, we dont have time to sleep".

Iqbal was always this energetic! And soon we were habving Makki ki Roti with some jaggery. I suddenly realised that is what I had smelt in the dream. The very same smell of Makki and the taste of jaggery.

"Hey Iqbal, a very strange thing happened this morning. I had this dream that I have just had the very same food we are having right now!

Iqbal bhai, why aren't you listening, Iqbal.. Iqbaaaaaaaal! "

I suddenly woke up and found that it was a dream. And I knew that now I was awake for real because the watch showed a decent time 8.30 AM. But soon I rembered that today Iqbal had to come to visit me.

This makes me remember the lines by Gulzar...

"Subah subah ik khwab ki dastak par darwaza khola, dekha
Sarhad ke us paar se kuchh mehmaan aaye hain
Aankhon se maanoos the saarey

Chehre saarey sune sunaaye
Paanv dhoye, Haath dhulaye
Aangan mein aasan lagwaaye...
Aur tannoor pe makki ke kuchh mote mote rot pakaye
Potli mein mehmaan mere
Pichhale saalon ki faslon ka gud laaye the

Aankh khuli to dekha ghar mein koi nahin tha
Haath lagakar dekha to tannoor abhi tak bujha nahin tha
Aur hothon pe meethe gud ka jaayka ab tak chipak raha tha

Khwab tha shayad!
Khwab hi hoga! !
Sarhad par kal raat, suna hai, chali thi goli
Sarhad par kal raat, suna hai
Kuchh khwaabon ka khoon hua hai"

The Fall Season

Yesterday I found my diary, in which I used to keep old labels, bills, or any piece of paper which could have served my memory. As I was going through it, I came across a dry leaf, a darkly orange coloured leaf which was as dry as the memory which it represented...

A few years back I first saw her. She was standing on the bus stop wearing a pair of black jeans and a black denim top and she looked like a pretty innocent girl. I called her up and told her that I have parked my car a little ahead. I saw her coming towards me from the rear-view mirror. As she was just near the door, I opened it for her and a leaf rushed in my car....

It was a sunny afternoon when I received an sms : "Hey where are you? I am standing on the bus stop for an hour now. My balance is very low currently :("

As I had nothing better to do I called the number. A very soft spoken and a sweet voice picked up,

"Hello!"

"As your balance is very low, I though I should call up. I guess you sent your SMS to the wrong number and from your SMS it looks like you are stuck somewhere."

"Yeah so why did you call up?"

"I guess I can help you, alteast I can make your sms reach the right person."

I don't know what magic happened, but as she said that she was stood up by someone and she was waiting at a bus stop, she asked me if I can pick her up and take her somewhere for lunch...

When we were returning from the lunch that day, she looked at the trees and said, when old leaves are falling off, the tree hopes that spring will come soon, but there is a cold winter before that. And then she said, you really saved my day today, I didn't pass through a winter phase.

After that we used to regularly chat on the phone. She was my regular cup of evening tea it seemed. One day on a cold winter evening she called me and announced, " I think I love Dheeraj."

Nah, it wasn't as if I had any feelings for the girl, but to know that she liked someone just saddened me. I did not react to it. My winter had started and her spring! She conveyed to me her happy instances with her new found love and as a nice friend I always heard what she had to say. I was happy as long as she was...

One day I realised that I had some feelings for her, after a lot of thought that is. The very same day she told me she is planning to break up with Dheeraj. It was a mixed reation which I gave. I simply said, "Yes you are too young to commit, you will certainly get a good person in your life.."

The next summer she left for her studies to The States, and by that time I was certain I had no feelings for her then...

After a week had passed, I was sitting in a coffee shop when I got a call from an unknown number...I could just hear her hello and the voice cut out....

Exactly after a year when I had gotten her SMS, I got another one which read: "I am sad, I had a bf here and we juz broke up!"

"I hope I was there. I really luv u, did u know that!"

"Huh! I though it was me who did, you never proposed!"

Aur pfhir purana mausam laauta, yaad bhari purvai bhi...

Flashback - Part III - On the other side of the Road

Now I remember, what had happened the previous night when I was coming back to home. I had seen a familiar face on the other side of the road and while I was trying to remember who she was, a sudden glare of light made me realise that I was on the road. Even though I was unable to pinpoint who she was, I was curious to find out. Unluckily or luckily, the U-turn was a kilometre ahead. I instantly put the bike on full throttle and in a flash was on the other side of the road. But when I reached the place where my mystery girl was earlier, she was not there. Ah, I was really tired and wanted to go back home, but suddenly a little ahead I saw the same blue dress which she was wearing. Yes, she was climbing a taxi, and wasting no time I had put the motrobike engines into motion....

The day I had gone for my friend's birthday dinner, I had seen a very pretty girl on the table opposite to ours. I was only able to see her profile and her very pretty blue coloured dress. After I was done with my meal, I had gotten a feeling that I know her from somewhere. I had asked my friend that time that if she remembered her....

Before I could reach the taxi, I remembered that the girl on the road was wearing the same dress as the girl at the restaurant the other day. But I was unable to come to the conclusion that if she was the same girl. In the meantime, she had gone ahead in the taxi. As the thought of who she was continuously troubling me, I decided to follow her taxi. I could't believe it that the taxi was running very fast, and it was difficult for me to keep the pursuit going. I tried my level best and finally when I saw I had wasted enough of the petrol, I decided to return back...

Coming to the present, I was still unable to remember where my highlighter was. Even after numerous flashbacks of memory which I got, none of them led to any conclusion. Suddenly, the bell rang and as I opened the door I saw the same blue dress in front of my eyes. And to my horror, the girl was neither of the two girls which I had seen wearing this dress. Even before I could react she handed me my highlighter and said, I guess this is yours...

When I had given up hope of following the girl on the previous night, I had come to the same spot when I had seen the girl on the other side of the road. Before going back home, I had stopped for a one last look. Then I could see a flash of light....

Oh, I remembered who this girl was, and flashes of memory came to me that the flash of light had come two times on the previous night...

Flashback - Part II - The Highlighter

As I sat down on my bed thinking where the hell can the highlighter be, a sudden thought came to my mind, my room's walls were never blue....

As on the day when I was searching for my highlighter on my desk, I had come across a piece of paper. It was a bill, the name mentioned on it was illegible. I was horrified to see it was of Rs. 1000 and when I observed closely it was billed in my name. On top of it there was a stamp mentioning paid on it!! Oh god, when did I pay for this and what was it that I paid for? Suddenly I checked my bank account and it showed an ATM withdrawl of Rs. 1000 for the previous night....

The night previous to the one when I was searching for my highlighter was fun, it was one of my friend's birthday and we had a nice sumptuous meal at a little-towards-expensive-side restaurant and when my friend asked me that if I had some cash, as she was short by some, I was horrified to see that my wallet was empty. Although another friend completed the sum, I went straight to the ATM and filled my wallet by Rs. 1000.

Ahh, that is why I took out the thousand bucks! I checked my wallet and found the thousand bucks intact. But then I realised why was my wallet empty the last night?....

On the previous evening when I was working on my desk, my friend had called and confirmed our treat and she had asked me to pick her at 8. I had looked at watch and watch showed 6pm. Then I was reading a technical document and I was highlighting the important points when I got another call. A person with a bill for me was waiting downstairs at the reception. Ah yes that was the painting bill. I had emptied my pocket in front of him and had paid him off and had brought the bill receipt with me. When I had reached my desk, my colleague had asked me to go to the rooftop for some fresh air. I had hurriedly put the bill under the documents I was reading, and then I remembered my highlighter had fallen off and I had thought I would pick it up later....

With this realisation I had seen under my desk, and there it was, my highlighter! I had picked it up and had flipped it inside my bag. When I was on my bike, going towards my house, I had seen a familiar face on the other side of the road...

Coming back to the morning when I was startled by my wall colours, I remembered, that I had gotten my walls painted, and I had never realised the new colour as I used to come back to the house late at night, and would go out early. Some things are so blatantly in front of us the one doesn't notice it. That explains the wall, but yesterday night I had found the highlighter, but it wasn't there today....

Flashback - Part I

As I was waking up this morning, I saw that I wasn't able to find my slippers, which are generally placed besides my bed. In a state of major laziness I began to search for them. I generally work in a serial order in the morning, I wouldn't be able to do anything else until and unless I find my slippers :(.

Last night as I was leaving for home, I had collected all my things on the desk and put them in my drawer. I always take the highlighter from my table in the end and keep it in my bag, but yesterday it was missing. As the serial order thing still works, I wasn't able to take the next step, ie. to go home, for quite a long time :(.

A few days ago on a Sunday, my roomate had asked me if he could borrow my slippers to go to the local market nearby. I absent-mindedly had agreed to it...

Yesterday morning, my roomate went for his official trip. We both came out of our house at the same time, I went to the office and he headed towards the airport....

Coming back to today when I was searching for the slippers, I was trying to remember how they looked like and I suddenly had a flash: my slippers were white in colour, then why the hell was I searching for the blue ones?

On the Sunday, when my roomate had returned from the local market, he had informed me that he had by mistake broken my slippers, and he had told me that I could use his for the time being...

Ahh, that is it, I was wearing my roomate's slippers for some time now, and as he had gone away for the trip, he had taken them along. I thus struck the slippers finding "to do" off my mental list and headed for my daily chores. When I was leaving for my office, all dressed up, I had a last check of my bag and to my horror I found my highlighter was missing....

Go Bang Bang Bangalore

Only yesterday I got my motorbike delivered from Delhi to Bangalore. Living in Bangalore has been different than the eventful college life of Delhi. More than the lifestyle which has changed due to working in a job, Bangalore itself has made me look at things differently.

One can see a stark contrast in the traffic conditions and driving sense here from Delhi's standards. Anyways, I was informed that one gets a month's time to pay the road tax to be able to drive in Bangalore on a Delhi licence plate. So enjoying the pleasent weather, off I go on my bike riding along the wind. Suddenly a thulla (traffic policeman), notices my Delhi number plate and his eyes sparkle and he instructs me to stop and park the bike on the side. I respectfully oblige and he asks me if I have all the papers in order. I answered everything except the tax which for which I have a month's time. As expected, he was not interested in seeing my delivery receipt but he wanted a bribr ofcourse (for no reason whatsoever).

Anyways I was a more lucky north-indian than others here, I took out my mobile phone and told the guy am calling my uncle, who is a top police officer here.

His instant reaction was, "You should have told me that you have a month left to pay the tax!"

Ironically, those were my exact words which I had told him, which fell deaf to his ears as long as he saw a poor north indian guy with a Delhi licence plate.

This is just one of the things which happen around here. One just has to go on and on and on through the torture (to put it lightly) in the city called Bangalore.



Ah, I suddenly remember how the landlords, the rickshawallahs, and many more target north indians with just one motive - to fleece.

Vitamin "I" - Part One

George, as everybody called him, was always seen at the tea shop at the corner. Other than tea, the tea-shop was famous for their delectable preparation of Aloo Parantha. Most of the suave executives from the financial firm behind the shop came to it for having a delightful smoke with an Adrak ki chai, and if someone had a minuscule hint of hunger, George would bring in the bowl of Nimbu ka Acchar and very politely ask, "Sir, Aloo Parantha ready hai!" His endearing smile thereafter left no choice to the executives but to order it.

The service was prompt, 10 - 15 people were kept satisfied at any given time. Executives really adored George's preparation as well his ability to keep his customers happy. Even the most senior guy at the firm was his Parantha fan.

One day, a new hire at the office, Shekar, came out of his first meeting. A young guy in his early 20s had never been insulted by his superior ever in his life, even though the work he did was near perfect. He came out of the meeting, totally dispirited and barked, "That guy's a jerk, why doesn't he keep god as his analyst!" Shekar's mentor responded very calmly and asked him to take a walk with him. They walked through the ramps and reached the gate of their office.

"Do you smoke Shekar?"

"No Rajeev, I never do, I let the cigarette smoke me!"

"Good boy, you can laugh at yourself, then why the hell did you lose the cool in front of your boss?"

"Ah, actually you are right, seniors do tend to take out the best from their juniors, but that guy was more than unreason...", he was cut short by the appearance of George with two steaming hot Paranthas. He's so damn fast, was his first thought.

"You didn't even had the slightest idea that this young man can be that fast? Boy, always look for the number 1."

"But he wants me to get something out of nothing! Isn't that impossible?"

"No Shekar, if you want to get something out of nothing, you have to do nothing for something!"

Shekar obviously didn't get what Rajeev was saying at that time. Soon he was over with his Parantha and was wanting for more, when Rajeev stopped him by mentioning his next deadline. Shekar, impressed by George, gave him a laudatory tip for his service.

"Now Rajeev, don't tell me this is how you get something for nothing!" They both had a hearty laugh and then they moved on towards the office. Shekar soon became a regular customer at George's, and then one day he saw George doing some accounts for his shop.

"What happened?"

"Nothin, sir, me just tryin to go for high profit", George said as best as he could.

"You know George, one day when you shop becomes good, I will be happy to work as your financial advisor!"

George and Shekar had a light laugh after that and they both went on with their works. Another day with his Charminar in his hand, Shekar reached George's and George was in a mood to tell a story.

George said "Sir, do you know how I started this shop?" Shekar was initially shocked by the way he spoke, in a refined accent. He was spellbound and couldn't speak.

"One day I gained some Vitamin I and from there on I came down to this shop," George continued. "I used to work in the financial firm in the opposite building, just like you. One day I scolded my junior very harshly. He in turn gave me an insight, in finance you work with numbers, you mend numbers. Go and work with real money and you'll know how tough it is to get something out of nothing. That day I decided to work here in a tea stall. I have gained what I call as Vitamin "I" here."

"Moreover, I know what is happening in your firm, we beat you in all your deals, and have learnt the lesson of life, how to get something for nothing."

Shekar couldn't come out of this shock and it literally looked that day that his smoke was smoking him and not the other way around.

"You are a very sly person!" shouted Shekar. And then he walked away without paying George. He ran up to Rajeev's room and shouted, "Rajeeeev, that George is a ..."

"SShhhhh", said Rajeev. "Oh he told you the same story too? That George is a hell of a naughty boy, he scares the hell out of you, doesn't he?"

Shekar fell down on the Sofa.


end of part one

The Morning After

It is always a different feeling on the morning after. Be it the morning after a successful job interview, after a promotion, after a lovely date, after one's graduation, after first marriage night, after a jetlag and any other morning after you think you have achieved a lot. The feeling is fresh no doubt, but it is actually the period of slope from a high. Almost like a dream has come true and has gotten over.

A few people get a sense of completion and a build-up ego after such major events. While many feel a happy emptiness. Strangely people can turn from being very happy to being very low. People often tend to become very lazy regarding other goals in life after this.

The most interesting moments in a Roulette game are those 30 seconds when the wheel is still spinning. After that it is either a joyful relief or a sad dissapointment. In roulette, you bet on other numbers the next time. But after a big win someone might say, "Don't be too greedy, take home the winnings". But life is not a series of Roulette games. Any achievement should not lead to stillness. Life is a walking pet of yours, it cannot be pulled back by the lead and stoppped at one place. Once you try and do that, you will get pulled ahead by it in a very wild direction. So don't let life lead you, lead your life.

No happiness in permanent, neither is sadness, it is the conitnuously going from one phase to another which is called life. One has to be at the ground to experience a high. The people who can continuously set goals for themselvess and move on, they tend to become high on life. For them all mornings will be like "the morning after".

9/11

9/11 is a very famous number, well one can say infamous! The hot-dial 911 on any American phone is a symbol of security, hope in the times of despair and it was synonymous with God in the time of fear. Ironically, it is the most feared number in America now. 9/11, yes September the 11th, a pleasent Tuesday morning in the middle-aged USA, was that dreadful day. It could be said that it was the birth of a fear unknown to the West. The same fear which is present in every living individual in the Third World.

It was the challenge of the Middle East to the West. They say it was an uprising to extinguish the barbaric control of the World by the West. The American opression of the world had a challenge. This was when undoubtedly America was the most superior nation of the World. In similar situation in the Imperialistic World, the British had had the same barabaric effect in their colonies. America was challenged in 2001, but the British in 1906, on the same day, 9/11.

It was in Sotuh Africa that many Indians led by Mahatma Gandhi gathered to voice thier outrage against the British oppression. Yes on the same date, September 11, 2006, Satyagraha was born, Gandhiji as a force was born! It was that passive aggresive approach of civil disobedience and non-cooperation which crippled the incumbent at that time. A force doesn't work, if the mass is not with the force. This is a simple scientific explanation to the theory of Satyagraha and Mahatma Gandhi indeed showed it that it works. On the other hand the 'oppressed' middle east has a violent approach to non - cooperation. A harsh disobedience to say the least!

So the time has indeed changed a lot since 1906 to 2001? 95 years on and people have forgotten the right way to fight? History needs to repeat itself, otherwise people often forget the mistakes. Glories make up legends, mistakes end up in trash! I guess the purpose of history was to learn from the mistakes, not to commit more brutal mistakes!

Life is too short to learn, thus it is our duty to teach the next generation as soon as possible, otherwise it might be too late. It might happen that one doesn't remember the original importance of 9/11 and what the day stands for.