The drudgeries of life

When surviving (forget living) 2010, I had wished for something exactly the opposite of the dreaded time I was experiencing - I had sincerely wished for the year to end in a jiffy and for a brand new one to start!

Guess Someone up there heard my plea and answered my wish :)

2011 for me, right from Day 1 was a fresh start. 

Quite a lot happened this year: right from the call which I had been waiting for since ages; the conversion of the offer; the bike trips to Neemrana, Shimla, and Nainital early in the year; the brilliance in taking leave from somewhere I didn't belong on a nice note; switched over to a place where I belong to; attending numerous marriages and engagements of friends; the relentless travel all round the year (by jove, I covered 16 states and UTs in all); met someone who is here to stay in my life for aeons to come and with whom I've lived lifetimes in such a short span of time; visited home so many times and spent quality time with my parents and sister each time <3, the last trip during Christmas being extra special with a new member joining the family :)

Anything and everything that happened in 2011 made the 365 days endearing to me. 

And right now I'm going to miss it badly... only the assurance of 2012 turning out to be even better than its predecessor gives me confidence to let go of 2011 on a happy note!

What better way to bid goodbye to the year and welcome the new one than with family and close friends (thought I'd miss the former this time round, the time spent with them is still fresh in my memory :))

Hope everyone has a fantastic ending to 2011 and gets to welcome 2012 with arms wide open.

Happy 2012, people! 

Farewell 2011! 

Cheers!!

After procrastinating it for a long time, I finally ended up watching HP7… yeah yeah! I know that I was probably amongst the last few Potter buffs to have watched it 

I was somewhat apprehensive about seeing it because this was the last of the lot. A fullstop of sorts. I felt like the kid who despite knowing that it’s going to end sooner or later, keeps licking his icecream cone slowly so as to make it last forever…

What’s funny is that this abstinence would’ve continued if not for a bunch of really cool folks who on the spur of the moment agreed to watch the movie bang in the middle of the week, some shirking lunch, others forgoing either work or parties (blimey! two of them watching it for the 2nd time!) 

What ensued was a faction of Dumbledore’s Army (DA) assembling for the first time at Prasad’s… four strangers, but all awkwardness, if any, seemed to vanish in a jiffy courtesy a Evansco spell!

And thereafter what a magical evening it turned out to be!

The movie did little justice to the books and the director took some creative liberty (I wonder how JKR gave it a go-ahead sign, and sang praises for it at the premiere), but still it wasn’t as bad as raving mad Potter fans had been swearing! 

For starters, the movie’s pace seemed to be superfast – as if the director had to get done with it in a jiffy and catch the Hogwarts Express! You’d be like, “Wow! The War of Hogwarts has already started?!?” 

Secondly, and most importantly, the movie lacked flow – akin to watching disjoint subjects on different slides of a power point presentation! One scene on one slide, then next. And voila! The last “thank you” slide arrives prematurely. This movie should’ve been longer 

One more point – important instances from the book are neglected and instead of them, you find some made up plots which find no mention in the book. Like one of the DA mentioned, one character who we grew up with, who along with his twin brother was one of the most loved in Potter’s fold - Fred Weasley – a tremendous injustice was done when even his death in the last battle wasn’t shown! Sob sob.

Many more points as such, but no use cribbing. Like in JK Rowling’s own words, “The stories we love best do live in us forever.” 

Worst part is that it’s over. The end of the line. 

The loose ends in the movie sure gave a feeling that we can look forward to more. Go go go JKR! Get to work :p 

Blasphemy though it might be considered, the bunch I hung out with surely ensured that the rest of the evening was much better than the movie! Thankfully no hangovers after the grand finale… 

Needless to say, long live Pottermania.

And long live Potter-maniacs ;)

I’m off to explore the wilderness in Maharashtra for the next 2 days *rubbing hands in glee*

Happy weekend folks! Make the most of it :)

One of the speediest and most fun-filled summers ever!

Didn't have to beat the heat this time round... no need. There was never a cool-er summer!

Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer of 2011 :)

Seems like the pre-monsoons have arrived here... a few more days and it'll be pouring. 

The bike couldn't be reaching me at a better time! Miles to go...

That whirlwind trip to Indore was awesome... had to be there. Just had to.

Sad about having to skip the Udaipur trip, but can't have my way always. Sorry Jassu :(

Someone's arrival has ensured some much needed stability in life, not to mention eager anticipation for what's up next. After all, it's about 2 strangers exploring a strange new city! Bring it on.

Back to square one in all aspects of life. Blimey it's legend... wait for it... dary ;)

Back on the grid too, after a long hiatus. Feeling ham-fisted while operating the lappie and accessing the net. Ouch.

There's a thin line separating weekdays and weekends, and that's just what the doctor ordered. 

Last week was all about POTC4, Pyaar ka punchnama... (warning: the latter is a guys only movie... do not take a gal along, trust me... enjoy it with the gang :p).

This week's agenda is Kung Fu Panda and, probably Ragini MMS... the said horror flick might actually turn out to be creepy, spine-chilling though. You never know. Ahem.

Lots to look forward to. 

In the meanwhile, getting SAPped to the core!!

Adios

I should've posted this earlier but circumstances made sure that I had no access to the net...

On Easter Sunday morning last weekend, of all days, I received the most shocking news ever. And since then, numbness has prevailed.

Naresh Kodithala aka Kinggg aka Top Phodu aka Bakar Baaz was no more...

Freak accidents are heard of, but I could not believe what Naresss might've gone through in his last moments...

And till the moment I saw him at Kukatpally, I was convincing myself that it was a bad bad joke.

Looking down at his mute bruised face from his own rooftop, I prayed and cried that he'd stir a bit, move a muscle, open his eyes and smile up at us idiots who he had fooled... but that was not to happen. Not everything that happens in April is a April Fool's Joke.

A mass reunion was planned in this South Indian city, but not this way... even met Shikha, our unofficial DAIICT buddy. And when I had included Naresh in the reunion lists for Mumbai and this city, and he had been so happy, never ever had I imagined that this would be the nature of our meetup... the last... :'(

This post is for a friend, one of my closest buddies, a partner in crime since ages, a confidant, a fellow bakarbaaz, a lover of pathetic !dea and Katrina Kaif; a mentor of sorts to me who showed the way to follow, be it in college, before and in MBA, and in life; one of the best people I've ever known, a special someone whose sudden departure has ensured a crazy void in life... a person whose absence shall be felt for a long long time...

Naresh Kodithala, I shall miss you always! Hope you're resting in peace, my man... Miss you!

People have weird superstitions. 

I have my own set of those. One of them is the notion that Mondays are meant to be horrible. 

I'm sure not many people are going to pooh pooh this one :)

For the past month and a half though, I hardly got a chance to dread the onset of the first working day of the week... reason being I didn't even realize when the hell it showed up! Talk about being stuck in a time warp.

Today, though, was the kind of day, a few Mondays like which would put an end to the Garfield effect for me!

For starters, the atmosphere at work was as relaxed as it could ever be... unrestrained smiles and jaunty strides all around!

Like the quote goes: "When the cat's away, the mice will play" :p

When I walked out of office at 6 PM, after a lifetime I was leaving from work while it was still bright outside!

I had forgotten what it was like reaching home before 7 PM! Too bad I no longer work out at the gym... had a sudden craving for the same :|

Was on the phone with a friend when I heard a distant rumble which soon turned into a vicious thunder! Stepping out onto the balcony, I was infatuated with the sight in front of me... a thunderstorm that had wrapped itself around the whole of South City 2. 

And for the nth time, I patted myself on the back for choosing to live in this place... 11 storeys above the world, looking over the expanse!

The unforeseen showers made the weather extremely pleasant. 

Had the usual dinner with the usual companions, but as always it was nice! 

Then the telephonic conversations... it's so much fun to talk and talk in the absence of work-related duress.

Only low point of the day was feeling bad about not making it to either of Kikad or LKP's marriages. 

Anyway nothing so depressing that I'd need something to lull me to sleep... another first after a long time. 

It's at normal times like this that I realize strumming the guitar is one of the best forms of catharsis, no matter how bad you're at it!

Poor people those from whose lives music is missing.

That's that.

Saturday night and Sunday were fun to the core. Monday turned out to be a gem of a day.

Lots of planning to do for the remaining days of the week! 

Most of all, finding excuses escape the Valentine week brouhaha. No seriously, wasn't the V-Day more than enough that an entire week of farce had to be invented?! 

Anyway, this is the week to look forward to. 

Get this weird feeling I'm growing up. 

Like Kevin Arnold says of this process in a favorite soap from the namesake period of my life, The Wonder Years:

And another process that's on the cards:

I know for sure that many years down the line, I'd be echoing Kevin's following line for these wonder days: 

Good night!

And what the heck! Happy Rose Day @>-;'-

One of my school friends, Neha, started a trend ages ago: She'd handpick a quotation everyday, and early in the morning she'd mail it out to a bunch of friends.

Initially it seemed strange, and I'd just have a glance at the mail before moving on to other stuff. 

Sometimes her "Thought for the day! :)" mails used to remain unread in my inbox for days at an end.

But then gradually, don't know when and how, these mails became a part of the daily routine... it fitted in beautifully! 

Everyday morning, it is a pleasure to read unheard of sayings that made lots of sense, and strange enough, they fitted in with the happenings in life.

The fascinating thing about Neha is that despite her busy life (earlier a doctor, now an MBA student), she keeps the mails coming! And the days when she isn't able to send, we'll receive an apology mail the next day along with another gem :)

I wonder how many people reply to her mail. It's probably a thankless job (I know it's not a job, but still it's thankless)

I too seldom send her a reply, but sometimes when I really like her thought for the day, I send her a 'thank you, and keep it up' mail.

Seriously, mate! Thanks! And keep these gems coming :)

True happiness is totally underrated. Believe me :)

Today was all about a double bonanza! What a fab start to Feb!!

Don't you love to be surprised when you least expect it?!

But hey! Though it doesn't make sense to not be satisfied with some things & people in life, you really need to be dissatisfied with certain other things.

No looking back now! 

Forward march! Hut-two-three-four. Hut-two-three-four.

One step at a time is the way to go...

After a long time, a weekend in the true sense of the term! 

Lots of fun, ample amount of relaxation, loads of happiness etc. despite the office visit...

And lots to look forward to too :)

When a day ends with a meal wherein a huge chocolate pyramid makes up the starters, and a brownie topped with a double scoop of vanilla (plus loads of chocolate sauce) as the main course, there's so much to be happy about :p

That was that! 

Now back to the routine life. Nothing like a Monday to puncture cloud number 9 and to ensure a crash landing onto reality...

Will be missing 2 marriages of 2 good friends the coming weekend! Unless of course a miracle happens...

Other than that, the To Do list is overflowing! Need to start ticking items off it. Before that, need to finish watching the Millennium Trilogy... heard that the movies are as good as Stieg Larsson's books.

Good luck with the Monday blues! 

And good night...

Since childhood, I've always fancied sitting by the window - be it at home where I'd climb atop the sofa, and look out the drawing room window at the lawn and what lay beyond the boundary wall; or during the several train journeys I've undertaken till date (and I used to hate traveling on those seldom occasions when a window seat was not mine!), where I'd want to do nothing but absorb the landscapes speeding by, tracking the wires that seemed to be keeping up with me, pole to pole, not to mention gaping at the railway tracks that made weird zigzag patterns all along the way... and at night time, the flickering lights would always remind me of stars that had been generous enough to grace the earth with their presence; then there are the various road trips, either via buses, cars, and what not (thank goodness I've hardly, if ever, experienced nausea on these trips) where I stare out at everything passing by and simply weave some dreamy story around them (with me as the protagonist, ofcourse!)... Of late, bagging the window seat in all the flights is top priority for me, and nothing matches the feeling of floating through the kingdom of clouds and looking down to see tiny specks dotting the world!

There are so many things about my upbringing that I love, but one of the favorites has got to be those annual trips with the parents and my kid sister. I used to look forward to these family outings more than anything... Ok, maybe Santa Claus took precedence during the holiday season for a sizable period during my childhood :p

Though till date I haven't been able to figure out properly what I want to do with/in my life, but those travels ensured that I'm confident about one thing: that I want to travel like crazy and see the whole world before calling it quits.
For starters, I've been living a part of that dream since 2002 by covering a major chunk of India! By the time 2011 gets over, I hope to cover 2 of the 4 remaining parts of our country that I've not had a chance to visit... Next step: Going international!
Wishful thinking? Oh well!

Talking about seeing, that was all I had been doing till a couple of years back. Then something fascinating happened: I started looking beyond what I saw! I fell in love with the camera. Blimey, a window seat person who courts a camera: that's a complete package! :p
My parents were more than resourceful in this aspect too... they loved clicking pics and have churned out numerous beautiful albums for various occasions! In retrospect, I kinda regret not having imbibed this love for the lens from my folks and thus, not having a passion for photography since the beginning... I could've captured so  much more! Glad that it's never too late...

Anyway got back from a whirlwind trip to a village (oops sorry! tehsil) for a very close friend's marriage... one year after one of my best friends' marriage! Despite the 6 hours late train that almost made me cancel the trip, and the slowcoach connecting train that was hellbent on making me miss the festivities, I reached the venue just in time for the baraat to take off! Phew!
Half of the times we do things at the last moment on purpose, and the other half when we start early, nature conspires against us to ensure a last second execution!
Saw Lalla after 5 years, and boy! He looked good... must've shed 15-20 kgs over the years in France!
The arrangements were the best I had seen till date, the food was yummy (though we started with the desserts, and pretty much didn't stop till we were full to the brim!), the crowd was nice, enjoyed the  company of cool small town people. Had an amazing time to say the least!

Many of my colleagues, friends, and relatives always question me on how the hell I keep finding time to travel! Subtle hypocrisy on their part... they never bother to notice when I'm slogging it off, but I can feel their envy when I'm up and about. Tut tut. So what if I publicize my outings more than my work life?! :p

It's ironical that I hate changes, yet I love the most classical manifestation of change: traveling! ;)
This is never going to change. Amen.

Anyway, I've become a pro at avoiding the drudgery of Mondays :p
Time to hit the sack! Back to work in 9 hours...
Good night!

P.S.: Read "The Last Lecture"... loved it despite it being about such a sad, sensitive issue! So much so, sent off one copy to the parents... watch out for it, folks :)

P.P.S.: 25th of January. Special day! :)

I'm a tad bit confused... is this seriously a new year, or have I walked back into the last year again?! 

Not a silly question, mind you, given my proficiency at ending up at square one time and again...

But no, seriously! Comparing January 2010 and January 2011, I'm reminded of the billboard outside a certain shop I came across in Leh, which read: "Same Same But Different".

The irony of it all! Sighs.

2010 had started off on a perfect high... 2011 has had a rocking start as well.

Le mois de Janvier, 2010, accompanied by the ravishing cold, beautiful weather, enchanting company, truckloads of optimism and positivity et al promised a fresh approach to everything... same holds true for the current month.

There was so much to look forward to at this point of time, last year... that too applies to the present. 

Had watched Chance Pe Dance in the 3rd week of 2010, and walked out of the multiplex with a scrambled brain... Experienced Dhobi Ghat this time, and still debating with myself whether to like the movie or to hate it (ok, loved the cinematography, not to forget the somewhat haunting and engrossing relation between Arun & Yasmin!)

I was cribbing about packing one such night, exactly 365 days ago... today I'm doing the same. (Call me a hypocrite, if you may, for loving traveling yet hating the P of its precursor!)

Attended a dear friend's marriage, the first of the year on a Sunday at almost the same time in MMX... going to do an encore for another dear friend's marriage tomorrow, only this time the counter goes up to MMXI!

The ensuing Monday last time was meant to be a dreaded day full of boring lectures (but not everything that is meant to be actually happens!)... the coming Monday is all set to be a long boring day at work (though I tweaked some strings and ensured that nothing of that sort plays spoilsport...)

So on and so forth...

Back to the irony bit.

Though the starting months of both the years in question have a striking resemblance, they're totally different... poles apart!

Situations are similar, but the circumstances are different. 

Identities have been retained, yet images have undergone drastic changes.

Personae are the same, but the people are strangers.

Reactions are ditto, but the chemistry is strangely new.

Feelings are intact, but reservations have flourished.

Age is almost the same, yet the youthfulness seems to have aged.

As the popular song November Rain goes: Cause nothin' lasts forever, and we both know hearts can change...

Extrapolate, please.

In retrospect, it seems like one whole year passed by in a jiffy, though there were several moments, good and bad, that seemed to last a lifetime. God's way of saying, "How selfish that you wish to freeze only the happy moments!"

All said and done, I don't know where 2011 is headed, but I certainly don't want it to end up like 2010.

Anyway, the show must go on! 

Enough of rambling. As much as I tried to postpone the darn thing, I must pack! :(

And have to get up at 5:30, on a Sunday of all days :'(

So till next week, adios!

Have an awesome weekend! 

On an ending note: