The pass way along the infinity, cybercity and DLF ship building; well, is a hell in heaven for commuters. But Bharath, Cherry and I, didn’t quite agree to that. At least, for the sake of going to the Food Court, adjoined to the Sapient Office. DAP, a menace which comes in a while and wreck havoc in our job lives seemed a futile exercise as compared to the craving for a walk, talk and dine fervor. And we loved the mad rush and hush of the roadway.
“Chale”….Cherry would never be late in buzzing me and Bharath. I would ping out, “Ruk jao…m in Edit Details”, just to ignore his vivacious call. Bharath just nods the head and pings in, “Mahanta, band karo roj ka drama”.
That was not a drama, of course. It became a routine, as much as breathing in and out. Come 9 O’clock and we would be ready for our long haul. It would be eventful. Questions round would come first. “Kitne Accounts kar liye bhai”, this question became so ubiquitous that we even started answering it first before asking, “let me say first, 50 and done”, I once said. This is actually the collection of short stories by Tara Deshpande, which meant 50 were too much. Now I guess, my ex-colleagues would observe, “50 kya he bhai…50 to minutes ka khel he”, well, times have started speeding up, faster than the daisy’s (arguably the fastest processor) fingers in moving dates of sales to the end of month to get rid of those bizarre rate of return.
Bharath could easily cling to his mobile and rang out to (for obvious reasons, I would refrain from taking the name), some special one. His talking times would definitely make a marathon race look shorter and gasping for attention. Cherry would say, “when would you kindly resign from your grasp-drag-press-hold device?, I would only laugh away in careless admonition. We both knew how difficult it is to be away from those pristine whispers, resembling music to ears.
I would always start looking at the glaring buildings under the evening sky, with ever increasing illusion. “See cherry, PriceWaterhouse Coopers”, “Sapient”, “and Microsoft”, all look like sparkling stars in a night sky”; Cherry, would not really mind that. “Bhai, look ahead, cab’s coming. When will you come out of your dreams, subbu?” By then we would have turned around to the pass way adjacent to Tower B and A of Infinity. We would step ahead very slowly so that we can enjoy the time and the crowd. “Our office, lacks the presence of those deer’s and butterflies”, Cherry would get disappointed. The heading for home girls and their all embracing buddies; some would just sit and relax; many would hustle around; I remember one disparaging couple. The girl, for a change was trying to convince the boy from going away from her. Honking of cabs, however often played spoil sports to those eye engulfing sights and reminded us of the task of crossing the danger zone.
“Hold, I m going to cross the road”, Bharath would instruct the other end. Crossing the road safely and reaching the other end was an uphill task. I always felt the need for a footbridge over the road. “I will tell DLF, don’t worry Subbu; now be happy as we are about to reach our destination’, Cherry would always crack a joke or two.
“Decide”, Me
“Let’s explore”, Bharath. His penchant for a new stuff everyday would take more time than the time to eat.
“Drums of Heaven’, Cherry announced.
“Whats that”, I enquired of in severe excitement.
“Bhai, how long will you cling on to Indian Chicken, let’s have Chinese chicken today”, Bharath would try to persuade me for the cuisine which I loathed extremely.
I wondered why we three did so less accounts on a daily basis during DAP. We never cared to even think how much time we wasted (well, I would love to say “Invested” actually, m too emotional) in having dinner in office.
“It’s awesome”, I liked drums of heaven. “Thanks to both of you for introducing something exciting to my closed food circle”, I would be grateful to both.
After that day, whenever we visited the food court, even after a rigorous search for a new stuff we would end up having drums most often.
That was a time when we three were together in the same process. Our journey was however cut short by happenings that were inevitable. For obvious reasons, Cherry suddenly decided to turn vegetarian, like Michael Jackson becoming a Muslim. It was alarming news to me. Because Cherry loved Chicken as much as I loved Tea.
After that, I and Shyam decided bade goodbye to IPMG. Shyam headed for Hyderabad and I though shifting within, no longer keep the drums beating and heating.
Drums of heaven is a time, rests in hearts. It was much warm than the dish till date.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Thursday, October 30, 2008
walking the blood street....
we bleed tears and you shed blood;we have a heart and you have a gun;we panic our pain and you frill in fun.... you forget your sister that tied you the love knotyou resort to embrace hatred and send us a dead note;your mother longs to give you refugeyou thought you have a right to refuse... we open the newspaper to read two heroes make india proudand you made us realise that india is still under terror cloud;amaze to see what stone you are made ofperhaps your heart is cordonned off;with plans to destruct and mans to obstruct,do u realise it needs ages to construct..... look at the sky...oh i forgot you are blind..Go ahead then as you have to rescindNever care about us, forget mankind...
walking the blood street....
we bleed tears and you shed blood;we have a heart and you have a gun;we panic our pain and you frill in fun.... you forget your sister that tied you the love knotyou resort to embrace hatred and send us a dead note;your mother longs to give you refugeyou thought you have a right to refuse... we open the newspaper to read two heroes make india proudand you made us realise that india is still under terror cloud;amaze to see what stone you are made ofperhaps your heart is cordonned off;with plans to destruct and mans to obstruct,do u realise it needs ages to construct..... look at the sky...oh i forgot you are blind..Go ahead then as you have to rescindNever care about us, forget mankind...
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Refugee
the fear of unspoken words keep hanging outside the corridor;
the path along that corridor seems never ending.
he's neither lost nor stranded,
road is distanced;
bypasses a distant call.
pain emerges on a pleasure plate;
blames ride the wave of glory.
pretends a loathing proposition;
the smiling eyes revealed,
like an illuminating lamp.
starry is here to stay, dusk fades.
writes a new chapter;
and has been dubbed as " new wine in old bottle".
must have been in love with thyself,
immitating Pygmalion.
sculptures a smokey image;
drizzle drops destroys though.
windy nights shakes up emotions !
to run a albatross run.
above..higher..crossing the horizon and
kissing altitude..hugging heights..
he's exuberating a kiddish demenour
playing hide and seek with clouds;
the blue blossoms his imagination,
he builds a dream.
looks for a mightier pioneering point;
Goliath keeps coming though,
he's asking David's arsenal.
David refuses...
Silence marvels in, starts a conversation,
" Silence speaks louder than words
Silence keep thou soul serene
Silence breaks the peace.."
he's looking for a refuge...
the path along that corridor seems never ending.
he's neither lost nor stranded,
road is distanced;
bypasses a distant call.
pain emerges on a pleasure plate;
blames ride the wave of glory.
pretends a loathing proposition;
the smiling eyes revealed,
like an illuminating lamp.
starry is here to stay, dusk fades.
writes a new chapter;
and has been dubbed as " new wine in old bottle".
must have been in love with thyself,
immitating Pygmalion.
sculptures a smokey image;
drizzle drops destroys though.
windy nights shakes up emotions !
to run a albatross run.
above..higher..crossing the horizon and
kissing altitude..hugging heights..
he's exuberating a kiddish demenour
playing hide and seek with clouds;
the blue blossoms his imagination,
he builds a dream.
looks for a mightier pioneering point;
Goliath keeps coming though,
he's asking David's arsenal.
David refuses...
Silence marvels in, starts a conversation,
" Silence speaks louder than words
Silence keep thou soul serene
Silence breaks the peace.."
he's looking for a refuge...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Paradise: Revisited, will I restore?
I wake up early today and didn’t prepare my breakfast
Because it was made for me and served with a careful delicacy!
I heard the whistling bird singing “A morning of grandeur”
There was a smiley smile in the way the rain intervened the moment
I didn’t have my breakfast and had a break-dance in the warmth of nature
Oh Yeh! This is my home where I long to belong!!!
The absence of dreaded routines that papa exuberates;
The sweat creating efforts in the kitchen of the person
Whom I fear more than God, my mom would speak loudly
“Son, I have been craving for an opportunity to feed you”And my innocuous realisation; that mom next time I would
Make rose of a stone to bring an AC home!!!
Howling feelings of the distance submerges under the
Closet of memories that stood still but alive like the
Flowing waters of the transparent torrent;
“Where have you been all the while?”…
I have been surveying a way out to keep coming back….
Because it was made for me and served with a careful delicacy!
I heard the whistling bird singing “A morning of grandeur”
There was a smiley smile in the way the rain intervened the moment
I didn’t have my breakfast and had a break-dance in the warmth of nature
Oh Yeh! This is my home where I long to belong!!!
The absence of dreaded routines that papa exuberates;
The sweat creating efforts in the kitchen of the person
Whom I fear more than God, my mom would speak loudly
“Son, I have been craving for an opportunity to feed you”And my innocuous realisation; that mom next time I would
Make rose of a stone to bring an AC home!!!
Howling feelings of the distance submerges under the
Closet of memories that stood still but alive like the
Flowing waters of the transparent torrent;
“Where have you been all the while?”…
I have been surveying a way out to keep coming back….
Thursday, July 17, 2008
the southern connection...
My tryst with people from the Southern part of the country has been indelible. During my MBA days I grew in friendship with Srinivas Reddy Kandala, an intelligent guy from Hyderabad. However I do not want to set any ground rules that I easily develop friendship with people from South. My propinquity to Srini (He was referred to as “Srini” by all and sundry) was due to the fact that we both were introverts and we shared something similar to “Greater common good”. His looks portrayed a typical demeanor of a studious individual. His conduct made him behave like an IITan. But out in a group that was far from being serious about studies, Srini might have felt a tinge of estrangement of which I was also a victim. For sure I was not too serious a candidate of Srini’s echelon, but I was never an advocate of wasting time in matters that did not add value. Srini was even prepared to live a life in a cocoon, rather than surrounded by compatriots who would influence him in a negative way. This is however in no way to connote that all other students had passed time just like that. Perhaps Srini was destined to stand tall among others that he drifted his ways apart. At present he is in Seattle, at KPMG. I do not regret much now about not making as big as Srini did, but I do take an earnest consolation that I at a point in time shared a good rapport with Srini. However we have not been able to keep in close stroke with each other now.
During July last year, I had come to terms with Shyam Bharath Murugan from Chennai when we both joined our alma mater Genpact India. The team in which we both landed our luck was a team ready for a process consolidation. In a Team of 20, I was the fourth one to join. Bharath (Perhaps I found an incredible connection of his with the character of Ramayana) joined later than me. It has almost been a year now since we have met and my eyes shimmer in delight thinking that I have lived many radiant moments of life with him. The difference between my proximity to Srini and Bharath is that Srini is yet to know the secrets of my life and Bharath has discovered almost whole of those.
“Let’s put up together”, Bharath asked me if we both could share the hotel space in Philadelphia. As a part of Process Transition, we were supposed to go to the client location for Training. We had to stay in Hotel for 8 weeks. So that was time for us to choose roomies. I was contemplating my options when Bharath gave the unexpected call. It was unexpected as the person in Bharath I presumed at that time was a little out of bounds, at least for me. I had almost made my mind up to hang around with Rohan, the Rajdeep Sardesai of our Team (I still find it difficult to digest why Rohan didn’t opt for a career in Media). But I was yet to let Rohan know about it. However I decided to nod my head for Bharath’s call. My decisions are often based on gut feeling (A very obvious quality of an Aquarian) than on established logicsJ.
That was the moment when I never realized that I found a new friend. Someone whose absence creates a space which I have never enjoyed. After my school days friend Arjun (Well Arjun and I are still Great friends, there have not been a single day that we have not talked on phone after I left Assam), Bharath is someone with whom I have never shared a colleague-counterpart affair. We are good friends and I love to believe that he is the best thing that happened in the recent past in my life. (Well Nikhil, please don’t mind; I will write about you tooL)
It would be a Herculean assignment to travel on the history of Subha-Shyam (Bharath and I have differences of opinion on most of the things just like a day would have differed with the night, that’s why the term) relationship. But there are certain things that I never forget to remember.
During our stay in Philadelphia, there had not been a single day Bharath would not have woke me up. I slept a lot. All alarms and reminders were futile attempts that I made. After that he would wait until I get ready for office. Then only he would take his turn. I of course prepared some stuff for lunch in office. Well those can hardly be called food; according Chitra the food that I prepared were punishments. Bharath however never complained about those. When the stuff we purchased were lying at sixes and sevens in room no 331, he would always apply 5S on them. I remember on a weekend I went to New Jersey to meet my friend Jeeta, I forgot to wash my clothes. When I came back to hotel on the Sunday night, I found those clothes washed and well ironed. How much would you expect from your roomy?
One evening we were buying some vegetables from Giant. I got those on a bucket and came to the billing counter and asked for the billing. Bharath was standing on a queue. He suddenly snatched the bucket from me and went back to the vegetables section. After 4-5 minutes, he came back with the same vegetables. But didn’t bring those in the bucket, he packed those on small polybags that were there for packing the vegetables individually so that those could be weight separately. I knew his effort was not mandatory but relearned the maxim “While in Rome, do as Romans do”.
There have been many such instances which knock the door of memory. Be it the swimming in the pool (We never learnt how to swim; but learnt how to unwind a day long fatigue); the Hotdog saga at the Chicago Airport (A banana worth $ 2 was much tastier); the exploration of Philadelphia (We can proudly say that Bharath and I along with Visual had discovered South Street and felt the same contentment after that as Columbus would have felt after discovering America); The Malibu moments ( Well, we often discussed about the way ahead with a glass of Rum after dinner); The fight over going to New York at the cost of booking the $ 247 Hotel Riverside studio at Manhattan (The only time I seriously had a antagonistic debate with Bharath). I am sure Bharath would have treasured those too (Good news, he will be writing down the New York trip).
Back in India also, we share the same rigor. Be it planning our lunch-dinner, or going out on a vacation (Well, it’s still a plan), we again “Greater Common Good. But I regret he didn’t attend my Birthday party at CR Park. He went to Vaishnodevi trip during January.
Bharath and I are not typical friends who would talk like anything. In fact we hardly speak during our conversations. Our non-verbal cues are enough to indicate million approvals and zillion denials.
The road ahead…Lets wait and watch….
During July last year, I had come to terms with Shyam Bharath Murugan from Chennai when we both joined our alma mater Genpact India. The team in which we both landed our luck was a team ready for a process consolidation. In a Team of 20, I was the fourth one to join. Bharath (Perhaps I found an incredible connection of his with the character of Ramayana) joined later than me. It has almost been a year now since we have met and my eyes shimmer in delight thinking that I have lived many radiant moments of life with him. The difference between my proximity to Srini and Bharath is that Srini is yet to know the secrets of my life and Bharath has discovered almost whole of those.
“Let’s put up together”, Bharath asked me if we both could share the hotel space in Philadelphia. As a part of Process Transition, we were supposed to go to the client location for Training. We had to stay in Hotel for 8 weeks. So that was time for us to choose roomies. I was contemplating my options when Bharath gave the unexpected call. It was unexpected as the person in Bharath I presumed at that time was a little out of bounds, at least for me. I had almost made my mind up to hang around with Rohan, the Rajdeep Sardesai of our Team (I still find it difficult to digest why Rohan didn’t opt for a career in Media). But I was yet to let Rohan know about it. However I decided to nod my head for Bharath’s call. My decisions are often based on gut feeling (A very obvious quality of an Aquarian) than on established logicsJ.
That was the moment when I never realized that I found a new friend. Someone whose absence creates a space which I have never enjoyed. After my school days friend Arjun (Well Arjun and I are still Great friends, there have not been a single day that we have not talked on phone after I left Assam), Bharath is someone with whom I have never shared a colleague-counterpart affair. We are good friends and I love to believe that he is the best thing that happened in the recent past in my life. (Well Nikhil, please don’t mind; I will write about you tooL)
It would be a Herculean assignment to travel on the history of Subha-Shyam (Bharath and I have differences of opinion on most of the things just like a day would have differed with the night, that’s why the term) relationship. But there are certain things that I never forget to remember.
During our stay in Philadelphia, there had not been a single day Bharath would not have woke me up. I slept a lot. All alarms and reminders were futile attempts that I made. After that he would wait until I get ready for office. Then only he would take his turn. I of course prepared some stuff for lunch in office. Well those can hardly be called food; according Chitra the food that I prepared were punishments. Bharath however never complained about those. When the stuff we purchased were lying at sixes and sevens in room no 331, he would always apply 5S on them. I remember on a weekend I went to New Jersey to meet my friend Jeeta, I forgot to wash my clothes. When I came back to hotel on the Sunday night, I found those clothes washed and well ironed. How much would you expect from your roomy?
One evening we were buying some vegetables from Giant. I got those on a bucket and came to the billing counter and asked for the billing. Bharath was standing on a queue. He suddenly snatched the bucket from me and went back to the vegetables section. After 4-5 minutes, he came back with the same vegetables. But didn’t bring those in the bucket, he packed those on small polybags that were there for packing the vegetables individually so that those could be weight separately. I knew his effort was not mandatory but relearned the maxim “While in Rome, do as Romans do”.
There have been many such instances which knock the door of memory. Be it the swimming in the pool (We never learnt how to swim; but learnt how to unwind a day long fatigue); the Hotdog saga at the Chicago Airport (A banana worth $ 2 was much tastier); the exploration of Philadelphia (We can proudly say that Bharath and I along with Visual had discovered South Street and felt the same contentment after that as Columbus would have felt after discovering America); The Malibu moments ( Well, we often discussed about the way ahead with a glass of Rum after dinner); The fight over going to New York at the cost of booking the $ 247 Hotel Riverside studio at Manhattan (The only time I seriously had a antagonistic debate with Bharath). I am sure Bharath would have treasured those too (Good news, he will be writing down the New York trip).
Back in India also, we share the same rigor. Be it planning our lunch-dinner, or going out on a vacation (Well, it’s still a plan), we again “Greater Common Good. But I regret he didn’t attend my Birthday party at CR Park. He went to Vaishnodevi trip during January.
Bharath and I are not typical friends who would talk like anything. In fact we hardly speak during our conversations. Our non-verbal cues are enough to indicate million approvals and zillion denials.
The road ahead…Lets wait and watch….
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Known Unknown.....
This is something for which I have rejoiced more often than not. I have dared to refer to this as a Friendship which is gifted more than established. Gifted because the manner in which it has intruded into my life was not a planned transition, rather it had so far been a gradual soul healing breeze that would unwind even the forlorn mind.
Mansi, daughter of one my distant uncle and I have never met so far. It was only last year when I had an opportunity to interact with her over the phone. We were strangers then. But when we started talking, the ubiquitous hesitation had vanished and we behaved as if we knew each other from ages. In the very first conversation I could confess that I am an occasional drinker and she could easily take on board the ground realities.
The foundation of our friendship had not of course been the power play of a 50 over cricket match, but it definitely has been successful in emulating the brick by brick batting style of a Rahul Dravid. Incidentally we both are fervent fans of cricket and it had well fuelled our steady conversations. Of course it took me a while to digest why she would have supported Kolkata Knight Riders. It was not because of the regional sentiment, but because of the nemesis (well, I am compelled to use that word now) called Shahrukh Khan. She often says she would have gladly married to Shahrukh had he been divorced to Gauri. I had so far made some gawky comments about it and she would have shrugged off my klutzy murmur with a smile (Because I am yet to meet her, I strongly believe she has a graceful smile).
She would in all probability curses me for not watching Chak De, the movie in which Shahrukh had give a performance of a lifetime and had been a runaway success. I actually find hard to comprehend how the Indian women Hockey Team would have won a World Cup Tournament, when the Men had failed to qualify for the Olympics (Leave aside the Heroics portrayed by Shahrukh as the Hockey Coach). I have had never-ending arguments over the story line of Chak De, but Mansi would observe “It’s about making impossible possible idiot”. Well, I would still not buy the argument, but would obviously admire her liking for the King of Bollywood.
I believe she strongly follows the Astrology. She would describe the traits of every Zodiac sign with the effortless ease which an Analyst of an Economy predicts the GDP growth pattern. She had told me that an Aquarian would be most compatible with a Leo or a Gemini. I said I am an Aquarian and I hardly get well compatible with anyone, forget Leo or Gemini. Then her immediate issue would be how often I would recognize which zodiac sign I was interacting. Perhaps she had been correct or perhaps otherwise also. But I love these differences in thinking. Our disagreements have often helped know each other better.
Mansi, daughter of one my distant uncle and I have never met so far. It was only last year when I had an opportunity to interact with her over the phone. We were strangers then. But when we started talking, the ubiquitous hesitation had vanished and we behaved as if we knew each other from ages. In the very first conversation I could confess that I am an occasional drinker and she could easily take on board the ground realities.
The foundation of our friendship had not of course been the power play of a 50 over cricket match, but it definitely has been successful in emulating the brick by brick batting style of a Rahul Dravid. Incidentally we both are fervent fans of cricket and it had well fuelled our steady conversations. Of course it took me a while to digest why she would have supported Kolkata Knight Riders. It was not because of the regional sentiment, but because of the nemesis (well, I am compelled to use that word now) called Shahrukh Khan. She often says she would have gladly married to Shahrukh had he been divorced to Gauri. I had so far made some gawky comments about it and she would have shrugged off my klutzy murmur with a smile (Because I am yet to meet her, I strongly believe she has a graceful smile).
She would in all probability curses me for not watching Chak De, the movie in which Shahrukh had give a performance of a lifetime and had been a runaway success. I actually find hard to comprehend how the Indian women Hockey Team would have won a World Cup Tournament, when the Men had failed to qualify for the Olympics (Leave aside the Heroics portrayed by Shahrukh as the Hockey Coach). I have had never-ending arguments over the story line of Chak De, but Mansi would observe “It’s about making impossible possible idiot”. Well, I would still not buy the argument, but would obviously admire her liking for the King of Bollywood.
I believe she strongly follows the Astrology. She would describe the traits of every Zodiac sign with the effortless ease which an Analyst of an Economy predicts the GDP growth pattern. She had told me that an Aquarian would be most compatible with a Leo or a Gemini. I said I am an Aquarian and I hardly get well compatible with anyone, forget Leo or Gemini. Then her immediate issue would be how often I would recognize which zodiac sign I was interacting. Perhaps she had been correct or perhaps otherwise also. But I love these differences in thinking. Our disagreements have often helped know each other better.
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