Got up today morning with a feeling of excitement as I was heading for the last day in my office. Infact I managed to catch the earlier bus than normal so that I could go to office and immediately shoot the mails I wanted to.
As I got to the Bus Stop I realised that I had missed a bus by a minute! I stood there to relax and wait until the next bus, which I calculated could take another 8-10 mins. My eyes & ears immediately fell on a group of teenagers who in every possiblity were going for a trek! In no time it reminded me of my teenage days when I never used to go for hikes! Life felt too free then and suddenly that whole feeling that as we grow older it gets more complicated gave the punch of the moment!
In no time I could actually see the Red Monster, with the board 403, Agarkar Chowk Via SEEPZ, approaching! The driver was the same except that today he was looking at me! There was the usual Chachaji who sat on the last seat, which is exactly on the left hand side when you get into the bus! I settled down on the seat in front of him and wished him a good morning & took the opportunity to tell him how good it was to travel with him for the last one and a half years!
As the bus moved, I looked out of the window to find some familiar faces at the bus stops. These were faces I have been seeing for a while! I didn't know them personally let alone by name but have seen them at the bus stop, mostly, every morning while traveling to office. My first unknown friend is this guy who gets in everyday running, so much so that he "has to" hop and run even if the bus is stationary! This looked like more of a necessity to him, he always wanted to be the first to get in! Needless to say that he would land up, sometimes, making a fool of himself!
I approaced the Bhandup junction where I usually would see a couple standing, husband & wife. Today they weren't there, maybe I was too early or probably the weekend would be holiday. The guy used to come every morning to drop his wife and it was a sight to see them always smiling and discussing! God Bless them!
The roads were clear and it took me no time to pass by Mahindra Heights! I always had a desire to settle there with "that someone special" Unfortunately that desire (from my end) would remain unfulfilled but nevertheless the project looks good and hope they get the response!
Passed by the Mosque and the Church on my way to reach Gandhi Nagar! The thoughts about the places in between, sped as quickly as the bus! Thank God! Thankfully the people at Huma Mall, didn't have to struggle to get in this time and further on it was a cakewalk for the driver to reach Powai as it was early morning still!
But the surprise was that the bus stopped at IIT Market! The surprise didn't end there, the bus stopped even at Powai Vihar & Milind Nagar which is quiet close to L & T! The people here would really be feeling blessed today because it is not everyday that the buses are so empty and halt at their stops!
While I approached L&T,I took the usual bow to mark my respect to a shrine at a corner of the L&T campus. Unfortunately even today I couldn't make out which God is it dedicated to, not that it would make any difference, I was only inquisite!
Milind Nagar, gave me a second surprise! An old man actually got into the bus, that wasn't the surprise. He was actually looking at me just like the bus driver! He got in and went ahead while the bus continued on its journey.
Finally the last stretch of road arrived, before getting up to disembark. Usually on a normal day my mood used to swing, immediately, from good to bad & sometimes terrible, once this stretch got over. But today was not a normal day and I got up to see even the conductor looking at me! Well he must have got a hint that it was my last day when I was talking to Chachaji, I thought!
I got down finally to have a last look at Chachaji and surprisingly he wasn't asleep today! Infact he too was looking at me! I gave him a salute only to realise I owe the driver, the conductor and the unknown passenger from Milan Nagar something!
When they all were looking at me, I failed to realise that it was a smile that was coming to me! I really don't know what could be the reason, but I failed to actually give them a smile! Unfortunately I wouldn't know if I would ever come across these people to give them back what they had given me on my final journey!
Costly debt, cuz someone had told me long back, "Smile, it costs nothing!"
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
As times change.
As times change,
We find it difficult, some bits and pieces, to arrange,
But when we remember the times,
Without fail the smile never declines,
Because moments that make us laugh together,
We only wish we can have them further,
Only to realize as times change,
We find it difficult, some bits and pieces, to arrange.
We find it difficult, some bits and pieces, to arrange,
But when we remember the times,
Without fail the smile never declines,
Because moments that make us laugh together,
We only wish we can have them further,
Only to realize as times change,
We find it difficult, some bits and pieces, to arrange.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Voting 2009!
Never felt more like an Indian as much as I did today! The reason, no prizes for guessing, I exercised my democratic right to elect a representative on the National Level! Well wouldn't actually go to the details of whom I voted for and why but that feeling of been there and done that has made me feel finally as if I have done something for my country! I have made a contribution for it and I hope that there are reasons for me to be proud!
Since it was the first time that I exercised this right of mine, I didn't really know whom to vote and why! This made me think about the various issues which were in front of the Country and what are the issues which I would like to see changed with immediate effect! National Security, was and will always be the issue closest to my heart! This topic in short helped me to check out my options and zero down on the candidate or the party that I wanted to stand up and form a government.
A country like India definitely has a lot of do before proclaiming itself as one of the major countries in the world. It no doubt is a Leader but what does it have to reach to the pinnacle? This I feel is a result of a lot of issues within the country, basically the security and the local insurgencies. Feeling neglected is a common complain among the rural masses. Imagine 60 years since Independence and there are still some villages which haven't really got water and electric supply! What does that say about a Nation which probably generates the maximum number of Engineers, Doctors and Nurses! Yeah we have seen a surge in the development activities in the last one and a half decades but that has to go on, it has to sustain even if there is a change in the Government at the centre. There have to be a lot of reforms which the government at the centre should manage to implement even at states where their parties are not in power. The alienation of such states would result to an imbalanced growth, thus leading to dissatisfaction among the citizens which inturn leads to local unrests!
I didn't really have a reason to vote 'FOR' a particular NETA or PARTY but had a lot of reasons to vote 'AGAINST' NETA's and PARTY's! I am definitely looking ahead for the assembly elections in Maharashtra and I am sure I would never have felt more a Mumbaitte as much as I would that day!
Since it was the first time that I exercised this right of mine, I didn't really know whom to vote and why! This made me think about the various issues which were in front of the Country and what are the issues which I would like to see changed with immediate effect! National Security, was and will always be the issue closest to my heart! This topic in short helped me to check out my options and zero down on the candidate or the party that I wanted to stand up and form a government.
A country like India definitely has a lot of do before proclaiming itself as one of the major countries in the world. It no doubt is a Leader but what does it have to reach to the pinnacle? This I feel is a result of a lot of issues within the country, basically the security and the local insurgencies. Feeling neglected is a common complain among the rural masses. Imagine 60 years since Independence and there are still some villages which haven't really got water and electric supply! What does that say about a Nation which probably generates the maximum number of Engineers, Doctors and Nurses! Yeah we have seen a surge in the development activities in the last one and a half decades but that has to go on, it has to sustain even if there is a change in the Government at the centre. There have to be a lot of reforms which the government at the centre should manage to implement even at states where their parties are not in power. The alienation of such states would result to an imbalanced growth, thus leading to dissatisfaction among the citizens which inturn leads to local unrests!
I didn't really have a reason to vote 'FOR' a particular NETA or PARTY but had a lot of reasons to vote 'AGAINST' NETA's and PARTY's! I am definitely looking ahead for the assembly elections in Maharashtra and I am sure I would never have felt more a Mumbaitte as much as I would that day!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
A Little Word.
A Little word which gives a Life,
A Little word which brings a Smile,
A Little word which brightens your Day,
A Little word which could show you the Way,
A Little word which eases the Pain,
A Little word which could make Insane sound, Sane,
A Little word which makes you cling on to a Rope,
A Little word which strengthens you on the Downward Slope,
A Little word which could show you the Shore,
That Little word which each one of us Adores,
None other than a Little Hope!
A Little word which brings a Smile,
A Little word which brightens your Day,
A Little word which could show you the Way,
A Little word which eases the Pain,
A Little word which could make Insane sound, Sane,
A Little word which makes you cling on to a Rope,
A Little word which strengthens you on the Downward Slope,
A Little word which could show you the Shore,
That Little word which each one of us Adores,
None other than a Little Hope!
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Tale of Two Vehicles
I was passing through a beautiful road on the oustskirts of Mumbai city, called Powai. A beautiful water front road which makes you feel relaxed after having passed through a lot of traffic, while moving towards Andheri.
The water was cool and the 5 Star Hotel over looking it was extremely smart looking! I saw for the first time two birds fighting, while flying. The beauties to adore were countless! Suddenly my eyes fell on a Black Mercedese S 350, which was ferrying some of the hotel guests. It looked beautiful in Black and the aerodynamics inclined shape made it look like it was continously pouncing on somebody! Its tyres took the entire weight of the passengers and even in the turn made the car look so balanced! The men inside, with Suits and Ties were talking and they looked hardcore Professionals! Infact they looked as if they were on some mission, Corporate Mission! In the words of one of my very close friends,"Bhagwan Jaane,kisiki maarne nikle honge!" I wondered how lucky they were to travel in such a car while I was travelling in a B.E.S.T. Not that I was jealous of them but was wondering,"Mera number kab aayega?" The feeling of sitting a being driven in a Merc, Woooohhhhhoooooo! The mere thought of it makes me go dancing! Yeah you read that right, Go Dancing! "Raju, please pull the window down, I would like to feel the fresh (hopefully) air", I told my chaffeur. People walked past, some jogging and some trying to stretch to their comforts, during the evening hours. There were other local lads who were just there to watch the girls stretch themselves in their shorts. There were a few more sophisticated who would like to go one step further and start a conversation with one of the beautiful girls. They wouldn't even bother to risk being bitten by her Dog as the chances of gaining her sympathy would be higher in that case. The joy of a conversation with her would be more than the pain of the injections! The Merc just passed by and I decided to open the sun roof and let the Air flow in from every direction. The Merc guys helped me adjust the reclining of the seats and the head rest electronically! I opted to also put the seat massager on to help myself for the most beautiful evening of my life! "Please put the volume up", I told Raju as the Radio Station played the romantic song,"Tujh main Rab Dikhta hain" from the movie "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" and I missed my ex-girl friend even after 8 years of seperation. I would have definitely sung the song for her,it's one of my all time favourite romantic songs. When suddenly there was a screeching sound and I hit my head on the side window to be woken up from my dream!
It was a rude way of awakening anybody but my eyes immediately fell on a vehicle travelling by. Everybody looked at it with eyes wide open and on some faces there were smile, on some other faces there were some "wish I was them/there" kind of a look, some girls smiles were almost going to get translated into a whitsle looking at the occupants and dashing that is what was the reaction of the faces! The vehicle passed by and still there were necks craning to have a look till it disappeared. In this case it didn't zipp by but I am sure none would have complained. Pride swelled on to everyones faces and a small salute would have been dedicated as the Army Bus carrying the Jawans made their way to some base in Mumbai.
Two distinct vehicles with even wider feeling associated with each!
The water was cool and the 5 Star Hotel over looking it was extremely smart looking! I saw for the first time two birds fighting, while flying. The beauties to adore were countless! Suddenly my eyes fell on a Black Mercedese S 350, which was ferrying some of the hotel guests. It looked beautiful in Black and the aerodynamics inclined shape made it look like it was continously pouncing on somebody! Its tyres took the entire weight of the passengers and even in the turn made the car look so balanced! The men inside, with Suits and Ties were talking and they looked hardcore Professionals! Infact they looked as if they were on some mission, Corporate Mission! In the words of one of my very close friends,"Bhagwan Jaane,kisiki maarne nikle honge!" I wondered how lucky they were to travel in such a car while I was travelling in a B.E.S.T. Not that I was jealous of them but was wondering,"Mera number kab aayega?" The feeling of sitting a being driven in a Merc, Woooohhhhhoooooo! The mere thought of it makes me go dancing! Yeah you read that right, Go Dancing! "Raju, please pull the window down, I would like to feel the fresh (hopefully) air", I told my chaffeur. People walked past, some jogging and some trying to stretch to their comforts, during the evening hours. There were other local lads who were just there to watch the girls stretch themselves in their shorts. There were a few more sophisticated who would like to go one step further and start a conversation with one of the beautiful girls. They wouldn't even bother to risk being bitten by her Dog as the chances of gaining her sympathy would be higher in that case. The joy of a conversation with her would be more than the pain of the injections! The Merc just passed by and I decided to open the sun roof and let the Air flow in from every direction. The Merc guys helped me adjust the reclining of the seats and the head rest electronically! I opted to also put the seat massager on to help myself for the most beautiful evening of my life! "Please put the volume up", I told Raju as the Radio Station played the romantic song,"Tujh main Rab Dikhta hain" from the movie "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" and I missed my ex-girl friend even after 8 years of seperation. I would have definitely sung the song for her,it's one of my all time favourite romantic songs. When suddenly there was a screeching sound and I hit my head on the side window to be woken up from my dream!
It was a rude way of awakening anybody but my eyes immediately fell on a vehicle travelling by. Everybody looked at it with eyes wide open and on some faces there were smile, on some other faces there were some "wish I was them/there" kind of a look, some girls smiles were almost going to get translated into a whitsle looking at the occupants and dashing that is what was the reaction of the faces! The vehicle passed by and still there were necks craning to have a look till it disappeared. In this case it didn't zipp by but I am sure none would have complained. Pride swelled on to everyones faces and a small salute would have been dedicated as the Army Bus carrying the Jawans made their way to some base in Mumbai.
Two distinct vehicles with even wider feeling associated with each!
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