Monday, January 21, 2008

Profile: Female and Taken

She was the one within me. She was totally a different person, not the same as all. She was different through my eyes. As she walked behind me, I could make out her presence. My mind would get fresh when I used to see her. She blinked with shy when we cross each other. I could hear my heart beat loud when I stood next to her in group. But I forgot to speak out, what was in my mind. Why was I like that? (Too late to ask to myself) .Why am I still like this? (Still haven't found the answer). I was always afraid of loosing her. I crossed my fingers, when the thought of loosing her came in my mind. I touch wood when I speak out about, loosing her in pain.

My ears popped, if someone speaks about her. I concerned for her, when she was out of my site for long. I was confused, didn't knew the destination of life. I was more in the fantasy world. The world of poet's and people's dream, a dream within a dream simple as that. But today I’m missing her, the word missing or loosing is pinching me. The place, time spent for her is teasing me. I’m really sorry; this is something really tough to write - infatuation, emotions and finally a sad ending. “Mungaru male” is crossing the horizons, the music hasn't faded yet. Being really what you are all the way is something tough. You have to change things or at least try to change things. I should have at least given a try, spoken out from my heart, once, at least once. Today, her profile says Female and Taken. The word Taken is just haunting me. I only have a small smile :-) in my face but with a big pain in my heart.

Friday, July 27, 2007

IRPU

The place totally detoxifies you. Uncountable celestial body visible to the naked eye. The passing clouds sometimes covering the fully illuminated Moon visible from the Earth and making the night more pleasurable.

An effort of half an hour finally got connected to Nitin (person who runs the home stay). A request to call back if there is some availability, worked out. A call back from Nitin changed the destination Madkeri to Irpu.

Basi, Prasad, Vinay and me on Basi's Swift left for Irpu– a distance of almost 120Kms from Mysore.

The first pit stop got us some Beer tins and breezers and the destination to Irpu got on.

The drive and the weather were pleasant with Prasad playing the DJ part with his selection of songs, rolled us to Irpu at around 8 PM. The cottage was awaiting us.

The best part of the trip was a short night drive from the cottage at 12. The drive got us to a nice place to park. Sitting on the middle of the road, watching the sky and passing time. It’s something which I really can’t.......................

Morning gave me a good chance to do some Macro photography of different type’s flowers. The breakfast gave us some energy to head on to the falls.

It was really unpleasant to see people throwing plastic covers, empty bottles, glasses and beer tins around the place. It was rather disappointing to see collection of 10 rs by the forest department from each person for an un-maintained place. A group of mid aged ass's with pot shaped fallen tummies, scrubbing there body with soap dirtying the place not letting the others to feel the experience of standing under a water falls.

If there is something that really needs to be looked up is enjoying the place and those little times that you spend over there, apart from spoiling the place.

Extending the trip for one more day statement came as a surprise. There was a sudden smile in everyone's faces, also a bit of hesitant inside the mind. Basi, Vinay and me gave our thumbs up. But Prasad made us realized that nothings’ gonna change by staying another day and we totally doesn't belong to this place. We are like those machines that have been back on work the next day.

Now travel back from Mysore to Bangalore after an excellent trip was very hard to digest. As the bus entered the suburbs, momentum of the bus reduced with more pit stops than the movement- nothing but traffic jams. Wish I could have climbed on top of the bus and shouted the famous lines of the movie "Gladiator" - "Are you not entertained (With these traffic jams)? Is this what you are here for (In this city)? None of them would have even heard it, if I had attempted it.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Perdu (Lost)

Like a feather in the wind
floating for terminus.

Like a bubble, still floating
on air.

Like a sailing boat in the open sea,
seeking for dry land.

I'm lost in this world,
I’m lost in this world.

Just want to be back.
Just to see you.

Can't imagine me without you, without you.

Monday, May 14, 2007

The Past Old Monk

Its Thursday 10th May 2007, 11 AM, a peak working hour when a forwarded mail made me write this blog. To all those I report too, take a break.

Just a thought on, how my life was before I gave up boozing and smoke - fuming would be a better word for smoke (Not to impress anyone, in fact a sense of dashing hopes while writing this blog).

March 31st Friday 2006 was the last day when I said adios to both of my best pals or what can I call them. Part of life for almost 5 years. Today when I really look back, I do miss a lot.

Old Monk Rum + Lemon slice + Pepsi/Coke + Ice cubes

Old Monk Rum - It is kind of a form of the legendary "Som-ras", India's centuries old scriptures also known as "The drink of Gods and Lords". Just a Gyan. (To be True, affordable for a regular drinker like me)

Lemon - Just makes the Rum much more lighter.

Pepsi/Coke – Just to get that Sweet taste.

Ice cubes – Just gives that chilling effect to your upper lips, wow.

The first sip makes you a different man. The best part of the Rum, it doesn't give you the hangover. Next day morning you are up and running without a heavy head like many whiskies gives you.

There's always an occasion to celebrate with a drink but for me most of the days used to be an occasion. It’s just like a "whoop it up" attitude.

I feel I’m missing the arguments with my friends at 11 PM, those emotional songs at 12 PM, eating dried egg fried rice and curd rice at 1 AM. Alas, I'm also missing a puff of cigarette, the same cigarette that used to rotate till the last edge. Limitless things to tell but very tough to write.

Today, totally a different experience, when I look at people around me enjoying each and every sip of the drink, I really feel that I’m missing something. But that's what life is all about. I personally feel "Every person before coming to this earth has been given "n" number of barrels, for his entire life. But unluckily I feel myself that I dried the barrels quite early, in fact too early". (Heights of belief)

Someone reading this and drawing negative conclusions. Sorry, better get a check up. I always believed and still believe that "Consumption of Alcohol is injurious..."

Friday, March 30, 2007

My Colleagues and me: A Blog

It wasn’t all that dark; the sun setting down. We were in front of a narrow road through the tree’s and sun rays between them creating a heavenly feel. Suddenly, we see a car parked with a girl standing aside. A one-liner from Sharma on the girl left me, Anand and Karthik shocked and left us laugh till the tears rolled. As Geoffrey Boycott says, its all about timing, placing and experience in cricket. Personally I feel this one-liner from Sharma was the stealer of the whole trip.

Anisutede yako indu neenene nannavalendu maayadha lokadinda nanagagi bandavalindu …. A beautiful track from Mungaru Male. The lyrics is at the tip of my tongue, learning the guitar cords, but still searching for that one person to whom I have to sing.

As I was hearing this song, Anand told me about a play in Ranga Sharkara (RS) proposed by Karthik. [RS is a tribute to the spirit of Shankar Nag. An Actor, director, theatre artist ...A unique performing space for artistes.] To me, 100 times worth watching a play rather than spending 3.5 hour karan Johar’s high profile family drama, in fact Controversy King: Mahesh bhatt is far better; he gives what people look for. “Murder” was a good one, Mallika’s skin show as an unfaithful wife.

As the night was still young, we headed from RS and settled at the roof top of Gaurav Bar & Restaurant with Anand as usual with is Bacardi breezier and roasted masala papad, Karthik with his old monk, me with a Riviera Wine (“Will there be expire date on a Wine bottle?”) and Sharma playing a good boy role, watching us. An hour and a half time spend on the roof top ignited us for an outing to Mysore. The best part of the outing was just “thought” but noting was “planned”.

The outing was thought for the weekend that was March the 17th and 18th. As Ugadi had fallen on next day, none of us were interested to spend time outside home on March 19th.

We were four members who eventually took the car. Ones who missed the car and were missed by the team were Vinod, Saikat, Vishak and Sanket; Saikat, Vishak and Sanket had a reason to say NO but Vinod is still thinking for reason to escape.

The four were: Anand, Karthik, Sharma and Mayur (All bachelors).

If you are a Mysorean, one question that is expected every now and then “The list of places to visit in and around Mysore?” Since Anand and Sharma had been to Mysore earlier once, Karthik being quite familiar of the place and most of us wanted to spend some good time, I felt Palace or KRS wouldn't be a right choice.

Day 1:
We headed towards Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala – residential boys school run by the Ramakrishna Mission in Yadavagiri. A calm place with a collection of over 400 species of plants, an Exquisite collection of rare trees, shrubs and creepers, a best place avoid the summer heat. As the boys were going through there last exam on the day, we ended up unlucky. But the word “Last exam” didn’t disappoint me much. Throwing your bags, your books, getting connection to the Cable TV after a long gap, planning for movies, trips never can these be forgotten? Did I ever throw my books or the Xerox notes in college days? Hmm... Nope. I always thought too much of confidence would make you search the same Xerox notes after the results were announced.

A 10 min meditation in Ramakrishna mutt KRS road started our trip with a positive note and we headed towards our college (JCE).

4 Chota tea and one plate of hot pakoda in Manasa Gangotri (Downs) took back all of us to the college days. Each of them shared there past college experiences. I could see lot of changes but one thing remained the same, our hangout place, so called "Kattae". It was and it is a customary, even today that once you enter the college campus then better sit and spend some time before leaving the college. You attend the class or bunk the labs but a stop in "kattae" is a must. As lab exams where going on, we couldn't see much of what we expected in JCE and Gangotri Campus.

"Love Your Job But Never Fall In Love With Your Company, Because You Never Know When It Stops Loving You." - Infosys Chief Mentor Narayana Murthy. You can't get a much better way to keep your employee’s scare. Infosys Global Education Centre in Mysore is 270+ Acre campus with accommodation for 4500 trainees and the investment is around Rs. 520 crore. The best Campus I have ever seen till date. ECC – Employee Care Center is one place to really look for, Multiplex, Gym, Swimming pool, Bowling alley, Library … This is where our Karthik spotted Renu (Good looking) & Aashu (Bomb - Sorry, this can't be censored Anand) in the bowling alley. Karthik says he was just able to find out there names, but I really doubt as we again spotted Aashu in Sim's park.

(From left – Sharma, Karthik, Anand, me - As usual looking confused)

Jolada rotti (Jowar rotis) lunch in Kamat restaurant Nanjangud road made us back on our feet. As we needed some rest we checked-in to the Cosmopolitan Club.

After a short break we headed towards Rangayana, a similar place as RS. As Rangayana hadn’t had any play we continued to our next destination Kukkarahallikere. A morning or evenings walk in Kukkarahallikere is totally a different experience. The 3.5 km beautiful pathway around it, is a walker’s paradise. There were some photo sessions particularly the solo ones. A picture of yours with the sunset at the background, who would say NO?

After a drive to Chamundi hills, we headed back to the club.
The day ended watching the Indian team royally getting screwed by the Bangladesh team in the Royal City (Mysore). How lucky are we?

Day 2:
Imagine driving into Bandipur, and tigers waiting for you at the park entrance with aarathi and welcome drink (Riviera Wine)! Even better, imagine them singing for you as you come in, with a roaring voice though. Sorry for crossing the heights of imagination. The best thing that we did in bandipur was that we didn’t eye on the open top jeep safari (A bit expensive). We settled for safari on the rickety, noisy mini-buses that made enough noise to scare away any fauna we would encounter on the way. Safari ended up worst; the first thing we saw was deer and the last was also the deer, middle was empty. Spare a thought on the stray dogs being killed in Bangalore, these dogs could at least be left in bandipur or even bannerghatta forest.

Disappointment in Bandipur changed the destination Mysore via Himavad Gopalswamy Hills to Ooty and the outing extended for one more day. This is the advantage of going on an outing with bachelors as none of them are answerable.

Ooty is a welcome escape from the heat of the lowlands for both tourists and honeymoon couples. The Climate was around 13-15 degree Celsius, just a right place and right climate to make love. The first few things we did were refilled the fuel tank, called my cousin brother and purchasing a new trouser (Which got tore while doing an acrobatic stunt in Bandipur). I got the list of places to visit from my cousin brother and headed towards Doddabetta.

Doddabetta Peak around 10 kms from the Ooty town is one of the most prominent view points around Ooty where you can see landscape as far as the plains of Coimbatore and the Mysore plateau. Here Karthik was able figure out a person who was very much seeing the other men’s around, than is wife. I really dough whether he was “Straight”. It’s rather strange to see that some newly married men’s see bachelors as aliens. Is it a sign of too much possessiveness or trying to impress there wife’s. God knows. As the camera batter was running dry, we couldn’t capture much of the pictures. But Sharma was smart enough to capture some right ones. The ones which motivated us to continue to the new destination – connor.

Connor wasted most of our time with only Sims Park.

A pit stop in ooty before heading to Mysore was a must. We refilled ourselves with Dosa and Chappati’s at hotel Nahar. As a customary, Anand and Sharma did most of the shopping, with me and Karthik settling with some home made chocolates.

Driving the Kallathi ghats either heading up or down is not an easy one. Hats off to Sharma, who did all the driving. Letting your car drive this route, is like a couple sharing there house with a friend.

As most of the Climax of the Bollywood movies sucks, I felt the climax of our outing would be much worst than that. As too much of travel had stretched us and this tired body and our soul was looking for rest. The curves and the drive heading down neither allowed neither me nor Anand sitting back to sleep nor relax. I somehow managed to take a small 5 min’s nap, but was woken up very soon to see sign board display 92 kms to Mysore.

Love, Crush and Infatuation is the topic which came for our rescue. It totally changed the entire atmosphere inside the car, and each one started to share there personal feelings and experience. Karthik took the initiative to start, followed by Sharma, later taken over by me. But one person who really showed his Managerial Skills in escaping was our Anand. As none of them, want to share there personal feeling in this blog. I’m really sorry that I can’t write more on this. But I will end this by saying “Love is the ultimate expression of the will to live" - Tom Wolfe

Finally, the topic ended in Mysore with Karthik and Sharma finding there ones, with me and Anand as usual ending up with nothing.

Now that we have done the 2 day outing, as we share a bit of butterfly mind - of ground we started thinking of new place. Outing to Madikeri.

If I were a scriptwriter as Javed Akhtar, I could have turned the whole experience into a beautiful script or an author as Chetan Bhagat I could have at least converted into a bestseller novel as “Five Point Someone”. Since I’m neither I will sign off saying “sorry mom, sorry dad" I couldn’t spend the long weekend with you. But I’m always there.

Karthik send me the dates. Madikeri woo- Misty hills, lush forest, acres and acres of tea and coffee plantation...


Mayur.