I glanced at the wall clock. It was almost nine and on a Sunday, this was my favorite time. Breakfast time! One quick look into the kitchen assured me that I had my favorite stuff on the menu. Pancakes, bread toasts with jam and butter and eggs. I just loved it and now all I had to do was wait for it to be served.
As I waited for someone from the kitchen to bring out the breakfast, I saw grandpa walk into the room and settle on his rocking chair eagerly reading the newspaper. Whats he reading by the way! At least do away with the politics and current affairs. Its Sunday for god's sake! Check the sports section please!!
Enter Chinu. He is the youngest member of the house. A very lovable kid and doesn't mind me sharing his food. Nor does anyone else in the family. That's why I love these guys so much. I can have all that I like and no one complains except for occasional stern wave of hand to keep me from taking more than I need.
I hear a voice from the kitchen "Breakfast's ready". Oh yea! So am I. Bring it on. I am starving already. Soon all gathered at the table with Chinu on my right and parents taking the opposite seats. Grandpa was still rocking on his chair. He would join later, I guessed and started with the first dish set on the table. Pardon my manners, but that's just me. I wasn't going to wait for others to settle down, take pancake and eggs in their plates and eat as if they had all the time in the world. I went straight for the dishes on the table. The breakfast was truly heaven like with all the best things in the world served out to me.
While I was busy with the food, I did not notice grandpa join us at the table, and went for the pancake kept for him. That must have annoyed him. He waved at me and I steered clear. Why mess with him on such a lovely day? The breakfast carried on for a while with all the jokes and laughter. Sunday mornings were really great with family. While I was still busy making more rounds for my favorite stuff, I just happened to look at grandpa from the corner of my eye. He had been following my movements very closely and before I could make out what was on his mind, he swung out the fly-swatter and splat! Leaving no time to stretch my wings and buzz off to safety, he slammed down a hard blow onto me. Escape was near impossible.
"Nasty insect" were the last words I heard. While grandpa must have been proud of his reflexes, I had paid my price to taste, what I would call, lets just say, a breakfast to die for!
Oct 5, 2008
Aug 26, 2008
That Adrenaline Rush
Riding a bike in a city is difficult. Certainly difficult if you drive in a place like Pune. If Beijing were the world capital for bicycles, then Pune is definitely the two wheeler capital on the face of this planet. Scores of new commuters hit the road everyday. A guy on way to his first job. A girl riding a dear gift from her father. An old man riding a moped older than him. A lady turning left when the right indicator is blinking. You get all kinds of people on the roads. There is no escape!
They say that if you can drive in Pune, you can drive anywhere in the world and hell am I ready to take that challenge! Been riding here for over six years now. First it was my bicycle to high school, then a moped to college and now I take my bike to work.
From the moment I put on my helmet, my jacket, my sunglasses and look into the mirror to make sure I look just as cool, its a different me on the bike. As the engine revs up and the wheels start rolling, I get the need... the need for speed. Cutting my way through the traffic, cursing the slow morons who cant even touch forty, I open the throttle and zoom ahead. I know there is no hurry. But its just unstoppable. The adrenaline rush that you get while cruising at dangerous speeds just cant be put into words. I guess you have to feel it. Sometimes I feel that my alter ego rides the bike, not me! And becomes all that I most certainly am not. Rough on roads and tough on people who want to get into a verbal fight, switching lanes and jumping signals with most insincere regards to traffic rules. But the most important thing is that it makes me feel free and in total control. That's what bikes signify, Freedom.
Sure such rash driving does not get away unpunished. I had a nasty fall once. It left its bruises on my bike, though I was lucky to get away with few days of limping. That stalled my pace and shook my confidence for a while. But the scars healed and so ebbed the fear. Now its back to insane driving on the streets. A small mistake could cost me dear.
Have there been any close calls you ask? Plenty. One in particular was when I got trapped between a truck on my right and a bus on my left. Both closing in on me from both sides. It scared the hell out of me. I was almost between the tyres of the truck. But I made it unscathed. Few others would be risking a fall on slippery roads during heavy rains, avoiding slamming myself into the rear of a tuk-tuk, missing a stupid pedestrian by an inch, had he been a second slower, he would have met the inevitable. The list would go on...
I am not a bad driver, nor is my driving a threat to anyone on the road but myself.In fact, I must be really good to have it made this far. I know a helmet does not make me immortal. But I like to take my chances. I still have a lot at stake, should I continue with this freak quest for more adrenaline pumping. And even after all the close calls why do I still continue to ride at dangerous speeds? I guess the thrill of surviving is simply addictive.
They say that if you can drive in Pune, you can drive anywhere in the world and hell am I ready to take that challenge! Been riding here for over six years now. First it was my bicycle to high school, then a moped to college and now I take my bike to work.
From the moment I put on my helmet, my jacket, my sunglasses and look into the mirror to make sure I look just as cool, its a different me on the bike. As the engine revs up and the wheels start rolling, I get the need... the need for speed. Cutting my way through the traffic, cursing the slow morons who cant even touch forty, I open the throttle and zoom ahead. I know there is no hurry. But its just unstoppable. The adrenaline rush that you get while cruising at dangerous speeds just cant be put into words. I guess you have to feel it. Sometimes I feel that my alter ego rides the bike, not me! And becomes all that I most certainly am not. Rough on roads and tough on people who want to get into a verbal fight, switching lanes and jumping signals with most insincere regards to traffic rules. But the most important thing is that it makes me feel free and in total control. That's what bikes signify, Freedom.
Sure such rash driving does not get away unpunished. I had a nasty fall once. It left its bruises on my bike, though I was lucky to get away with few days of limping. That stalled my pace and shook my confidence for a while. But the scars healed and so ebbed the fear. Now its back to insane driving on the streets. A small mistake could cost me dear.
Have there been any close calls you ask? Plenty. One in particular was when I got trapped between a truck on my right and a bus on my left. Both closing in on me from both sides. It scared the hell out of me. I was almost between the tyres of the truck. But I made it unscathed. Few others would be risking a fall on slippery roads during heavy rains, avoiding slamming myself into the rear of a tuk-tuk, missing a stupid pedestrian by an inch, had he been a second slower, he would have met the inevitable. The list would go on...
I am not a bad driver, nor is my driving a threat to anyone on the road but myself.In fact, I must be really good to have it made this far. I know a helmet does not make me immortal. But I like to take my chances. I still have a lot at stake, should I continue with this freak quest for more adrenaline pumping. And even after all the close calls why do I still continue to ride at dangerous speeds? I guess the thrill of surviving is simply addictive.
Jun 27, 2008
A figment of imagination
Seriously, I did not find any better title to go with this story. But that's what it is - a figment of my imagination. Here goes...
The beautiful paradise was her home. Lush greenery, overlooking mountains with the most breathtaking waterfalls one might have ever seen. The flora and fauna of her home was marvellous. She lived as if it were a fairy tale, a magical land where one would wish to stay on for hours together. She enjoyed spending her time there. Adore herself with the beautiful and fragrant flowers, make friends with some wild creatures. The fawns, birds, bunnies seemed to like her a lot and wouldn't mind coming as close.
Suddenly dark clouds gathered as if from nowhere and with a deafening thunder, started pouring all they had. As darkness befell this paradise, the flowers withered, trees shed all their leaves and the animals ran helter-skelter for some shelter in the rain. The girl did not know what was happening but all she knew was that when it happened she would be left with no food or shelter until the sun shone again. She would not know how long to wait. As the rains started pouring more heavily, flooding the brook, she took shelter in a hollow bark of a tree. Fear gripped her and all she did was pray she had the courage to wait it out.
As she fell asleep in this land engulfed with rain and storm, he woke up. Disturbed, distraught and unable to find her. He knew he had to find her. He would cross mountains and rivers, search the forest for her. But the only place he could ever find her was in his dreams. He would spend days searching for her far and wide in the treacherous lands and when his feet would no longer carry him, he would sleep and lose himself in his cherished dream. So he slept that day too.
Lucky for her, the weather was beginning to change. The floods, the thunder, the eeriness of the place had given way to blossoming flowers, lush trees, lazy brooks, twittering birds. Life was all beautiful again. She left her place of refuge in search of some food.
He knew he would find her in his dreams. He dreamed of her in the woods, talking to the birds. The animals of the forest were her best friends. They brought her some sweet fruits and flowers. He followed every detail of the dream and hoped to take that path to a place where he would find her. After all she was his priced possession.
The truth that he did not realize was that in reality he would never find her. She was but a figment of his imagination. Her existence was because he dared to imagine and let the dream grow. The girl was a prisoner in his mind. When he dreamt of her, he imagined all the beautiful things about her, but when his dream ended, his upset mind turned the whole world for the girl upside down. The madness to find her was taking its toll on him. He wandered around the forest for days, taking the paths he saw in his dreams, hoping to find her. He did not have food for many days and grew feeble as time passed by. But the urge to find her kept pushing him ahead.
As he scrambled along a cliff, he slipped and crashed on the jagged rocks below. Pain shot through his body. He cried out to her. But no one was to answer the cry. In her entrapped world she could not understand why the sun and rain were paying this frantic game of hide and seek. She wished thats it would all end soon and the old paradise would come back again.
The pain would take his life away. He knew it. And as life ceased to exist, the mind that trapped the girl was willing to let go. Free her of the prison she wasn't even aware of. The sun shone again in wonderland, the girl could see the clear skies above, see the full bloom of mother nature, feel alive again after all that she had been through. She saw beautiful angels come down. It was unbelievable, but after all that had happened so far, they knew she would believe. And as he breathed his last, she held their hand and flew away. Free.
The beautiful paradise was her home. Lush greenery, overlooking mountains with the most breathtaking waterfalls one might have ever seen. The flora and fauna of her home was marvellous. She lived as if it were a fairy tale, a magical land where one would wish to stay on for hours together. She enjoyed spending her time there. Adore herself with the beautiful and fragrant flowers, make friends with some wild creatures. The fawns, birds, bunnies seemed to like her a lot and wouldn't mind coming as close.
Suddenly dark clouds gathered as if from nowhere and with a deafening thunder, started pouring all they had. As darkness befell this paradise, the flowers withered, trees shed all their leaves and the animals ran helter-skelter for some shelter in the rain. The girl did not know what was happening but all she knew was that when it happened she would be left with no food or shelter until the sun shone again. She would not know how long to wait. As the rains started pouring more heavily, flooding the brook, she took shelter in a hollow bark of a tree. Fear gripped her and all she did was pray she had the courage to wait it out.
As she fell asleep in this land engulfed with rain and storm, he woke up. Disturbed, distraught and unable to find her. He knew he had to find her. He would cross mountains and rivers, search the forest for her. But the only place he could ever find her was in his dreams. He would spend days searching for her far and wide in the treacherous lands and when his feet would no longer carry him, he would sleep and lose himself in his cherished dream. So he slept that day too.
Lucky for her, the weather was beginning to change. The floods, the thunder, the eeriness of the place had given way to blossoming flowers, lush trees, lazy brooks, twittering birds. Life was all beautiful again. She left her place of refuge in search of some food.
He knew he would find her in his dreams. He dreamed of her in the woods, talking to the birds. The animals of the forest were her best friends. They brought her some sweet fruits and flowers. He followed every detail of the dream and hoped to take that path to a place where he would find her. After all she was his priced possession.
The truth that he did not realize was that in reality he would never find her. She was but a figment of his imagination. Her existence was because he dared to imagine and let the dream grow. The girl was a prisoner in his mind. When he dreamt of her, he imagined all the beautiful things about her, but when his dream ended, his upset mind turned the whole world for the girl upside down. The madness to find her was taking its toll on him. He wandered around the forest for days, taking the paths he saw in his dreams, hoping to find her. He did not have food for many days and grew feeble as time passed by. But the urge to find her kept pushing him ahead.
As he scrambled along a cliff, he slipped and crashed on the jagged rocks below. Pain shot through his body. He cried out to her. But no one was to answer the cry. In her entrapped world she could not understand why the sun and rain were paying this frantic game of hide and seek. She wished thats it would all end soon and the old paradise would come back again.
The pain would take his life away. He knew it. And as life ceased to exist, the mind that trapped the girl was willing to let go. Free her of the prison she wasn't even aware of. The sun shone again in wonderland, the girl could see the clear skies above, see the full bloom of mother nature, feel alive again after all that she had been through. She saw beautiful angels come down. It was unbelievable, but after all that had happened so far, they knew she would believe. And as he breathed his last, she held their hand and flew away. Free.
May 14, 2008
In my memories
Its been long since we said goodbye, but somewhere at the back of my mind, I have this fabulous memory of you. Of us. And of a dream.
There is a part of me that wants to stay with you forever. And however impossible it may seem, I want to make it happen. I might have said that I have moved on and am looking forward to great things happening in my life. That's a lie I keep telling myself. Its hard to believe that you are gone. Even harder to convince myself that you never existed. That's an extreme but only way to get over you. The harder I try to forget you, the more I cannot. And all just comes back to me. Fresh. Sweet. Fabulous.
Often I can't think beyond you. All the thoughts of that special person begin and end with you.Yesterday, I was telling myself that it's been so long, I'd probably forgotten how you look. And then your beautiful smile flashed across my mind. Followed by a million things about you. Who said I'd ever forget anything!
Maybe its the silence of the night and few cans of Budweiser that are doing the talking. But all the inebriation does not stop me from thinking clear.
What I realise is, there was a past for me. A past of us. But you have moved on and so should I. I know I make things difficult for myself. Wish I had an erase button to just wipe out those memories. But I don't. I try my best to forget. But I can't.
Life will take its course from here, as I tread on a new path everyday. Someday, there will be someone to accompany me. It won't be you. I know. But should I feel the need for your presence, I'd know just the place to find you. Because in my memories, I'd have you.
There is a part of me that wants to stay with you forever. And however impossible it may seem, I want to make it happen. I might have said that I have moved on and am looking forward to great things happening in my life. That's a lie I keep telling myself. Its hard to believe that you are gone. Even harder to convince myself that you never existed. That's an extreme but only way to get over you. The harder I try to forget you, the more I cannot. And all just comes back to me. Fresh. Sweet. Fabulous.
Often I can't think beyond you. All the thoughts of that special person begin and end with you.Yesterday, I was telling myself that it's been so long, I'd probably forgotten how you look. And then your beautiful smile flashed across my mind. Followed by a million things about you. Who said I'd ever forget anything!
Maybe its the silence of the night and few cans of Budweiser that are doing the talking. But all the inebriation does not stop me from thinking clear.
What I realise is, there was a past for me. A past of us. But you have moved on and so should I. I know I make things difficult for myself. Wish I had an erase button to just wipe out those memories. But I don't. I try my best to forget. But I can't.
Life will take its course from here, as I tread on a new path everyday. Someday, there will be someone to accompany me. It won't be you. I know. But should I feel the need for your presence, I'd know just the place to find you. Because in my memories, I'd have you.
Apr 30, 2008
Pay Day
It was the most anticipated day in recent times. For almost a year I worked without giving much attention to how much I take home. What I took home was enough to buy me food, pay my bills, buy me another pair of jeans, occasionally spoil myself at some good restaurant or go bowling with friends. But things were about to change. My paycheck was about to put on a little weight. And with the anticipation, anxiety and nervousness were on the rise.
To make things better, I had a windfall. I certainly did not see a promotion coming my way. I mean, I badly wanted it. But with all the diplomatic talk I had with my seniors, likeliness of a change in my job title was slim. I wasn't thinking much about it but a fatter paycheck was certainly on my mind. I said to myself, if I reach a certain figure, I might consider buying a car. The prospect of owning my very first car made me feel great. It was an elated feeling and I couldn't wait for the dream to come true.
And so the moment drew on. Soon the word went around that new pay scales were out and employees could check their online accounts. With great expectations, I logged on. Only to frown and log off immediately. Seems the new car would still be a distant dream. I fared low on my own expectations. Being appraised at an average scale did not amuse me. I had put in more efforts than the year before. I was certainly discontent. A few quick calculations of how much more could I be taking home did nothing to cheer me. Gloom was the color of the day. I did not feel like working for rest of the day. That's what happens when expectations are not met.
I left office in the same mood. Man it sucked! Sucked to know that things were just average at work. Sucked that all the hard work and promotion did not bear much monetary fruit. I needed something to cheer me. And I knew just the thing to do.
As I steered my way through the city traffic, riding my bike, I took a long detour on my way home. I rode through the outer perimeter of the city, watching the sun go down and disappear. Watched the green pastures of land with patches of concrete houses cropping in between. Rode by a serene lake. Someone was there still hoping to catch fish along the banks. The entire trip back home was soothing and truly therapeutic in a way. Just an hour ago, I was discontent, displeased and disappointed deep down. And here I was, experiences something totally different. The sinking feeling I had all afternoon had ebbed away.
By the time I reached home, I was in a jolly good mood. I had my favorite food for dinner and then celebrated my pay rise and promotion with some hot chocolate and ice cream. Cherry on top. The momentary agony of not meeting my own expectations had eluded me now.
The next day, I smiled and started for work. A new day with new possibilities, new challenges and of course a new dream. A bigger better car. Maybe next year.
To make things better, I had a windfall. I certainly did not see a promotion coming my way. I mean, I badly wanted it. But with all the diplomatic talk I had with my seniors, likeliness of a change in my job title was slim. I wasn't thinking much about it but a fatter paycheck was certainly on my mind. I said to myself, if I reach a certain figure, I might consider buying a car. The prospect of owning my very first car made me feel great. It was an elated feeling and I couldn't wait for the dream to come true.
And so the moment drew on. Soon the word went around that new pay scales were out and employees could check their online accounts. With great expectations, I logged on. Only to frown and log off immediately. Seems the new car would still be a distant dream. I fared low on my own expectations. Being appraised at an average scale did not amuse me. I had put in more efforts than the year before. I was certainly discontent. A few quick calculations of how much more could I be taking home did nothing to cheer me. Gloom was the color of the day. I did not feel like working for rest of the day. That's what happens when expectations are not met.
I left office in the same mood. Man it sucked! Sucked to know that things were just average at work. Sucked that all the hard work and promotion did not bear much monetary fruit. I needed something to cheer me. And I knew just the thing to do.
As I steered my way through the city traffic, riding my bike, I took a long detour on my way home. I rode through the outer perimeter of the city, watching the sun go down and disappear. Watched the green pastures of land with patches of concrete houses cropping in between. Rode by a serene lake. Someone was there still hoping to catch fish along the banks. The entire trip back home was soothing and truly therapeutic in a way. Just an hour ago, I was discontent, displeased and disappointed deep down. And here I was, experiences something totally different. The sinking feeling I had all afternoon had ebbed away.
By the time I reached home, I was in a jolly good mood. I had my favorite food for dinner and then celebrated my pay rise and promotion with some hot chocolate and ice cream. Cherry on top. The momentary agony of not meeting my own expectations had eluded me now.
The next day, I smiled and started for work. A new day with new possibilities, new challenges and of course a new dream. A bigger better car. Maybe next year.
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