tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-235070682024-02-08T11:52:22.627+05:30Ameya... Dil Se...This is my blog and I actually mean it. This is like a whiteboard to me where-in I can scribble out what my mind thinks and what my heart feels...
The write-ups in here would reflect different facets of mine, sometimes the plight I find myself in and at other times the feelings that i hold about the things happening in and around me.
This blog may very well give a insight about me.
So guys, watch out for this space if you wanna know about who I am and what I am.Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-87562672911109980572021-09-01T17:45:00.005+05:302021-09-01T17:45:45.922+05:30Marpaacho ashillo, melo!<p><br /></p><p>The vibes from the banging thalis & taalis hadn't even faded away, the petals dropped from the choppers hadn't even settled on the ground, the lit wicks from oil lamps hadn't even blown away... and even as the HM wasn't done with his whirlwind tour around the state presenting plush bouquets to doctors & staff of hospitals; just then the oft revered position of the doctor got back into limelight, albeit for the wrong reason this time round.</p><p>The issue of assault on a doctor by an aggrieved relative who had lost his new born baby nephew is hogging the media realty at Goa these days. Claims and counter-claims are flying thick and fast; police seemingly dragging feet, doctors threatening with tools down, rumours of political interference in the probe making rounds. </p><p>I had tweeted back during the peak of the pandemic that the doctors don't need flimsical display of affection; rather they would be much more happy with decent work conditions, respectable salary, sensible work timings and ofcourse safeguard from physical & mental abuse at workplace.</p><p>Needless to say, workplace violence is to be deplored and no-one is entitled to take law in one's own hand. The accused should be brought to the book; and his political connections notwithstanding, the due course of law and justice should be prevail. </p><p>Police's action or rather lack of it have since been questioned. However whats more questionable to me were the actions and reactions of the eminent doctors of Goa.</p><p>IMA-Goa was quick to get in a huddle to shield one of its ilk, which didn't come as a surprise. Finally its not just a reputation of a doctor that has just taken a beating (pun not intended) but its the faith in the profession that is what at stake.</p><p>It was heartening to see the "Who's who?" of medical fraternity of Goa present at the Porvorim police in support of one of their aggrieved colleague while demanding action against the accused. What was missing though was objectivity and empathy.Some of the statements made by imminent medical professionals of Goa were appalling, and showed sheer lack of compassion and not befitting any ordinary human being, much less a doctor.</p><p>An eminent doctor -more often seen on political dias than with a stetch around his neck- was quick to give a clean chit claiming its a conginetal heart condition that led to the death. Perhaps it was, but how do you know? Was a post-mortem conducted on the infant ascertaining the cause. If so, how did you get the copy and who authorised you to make it public? Whereas one of your colleague brandished the 'hypocritical oath', what about patient confidentiality and consent?</p><p>Even if this not inhuman enough, there was another doctor who very gloriously claimed "Marpaacho ashillo, melo!" (which translates to 'he was meant to die, thus he died' in konkani). Who the hell has given you the power to issue death warrant? </p><p>You were meant to save lives as a doctor and not sure if you are succeeding a 100% at that. Least you can do it not try to be the judge, jury and the executioner. Much less, don't act like a God. </p><p>A human trait were clearly evident when one suggested 'indefinite' tool down; only to be swiftly overruled and corrected by another to make it 24 hour. Priorities and motivations driving their practice were clearly evident thus.</p><p>It's fair upto an extent that you came out in support of your colleague and pass a strict message that any sort of violence won't be tolerated, but dont overstep your brief. What could have been ideal is if you have shown some objectivity and suggested this case be referred to proper agency for impartial investigations to rule out case medical negligence rather than doling out clean chits.</p><p>In this times, when the medical science has advanced and so much technological support is available, its tough to believe that such alleged congenital abnormalities are not picked in the zillions of scans and tests that are recommended nowadays and the parents undergo even if they cost them an arm and a leg. Even in the rarest case when these abnormalities are missed, it hardly comforting that there isn't any consistency in the medical condition that is being conveyed to the family members; much less the secrecy, lack of communication and coordination as perceived from the accused's narration of the incident. Also, the allegation by the accused that there are many such cases in the past pertaining the same doctor doesn't bode much confidence and shouldn't be overlooked. Cases of doctors practicing without a formal degree isn't all that unheard off in this country.</p><p>My locus standi in this comes from being able to relate to parties of either side of the Isle.</p><p>Having been through a similar situation a few years back when I lost my beloved niece to sheer negligence of an eminent paediatrician based at Ponda gives me locus standi in this matter. No, not the absence of political connections or lack of grief that stopped us from pursuing the case to its logical end, just that we wanted to mourn, we wanted a closure and most importantly we wanted peace, especially for the departed soul. But unlike us, there might be others family who seek to pursue the case, demand justice for their plight and unaware of any avenue to seek answers except the treating doctor. Thus it puts them in a confrontational position. </p><p>Being married to a doctor myself, I am pretty familiar with the struggles on the other side. I see my wife battle it day in and day out, the weird shift timings, the absent parent to a growing kid, working on the weekends, the hazardous work environment and once in a while an aggrieved and abusive patient - a la professional hazard.</p><p>I was really moved by this news and could relate to this situation.But what sprung me in voicing my opinions here was that one heartless statement not befitting any human being, much less a doctor. He sounded more like 'Chitragupta' and less like 'Dhanvantari'. Perhaps it was 'the heat of the moment', making him just as fallible thus shattering the oft revered analogy with god; and thus getting you on the same footing as the accused.</p><p>A doctor being a god is a fallacious construct of the past and don't hold ground in these modern times and sooner the public (and some doctors themselves) come to terms with this 'FACT', the better. They being mere mortals should be clearly ingrained in our minds and will help people acknowledge their fallibility.</p><p>What's the need of the hour is clear cut laws against workplace violence and its implementation to the tee. But equally important is processes being in place for impartial investigation of cases of medical negligence. Also awareness about the redressal process should be well formulated and made easily accessible. What's needed is an appellate body for redressal of public grievance who have lost a beloved one or left impaired or suffered physically, mentally, emotionally due to a human error. It will also make the medical practitioners more accountable. As Ibstated earlier, doctors arent gods and they shouldnt be made sacrosanct.</p><p>At the end of the day, remember that a mother has lost a child. A life she nurtured over 9 months, a hope she held perhaps even longer and plans she had for decades in the future have been shattered in a matter of hours. This hasn't just left behind a scarred womb but a scarred soul, which may never heal.</p><p>P.S: I have since come across another video wherein the alleged victim doctor is threatening to 'technically' kill the accused; I will refrain from dwelling deep into it, leaving you with the thought whether he is acting there like a God, a human or a ..... </p><p><br /></p><div class="mail-message expanded" id="m#msg-a:r8771429264787974512" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><div class="mail-message-footer spacer collapsible" style="height: 0px;"></div></div>Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-11022931217425353612018-08-21T07:56:00.000+05:302018-08-21T07:56:04.805+05:30A second-class citizen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So, it has happened. The thing that many of my dear ones had been apprehensive about after I planned to move down under has realised. The fear of being called names and being subjected to abuse has just materialised -- one close friend had even gone to the extent of warning against the ‘convict blood’ running in the veins here.<u></u><u></u></div>
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But hey! before you jump guns and picture a hefty Aussie throwing racist abuses at me, let me rein in your horses. Because that isn't what happened, in fact something exactly opposite did. Two years into my move to the land down under, I was tagged "a second-class citizen". Not by a work colleague, not by a fellow parent, not by a road side Joe... but by someone whom I thought as one of my own from back home (Yes, I still consider Goa and India as my home and always will). And all this happened over the battlefield of the social world, WhatsApp. My crime being expressing an opinion (which was promptly tagged 'long distance advice') that was contrarian to their collective thoughts. Now I think I know what the intelligentsia back home has been crying over the growing 'intolerance'. No, I am not overrating myself to be among the 'intellectuals' ilk, but certainly I can empathize. I don't know if 'hurt' is the correct word for the feeling I got when I read his comment but I surely lost a good night's sleep in this pleasant weather and was moved enough to vent out my feelings on this blog which has been dormant for quite a while (wearing the optimist cap, something good turned out from it). <u></u><u></u></div>
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It wasn't an 'off the cuff' remark because the person calling names thumped his chest saying he made the comment 'not in Josh, but in full hosh' when another common friend tried to play the good cop. More so it wasn't the first time, it did happen earlier as well -same person, same platform, similar abuse. The first time I did take it casually for I have known this person (or have I?) for some time, shared common interests and had some good time together.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Going back to his comment I wonder what made him say what he said? What did he mean by the term 'a second-class citizen'. To begin with and to eliminate the technical aspect I am not an Aussie citizen and still hold Indian citizenship, and very dear to me. I moved here as an expat (yes yes, fancier word for immigrant) to advance my career and in the process avail what " the world's most liveable city" had to offer for its constituent.<u></u><u></u></div>
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So, is it jealousy? I beg to differ. It can't be that because there is no commonality between the two of us, be it age, be it profession or be it social status. He surpasses me in all these three criteria by far and while I toil hard abroad to make ends meet, that person can surely go roaming round the world least caring about the bank balances thanks to his affluent background. I am positively confident that by no means he wants to live a life of ‘a second-class citizen’ that I am relishing now. So, no it’s not sour grapes.<u></u><u></u></div>
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So what is it? Ignorance, perhaps. But the common quizzing group that we belong to and on who's WhatsApp group this all transpired, shouldn't we be striving to seek knowledge rather than making unfounded comments. Perhaps his opinions were formed based on media reports he subscribe to. About news items of incidents of racism and the tiffs between the natives (did I hear aboriginals?) -- or in a more proper way of the saying -- early-arrivals (… and they say expats is a fancy word, eh?) and the recent migrants. But anybody who has spent a decent amount of time under the Melbourne Sun would vouch that it harder to spot a true blue-blood Aussie amongst the potpourri of second class citizens that arrive from various parts of the world bringing in along their rich culture helping shape the cosmopolitan fabric of the city. I can’t rule out existence of racism here but then doesn’t it exist everywhere? Isn’t it racism when we (and even I am culpable to that offense) as Goekar would rue the influx of ‘Bhaailye’, or tag someone ‘Ghaati’ or ‘Bhingtakaar’? Xenophobia exists everywhere and if we dwell at it at a micro level I believe it might even be a survival trait deeply ingrained into our genes. All said and done, this country has been kind to me till now, well at least no one has tagged me ‘a second-class citizen’ as yet.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Or is it Intolerance to a divergent perspective? Most likely yes. For my views, I emphasize ‘views’, were at odds with the views that were being commonly expressed on the group at that time. I might have ruffled a few feathers with a contrarian but none came back with an ad hominem rebuttal as he did. I certainly can’t see any reason why it was called for, even more so when I had myself conceded that we can exist with difference of opinion and that views and opinions need not be mutually exclusive. After all, apart from various cultural shocks this country has taught me to be a bit more inclusive while being less judgemental and never to generalise.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Or is it something more sinister?<u></u><u></u></div>
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When ordinary people - whom you once called friends - tag you this, its shouldn’t surprise us when their elected representatives tag us ‘toilet-cleaners’ on the floor of the assembly. These MLAs are just the extrapolation of the feudalistic mindset that the privileged few harness and feed into. When one is their subject they are treated as inferiors based on the social parameters and always kept under the tab. And when one tries to break the shackles, -makes one’s own choices and chart one’s own path that is when it comes to hurt them the most. What better then ridicule them for their life choices?<u></u><u></u></div>
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Yes, I am a second-class citizen but not because of the choices I have made, the places I have moved to or the manner in which people treat me here. But rather because my own people ridicule me and alienated me not just now but even when I was there amongst them all. All this made me think and gave me a few life lessons and most definitely a signature to sign-off this post with…<u></u><u></u></div>
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-A second-class citizen<u></u><u></u></div>
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Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-27736122886993853172018-05-07T15:18:00.001+05:302018-05-13T11:10:14.261+05:30भाजपा, कसले गोंय सरकार! (Konkani version)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">भाजपा, कसले गोंय सरकार!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">ना खय राजा , मंत्री पांगळे , ठप्प सगलो </span><span style="font-size: large;">कारभार !</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">भाजपा, कसले गोंय सरकार!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">खाण अवलंबितांक मरण दोनदा, कॅसीनो पुण बरे धावता</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">मोपा खातीर झाडा मारता, कचरो जाला सग्गयार!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">भाजपा, कसले गोंय सरकार!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">चोरांनी घेतल्यो गाड़ियों बंगले, गोयकारांक दिले फक्त भोपके</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">भुंर्ग्याक मेलना नोकर्यो धंदे, PDAचो हांहांकार!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">भाजपा,कसले गोंय सरकार!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">विज दरवाडीन लोक सोपल्या, म्हादईक हे सुकोंक उटल्या</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">गोयकारपणाच्या सरकाराचो ना गोंयकाराक आधार!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">भाजपा, कसले गोंय सरकार!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">-अमेय मार्दोळकर</span></div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-24724290091451186502018-04-02T15:03:00.001+05:302018-04-02T15:04:03.514+05:30भाजपा,गजब गोवा सरकार!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">भाजपा,गजब गोवा सरकार!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">आजारी राजा,प्रजा पांगळी,अधांतरी कारबार!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">इथे खाणींना मरण दोनदा, कॅसीनोंना पण चिरंजीविता</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">मोपा-दाबोळी उगाच झटती, कचय्राचा प्रहार!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">भाजपा,गजब गोवा सरकार!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">लबाड जोडिति बंगले गाड्या, जनतेला मात्र थापाड्या</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">गोयकारांच्या गळ्यात धोंडा, PDAचा हांहांकार!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">भाजपा,गजब गोवा सरकार!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">विज दरवाडीने लोक त्रासले, म्हादइचे भाग्य नासले</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">या गोयकारपणाच्या सरकाराचा ना गोयकारास आधार!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">भाजपा,गजब गोवा सरकार!</span></div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-51191823024566136172017-08-20T10:02:00.001+05:302017-08-20T10:18:47.278+05:30Ctrl+Alt+Del : Routine Day # 21<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<u><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Getting laid off… Ah! The other way
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Quiet
uncharacteristically I woke up early today. The hands of the clock were
pointing in the North-South direction, but I seem to be wide awake. More unlike
me, I had no intentions of lazying around and I jumped out of my bed, ala a
cadet in front of his drill master. Rushing through the daily routine, I slumped
myself at the French window.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">‘Aaaaahhhhhhh!’,
I heard myself sigh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I had
been in the apartment for over 3 years, but never had I seen the sun rise over
the horizon. I may be considered a fortunate soul by the fellow city dwellers
to have such an beautiful view outside the window, but I never attempted to
seek advantage of the vantage point I had rented for a premium. Suddenly it
dwelled upon me that it might not for the proximity to my office that I was
charged a premium and the actual reason was unfolding infront of me. The
twilight was fighting a losing battle as the first rays of light were making
way through the winter fog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I could
see a flock of birds fly across the horizon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Early
morning flight!” I laughed to myself. May be I had unravelled the etymology of
the phrase that many of my on-site bound colleagues had been flashing time and
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Tring!
Tring!” I heard a cycle-wallah approaching the front gate. When had I last
heard that sound? I questioned myself. It definitely sounded music to my ears
and reminded me of my cycling escapade during younger days. That sound would
soon be lost in the honking of cars that would start emerging on the streets as
the day progresses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oye!
Yadavji…. Good morning!” Our watchman greeted the milkman on the cycle, as he
emerged from his security-cabin cum apartment with an empty pale in his hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Good...Good...
Thapaji” the milkman greeted him back as he brought his cycle to an halt
in-front of him. Alighting from his cycle they exchanged pranaams. I could hear
some murmurs making me wonder that was a gossiping session. A few puffs of bidi
ensued. Their tet-e-tete concluded with the milkman pouring a some milk into
his pale as he moved on to supply milk to the rest of the society members. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Just as
the watchman had moved back into his kiosk, the newspaper-wallah popped at the
gate on his moped. The squirling entry he made followed by the screeching halt
of his excessively overloaded two-wheeler, he could easily give the Abrahams
and Dhonis of the world a run for their money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Abe
Thape! Mar gaya kya?” he shouted …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“ Aaya!
Aaya!” came back the reply from the watchman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Jaldi !”
he screamed back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The loads
of bundled newspaper stacked all around him as in some kinda of body armour to
protect him. Barely managing to keep his eyes above the stack and easing the
moped to an halt with his leg, I could sense why was he in such an hurry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the
watchman came running back, he was subject to a couple of choosiest swear words
from the newspaper-wallah. But he didn’t mean any of those as they soon lit up.
The newspaperwallah informed our watchman about what’s happening around? His
loud voice ensured that I too stand informed about the happenings of the
day..rather the previous day. But his reporting was mostly restricted not to
the main headlines but rather to thing like crime and accidents in the nearby
areas and the whats hot and whats naught of the Page 3 world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
drubbing of the Indian cricket team at the hands of Kenya the previous day
thankfully didn’t feature in his news-brief. In India, everyone keeps tab about
ball to ball happening of any cricket match that India is involved in, so
reporting it the next day is merely for the records. The following day and many
more are kept exclusively for critiques, discussions, arguments and things like
that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
newspaperwallah was ready to move on to his next stop as our watchmen kicked
started the moped. But not before he passed a bundle of newspapers from the
stack to the watchman to be delivered at the door. He slipped a note, what
looked to me like a fiver, in his pocket. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Nice!”,
I exclaimed as I saw him delegating the tasks of climbing up and down four
multi-storreyed building to the watchman for just five bugs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And so
the local valentine Rossi was on his way for the next pit-stop. Or is it
Naren-kartikeyan on a sans a couple of his wheels? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As I
gathered back my thoughts, I saw our watchman was on his way to accomplish his
tasks. I looked around to see a few more of windows were lit up. I walked up to
the door in anticipation of fetching my daily dose of news feed. I opened the
door just as he was about to slide the newspaper through the slit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Totally
surprised to see me awake, his face was a site to see. He had his mouth open,
bent still he was totally flabbergasted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Koi
bhoot dekha kya??” I mischieviously questioned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Haan
saab…” He spontaneously replied, still bent over<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“HUH?” I
thundered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Nahi
saab…” as he recovered from his trance. “Aapko kabhi itni jaldi uthate hue nahi
dekha. Toh thoda shock ho gaya.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hmm…” I
acknowledged as I pulled the paper from his hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I closed
the door on his back as he moved to deliver the newspaper to the rest of the
tenants. I longed was a hot cup of tea but was too tired to make one for my own
self. I had a thought of going to the tapri for a quick bite but then changed
my mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once
again I rested my bump on the French window and picked the ‘Times of India’.
The headlines read ‘Pink slips reaches India’. All of a sudden I was
transported from the wonderland back to the reality. Not that it was news to me
and offlate it had become an everyday affair at office. But since the time I
woke up in the morning I had forgotten about it and these headlines just
reminded me of the grim times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Not
intending to dwell into the details of the same… atleast for now… I frisked the
following pages. The gloom and the doom was spread everywhere and how could it
have eluded this medium. All the pages talked about the recession and the ills
of it, only the extent and the severity of it differed from one writeup to
another. Some doomsayer even talked about the imminent depression. All had
mentions about the lay-offs like any other day, the thing that differed each
day was the organisation that was involved and the numbers of people to be sent
to the gallows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I moved
to the editorials hoping to read something refreshing and stimulating. But I
wasn’t feeling lucky today. I could read titles all referring to the gloom,
albeight in more tech-savvy language interspersed with economic terms and
business jargons. Thus only the ‘lay-offs’ were replaced with ‘staff
rationalisation’ and the ‘pay cuts’ were replaced with ‘cost restructuring’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Disgusted
I flung the newspaper which landed with
it cover page right on top and the headline still poking fun at me. What I
observed this time was a small table printed at one corner. I inquisitively
propped the cover page to read through it. It had presented the top 20
companies that have ‘fired’ its employees and the number thus in a tambular
manner. I involuntarily picked the paper back and began grazing on the data.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Almost
instantaneously it dawned upon me that top 5 amongst those were IT/ITeS firms
and totalling to 8, followed by BFSI firms figuring 6 in numbers and the rest
of the slots being filled by Automobiles, FMCG, Aviation and other industries.
I was in a fix whether to feel elated to have missed the axe although my
company ranked third amongst the slayers or feel bad for those of my colleagues
whose once promising career was abruptly cut-short, Shakti being one of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
thought of Shakti sent a chill through my spine. For he wasn’t the one who’s
not only career was cut short, but life
too abruptly came to an end. The axeman had been doing the round of our centre
and quiet a few had fallen a prey to him, their employment being abruptly
terminated citing recessionary conditions and general slackness in inbound
business. Those who had been sent off gave no clue as to who were been targeted
and what being the criteria for picking them. I always personally felt that
being the laidback person that I was, I should have been the first one on the
firing line. But fortunately or otherwise I had been escaped that fate till
now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The last
round of lay-off that happened a couple of weeks back saw some promising
careers being ripped off from the bud. There were a few surprises and few as
expected. The latter category included our “beloved” manager who went
brandishing that he was being given a ‘golden handshake’ and not being ‘laid
off’. Either ways his days were numbered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now very
much used to this chopping, everybody would come to office getting prepared for
any eventuality that might descend upon. On that day as I made my way into the
wing, I could see a few ladies crowding a cubicle many sobbing and rest with
their eyes wet. I sensed it was yet another employee down from our team. One
could easily identify who among the man is been axed from his facial
expression. But when it came to female employee I always found it tough to
locate who is could be? Typical to the feline gender, they get some involved in
the loss, that there exists no way of determining as to who actually it as loss?
Even the cubicle they had gathered could not provide any pointers to my
thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I zipped
my path through the cube–farm to my cubicle. I saw Shakti sitting facepalm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Man,
who…” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Its
Smriti this time” Shakti cut me before I could complete my question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hmm.” I
nodded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
remained silent expecting Shakti to say something back like he usually does,
more often expressing his fear of getting laid but his time he didn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
sobbing of the female folks had subsided and there was an eary silence spread
across the entire length of the wing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> All one could hear some random click of the
mouse buttons interspersed with the spurt of random hits of the keys on the
keyboard. If you are truly attentive then you really gauge that it was indeed
recessionary times from the keyboards keyhits or the mouse clicks. During the
heydays, one could hardly find some pause in the sound emaciating from these
hardware devices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Not able
to bear the lull, I thought of breaking the shackles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So who’s
next?” I questioned almost involuntarily.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That was
one question I definitely didn’t what to put forth, especially infront of
Shakti, but deep within me I had that query and it simply took verbal form on
the way out of conscience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A couple
of seconds of silence ensued and I had started getting happy thinking Shakti
has ignored it, but it wasn’t to last for long. May be Shakti soon realised the
other two selves from our cubicle were already be pink sliped and the onus was
on him to answer the question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Or maybe
my question sounded to him as “So who’s next from our cubicle?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Its
Shakti Sarang, Milind” Shakti just broke down “Its me next”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Totally
caught unaware I gazed what to do at this situation. I have faced Shakti
apprehensive about the job and expressing his concerns but never had he broke
down into tears. He put his head down on the keyboard and made no attempt to
hide his sobbing. A few of the still surviving colleagues from neighbouring
cubicle did prairie dog at us but no one was willing to offer condolence for
they few it was just fooling our own selves while doing it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Relax
Shakti, don’t you worry. Nothing is going to happen to us. How can CTS survive
without us two?” I tried to lighten the mood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Cut the
crap” Shakti yelled back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
continued with his sobbing though definitely the intensity reduced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He knew
and so do I that we were just fooling ourselves and there was no way one could
be assured about the survival for the next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“If we
were to be hacked, it should have happened by now” I added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You
never know” replied Shakti, lifting his head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“True,
but then what can we do about it? We will have to accept the harsh reality and
move on as others did” I said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shakti
turn his head to give me a weird stare back. I was sounding too philosophical
for my character and probably he was confirming where those words popped from?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He turned
back to gazed at his screen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It might
be easy for you man; but isn’t so for me” Shakti retorted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">‘Oh no,
Not again’ I thought to myself as I anticipated Shakti starting with his autobiography
and a sad one at it. I had heard about the sorry plight of his family- ailing
mother, retired father, unwedded sisters and younger brother story - many a times and each time I couldn’t resist
myself likening it to setup of old Bollywood movie. I was so bored of his
reciting the same thing that I used to somehow change the topic and even at
times tell him to stop, but not this time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-44391446686163663362017-08-20T10:01:00.004+05:302017-08-20T10:19:30.257+05:30Ctrl+Alt+Del : Routine Day #13<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
As per our pre-decided plan, AJ and me had decided to spent the day-out. So as
per that we were to leave home early in the morning and come back home late in
the night. We had not planned any specific things to do except our departure
early in the morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">But guess AJ had expected a bit
too much from me when he chose to depart at 8.30 a.m from home. It was till he
called at home on our landline and subsequently mom woke me up that I
remembered of our plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Seemingly he had been trying on
my cell which was on silent mode. I saw his “7 missed calls” interspersed with
5 minutes of each other. The grind of the vibrator was hardly a thing that
would put me off my slumber.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Not wanting to hear an earful
early in the morning, I told my mom to convey him that I would be at his place
in another half an hour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Beta, he has just woken up. He
has told you to be ready and would pick you from your place in another 30
minutes” She promptly delivered my message.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">She replacing the receiver meant
he had acknowledged the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A few seconds later a coin-drop
sound suggested to me that I received a message. I sensed it was from AJ and I
wasn’t disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Asshole! :-x” it read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I replied back with a wink smiley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I rushed through my daily
routine, had a quick breakfast, even skipped bath and hoped to rely on the
deodorant to save the day for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I bid good-bye to mom and zipped
down the stairs only to realise I hadn’t got the keys of my bike. I screamed
back from the ground to call my mom, who luckily was waiting at the window to
see me off. I gestured to her to throw the bike keys. She went inside the room
to return with the keys which she dropped way off into a small pool of water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Argh!!!!!!” I grumbled to being
able to vent my frustration at my mom as I carefully retrieved it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Thankfully my pop had got the
bike serviced and just a couple of kicks down, it was roaring and ready to roll.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">AJ’s villa was just a few blocks
down the road in a relatively plush area. But the condition of the roads
leading to it were not less in comparison to the surface of moon. Huge
craters dotted the stretch many filled with murky water. Any motorable roaf
left, if any was pre-occupied by the four-legged commuters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Zig-zaging my way through this
and avoiding some over-zealous moves by the rickshawallas I reached the front
gate of his house which had a big board hung on it. It read ‘BEWARE OF DOGS’.
The picture of the savitating dog at one of its end was more scary, but not
more scary that remembering the dog-bite I had. I could not make up my mind as
to what was more painful, the three anti-rabies injection or the loss of my
brand Levi’s Denim.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Gathering my thoughts I called
out for Ajay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It wasn’t until 4-5 on top of the
voice cries, that his father emerged on their roof-top balcony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Aj’s father was an ex-banker. He
had availed voluntary retirement and he was in full-time stock market trading
and thus had made a fortune for themselves. They had moved from being our
humble middle-class neighbour to this up-market bungalow. I always sought to
follow suite but my parents likened share trading with gambling and kept an
arms length away from such traits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It wasn’t a rare site to see him
glued in front of the computer screens looking at some weird charts all day
round. I was always fascinated and would ask Aj to learn the same from him and
then impart the knowledge of me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Who is it?” Aj’s father dismissively
queried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“uncle, Its me. Milind.” I
replied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Isn’t Ajay no there at home?” I
added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Ohh. Why are you standing at the
gate? Come in” he questioned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“No, its ok uncle. Can you please
call Ajay?” I requested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Come in Milind. Rambo is been
tied in the back-yard”. He replied. I could see a faint smile emerge on his
face. May be he recollected the dog-bite incident and the fun they had at my
cost that day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Thus relived, I pushed the huge
gate and walked to the front porch. Uncle had already descended to the front
veranda, and Aj’s mom had joined him by then. Aj’s mom was a very nice lady,
always hospitable whenever I visited them. Like Aj, they had too never had the
airs about their newly found riches. They were very much rooted to the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Arrey Milind, long time no see”
queried his mom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Hello Aunty! Yes, indeed been
long since I visited you people” I acknowledged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“I hardly get long vacation from
work. And whenever I do, time just flies away idling at home” I added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Hmm… I understand” She
said sympathetically<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“So Milind, which company you
work for?” queried uncle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Consistent Systems…” I promptly
responded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Beta, kaunsa TENT?” Aunty
queried back totally perplexed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Consistent! Aunty, I work for
Consistent!” I corrected her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">She nodded back, the puzzled look
very much evident on her face. I could bet that she had not picked up the name
as majority of the people who dare to query me about the name of company I work
for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">‘Déjà vu!’ I thought to myself ,
but it wasn’t ending here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“What does your company make?”
she aped all those who had asked me the same question zillions of times.
Initially I used to actually try to make them understand that we are IT
services company providing IT solutions to clients; but that would inturn open
Pandora’s box. So I had resigned to answering such questions with my trademark
reply.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Computers Aunty, we make
computers” I said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Ohh… Good … Good…” she said
while weeding the rice in her hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Aunty, where is Ajay?” I asked
trying to change the topic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“He was waiting for you since
morning…” Aunty replied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“I have send him to market to get
the Economic Times. He will be back soon.” Uncle intertwined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“So you didn’t get in
Infosystems” added uncle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I didn’t take any effort to him
how I actually work for a better company. Had it been some technologically sane
person, I could have given him some outsource product development funda and
like, but in this case I refrained myself by just smiling back to suggest
negatively. From the look on his face what must be running in his mind. He must
have thought “ What a loser! A second grade donkey”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“So finally you are here” I heard
Aj shout it out as he entered from the gate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Yo man! Sorry for the slight delay”
I acknowledged as I moved towards him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“You F*****!” he gulped his
explicit mid-way seeing his parents in the verandah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Dad, here is you stuff” Aj said
as he placed the bulleting and some magazines on the tea-table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Mom, I will be having my dinner
out. You guys need not wait for me” he told his mom as he suggested to me to
move.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“But, let me give Milind
something to eat.” Aunty pleaded “He hasn’t had anything since he arrived.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Ah…, its O…” I was to politely
decline the offer when Aj interrupted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I ll feed him enough” Aj winked
at me as we jogged towards the gate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0Melbourne VIC, Australia-37.8136276 144.96305759999996-39.415753599999995 142.38127059999997 -36.2115016 147.54484459999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-75543231767586733182017-08-20T10:01:00.002+05:302017-08-20T10:11:18.382+05:30Ctrl+Alt+Del : Routine Day 8<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was building iceman with bipasha in the swiss
alps, scuba-diving with Katrina in the pristine waters of bali, gyrating my
hips with Priyanka in front of the sphinx and crooning some melodies around the
conifers in Canada with Asin when the loud chatter interspersed with the
demonic laugh woke me up from my dreams.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From her voice, I sensed my aunt had arrived and I
knew I won’t be able to resist her for long. I tried ignoring and dwelling in
my dreams but futile. She to say the least was a pest, always trying to pin you
down and leave to chance to strike back. And worse still, if you were got even
with her, she would blew tantrums and leaving my mom with a herculean task of
pacifying her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even the last time I was down I had a brush-off
with her and had experienced it firsthand. My mom had strictly reprimanded me
for that behaviour and had warned me to behave. I tried to avoid her by
prolonging my siesta but she too seemed all determined to confront me. With her
showing to signs of leaving, I had to beat a hasty retreat from my plans and I
got up from my bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The clock just struck 11 times then. Had it been a
couple of years in the past my father
would have kicked on my butt to wake me up had I dozed any longer than 8’o
clock, but since I was back at home for vacationing, I knew I received a
special consideration from my mom who much have prevented my pop from flexing
his legs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So lazingly I strolled out of my room. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I emerged into the leaving room where they were
sitting, my aunt rushed to give-up a hug, and a tight one at it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Good Morning Beta!” She greeted <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I always hated her squeeze when we were young and
now that I have added more years to me I hated it even more. Seeing her huge
frame ala yokuzhuna, charging at me I almost trembled in my pyjamas wondering
how could I possibly defy her. And almost instantaneously I let out a big yawn
from my yet unbrushed mouth, and that worked wonders. It was a touch and go
affair for her as she retraced her path by to the couch, thus me getting off we
just a pat on the shoulder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">My mom
wasn’t very pleased with my jesture, but I could see her too finding it tough
to conceal her smile. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Good
Morning Mausi, How’s you?” I responded, still rubbing my eyes and resting my
bump in the couch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Very
fine Beta” she responded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But you
have pulled down a lot. Missing mom’s homemade food there?” she rhetorically
asked not excepting any response.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I sensed
that and smiled back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How’s Bunty
and Babli, Mausi?” I queried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bunty and
Babli were my cousins. Bunty was pursuing his Engineering studies at some
private institute in Karnataka, while Babli had dropped out of her graduation
studies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“They are
doing good” she replied. “Know what? Bunty came first in his class in his third
year and has also got placement in Infosys”. She added with pride.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bunty
wasn’t an exceptional student right from school, but his mom always made him
look that. Even after passing out from his higher secondary school examination,
he could not make it to any of the colleges in the state and thus had to opt
for a lesser known institute. I had heard that his father had to shell out
quite some moolah to get him inducted. She might be able to fool the most of
our clan, but me myself having interacted with him and known his academic
prowess had managed to skip being spellbound by her stories. Though each time I
didn’t point it out to her, and so too this time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Wow!
That’s great” I said. “And what about Babli?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, he
got the best salary among all and also they have being him option of choosing
wherever he wants to join” she conveniently choose to skip the later half of my
question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I had a
fair idea about how the freshers recruitment drive happen in the colleges.
Students in their 6th or 7th semester where picked up in lots and were offered
an standard starting package. All one needs to have is a minimal level of
aptitude, even with absolute zero exposure to anything remotely IT. My cousin
himself being an automobile engineer making the cut was evident for the fact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hmm. I
see. So did you find a match for Babli?” I pondered again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Milind,
got freshen up” my mom intertwined sensing my aunt may be uncomfortable
answering that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Babli has
been her Achilles heal for she had been finding it tough to get her married
off. Babli though good looking had been a arrogant girl. Her tantrums were
known to most in the family and so in the colony. Besides her education, or
lack of it, her too choosy nature had turned away many grooms back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes
Beta, Go brush your teeth and have breakfast” aunty added to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I sensed
the opportunity and excused myself off from their company and moved to the bath
to freshen up. I could hear their chatter from behind the wall. My aunty has grazed
onto the topic of my wedding somehow. Within no time she had even suggested a
couple of girl as bride for me, one of whom I knew and utterly disliked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I hated
my aunt anyways, but she just slipped down even more on that scale for me. With
this thought put in my mom’s mind I knew there is going to be a serious
argument at home one of the following days when I am stay put. For now just to
deter my mom from dwelling more in the business of matrimony I shouted to call
her to fetch me breakfast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She
promptly rushed to the kitchen to serve me the Aloo-paratha that she had made
for me.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-50419474408731053672017-08-20T10:00:00.001+05:302017-08-20T10:10:40.071+05:30Ctrl+Alt+Del : Routine Day 5<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had been long waiting for this week. Not that I
don’t suffer from Monday blues, infact I have been suffering blues for each day
of the week. But this week was going to be different, because come weekend and I
was going to head for home sweet home. The ‘Good Friday’ holiday meant almost
all the ‘outsiders’ had planned a home-coming. I stretched it more by taking
off the entire following week. Yeah, it was going to be a 10 day vacation for
me. The very thought of going to Goa has instilled some kind of energy into my
soul.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Others too have not gone without noticing the
change in me. May be I was just floating in air.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not that my project had any priority tasks or any
releases lined up in this week, but getting a leave sanctioned was always
supposed to be a Herculean tasks. Probably that might be one of the KRA for our
managers to try to dissuade his sub-ordinates for taking days off. Somewhere
deep within myself, I felt good too because this was the only time I felt I am
needed. In reality I knew it for sure that me going on a week long leave, or
for that matter even longer sabbatical, wont cause a iota of difference to the
project. After much cajoling, that also included a couple of pegs of whiskey; I
was able to get a week leave granted for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So Thursday afternoon after getting up from my
siesta, I thought of skipping office. Not that I would call in sick or neither
would I increment my leave count. I planned to swipe in and out of the office
on my way to the railway station. Was confident enough that nobody would notice
my absence, as it is hardly anyone notices my presence in office during other
days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pumped up enough with the thought of ‘Fish Curry
Rice’ and other mom made delicacies, I dashed to the bathroom for a quick bath.
More than a refreshing bath, it was the thought of getting rid of facial hair
that had propelled me. The absence of strictures in most of the IT firms, as
far as formal dressing and looks were concerned, had made life easy for many
lazy bumps like me. We hardly had any visual interaction with our overseas
client and that only meant the keratin cells in my body would have a field
day…rather field week …errr… field month. Shaving had at best become a
bi-weekly activity, which quiet often stretched on to be a monthly ritual. But
heading home I could have hardly afforded to lets the lose locks cover my face
or the long beard make look like a medieval sage. For I feared my parents would
even fail to recognise me and turn me away from the doorstep, at best with some
alms. Worst still, even if they recognise me there was quite a good chance of
my mom not letting me in until I have a close trim. In the past, irritated and
frustrated of asking me to shave, she has refused to serve me food until I had
one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not ready to risk any further delay for
experiencing the homely ambience, I went about searching for the razor. Not
recollecting what it looked like, I had to spend triple the time it should have
taken for a regular. A thought of sporting a French beard just grazed through
which I instantly discarded for a clean look. After struggling to run the blunt
edges of the razor for a few times over the stubborn growth of hair, I was
pleased to see the face from behind the veil of foam. Yet another time, I
pledged to myself that I would be shaving on daily basis, very well knowing
that the pledge wont stand for more than the day as it has been the case for
the few times in the past when I had a clean shave. Applying the musk
after-shave lotion from the nearly full bottle which I had bought when I set
out of home three years back, I wondered whether it’s past its expiry date. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I dragged myself under the shower and let the body
soak as I stayed still, hoping deep within me that someone would from behind
the mist and massage my body with an relaxant. Seeing no such miracle happening
I self-helped myself with the act and rushed out in a towel. The most dreaded
task awaited me. This is probably the only thing of returning back home that I
disliked, ‘packing my bag’. It’s so different from the journey way round, when
mom used to take care of the activity and placing the creased shirts and tees
nicely one on top of other. That following week is the one wherein I go to the
office the best dressed, until I exhaust the entire lot of clothes ironed by
mom. I wondered how I would have survived, if not for the casual attire
permitted at my workplace. Cutting back to the task at hand, I started
sprangling to all edges of my apartment to collect whatever I could lay my
hands upon. From under the teepoy, from over the bed, those hanging on the
ropes to those dumped at the corner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I stuffed everything in my backpack, a part of
missionware that we got every diwali. Adoring these goodies gifted by my
company, be it T-shirt, or the bag, or the wind-cheater with the prominent logo
flashed onto it always made me feel like a guinea-pig under test. Only solace
was seeing many such guinea pigs wherever you went. On the local, at the
restaurant, at the mall, together looking like a part of a heard ear-marked to
be butchered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Goa, here I come” I voiced it spontaneously as I
left my apartment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I enthusiastically trudged down the stairs, I
recollected I had to ping at office on the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Damn! Got to get my card alongwith.” I said to
myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">U-turned as zoomed back into and out of my
apartment in a giffy. </span><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-53244964750929101392017-08-20T09:58:00.002+05:302017-08-20T10:09:50.682+05:30Ctrl+Alt+Del : Routine day 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After
previous four unsuccessful launches, I had slept the previous night with double
the determination to hit the gym early next morning. The taunts about my
“ever-growing” tummy were a commonplace off late. However a passing remark by
Stacy about my girth made me take the path to the gym, or rather take the
decision to take the path leading to the gym.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Hey
Motu” her words still echoed in my ears. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So
finally all determined that I was to get back into shape, I went to the gym to
look out for an ideal timeslot and enrol myself for the same. After a couple of
futile attempts to catch hold of the gym instructor, I was third time lucky. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-IN">The thing
with any IT companies is that they would provide world-class facilities for the
benefits of the employees, but won’t provide the employees with enough time to
avail the same. My company wasn’t any different and our office campus also
housed world-class gym, an Olympic length swimming pool, all to burn down the
extra layers of fats we would accumulate around our waist, thanks to our
sedentary lifestyle. Ironically enough it even housed a MacD </span><span lang="EN-IN">J</span><span lang="EN-IN">,
needless to say people were seen in throngs at the latter than the former two.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was
kinda enthralled to be there in the gym. Infact it was for the first time that
I had ventured in this part of the office since I had joined at this office a
few years back. As I strolled past the heavy equipments, weights, and thread
mills I had a mixed feeling. While the super-toned body of a handful few gave
me inferiority complex, the vast majority of beer-bellied and oversized techies
made me feel at home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oye
Milind, you too joined kya?” somebody shouted for one corner of the gym.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I
turned around to locate who it was further embarrassing me, I found Sid waving
at me still lying down for his crunches. All I knew about Sid that he existed
in the same office and we exchanged pleasantries whenever we met at the fag
joint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Arrey
haan yaar! Guess its high time for me” I winked back. “Where can I meet the
instructor?”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“There he
is. One with yellow tracks.” Sid replied pointing towards a rather hefty guy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Thanks.
Will catch up with you” I left him to carry on with his crunches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few quick
steps and I was standing next to him. As he was assisting someone with bench
presses, I could hold myself from comparing to him. May be somewhere down my
heart I longed to be like him. But for now, I perfectly look like a Lilliput in
front of a Gulliver. His biceps, triceps, forearms, thighs , all were strong
and well toned. In fact his entire body was well chiselled and exhibited
masculine abundance. Though I could beat him on one front. No marks for
guessing, its the paunch that didnt existed in his case. Rather he flaunted a
nice set of 8 pack abs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a
stood there for a few moments, he jestured to me to hang on for a few moments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Hi, I am
John. The gym instructor.” He greeted me as I was lost watching others sweat it
out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Hi.
Milind here” I responded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Guess
you want to join the gym” he queried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Looking
at me, that isn’t very tough to guess I suppose” I tried to be humorous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ha!” he
faked his laugh. “So what are you basically aiming at?” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was
totally bamboozled at that query as I myself wasn’t very sure as to what end
results I wanted to look at. Momentarily I flashbacked to Stacy’s comment which
had motivated to take the path to the gym.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I
desperately need to reduce this paunch” I responded almost involuntarily.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You bet”
an instant reply followed. “So, we hit the regime tomorrow morning at 6 sharp”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A bolt
from the blue struck me at I tried to make sense of his words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Morning
at 6?” I questioned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yup.
Dont have earlier slots available” he responded albeit sarcastically. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I was
looking for slots in the evening. Anytime after 6?” I queried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Sorry,
but everyone wants to avail that slot. Its already overflowing” as his sight
panned the expanse of the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Cant you
fit in just one of me somewhere in the evening” I almost pleaded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Sorry
dude, I cant even allow a fly. You are seeing it for yourself. There isn’t
enough space for you to workout.” He sounded unrelenting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somehow I
felt he tried to test my determination by slotting me early in the morning.
However, me too was destined to get back in shape and conceded for early
morning rigours. I filled the form and was on my way back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“So
hoping to see you tomorrow morning. Sharp at 6” John said sarcastically.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just
smiled back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Hey!
listen, you need to be in tracks. And carry a towel with you”. He added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Roger
that.” I replied as I hush hushedmy way
out of the gym.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went
back to my cubicle to wind up my chores and head back home. Shakti was still
there at his desk, peeping deep into his code as if trying to locate a microscopic
bug. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I
thought you had left for the day”, Shakti asked looking through through corner
of his eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Had been
to the gym”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“What the
fuck!” he laughed and so did the others in the cubicle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“So
finally Mr. Arnold has taken our comments seriously” said Jack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Had to”
I smiled back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Hey
Shakti, chalo yaar. Lets go to inorbit.” As I patted his back “Got to fetch some
stuff”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Hang on.
Let me save my workspace.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Shakti
religiously shut his PC down, which was not a familiar practice for the rest of
the populace, I headed to the lobby to summon the lift. A elevator just zipped
past as I waited for Shakti to arrive. We almost missed the next one too, if
not for Shakti who came rushing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0Melbourne VIC, Australia-37.8136276 144.96305759999996-39.415753599999995 142.38127059999997 -36.2115016 147.54484459999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-61325984072010771272017-08-20T09:57:00.001+05:302017-08-20T10:09:08.653+05:30Ctrl+Alt+Del : Routine day 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even
today my day started when others had already been done with their half days
work. Winding up with my daily chores I started my march towards the office. No
meetings lined up and no other tasks pending only meant that my stroll to the
office would take much more than usual. I even managed to stop by at the ‘Chai
tapri’ for a cup (or should I say half) of hot tea. I always had a complain for
the tea vendor, for he never used to fill the cup and all it too was a sip for
me to gulp down the contents into my stomach. The Rs.2/- that he was charging
for it, didn’t made any sense to pursue my case. Like any other day I slipped a
Rs.10/- note for which he replied with “chutta de do sa’ab”. This had become an
institutionalised trick for shoving a few candies down my throat. So here was I
richer with half a dozen ‘chloro-mint’ back onto the path that led me to my
office.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reaching
the office reception lobby, it was a scene quiet different than rest of the
days. It was much crowded than otherwise. We used to experience such
pandemonium during the walk-in drives for freshers, but surely with recruitment
had dried up for long and those good old days were just a part of memory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Last time
I had seen it was such crowded when there was a recruitment drive at our
office. Graduates, mostly freshers used to throng our premises by the dozens.
We too enjoyed those drives as it used to be a god sent opportunity for some
bird-watching. We never let go such opportunity when in we take our pick
amongst the many pretty faces. The anxiety or shall I say the nervousness used
to make look even more splendid, or did it? At times, we tried to be the big
brother giving them so called valuable insight in the recruitment procedure of
out company. All the hopefuls, girls included used to surround us. Guess that
was the only time I had girls around me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But gone
were those good old days. Since the recessionary bug had bitten most of us, our
company had virtually put a freeze on the recruitments. Only the commitments
through campus placements were honoured and there had been no intakes beyond
that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But today
was definitely different. For a moment I thought it was a recruitment drive for
they had the anxiety on their faces, but it wasn’t the usual nervousness that
we saw generally. Besides a more inquisitive glance and I saw a familiar faces.
Not that I knew them by their names, but I had definitely seen them earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A few
pings to my brain cells and I had the eureka moment. These were the freshers
who had joined just a few weeks back. They were the campus recruits who were
undergoing training at our learning centres. I had seen them in the cafeteria
and thats how I could recollect a few faces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Offlate
we used to time our lunch so as to clash with their schedule. This was how we
would get the glimpse of few pretty faces in the office. For in a mundane day,
this used to be the only glowing beam of sunlight. But this programme soon got
routine and we lost the interest in all the girls but one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Resha,
was definitely the prettiest face in our campus. Not very tall but one who
would still stand out. She had very
angelic looks and she ensured her make-up enhanced it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Lagtaa
hai puraa powder ka dabba khaali kiya hai” Shakti had once commented on her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shakti
wasn’t among the one who would pass an comment on anyone but her overdose of
make-up was simply a bit too much for him to take down his throat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Those big
eyes, with the eye-liner making them look even more bigger. Those flashy
eye-lashes. Those blonde streaks over her burgundy “coloured” hair. The
straightened hair flowing over her shoulders but adequately revealing her long
earings. To add to all this the impeccable dressing sense, made one feal she is
here for some fashion show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She was
definitely a head turner. For the beauty starved guys and equally so for the
critical female folks who just could not hold back their evil and jealous
stares. But Conscience of these stares that she was, she ensured she enjoyed
every second of hogging the limelight. Always moving with a bunch of sidekicks,
she made us look like a political leader moving around with his bunch of
toadies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
gathered my thoughts back as I un-consciensely tried to locate her amongst the
crowd. Disappointed that I could not get her glimpse I moved towards the lift
door. The panel indicated that the lift had was ascending and I shall have to
wait for quiet some while before I could avail it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Waiting
at the doors of lift, I repeatedly pressed the button on the panel to summon
the same. But I knew the lift wasn’t in any hurry to airlift me to my
destination and the button was just a placebo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As I
waited there I had a feeling of missing something. I don’t know why but I had
forgotten something and it was bothering me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What is
it?” I said to myself just as it struck my mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Among all
this hoi polloi I had missed staring at Stacy. I had moved quiet far from her
desk but I knew even for this far her looks definitely deserved a few steps
backwards. However I resisted myself the temptation of taking the walk back
risking of making my stare pretty much obviously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How can
do this to us? We haven’t been given adequate oppurtunities too?” these words
fell on my ears from the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You bet.
Guess they were to chop somebody. And who better than us freshers?” countered
somebody else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
words suddenly rang a bell in my head, and I quiet strongly suspected that
these people were shown the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A chill
went down my spine. Our company had resorted to large scale of employee
retrenchment. The management had virtually goten rid of the huge new-joinees
with a concept of virtual pool. The same people whom they had recruited a year
back sensing tremendous business growth and luring them with exorbitant pay
package were be asked to stay at home. All the hopes that they had build up in
them with the appointment letter with 6 figured salary and incentives had been
shattered with a single mail from the chief HR officer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had
seen a few faces in tears when they had seen they short lived career dream come
crashing down. I cursed the management because I had high hopes of luring one
of those pretty faces at least this year. I have been trying to hook someone
with arrival of each new batch, but needless to say had single till date.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-10531380559528366132017-08-20T09:56:00.000+05:302017-08-20T10:15:49.899+05:30Ctrl+Alt+Del : Routine Day 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The
crooning of Shakira was the last I was expecting to wake me up from my slumber.
As I lazily peeked at my wrist watch, I realized it was past noon. After a
little bit of Macarena, I was able to locate my cell. But I guess the phone was
ringing for a bit too long and by the time I could grab, it had stopped
vibrating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“1 missed
call” the screen blared. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">A series
of key strokes and I realized it was my friend from Goa who had been trying to
reach me. Still lazing on the bed and half asleep I called him back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Hey
dude! Good morning!” I greeted in my usual sleepish manner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Good
morning???” he roared back. “Dude, its past noon man. Why didn’t you pick my
call bugger?” Probably my usual sleepish tone had fooled him and he was yet to
come to terms to the fact that am yet to recover from my slumber. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Ha ha!”
I replied with an all fake laugh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">And just
then he seemed to be struck with bolt from the blue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Man!
Don’t tell me you are yet to wake up man. Arrey, it’s not a weekend. You gotto
be in the office by now. How can you be this way dude?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">He wasn’t
wrong, for that it wasn’t a weekend, neither it was a holiday nor was it that I
had taken a off. But that was just me. One amongst the zillions of software
engineer doting the landscape of this cyber-city named “Bangalore” oops
“Bengaluru”. Not that all of software techies a.k.a softies were privileged but
I was definitely one amongst those select few. My friend at the other of the
call was a software engineer too, but unfortunately for him he belonged to the
lesser privileged lot amongst us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Bastard,
how can you be so lucky yaar? I am here on top of my work slogging my ass out
and there you are still dozing off your life. You make me go green of envy
man”. He grumbled and I knew for every reason he meant what he said. For this
was not the only time he has said this to me. There are occasions far too many
where he has found me in an enviable situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">AJ, or
Ajay as his parents would have liked the world to call him, was my buddy since
junior college. Both of us were pretty decent at studies and excelled to get
admission in engineering colleges. He chose to stay back in Goa as I got myself
into an REC. But as fate would have it both of us found ourselves at the gates
of the mystical IT world on passing out from colleges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Asshole,
I made it!” the words still echo in my ears. That was AJ informing about he
getting selected in one of the tier 2 IT firm that had visited his college for
campus recruitment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The
serious chap at studies that he was I wasn’t surprised that he was amongst the
first one to get recruited. However, I had advised him to withhold himself and
try for some MNC. But his risk averting nature meant he would prefer job
security over an advice for his still unemployed friend. In fact I happened to
be the last one from my batch to get placed in campus recruitment. Sometimes
make me wonder whether I was picked just because they felt pity on me being the
only one left.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Our joy
of the elusive Techie job was short-lived, much earlier for AJ. And since then
our phone talks had only topic ‘How to get out of this mess?’. We have been
probing the answer to this for years now, and it still eluded us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“I am a
sick of this yaar. I want to get out of this” AJ grumbled at the other end of
the call. This wasn’t new for this was the umpteen times I heard him saying
these. Frankly I wasn’t bored of hearing it. Only thing I feared that soon my
brain might soon stop processing his words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Hey, I
shall hang up for now. Shall give you a call in the evening. Some work popped
up.” AJ said in a hush hush manner. “chal, see you. Bye” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">He has
already slammed his phone before I could bid him good-bye. I guessed it wasn’t
some work that had popped up but probably it was his manager who had. AJ had
mentioned the work environment and about his seagull manager the last time we
had met. And if he was to be believed, and I have every reason to believe him,
he needed to break out of the shackles much more than I did. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Bugger
screwed my sleep” I cursed him yawning still and slid into the mattress once
again. And before I could realize I had dozed off again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Shakira
came calling again and I had to wake up and reach for the cell–phone, which thankfully
was at arm’s length this time. It was Shakti calling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Shakti
was my colleague at office and was known more for being a nerd. He was most
sought after resource for his dedication, the problem-solver for all the female
folks when they could not get their way through across some coding hell. For me
he was a ‘fag friend’ and at times my schedule manager. And this time he was
latter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Obe,
Where are you? Don’t you remember we got a meeting today?” said Shakti before I
could even greet him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Ohh,
good that you reminded me. Thanks pal” I said just to make him happy. “I shall
be there in 5 maggies”. Though I knew I would not be incarnating in the office
anytime before 15 maggies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">For the
ignorant lot, maggies was a just yet another lingo amongst the techie. As with
any other lingo, this word too was devised to project an aura of
sophistication. Maggie simply denoted a unit of time and any KG going toddler
would guess 1 Maggie= 2 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Chao” I
greeted him goodbye and hung the phone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Now that
I had woken up, I thought of showing up for the meeting. Not that the meeting
would have not happened without me or now with me attending it would be any
different. Such meetings have become a run of the mill affair and just act as a
time hogging device. A typical set-up would be a senior project manager
aimlessly talking some crape which none of the folk seem to understand.
Sometimes he draws some shapes on the whiteboard which act to further confuse
the alpha geeks who dedicatedly attend all these by the dozen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I
hurriedly rushed through my routines, be aware a bath doesn’t figure in a
software engineer’s daily activity and is a strictly weekly activity. Grabbed
hold of a T-shirt which read “IT sucks” and slid myself into it. Slammed the
door of my apartment and was ready to head straight to office only to realise I
had forgotten the ID cum access card. I hated this neck strap so much, as it
made me feel like an obnoxious dog but unlike the canine who might refuse to
wear the same, I had no option. So hurriedly went into my room, grabbed hold of
it and rushed back. Slamming the door hard so as to let the rest of the folks
on the floor feel a mini-earthquake, I locked the door and skilfully slid the
keys beneath the door mattress. I had made it sure that no one was watching me
do that, having known that the key to every second apartment could be located
under their respective mattress. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I ran for
the elevator door and hit a call button to summon the elusive elevator to my
floor. Today was no different. Guess somebody had left the door open and the
display refused to change. Sensing it would take eternity, I hatefully took the
stairs, though all I had to climb down was some four odd floors. Just I was
climbing down the stairs; the elevator zoomed past me supposedly laughing at
me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">At the
society gate, I nodded the salute from the watchmen with a wink. A typical
nepali Sherpa, he doubled as our bike washer at times. A few currency notes that
I tucked in his shirt, sometimes the excess pizzas ordered that we donated to
him or the occasional fag that we shared, all these gestures made him feel that
I am an incarnation of the “pahaadi devta” whose photo decorated the walls of
his cramped cabin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Kya
shaab, aaj jaldi?” he enquired in his typical mountain dialect. I shamelessly
smile back and he got his answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">My office
wasn’t much far from my apartments. A brisk walk meant I would find myself at
the gates of office in 5 minutes. But brisk wasn’t a word in my dictionary and
the lazy person I was, my stroll to the office cost me some 10 minutes. Only
time I had toiled hard was when I was on look-out for a new apartment, and had
seen been spending a grand extra than similarly furnished apartments in some
other locality. After all a thousand bucks was the price I had to pay for the
extra hours of sleep I can enjoy thanks to the proximity to the office, and I
believe it was actually a very good deal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Walking
past the “Jaggu’s chai ki tapri” I soon found myself at the gates of the
office. The security guard at the door glanced at the neck strap as I walked
through the metal-detector. Just like any other day, this time too the metal
detector blared at its peak; and just like any other day the security ignored
it and let me through without whisking. It makes me wonder, they would really
get suspicious of me the day the detector doesn’t raise an alarm. I decided to
try it out once at a later date and see what their reaction might be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">As I walked
by the plush Italian furnished reception counter, I saw Rosy sitting on the
other side of the counter. She was busy on the phone and was cheerfully
attending to the person at the other end with a smile which stretched from ear
to ear of her broad face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I confess
Rosy does figure pretty high on the few factors motivating me to come to
office. Her hour glass frame and body fitting attire, her make-up and the
hairdo, all made her an ideal candidate for being an Kingfisher airhostess.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">As I was
making my way towards the elevator still staring at her, she raised her head.
As our eyes meet, she must have surely caught me red-handed ogling at her. But
I wasn’t an exception and by now she probably was used to such glances. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Hi!” she
said with a very wide smile. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">It took
me a few microseconds to recollect my conscience as I replied with a “Hello”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I knew
for sure that she didn’t know me by name for I wasn’t any Brad Pitt of our
office; but it wasn’t any less a feat that she could recollect my face amongst
the zillions who walked past her each day. For once I felt worth of all the
hours I had wasted in the cube-farm at the office.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Getting
greeted by Rosy was one of the better things to happen in the otherwise mundane
day, more so when it happens right at the start of the day. It had even been a
topic of conversation amongst our peer group. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Know
what? Rosy greeted me in the morning.” Was many times a topic of discussion for
us coterie of friends and at times had even been a reason for a pizza treat. I
prayed within hoping that it’s not me to be butchered at the dominoes joint
today. Somewhere deep within I decided not to reveal about it to the friends,
but I knew it was easier said than done and this won’t just remain to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Hey,
Stop!” I screamed as I saw the door of the elevator getting shut. It was
already exceeding its capacity, but a friendly soul held the door as I came
running to get it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Thanks”
I said with a smile as I squeezed myself inside with another 6 souls in an
elevator meant for 5. But the social animals we were, and starting each day
with the hustle bustle in the local bus, this was still a very comfortable
ride.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">A ride
onto the seventh floor with a few stops in between and many people swaps was an
instant one. I thank Mr. Otis for his visionary idea. Had he not invented this
wonderful invention of elevator the building would have never grown taller and
the term sky scraper would have never existed in the oxford dictionary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">A couple
of access card flash and I had entered the enormous cube-farm. By now, it was
already hustling bustling with hordes of techies banging their keyboards and
some others busy on the phone. If you are lucky enough you would even find a
few multi-tasking on the phone keyboard combo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Almost
involuntarily I traced my path to my desk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">As I
entered I saw Shakti wasn’t at his seat. It was a sign that he had gone for the
meeting for which I was already late. Glazing in a crape meeting wasn’t as big
an offence as walking in late. So conveniently I chose to stay put at my desk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Hi Jack”
I greeted my other cube-mate as I rested in my seat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Hi.
Early today?” prompt was the reply. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Jack was
a couple of years senior to me in the office and was a serious fellow by
nature. I usually didn’t deal with him, but ever since he was moved to my
cubicle I have been restricting our contact to the pleasantries et al.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Yeah” I
said shamelessly as I bent to power up my machine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Suhani
completed the quartet in my cubicle. She was a fresh graduate and had recently
joined our company. She was a quiet girl otherwise, but spent most of her time
giggling on her cell. Like any other day today too she seemed to have moved to
the lobby to chit chat on her cell phone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Like any
typical day I started my day with the checking for new mails. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“14 unread
mails” a pop-up appeared. I glanced through them and didn’t find any worth
pondering at that point. Most of them were forwards and others were Sys-Admin
mailers. I conveniently decided to ignore them all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Just then
Stacy appeared at the cubicle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Jack,
hasn’t Shakti come to office today?” she questioned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“I guess
he is in. Must be in some meeting”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Oh,
fine” she replied looking at the frosted glass wall of the meeting room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Stacy was
the bombshell and she raised the average fashion quotient of our wing thanks to
her dressing style. Though anorexic, her makeup compensated for her underweight
body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“I ll
ping him on gtalk” she said to Iqbal as she made her way back to her den.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“This
nerdy bugger too has chicks come to him!” Jack uttered almost semiconsciously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Uhh?” I
queried as if I didn’t hear him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“No, No.
Nothing” he tried to cover up his gaffe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">But he
didn’t realise he wasn’t inaudible. And for that matter he wasn’t wrong either.
Our cubicle was frequented by almost all those present on the floor, thanks to
the geek in Shakti. In fact I wondered Shakti did work equivalent to at least 5
resources. Not that he didn’t realise it, but he somehow involuntarily succumb
to the femme fatale. One can’t blame him because there was no other trait in
him that who attract any girl next door towards him. Those bell bottoms, those
hawaaiin shirts and those thick framed glasses; he epitomised the legendary
actors of the sixties. The only thing that differentiated him for those marvels
of yesteryear was his latest possession, the steel braces which sparkled more
than his teeth. However he was an ace at programming. Fully dedicated that he
was, it was a matter of minutes before he could come up with a solution for any
issues. Spend a few minutes sitting by his side and the code would just appear
on the screen. He was the alpha geek amongst us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I got
back to my PC as I still sniffed the aura Stacy had left behind. I
involuntarily logged into the messenger in the taskbar. The messenger had been
acting as oxygen for me for the time I spent in office. I scrolled through the
long list to pin down anyone who would be interesting and yet interested in chatting. There seem to
be no greenhorns whom I felt like pinging. There were other redheads ;) and as
always outnumbered the greenhorns. Greenhorns and Redheads was a collective
noun for people “available” or “busy/ in a meeting/ DND” on the messenger. Actually
setting the status to busy was just a gimmick that each one played trying to
fool his superior, oblivious of the fact that s/he is inturn using the same
thing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Infact
reading through the status messages of all my buddies on gtalk has been a regular
activity for me. It truely indicated the state of mind of most, though there
were the occasional few who must have forgotten the “how to” of changing the
status. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">For there
was this colleague of mine whom I had first met at the training centre in Mysore
who had this status message for say last 3-4 months. It read “Life is a Beer,
Enjoy it”. I was damn pissed of reading it, but guess he was still under the
hangover. At times I felt like going to his desk and empty an entire jug of
chilled beer on this head, but the thought of walking one floor down was just a
too much an ask for the pleasure I would have sought. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Just then
Shakti dropped in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Shakti
was unusually skinny guy and had been a butt of our jokes thanks to his
appearance. Although having had a bon apetite, god wasn’t kind enough to
transform those carb intakes into flesh. And a self inflicted and awful
dressing sense made him look even worse. It wasn’t surprising that he had got
himself the name “hanger”. Those oversized formal shirts usually made him look
like a scare-crow amongst us. In fact he looked even worse when initially he
came with a neck tie on; looked liked he was on a suicide mission and going to
get himself hung up. Somehow we coaxed him into getting rid of those fancy neck
ties. I remember Stacy had come handy in our mission then, but even she failed
in convincing him slip into something more casual. For Shakti believed, it was
against company policy and workplace etiquettes to come in anything other than
full formal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“How
could you still be late for such critical meeting” Shakti groaned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">As you
would find nine out of the ten times, he had the grim expression on his face. I
stay unperturbed by his question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Milind,
I am seriously worried yaar.” Shakti mumbled as he got himself seated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">His words
made me seriously take notice. Not because he said he was worried but
involuntarily he had called me by my name. He had a penchant of not calling
others with their names. He always referred us guys as ‘dude’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“What the
matter?” I enquired sympathetically.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“I am
scared of being laid off”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Com’on!”
I sighed as I reclined back into my seat. “Give me a break. You’ ll be the last
person to be laid off man”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I meant
every word of it. For if we were to be laid off, then surely Shakti would have
been the last person to be done away with. Which company would like to part
ways with a highly talented and evenly hard working geek. There wasn’t a single
instance in my association with him spanning just over 2 years that he had
given our superiors a chance to complain. The timid fellow that he was, he
didnt even utter a word when he was awarded the rightful promotion during
previous appraisal cycle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“No man,
Sir said ‘due to current economic slowdown and impending recession the company
would consider all sorts of cost cutting steps including staff
rationalization’” he said with a frown on his face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Mr.
Pradyumn Malwadgaonkar (“Sir” for Shakti) a.k.a PM (thanks to his tongue
twister name) was our Project Lead. A dark baldie with a inmeasurably huge
paunch, he made everyone wondered what got him the position he held. With an
absolutely negligible technical knowledge thanks to his non-engineering
background, he had done his graduation in Arts, a MBA from a virtually unknown
college meant he would be parachuted as our PL.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Only good
thing about him was him impeccable command over language. Many a times his few
seconds of gyaan meant we had to spent the next hour or so trying to decipher
the meaning of it. On a positive side we too had unknowingly gained from him in
improving our vocab skills and me too had started using some flashy words to
bedazzle others. I would have never known about the existence of words like
Sacrosanct, magelomaniac had it not been for our PM; notwithstanding the
clichés typical in IT world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Dude, we
soon gonna get on the street if we loose this job” Shakti pronounced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Words
like Staff rationalization, headcount optimization, employee repatriation had
been a commonplace and the odds were very high that the news headline each day
would definitely figure it. These all meant the same thing, they all were
sugar-coated words for sacking people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Pay
reductions and mass employment lay-offs has been a common feature in the name
of cost-cutting. Since the fall of the Lehmann brothers in US in the preceeding
September, many companies had faced the brunt of so called economic slowdown.
Almost all of the IT bigwigs in the BFSI space had resorted to employee
retrenchment citing shrinkage of business opportunities. Even the IT firms not
in this segment had risen to the opportunity to burgeon its bottom line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Chill
yaar, nothing of that sorts gonna happen. We wont be laid off, at least not in
the near future” I almost said to him involuntarily. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Dude,
the bench is almost non-existent. And we are next in the firing line” he
countered to my pacification.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“They
wont be able to survive without you and me” as we both burst into laughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0Melbourne VIC, Australia-37.8136276 144.96305759999996-39.415753599999995 142.38127059999997 -36.2115016 147.54484459999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-87713736302795345542016-07-29T17:29:00.003+05:302016-07-29T17:29:36.820+05:30Aussie Sojourn - Day Six<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today was the final day of leg 1 of our adventure down under because we were going to fly to Sydney to spend the coming week there and experience the hospitality of New South Wales from later in the evening. Though I had put much time on planing my stay at Melbourne, I haven't done half as much of research for Sydney. And that just for one single reason, my good old friend, my classmate at college and my advisor for this Aussie Sojourn... the one and only Pradnya.<br />
<br />
She and her hubby Sumeet has been to Sydney on an onsite opportunity through a IT company and they had called Sydney home since last 5 years. I consider her as one of the biggest motivation factor for me having proceeded with my PR and has been a source of inspiration and a guide throughout the process. She had been very helpful to me in planning all aspects of my visit, from accommodation to places to visit, from making me aware of the 'must-dos' to letter me know of different offers I can avail. We had already setup to meet late in the evening at the Darling Harbour to watch the firework display. But all before this we has to pack up and get going.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Anjali she had all the things wrapped up and packed the previous night itself. I had decided to use Uber to haul a cab and had thus differed this task to the last moment. I had booked the Sydney to Melbourne flights while still at India and had opted for the budget airline Jetstar, unaware of the fact that they depart from the Avalon airport which is much far away from the main city. While it had taken us less than half an hour to arrive from the Melbourne Airport, this one would take us a couple of hours drive. Whatever cost benefits I had availed from a cheap flight tickets were to be offset by the taxi charge to the airport. I decided to blunt the brunt of the taxi charge by chosing a Uber ride but it wasnt to be as surge pricing meter was indicating 4x. Though the scheduled departure time was 10am we had requested our host to extend it till noon as our flight was to depart only at 5 pm. So I waited for some more time hoping the surge to settle which instead spiked to 7x. Finally Our host advised me to opt for a local cab service and helped me with the App. I booked the cab which arrived with a few minutes. The very 'Indian' looking cab driver helped with loading all our luggage, we bid good-bye to Bryan and got ourselves settled in the backseats for the long drive to the airport.<br />
<br />
The driver maneuvered the suburb lanes and soon we hit the highway to the airport. As we trudged along I realised this way the same route that would have taken us to the Great Ocean Road trip. Though my wish was making that pilgrimage was still pending, I consoled myself that I would make it happen sooner than latter. Very hesitantly I tried to strike a conversation with cabbie, the first question very obviously being to know of his origins. Though he looked very 'Indian', I was a bit reluctant to directly ask that a leading question. So instead I queried if he was from Asia? He didnt hear it the first time and thus I had to repeat myself. When he answered I realised he was our long lost brother at partition from Pakistan. He queried us back about our origins. I tried to strike a conversation with him but he seem to be a man of limited words mostly answering in mono-syllabic replies. Nevertleless he revealed that he has come to Australia for studies and decided to stay back considering the conditions back home. Rest of the journey was spent gazing out of the windows, appreciating the nature, the multiple lane highway and the systematic driving sense. When he took a shoulder turn off the highway I realised we have approadhed the airport, but there werent any aircraft visible still circling in the sky. A few more turns and we arrived a very desolate looking building with not a soul in site.</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-23386477230695589672016-07-08T15:41:00.000+05:302016-07-08T15:48:27.161+05:30Aussie Sojourn - Day Five<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
By now almost major attractions of the CBD were covered and I was pretty satisfied with the way things have coincided with my planned itinerary. As per my plan today was meant for the 'Great Ocean Road' trip which is one of major attraction for visitors to Melbourne. The GoD drive is a scenic drive along the antarctic ocean with many breath-taking spots, coves & beaches and limestones structures. This road also leads you to the '12 Apostles' which is fastly eroding into the ocean and I wanted to see this tourist attraction long before it is gone. Frankly rather than the tourist hotspots on the route, I had intentions of self driving on the great ocean road and had got myself an international license as well for this precise reason. But when we visited the visitor centre we were warned that a single day trip wasnt the most advisable thing to do as one would hardly get the time to soak in the beauty, besides it could be pretty taxing upon the passangers especially kids, and needless to say on the driver. All this advice along with the almost intimidating driving rules (remember I come back from Goa) and a slightly prohibitive cost of self driving a soft top coupe weighed the odds against me taking the drive. I still had the option of taking the bus ride but I felt that would mean crushing my dream which I shall surely live some day. So that plan not materializing I had to make up for it with some alternative for we didnt want to waste a beautiful day within the confines of our room. So off we left...<br />
<br />
We hadnt had a very fulfilling breakfast all these days, for the rush we always were in to explore new place. But today having been there seen that, we though of setting our priorities straight and spend some time in satiating our taste buds. So we went to QVM where I had spotted a line of food stalls in the alley adjoining the market. After a couple stroll up and down the alley and carefully going through the menu displpayed, Anjali decided to settle on a Turkish food stall. We ordered a turkish dish (was it a falafel or a pesto? I forgot) and rested our backsides into the chairs. When the food came we relished it to the last bit and then topped it with some turksih tea, coffee.<br />
<br />
From there we went to the docklands to view the marina from up close. We had passed by it the last time we visited the Melbourne Star and since the shuttle didnt halt here we just observed in from the comforts of the bus. But today we had the luxury to visit and see a few art installations and patches of beautifully manicured flower beds we line alone the shore while the sparkling white yatchs dazzled in the bright sun in the background. Walked over the wharf, passed across the Etihad stadium and hitched a bus ride to the Royal Botanical Gardens which we could not explore due to the rains on the previous day. Today was different as in it was pretty hot and not the best day to roam around large stretches of absolutely very well maintained plants of different species and colours. Nevertheless we explored the various sections of the park, the map we picked at the entrance lobby coming very handy. Totally exhausted having unknowingly clocked a few miles, we finally decided to rest for a while. So we located a bench on a lawn and cooled our heels. By now Anannya too had dozed off and it only meant we had some quite time for just two of us.</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-9483763170196436932016-05-11T17:33:00.003+05:302016-05-13T11:56:02.079+05:30Aussie Sojourn - Day Four<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So past three days of activities means we did cover many of the tourists attractions but a couple of them were still pending to be ticked off. So we decided to schedule our day's itenirary around these viz: The Shrine of remembrance and Royal Botanical Gardens which were very closeby to one another. One more reason I had not clubbed these attractions with rest of the site-seeing was that I had plans to meet up with on eof my classmates from college and so also check up on the Centerlink services whose office was locality in the vicinity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the day didnt exactly start the way we would have preffered it to. We had experienced nice, cold breezy weather and so also the hot and hunid climate on the previous days. But today it was a day for the showers. The weather app had been predicting the days weather more or less accurately in here, however the place were I come from we are neither used to checking the weather app predictions; perhaps the weather forecast are known to be notoriously off the mark. Infact as some joke goes back in India one should expect exactly opposite weather to what is been predicted. On a serious note, weather in India is very much predictable and there are pretty well defined months for season and one do not see much of seasonal climatic variations during a day. However Melbourne is notorious for its erratic weather conditions and I was correctly forewarned about 'able to see all 4 seasons in a 24 hours span' of any day. So here we were starring over the poarch while sipping hot tea and eating instant noodles as the raining came down. Though the downpour wasnt significatly heavy and had it been just me I would have walked out, we were still reluctant because we didnt was to risk any ailment on the foreign soil and especially after the still fresh in the memory episode of pneumonia she had been through and needed a 11 days long hospitalizaion needless to stray the numerous pricks she was administration causing her so much of physical pain and mental trauma to all of us. Thankfully she was cured well in time and recovered from her convalescence which had at some moment even threathened this trip down under. So we waited was the rains to subside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once the showers fizzled out, we moved out on our mission armed with the single umbrella that Anjali had carried from home. There was no ambiguity in our minds as to who gets to use it. We took the usual bus ride back to the city and got down near much earlier to our usual stop and walked our way to the university main building. I planned to take the visitor shuttle from here to the Shrine of Remembrance rather than going to the Fed Square and onto St.Kilda. I was by now pretty familiarised with the layout and was beginning feeling confident of commuting. So we wait for the next shuttle to arrive at the stop and hoards of students zipped past us. Then onto the shuttle we took us through the familiar route via CBD and docklands to the Shrine of Remembrance. By now it had begun drizzling again but still not that heavy. The plan was to have Anjali take Anannya around the Shrine of Remembrance and the Royal Botanical Garden which was spread over vast expanse of the land. Anannya especially was looking forward to go to the 'garden' which to her had totally different connotations from usual. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I left them behind and moved across the lawn and onto the St.Kilda road, crossed it and moved downhill along in street in a seemingly commercial district. I called up my friend and he gave me a landmark to arrive at and asked me to buzz me once there. So once I reached opposite the BMW showroom, I buzzed Rahul and waited at the entrance of Wipro Technologies where he worked. Minutes later he arrived and hugs & pleasantries were exchanged. He enquired if I have had lunch and offered to take me for lunch somewhere nearby. I hesitantly agreed for I wasnt sure if my folks back there would wait for me. But since I have no way to communicate back to her and knowing the fact that she did had AUDs with her I walked to have a quick bite. Besides Rahul and me had lot to catch up since over a decade had passed by since we had last met way back during college days. So we settled our butts at a South East asian restaurant,ordered a couple of dishes. Our talks ranged from nostalgic memories of college days to whos-who & whos-where about all our batchmates, how Goa has degraded over the years and then to how australia is as a place. I too had many curiousities to settle viz: Melbourne vs Sydnet, the climate, jobs and career prospects, standard of living et al. He patiently listened and answered as we devoured the food that arrived. Rahul had to go back to work and so we wrapped our lunch and he was courteous enough to foot the bill, so I thanked him exchanged a warm handshake and each took their own road back to their destination. But not before clicking an mandatory selfie for the college whatsapp group.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now it had begun to rain pretty heavily. Anjali had thrusted the umbrella to me saying I might need it more that I had to walk quite some while and that she would find shelter somewhere in the garden if need be. So armed with the umbrella I walked to the centrelink offfice which was at the York Street which almost seemed to be a deserted street. I located the office and got myself a ticket and waited in the lobby. It had been quite a while since I had left wifey back and that I had told her that I should be back within an hour. Now that it was over an hour I was getting worried that she might start feeling panicky but I had no means to reach out to her. The wait felt excruciatingly long with each passing minute as I waited for my turn to come. And suddenly my phone buzzed with a unknown number. I was pretty sure it was she calling me and with great anticipation I answered it. Yes, it was her. "Where are you?" she questioned. Her voice a mix of worry and anger. I told her how I got delayed at the office and asked her not to worry for </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would need to another half an hour at least. I hung the call up relived that I have things under control. Soon I was called to the counter where I was courteously dealt with in regards to application. Since I didnt have my bank debit card with me there, I was requested to revisit the centre with the same and get my records updated. That thing done I had another item off my to-do list and I triumphantly walked back to reunite with my family braving the incessant showers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After looking out for them two for few minutes, I found</span> them in the lobby anannya saddled in her pram and dozzing off but Anjali was fuming primed to erupt and my glimpse was an trigger she was waiting for. She wasnt all at fault for I was gone for hours without a trace, she could not move around as it was raining, and our little one could quite be a devil at times and this was that one time where she had been throwing tantrums. And to top it all they hadnt had their lunch; I felt a bit repentant for having relished a decent meal while my folks were starving still. Telling her that would just mean adding insult to injury so I deliquently avoided her question probing if I have had my meals. We moved out from there without visiting the galleries and went to the bus stop to catch the next shuttle to CBD. That also meant I will have to give a miss to the two attractions which I was actually was looking up to visiting and it kind of put me off. As we waited for the shuttle, I even got in a minor argument with my wifey as why she couldnt get food for them two not realising she was constrained with the pouring rains. Anjali sensing my disappointment coaxed me in making a quick tour of the shrine which after initial rebuttal I gave in to. I promised to make a quick tour of the same and would arrive well in time before the probable time of departure of the shuttle. So i sprinted up the steps of the shrine , visited different sections, clicking pics and virtually running through the aisle. Though I skipped many a section just to ensure I will be back in time and in time I was; Anjali told me the shuttle had left soon I had departed. Darn! Had no option but to curse my own self and wait for the next one. I dont know if Anjali was testing me when she proposed making a quick dash to the RBG before the next bus arrived; which I flatly refused, rode the next shuttle and arrived at the St. Kilda's stop for some pet-puja.</span></div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-21548569632433067982016-04-26T18:06:00.003+05:302016-05-04T15:55:30.860+05:30Aussie Sojourn - Day Three<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the Melbourne Visitor centre yesterday we came to know
about the visitor shuttle bus which move around the city and take the tourists
to landmark attractions. The $10 ticket for 2 days entitled one to get on any
of these shuttle at any of these designated 13 stops. One could visit the
attraction at leisure and then hop on to the next shuttle and continue the
journey. What’ more? It had free onboard Wifi. Yippee! So we bought a couple of
tickets for our self and take the shuttle at St. Paul’s Cathedral which was
stop #2 on the route. When we arrived there, the shuttle wasn’t yet arrived at
the stop so we decided you see the cathedral from inside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cathedral was humungous with the high ceiling
intimidating you and making you realize what a tiny speck you are. The fat pillars
on both side and the arcs curving in from each side and meeting at the center
were stone carved and flashed the gothic look. There were hardly any soul on
the prayer benches or otherwise except a couple of tourists near the towering
altar. Since this would interest Anannya, Anjali took her to a side aisle
wherein a special play area was demarcated with toys scattered around. I moved
on to watch the place with more details. As one entered the cathedral there was
this soothing sound of someone playing an organ. Though very calm it was loud
as well, perhaps it was the acoustics of the grand hall which was amplifying
the effects or perhaps the person was playing on a mic I told myself. I roamed
around a bit and then came across a array of giant pipes which kind of puzzled
me but I moved on. When I returned back to the play area, Anannya was busy
riding on some toy while Anjali was chatting with the David Shepherd’esque old
man. I realized later that he was the curator of the cathedral. After exchanging
pleasantries and hearing where we came from, how could we not grace past the
topic of cricket. So here was he, but as you might be expecting or at least as
I had expected instead of bragging how
the green baggies have been humiliating India time and again down under, he
chose to mention the series when India had white-washed the Aussies. And we say
that the Aussies are big-mouthed, or perhaps it was just him. I later queried
him about the sound the queried him as to who was playing it and it is then I
got enlightened about that array of pipes. The cathedral contained one of the
world’s largest while organ and it was wind acting as the conductor of the
orchestra. He also added that we were plain lucky to have witnessed it as it is
usually played only on the day of the mass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we came out we still didn’t see any bus
there. No, it didn’t mean that the bus has not arrived, it only suggested we
did miss the bus and may be two. So instead of waiting there at the stop I
decided that we visit the ACMI and the NGV which were just across the street.
As we walked along the footpath we could see hordes of people visibly tourists
moving in and out of an alley way. As we approached we could see and stone
brick paved alley way with either side walls sprayed with all hues of colour. It
was the Hosier street and famously known for its street art, graffiti. It wasn’t
random sprinkling of paint on the walls, but there was definitive artistic
touch and many a times a not so subtle message. The paintings ranged from
cartoon characters, to sceneries, to world peace message and even a piece of
advice to the USA. I could spot a couple of kids who in their school-uniforms
were sheepishly trying to paint their artwork as well. Guess they had bunked
their classes for a noble cause? </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From there we moved onto the halls of ACMI and
the art galleries of NGV. The ACMI exhibited variety of sci-fi gadgets from the
past and those used in different movies. But what was more interesting was what
lay ahead, for they were also demonstrating the gadgets for the future like the
Virtual reality goggles. The NGV too was spell bounding for any connoisseur of
art for it had huge collection of paintings, sculptures and art. We raced
through much of it as we didn’t have any plans to skip our shuttle any longer
and headed back to the cathedral stop. Within minutes we could see the distinctive
bright red coloured bus pull in. A few tourist got off and we jumped on and
grabbed the seat. Needless to say first thing that both of us did was to
connect to the free onboard WiFi and got on with instagramming/FBing .</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The shuttle chugged along and the very lively driver
welcomed the new guests onboard and proceeded with his running commentary. The
next stop was the MCG which didn’t excited Anjali much but I still decided to
hop off to do the ‘Sporting Hajj’. The climate out there at the MCG stadium was
stupendous with cool breeze kissing your face. Anjali had once again got her
sartorial choice wrong of clothing relaying solely on the earlier day’s hot and
humid climate. Duh! The climate was very pleasing at MCG and the cool breezing
crazing against your body makes one feel energetic. Guess that is one of the
reason why MCG is the most favourite venue of most of the cricketing legend and
facing the red cherry dressed in the whites is kind of a holy grail for most of
the cricketers across the world. Very typical to the Hajj wherein the devotee
circumambulate the black stone, I went all around the MCG. I also took a detour
to the Hisense Arena, the National Tennis centre, AAMI Park and the venue for
the Australia Open. One could see hundreds of young kids practicing different
sports, no wonder Australia is such a strong sporting nation. We took the next
shuttle and then moved on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We moved past the Treasury gardens, watched the Victoria parliament
building pass by, zipped past the famous food street of Lygon street and
Collins street and then to the University of Melbourne, the driver blabbering
all the way with history of many a landmarks sprinkled with nit bits of GK. The
bus paused at regular intervals to let the tourists hop on and off at the
stipulated stops. We then arrived at the Queen Victoria market stop which was
the place for Melbourne biggest market for all things under the sun. For fish
to clothes and eatables to vegetables, this was the go-to place if you wanted
to buy things cheap. But it being a Wednesday it was the weekly off and all the
stalls were sealed and wrapped. This disappointment didn’t last for too long as
the driver informed us that Wednesday though being the weekly off, it is all
the day for the night food bazaar wherein I can get to devour a wide and inexhaustive
range of cuisines supposedly from the length and breadth the world. Now that I
have titillated your taste buds and I am guessing you mouth is watering as
well, I will leave it at this. More of it later. So we made a mental note that
we need to arrive at the place dot at 1700 hrs, militarily speaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We then made our way to the docklands which is a
very recently developed region of Melbourne. We passed by a giant white statue
of an Eagle, which was considered sacred by the native aboriginal people of
Australia. We could see large tracts of wavy roof like structure which turned
out to be the Southern cross station, the hub of all inter- and intra- state
rail networks. Interesting to note here the name Southern Cross is derived from
a constellation, which is also seen on the Australian Flag. As Melbourne grew
and so does its population, it had to expand to accommodate its vast numbers of
immigrants and thus this area got into being as an outshoot. Unlike the mix of Victorian
and swanky buildings in the CBD, this area housed mostly residential hi-rises.
Our driver informed that the buildings having built in the docklands region were
so shaped to look like that of a ship; I am yet to figure out that similarity.
Ignoring his rant we got ourselves busy watching the marina and the white gleaming
yachts anchored there. Soon we reached the Melbourne Star, our next in to-do
list. Remember Anjali had added this to her wish list yesterday, and I didn’t want
to disappoint her. A few years back when we had been to Singapore, I had given
the Singapore Eye a miss for more ‘down to earth’ experiences, but she hadn’t still
let me go for that misadventure (missed adventure rather) and I was in no mood
to make it 2-0 in her favour. So here was the opportunity for me to break
even, even though if it meant I would be
set back $140. So we grabbed a quick bite at a McD and moved on to take a ride
in one of those glass cubicle which circled every half an hour. There was
hardly any crowd there and we got the entire cabin all for ourselves to play
around. No, don’t let you mind wander; the cabin is strictly under CCTV
surveillance and besides we had own set of little eyes proding throughout. The
cabin rises slowly and you get to see newer frontiers of Melbourne emerge at
the horizon. There is a running commentary helping you to identify significant
buildings I you move 360 degrees along the circumference of the Melbourne Star.
All and all I felt this experience a bit…….. ‘Meh!’ A more exciting thing was seeing
Anannya enjoying herself on the tiny slides, the rocking rides and the driving
car that she got to play with in the play area after we have alighted. It was a
tasks to get her off from it and onto the City Circle tram back to flinders
street.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Got somewhere close to the George Street stop and walked
north to QVM.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we arrived at the tin shade of what we know at QVM, the
stalls were just getting set up. Though there were a couple which were up and
running and already had a small crowd gathered around it. We had no clue what
this would snowball into as the evening unwound. So as we waited for more
options to get added, we had our first mango of the season well before the
season. My daughter being a huge Mango fan, meant Anjali and me got to taste
just a small bite of it as Anannya ‘cleaned’ it up within no time. Soon the
crowd begin building up and we decided to take a walk down the aisle and take
our pick. The entire lane was lined up with hundreds of stalls and each of
these stalls offering you thousands of things you relish. From Cheesesteaks,
Dumplings & Noodles to Nachos, Pastas and doughnuts. Well not to miss on
the different items in meat of lamb, chicken, pork etc. After the recee I decided
to settle for Koothu Roti from a familiar looking Sri-Lankan stall. This dish
was basically a chicken and Roti version of scrambled egg. Wifey settled for a
more saner looking Korean Potata twist and fried beans. Besides food, another
star attraction of the night food market is the live performances that happen
along side which all the people can enjoy while devouring their chosen food. We
got to experience this guy who was playing a fruit. No its not a typo and I didn’t
mean to say flute but F.R.U.I.T. He had this assemble of different carved of fruits viz: carrots, watermelon,
cabbage, lettuce et al and he was making rhythmic notes out of these. Quiet a
novelty it was. We also had another stage wherein the artist were playing the digeridoo
though I would have loved to hear the same played by an aboriginal native in
his traditional attire. With our mind and soul satisfied and more so our
tummies, we took the ride back to our home. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-59536258890490187152016-04-25T17:12:00.001+05:302016-05-03T22:54:21.338+05:30Aussie Sojourn - Day Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I suggested earlier many of the tasks that I had planned
for Day 1 had spilled over to the next days due to our slumber but we were
determined not to have our ‘need for sleep’ ruin our ‘midtown madness’ anymore
(oops! Sorry for the bad pun). So despite not being to get myself to bed any
time before well past midnight I had my alarms set for early morning. So though
not exactly as early I would have wanted to get up and get going we still
managed to wake ourselves up, get freshened up, had a decent breakfast
(courtesy Anjali) and get going back to CBD. By now we were quite familiar with
the public transport and the timings and thus we arrived in time for the next
505 route down to its last stop, Pehlam Street. Once the driver announced that it’s
the end of the trip we moved on to the next part of the journey via the tram. So
from the nearest tram station we go the tram and got down at collin’s Street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So from the bucket list for Day #1 the most important item
that was still pending to be picked off was getting ourselves registered for
Medicare. The Australian government provides all its citizens and permanent
resident access to its health care facilities a.k.a Medicare. Having heard
about numnerous instances of how expensive healthcare is on foreign soil, I had
already got me and my family insured for any health emergencies for this trip
however I wanted to have us on their rolls as well as a fail safe. So when at Collins
strret I quickly spotted the Shopping mall housing the medicare office once
again thanks to Google Strret view. After wandering for a bit in that mall and
asking for directions we did end up at the medicare office where we were
courteously welcomed by a host, who asked me my name for appointment ticketing
purpose, asked me the purpose of the visit and guided me to fill up the forms required
for it. However I had already downloaded and filled the same while in India and
had my task cut short. So we patiently waited for our turned at the lobby. When
my name was called out within 10 odd minutes we were hosted to a desk manned by
a old lady who took the form requested for our passports and visa copies and
left the seat to do the needful processing. She was back in a very short while
and updated us that we are done with the process that the cards will be mailed
to us at the address mentioned. We cleared some of our doubts with her, thanked
her for the services and left. Phew! Two of the major ‘must-dos’ of this
validation trip were ticked off; one left – Centrelink.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now the official work thingy done the next thing to get done
was visit the Melbourne Sea-life museum. So again we went to Flinder’s street
stop and switched to a tram along the flinder’s street. Once again we hoped off
a stop in advance and that meant we had to walk the remaining distance. Though
it wasn’t exactly too much far, the weather today was hotter than the previous
day and we were sweating as we were hauling Anannya in her pram towards the
Sealife Museum. It was especially a bit harsher for Anjali who had dressed up
in woolens for the climate we experienced the previous day. Such is life!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once at the Sea Life Museum front dress, I presented the
receptionist with the print out of Annual membership which my dear friend had
already booked for us online. She hosted us to another desk, got us to fill up
a form, took mugshots and handed us a card each connected to bright orange neck
tags with ‘annual membership’ boldly written over it. Basically the annual
membership allows you visit some 11 attractions across Aus and NZ for just AUD
115. Considering I was just visiting Melbourne and Sydney I could have covered
7 off it, though I ended up visitng just 5. Nevertheless it wasn’t still a
worthy option I would believe and would pray that I make another trip before
the card expired come March 2017. Once done with this formality we were ready
to take the trip down under the sea to experience a totally different world.
And boy! It was truly an out of the world experience. From touching real eggs/shells
to viewing different exotic species of fish; from hopping under an acquarium to
feel you are deep down at the bottom of the ocean to walking through a tunnel
with sharks and sting rays sailing past you, it was totally ethereal
experience. Anannya had a ball of a time touching (well, almost) the different
fishes across the glass wall while Anjali loved the jelly fishes changing
colours as per the hue of the light. The eals and seahorse too were unseen
before but the highlight of the museum as far as I was concerned is the huge
acquarium set up in an amphitheathre kinda setup. One could take a seat and
gaze and the tranquilizing moments of many species of never before seen fishes
as they very calmy swim past you unaware or perhaps unbothered about your
presence. Viewing them is such a hypnotizing and soothing experience that if
somebody could pay me salary for it I could do that for weeks together. However
I hadn’t come across the benevolent person who would do that so I had to get my
ass moving. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We did our lunch at the museum itself and then covered the
remaining sections which include a rainforest walk with exhibits comprising of
frogs and snakes. From the rainforest we directly moved to the poles which begin
with a 5D experience of scrat hiding his nut. Anannya had great fun watching it.
We were then escorted to a penguin land where hordes of penguins slide down the
ice, took dives in the freezing cold water for their food or simply did the
penguin hop. All things done it was time to move on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back to the tram stop as we waited for our ride we soaked in
the architecture of Melbourne. It isn’t uncommon to see totally hip/techno
shapped buildings interspersed with a lone Victorian era block and you wonder
which one to admire more. As I was transposed to Victorian time, I saw a tram buggy
chugging towards me and it took a firm shake from Anjali to get me back to the
present day. So I hadn’t actually been time travelling it indeed the city
circle tram that had arrived. The speciality of this tram is that they are
still ply the old iconic tram carriages rather than the sterile modern masters,
and more importantly they are free, make a round of the city and has a running
commentary onboard informing its occupants about the significance of the
various landmarks long the route. So we travelled all the way down the flinders
street , turned around at he treasury gardens then moving along the bourke and Collins
streets moved up to Docklands where the Merbourne Star observation wheel was
spotted by my better half and added to our “to –do” list, zipped past the
marina and Etihad stadium and back to Federation Square where we got down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Since
we had not yet been to the Melbourne visitor centre as yet, we decided to visit
it and climbed down a couple of floors underground to the centre. It basically
consists of all the information about Melbourne and surrounding attractions
that a typical visitor would need. There were free take aways brouchures for
different tours one could take in and around Melbourne and they also had
private counters for booking a ticket onto these. So we took a heap of the
guides, brouchures and maps and once again emerged to the earth’s surface. We already
been to Fed Square the previous day and decided to give it a skip, we crossed
the Yarra River over the Prince bridge and arrived at the Southbank. Southbank
is kind of a recreational area with tons of cafes and food courts lined along
the bank of Yarra river. As you drool over the smell of food and coffee you
also get to public sculptures and street art and if you are lucky enough sometimes even artists at
work.</span>. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-56811708689045711652016-04-19T13:17:00.004+05:302016-05-11T18:34:12.294+05:30Aussie Sojourn - Day One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we had slept the previous night (or early morning?) we
didn’t realize that were this tired or was it the jet lag coming into play, but
we woke up only around noon. Since I had made vague plans for the each day,
they were already started falling apart due to our unplanned slumber. Howsoever
unwillingly we forced ourselves out of the bed, but that was the easier part
because it was quite a task to wake up Anannya and get her on her legs. A few
minutes of cajoling, coaxing, threatening and scolding for both of us was
reciprocated by a spate of tantrums. Not being totally unfamiliar to this, we
somehow got her to ready and clothed for journey to the hub of activity at
Melbourne or CBD as the locals prefer to call it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had rece’ed the nearest
busstop and our host was kind enough to provide us the time-table of the public
transport, not to forget the MyKi cards he had for us. As we stood at the
bus-stop and commuters (mostly college going students) begin to add up around,
I was feeling apprehensive because I was carrying along a pram from my daughter
and wasn’t sure how well it will be received on the public bus. Coming from
where I go from, any piece of extra ‘luggage’ on a bus besides your own self is
considered a nuisance, both by the conductor and fellow commuters alike;
However this guilt-trip was soon going to cease of exist. As the bus arrived at
the bus stop, I couldn’t resist noticing that the driver has made a conscience
effort to park it as close to the kerb where I was standing so as to make it
convenient for me to raise the pram into the bus. Once again when the doors got
flung open I expected the rest of fellow commuters to crowd in but it wasn’t to
be; in fact I soon realized I was the priority traffic and had precedence to
board the bus. Almost zapped at this never before experienced courtesy, I failed
to notice that the bus-driver had further lowered the bus platform using some
hydraulic system which further aided boarding with the baby stroller. Once
onboard I had to tap on each of our MyKi card to start the journey, but before
that I had to top-up the same. I approached the driver and requested him to do
the same and he was kind and courteous enough to do it. While I did all this
the fellow commuters lined up silently behind me, no heckling no cribbing.
Tapping my cards on the card reader I pushed the pram further down the bus
aisle. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me digress here for a bit. Compared to the mini-buses back
at Goa (as the full length buses have become almost extinct) these buses felt
extra-ordinarily long, however they were very spacious and might just seat as
many passengers of seats as the cramped
buses back home. These buses are divided into 2 sections with the front section
being disabled friendly and many of the seats reserved for physically
handicapped, the old-aged, expectant mothers, or chill strollers/prams. The
back section of the buses is raised by a couple of step and is meant for
general public.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I rolled buggy and parked ourselves in a seat. I kept the
pram close to the seat holding onto it throughout the course of our journey.
During the course of our journey I realized there are not just separate foldable
seats but a proper way in which one needs to park the pram. There is this row
of three foldable seats out of which 2
seats need to be folded and the pram be parked there facing towards the back of
bus and the wheels locked and the mother be seated on the third seat in that
row.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having rested our butts and the wheels started rolling I begun getting myself familiarized with the surrounding,
for I needed to alight back on the journey back. I made note of some buildings
and landmarks in the area. However the major task at hand was to reach where we
were heading to. Our host has mentioned that the bus #505 was heading to
Melbourne University and that is were we need to alight, but as I soon realized
Mel Uni (as it is popularly known here) isn’t just located at a single city block.
As the very jovial city tour bus driver mentioned to us later, what started as
a single city block Mel Univ spread it tentacles across a very large area of
the city admeasuring thousands of square metres. So as simple as the
instruction was from our host, we still ended up getting off the bus a few
stops earlier than our intended destination. The thing being that the bus zips
past through the Mel Uni region and has many stops close to buildings housing
various institutes/college, each of these building proudly brandishing the univ
emblem thus fooling us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We disembarked from the bus after thanking the bus driver
which I found a very nice etiquette for even he wishes you with a smile and a
‘Howdy!’ when you get on. Now that we were down and looked around it dawned
upon me that I may not be exactly where I was intending to be at. The plan was
to get down at ‘Pelham Street’ which we later realized was the last stop for
the Route 505 bus and from there take a Tram from the nearest tram station
(which we later got to know was Hay’s market)to the Flinder’s street station
which was dead at the heart of the CBD. But having alighted at a wrong stop we
had to reroute ourselves and find a way to our destination. So I begin pushing
the buggy with Anannya enjoying the ride and Anjali closing following me. I
followed the general direction of the bus was heading to. The footpath were
clean and wide and the chilled breeze kissing your face just mentioned pushing
Anannya in the stroller wasn’t a daunting task. We soon begin enjoying the
weather and Anjali was wondering why she hadn’t been wearing warm clothes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am generally not directionally challenged and pretty much
easily find my way through but here I was in a totally uncharted region without
an aid of a map, GPS or a mobile phone. Considering this the only option that
we were left with was asking any passerby to kindly guide us. As we strolled
over the walkways we were trying to identify whom should we addressing our
question as we were having trouble to tell a tourists apart for the
Melbournian. Many faces zipped past us mostly “Chinese” (as any true blood
Indian would call people from China, Japan, The SE Asia and the ilks)
interspersed with brown (pardon my racist remark) faces who gave us a familiar
glance of countrymen. After probing a couple of folks we were headed to the
Queen Victoria Market Tram station wherein we had to take the tram to CBD. So
we started moving towards QVM tram station while soaking the beauty of the
place. The lush green gardens, the
well-manicured lawns, the birds, the zipping paved walkways, the water
fountains everything of it was enthralling us. And not to miss ‘click!’
‘Click!’ ing our way to the tram station. Once at the tram station and after
figuring out which side of the platform to board on, we gently waited for the
ride to arrive. This would be the first time I would ride a tram and was
feeling excited about it. Though when the first tram zipped past us I get it go
as it was pretty full and also not very convenient to push the buggy in.
Perhaps I was already getting used the convenience of the public bus. Another
tram and I realized either things weren’t improving: the rush and the
convenience. So we decided to take the next one without much hue or cry. So
when the next tram arrived we quickly located a relatively empty cabin and
raised the pram into it. As I suggested earlier I felt it troublesome to move
the pram in and out of a tram but the ride in itself was smooth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Melbourne has an extensive network of trams or light rail as
it is known there. This light rail service crisscrosses large part of the CBD
and thus makes for a very easy and convenient mode of transport for locals and
tourists alike. A very significant more of this tram service area in the CBD
falls under the free tram zone meaning they wouldn’t cost you a single penny to
travel within this area though generally speaking transport is pretty
expensive. The tram service also extends beyond CBD and flanks out in all direction.
Besides this there is a city circle tram which still plies the vintage buggies
and moves around the city at regular interval. There is an onboard running
commentary for tourists which tells about different tourist spots and history
of iconic landmarks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The tram announced the next tram stop being Collins street and
I springed up to alight. As soon as I got down, I felt as if in familiar
terrain. Now that I had been here in my earlier lives/incarnations but I had
strolled along this street just a few weeks back from thousands of miles away
sitting on my computer. Yes, Thank you Google Street view. So I was exactly
sure where I was heading to and a couple of minutes of walk past I was at the
NAB where I had already opened my migrant bank account but had to do some in-person
verification. There were a number of numbered counters and I walked to one of
them, the lady behind the desk guided me through the electronic ticketing
system and requested me to wait till my number was called out. A few minutes
wait and I was called to a desk where the service executive carried out the
formalities towards fully activating my banking services. When I was busy doing
this, Anannya was apparently getting cranky in the waiting area. Remember all
this while we hadn’t had anything to eat and perhaps this was getting to her.
Thankfully my well-equipped wife had foreseen this and she did carry light
snacks for our beloved daughter. So once done with the bank account opening our
next destination was finalized to be some food joint. However I did hopped into
a currency exchange bereau and I was getting seriously low on currency notes.
It’s worthy to mention here that I requested to have forex converted at the
bank but once again the executive informed me that it would be more prudent to
have it done outside the bank for a better exchange rate and without a service
charge. How often do we see such a courtesy back here in our country.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So while we were strolling down a wide alley lined with
shops we passed across this Turkish food joint exhiting its offerings through a
glass counters which caught my wife’s eye. So we decided to hop in and check
out if there was something that we could afford, not just economically but gastronomically.
Since beef and pork was a street no no for us half of the menu was already a ‘do
not trespass’ zone for us. Anjali did manage to zero in on a dish which looked
a combination of fried chicken pieces over plain cooked rice. I wouldn’t say
that I was thoroughly impressed with it but then I didn’t have any better thing
to offer, so we ordered it. Anjali was still coming to terms with the Australia
accent and was having trouble what the guy across the counter had to say.
Anyways I tool the reigns paid him and grabbed a table for us and got settled.
Now the gastric juices were really dancing in our tummies and we were literally
staring at the Kitchen counter for our order be called out and finally it did.
Our wait wasn’t rewarded as much as we didn’t particularly like the dish and
felt the food was too bland. The chicken pieces though edible, the rice was too
dry and we could have certainly done with a little bit of gravy into it. On any
other day we could have given this item a miss but the hungry that we were we
still managed to eat a large portion of it. We hadn’t quenched our hunger in
totality but had placated it for time-being. Our goal of finding food was still
on. We moved out of a food count looking for another. No sooner I laid my sight
on a Hoarding with those 3 magical letters ‘K’, ‘F’, ‘C’. No, I am not a
die-hard fan of Col. Sanders or any of his offerings but on previous
international trips I have realized that if your risks which trying local
food-joints fails you need to head straight to any of these international brand
for you will always know and will get what you have ordered for. A Bucket of
this, packet of that and few cans later we had our stomach full and charged to
move on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We walked further along the walkway and a familiar building with
a clock tower begun to emerge at the T junction ahead. It appeared ancient with
its Victorian era architecture and brown colour façade but it seemed abuzz like
any modern day shopping mall with hords of people rushing in and out of it. As
we drew closer it was clear what is was. As the Dull blue font on the mud brown
façade proclaimed it was the ‘FLINDER STREET STATION’. We had arrived where we
intended to, but perhaps not on the right side of it, for I had read that it is
just across the Federation Square (or Fed Square ) and the St.Paul’s Cathedral.
But now that we were there I knew its just minutes before I find my way to it.
At the T-junction, I glanced to the left I could see a very modernist looking
building a few blocks away. I could identify it was the one housing the ACMI
right at the centre of the Fed Square. So we thudded along slicing through the
crowd and then a road crossing and there were we, right at the nerve centre of
the CBD. At the main entrance of the Flinders street station with the enormous
St.Paul’s cathedral looking down onto us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hordes of people were rushing past us in all directions as
it was peak rush hours. It also meant that we were past the visit hours for the
most of the attractions in that area, those being the Melbourne Visit Centre,
The Austalian Centre for Moving Images, National Gallery of Victoria. But we
could leisurely stroll along the streets, Laze around the Fed Square fully utilizing
the Free Wi-Fi and soak in the ambience as the Sun set. And that is precisely
what we did.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-51022608541202256932016-04-19T13:16:00.004+05:302016-05-03T22:54:03.640+05:30Aussie Sojourn - Day Zero<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I got grant for myself and my family (wife and daughter) in early December and had to make the first entry by May. Since I had to take along my family for the validation I planned this more as a leisure trip and didn’t think about planning for any interviews. I had booked my ‘To’ tickets to Melbourne well before I have got a grant (took a gamble there) and got them for a paltry 50k for 3 of us on Air Asia. So we left Goa for Melbourne with an 8 hours layover at Kuala Lumpur. So the flight that left at 9 PM IST on Saturday reached at the 12.10 AM at Melbourne. In the flight I was given an immigration form where I ticked ‘permanent resident’ (NOT Leisure as few suggested in this forum) as I wanted to have the PR initiated as early as possible. Declared a few medicines and nothing else. Immigration process went hassle free without any questions and we were out of the airport within a few minutes. Hailed a cab and went to the place I had booked on AirBnB. Taxi run on meter so no scope of fleecing customer; a 15 mins drive cost me around $54. Taxi driver helped me locate the house and help me with the luggage. Experienced this courtesy throughout my stay at Australia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The AirBnB host (Brian) welcomed me to his home and showed me around his house and then hosted us till your room. He had MyKi cards ready for us and also had city pamphlets for different attractions. Please note the host was awake at a very odd time just to welcome us in. We freshened up and got in the bed after wishing the host a good night and with a relief that a major milestone has been achieved: WE HAD ARRIVED.</span></div>
</div>
Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-52219914540453615952016-04-19T13:15:00.002+05:302016-04-19T15:36:48.826+05:30A trip down under<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been wanting to share my experience of my trip to Australia for some time now. Had initially planned to describe the entire experience in one post and share the same with you all. But I couldn't get myself to sit at one place and pen it down... for I realized there is a lot to share and as time passes by, my memories are fading fast as well. So I will make a start and publish a day wise report of things we did, the experiences we cherished and the memories we made. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I will just describe the validation trip in this post here without flashbacking through the PR process and my experiences during it. I do have lot of things to share regarding that as well, but maybe I will keep that for another time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">However before I start I want to give you guys a fair warning or a disclaimer of sorts. Reading through the posts you guys might get a feeling that I am a bit too critical of things back home or already too much dazed with down under. While I didn’t intend to criticize every aspect of India, one cannot help but feel the difference one get to feel in terms of discipline, convenience, etiquette, courtesy etc. Please spare me for this indulgence. So here goes…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: I will be updating each of these posts as I recollect more things.</span></div>
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Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-61727811204187965622015-10-05T22:03:00.001+05:302015-10-05T22:03:18.368+05:30All Goa Inter-school General Knowledge Quiz - Finals<iframe src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/u488bbklKOgr1l" width="425" height="355" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="border:1px solid #CCC; border-width:1px; margin-bottom:5px; max-width: 100%;" allowfullscreen> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom:5px"> <strong> <a href="//www.slideshare.net/ameyamardolkar/all-goa-interschool-general-knowledge-quiz-finals" title="All Goa inter-school General Knowledge Quiz - Finals" target="_blank">All Goa inter-school General Knowledge Quiz - Finals</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="//www.slideshare.net/ameyamardolkar" target="_blank">AAM Aadmi</a></strong> </div>Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-71897654132323605922015-10-05T21:45:00.001+05:302015-10-05T21:45:09.369+05:30All Goa Inter-school General Knowledge Quiz- Prelims<iframe src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/tDVaVI38CERso" width="425" height="355" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="border:1px solid #CCC; border-width:1px; margin-bottom:5px; max-width: 100%;" allowfullscreen> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom:5px"> <strong> <a href="//www.slideshare.net/ameyamardolkar/all-goa-interschool-gk-quiz-prelims" title="All Goa Inter-school GK Quiz - prelims" target="_blank">All Goa Inter-school GK Quiz - prelims</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="//www.slideshare.net/ameyamardolkar" target="_blank">AAM Aadmi</a></strong> </div>Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-1773578304611430042014-12-29T10:30:00.002+05:302014-12-29T10:30:20.488+05:30Doning the QM hat... once again<iframe src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/43058623" width="476" height="400" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-29255433721096791772014-06-23T12:09:00.002+05:302014-06-23T12:09:29.960+05:30SEQC Leaderboard Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/36181859" width="476" height="400" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<br /></div>Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-89770773265713608232014-01-29T19:06:00.001+05:302014-01-29T19:06:25.389+05:30St. Xavier's Science Quiz - Prelims<iframe src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/30576838" width="476" height="400" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23507068.post-46508632801446897342014-01-29T18:54:00.000+05:302014-01-29T18:54:02.037+05:30St. Xavier's Science Quiz
<iframe src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/30575054&start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" frameborder="0" width="480" height="389" allowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true"></iframe>Ameyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03311068220828105469noreply@blogger.com0