Big Bang

It was time for my Quarterly performance evaluation and yesterday I had been to the other office, where my PM sits. The whole thing took about an hour, and in the end the remarks were - I must say - very satisfactory!

I was back home a bit early and was already as hungry as a starving lion. I haven't eaten in the morning, and the two Naans and Paneer Manchurian that I gobbled up for lunch didn't last enough. Being my turn to make food for the night, I thought I would very well cook something and eat, instead of going out for snacks. Magesh asked me to make Tomato rice. So I set up the pressure cooker and let it on the stove for three whistles. I was deep engrossed with the work on the comp until suddenly I smelt something burning. Something wrong? The cooker ? And it was well over 20 mins and I must have had the first whistle at least!

SHIT! I had done it (or haven't done?) it again - put the cooker on the stove without water! Horrified, I ran to the kitchen. I could feel the heat of the cooker even at a distance of couple of feet! Cautiously, like a sneaking cat, I went near and turned off the gas stove knob. I had pulled out the wick of the dynamite just seconds before it was to blast off! Phew!

Wasn't sure if everything was safe, so went to the farthest room and sat in the corner with my ears and eyes closed for the next fifteen minutes. (That was exaggeration, stupid!)

At last when things remained calm, I came out of my hiding hole. When to the kitchen, opened the cooker after cooling it with water (Just in case, you see!) and then filled it up and mounted it on the stove again. From then on, everything was fine. Still, that was a bit short of a disaster, isn't it? Musta been a sort of Big Bang, if my realization was late! Hmmm.

Well, now to the other stories - I had started reading The Godfather, by Mario Puzo. I had issued it a week before, but my work (believe me!) kept me away from it since then. I've started liking the novel.

Today morning I got up with the thought of leaving early to office. Bad luck, the first words I heard from Sai was that there would be no water fro today. Cursed that 'someone' and thought I'd recourse to deos. Sai added that we may have water by 10:00. So I chose to wait and roamed around till then. Came to office at 10:30.

And a pleasant surprise it was, from Padma. We had had coffee together and when I came back I saw a card lying in my cabin with my name on it. I opened it in suspense. Well, it was a Friendship day card from Padma. I loved the card - with a solitary yellow tulip on its face. Thanks you so much!

" A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday."
     -Alexander Pope

Time Travel

Ishaq, Sibish, Aneesh, Sabarish and his cattles, KV - Aliganj, Lucknow Express, Train, Escort Sir, Escort madam, Escort madam's son, Power-nami, Liquid Nitrogen, Madukar Nitrate, Exhibition, Rangoli, Crush, Love, Rejects, Superconductivity, Bathrooms, Imambada, Old man's tea shop, Jam bottle, Bool-boolaiya, British Gardens, Terrace talks, Mosquito repellant, Acid-base indicators, Missiles, unattended Biogas plant, Hazards of Smoking, Varun - the Villain, 'Onankali', Teachers day, Prizes and awards, Late Night discussions, Plastic face, Koothu dance, Central limit theorem, Maths in Hindi, Sights, Basketball court, Fights, Advices, Don't-lose-control, Realizations, Pop songs, 'Bombastic', Head-weight, 'Dhurbala Nimisham', Team from Bangalore, Rain, Floods, Tears... Me and Sajith had much more to talk and a full day wasn't enough!

We couldn't recognize each other when we met. More so for him coz these six years have added almost 15 Kgs to my weight! And he's still the same slim and smart guy! Had a great weekend at his place. It has rekindled all those sweet memories of the past!

Messages on my mobile.. II

I wanted 2 kill the SWEETEST, SMARTEST
& the most beautiful person on the earth,
but then I thought.........
SUICIDE is a crime.

I am getting marrried next week.
There will be small party
and only a few people will be invited.
Dont brings any gifts.
just brings SOMEONE to marry me.

smile in pleasure
smile in pain
smile when trouble pours like rain
smile when someone hurts you
SMILE because someone still loves to c u smiling.

There is always a reason for everything
a reason to live
a reason to love
a reason to cry
but if u can't find a reason to smile,
can i be the reason for a while ?

It's not the presence of someone
that brings "meaning" to your life,
but its the way someone touches your heart
which gives life a beautiful "meaning".

Thanks to Padma!! This is again one of those just-for-the-sake-of posts!!

Messages on my mobile..

Friendship is a relation,
with no activation charges,
Free incoming, free outgoing,
Free roaming facility & 100% talk time.
Where ever you go, the network follows!!

Friends in heart are worst tenants-
They capture your heart,
They pay no rent,
They don't vacate easily,
When they go, they leave the place broken..

Simple isn't bare..

We came into acquaintance six years before. It was during the trip to Lucknow for participating in a science exhibition. And that acquaintance grew into a good friendship during those ten days we spent there. There were postal contact between us for until a year or so, then it died down. Two years later, I got a call from him. He was shifting his house from Chennai and had dialed to ensure that my number hadn't changed. The way the conversation went on between us that day - it really puzzled me. We talked to each as if we had just met the evening before. It did not strike me as a surprise event, springing out of blue, but it was a casual talk unburdened by any emotional display. I did not know why it was that way, until he spoke them in words: Though it was months since we came in contact, we have been remembering each other every now and then. When Tarr, who actually attended the call and passed me over, inquired, I told it was him. Arvind recognized the name instantly and said, 'oh, great! How's he?'. Surprise, this was. My other good friends too knew about him well ! The friendship was quite - hmm.. if this is the word I assume to convey the thing that I mean - 'seamless', in spite of the large span of distance and time between us.

Now its three years on, after that call, and yesterday I got a mail from him, with his contact digits. It was my turn and I called him up yesterday night as soon as I reached home. He still sounds the same after years. We had a good talk for sometime. He still remembers the jokes I shared with him and I too could recollect the petty talks we used to have during the days in Lucknow. I would soon be meeting him before he leaves to Hyderabad to embark on his career. We will have half-a-decade of stories to catch up with. I am very much looking forward to the visit to his home.

Hey Sajith, I'll make it by next weekend!

I keep wondering if all those commitments and expectations, which are always considered indispensable part of any relationship, leave alone friends, truly matters. What matters is the trust, respect for the other self, and love. These, I hold as the mark of friendship, than the show of care and concern, just-for-formality calls and all the complexities that are taken to grow up with the affinity. Grass may not be as exquisite as roses, but they never prick your fingers to shed tears in red.. I like things to be as simple as the grass. I prefer to lie myself over the green lawn than on a bed of thorny roses. Best relationships are very simple, though it takes to walk over the muddy waters to realize what really counts in the end that gives the shine and maturity.

Food for thought!

It was a soul-searching discussion with Saikiran, during the wee hours of darkness, couple of days ago. With the noble purpose of enlightening the society, I'm presenting a few points from that thought sharing process of ours.. I do not claim that these are original. Must have heard or read about them somewhere, sometime from someone!

Do you know about the good sculpturer and the bad sculpturer?
When given a stone, a bad sculpturer tries to carve the best shape of his imagination out of it. Whereas, a good sculpturer knows that whatever idol he has in mind, is already present in the stone and he just chisels out the irrelevant parts.. There's so much of difference in the attitude of the two. This gives a new interpretation to the manner in which one should go about to succeed. You want to be 'something' in your life? Then imagine that you are that 'something' this instance, and try to look back what all you would have done in order to reach that place. Come back to reality and put all those efforts now. Eventually you will be that 'something'. Act with the same responsibility - that you will put up when you are at the end of the journey - all along the way and that'll lead you where you want to be.

Many a times, we do not accept people for what they, but for what they can/should be.. But the ability to realize this reality and correct it is a key aspect in any good relationship. Over-idealizing doesn't help always! Acknowledging the strength and weakness, as they are, in people is always prudent. Never ignore the weakness in the glare of goodness, lest that will eclipse the shine during a bad weather!

Never try to be what others want or think you should be. Be what you really are. Not that you mustn't take others words for your good, but do not change for the sake of what they think you ought to be. You are the best judge of yourself and your potentials and you know what is good and what's bad for you..

Now, now, do not get serious! I wasn't preaching anything to that effect. Cool down and ponder over them. Remember me if that helps you feel good, in one way or another. I am not going to ask you any payment for those golden words anyway.... At times Nilavan has that Golden Halo over his head and an aura around him! He he!

Change inevitable

There has been a change. Not only with matters as trivial as this blog template, but there has also been much of rethink over issues of greater import. I have made a bold decision after much of reluctance and it's all for good. Thanks to him, for showing a clearer picture. So much of his effort has gone into enabling this shift. With a great deal of work ahead, I need your support along the way.. and I know I shall have it always.

I wonder how words can manifest so efficiently to reflect what was intended to be conveyed.. in the writings of Ayn Rand.. Read this passage from Atlas Shrugged:

She stopped; this time, she did not gasp; the sight confronting her could not be greeted by anything except a moment of inner stillness: on the wall, behind a row of machinery, she saw a picture cut out of a newspaper - a picture of her, in slacks and shirt, standing by the side of the engine at the opening of John Galt line, her head lifted, her smile holding the context, the meaning and the sunshine of that day.

A moan was her only answer, as she turned to him, but the look on his face matched hers in picture.

"I was the symbol of what you wanted to destroy in the world", he said. "But you were my symbol of what I wanted to achieve", he pointed at the picture. "This is how men expect to feel about their life once or twice, as an exception, in the course of their lifetime. But I - this is what I chose as constant and normal"

No wonder the book is rated as the second most influential book, next only to the Bible!

Blessed with Bliss

The mist is clearing and I see the Sun! The world seems wonderful with lovely people around.. People! yes, can you imagine a life without someone beside you? Someone to look upon, someone to guide, someone to laugh with, someone to share your sorrows and secrets, someone to reveal your dreams and damn your despises..

Well, I don't dare to.

You feel so elated when you get a token of appreciation from somebody whom you respect and revere very much. I was conferred with that pleasure yesterday. It was a surprise and that too, for something equally unexpected. Those good words from him made my day!

Take care and have a nice weekend!