Award Season

Wondering what this screenshot is doing here? Well..this is the reason why I have been away from the blogging world for such a long time. Some days back my company got insane and decided to block access to the Internet to the employees noting primarily that some people read blogs during work hours. So, now when I open a web page, this page loads faster than the google home page. As if eager to tell me “beta bahot blog padha karte the na, company ki bandwidth ki watt laga rakhi hai. Ab bhugto.”

So mere pyaare bloggers, now that you know the reason for my inconspicuous absence from the blogger’s park, please forgive me.

While my company decided to block my access to the Internet in recognition to my devotion to blogging, somebody in the blogger’s world decided to award me the coveted "I love your blog" citation. When I got to know I have got this award, I rubbed me eyes twice. Sneha has chosen me for the coveted prize? I didn’t know if somebody liked my blog too. I felt like a kiterunner who caught hold of the coveted kite that was swaying right and left in the sky and slowly but surely tumbling down the earth and was being chased by several others. It's the joy you get when you get hold of the kite and run away with it brandishing your prize.

But hey..Shena, thanks a ton buddy! That recognition kind of motivates me to continue writing more. And yeah, for sure I’ll follow the rules that this chain of love has.

And here goes rule no. 1: The winner can put the logo on their blog.
For sure I have done that..why would not I :))

Rule no. 2: Link the person you received your award from

Oh..i followed this rule without saying..Done this so much earlier :))

Rule no. 3: Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
Rule no. 4: Put links of those blogs on yours.
Rule no. 5: Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.

This sure is a nice way to tell my favorite bloggers how much I love to read their blogs. So here goes the roll of honour...

Abhinav: I think this guy should charge entertainment tax from his readers. He is such a funny guy. He can make you laugh like hell. His sense of humour is awesome and infectious. Hats off to Abhinav!!

Priya Aiyer: If I remember clearly, she is the first blogger I found. And she is so creative. Very different from the usual. And writes really good.

Adeic: She is one blogger who writes amazingly good. Very emotional, she is passionately in love with LOVE. I think she can give tough competition to Nicholas Sparks if she were to write a romantic novel.

The Mask: Mr. Mask can weave cool stories and without even blinking. I really admire the way he writes. And enjoy the pleasant surprises he brings into his stories.

Sneha: Even though you have been already awarded by Harshita, I guess you won’t mind if I also do the same for you. Coz I think you write pretty cool! And I love to come back again and again on your blog.

Sayesha: Sayesha on the Rocks simply rocks!! Bartender bhai is absolutely hilarious. And can make you roll over the floor laughing with her posts. Visit her bar and you are sure to go talli over her. Talli..main talli..main talli ho gayi..oops ho gaya :-))

Sunshine: She speaks her mind even when the subject doesn't require so. :)) Just kidding...I just want to say that she is one of the bloggers who presents a fresh perspective to any subject that she writes on. Sunshine is one of my fav bloggers.

Compulsive Confessor: I got addicted to her blog when one of my friends, Daljeet, recommended it to me. Miss compulsive confessor is a pretty famous blogger and has recently released her first novel called "You are Here". Though I am yet to read it, I can safely bet it would be as good as any of her blogposts. I am just itching to get hold of the book.

If I Knew...

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
And call you back for one more...

If I knew it would be the last time
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say 'I love you',
Instead of assuming you would KNOW I do...

...just in case...
...today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
And I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone
Young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
You get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
You'll surely regret the day.

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss,
And you were too busy to grant someone,
What turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
And that you'll always hold them dear.

Take time to say
'I'm sorry', 'Please forgive me', 'Thank you' or 'It's ok',
And if tomorrow never comes,
You'll have no regrets about today.

(In memory of 9/11 victims; Source: Sacred Space, Times of India)

Yesterday, I came across these lines and it made me think twice about the dear ones with whom I have not talked to in a long time. I have hurt quite a few people who once used to be very good friends. One such friend is still naraaz with me. A misunderstanding occurred between us. She thinks I should not have done what I did. And then she didn't reply when I tried to contact her. And this made me feel bad. So I decided never to call her back. Din't even reply to her when she wished me on my b'day. I just want to let her know - if she is reading this - that what I did, was in pure innocence. I had no inkling that it could hurt you. If I KNEW..you won't like what I did, I would not have done so. And I am really sorry if it hurt your feelings. I just wish you all the happiness in the world. And hope to talk to you again.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9…..9wa mahina

A few days back, while I was moving out of my room, a little hurried, I slipped on the stairs of third floor in my apartment and landed right in front of our neighbouring aunty, who was coming upstairs. She immediately came running forward, trying to pick me up and gave what she is best at giving, advice, of course: “Beta, aaj kal zara sambhal ke chalaa karo.”
Me: “Thank u, aunty. Per aaj kal hi kyon…aaj kal kuch special hai kya”
Aunty: Arre September ka mahina hai na..9wa mahina hai..isliye…giving a sheepish smile.
Me: After a minute of scratching my head on what she meant. Ooeee…maa!! Ji ..main khayal rakhungi..oops!! i mean rakhunga..munne ko kahin chhot na lag jaye ;)

And this is not all…a few days back a friend SMSed me:
Jara sambhal ke chalna,
Jyada bhari cheez nahi uthana,
Apna khayal rakhna,
Khana thik se khana,
Kyunki 9 wa mahina chalu huva hai na..
:)

And yesterday, while I was chatting with a friend from Delhi, this is how the chat went on…
1:07 PM shruti: hi Krishna
hru?
1:08 PM me: hi shruti!
am fine. :)
how abt u?
shruti: i am good too
1:09 PM so where are u these days?
me: here in mumbai
shruti: how long have u been there now?
:D
1:11 PM me: 9wa mahina chal raha hai..
;)
shruti: hahaha
so when are u delivering ;)
1:12 PM i mean when is the due date?
for the final delivery??
1:14 PM me: bas kabhi bhi..
shruti: arre wah...
do share the outcome with me..whenever it happens
1:15 PM me: yeah...yeah..khushkhabri zaldi hi sunne ko milegi

So here I am. It’s been 9 months since my postal address changed. If not exactly a roller coster ride, these nine months - living independently in a city as strange and surreal as Bombay, for a guy who has never been away from his family all through his life - have been adventurous enough.

Living with a roommate, I have learnt the importance of compatibility between two people if they plan to live together for life. Compromising on a few things, ignoring things you dislike about your partner, listening to all his bakwaas, and giving him a shoulder to cry on when a girl - jis per uska dil aaya tha - tells him that she thought of him merely as a caring brother. And then I think what will happen when I marry? Am I going to get someone who thinks on the same wavelength as I do, who will be as caring as I am, who will be smart, determined, understanding, good-humoured, and mature enough to handle life’s difficulties when things are not going our way? After all, I have to live with that person all my life. And it would be difficult for us to live happily, if our thinking doesn’t match. I mean, I am not asking for a perfect match, but someone who, even with all her imperfections, is good enough to make me exclaim sometimes “You are perfect for me. If God gave me a wish, I would wish you all my life.”
And that is why I think a mix of Shahana Goswami’s character, Debbie and Prachi Desai’s character, Saakshi in Rock On would be perfect for me.

Btw, I recently saw Rock On and loved every bit of it. If you haven’t yet seen it. Just do it!! Nike style :)) The best thing about the movie is that it ends on a feel-good note and leaves me humming “Hai ye waqt ka ishaara, har lamha pukara..yun hi dekhta hai kya tu, zindagi milegi na dubaara…Rock On!!”
Btw, I am yet to find a reason why the movie’s title contains two exclamation marks. If you know, do tell me.

Before logging off…just wanna say to all my blogger friends “Ye tumhari meri baatein hamesha yun hi chalti rahein..ye hamari mulaakatein hamesha yun hi chalti rahein…beete yun hi apne saare din raat…baaton se nikalti rahe nai baat…phir wahi baatein leke blog koi hum likhein..”
:))

Still the One!

For the last two days, whoever sees me tells me I am looking extra-happy. “What’s the reason dude?,” people ask me. But those who know the reason are prompt to congratulate me. Roger has won the U.S. Open. It was pretty uncharacteristic way for Roger to celebrate his win. Roger fell to his knees and then rolled onto his back, overwhelmed with the moment. He screamed his heart out before rising and saluting the crowd for their support. And this tells us how important this win was for Roger. "It definitely feels great. This is a very special moment in my career. To take this one home is incredible. It means the world to me," Roger said.

And to think of it, most people had started writing obituaries of his career..said his reign is over. It pained a lot to hear those comments. But I believed in you. And thanks so much for vindicating me. Now your detractors can Rest In Peace.

How quick we are to predict a star’s fall. Some people proclaimed that this is his worst performance and he will never be able to win another grand slam. Just because the guy had reached finals of two grand slams, semifinals in one, and won doubles gold in Olympics. How lackluster! How ordinary! Well..other players would be just happy enough to end the year with such performance. Look what Andy Murray said about his performance. "I had a great tournament," Murray said. "Came up against, in my opinion, the greatest player to ever play the game. I got the best of him the last two times we played. He definitely set the record straight."

Sure, at the start of the season, Roger was suffering from mononucleosis, still he reached semifinals of the Australian Open. He was uncharacteristically outplayed by Nadal in French open and lost the epic match on Wimbledon’s centre court by a mere 2 points, the kind of matches he usually comes out winning.

For almost five years, he has dominated the game with his velvety strokeplay and charismatic forehand. His artistry is just unmatched. Unlike Nadal’s muscular-style power play, Roger moves his racquet like a painter’s brush on a canvas. And each stroke is a chef d’ouvre in the making. He does things with the racquet that leaves people gasping for breath. He moves around the court with an omnipresent, superhuman-like quality. And the best thing is he is as graceful off the court as competent as on the court.

But throughout this season, we have seen the human in this almost-superhuman being. He grimaced in pain when losing the Wimbledon final, saw himself lose without even putting a fight to Nadal in French Open, couldn’t fulfill his dream of winning an Olympic gold in singles, and then lost his no. 1 ranking in August this year. It was as much frustrating for his fans as for him. His fans could feel his vulnerability. But in U.S. Open, he showed his brutal, ruthless side. He screamed at each point won and was excited as hell when he won the title. It was exciting to witness Federer being challenged. Searching for answers to questions that were raised on his ability. And it was as much fun to see him regain his lost pride.

Roger now has shown that he can turn things around as quickly as he switches from forehand to backhand to create a winner. And he has clearly indicated that he will not rest on 13 titles. He is going to break Pete’s record. With Nadal, Novak, and Murray closing in on him and threatening his invincibility, it’s a great time for Tennis and the game’s lovers are gonna enjoy the rivalry to the hilt.

Like on every other thing, Roger has an opinion on this one too "One thing is for sure. I'm not going to stop at 13."

The grass is still greener on Roger’s side.

Roger, you are Still the One! :))

This is Mumbai my dear, but don't fear; Just cheer, come to Mumbai every year!

Close to 7 months and I am still exploring Mumbai. The city has made me more observant of my surroundings. Initially, when I came here, I found fault in everything that belonged to Mumbai...its constant, unrelenting humid weather...the crowded places...the narrow, teetering-tattering roads. Everywhere I saw, I could find negativity. But the perspective is changing, slowly, but surely. I have began to start liking the city.

It's a unique city, unlike others. I am totally awed by the number of people residing. It's maddening. Mumbai is crowded to extreme. It's the most densely populated city in the world and in some parts of Mumbai, especially the western and central Mumbai, almost a million people are jostling for space in a square kilometre area. The city resembles like an insect colony. There is no personal space for an individual in Mumbai. The moment you come out of your 2-room flat - the only space that you can call personal in the whole of Mumbai - you just can't avoid getting touched here and there. there are a million people touching you, brushing past you, rubbing shoulder to shoulder, legs to legs, hands to hands, and bums to bums in local trains. There are so many people on the roads, on railway station, in local trains, in buses, even in the lift - the swarm of crowd is intimidating, to say the least. This is a city where you can reach your destination riding a cycle earlier than a car. Car makers in bbay never advertise the 160- or 180-km ph speeds that their car can reach. Because the speed is of no use here on Bbay's roads. So while you can admire the plush interiors of your newly bought Merc or BMW, it will not take you to your office on time. It is no better than a Maruti 800, which is crawling adjacent to you in the huge traffic on narrow roads, which look like a galli in your mohalla. Buying a car is a sin in Bbay..and the bigger sin is driving one. So even if you can afford one, drop the idea. Better travel in a local.

Talking of locals, Mumbai local ka 'suffer' bhi chakha hai maine. I find the crowd at Dadar station very intimidating. This is one station in the whole of Mumbai, where getting into and off the train is close to a life changing experience.

When you walk on the platform, you must be careful. Always keep your eyes straight. The moment you look sideways, you will get bumped into someone coming in front of you. And you are highly prone to such accidents if a pretty girl is passing just beside you and decide to have glimpse of her, admire her beauty. The crowd punishes you for bird watching. Someone might trample over your foot, bump hard his shoulders onto yours. And you will be just left cursing them under your breath. So people never indulge in extracurricular activities of your eyes when on Dadar station.

Riding here is not for weaklings. You need a heart of steel and the body too, coz you hv to be prepared to get bruised and battered once you take the ride. There are such a huge swarm of commuters around you, if you are not used to it, you get a heart-attack. Deluged in a torrent of people, the damned commuter just flows with the crowd. During peak hours in Mumbai, 15 pairs of legs vie for a 1 sq. metre space inside the locals. A carriage made for 200 people carries more than 600 commuters at one go. I just find it strange how locals have become a lifeline for people here who are used to riding on their tows, hanging from the doors. And I wonder how would they react, if something like Delhi metro is started here. One thing is for sure, logon ko train ke gates per latakne ka mauka nahi milega, coz in metros gates close automatically naa.

Taking a cue from an e-mail forward:
This is Mumbai my dear, but don't fear,
just cheer, come to Mumbai every year!

Strange Encounters

Earlier this morning, when me and my roommate were leaving for office, he saw our building’s nepali guard, and commented on his looks - “This guy is good looking, no."
I chuckled at his observation and pulled his leg saying “What the duck? Are you gay or what? Hazaar ladkiyan hain duniya mein…saale, tujhe ek ye ladka hi pasand aaya?”

Btw, earlier I thought 'gay' was a term used for 'happy, high-spirited' people as the oxford dictionary says. And I could freely use the word to describe myself "I am a very gay person." Well...that was until i knew there's a species existing by the same term. Now, if i use the same sentence to describe myself, imagine the reactions.

Now, I would be as much interested in talking about gays as Elton John in discussing cricket. For people with low greater kailash..GK i mean...who think Elton John was Pope John II, go to google and type Elton John…and you will find that Mr. John is a gay who married his long time girl..oops boyfriend David Furnish. But fact of the matter is that this harmless, banter about gay thing took a different turn when suddenly my roommate, who is actually a freaking, careless guy, asked me “Hay you ever met a gay?”.

And we always need some faltu topic to kill our boring journey from home to office every morning. Now, that question was a little uncomfortable. And out of just sounding cool, I said ‘Are you kidding me. No. never. What about you?” And surprisingly, my roommate said “Yes.” And I got interested. “Tell me more.” Now let me tell you what happened to him. He once visited a temple, some place in South India, with his dad. And they decided to stay overnight at the temple’s dharamshala. There was this old, frailing priest, who called my roomie. He went to him and touched his feets. Now, Mr. Priest had other intentions. He immediately grabbed his hands and hugged him strongly, moving his hands all over his body which veered dangerously to uncomfortable places. And my roomie was totally frightened. Next time he never went near him. But he was totally embarrassed. How can a priest do this? I mean, the thought of looking at a guy with those intentions knocks me over. It simply freaks me out. My roommate’s frankness really rubbed upon me. I decided to confess. And when I was confessing…tell you what… I felt like a child who just got caught by his mom for steeling a pack of Parle G from the upper most drawer in the kitchen. You must have experienced how uncomfortable you felt when you got caught red handed like that in any situation. Sharam se doob marne ka mann karta hai. Yes, I too have had an encounter of a homo kind. Now, you may not believe it, but I don’t need some stamp of approval to say that I have been molested. You think..a guy getting molested sounds as alien as someone predicting Rajasthan Royals would win the IPL20-20 before the tournament started. Well…I recommend you read Khaled Hussaini’s ‘The Kite Runner’. You will know, as I found out, that a boy can be raped too. Yes..don’t blink your eyes. You read it right..a boy can also be raped. I don’t want to bold or capitalize that most-dreaded four letter word. It still has the same meaning.

Rolling back the time machine a few years ago when I was just a school kid..flashback..circa 1996. I was in class 8th at that time. 13..going on 14. I always took a DTC bus (those days, there used to be those killer..red lines) from school to home. And one day, I was travelling in one such bus…going back home. I grabbed the back seat in the bus, which was relatively crowded..though not like it used to be in the morning. And there’s this middle-aged guy sitting adjacent to me. I was looking at the history exam papers when he suddenly asked “You had an exam today?”. I nodded and there was a lurking fear he won’t ask me how it went. Now, my marks in history can be compared to the bikini worn by Anna Kournikova – Minimal. And I was in no mood to tell my marks to some stranger. Btw, this middle-aged uncle ji was trying to be extra friendly. And I don’t know when it happened but I sensed a hand going below the school bag that I had placed on my lap and touching my thighs. First, I thought he might have unintentionally touched me trying to let other people adjust. But when the unexpected happened…his hands din’t stop..I was completely shocked, shaken..whatever u say. It took me a second to realize that this is the next, aspiring Mr. Elton John. I stood up immediately and got out of the bus on the next stop. Out of the bus, I was completely shocked. I couldn’t understand what it was and why it happened to me. I could have thrashed that guy..hit him. But what would I tell him, and tell the people around…that he was touching me at uncomfortable places..he was trying to molest me? Who would have believed me? But I bet I see this gay guy now, and I ll crush his....The whole day, I kept feeling uncomfortable on that incident. Consider my age yaar..13 only. What the duck this man found attractive about me? Tchee..tchee!!

Apart from the regular boys flanking them and eve teasing, girls too must be having some strange encounters..like meeting with lesbians. I don’t know how they would have felt in such situations. Well..actually I do have some idea about how girls may feel about this. Recently I saw a play called “Manto Ismat Hazir Hain” by Naseeruddin Shah. And the play was about such relationships.

I don’t know if such incidents would have happened with other boys. It happened to me once only, but it happens to girls everyday. And I really feel for girls who are surrounded by voyeurs and eve teasers like bees around honey. It’s such a common species, like cows and buffalos on the streets of Delhi. Everyday, it must be so uncomfortable for them. The moment they step out of their home, they are sure to find eyes oogling at them. The autorickshaw wallah adjusts his rear view mirror to get a better view. Two men on a speeding bike decide to have a peek-a-boo at you and discuss what they think of you. Some even might follow you if they are really wella. The bus conductor in a blue line bus stares at you and passes lewd comments. And what do you do between all this..Just pretend not to hear them, swear at them under your breath and always trying to avoid eye contact. Seems like I am watching a horror movie. Mere se pucho toh girls should be like Mauli Zimik ..jisne woh chaanta lagaya tha us ladke ko Chak De movie mein..and like Balbir Kaur..Koi rok sake na tok, jo jyada bole thok..hai dil mein jo bhi baat, tu bak de..oye chak de!

But seriously, being a parent of a girl must be tough..Always, this tension of their child’s safety. Sometimes I hate being born a guy..Some such bad fish (I am confused..fish ka plural fishes hota hai ya fish) with rotten minds have given, us, guys bad names.

Happy B'day to Godshandwriting!

Hey Godshandwriting!

Happy B'day to you! It's been a year since we met, and not surprisingly, our love affair continues. And, it has grown so much that i feel addicted to you. Last May 28, when I had my first date with you, I din't know if I would be able to sustain this long. Infact, i never thought I would celebrate your first b'day.

Even though the number of blog posts is comparatively less if i consider the number of days in a year - it's just 19 blog posts in 365 days - but still I have managed to keep it going.

Thanks to Daljeet for giving me the idea of creating a blog and also thanks to the girl who first spoke the word 'Godshandwriting'. I instantly fell in love with the name. And i would be lying if i din't acknowledge her contribution to this blog. Infact apart from this blog, she is the one person who i think can be easily called gods handwriting...and in the true sense.

There are lots of other fellow bloggers who inspired me to write blog posts. Priya Iyer, Abhinav, Harish, Adeic, Sayesha, and lots more...who keep entertaining me day in day out with their blogs.

I don't want to make any promises but just hope to continue scribbling on these pages for many more Mays. Life is definitely beautiful when you are around! :-)

Where there's a will, there's mail

I have been reading a lot these days. Back to back – three books. Unusually me.
And all the three are amazing read. First was the ‘Kite Runner’ by Khaled Husseini. Guess the second one.. Well..when you read Kite Runner, you are bound to be impressed by Khaled’s style of writing. So I decided to pick up ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’. And both the novels – though similar in characterization – are really poignant. Amazing! I was left numb when I finished both the novels. Especially, the Kite Runner. Khaled’s ability to weave a fiction from seemingly non-fictional events and bring out something which readers could relate to is really admirable. I think Kite Runner definitely deserves a review by me. I will definitely put up a review for this book sometime. But that task is left as of now.
Meanwhile, I have now picked up ‘The World is Flat’, by Thomas L. Friedman. See the change in taste. From Kite Runner to The World is Flat. Two entirely different genres. That is how I am. I am in the midst of the flat world. Am liking this one too. I would say it’s a layman’s book. If you want economics simplified to the extent that it seems like eating an apple, then this is THE book.
One of the things I want to talk about here is the concept of ‘Who Owns What?’ that Tom describes in his book. And, must I say, it hit me real hard. Have you ever thought of making a personal will. No? Well..I know most of us wouldn’t have given a thought to it. OK. Suppose you were to make a personal will. What all will you include in it – your home, your belongings, your bank account, or anything that you legally own. But amidst all this you forget one important thing. Guess what! .. your e-mail account. Surprised! Yes your e-mail account could be an important asset for your family long after you are gone. As Friedman shares his fears, “As you get rid of more and more paper and communicate more and more in digitized formats, you better sort out before you die, and include in your will, to whom, if anyone, you would like to leave your bits.” Friedman also puts his case to prove the gravity of his situation, “I stored many chapters of this book (The World is Flat) in my AOL account, feeling it would be safest in cyberspace. If something had happened to me during my writing, my family and publisher would have had to sue AOL to try to get this text.”
And moreover, suppose you might have stored important mails in your gmail account, some conversations with your loved ones, your favourite pics. What if you were to die today without telling the password of your mail account to anyone? Only two people know – you and Google. But you are dead..and there is no dead man walking in real life. So cut it. And even if your family requests Google to share your passwords and user ID because it’s the only source of information about you. It’s like they might want to hold on to your memories long after you are gone. Well…Google is not obliged to entertain your family’s requests. Why? Simply because Google asked you to agree to its terms and conditions during sign up. And the terms clearly stated that your rights to your account terminate after your death and its contents are nontransferable. See the problems of living in the Internet age. And it’s not the end..just the beginning.

Living life backwards

It's been so long since anything crawled on my blog. Seems like a big writer's block. Well...so much happened these days, exploring mumbai..visiting new places, meeting new people.

I guess i need to let everyone know of what's happening in life these days. Let's start from somewhere..ok.lemme tell u what i did last week. I went to see the snapshots of the Asian Hot Shots Film Festival held at the Max Mueller Bhawan located at Kala Ghoda. The festival was organized in Berlin earlier this year in January. The organizers are on a world tour with the aim of promoting this festival and showcasing the films made by Asian filmmakers - mostly short films, animations, and documentaries – which ran in the festival’s first edition this year.
I really liked the assortment of films that were on offer at the festival. The concept of each film shown was new and thought provoking. The show started with the short film “Gandhi at the Bat”. The film is a hilarious account of how M.K. Gandhi visited America and played baseball at the Yankee Stadium and even led the New Yorkers to a shock win over the Philadelphians.
Another film that I really liked was “Rewind”. Conceived and directed by Indian filmmaker Atul Taishete, the movie explores the concept of time moving backwards. It forced the audience to imagine how life would be if the effect happens before the cause. Inspired by Christopher Nolan’s Memento (Aamir Khan’s Ghazini is also inspired by Memento), it raised some pertinent, but less explored questions of life moving backwards. As some one said, "How it would make sense if the life cycle was all backwards. You would die first and get death out of the way. Then you live in an old age home with pension. You get your retirement benefits and start working. You work for forty odd years until you are young enough to enjoy retirement. Then you booze and party, then get ready for high school. You become a kid, play, have no worries. You become a little baby, go back into the womb, spend your last nine months floating and finish off as an orgasm."

I was left wondering something like this happening to me after watching this film. Can you imagine this happening? Would you like to live your life backwards? Don’t imagine much. The film will be released by PVR Cinemas in April this year at cinemas across India. Although it will appear as a short film in between another English movie. So find out for yourself… :)

Advantage Roger...

Dear Rogi,
I know you must be disappointed when you lost to Novak. When I got to know that you lost the semis, I was shocked. Couldn’t believe my ears…felt like crying. As if it’s not you but me who lost. Your loss wasn’t sinking..and when I finally realized that you lost the semis of Australian Open, I was angry and frustrated. You were so close to making history…it would have brought you one step closer to Pete’s record of 14 grand slams.

But, now I realize how painful it would have been for you to lose…As you said, you created an aura, a monster around yourself that Roger can’t lose..come what may. But it had to happen some day. It’s hard to understand at times, the pressure of being you, especially at times like these, when you are on the losing side of the net. But the way you carry yourself, looking calm, taking your losses with equal poise as your wins – is what makes you a champ!

Invariably, you seem to take your losses better than your fans, and probably better than other players. It’s really admirable and worth emulating..in every aspect of life. c'est la vie, mon cheri.
It’s often hard for the fans to see you lose as we find ourselves caring so much for you. I can find solace in the fact that only a player like you can reach semifinals of a GS without even playing a practice match before the tournament.

I just hope to see you come back strong soon as you do, and continue to charm us with ur classy serves. I also hope you enjoyed your time in Melbourne, even if it didn’t go according to plan; you know we really love you down here!

We are still proud of you Rogi and will cheer for u at the French Open in May. Remember...
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But you have promises to keep,
and miles to go before you sleep...

Rogi, I would like to embrasse you, because you win you lose you are my hero, for ever.
You are and you will be the best player in the world.

It’s always Advantage Roger. Chak de Roger!!

Je t’embrasse!
Your ardent fan.

Akkad Bakkad Bombay Bo…

23rd December 2007: This date will be etched in golden, silver, and platinum words in the history of Indian Airlines Flight No. C658. It was my first time traveling by air. Obviously, I was all excited and raring to fly and not to miss those Katrina Kaif-types air hostesses. Alas! Later I found out that all the good looking flight attendants, as promised in the welcome message, were not on this flight. Even though I kept waiting for some colourful, eye-stopping lady come to me and serve me some coffee and all that foody stuff, none came. The rest of the journey was all kala and safed, totally uneventful. Finally, after two hours of boring journey, the plane landed at the Mumbai Airport. The middle-aged flight attendant announced “Thank you for flying Indian Airlines. We hope you enjoyed the journey as much as we enjoyed serving you.” Don’t get deceived. What they actually meant was “Thank you for flying Indian Airlines. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride.”

Uff…the moment I came out of the flight, it was so hot… like a garam garam kadai has been put on your butter bottoms. It’s so hot out here in Mumbai..as if it’s May. Delhi, at this time, must be shivering. And just like people in Delhi’s DTC bus jostle to get out, everyone in the plane was pushing and shoving around each other eager to get out of the plane the moment it landed. As if it’s going to blow up in 15 seconds. People jumped off their seats, kicking each other, brushing their bottoms against each other. Pulling off suitcases from the overhead flaps. Uff..man, hello, excuse me, can u please pull off your luggage off my toe. I thought better remain seated in my seat..else I’ll get mashed like potato pulp in this crowd.

Next stop: Company guesthouse. I took a cab for my guesthouse. The driver had radio on…And call it a coincidence or what you may…the RJ on Red FM had just put the Shootout at Lokhandwala song ‘In the Mumbai, all over India, we are the bhais..” What a welcome to Mumbai…and that too by the RJ of a radio station. In the backseat, I was enjoying the song and having a first-hand look at Mumbai. Arree….woh rahi double decker bus. Pehli baar dekhi yaar. Apart from that, it’s so much traffic and roads so thin, even the skinny Paris Hilton will be put to shame. A friend, while wishing me goodbye had told me that Mumbai girls are hotter than Delhi’s. Alas! Till now I haven’t seen a single girl who could behold me. Delhi girls, especially those at AFD (Alliance Francaise de Delhi), are still fresh in my mind.

It’s been three weeks in Mumbai now. When friends in Delhi were partying on new year eve, I was busy finding roti, kapda and most importantly a home. So I could not roam around and see the real Mumbai, that of film stars and cricketers. Mumbai’s night life and all that jazz. I am yet to travel in a local train. And even though my mumbaikar friends tell me horror stories of local trains, I am undaunted. Like, after 1 hr of travel, when you come out, you will be stinking like a dead dog fried in a pan and all the buttons of your shirt will be missing, or you might find that someone’s stolen the shoe you wore in your left leg, so now make do with a single shoe or better still take out that too and walk bare foot so you look sane. But I am determined to travel in local trains. After all, that is synonymous to Mumbai. And that’s why I have come to Mumbai – to enjoy the (mis)adventure that Mumbai offers.
Sidelights: I like the wada pav of Mumbai so much..it’s tasty, spicy..yummieee. I have been on wada pav diet for the last two days…feeding myself with loads of wada pav in breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Right now I am in office, ekdum comp ke saamne, typing down this post and enjoying some nice Jab we Met songs on my headset. There’s this song playing ..
hum jo chalane lage, chalane lage hain yeh raaste,
manjil se behtar lagane lage hai yeh raaste
………..
Nice song! And now that I am in Mumbai, I can totally relate to it now. Shuru-2 mein I felt very homesick but now I am kinda enjoying everything. Dheere dheere hi sahi, I have started liking this city. Aur ek badee baat, log kehte hain Mumbai aa kar ya to tumhe struggle milegi ya success. Mujhe kab milegi…Katrina Kaif. Mere success ki list mein woh bhi aati hai. :) Let’s see what surprises Mumbai has in store for me. :)