The Slap Point

 

I guess many will remember the MTV One Tight Slap (with a special emphasis on the "Onnneee"). At least I do. Not because I remember those jokes or really liked them as much; its just because when the voice over artist said- One Tight slap, it just captured the intense desire to whack that idiot off the screen so well. And is that the reason why I still remember it? Partially but I remember it because I hear that voice too often in my head.. don't you? 

Ever saw that family in mall which decides to have their little family meeting right at the entrance of the mall, blocking everyone's passage; or the biker who overtakes you from your left side and then gives you the look as if you are at fault; or that driver at the parking lot exit, who seems surprised to find a person asking for money as if in his universe humans don't have to pay for parking; or that couple who fall in love everyday with each other and find it necessary to post it on FB (I am surprised they haven't hurt themselves yet after so much falling); or the ones sending Candy Crush invites on FB. I bet you did. What do I find common across these people? Well many things actually, but most of all - they all need Onnnneeee Tight Slap! Put your hand to your heart and tell me that you don't agree ! 

This feeling led to the postulation of the "Slap Point". So what is Slap Point? 
I believe there is a Slap-Time Continuum in every person's life. Every action has a "Slap Value" attached to it, and every man should strive to lead a life with near zero Slap Value at all times - let's call this level as - "Slap Threshold". In short all actions which don't cross Slap Threshold can be ignored for all practical purposes - e.g. Watching SRK's Happy New Year, Supporting Mamata Banerjee in last assembly elections etc.

However, once in a while he will do those actions which crosses this level, such as - passing remarks on a girl walking by and expecting her to turn around and give you her number, Watching Humshakals , Supporting Arvind Kejriwal in up-coming Delhi Elections, and that is when he has earned his One Tight Slap, and this point on Slap-Time Continuum is called the "Slap Point".

Now the interesting thing to note is that "Stitch in time saves nine" is applicable in the Slap frame of reference as well. One Slap at the right time, can save well a lot more than nine. However just like many other deadly forces of our time (e.g. Himesh Reshamiya's rendition of tera tera tera Surooooor) this creeps up unnoticed and before you know it there is that 'one too many' moment (much like Xpose). Once you cross this point, you can never return to your ideal score of 0 on Slap- Time continuum, and forever left with a "Residual Slap Value". In short you are damaged for life- e.g. Rahul Gandhi, Sonam Kapoor or that kid who shouts - aata mazi satak li in Singham 2. This point is called "#YoRahulSoYoung's Modulus" (after Young's Modulus in elasticity). 

However, till that time of hitting the point of no return, there is hope. May be with one or may be with many; may be by one person or may be by many, that person still might come back to his original state, e.g. Indian Cricket Team, Anu Malik, Raghu-Rajiv of the world still have hope in this life. Its all up to their friends and well wishers to calculate the Slap Count and deliver it with the ferocity and intensity captured in that commercial. I am sure that this theory of mine is going to catch up soon, and soon we will have a "Swasth Bharat Abhiyaan", powered by "Ek Tamacha Jor Ka". Its up to us now, to make this world a better place - One Tight Slap at a Time... 

Ladakh : The Land of High Passes:

 

A person might travel to many places in his life - some places so pure and beautiful that they will take his breath away, like Radhanagar beach in Havelock Islands (Andaman), or Waterfalls so big and majestic that you truly fear the strength of nature, like Jog Falls (Karnataka), or jungles so dense and mysterious, that you are bound to believe in the supernatural, like Dhikala in Jim Corbett National Park, or a place which marvels in its simplicity and will bring you closer to mother Earth, like the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. However there are but few places on earth, which will put you face to face with your own self, like Ladakh will, and that is the reason why everyone has a unique experience visiting Ladakh. Once you have lived and passed through these high passes, you will not only have more respect for those who live in these region, but also have a perspective about your own life which often gets lost between latest phone models and the biggest Bollywood release.

Set between the Kunlun Mountain range in North and the Great Himalayas in South, Ladakh is the highest plateau of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. A life on a mountain range is always tough, because many things which we take for granted on the plains, such as water, fertile soil, ease of transportation and predictable weather, are not so common up on these ranges. However Ladakh being a cold desert, makes living on these mountains truly a task for the brave hearts. 

Journey begins: 

We started on our journey from Mumbai. We took a flight to Chandigarh and then took an overnight bus to Manali. We spent a day in Manali visiting the Hidimba temple and lazing by the river Beas, and left for Sarchu next day morning. Journey from Manali to Leh takes 2 to 3 days depending on how much you want to exert yourself. Those who want to spend 3 days can halt at Keylong on 1st night, and in Sarchu on 2nd. While the total distance is around 500 Km, the roads fairly tricky at parts and not in great conditions all across, which makes long driving hours quite difficult. Having said that, this 2 day journey from Manali to Leh is probably one of the best journeys in this trip. As you start from Manali, by the time you cross Rohtang Pass, you notice that the plush green mountains have suddenly turned barren and less green. As the journey advances the barrenness only increases, however these black and brown mountains pose an amazing contrast against the deep blue sky. You should watch out for the Altitude sickness as you advance on this journey. Make it a point to drink 4 litre of water every day. Water keeps the body hydrated and saves you from more severe signs of altitude sickness. 

The staple food which you will find in most of the roadside shops will constitute of Maggi, Veg Thupka and a ginger-honey lemon tea. Most of the shops serve veg Indian dishes as well. 

Sarchu is where we halted for the night. It is said to be at a height of 15,000 ft which is higher than entire Europe. Here there were only temporary tents as accommodation. Camped in the middle of hills, our camping site offered a spectacular view of the night sky. If you can brave the cold wind at night, this sight of the night sky is something which you will carry in your memory for a long time. 

Next day, we crossed some of the highest passes in Ladakh - Lachulung La and Tanglang La. Though the second day is more tiring, it also provides more variety in terms of view. Sarchu is almost at the border of HImachal Pradesh, and once you have crossed Sarchu, you know you have entered J&K. Roads are in fact much better once you cross Pang. We reached Leh around 6 pm in the evening. 

Leh- Pangong - Khardungla- Zanskar :

Next day we spent going around the city of Leh. There are couple of notable monasteries - Thiksey and Alchi Choskor monastery, along with royal palace and the Hall of Fame to commemorate the heroes of Kargil War. We also spent some time around the main market area as it provided amazing options not only for shopping but also for eating. There are many cafes and restaurants in this area which serve a wide range of international and national cuisine. 

We had kept only 1 day to visit Pangong Lake, however if you have time, you should plan for a night halt near the lake. There are a number of temporary camp sites near the area. Pangong lake probably peaked in its popularity because of the closing scene of the movie 3 Idiots, which was shot there. I must say, many places don't live up to the hype created by such movies, but Pangong Lake is not one such place. The view of this huge lake partly in India and partly in Tibet, is truly breathtaking. The ice cold water is so pure and still that you can actually see the sky's reflection in it. The time flies when you are sitting next to this lake, and before long we realized we had to return back to Leh. The to and fro jouney from Leh to Pangong lake takes around 8 to 9 hours in totality. 

The day after we kept relatively light. We decided to celebrate the Independence Day on the Khardungla Pass, which is widely considered as the highest motor-able road in this world. While many dispute this claim, what is truly undeniable is the feeling that you get when you reach the pass, and find several more Indians who have driven, cycled or trekked to reach this pass and celebrate the Independence Day. Given the high altitude its advised not to spend more than 30 minutes at this pass. This also puts in perspective what kind of harsh climate our jawaans face on such mountain range, as go about protecting this nation. Freedom is something which often take for granted, and for once our daily fights to get the window seat in buses and trains, or catching the light at a traffic signal which seems like the biggest struggle of our lives looked so meaningless and trivial. 

The day after, we went for river rafting on the Zanskar river. We took almost 2 hours to cross around 28 Km of Zanskar river to reach the Zanskar- Indus confluence. The river has many grade 2 and 3 rapids, however what it will test the most is your will to paddle in this ice cold water. The river has an excellent view of the mountains surrounding it. On the way back to Leh, you will also come across the Magnetic hill. If a car is brought to halt on this hill, because of certain magnetic properties of the location, it is pushed up hill all by itself.

Coming back to life: 

We took our flight from Leh to Mumbai the next day. As we stood at the check in area in the airport, we were wondering if we have seen everything. Definitely not! We ddin't see the double humped camel of Nubra Valley or picturesque roads across the Kargil and Drass sectors. There is so much Ladakh has to offer, that covering it all in one trip is just not possible. And even when you have seen all, the question remains - have you experience it all ? You look at those bikers, cyclist and trekkers of all ages and nationalities and you know each is taking back a different story home. So its probably never truly possible to capture Ladakh in entirety, but I know for a fact that once you have experienced a part of this place, it stays with you forever ! 

Waiting...

Every moment a struggle 

A Struggle for distraction

Distraction is what I miss 

Missing a moment of company

Company of thoughts

Thoughts are so thoughtless 

Thoughtless is this time

Time is so long, apart

Apart is not a length

Length is to which I will go

Go to be with you..

Why did Google make an Ad for India?

One of the companies which has created quite a buzz in recent months by their ad is Google. 3 weeks back Google came out with its “Reunion Ad” which has received more than 1 Cr views as of today on YouTube alone. While the ad in itself is superbly done, in terms of building the emotional connect with consumers, highlighting Google's primary and sort of overarching brand promise - Search, what often people asked was 'why'. Why should Google make an ad, when it owns 97% market share of Search, in India? That too a three and half minute long ad.

One simple answer will be 'Mobile'.
Let's look at few statistics to begin with.

Key conclusions from looking at these trends are:

•       Mobile is driving the internet proliferation in India and globally

•       Smartphones and Tablets are directly eating into PC/ Laptop market, by providing easy internet access and low to mid end data handling and computing capability.

•       Indian consumers are ready to pay for content on Mobile. 300 Cr (Indian paid app market size) is the highest Indian consumers have ever paid for digital content consumption. Hence a clear shift in preference of platform for media consumption.

Google, like many other market leaders of respective categories, is trying to drive one thing above all- penetration of the category, in this case Internet Usage. Almost 90%+ revenue for Google comes from online ad, and hence the second challenge- how to make the users come to Google for all ‘searches’. This is the part which gets tricky when it comes to mobile. In mobile, unlike PC/Laptop, we needn’t access internet only via internet explorer, there are apps (short for ‘application’) which cater to our specialized needs/ interests. With the plethora of apps, such as FB, Twitter, flipkart, bookmyshow, NDTV, Pulse, cricinfo, Zomato and many more, it is limiting the need to use mobile browser. In the long run, Google stands to lose a substantial chunk of mobile internet traffic due to reduced use of google apps or browser. Google’s answer to this is – Google Now. To borrow directly from its definition online - it’s an intelligent personal assistant developed by Google, which is available within the Google Search mobile application for Android and iOS operating system. Google Now is your one stop destination for weather updates, restaurant bookings, flight schedules, traffic updates on your frequently used routes, score updates of your favorite team and so many other things. The idea is to keep the user on Google Search app as much as possible, and provide all the information in a cohesive manner.

So now coming to the ad itself, it has two key deliverables – 1. Establish an instant emotional connect with a large section of the Indian population (what better than partition of India as a topic), 2. showcase the use of Google desktop search and mobile app in day to day life. They have put special emphasis on really setting the context so that nothing seems forced, and hence the length of the ad. You can see the ad online (YouTube) or in Cinemas, since these are only two mediums which support such lengthy ads. Interestingly there are 4 more ads already on Google India channel on YouTube, which takes the story forward and highlights different usage occasions – sports update, translation, online shopping and cooking recipe. These are however shorter edits and are more likely to be seen in TV or Cinema in coming days.

Whether Google is successful in tapping the mobile users, will be keenly watched by many in days to come, however it does leave back clear learnings for – i) Market leaders, in terms of reading changing consumer trends and providing better products/ services to meet them, and ii) importance of developing genuine emotional connect in ad.

[Data Source: India’s Mobile Internet, Report by Avendus]

Some Days

Sun light is a little lighter, 

And the time ticks a little slower.

There is a pace in the steps 

And no distance seems further.

Music plays quite the type,

Traffic stops just about right.

Days are more hopeful,

But nights are too soon.

You feel more alive,

For there is so much to live.

I wish I could save some days for you,

For the most days that are not.

To the Hero worth Worshipping - Sachin!

Much has been said about Sachin as he retires today from all forms of international cricket, and sure much will be said in days to come. The challenge often during such emotional outburst of national scale is that whatever you say has been said by somebody else. Its like the description of "God" as per various religions; amidst all the diversity, there is a definite thread of commonality. Well let me also join the club and try to pay my tribute to the "God" of Cricket (which might just be the biggest religion, world wide). 

What is so different about Sachin's batting?

Everything. Let me explain. 

Every time "little master" walked to pitch and took guard, its like seeing a bottle of raw aggression walking down, ready to burst open anytime; but when he does- those strokes are just pure art. Its just amazing how a classical punch from back foot have so much accuracy in timing and power that the ball races to the boundary, leaving behind a shell shocked bowler. It takes an amazing amount of audacity to cut a ball over the square for a six; and immense control to just take a single off the next ball which merited it. One match with South Africa specially comes to mind, in which Sachin had hit a square cut, and Johnty Rhodes retracted his hand and let the ball go. To hit a square cut on one of the fastest pitches, off one of the fastest bowlers at that time is simply outstanding; but for Johnty to retract his hand and let the ball pass; that got to be something else all together. And there are just so many of such moments in his legacy of 24 years. One thing which always has been common throughout is that- "rush". The "rush" you feel , when you race your car at 100-120 kmph over the sea link; even if it is for only 20 seconds, it just washes away all the frustration you had felt for last 30 mins stuck in traffic. His shots had that magical cure about them. It could delight any about any soul on this planet.

He was a great player but not a match winner?

If I had a dime for every time I heard it I would have had a bungalow in Bandra by now. So let me not get into stats which show, how off his 17 centuries while chasing, 14 were match winners.... etc.. etc.. Let me just ask you couple of questions :
Who do you think they (opposition) studied the most in dressing room?
Why does every bowler, on dismissing Sachin, gives an expression as if he has just won the Miss Universe Crown? 
And if you were to bet your life savings, on an indian side chasing a total, will you feel safer knowing Sachin is still not out? 
And last one: Name just one player, anyone, in any sport, who has done it over 24 years?
I think, you know the answer. 
Sports, like sales, often tends to be very result  oriented.17 times out in 90s doesn't add to a single century. Losing a match when you just needed 16 runs to win and had 4 wickets in hand is still a loss. What often gets missed out is that he was the reason, why we had a fighting chance in the first place. 
If you still disagree, just answer this : how many times have you switched off the TV when Sachin got out, had a smoke (optional if outside bengal) , swore under your breath and muttered - "ab sala cricket dekhna hi chod dunga !!"

There are many more players like Anand, Paes, etc. why him? 

India- Pak match, in any series, ( and I am commenting here purely basis public expectation and focus on that match) has only 1 acceptable answer - Victory. If you fail to perform, it doesn't matter if you brought the 1st World Cup to the country, please be ready to have the gates of your home decorated with 'gobar'. There is no other sport (including elections) which is under so much public scrutiny and which can instantly generate so much public hatred. It takes a herculean effort to play even "Ludo" with hopes of 1 billion people resting on your shoulders, let alone face bowlers throwing ball at 100 mph under flood lights, and 40,000 people chanting your name. I mean no disrespect to any of the greats like Anand or Paes or any other sports person for that matter, but the weight which Sachin has carried for so many years is frankly incomparable. Your professional - personal life, every second of your life and the lives of your immediate family becomes front page material. To have an image which Sachin has had is well unparalleled in the world of sports (including politics).

And there have been so many more questions- like why didn't he speak up when match fixing cases were found, why did he ask for Indian Govt to waive off the taxes over the car gifted by Ferrari, why did he have to join Rajya Sabha, why did he get Bharat Ratna, and the most often asked- Why didn't he retire any sooner? 
What I feel is the tragedy of leading the life of Sachin is that just about anyone, with any talent or no talent, with any amount of contribution to his own family (let alone the country), feel that it's his birth right to challenge and question and allege basis any half baked theory he has. Without having any proof or knowing what the other person has to say, we have opinion about his life and what he should have done. 

Life of a critique is so much simpler !

Why am I rambling off about all this? Today it really doesn't matter. 

Why did I start writing all this in the first place? 

For the last couple of days, I have been thinking of putting up something about Sachin , but just couldn't put words to my feelings. Whenever I think of Sachin a vague memory comes to my mind- me and Amit (my childhood friend) watching an ODI at his place. Its afternoon and Sachin is in the crease decimating one bowler after another. We were only celebrating in between deliveries;as soon as the bowler starts with his run up, we will be back in our exact position, lest Sachin gets out. I have prayed for his century more than I ever did for marks, fought with friends who have thought of Sachin as anyone less than "God", always hoped for miracles during 3rd umpire decisions, believed in him no matter what, in short I behaved plain stupid (much like people in queue outside Rajnikanth's movie theatre). Today as he walks out of that field that last link with my childhood years snap, and probably that's why this day matters so much. 

I can't thank him enough for the range of emotions he introduced me to or say enough how this sport will not be the same again, at least for me. I wish him many more inspiring years ahead, and I really hope someday I get to tell him in person- Thank You ! 

The Red Medal

Lightning rips open the heart of the sky and rain falls like dark blood on the deserted streets… A lonely figure walks on nonchalantly, in a trance… in a blurry of visions and memories… in an illusion of fate!! Rain seems like hot bullets fired from the rifle, searing through his senses… blinding him…burdening him with those memories he longed to forget…

He opened a bottle of Jack Daniels, and poured himself a large peg of scotch, his sole companion for the night. Partly because of his training as a NSG commando and partly because of all the time he spent on his various missions he was more comfortable with darkness than the day light… Day light leaves no room for cover; he was out in open … exposed! He stood there at the verandah of the hotel room overlooking the sea. Out in front he could see some distant lights in the sea, but he wasn’t sure what they were because of the distance. The tempest raged with all its might, as if showing off how powerful it was. He switched off the lights and sat out there in darkness, watching the city scuttling away in the storm like those little bastards he gunned down from the chopper during his missions.

“…Major Avasthi led the team in this mission…and thanks to his and his team’s valor today we have slain one of the most wanted terrorist of the last two decades…Abu Hamaz! They hunted him down in his own lair at an undisclosed location on the western borders. Of a team of seven, three lost their lives and three were seriously wounded. We lament on the loss of the three brave….” And the flashes of light! Major Avasthi stood there, tensed, nervous, alert, depressed.... Journalist and camera men surrounded him and his team mates… “How do you feel Major Avasthi being hailed as the hero of the nation?”… “Major Avasthi…Are you going to retire after this?”… “Major Avasthi… Are you going to act in the next movie by Ram Gopal Verma based on your mission? Are you considering any brands to endorse?”… “Major Avasthi…Do you believe Abu Hamaz deserved to die? Do you think…?”

He checked his gears as they approached the drop point… he was ready! “All right boys… keep your eyes open… stick to the plan… don’t shoot each other… by the way a bottle of Jack Daniels to whoever kills that son of a bitch”… they clapped their hands together…gave out a medieval war cry and sat back as the pilot started a countdown before they were clear to jump...

They had lost their cover… the guard over the post wasn’t dead completely and rang the alarm… From a distance Avasthi and his men could see the flurry of activities inside the house… they didn’t have much time… there were at least 20 well trained assassins in the house…bravo team called in first…they needed back up from alpha and Charlie… they were going in! Avasthi knew it was a suicidal move…but then … it was war… It was madness!

Sounds of automatic rifles filled the night… bravo was down… and Charlie was just managing to hold up against the guys from the roof…he needed to move in.. he needed to move in real fast…

There was a deadly silence across that deserted field…you could very barely make out the humming of choppers at 10000 feets… there was one last room in front of Avasthi…there was 1 door and few bullets between Abu Hamaz and his death… the intelligence had been right about Abu Hamaz, but it was wrong about the number of dogs he had kept to guard him…and it had already cost him 2 men…may be more… he took out the pin of the grenade and with one swift movement pushed the door and threw it inside…. the flash grenade blinded everyone inside…there was a white light and lot of smoke… Avasthi charged in with Lieutenant Singh…firing…cursing…

Just after the press conference, Minister of defense invited him and his team to a dinner he had throw at his place in their honor. He told them how much he revered their courage, their sacrifice to this country and how this young generation needed to take lessons from him and his men... they should be the role model s of new India- fearless, strong and keepers of peace! In truth, he just wanted few snaps clicked with them, so that he can appear on the front page of next day’s newspaper. Elections were just round the corner, publicity never hurts…good publicity…well that’s God sent! He moved around the party like a zombie, smiling at everyone, posing for snaps, drinking to his friends who had lost their lives… drinking to their fate and a life or whatever was left of it… even answering some of the stupid question of various guests- were you scared? How did you feel when you killed him..?... How did he feel?

He changed the magazine of the rifle. He couldn’t believe that he was really there… the most wanted…feared terrorist was in the next room, with probably a dozen of other terrorists, with their Kalashnikovs trained at the very door he was going to push in…death was inevitable…this was a failed mission…he came so close…but!

Lieutenant Karan was breathing heavily next to him… they looked at each other…they recognized the fear in each other’s eye…and then he smiled! Their lives didn’t matter if they can’t kill him today… their death will not save Abu Hamaz today…his team mates are not going to die in vain…it will probably kill him…but he wasn’t afraid…

In the white flash they rolled in two grenades…blinded by the light terrorist fired at random… they didn’t see the two hand grenades which were thrown in. It was like a orchestra at work…just when the rifles had reached a crescendo, the two bombs went off in sync…and a second later two INSAS rifles joined the choir from the door…

Avasthi didn’t miss…he was born for this… for this day… to avenge the man for his guilt… to punish him…to kill him!

The boy was standing in the corner…his mother at his feet holding a Kalashnikov,bleeding to death….Abu Hamaz, dead on the other corner…couple of other … here and there…the boy was scared…but he didn’t cry…he was looking at him in the eye… he was memorizing the face he would hunt down when he was old enough…he wasn’t crying he was laughing…mocking …. Avasthi shot him in the head!

The boy lay on the ground; his cheeks were wet with tears…his last words were, in broken English, - please don’t kill me!

He filled another drink! Rain hadn’t stopped for last 3 hours… it’s all been so silent except for the rain…like that night on their way back…the silence was unbroken except for the sound of the chopper blades. The boy’s face kept coming back to him…his tear soaked face…those alive eyes. He took out his medal and held it out in his hand…that glistening silver medal looked so beautiful. There was another glimmer of metal in the rain…of the berretta in his other hand…and a final shot!

But when all this is over…wars won…heroes returned…villains newly found…who cares for those medals…those medals soaked in blood! 

Of Darkness and Liberation

A dark night… a lonely road… a fast car… and a shot of madness in his head…. He drove! In the short sighted visibility of the car head lights, he rested his faith and luck…anything beyond was darkness and unknown… anything beyond was approaching him at 120 kmph speed but he didn’t know if it was an open road or wall of stone… but he drove!

It was a dark night… no stars in the sky…a lonely moon giving shapes and forms to the expanding darkness that surrounded him. He was scared. He shot furtive glances towards those shapes… he didn’t know what they were and he didn’t know what to expect….There was a constant sound… a snarl… a giggle… a playful demeanor….someone was there …someone watching him…. Someone toying with him and his fate… a much mightier force …and he was his object of play for that night. He was scared!

A pair of brilliant balls of fire fast approached him from the opposite direction…some company at last! Starved of any company... unconsciously he drove towards them…positioning himself almost on the collision course. As if even the brief moment for which that truck will pass right next to him he will feel some level of companionship… which he will store…savor for the rest of the journey. As the those pair of lights came nearer, he realized that that they were just too bright for him to handle… he couldn’t be on his own anymore… he lost his view of the road… he lost control...he was going for a head on collision…and for all those long micro seconds … he knew.. but he couldn’t move…he had accepted that collision as a collateral for that companionship…. He had given up!

 Truck swerved at the last second… sparing his life! And for those seconds … and many more following them, blinded as he sat...he was lost in his dreams. He dreamt of himself as a child… his parents… his friends… his home… of the mango tree in the courtyard…and the fields beyond … and the hills and river beyond them all… he felt so small…. He felt so much at home… he was at peace! Another car honked and whizzed past him… he was awake!

A soul burdened with failures… expectations un-met… promises un- kept…and all those things it hadn’t come to terms with… felt too heavy for him to carry…but then in that instant… in that sudden flash of light …when he thought he was dying he met another him… the unburdened him… where he wasn’t the centre of the world… when he had hopes and dreams bigger than those hills beyond… when his mind was as open as those huge fields… when his life was more than an appraisal report... when he was alive!

A hint of light filled up the sky… a warm glow of a distant hope… and suddenly the darkness surrounding him was washed with muted colors… revealing their identity...he wasn't scared anymore! He could see, on his right, the river now… beautiful pristine blue… it twisted and turned playfully around the bends… jumping with joy and energy...and he felt.. his life wasn’t such a waste after all… he wasn’t so lonely after all… there was more to him than he has made out to be….than what people expect of him. There was so much more to do... there are so many dreams to chase... there were so many more lives to live and then in that instant... he was liberated! 

D' Shining....

This is a tale of a certain young gentleman, unlikely of his age, who revelled in his wisdom and charm, while his hairs rebelled having to stay so close to the absolute source of “sheer awesomeness” (next only to the great Kung Fu Panda). Tales of his exploits are travelled far and wide, and has amazed from stud-most to dud-most. For the sake of your safety and mine, we will here after refer to him as ‘The D’ (people have turned blind-reading, deaf-hearing, dumb-saying his name, apart from other awesome-active reactions)

These were the times, when The D after having left the hallowed portals of XLRI, had joined a certain extremely well reputed FMCG company of US origin [US economic crisis was a caused when The D walked into Walls Street during one of his afternoon extra-body time travels… and the financial markets collapsed by coming so close to him]. These were the days when he wasn’t the magnificent…the ultimate…‘The D’...he was just an ordinary…nice…kind hearted…sweet… ‘D’. He hadn’t come in terms with entirety of awesomeness in him, and was in the process of self discovery like the time travel. On a Wednesday, when D decided to give his laptop for platform up-gradation, and having stayed till 10 pm on the last 2 days, decided to take an early leave from office, at 4 pm. So D bid his colleagues goodbye, while their hearts burned, he embraced the warmth of the sun on his face. There was a certain change in the surroundings… he knew…but couldn’t see.

As he reached Grant Road Station, he met a certain ASM of Mumbai Metro, who was quite taken aback by our hero’s early departure…but the most benevolent D explained- “Arre, laptop to ISD ko dediya upgrade karne ko…abhi bina laptop ke main kaam kaise karunga [an evil grin, sheepishly ran across his face, hoping not to disturb the rest of the face]…so leaving early…..”. D noticed the certain change in the faces of people standing nearby, but engulfed by the joy of leaving early, he paid no heed to them and continued in the his flow…till he turned his head and saw him….new MD of his company was standing right next to him!!!!!

D was torn apart in the flurry of emotions…sorrow… pain…regret…distress…. “How could I do it..?” he asked himself…and like the dying Neo in The Matrix, he refused to believe that he has been shot- point blank! And just when it seemed all hope were lost…hearts nearly broken (…Trinity about to kiss)…D entered a barber shop- he decided to free his hairs of the mortal bondage forever… he decided to get a clean shave… on his head! And when he emerged … the world for a second had 2 suns…one in sky…one in Mulund! People fell down on their knees…guarding their eyes from D’s awesome-emitting new look… he was unveiled…he was reborn…he became… ‘The D’

Several cases of blinded by awesomeness have been reported since in Mumbai… those were the times when ‘The D’ was distracted for nano’eth of nano second. Valentine’s Day have been renamed as ‘I wanna be with The D’ by girls…and ‘We seek your permission to hate you The D’ by certain underground guy’s group. There are other changes underway…but while that happens our very own ‘The D’ still chills out in that company (humble isn’t he)… while the company has issued special ray-ban glasses and awesome-resistant suits to all its employees.

We would have liked to conclude this blog…but as per special guidelines issued by Supreme Court… like ‘The D’…his tales are never to be concluded…they just stop when ‘The D’ wants it to….

Sometimes, I wonder....

Sometimes, often on a sunny day, a bunch of clouds comes and blocks out the sun, even if only for a while…and the world around you changes! Sometimes this change causes a certain relief… you wipe off the sweat take a deep breath, let the breeze fall flat on your face…enjoy the those small moments of calmness and even if for few moments feel relieved from your day to day headaches. But sometimes it’s different. Its like waking up from a dream and realising that things are changing…have changed…and you are left with a sinking feeling in your stomach which you might have felt before the exams you were not prepared for. There is so much left to do!

The day Saurav retired was one such occasion! (Now am sure you were expecting something little deeper than this…but bear with me!) In our day to day job, we often lose the time, in the sense we don’t realise how time has gone by…that’s why engineering college just seems like a matter of yesterday…school in Kolkata…last week…Patna….last month maybe! And then one of these days you realise ….its been a long time since!

The T.V. at my home in Patna was 11 months younger to me. Those times colour T.Vs had just been launched in Patna, and my dad got a brand new Telerama Colour T.V. And that is why a lot of my early childhood memories consist of … Karamchand, Vikram aur betal, Football world Cup ’90 (for me it used to be yellow vs stripes and not Brazil vs Argentina), Wimbledon….etc. My conscious entry to the world of sports that is by the time I had started playing cricket etc and started understanding the game, kind of coincided with the entry of Sachin and Kambli. Being a left handed batsman myself my favourite was Kambli while my best friend, Amit’s (yeah…back then it was a rule to have best friends!) who was right handed, Sachin! In a matter of a year or two, I changed loyalties however. Let me give you a slight bit of insight about Bengali mentality- education is a must! ...higher the better…it doesn’t matter if you are the king of the world…but if you are a college drop out…too bad, lad!…you aren’t good enough. So Kumble and Sreenath in a way chastised cricket as a sport in my family… they were engineers after all!

I have never really been a die hard fan of anyone, ever… I mean, it’s not that unless its Amir Khan’s movie, I won’t watch a Bollywood movie…but cricket somehow condensed to a single entity- Sachin! The way he demolished bowlers was nothing less than watching Stallone taking on a Vietnamese platoon on his own in Rambo-II. I remember, those days if anyone asked me a synonym of devil, I would have said- Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis…’cause somehow they bowled those perfect out-swinging good length deliveries, or those in-swinging Yorkers, which used to catch my hero off-guard, and would stop him from another century or India from another win. People can talk about team game and all but back then Sachin carried the fate of the team, except on those odd days when someone else stood up and took the lead.

Then came a left handed batsman, who at least on the off-side “was next only to God!”… Saurav Ganguly. Of course being a bong myself, I have more than one reason of being extremely proud of him, but the reason I was really proud of him was…he was the only batsman in the last decade and half, who was a worthy companion of Sachin on the pitch...who even in all the brilliance of the little genius had his own aura…who made the bowlers soon realise that Sachin was not their only worry…in some cases much worse! I had never before seen a pace bowler of the stature of Shaun Pollock being so rudely mocked at…when he stepped out nearly half way down the pitch and hit him for a six over long on…or for that matter any spinner worth his name, in similar disdain, over mid-wicket.

Together and individually, they have crushed several bowling attacks, given several bowlers nightmares (quite literally)… raised sand storm on the field (Sharjah Cup, Finals)… mocked British hypocrisy right in their holy grail of cricket (Lords, Natwest Series Finals)…while I enjoyed every moment of it...tried to emulate them on field (don’t even compare…it’s a sin!)…prayed for them (more than I ever did for my IIT entrance exam)…sat on my couch in same position for hours at end, because that was lucky for them…jumped around with that pure exaltation of having achieved something amazing…as if their success was my own!

And now I will see them no more on field…through the time, I had kind of taken their presence for granted…how much ever we criticised their form, performance…age…I hadn’t prepared myself for their final departure. Ganguly’s retirement, as I said, was a harsh wake up call…a sure sign of the departure of my childhood heroes…of a change I have seen happen over the years but never really accepted… of a realisation that –“Dude! You are no more a college going student…you are no more safe from the worldly headaches…there are no more safe havens…You are on your own…Are you really up to it?”… I don’t have any pre-rehearsed answer for this…but so far things look nice…kind of promising…We won the first two matches against England…We should win this series…things are good for now…may be this will last a little more… by the time get used to the change…to the absence of my heroes!