Vine: Chapter 4: The Meeting

[Previously: Year 2001, Rohit Verma and Neha Gupta (Raj Gupta’s wife) meets a fatal accident on Pune - Mumbai highway. The same day Rohit’s wife Sohini Bose commits suicide in their mumbai residence. Raghav Bose Verma (son of Rohit and Sohini) is left to the care of Sohini’s brother Pradip Bose and his wife Piyana Bose. Present day: Raghav who was settled in US with his maternal uncle, decides to come to India for selling his parental home. Right before he is leaving, he gets a call from Raj Gupta, claiming he knows the truth about his parent’s death, and luring him to meet him in Pune. Raghav decides to go meet him]

Raghav didn't know what to expect as he walked out of the airport. Last 20 hours had been a non stop movie marathon to stop the other non stop marathon in his head. He thought he had grown over that day his parents died- that single day which turned his life upside down, but he realized he was wrong. He felt quite tired from the long flight, change in time zones, and everything in between. He saw a man standing with a sign carrying his name. Soon he was in an Innova heading out of the airport, as the sun set in. In the last 20 hours he had considered several possible scenarios, one of which was that all this was an elaborate attempt to kidnap him. The only thing which he had ever done in his life g as elaborate as a kidnap attempt would be his short stint in NSA during college. Apart from writing some serious amount of code, which he still doesn't know whether it is being used, he had made couple of good friends. Post passing out of college, while he had an option to join their research and analytics division, he ended up choosing the corporate life instead. While his mind kept playing up scenarios, his gut told him that it was something else all together.

The car stopped at the turn of a park. The driver turned around and said, “Hi Raghav, I am Raj. We spoke on the phone. Glad you decided to come. Follow me”

As Raghav gathered his senses, and was about to ask some questions, he saw Raj quickly get out and get inside an old 4 storey building. He eventually followed him into an apartment at the top floor and got into the flat of certain Mr and Mrs Gupta. As he entered, his recently acquainted companion turned around and said, “As you would have guessed, I am Raj Gupta and this is where I used to live with my wife. Now of course I live alone. My wife died 15 years back. I promised to tell you the truth about your parent’s death, so why don't you have a seat and we can get started.”

Raghav was keenly observing this old man. He was nearing 60 probably, but certainly looked much older than he was. His sharp features gave away once a good looking man but the deep lines told a story of weathering and pain. He didn't know what the old man was going to tell him, but he could sense the morose in his voice. He settled down in his chair on the other side of the room.

“Before we begin, Raghav, do you have any questions?”

“Just one: why such a role play about being a diver?”

“Well I wasn't sure what to expect, and what I wanted to do. I needed to keep my options open.”

Raghav considered it for a moment. He didn't fully understand, but decided to listen.

Seeing that Raghav had no follow up questions, Raj started:

“Raghav, where you are sitting now is my temple, and you can be rest assured that whatever I am saying is absolutely true. This is the first place I built as a young man madly in love with his wife, intending to spend his life with her, and while things didn't pan out as planned, this is my haven of peace and all that is sane in my life. I met Neha almost 20 years back at a friend’s party. We instantly connected like in those movies you watch and in books you read. It was not long before we decided to get married and move in here. We had some of our best years here (gesturing at the wall full of photographs). However even like the best of us Neha had a past and it was with your father Rohit Verma. They had a short courtship period in college, which didn't last long once they passed out. While Neha moved on in life, Rohit was persistent about keeping their friendship alive. The thing about people unhappy in their own lives is that seeing happiness is difficult for them. Your father kept on finding faults in our relationship and influencing Neha’s mind about our marriage.”

Raghav was becoming more and more agitated with the accusations. Sensing this Raj threw a bunch of letters at him and continued.

“You obviously don't believe me and I don't blame you for it. Read these letters at your leisure. You will see what I am talking about. You must remember how your father moved to Pune, don’t you? You were old enough. Do you think it was just because of work. Absolutely not. He lured away my wife. He meticulously ended our marriage.”

At that point, Raghav decided that he had heard enough and stood up to leave.

“Raghav, before you leave wouldn’t you want to know who killed your mother?”

“What nonsense! My mother committed suicide. She …” Raghav gritted through his teeth. He found himself to be at a loss of words.

“Give me five minutes and you shall see the whole truth with proof.”

Raghav slumped back in his chair, but now he was feeling seriously ill at ease.

“Your father moved here in the year 2000 for some work, and started seeing my wife on a regular basis. What I mistook for old friendship, grew much more. I started noticing how Neha would be unhappy with the smallest of things in our lives. Can you believe that my wife of 10 years, would one day just stop caring about me? I don’t know Raghav, if you have been in a relationship ever, but the feeling of losing your love is just unbearable. But do you know what was more unbearable - feeling of being betrayed. My wife cheated on me, and when they found out that she was pregnant, they both eloped from Pune. As irony would have it, your father died in that car accident on the highway, the very same day.”

He passed on the autopsy report. He also passed on a consultation report for his wife from a hospital in Pune, where Rohit’s name was filled in the husband’s name section. Raghav was devastated.

“Raghav, it was your dad who killed your mother. Yes, he didn't kill her literally but he drove her to it. These are the telephone records (handing over another piece of paper to Raghav) from my land line on that day. Notice the two Mumbai coded numbers- they are your mother’s office and your residence numbers. Rohit told her of his debauchery and in her grief your mother took her own life. I can't blame her, I was very close to taking my own life myself.”

Raj paused as he swallowed his grief. It was a lot for Raghav to absorb. Raghav looked at the papers in his hands then looked at Raj and the photos on the wall. He didn’t know what to believe. Once someone passes away, they cease to have any faults. They rise above human flaws and attain the status of a hero. For Raghav, his father was his hero. For him to find out anything otherwise challenged his entire life.

For the next ten minutes and what seemed like eons, Raj showed him several more proofs of how his father had destroyed two happy families. Raghav looked at Raj’s eyes and saw the years of pain and suffering pouring out in one big release. He almost seemed to be smiling to himself, like someone who has been relieved of a huge burden of secret for the first time in many years. A man who has got justice after 15 years. Raghav interrupted, mumbled an apology and left in a hurry. He called a cab and went directly to his hotel. Tomorrow he will go to Mumbai. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to probe this any further. He was afraid of what was left to be uncovered. But that was for another day, right now he needed to sleep. He gulped down his medication and forced himself to sleep, before he lost his mind.

To be continued….

Vine: Chapter 3: Never forget or forgive

[Previously: Year 2001, Rohit Verma and Neha Gupta (Raj Gupta’s wife) meets a fatal accident on Pune - Mumbai highway. The same day Rohit’s wife Sohini Bose commits suicide in their mumbai residence. Raghav Bose Verma (son of Rohit and Sohini) is left to the care of Sohini’s brother Pradip Bose and his wife Piyana Bose. Present day: Raghav who was settled in US with his maternal uncle, decides to come to India for selling his parental home. Right before he is about to leave, he gets a call from someone in Pune, claiming he knows how his parents died. Raghav decides to visit Pune.]

Raj Gupta was an outlier in his family. He hailed from Raebareli, a small town near Lucknow. His father owned a shop in the wholesale market, and one of the most respected traders in Raebareli. Growing up, his parents humoured his interest in science as just a passing phase – a side effect of education which they must endure, however ultimately he was expected to join the family business. When Raj said he wanted to do engineering from Roorkee Engineering College, not just his parents, but almost everyone in that small town was taken aback. Gupta ji’s son doing engineering was quite unexpected.

From Raebareli to Pune, all his life he had been driven to prove naysayer wrong- his parents, his relatives, his class mates and his colleagues. Finally when he met Neha, he thought it was the ultimate challenge thrown at him, and he intended to win that. He was introduced to Neha at a common friend’s party in 1987. She was a mechanical engineer, and was working for Tata Motors at that time. Raj had recently moved in to Pune as a manufacturing line lead for a Mahindra & Mahindra. Raj’s friends told him that she recently had a break up. Raj went for the opportunity with the single mindedness of an olympian. From flowers to stuffed toys, Raj tried every trick taught in commercial movies and cheap paperback books.Eventually Neha’s walls broke down. Raj’s decision to marry Neha was another first of its kind act in his family. Neha was a Punjabi, and Raj’s family were not extremely enthused about their union, but years of dealing with their son had taught them the futility of their objection. So in the year 1990, Mr and Mrs Gupta moved in their recently constructed 2 BHK flat in Koregaon Park.

Love is a strange thing. It’s an emotion which is often the driver and the resultant of actions in life. When he looked back Raj often wondered if he was indeed in love or was he in love with the idea of being in love. Grudgingly Raj concluded that he had mistaken the headiness of pursuit as something deeper, but then he questioned if love was indeed something as deep as the poet claim it to be, or was it a mere chemical reaction. Hating to admit that he might have made an error in judging his own self, he dedicated the next few years trying to be a good husband. But things got tougher with time. He always felt like the one pulling this relationship along and he started toying with the idea of calling it quits. His friends suggested that having a child can help make things better. But as fate would have it, Raj faced disappointment there as well. Eventually both Raj and Neha fell in this routine called marriage, which gradually shifted into becoming more of a decision borne out of convenience and better economic sense.

Raj’s parents sensed his predicament and took every opportunity to remind him of his mistake which was their ultimate come back for years of Raj’s insolence. Something Raj hated more than admitting he was wrong, was others saying he was wrong. It was towards the end of the decade of their marriage, when he decided that he would do everything in his power to prove his parents wrong. Even if it was just a sham, he would have the perfect life. He would not be proven wrong. Only deterrent to that was Rohit Verma.

Rohit and Neha were college sweethearts who landed the same job in the same city, but like most college romances, it didn’t survive the harsher realities of life outside campus. And right then mixing up professional and personal life didn’t seem like a great idea to Rohit. He eventually took a transfer and moved to Tata Motor’s corporate headquarters in Mumbai. While Neha always claimed it to be just a college thing, Raj had heard all about Neha’s very public break-down in her office. At some level he often wondered if Neha ever got over Rohit. Hence when in 2001, Neha told him in an excited tone that Rohit was coming to Pune for work, all his failures found a plausible cause. Jealousy is like the fire hidden under ashes- it consumes  undetected. And Raj soon got to the point where his ego and insecurities took over and he and Neha broke into their worst phase of marital bickering.

That evening, when he entered his empty flat, he was part happy. He knew he could blame his failures in life on Rohit and Neha and have a fresh start. That accident changed everything. Instantly everyone knew about Rohit and Neha. People who knew their history and Neha’s current predicament put two and two together. It would always start with the condolences, followed by those seemingly genuine questions, and finally those two questions – Who was Rohit? Why were they driving out of Pune? And friends who knew their history added – Was he the same Rohit?

Raj was a seething body of rage, when he entered the hospital. He wanted nothing to do with Neha anymore. He didn’t even look at Neha’s parents. He was there for identification and for finishing certain procedures, which the doctor had insisted he do in person. Doctor took him to his chamber and made him sit on a chair.

“I know Mr Gupta you must be going through hell right now. To be honest I don’t know what it is to be in your shoes right now. I just can’t imagine. However as a doctor it is my duty to inform you of all the details and that is what I have called you here for.”

Raj began listening for the first time. What details? What more now?

“Did your wife tell you anything recently?”

“About what? What would she have told me?”

“We did some basic blood test as part of autopsy, and we realized she was pregnant. Our guess is it was in early stage, probably her first trimester”

Raj was in shock. His first reaction was that of pain. He thought that after years of trying, God had finally given them what he wanted only to take it away prematurely. Soon after another thought occurred to him – Was it mine? More he thought about it more it seemed like the second option. Raj went into a shell. People thought he was a grieving husband, but he was broken inside. He was robbed off his ego, that one thing which was his most prized possession, that one thing which stopped him from drowning in the quicksand of jealousy and insecurities. This was an act which couldn’t go unpunished,but both Neha and Rohit were dead. When he inquired he found out that coincidentally Sohini (Rohit’s wife) committed suicide on the same day. She must have known as well, he thought, and their only son had left for US with his relatives.

But that was 15 years ago. Today he will be meeting Raghav Bose Verma face to face. Last few days he had been debating how to avenge his hurt pride. He just couldn’t make up his mind.

To be continued….

Vine: Chapter 2: Its your past calling

As Raghav’s car entered Mumbai crossing the Vashi flyover, he couldn’t help but notice that so much had changed, and also how so much still hadn’t. They used to stay in Chembur, along with his grandparents. He was very young when both his grandparents passed away. Probably a little too young to remember any of it. He had several childhood memories sprinkled all over Mumbai. Coming back here after so many years was like opening a box full of old toys, every one triggering a trip back in time.  

He kept going back to that day in his mind.

He kept crying hugging Piyana Mashi (aunt) for hours. She held him and sat in the corner of that room. As much as she tried to take him away, Raghav just wouldn’t leave the room. May be he was hoping for a miracle. May be his Ma would just open her eyes one more time, and it will be all OK. It didn’t. Police and Raghav’s Uncle reached almost at the same time. There was a considerable crowd outside the flat by the time they reached. Some who had known Raghav and his family over the years, some who were just looking for gossip, but mostly everyone was curious. Chatter in the room kept repeating itself in a loop like a broken record.

“Where is Rohit? Oh my god! How come? What are the odds of that? What will happen to this poor boy? Was Sohini having marital trouble? Why did she do this? I met her just the other day, she seemed so normal…

Raghav blocked everything out. After a while, all of the commotion, police, relatives, his dad’s friends, his mother’s colleagues; everyone ceased to exist. He had blocked all of them out. He just kept looking at his mother blankly. Too surprised to think why or for that matter too shocked to think what next. Rohit’s remains reached them the day after. By the time they reached the crematorium, Raghav had reached a state of dazed disbelief. It was all so surreal to him. When he pushed the trolley in the chimney and saw his parent’s body go over the burning oven, was the time he realised that the time for miracles was over. It was real, and they weren’t coming back. Next few days were a blur. His maternal uncle and aunt adopted him. Coincidentally they were shifting to US the very next month. Raghav moved with them.

In fact moving to US was already on cards for Rohit and Sohini and hence most of Raghav’s paper works were already ready. It was towards the end of the year 2000, when Sohini was selected by a research team in MIT to join them. Sohini was a Senior Scientist with BARC, and her field of research was around producing electricity from Thorium; a dream which Indian scientific fraternity had been dreaming for decades. It would have been a once in a lifetime opportunity for Sohini. Realising this Rohit started scouting for jobs which allowed him to move to US with her. It was then that he got a job with Infosys as a project lead for their client based in Boston. Rohit’s 10 years of experience with Tata Motors helped him get it. While he was supposed to move out in early 2001, his project got delayed, which is when he had to start handling another Infosys client – Bharat Forge, and had to shift to Pune in the interim. As much as they tried not to be a long distance couple, in the end fate had something else in store after all. Raghav hated this of course, but Rohit tried to bribe him through the weekends to earn his absence over the weekdays.

It took Raghav long hours of counselling and a very loving uncle and aunt to not get lost in abyss of negativity. Piyana and Pradip didn’t have their own kid, and that in way helped them focus their love and affection on Raghav only. Once they moved to New Jersey, they soon became part of the NRI community there, and before Raghav knew a heavy dose of Bengali culture came his way in most unexpected of places. You can take a Bengali out of Bengal, however never the Bengal out of a Bengali. And it all helped in a way. Raghav could find his feet in his mother’s side of culture, and closely knit circle helped him deal with many issues which a kid of his age would have otherwise faced in a completely new country.

Pradip had been planning to sell Raghav’s parent’s flat in chembur for a while now. But that meant that Raghav would need to travel back to Mumbai. He wasn’t sure, if Raghav was ready for it. Eventually it was Raghav who asked Pradip on his 25th birthday if he could go see India on his own. Pradip was in touch with Rohit’s old friend from college who lived in Mumbai and told him about Raghav’s trip. He was nervous about Raghav going about on his own and he kept hoping that his brief encounter with his past will be all about revisiting his childhood years and not that day!

Raghav just couldn’t stop himself from thinking about his India trip. He had been thinking about it for months. But more so after he got that call.

“Is this Raghav Verma?”

Yes, this is Raghav Bose Verma. Who is this?

“Hi Raghav, You wouldn’t know me, but I knew your parents, at least your father.”

“Oh Ok.”

“Listen, I don’t have much time. However if you want to find out the truth behind your parent’s death, come meet me in Pune. I know you are travelling to Mumbai day after. It’s a short flight from there. And yes, if you tell your Uncle about this call, he will do everything in his power to convince you otherwise. So it’s really up to you. What do you value more? Truth or peace of mind?

Raghav was too shocked to react. “How do I find you”, he finally managed to say.

“I will message you the details. Raghav it’s important we meet, so don’t disappoint me”

To be continued…

Vine : Chapter 1: When it all began, again...

Present day

Autumn is a season of nostalgia. Autumn is when the harsh summer is gone, and reminder of spring sets in right before winter seeps in your bones. Of course growing up as a non-resident Bengali, there was this added excitement around autumns – Durga Puja. Autumn always took Raghav back to his childhood days and invariably brought a smile on his face. Today was a little different. Today has been one of the toughest day of his life and he had a feeling there will be more such days. He thought he had left that chapter all behind, but as his Innova sped over the Pune expressway, he couldn’t help but reflect upon the other such journey.

May, 2001:

“Are you sure this is OK”, asked Neha. “I tried leaving a message before I left. I hope she gets it”, Rohit said, checking for the cars in the rear view mirror. There was this familiar silence they kept settling back into. There has been a lot between them, more than they cared to admit or remind themselves of. But today was different. Today there was this little glimmer of hope in her eyes, but his forehead lined up under the practicality of their situation.  Rohit has been noticing this white ambassador, which had been always two cars behind them. At first, he thought it was just him being paranoid, but when he slowed down to let that car pass, the car oddly enough hid behind a slow lorry and ignored this free passage. Something was amiss. He has been steadily picking up pace since then, and increasing the distance. He knew the sharp turns coming up ahead, and an exit to the highway right after. He knew if he could take the turn quickly enough and take the exit, he would be out of sight of the car behind before it even realised. He dove on to the turn taking the inner side, and quickly moved to the outer side. It all happened in an instant. His car tyres skidded on the puddle of oil on the road and swerved out of control. It went and hit the divider and jumped on to the other side of the road. He braked hard and was able to stop the car, right in the middle of the wrong side of the highway. “Phew, that was close”, Rohit said. He couldn’t hear Neha’s reaction. A trailer truck carried them for next 100 metres before it stopped. The white ambassador passed from the other side, slowly.

Raj entered his flat only to find it dark and missing a wife. He has been expecting to walk into such a flat for a while now. It has been getting worse with time; however eventuality of his situation still hurt. He had been feeling a tone deaf man trying to play a harmonica when it came to love. Love is easier to write about than live through day and night. He had lived through it for last five years, watching his life slip from a rosy honeymoon to a trying pit of fire. He poured himself out a stiff drink and wondered if this wasn’t what he was looking forward to- a silent exit. Two friends parting ways silently, without any false promises or obvious accusations. May be he can make this work after all. It was right then that he got the call. “Yes speaking! Yes she is my wife. When? Where?. Where do I come?” It seems that fate didn’t like a silent goodbye after all.

It was around 5 pm, when the Piyana got the call from police station. She tried calling Sohini on her office number, but no one picked up. She couldn’t find the strength in her to face her alone, but she couldn’t wait for her husband (Sohini’s brother) to return from work either. She called her home number but no one picked up there as well. She reached Sohini’s gate only to find her son Raghav outside sitting on the stairs.

“Why are you waiting here? When did you come back from school?”

“20 mins back. The door doesn’t seem to open. I am waiting for mom to come back”

The door was not locked from outside, which is what Sohini would have done if she had gone out, instead it seemed to be latched from inside. Alarm bells rang in Piyana’s head. She started calling Sohini’s name loudly and knocking on the door. Within five minutes a small crowd had gathered, including the security guard. With some effort they were able to push open the doors. It all seemed quiet inside. Raghav was sure he was going to get into trouble for breaking the latch, and right then he saw bundle of his mom’s clothes hanging from the ceiling fan. His aunt came up from behind and closed his eyes and broke into a loud wail of tears. He first didn’t realise, and then he didn’t want to believe it. He struggled to breathe. He wished he could close his eyes and when he opened them back, world will be where it was in the morning. He wanted his dad. He wanted his baba to come and set things right, turn back time. That was when his aunt told him.

That was 15 years back. It is not today. It felt like yesterday. Everything rushed back to him like a river over a broken dam which took years to build. His world was spinning out of control. He stopped the car by the side, and stepped out. He walked up and down the road slowly breathing in and out- walking meditation as his doctor called it.  He needed some time to absorb this. He needed to sort his story out straight. More than anything else he needed some answers.

… To be continued

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 !