• Imitation of Life

    He was a fixture at the campus.. it was difficult not to notice him if you had stayed at the university campus for a decent amount of time… beneath the tough exterior he tried to portray to people he wasnt familiar with, was a kind hearted gentleman. when i knew him first, he was in charge of the university’s security, a routine job, because at that time, kerala was not called “god’s own country”, and therefore it existed as one…

    but i knew him better as the man who used to do a whole lot of jobs for us – paying water and electricity bills, getting my dad’s license renewed etc.. his ‘consultancy’ fees were fixed and not at all exorbitant.. and it came with a broad grin. the reason you noticed him was his mannerisms, they were funny, and i used to be able to imitate him pretty well and everyone had a good laugh over these performances, little goodnatured fun…

    a long time later, when i had to get my license done, it was the same man who did it for me…i learnt that, as far as liasoning with government personnel went, he was the best and could get practically any job done with his contacts.. his modus operandi was simple, based on a huge network of people for whom he had done little jobs for, and who wouldnt mind doing him a favour.

    i also learnt that his two sons were well educated now, and settled abroad. they had repeatedly asked him to stop doing his odd jobs, but he had refused. it was clear that he didnt need the money, for his rates were even more nominal now, sometimes as ridiculous as a diary or a folder. besides he had a good pension and his sons regularly sent him money.someone once asked him why he still did this, specially since he was getting old. he flashed his trademark grin, and said that it made him happy to make other people’s life easier.

    in a world where the lunches were becoming increasingly costly, he was a man who gave buffets almost for free… an old man, with old school values… i still imitate him, better than i did earlier.. sometimes i wish i could imitate his spirit too…

    until next time, dont imitate, innovate..

  • The Room

    He sat in the room and looked around – lovely view, clean and neat, soothing ambience,but he was still not at peace.. for it was a hospital room, and the patient was his wife..
    they had been married for several years and were a model couple to everyone around them -rich, good looking, famous, with friends who were devoted to them…in short everything anyone could ask for… until disaster struck in the form of a terminal disease. It was as though even the Gods were jealous…
    Though the disease was terminal, he hadnt yet given up… he had tried all the methods of medicine known to man and all the holy men whom friends had referred, but to no avail..he told his friends that he was willing to do anything to get a cure for his wife, andthey nodded in sympathy, helpless against what seemed to be the will of God.
    That was when he heard about the room. although no one had any proof of its existence,rumour had it that in the remotest parts of the country, in forests so deep that even an animal planet or national geographic had not been able to penetrate, there existed a room. it was believed that if anyone manged to overcome the obstacles and reach the room, the romm would automatically fulfil his greatest desire.
    his friends tried to convince him against the idea of going there, for the jungles had already devoured many who had set out to get their wishes fulfilled, but he was adammant.for weeks his friends waited for him, but there was no trace of him… many thought he was dead, but he had survived, not only survived but also managed to reach the room and get his wish fulfilled….
    once he got out of the forest, he called his closest friend, to get the good news… “i am sorry”, said the friend.
    “what happened?”, he asked, surprised..
    “your wife is dead. in fact all the major channels covered the funeral, and many have even asked me whether you will be interested in a series that showcases your devotion to her. you couldn’t find the room, could you?, but at least you are alive….”, said the friend.
    he kept quiet, for he suddenly realised what his deepest desire had been…
    until next time, clean your room.

    P.S.. the current edition of “outlook” has a wonderful article by Sandipan Deb. this story idea is from a little paragraph in it.

  • Ownership Issues- A non ambani story

    When the police knocked on his doors one fine morning, he didnt know what hit him. the story made the first page in the days that followed. He still remembered the conversation with the policeman who first questioned him.
    Policeman : are you the owner of this apartment complex?
    He: not exactly, but i am paid to look after it.
    P: are you related to the owner.
    H: no, but i have full authority in all matters pertaining to it.
    P: so you are liable as well as accountable.
    H: yes, but why these questions?
    P: do you personally know all tenants?
    H: not all, but my office makes sure that all papers are intact and we give it out only to good citizens.
    P: do you know the tenant in 6A?
    H: not off the cuff. but let me look at the records.
    (after a quick look) ah yes, the schoolteacher, he has been here for quite a while.
    P: can you explain why he has so many schoolkids visiting him?
    H: well he offers extra tutions to help out weak kids.
    P: oh well, the kind of tutions he has been giving, are not for the weak of heart. he has been running a pornography racquet here.
    H: you must be mistaken.
    P: we are not, and we have come to arrest you.
    H: Me?! what did i do? why dont you arrest him?
    P: he is absconding, and by your earlier admission, you are
    accountable and liable for whatever that happens here.
    H: well, i have been a law abiding citizen. i have his permanent
    address and i can help you trace him.
    P: thanks for the help, but thats beside the point and i’d still
    have to arrest you.
    H: but i didnt do anything.
    P: legally you facilitated the base for the operation.
    H: but i didnt know what he was upto.
    P: again, by your own job description, its your liability to have found out, and if you didnt, you are accountable for it. sorry, but you are under arrest.
    H: i am a respected citizen and the community is not going to stand for it.
    P: sorry, but no one is above the law.
    As they took him away, he wondered what would be the scenario if a similar issue had occurred in the organisation in which he was CEO, an online bidding site.
    until next time, be a responsible owner!!

    P.S: for an alternate version of this template, please check this out and tell me if i should use that one.

  • A Bubble of plans

    They met at one of the Bubble Cafe chain outlets. They sat near a window, and so could see the sea down below…. not a sight which many people were comfortable with.. but they were, for they were quite confident of their role in the scheme of things..and if still something happened to them, well, it would happen for a reason..
    They were meeting to review the plans that were being implemented as part of the legacy that had been handed down to them a long time back.. some of them were people whosevoice mattered in business and society, and some were normal people.. but it didnt matter,between them, it was their job to make sure that everything was done keeping the plans in mind.
    the origins of the legacy was at a time when mankind still couldnt grasp the significanceof the messages being sent to it by the system in which it operated.. and therefore earthquakes, cyclones etc ravaged the lands one after the other.. each time a calamity occured in one part of the world, it was seen in isolation and mankind’s typical response was two fold – one was “god, whats happening?” and the other was “lets all pool inresources there to help those affected”…
    between these calamities, people moved to ‘safer’ locations, and those unaffected continued to lead their normal life after ‘pooling in resources’, feeling smug about having done their bit. the normal life included massive felling of trees in tropical areas to overtaking from the wrong side and everything in between…
    sometimes consciously, and sometimes otherwise, the million year old mankind and the billion year old system fought each other in a ‘who blinks first’ contest till the system left mankind with nowhere to run, literally.. fortunately, a few had begun to understand the significance of what was happening around them and had begun to try and set things right.. from trying to inculcate values that were longforgotten, back in to humanity, to designing alternate habitats and lifestyles that didnt harm the system, they tried to make peace with the system…
    and thanks to the way of life advocated by those few, and followed increasingly by others,the system stopped its war with its favourite creation… what was lost couldnt be regained,but mankind had learnt a lesson it should have never had to learn- humility…….
    and thus they sat in the Bubble Cafe, uncorked the water they had specially ordered for the occasion, and toasted the few, who ages ago, had revamped mankind…. the few who used to have meets then too, the few who knew each other only through their words, and thoughts…
    until next time, make a plan

    P.S : with regards to the template i have 3 ayes yet (pleo, stone and blues) and 5 vehement nays (cynic, pallavi, wings, austere, coolcat) :).. have made some changes to make it better looking at all resolutions (as part of my new year resolution).. so, can we wait for a few more responses and a few more days, before we take a final decision on this? 🙂

  • A New Ear

    for all the nonsense we hear around us……

    Manmohan Singh will discover the man within like a certain Mohan Bhargava we know, and stop singing Italian tunes.
    Americans will have a new president as George W Bush gives up the presidency in favour of his long cherished ambition – to become a permanent faculty at america’s premier institute – MIT- institute for the Most Insane Truants.
    Nipplegate will become a tradition at Superbowl, with actresses, models, singers, socialites all vying for the honour (of course there will be a live telecast by DD)
    Uma Bharti will feature in an Adnan sami video, thus giving cross border cultural relations the much needed boost.
    Shahid and Kareena will tie up with Airtel to provide live lessons of mouth to mouth resusciation so that people can use it on other people when the need arises.
    Chandrababu Naidu’s plans will become the blueprint for development activities in all states.
    Real Madrid will pay the biggest contract amount ever to get Bhaichung Bhutia and complete their star ensemble.
    Yechury and his ilk will be sent to his beloved land Russia, to be more specific, Siberia, forever.
    Potholes will be found only in museums as they would be a thing of the past.
    Traditional Indian stuff will make a huge comeback as things like sari (with accessories like blouse) and karva chauth will be endorsed by Mallika Sherawat, Neha Dhupia etc.
    Sourav Ganguly will become the first non playing captain ever, in the history of the game.
    Women will be legally permitted to cut off the appendages of men who try to use it on them without their permission.
    I will convince myself that the paunch i possess is not an integrated 6 pack.
    School children will use MMS for more constructive purposes like copying during exams.
    Holland will take on Bangladesh and India in a triangular series to decide the #1 team in one day internationals.
    Laloo Prasad Yadav will be given charge of the ministry of animal husbandry so that he can manage buffaloes and other ministers, and keep his nose out of mechanical contraptions like trains which are beyond his scope of reality.
    Indians will find it in their hearts to outsource labour intensive work like construction to developing nations like USA.
    Seers will take over the business activities of bhais, and corporates like Ambanis will seek them to eliminate those who try to bring out shady deals.
    TV ads without Amitabh Bachhan will be back.

    That, if you look closely was literally the manuscrypts wishlist for the year 2005, some with tongue in check, while others with tongue firmly in cheek.

    until next time, go get that new year…. and spare a thought, a prayer and anything else you can spare for the less fortunate. this might be of help. (thanks kraz)