"I wanna quit on a Monday Morning"

"At least I had the opportunity to say goodbye"

Another farewell, another man forced to resign. Brian Charles Lara's words may sound a bit cynical, but then, that is the fact of life. You may be the best around, the best employee, the best cricketer, or indeed the best person, once the "bosses" decide you got to go, then you really got to go.

Someone, someone certainly not my boss, decided to let me go. And the immediate pain I felt. Years have rolled by since. The pain of that 'decison' has almost come to nothing. But, I wasnt allowed a goodbye. The 'Someone' just walked out. No final talks. 'Someone' did not believe in 'em. No final convincings, did not want to get convinced, and certainly no Goodbyes. Goodbyes hurt.

Sometimes, I wonder. What hurts people more? What hurt me more? The fact that their "Someones" moved on. Or is it, that they could not end the partnernship on their own terms. What hurt me then? Probably both.

Another incident at the first job. My first job. I could see the axe coming. Figuratively, that is. Difficult to sack someone, who's doing alrite, but, the perks, the promotions and the increments, just disappeared. And that is when, you know. Time to move on. You may feel hard done. You may feel you do not deserve it. But, that is the end of that.

Lara's was a similar case. He knew that sooner or later, he needed to move on. Given the performance of the Team and the rumblings by the Top Management, he decided that it would be sooner than later. It would be on his terms, unlike some of his predecessors. He did not want to give the selectors the pleasure of announcing a Team without him. I did not as well. So, I resigned.

Who doesn't wanna "Quit on a Monday Morning"?

The Convocation

The two years had flown by. Just whizzed past. Convocation was only hours away. The gamut of emotions that arose today were too many to name. Relief, happiness, grief, ecstasy, sorrow…the list would be endless. Sometimes there was that huge joy and satisfaction that emanated on seeing my parents’ face glow with joy. Sometimes, the hollowness of not being with my friends, the few that I made over the two years, spurted up. One last time I would see them today.

Actually, there were only two value-adds in these two years. The friends that I made, a life-long bond, and the Degree that I got (and in all probabilities, a stronger Life Long Bond, haven’t yet come across a rule that revokes MBA degrees!), which I could brandish, and coolly get through any company that’s willing to hire me, and pay me a bomb. And then there were these memories that I will cherish. And treasure. Forever. Nostalgia would fill the blood and flow through the Heart.

As Henry Longfellow had once said, "The leaves of memory seemed to make a mournful rustling in the dark."

The question, why can’t an MBA be a four year course, kept repeating. Through the day, and in the hours preceding the Convocation. Guess, all things had to end, and this was one of ‘em. The Good Things. Almost as good as anything else that I had experienced. Better than the Corporate Life that I had already seen. And hopefully, something that I would love to match with my forthcoming innings.

The moments leading up to the convocation were hazy. Barely remember a thing. But then, I remembered everything. There I was, sitting amidst the 200 odd fellow comrades, and friends, waiting for my name to be called. Decked up, for probably the last time, in the Grey Coloured, NMIMS blazer. Looking at it I remembered the number of trips I wasted to get it stitched by this small shop called Jaggi’s in Bandra. How, I wished I could do that again. The Lapel Pin was conspicuously standing out. It shone in the sunlight. A couple of guys next to me were joking about how boring the speech was. I smiled at them. Another had small tears in the eyes. I sympathized, but I knew I was in the same boat.

It’s funny; how one generally took every such “function” for granted but remembered each and every small detail when it was the time to part. Anyways, for now, I was only seconds away from being called up on stage. The announcer was just about to call my name, when someone called me from behind. Called me once…then twice. Seemed like my mum. I got a little confused, because she was actually sitting in the front rows. Before I could react, she called again. I tried looking behind, but I couldn’t. I tried to walk, but the sound grew louder.
“Oh, come on, get up”, she said.
“huh?” I replied.
“Time to wake up Sonu, first day at your Summer Internship, you are late.”

Shit. I was dreaming. Convocation for only seconds away, but not for me. For my seniors. I still had one more year to enjoy, one full year to try not taing any such functions for granted, and an year to savour the pleasures of an MBA from NMIMS.

One Whole Year. The Countdown has begun…

The First Day after the First Year

The first day after the end of the first year. A Mixed Feeling. Somehow, the stress associated with the last few days was absent. Almost as if I missed it. Guess, I have got too used to it in the last couple of months. So, when there was a sudden release, it seemed something different. Again, almost thought as if I did not like it. Did not like the fact that, there was no entity to go against me. Damn!

Anyways, on the brighter side, spoke to some friends after a long time. Booked the entire Alibaug trip, and it was a painful process with fruitful results in the end. Then went back to the Share Market, and sold off some shares. Must add, for a decent amount of profit. That, in fact, helped me sponsor the trip!

Restarted reading a John Grisham, “The Pelican Brief”. I like this guy. Like his books. Makes for a good suspense thrillers, in which the suspense gets revealed very gradually. Makes you want to read the same book again, even after knowing the suspense. Still some pages to go, which hopefully will be done by tonight. But, after all that came the disappointment of the day. Met up with Mayur. Naah, that wasn’t the disappointment. It was what followed at this bar called Tangy Tamarind, where South Africa committed hara-kiri and were bowled out for 149. Almost would prefer writing about the bar than the match itself. Nice lil place, cozy enough for couples, but a little on the expensive side. Especially if you a teetotaler. (The very evident question here, is why would a teetotaler go to a bar, well occasions such as these, when MacDonald’s and Barista surprisingly come up with the same “reason” of having no “Cable” to air the match, demand me to frequent a bar!).

But before getting to Tangy Tamarind, we went to Jai’s Sandwich. The Jai of the old time. The one thing that has not changed ever since I graduated. The same taste, the same aroma, the same ambience (well, so what if it is a roadside stall, it still has the ambience to make you never forget it!).

This was also the place where I went for my first date. Wouldn’t want to mention her name here, but yeah, it was a PR disaster to say the least. Sat outside the stall. Ordered for hot chocolate. Ordered one for her as well. It turned out to be hotter than Catherine Zeta Jones and Penelope Cruz in one. I managed to finish it with a burnt tongue. She managed to place it in the can with the words “Use Me” painted on it. Fortunately, she decided that it was not my fault totally, and we did meet again. But, Hot Chocolate always reminds me of this incident, and brings those few seconds of a private smile. One lesson was learnt and one wasn’t. Still end up burning my tongue over coffee from the “Tappriwaala” outside NMIMS, but my first date with Peeya was at Croissants’ where we ordered for a much cooler bottle of Cola!

So, a pretty eventful day, came to an end. Well almost. Need to follow the Aussie run chase, and see whether the Africans can come up with some surprise. Brain says no. Unsurprisingly, and unfortunately, heart says the same as well!

Tomorrow’s another hectic day. The Mastek gang meets again. Long time since that happened. Thank you PJ-Maulik!

The Package

It’s that feeling that always
Sweeps through at
This time of the year…
The feelingness of hollow and that of fear.

Fear of the unknown…
Fear of facing truths,
Fear of silence and darkness
Fear of the life’s mess…

One wants the times to pass,
And the fears to not last…
The grieving to disappear as soon
As it came, the life to be a cocoon.

But then the cold of the weather hits hard…
So does the hand of coldness,
It pinches and hurts as the day wears on
and bruises the heart like a thorn.

And then the realization dawns,
It’s the part of a package
That gels the good with strife,
It’s that package called Life.

Alibaug??? err...let's think again!

Am planning to go to Alibaug. Actually, was planning.

So, was browsing the net for some information on the same, when I came across this website, with the following details on Alibaug...

My own comments are in Italics...

This, incidentally is called MBA Gas....

It begins like this....

Alibag is an old town relating to the Marathas - so far so good (and it never reaches this level of goodness again!)

Lovely beauty of Nature - awesome...but wait, there's more to come!!

Eye soothing greenery - yaar mere ghar ke gamlo may bhi hai!

Coconut trees standing in queue - kya karoon...trees pe chadhoon kya?? funnier is..."standing in queue, ration ke liye rukein hain?"!!!

Quick sandy beaches - Did they say Quick Sand Beach? Maarengey yaar!!

Old huge houses as the remains of the history - aaha...finally something to look forward to, Old huge Houses, it seems!!!

Excellent pieces of architecture - feel like just settling there, like, right now!

Historically important places - Now, I feel like crying(actually now, I realise what our NMIMS examiners would be going through)

Pleasant atmosphere - ...and now I feel like laughing!!!

Tasty food - I CANNOT BELIEVE IT, they actually put this in their website!!!

Twitter of birds - what...why...when....where....how??????????????????????

Ruffling of leaves and flowers - yeh mujhe balbharti ke textbook ka description lag raha hai, or probably looks like a Horror Film Writer, trying to impress his Director, with his script!

The mysterious sounds of waves - ooooooh.....lovelyyyy, why am I still here, lemme take the first flight to Alibaug

and, the festival of colors in the sky - this is limit yaar....too much ho gaya!

And thankfully, it ends here...!!!

Damnn....this is Gas...Bloody MBA Gas !!!
I still cannot believe that they put all this on their website, Kotler would first die and then turn in his grave if he were to look at such a promotion strategy!

I dont know whether I still want to go to Alibaug!

The "New Year" Resolutions!

That is the end of that. One long year, and in more ways than one, a very happening year draws to a close tomorrow. Wouldn’t have thought it would have ended like this, but it’s ended all the same. Every end cannot be a Fairy Tale Ending, a-la Bollywood! It’s been one hell of an year, especially the third trimester. Learnt some valuable “Lessons”. More on the “lessons” sometimes else.

For this is dedicated to some of the things that need to change next year!

1. To begin with, I would need to show a little more interest in a couple of things that I wish to learn. Could begin with all the features of that wonderful tool called MS Excel. Capital Markets would be another one. Probably Six Sigma!

2. Would need to start dozing off less in the class. It’s a bloody expensive habit. Costs about 150 bucks per hour to sleep (without considering the Time Value of money that is!) Or to learn some thing. Should reduce my sleeping time and start learning!

3. Try waking up for the 9oclock lectures daily. Alrite, make that thrice a week atleast.

4. Pray that there are no 9oclock lectures!

5. Try carrying my own pen and notebook to college daily. Ok, atleast 3-4 times a week! Some people have suffered bad because of this habit!

6. Write some B-Plans. Long time dream this. Would do no harm to the resume as well

7. Start working on my Resume, adding all those small things that I may want to put down.

8. Reduce the Auto travel to and from home. Bloody expensive habit again!

9. Start gassing in ppts. Woefully fall short of doing that. Need to take help from the James Andersons of our class. Or were they Warren Andersons. Blame it on the World Cup!

10. Visit the NMIMS library more often, to read it’s books, that is. Actually, for that matter, read more non fiction.

11. Start exercising/gymming (this refers to the point 3 above, if I wake up early, why not exercise as well, haina?)

12. Continue blogging. An awesome habit, especially if you wanna relax and can’t get things out otherwise! And most especially if you enjoy writing and don’t wanna be “anonymously judged” about your writings!

13. Start playing Cricket again, at least on a weekly basis, lost touch big time, as was evident in the recently concluded World Cup (!!)

14. Above all, Let Bygones be Bygones. Cannot change things. Try enjoying college more. It ain’t that bad, is it?


P.S. 15. Improve my sense of humor? So that I get associated with Tigers and not Cobras!!! (alrite, that’s another bad one…cannot reduce my fan following this way!!)

P.P.S. Ensure I succeed in at least five of the above!

Operation Operation (Research)

Never has the preparation for any exam been so woeful. Ever since that fateful preparation for Industrial Electronics. That was some centuries ago. 5 years to be more precise.

Not even Finance. In any of the trimesters. And I have got only myself to blame. Postponed the studies for this one till one day before the exam, and got nicely rapped on my knuckles for doing so. Now, only time will tell whether, I escape unscathed, or I pay. The only silver lining I see in this one vis-à-vis Industrial Electronics is that at least this one is a 3 hour Theory Paper. That was a 10 minute viva that decided my fate. I will get many more opportunities to take help (read…roll nos. 310 and 312 respectively!), there, the only person who could help me was the Internal Examiner and in the end, she alone managed to screw me. Bloody gave me a 5 out of 25 in it. Needed a 10, and so was not even eligible for the grace of 3. Hopefully, some other professors aren’t that “nice”!

Another 4 and a half hours, let me try mug that extra formula which may just be the turning point of the match, and give me that extra mark that helps me sail through. Ohh, for this splitting head ache, wish I had atleast slept…let me try making coffee for myself. Coffee, that goes into my system, and doesnt get out the same path, as soon it goes in, as has been the case so far. The NPV of inflows should be greater than the outflows.

Guess I am just rambling.

2 is company...3 is crowd...what is 23?

So, finally the suspense is out. The team for the Bangladesh tour declared. And would you believe it, 23 people board the Kolkata-Bangladesh Flight for the tour. 23? And I thought we were going to Bangladesh? Or is it the Himalayas? Would have loved to be a fly on the wall in the BCCI meeting, must have been something !

Some very pertinent points came out from the selection. The biggest would undoubtedly have to be the exclusion of Tendulkar from the ODI team, a first for him, a euphemism for dropping him. A tinge of sadness may be associated with the same, but then, everyone comes with a shelf life. Tendulkar’s may just be on the verge of ending. I am no-one to announce things about him, about his retirement, but frankly, I don’t see him play ODIs for long. It may just be a question of him wanting to retire with a bang, before he gets “rested” permanently. Time will tell. May I be proved wrong here, but the gut feeling is not too good for him.

So, we have rested two of the “oldies” to blood in a young Team. The World Cup average age was 27.33. It’s 24.5 now. A definite, conscious effort towards the same. And a step in the right direction as well, given that the ODIs is fast becoming a game of not only batting or bowling skills, but also exuberant fielding, and the ability of being able to adapt to the transition that ODI cricket has seen. Don’t think many in the World Cup Team understood the same. Hopefully the current crop would be able to understand the same better.

Secondly, I must say that I am very impressed by the selection of Dinesh Mongia. I was not that big a fan of his when he was chosen over VVS Laxman in the 2003 World Cup, but then I followed his game for his county, Leistershire. On foreign pitches, he batted decently well, and notched up enough runs for the world to take notice. However, more than his batting, it was his bowling that stuck. Invariably, he was a partnership breaker, even on those spinner unfriendly tracks, to add to his consistent 4.5 runs per over economy. I want to stick my neck out here and call Dinesh Mongia a spinning all rounder replacement for Irfan Pathan, who would bat at his number 5 or 6, and bowl his quota of ten overs regularly.

Sehwag’s inclusion is baffling, and so is his exclusion from the Test team. The only reason I can think of is that, excluding Tendulkar and Ganguly was imperative, and had Sehwag been “rested” as well, the experience would have been just not there. Although, it’s a fact that Sehwag’s batting at the top makes you feel that he’s just out of the NCA, playing his first International, and in the nervousness that has ensued, has managed the airy-fairy shots that he always manages to get out to. Always. Anyways, as usual, could just be his last series for a long time, if he does not perform. (I don’t want to get into the Sehwag-Dravid syndicate debate here, sometimes, the media seems to read too much into it, just like reading too much into the Karan Johar-SRK syndicate!)

The rest of team is on expected lines. Manoj Tewary is one player to look out for, was impressed by his batting in the Mumbai-Bengal Ranji finals at the Wankhede. His batting has that fearlessness which one had seen in Tendulkar in his first few series, the fearlessness that made him continue batting even after getting hit on his nose by Waqar, the fearlessness that made him take the ball from a bewildered Azharuddin and bowl the last over of the Hero Cup Semi final against South Africa.

I just hope that most of the other players get the kind of chances that are needed to prove their mettle, and do not end up becoming a one series wonder/blunder.

The rap on the knuckles of the Selection Team by the BCCI is very evidently seen, in the statements made by Niranjan Shah, in the press conference after the selection meeting. Evidently, Vengsarkar wasn’t too impressed at the directives he had received from the higher brass at the BCCI. The “Colonel” would soon learn the ways of the BCCI working, the hard way. Many before him did, and he would too. In a way, ‘Sunny’ Gavaskar is a smart chap. Talks, writes and expresses a loads of gyaan about Indian Cricket, but when it comes to doing the “dirty” work of being a part of the system, he stays out.

My take on the Test Team would follow soon.

"Why did you go?"

There were two close friends. Really close. And then, suddenly, one of 'em decided to walk out of the friendship. No tangible reason given, no questions asked, just like that...whooosh.

The other friend did not not know what hit him.
Had many questions unanswered.

This is when he wrote a letter to that friend.
Here is what he wrote,

"I feel that I came with an expiry date...as my expiry date came closer, u stopped using me as ur drug....I just became a ritual for u...u found another drug...

There may have been pain and grief in our friendship sometime, but I always thought, whatever is the case, we both have some things that are expected from each other, but unfortunately they will remain just that...Expectations...atleast for now, things may change over life...ending the friendship is never the solution...it is just an easy way out...Unfortunately, u din't think so...

Unfortunately, for me, if I made mistakes, they overshadowed the fact that there were many many occasions, and things that I expected from u as well, but never made a big show about 'em...unfortunately, our problems were always about what u expected n u didn't get, and rarely about what I expect from it... hurts me

as always...as I have always done, I allowed u to believe that I am always there...allowed u to believe that u can take me for granted....right from the Days of "our inception" and always thought that, I could trust u enuff with that freedom...lesson for me, doesnt work that way, never does.

my tears will dry, no worries there...but this hurt will remain...much much much deeper than any other, much deeper than what you think, trust me on that...

u will not realise my hurt, no, u have just seen the external hurt, the tears...but u havent realised how it feels to be me now, and I can assure u, u wont, till some thing like this happens to u...

God forbid such a thing happens to u, but if some thing even close happens, do lemme know, we can probably share our hurt...

For now, I wish you are happier with new people you found...Unfortunately, I am not. But I will soon be.
Life, will indeed go on.

Thank you for being there most of the time.

warm regards,
ur friend

P.S. Why did you go?"

The reply that the friend was waiting for, never came.
Nor did his friend. The friend was long gone.

Life went on for him. Unfortunately it was never the same.

NB: All characters in this Post are nothing but fictitious.

Move over Cricket Commentary...we have another one here!

Most people would say yes, if I asked, whether they have heard Cricket Radio Commentary. Ditto for Cricket TV Commentary. What about a Marriage Commentary? Ever heard about it? Hmmmm, I hadn’t yet. Today I did.

Well, the marriage in question is obvious, the “Abhi-Aish” wedding, the commentary, well, I heard it on NDTV, the rest of the news channels, well, your guess is as good as mine. Let’s hear (or look at a sample)…

“One bus has just reached Prateeksha Bunglow. The doors have opened. Someone’s come out. Oh…that’s Anil Ambani. He’s in a white sherwaani. No, it’s off-white. Amitabh seems a bit cross with the media because they are jostling for too much space. Jaya is by his side. She also seems upset. Another bus turns up. Seems like Abhishek in it. There is a black horse somewhere nearby. They say it’s of the best breed. Abhishek’s sister and his nephew are with him. Amitabh looks much more relaxed now. So does Jaya…Now, let’s take a break, before Abhishek gets onto that Horse”

Guys, that was NDTV. And not one word of exaggeration from me. Well, almost. Apparently one of the best news channels in India. I really shudder to think about the rest of ‘em.

Unfortunately, the Indian Selectors decided to come out with the Cricket Team for the Bangladesh Tour on the same day as this other Event. For a change they would be feeling left out. Barely any media around them. Serves them right, some would say! Anyways, the match commentary is still on, don’t wanna miss a “ball”. Will be back with reports on the Cricket Team which has also been announced as I write this.