After a long time...

I have almost neglected this blog and afforded it step-motherly treatment, but then I have a valid, genuine reason. And no, it is not the writers' block, or the bloggers' block that one does encounter quite so often. It has been something else.

Not often one ends up doing something that one loves, and in turn getting paid handsomely for it too. When you combine that with your full-time job, it is a lethal enough combination to keep you away from blogging for some time! Precisely why the hiatus on this space!


For starters, office's begun in full flow, and although, it is not as hectic as it could get in times to come, the travelling is really getting to me. Two years of a honeymoon called MBA has made me so used to the 'aishon-aaram' that Vikhroli seems a couple of light years away. But then, the person I am, even the local grocery store looks quite far, so does my hair dresser, the post office, my bank, my Wester Union Money Transfer counter...basically you get the gist. So, the commuting is killing, and the heavy rains followed by the even more muggy climate has made thngs a little intolerable.

I must thank my stars though, for the role that I have got. It is exactly what I expected it to when I started my MBA a couple of years back, and that is not something a lot can boast of. Whether it continues in the same vein remains to be seen, but we shall cross the river when we even think of setting out to get there.

For now, cricket has - as always - dominated my life; the real reason for this absence. The office day is usually between 8 and 8, and the rest of the time is dedicated to the completion of a truck load of cricket articles for a slew of websites. In fact, it gives me immense pleasure - that sounded so Vice-Chancellorish - to say that, I have had my column post come out on this website here. That I am thrilled is an obvious understatement. However, to put it in perspective, there are many more miles to go before I even decide to take a snooze, let alone thinking of sleeping.

Talking of sleep, it is on a strict bumper-to-bumper basis. As mentioned earlier, office is 8 to 8, cricket is 9-12, and sleep is 12 to 7. Full-stop. Nothing more, and God forbid if sometime I fail to sleep by 12 - a rarity so far given that by 12, I type with my eyes closed sometimes - I am a goner next day.

Yet, I am enjoying this life. I really am. This was something I dreamed of all my life. And it is just a start! If I ever was to jot down a thank you speech- and mind you, it is too erly yet - it would consist of a couple of obvious names, but also one of Mr Lalit Modi and that of another lady whose face I cannot stand, would top the list; for different reasons. For want of cordiality - if ever there was such a word - I would refrain from using language that could be termed as 'Parliamentary', but rest assured, the venom towards her was channelised by me in a direction that gives me immense pleasure today. As for Modi is concerned, if it wasnt for him, it would have been no IPL and no chances at all, whatsoever.

And in the end, I think that the 'business' of cricket is here to stay, to grow and expand, and provide for a lot of opportunities to many peripheral guy like me. But if I discount myself for the minute, I also think it is a great chance for other businesses to thrive on this sport, and for those brilliant, start-up-oriented guys around, do think of a business model that could be based on this sport, and yet be different from the rest. And if you need, I could assist you as well, cricket consulting is just about the nearest I could get to consulting!

Praise is good. It always is. I enjoy it as much as anyone else.

I am enjoying it presently as well.

But, right now, I need something more. I need a crystal ball to gauge why is it so forthcoming. And do I really deserve it. And the repercussions. As you can see, the confusion from the previous post continues.

Anyone? I mean, for the crystal ball?

क्या करें क्या ना करें यह कैसी मुश्किल हाई !

It is the 1st June. At least officially, with the clock having just ticked over the twelve mark.

And I am very exhausted, its been that kind of a day. And very confused.

It begun with a late night yesterday, as I managed to catch a wink only at 4.30 - yeah, in the morning - before waking up at 8. If this was not enough, I was lucky enough to have a good friend call me over to Churchgate to meet him, but the heat sapped whatever little energy that remained. To add to that, I sat through the whole first half of IPL's second semi-final, before deciding that my body had had enough and I need to get home.

Here I am, devouring away at a pack of cooked Maggi, like someone who hasn't had a meal for some years and more.

Now the confusion. I know that it is soon going to be decision time, something that only I can take, and not rely on anyone else's judgement. Some pros, as many cons, and then there is a soup. In which I am.

The good thing is, that this soup tastes nice, it really does. But the the fact is, that I need to swim out soon, read, take a decision.

Hmmmm....what to do!

Tick tick tick...

I have less than fourteen days to myself. Only fourteen.

Need to 'live' every second of it as if its the last.

Hit me baby, one more time!

...listening to too much Britney Spears does that to you.

And why am I doing so...its got auto-added to my playlist...! have heard her twice already before realising the gravity of the situation.

Hrumpppph!

The Week that was...!

It has been quite a while since I posted here, and that is for a reason. For one, I was...and am having the time of my life, and for another, the time of the life was consuming a lot of time too. :-)

In fact, I wanted to write a post for sometime now, but was not getting the right opportunity. A couple of days back, I had written a post about something totally unexpected that happened with a friend, but did not post it immediately, simply because I wanted to let the 'anger' subside. After that happened, I decided not to, there was no point.

Even before that, I had got out of the house after a long time to meet another friend, and wanted to post about that good time - minus the blaring music - at Red Box, but, she had not sent (this one is for that lady who points out my spelling of sent!) the photographs that I wanted to put up, and so could not write much.

Now that I have recieved the pics, I can. So, the last Sunday, I met N, at Red Box, a restaurant I usually recommend to peoplewhen they ask me about good places in Bandra. I must say that it was a major let down, the music was as loud as one gets in a discotheque, making it virtually impossible to talk, the whole purpose of meeting someone after almost half an year.

Although, I must add that the food was nice, and the overall meet nicer. It was worth reliving some of the old school days - she is like an almost 15 year old friend - and some of the things that could have been differently in each of our lives, and some that were just right.



Apart from that, one other good happened in the past week. My computer guy extracted old data from my old hard drive, and transferred it to my lappy. And that consisted of around 3 GB of songs. Some cheesy, corny enough to make one's head spin, some not even worth mentioning here, but all of them strong enough to evoke a huge sense of nostalgia difficult to overcome. Alright, I can mention a couple of 'em, Ace of Base's 'Its a beautiful life' and Vikas Bhalla's Dhuan. There are 100 others...and currently, I am in the process of hearing them out.

It is fun.

In fact, the week's been fun! In more ways than one.

Now that is a good rhyme.

Yo...its my Life!

It is 2.20 a.m. I should have hit the bed long time back.

I have not. Just one more article to be written!

I am enjoying this feeling. It is fun. It is what I call living life my way, it is what epitomised by this picture so well...

http://www.orkut.com/AlbumZoom.aspx?uid=8865113899673470402&pid=10&aid=1

Incidentally, this pic is taken at the famous Marine Drive of Mumbai, on a very heavy rainy day. Never enjoyed rain so much as I did that day. Marine Drive does that to you sometimes. :-)

A House Collapse

They say that first impressions are very often the last impressions.

I think, very few people remain the same over a substantial period of time, as they portrayed to the rest in that so called, first meeting. And far too often, like an old dilapilated house that gradually falls apart, they end up falling apart an showing their true self over some time. A couple of them are already getting chiselled away currently, I can see it. The 'leakage-in-thehouse' phenomenon has started.

I can see the collapse coming...very soon. Not before long, for sure.

ये कहाँ फस गया मई!?

There are fools, and there are fools. And then, there are fools.

Unfortunately, I had the fortune of encountering them - luckily through mails only so far - and believe you me, I can sign on a blank paper that they are easily biggest of the lot I have come across so far. And unfortunately, given the easily accessibility of this piece of software - Blogger - for anyone, everyone and fools alike, I would not like to name 'em.

And simple because fools are capable of disrupting life like no other. And I can do with the mitigation of that kind of a risk.

It was my misfortune that I came across this motley, simply because of the term that they use, monopoly. The bunch has the monopoly of the trade, and unfortunately, I have had no other option to bear the brunt of the consequences. Monopolies rule the roost, sigh, and that is precisely what is happening in this case.

In a sense, it is fun. And surely, sometimes, it does get beyond fun, but for now, it is okay. Watching them not only tells me how NOT to conduct the business, but there are some traits that I could easily lern from 'em, when I need to harass and frustrate someone to the extent of tearing their hair apart! I have had a good crop this year so far - of my hair - so there are quite a few strands that remain, but I am sure not many would have survived their onslaught.

For now, I am wondering about my own folly.

So many people...so little time!

The last couple of days (I think I am beginning to love this phrase a lot), I have had the chance to talk to different people, from four different walks of life. Two of them I was talking to, after a considerable period of time, the third person - a blog friend, I spoke for the first time. The fourth was a guy who coincidentally managed to find me through some commonalities, and we chatted online. And some very interesting conversations ensued. The fifth was a college guy, with whom I managed to discuss cricket. I dont know how.

So let me get into this kind, generous mood, and say some nice things about all them. Some advice may just flow...may haan...so kindly bear with me! It was because, it felt nice talking to each one of them. Seriously.

Lady 1, much much younger. I think, one of the more mentally tough women I have seen. She can give you an impression that shes talking gibberish, but at the end of the talk, you realise that shes made purrfect sense. Talking with her, I also realised that the world is a small place, and it is shrinking by the minute. Serious set of coincidences. Anyways, just want to tell you lady-1, that when you take things into perspective, these things matter for nothing. And I did tell you what is that matters. let nothing else bother you. You will do just fine!

Lady 2. An Old friend. Same college. Somehow, the tapori instinct in me gets out while talking with her. Her only response...sheeeeeeeee. Yet, she encourages. Some people na! Anyways, another person, who could have lost a lot of sleep over some drastic things in life, but did not. Chose not to. Way to go. Having Fresh Lime Juice while you were having tequila was a nice experience. Not wishing you on your birthday and yet getting a treat out of you was nicer! ;-)

Lady 3. Yeh apunki lateshht blog friend. A very interesting conversation for a first time. Again, enjoyed it. Accent sounded nowhere like what I had visualised (what do you call the sound equivalent of visualise?) And jahaan tak our common 'likes' are concerned - and I am referring to this small world of bloggerville - dontcha worry, many fall in the same category I am sure. For the rest of the things, I shall tell you what someone told me just a day back. He told me "to hang in there, it would be fine". The context was different, but yeah, the crux is the same. Hang in buddy gal!

Guy 1: Chatted only once. A short one at that as well. But kaafi gyaan mila. And he gave me a couple of wonderful ideas, though inadvertently, I must admit. Opens an avenue for me. I want to know more. And frankly, I would want advice from this guy, dont think I am in the position to be doling it out to him :-)

Guy 2: Yeh banda paagal hai. And he ensures that noone else around him remains sane. The only sane conversations we can have is on cricket, and that is simply because he abhors the game. So he would talk about Rakhi Sawants as cheerleader, and the nocturnal habits of the moth that fly around at Mohali. And why do we have wicket keepers for a bowl out? Isko kya bolna. Buss ek-do phatkey dene ki zaroorat hai.

Baaki toh mast. Surprisingly, with so little time, I was able to talk to so many people. Enjoyed.

P.S. Peeya went for the Mohali match, and was disappointed that SRK did not entertain them all. So she did not enjoy the match. I am telling you, she didnt because I was not there. (runs)