MANUFACTURING WOES

India needs a boom in manufacturing to further strengthen its economy.But ask me what that really means.It means 6 days of work. It means no holiday on Easter,Eid or Holi.Yes you will have to explain your parents back home that there are no official holidays apart from the National ones bestowed to you.

  A friend of mine once drew parallels an interesting parallel at her site of Steel mill commissioning. With so many workers in helmets and PPE(personal protection equipments) working 24 hours (in shifts), and with Germans speaking on their walkie talkies guiding and consulting on technology  the entire scene actually looks like that of World War 2. Most of  us working in the manufacturing sector have no idea about  the 5 day a week  and 8 hours a day work model.After having had to go to office even on a Sunday today,here I pour out what a typically lucky Sunday means to us .Us here refers to the brotherhood (with an iota of sisters joining the fray) working at the shopfloor.

 While our friends are shaking a leg at the disco and tweeting “Thank God It is a Friday” We don’t even know what that means.We don’t know why Allen Solly launched that “Friday Dressing” collection. We keep counting our days at work dreaming only about what to do on a Sunday.

    So every Saturday will be a typical day when you would like to leave the plant early. And pronto! Just as you would be  online booking your tickets for the night movie show,or deciding which brand of "daaru" to buy for the night out,you will come to know of a breakdown in the shopfloor.That is how a weekend starts.Heavy hearted you would return home back at 9pm,barely managing to take your family or friends out for dinner.In case you are lucky you will find a table.In most of the cases all the hotels are infested with hungry folks who unlike you have managed to get a table because they didn’t have to face a breakdown in the line. That Saturday night dinner seems to be an ambrosia.You go back home and promise not to wake up early the next day until you are woken up by your housemaid or some vendor selling rugs or broomsticks.

You will curse them! By the time you realise you need a haircut or visit the parlour/saloon it is already 11 am on Sunday. The spirit starts leaving your soul when you decide to take a bath but realise that there  is  a whole lot of  laundry to do. By the time you have your brunch you realise you just have  some 8 hours left to your weekend and your afternoon nap beckons you. After you break your afternoon siesta you decide to stock up food for the rest of the weekend.You head to the market grab knick knacks, catch a movie ,shop , club around a little and bump into your colleagues who are doing pretty much the same.The Sunday dinner unlike the Saturday dinner is more sombre and more hopeless.You don’t enjoy it that much because you see your watch and feel there is not much time left for the Monday morning’s blue sun to rise. The evenings and the nights are a sweet torture .You hate to tell yourself that the day is about to end.You blurt that for the umpteenth time  “Gosh! I didn’t even come to know how the Sunday passed away” You are reminded of the drudgery of existence.You hate to goto bed and stay up watching the TV or facebooking.On facebook you see pictures of your friends picnicking and camping around all the places in globe and the Album says “ Weekend Getaway” . With a heavy heart you go off to bed and the timer is on; ticking for the next Saturday.

P.S. Salute to the blue collar workers who play such an important role in nation building enduring physical and emotional hardships.

GOLD IN KARATE

As the nation was exulting in the victory of Saina Nehwal,I was sitting with another female friend at a CCD (no pub ,no discotheque) in the heart of city and discussing India’s medal tally at around 7 pm(not late at night). I would mention we were both in “decent,sleeved” kurtas and jeans. Meanwhile waiting for another friend to return from office and to join us at CCD. Just when the other friend entered CCD and removed her wind cheater(as it was raining outside).

 Some guy inside CCD commented out loud “What should I do when a girl is taking off her jacket?”

It took a moment for us to understand that he was shouting that loud on phone to someone and thus ensued the verbal duel,when we got up and asked the guy “ Excuse me, What the hell are you think you are doing?”

Meanwhile there was another guy sitting next to him,his friend who screamed out aloud, “Sorry, do you girls want to talk to us? Did we say anything vulgar?”

Adding to this he said “Why do you girl keep asking for attention?”

My friends and I were flabbergasted. We went to the CCD manager and told him what was happening but they didn’t seem to listen at all.They paid us no heed.However we decided we would not get bogged down and continued to sit at the store.The guys were still passing comments at us but the store manager did nothing. Desparate to teach them a lesson we called our guy friends.(Sorry we dont believe in the Police).

   By the time the guy friends entered these guys were gone and so was the store manager. Our guy friends shouted at the waiters asking them for the store manager’s number,who we were told fled to a neighbourhood CCD outlet.The next part was all the more interesting. People at CCD started telling us to keep quiet as we were spoiling their mood.A long verbal duel ensued but we made it clear that we wont leave untill the manager comes back.

When we confronted the manager ,he said he could do nothing as the guys in question were regular customers who frequented the place 4-5 times a day and that he was not allowed to take action against customers. When we told him that if it were to happen to any female of his family he became aggressive and told us not to make it personal.

 The end result was helplessness that we three ladies had to face.I wish I knew  those swashbuckling Angelina Jolie shots. I know that the "male gaze" is probably evolutionary and anthropological and cant be helped,but passing lewd comments is not humane.Go out ladies and learn some Karate.

P.S  Sorry Saina,I will quit badminton and learn Karate.
I am sure Saina,you will understand this change of plan because all we want is dignity and equality in society.

TIME FLIES - 4

I had started this sequence long back when I was about to leave college.Last chapter of this series, always remained incomplete and here I am ready to complete it with a special thank you to friends with whom I bonded closely in my final year. As the very special Ladakh trip saw me visiting them again I just decided that I had to thank them .

Vivek: Had it not been for his nudging I would never have written this piece. The guy who hates being called a “khatta” despite being one ;is one of those sweet and decent guys girls want to be friends with. That may be his deepest regret,as he hates being called sweet. His friends call him “core” . I don’t know really know why,but probably he was involved in the core committee of some event in the first year.

The guy is an emotional poet.He contributed a lot on LAN.He has probably screened every series,that released in the US and UK.A Poets Of The Fall fan.I remember in college most of our conversations would be on HOUSE MD and debates on “why gaming is bad”. Vivek would ask me for a treat each time I was in the vicinity of the college canteen and obstinate as I was I never bowed to his request.A geek who knew about every software released and  would pay deadly attention in class(at the prof).He is quite a chatterbox and is very close to his family about whom he mentions a lot. This guy has always tried to make me feel how Jamshedpur is the best place to be in ,but I am yet to see how and why.

Ritwik:

Together Ritwik and Vivek made a deadly combo that would be a talking machine. Ritwik and I played Name passes that was more or less Antakshari with names of places. He would always end up giving me names of places that had to start with Y or X. Apparently he had memorised a lot of names of places in China . Ritwik would buy all junk aloo bhujia and chips but would never share it with any one as MONKEY D LUFY had to wake up at wee hours and consume it while playing DOTA .  He is one of those guys who can go on about any damn topic on earth and speak no end. It has always been amazing fun talking to him.Rits also has this knack of teasing you at the most inappropriate times in the most inappropriate ways. Together Vivek and Ritwik were always armed with gossip that could set houses on fire. Ritwik and vivek would fight so often on the slightest issues and remain cold to each other for months. Though Ritwik is stinking rich he hardly ever let us know.
This guy left Ferguson college for a college in Jharkhand. Why?

KP: KP’s whereabouts can be gauged miles away from his epicentre.Yes that is his vibration level. Though friends have always teased him for his loud(read: shrill) voice he has never taken things to heart. KP is one guy who will be perpetually with full cash doling out money for everyone in the canteen. He would prove to be an advisor for most of his friends especially female friends. His phone would always be abuzz with calls from all around the world.You could see him discussing all kinds of strategies of AOE and DOTA in the canteen table over a piece of paper.He is one proud Bihari loved by all his friends.

Isha: So this mechanigal was one of the most cool women.When I would hurry for class and leave she would wake up with her toothbrush. As for the day she would remain asleep.Always sleepy during exams she would panic till the last time saying she  had hardly read anything. pronto ! She would rank 2 or 1 in exams. A sharp brain with definitely spectacled  eyes and lovely locks. Her nocturnal delights included watching series and staying awake.Her room would be in perpetual chaos. Isha would be a constant companion whenever I wanted to go around the college gallivanting in search of food.An energetic dancer . This confused girl from Ambala is now doing super cool nuclear science.

Alpana: Alps and I could go on and on about movies,books,places,nature,feminist policies and all life in general.An avid photographer,Alpana got us special permission from the warden when we wanted to explore forbidden areas around the college.She introduced me to the college’s den,something I had missed in the 3 years of college life,”the sharmaji samosa and chai”. Alps and I volunteered together for the training and placement cell and I must say she is very good at whatever she does which  includes being a gold medallist in civil engg.  and a YIF scholar .

Susmita: A foodie,a passionate architect Susmita was this constant walker who loved to go on long walks and I got to share her company a few times. Her knowledge and passion for small and big things has always fascinated me.

Other blogs in this Time Flies Series
Time Flies 1

Time Flies -2
Time Flies-3

De-networking

When I googled to find out if there was a word “de-networking”,I found nothing close to the meaning I wanted to imply .

The word I coined is analogous to the word  “de-friending” only that instead of removing a friend from an online social network you remove yourself from the social network.

While I was very active on the social networking forum sharing articles and pieces I found interesting, a considerable number of my friends were deactivating their accounts.They were on a sabbatical as they referred to it.They had had enough of timeline cacophony or probably realised the drudgery of peeping into people’s lives and wanted to go far from the madding crowd and wanted some amount of soul searching.

Well,I had tried some regulation myself.On advice of a friend I downloaded the app “stay focused” that would block facebook (on my chrome browser)after a default time.

However on weekends I would bypass it and sheepishly check into facebook through IE,but at the end up signing out equally fast as IE stood for Inept Experience .I dont  carry a smart phone so apps got less on to me.

  One fine day I decided that I had had enough of it.Why should I get photographed just for the sake of profile pictures? Why should I vent my spleen and unleash emotions over my wall on facebook? Why show  my brooding highbrow side to people on  facebook?Why “share” things with people?Why look into what my ex crushes are upto? Why come to know who is marrying whom and where they are  headed off for honeymoon? Why come to know who has bought which car?Why come to know which movie is worth watching? Why rely on facebook birthday updates and why on earth wish them in the most cheapest way by writing “Happy Birthday” on their walls?Why accept friend requests from people I barely know?

Thank God! I de-networked.It has given me time for a lot of great things I had always loved to do but never found time for.

I work at office.I work out after office.Do my yoga.I meet friends in person.I read a book.I cook at times.I paint.I learn music.I am clearly more focussed. I realise life is more than flashy clothes and vacations in Europe.In short I am contented and extremely happy.

Damn! But how do I get to let you guys know how happy I am.I cannot share this article on facebook.Well I have not taken a resolution to quit facebook.I am just on a break and will be back when I have had enough of social solitude.

Holy Shit!

Okay so writers can write about any shit!Just like India TV covers any shit!That’s when I thought why not blog “shit!”

Shit is a word so commonly used that for a long time I didn’t know what shit meant.I thought it was the english counterpart of the Hindi “Bhak!”,a mere expression.One day while I was standing in the assembly queue and a white slimy matter fell on my head;my teacher came up to me and  said, “Girl go clear away that shit!”

I said “No Madam this is bird’s potty”

“Argh..shit is a better word for it girl,look up the meaning of shit in your oxford dictionary”I must have been in class 4 or 5 then .

  So a girl trips over her heel and discovers she has stepped on cow’s shit and there she exclaims “Oh,Shit!”

Guy sees that hot girl at the traffic signal and once the light turns green, “Oh shit man! She’s gone”

   Thinking about its origin ,both shit and poop are  Onomatopoeia . Yet they sound so different. Now that’s some “shit for thought”!

Well in our country isn’t shit the most ubiquitous word.Well you see,smell,hear  “shit” everywhere.I mean that with a pun.

And here is a guy who sheds some more light on it.

Meet Mr. Toilet 

But what makes our country so special apart from the huge amount of shit we generate is the way we do it.We ought to take some pride in it.Here read this to know the health benefits of the Indian squat toilet,before you install a new western one.It was laid out in Manusmriti.

 I am sure the toilet table will turn someday! The west has to learn more than just yoga from us.

What I find really disconcerting is why do we need to be all shy about attending the nature’s call?

Why keep it all hush,hush! Of course  people can be celibates but not shit-libates. As Nike’s swoosh says “Just do it!”

If there are times  that  remind  us of the fact that we are but animals,it  is  in times  like these .The time when pressure and stress takes a toll on us! 

Imagine little kids sheepishly asking their teachers “Madam,please can I goto Toilet” and Madam saying "Not,now"

Take a look at this  picture.George W Bush writes to Condoleeza Rice to let him go on a loo break.

If you think I am lying go here.

On the contrary there is a lesson Umpire Dickie Bird has left for us.During a test match at Old Trafford between England and West Indies he urgently wanted to go to the toilet and so stopped the match saying to the players, "I’m very sorry, gentlemen, but nature calls". He then ran off to the toilet to the amusement of the players and a tremendous roar from the crowd.

The Thinker by August Rodin 

 

Could have been one of those STINKERs who spend hours thinking and shitting in the toilet!


Now if you excuse me but I gotto hurry too!

Monica Oh My Darling

So how many of us turn to the Sitcom Friends for respite.

If there is one series that will be talked about like Leonardo Da Vinci’s MonaLisa in ages to come It has to be Friends.

I request the  script writers Marta Kauffman and David Crane to write  it out in a papyrus and put it in vacuum bottles and throw them in sea, send them on moon and rest thrown away at  Paris.(near the tombs of hot models;people are bound to find it)Though my favourite character is Phoebe Buffet but if I can totally connect with someone in  Friends  it is Monica.

  Oh yes we were both overweight when in school.Monica had earned the epithet of “Big Fat Goalie”. Remember when Ross(Monica’s brother) reveals that she caused their parents' porch swing to break; it had been previously thought that a hurricane had broken it. Ross tells that after being sent to bed without dinner one night, Monica tried to eat the macaroni glued to her jewelry box.  I remember as a child when I resembled what even my teacher called "baby elephant" ,my cousin got me sweets and I jumped out of joy at the sight to break a bed .At night when my parents would go off to sleep I would sneak and steal cookies and cakes.

      Oh yes I want my  place spick and span.The first thing that came to my mind when I shifted to my own apartment was no TV,no sofa but a vacuum cleaner. Monica calls her dry cleaner  her Disneyland.

      Oh yes I like elderly brawny men(read: Arjun Rampal) just as she likes Richard.

     Oh yes I have always believed in the Japanese 5s methodology and so does Monica. She categorizes towels into 11 sections, examples being "everyday use," "fancy," "guest," and "fancy guest."I do that in 5. Masalas labelled in my kitchen just as Monica has her spoons labelled.To know more about 5s method

    Oh  yes I am a workout freak and like Monica I have coaxed quite a lot of friends to try it out. Here too most of our friends have not matched our standards and both Mon and I have given up on our friends.

      Oh yes I am damn careful about the money I spend.I am too good at bargaining and hate to be duped. “I KNOW” is my favourite catchphrase too.

I love my possessions and hate losing them to anybody just as Monica. Remember how she refuses to lend any of her ear rings to Rachel because she misplaces them always. I am very smart in asking my possessions back when I’ve lent it. I have always been like that.In class 5 when we had to frame a sentence on idioms.

A friend of mine wrote this . Shrill can be a bear with a sore head,if you take away her notebook and don’t return it back to her.

      Oh yes I am hyper excited most of the times and voice can be shrill and piercing as Mon’s.I love to treat friends with my delicacies and playing a host and how dare they say I am bad at it.

      We both have a stickler for time. When Monica becomes Phoebe's wedding planner, she orders the events run on "military time". I always would reach class at time in college and only later would I come to know that it was supposed to be bunked.

        By now you must have realised how self obsessed the two of us are. I will scribble my name in every book and writing pad. Recently I was so self engrossed that I addressed  “Dear Sneha”  on a beautiful card we got to gift  a friend.

        Quirks and idiosyncrasies  are what make people interesting.

        Thanks to all my friends for accepting me the way I am !!

        I’ll be there for you....

P.S "I KNOW" Its not Archies Friendship’s day today.

Millionaire and Slumdog

“Shrill why do you have to think so much.Get a life!!”

Seriously that’s what many friends tell me but I would agree with Sheldon(from Big Bang theory) and Einstein. I fail to understand why should I not be using that 1.2 kgs of gray matter which is so underutilsed in all of us. Only 10% in an average human being .

So here I ruminate.

When I see little kids selling diyas on the eve of Diwali I am forced to think “What a paradox!!” I am in a country where even the poorest of the poors worship the Goddess of Wealth Lakshmi on the eve of diwali and yearn for fortune..Is God listening?

I wont rattle out the figures of economic disparity in India which is are at an all time high.Stats are here.No wonder this week newspaper columns have been writing

so much on whether the ostentatious,luxurious and some like Mr.Mani Shankar Aiyar who have been calling it “vulgar” expenditure that cannot be justified in the form of Formula one races. As Mr. Shankar and the like minded put it, there is a greater India that needs that amount of money just to be alive while the rich indulge in their entertainment. Right or not I wont remark as my last post was on the futility of debates…But the fact that each time we see a poor child begging..aren’t we not filled with a bit of guilt? God..what have I done to deserve this good a life?

Inherently we all like to see,read and tell our kids success stories where people have carved their niche, out of their sheer mettle.We all get that inner joy when we see someone going from rags to riches.If we are rich we will be infused with sympathy..If we are poor we will have a certain degree of empathy.
So as the nation exults in the victory of Mr. Sushil Kumar winning 5 crores, I have penned down a few lines in hindi keeping in mind the last 7 days.

 समय तो एक ही है,भगवान भी एक ही है

 पर कहीं एक तरफ दीवाली है तो दूसरी तरफ दीवाला है..

 पूजा के मन्त्र भी एक ही हैं,विधि भी एक ही है..

 पर कहीं एक तरफ सोने की लक्ष्मी है, तो दूसरी तरफ दिया भी नही जल पाया है..

 दिन भी वही है,दिनांक भी वही है

 पर कही एक तरफ घी के हज़ार लड्डू हैं,तो दूसरी तरफ बताशा भी ना चढ़ पाया है..

 देश भी एक ही है..दुनिया भी एक ही है

 पर कहीं F1 देखा जाता है..,तो दूसरी तरफ दूरदर्शन भी नही आता है..

. संख्या भी एक ही है और सत्ता भी एक ही है

.. पर कहीं 5 करोड़ बस हाथो की मैल है..तो कहीं KBC ही एक आशा है...

 समय तो एक ही है,भगवान भी एक ही है

 पर कहीं भाग्य विधाता है और कहीं भाग्य विदा हो जाता है...

FOOT IN MOUTH

I had a splitting headache today and had to pop a crocin...

No no..and definitely not the perennial tantrums of my Boss

But because of a hell raising debate...

I really believe I’ll be a very good spouse because of my apathy towards debates and arguments..and I realised at the end of the splitting debate..err.. headache that I definitely will never be able to make in to even the local panchayat forget Lok sabha and the rest..

     The topic though was a trivial one; at the end when the sweet  arbitrator tried to put us to ceasefire and when we,the great debaters who are otherwise good friends,realised that we had whiled away an hour;we both decided to shut up!!

So,have you ever seen a happy end of a debate?

I cant recollect one such example except those debate competitions in school where one holds up a trophy!

         Frankly I feel all those years in school where students are encouraged to take part in debates (pointless again is the entire concept where kids are given a topic,asked to write or get it written,mug up the content and deliver it from their memory in front of a naive audience) goes down in drain..

They say debate is an intellectual pursuit..but how?

At the end of 99% of debates both the parties are left unconvinced and not an iota do they agree with each other.

Human beings are supposed to be opinionated and possess the thing called “ego” which doesn’t feel good when bruised.

In my observation,the more “intellectual” a person claims or is renowned to be ,the more opinions  he has of  his own,and the less likely he is to be budged from his ground of thinking because he has ultimate assurance,confidence and at times even pride in his “intellect”.

         Look at the those correspondents on TV talk shows trying to put debaters to peace when they start screaming at each other on screen .The futile debates in the parliaments and unnecessary interruptions and delays cost so much to our exchequer.

Hailing from an engineering college where we get enough of time for discussions and “bakar” I remember a few incidents.

     During college some of my guy friends had a debate over the complexion of Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal as to which of the 2 singers is fairer..

To prove, both started downloading images on google and trying to prove their point .

Result: An entire night wasted with no conclusions.(Not that even reaching a conclusion on this one would make a huge difference to anyone)

Some similar ones are

Who is the better khan Aamir or Shah Rukh?

Who is the more beautiful of the two?

Aishwarya or Sushmita?

What is better ?

A smart and not-so beautiful wife or a not-so smart but beautiful wife?

Which is innocuous Halal meat or Jhatka?

What is healthier?

Veg food or non veg?

MBA as a career option or not?

Life in big cities or Life in small ones?

Ahh..and those debates men so often get embroiled and start quoting facts and figures just  to prove who is greater of them.

Sir Don Bradman or Sachin Tendulkar?

Pele or Maradona?

Federer or Nadal?

And suddenly some one will quote a statistic and the other party will disagree and bet and go google just to prove him wrong..but damn that still doesn’t end the debate..

Let it just be guys ..There have been issues and debates unresolved since time immemorial..Most of the times I feel the debaters just end up wasting their time and energy.

Like the UN debates of Palestine Vs Israel.

India Vs Pakistan

Communism Vs Democracy

Industrial Development Vs Eco-system sustainability

God Vs Science

    If there is any little benefit out of a debate then it goes to those who are the silent neutral observers,who listen to it with an open mind and seek some knowledge from both the sides . Its like two dogs strive for a bone and the third one runs off with it.But very soon this third dog meets another one and starts fighting as he soon has his own opinion too.

 So how right is it for you to vent your spleen over a statement you believe in?How right is it for you to engage in a debate?

Debate  sure promises a repartee and as movies show even helps forge relationships but I have decided for the umpteenth time to shut up and never engage in one.So what if people think I am dumb and too pacific! After all its my own opinion.  So you don’t want to debate on the “FUTILITY OF DEBATE” .Do you?

I WISH I COULD BE YOU..LAILA!!

I finally came out of my Cine-Bad luck record..Paisa Vasooled after a long time..

I was in Kolkata on company business and got time post work to catch a movie

Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara was a totally refreshing movie..It  was much like a Lonely Planet show..Spanish tourism is bound to get a boost.

Another reason why I probably am singing in praise is because I was able to establish a connect with Laila(played with Katrina) before you Kat Fans get offended I am aware Katrina is light years  away from any girl next door in terms of pulchritude.

No I am not a deep sea diver like Laila.. rather I just have had the practice of  swimming  ..I fear the deep end. Laila talks about what she wants from life

“Meeting new people  and experiencing new at every point in life”

That  sounded so much like a soliloquy to me.

I ‘ve so wanted to see the country and the world..and I don’t have a problem doing it alone..
But there are things to stop me in this pursuit!

     As I was going to bed ruminating about this…. I got an sms from an official  acquaintance who asked me if I was okay in  and if I had heard any rumour..Not very pleasantly, I replied that I was not in town and I didn’t pick up any rumour hints at midnight.The next morning I’m woken up by another phone call..This time from my aunty in Ranchi..she  asked  me  the same question “If I had heard the news going around?”

Now what rumour/news had been floating around that I was oblivious of?? And this is what I heard “A female employee of my Company  was raped at the very scenic Dimna Dam while she was visiting the place in the company of a male friend” Since there are not many female employees in the manufacturing sector I could understand their concern….

  Like each time I read about such cases..I was irked,aghasted,repelled by this heinous act..I’d been disturbed all day long.After day long of engagements I returned to the Hotel it was 8.30 pm.I had to buy a gift for a dear friend.I googled nearest Titan showroom. I decided to put myself to a small test and set out on foot all alone based on the random google maps . I made a quick circle from ho chi minh sarani that was deserted .The showroom had its shutters half down and was about to close in the  camac street.Struck by hunger I went out to hunt for street food on the notorious  Park street on a  Saturday night and its nearby lanes at nine at night.I wanted to pack food  at a roll corner but I had become aware of a group of guys who were staring  so I ditched the idea.

  I returned back safe! A  short celebration of liberation!

But the morning thought had still been haunting me…Are such perpetrators worse than savages?

I’m sure even animal kingdom has respectable protocols..and so do “uncivilized” tribes in Africa

And worse what aftermath does the female go after she has undergone something as ravaging as a rape.

The entire question of “why me?” or worse

“God! Why did you make me a weaker gender?”

Paradoxically In a country where Durga,Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped..I know people will call it a feminist’s question but isn’t this a humanitarian one?

  Why do they do it?What do they get out of it?and you know what “they” does not include a minuscule percentage population?The National Crime Records Bureau state that in the year 2009  a total of 21091  rape cases were reported in police station.Officially every 30 minutes a woman is raped.Adding to that Medical Counselors say that only 1 in 69 cases are reported.So you can well imagine the number of females who are so devastated and don’t want to go through the stigma of being asked “disgraceful questions” by police and medical examinations just to prove what they have gone through.

 Thinking and cringing at it;I read a Nielsen report  revealed that Indian women are the most stressed out in the world: 87% of our women feel stressed out most of the time.. Even in workaholic America, only 53% women feel stressed.There’s not a single day when we girls are not reminded of our helplessness..

       If  I take an auto the guy sitting or uncle sitting next to me will try to nudge me..

If I am travelling in a bus the “bhaiya” needs to be reminded to make some space and not to make contact..

If I’m travelling by train..God! help me if I’m alone be it AC..General class..I’ll have all the eyeballs on me..staring at me as if I were some alien..Here’s a fact most of us wont sleep in train at night lest the man sleeping on the next berth tries to lay his hand on us..Many a times no one will come to rescue even If you’ll try..and Please  don’t ask us to report to the police waala 50% times even he might be eyeing us with uncouth eyes..If you’re walking on streets comments will pass once or twice..Again if the situation is really bad  some one will just come on his bike and make sure he gets the thrill of scaring a girl out of her wits by touching her..and before you will have come out of the shock and have had the sense of noting his number down he’ll be gone in a jiffy.

   Workplace too might not always be a friendly place.In a recent poll it was found that  60%  of working women have faced sexual harassment at some point of time in their working lives. 

 Coming to the point,I cannot take a knapsack on my back and cannot put on my khaki shorts and go about camping in some field or exploring some mountain alone by myself.. Laila(Katrina) seized the day and lived every moment to the fullest beause she was in Spain and not in India and probably was the daughter of a well to do man..I cannot seize the day..I cannot impress Hrithik Roshan by my free spirit..I cannot live the way I want to because there might be some villain lurking  out there..

I HATE LOVE STORIES

He used to sit there at my newly launched “Chai bar” very often….
Clad in kurta and jeans he used to frequent my Tea shop every Sunday..
It had been almost half a year and he hadn’t missed even a single sunday..He generally used to be there alone with his only company being a book and a cup of tea..and used to sit there for a couple of hours..
It had been a dream come true for me launching a tea bar chain of my own..I used to make sure that I was present at this Manor Road joint every Sunday
He was tall,sultry and spectacled…(just my kinda guy)
Somewhere in mid thirties meaning only about a couple of years elder to me..I was happy with life but Ma always had been hinting that my free single independent life needs a “suitable man”….and each time I saw him I thought the same..
The first 4 weeks I remember he’d only order “Assam Special” and consume it copiously..
He used to come to the counter and rattle his order straight away..I suggested him once “why don’t you try something else as well? Oolong is good too”
He gave me a look of surprise that seemed to say “ you seem to be following my orders lady?”
Ahhh..how I wish I could follow them
He readily acceded and said “ok,ill try it..” and flashed his smile..
I understood what “being swept off one’s feet meant”
I always wanted to talk to him..find out what book was he was reading?
Once when he came to order “oolong” at the counter I furthered our conversation by saying “Oh yes Oolong will just go perfectly well with your current read”
Isnt that book about Roald Amundsen’s adventure at the south pole?
   He had said “so miss,It seems you do more than just selling tea”
I sprang at that opportunity and boasted him about my B-school stint and entrepreneurship plans..I wanted to know about his pursuit as well..no it wouldn’t matter…if he were just a struggling writer or journo..
We would have married and I would be happy selling tea ever after and just see him stay occupied with his book and my hand made tea….
I was just about to ask him his pursuit when I was accosted by another customer at the counter..
For once I didn’t want to do business..
There were so many pretty girls and women frequenting my “chai bar” but he never ever raised his eyes to even take a glimpse of them…forget ogling …much to my relief.
 The only habit I found a bit disconcerting was when he stepped out to smoke..but I would make him quit that too someday..
At times he used to bring a laptop ..I would watch those tough,muscular hands in motion..working fast on the keyboard..I would generally make myself conspicuous and try to grab his attention by being extra polite and courteous to other customers..…Once I had brought my 3 yr old niece along..and I remember how he had offered her a chocolate out of his pocket when he’d come to order “Oolong”
Somehow his reticent and tough yet gentle demeanour never allowed me to open up very freely to him..besides it would be partial and unethical as a shop-owner to give extra attention to one customer…most importantly it would let loose a babble of tongues..
And one day…
It was raining really wildly that day..I stuck to my routine..and by 11 was there at my counter…
The clock struck 11:30 and he wasn’t there…since the weather had turned stormy and rainy a few customers chugged in cars and stopped in for tea but I didn’t receive their orders with alacrity..
I was distracted..and slowly was getting disappointed..
No..how could I stay without seeing him for the rest of the week?
Had he come today I definitely would start my discussions on the book he was reading last week..
Not only had I bought the book but did extra research on it…to impress him… and wore my best black salwar suit for that slim look with perfect matching jewellery…
Despondent I exited from my Manor Road “chai bar”..since It was raining I grabbed the other day’s newspaper to provide that mobile shed and ward off the rain..I sat in my car and left then newspaper on the dashboard.I was about to start the car when I saw the newspaper… That page had a news I never wanted to believe “ Ranchi:August 15,2017 The Jan Lokpal finds Mr. Ajay Kishore guilty of misappropriation funds worth Rs. 10 crores.”Above this news piece was his picture.That was how I came to know him

I came ..I saw ..They conquered..

As the entire nation has been painted in the euphoria of the Indian Cricket team winning and bringing the "Cup that counts" home and as the media is fully catching up with this well deserved long awaited frenzy..I decided why not do the same...
I know there are some thousands blogs sprouting simultaneously on the same subject..
All this a catharsis to yesterday’s victory....
I am frankly no big cricket follower..i know nothing about IPL(and frankly don’t want to)
I give a damn to any match going on that doesn’t involve my country.
I am what as guys would love to describe “a typical Indian girl” who still has difficulty understanding inside edge,long on,mid off,slip,silly gully and all those stuffs..
I am just one of those nondescript persons in the crowd who want their country to win..
And definitely win against Pakistan...I admire Sachin Tendulkar as any one in the country for his amazing brilliance with the bat and the utter humble conduct
And yes I take great pride like any other Ranchiite
“ hey you know what Dhoni is my neighbour and we studied in the same school”
I am like thousands out there who will either wear the same coloured T they wore last time because India won...will eat the same food in between the breaks because India won the last time they practised that..and definitely will or will not sit in front of the TV set when their favourite team is batting..In my case its a bit extreme..I believe my presence is cursed and so I don’t watch my country batting..So,It happened in the Finals yesterday..sitting at the edge of my chair on the computer refreshing score card on cric info and listening to the cheers and despondent sighs of folks watching the match outside.
Last few balls when India seemed destined to win I came ..I saw and they conquered..
It was then that I experienced the euphoria and rejoiced the moment..
It was great listening to Kumara Sangakkara’s eloquent speech after which I was told that he is a law student himself..no wonder..where all that acumen and words flow..
Another great point to note was apna Dhoni’s speech he said "had we lost out I would have been asked why sreesanth not ashwin?yuvraj singh why not at number 4 despite his form ..there are plenty of questions?” and when asked about his run bank he said
“I had a point to prove not to others but to myself..”
That is what makes people great..they remain unaffected by criticism..they care not what people have to say about them..We fans are really impractical..
For instance when Nehra gave away runs in the match against South Africa we lambasted him..
This takes me back to the 2003 world cup
India had a horrid beginning to the tournament, their first match was against minnows Holland, who tumbled the Indian batsmen out for just 204 but India ended up winning by 68 runs, the unconvincing victory setting the stage for immense criticism. The next match on India's list was against world champions Australia. The Indian team, batting first..India were out for 125. Australia scored the target in 22.2 overs, only losing one wicket. The Indian performances in the first two matches triggered uproar within India, player effigies were said to be burnt on streets

India moved and won the next matches against Zimbabwe and Namibia. India finished off the Pool Stage with an 82 run victory over England and a 6 wicket victory over Pakistan. Ashish Nehra achieved 6/23 against England to help India defend 250 as England were all out for 168.

That reminds me of the very famous lines from Julius Caesar when Antony remarks
“The evil that men do lives after them,The good is oft interred(buried) with their bones”


Its very easy for us to pontificate and say how this shot should have been played,or how that ball should have been chased..or how that extra leap should have been taken to grab the ball..
The worst was 2007 world Cup when public’s wrath knew no end
India's World Cup campaign started disastrously, as they lost to Bangladesh in the opener, leaving them with two must-win matches in their group. India next scored 413 against Bermuda India won the game by 257 runs, and this left them to beat tournament favorites Sri Lanka. Due to their loss to Bangladesh, India's presence in the tournament depended on them defeating Sri Lanka.
At the Queen's Park Oval at Trinidad, on 23 March, the Indian pace bowlers made early inroads, dismissing the danger men,the Sri Lankan innings ended for 254 for the loss of 6 wickets.
The Indians batting crumbled against the Sri Lankan bowling attack, India were all out for only 185, considered surprising given India's batting strength and the batting-friendly nature of the Queen's Park Oval. With one victory and two losses, India were hence knocked out of the World Cup. It was also the first time since 1992 that the Indian cricket team failed to progress to the latter stages of the tournament.
After the debacle, there were several attacks on players homes and protests by infuriated fans, especially in Bangalore and Mumbai.Such volatile can we be ..Fans even burnt posters of GOD.

No wonder the cricketers say so morosely in the Birla Sun Life Insurance advt “Jab tak Balla hai that hai” ( Glory will stay till runs emanate out of the bat)


“A critic is someone who never actually goes to the battle, yet who afterwards comes out shooting the wounded”
So I learn a lesson here..bouquets and brickbats will always be there what matters most is BELIEF in yourself and your decisions..
With great power ..comes great responsibility..
Thanks to you men in blue for having braved fan pressure and performing "bleedingly" well


Here’s a lovely piece from the movie ratatouille by where the critic confesses his job as





“ In many ways the work of a critic is easy, we risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves our judgement,we thrive on negative criticism which is fond to write and to read...but the bitter truth that we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating itself and there are times when a critic truly risks something and that is in the discovery and defence of the new ...the world is often unkind to the new talent ,new creation but new needs friends....”