Jab they met

“Excuse me?” she said when she couldn’t go through the gang of people in front of her who were busy chatting on some trivial issue. It was then that she saw him amongst the group. Their eyes met…

“I love you! Do you?” he asked her. She needed some time. He kept asking her out. At last she agreed.

“Are you…?” he asked still not believing that it was her in front of him after all these years. With crisp cold serious eyes she replied, “Yes its me!”

“We are the best couple on earth!” he assured her. “Yes honey we surely are” she said with moist eyes. She was very happy whenever she was with him. He got her gifts, chocolates, flowers anything he could imagine of. They were happy.

“Errr… How are you?” he was shaking. She kept staring at him with her diabolical eyes that clearly had a tale to tell. “Errr… Sorry” was all he could manage then.

“You won’t ever leave me right?” she asked him while lying in his shoulders. “Oh come on! Never! Not till I die!” his reassurance was all she needed to be happy.

“Why did you?” she was choking when she asked. “Why did you cheat me?” “I can explain!” he tried holding her hand and got slapped in his face hard.

“I am leaving to Delhi tomorrow honey,” he told her over the phone. She cried instantly and incessantly. “Hey I’ll be back dear. Very soon. As soon as I could” he tried to console the soul over the phone. “Please don’t go! I can’t live without seeing you…”

“Get out of my sight!” she barked at him. “You are a cheat!”

“No!” he wanted to clarify. “I tried reaching you…” he got slapped again before he could finish that statement.

She waited to hear from him. He had given a landline number that was never attended. She had no other way of communicating him. She tried to reach his office only to find out that he was fired a month before. She waited for him to call her. She waited…

“I still love you,” he told her. “I am married now” was her instant reply.

He never called. She was getting anxious. Her parents had fixed up a groom for her. She needed him now. She needed him to come and take her away. She loved him more than anybody on this planet. She needed him…

She wanted to ask him a lot of questions whenever she got to meet him next. She wanted to ask him why he was so nice to her first and why he left her all of a sudden without any trace. She needed answers from him. Suddenly her mobile ringed. “Hey come over here fast! Me sitting here in this restaurant looking at the blank chair beside me!” her face suddenly brightened when her man called. Her new man. She managed an ‘excuse me’ and walked past him in a hurry. He kept looking at her thinking how much he missed a girl as lovely as her. He wanted to tell her how he was fired from his job. How he suffered in the city one from shortage of money and other by missing her. He didn't want to call her and tell her that her man was a loser. He wanted to settle down into a good career and then call her. When he finally did, he was told that she was getting married in a week. He kept the phone down, shocked and dejected. He vowed never to interfere in her life again…

One night @ the ball center: IPL

I didn’t want to. Never thought I would. But it was so captivating that here I am writing a blog entry. May 21^st, 2008 it was. The match was between Chennai Super Kings and Bangalore Royal Challengers. Having got the tickets (Rs.200 ones) three days back, I was eagerly awaiting the change from the monotonic holidays that I was having. The day arrived. It got along with it some spells of moderate rain, enough to make any ticket holder anxious. Hoping to see some cricket, I proceeded to the stadium along with my cousin and few friends. The next six hours were one of the most action packed periods I have witnessed, so much so that the match became secondary to all of us.

Music was on air when we entered the stand. We took the first row quite close to the square boundary but with a grill fence in between. Ours was the only fully filled stand in the stadium, quite understandably. The music show had Tipu and Srileka Parthasarathy showing off their singing talents and the famous Tamil beats made the audience to dance to their tunes, including the author. The next one-hour invigorated our minds though all our energy were drained away. Meanwhile we were witnessing the ground staff drain away the water from the fields and few players take catching practice. The drizzles continued but that was forgotten when drummer Sivamani started his beats. Then came the real fun…

So much hue and cry were made about the cheer girls and their dress that one thought it must be an exaggeration. How can cheer girls glamorize cricket so much that the match itself takes a backseat? Well it did!! There they came and the whole stand started gaping at them. Especially the girls of team Bangalore (thankfully we choose this match to watch!). The short ‘Shorts’ and deep cut ‘Tops’ attire was sensual enough to make any dad sitting with his children feel embarrassed. Shouts of ‘I love you’ filled the air and for once everyone wanted Bangalore to hit some boundaries to see these girls in ‘action’. The height of excitement came when former SS Music VJ Lekha Washington walked passed us in strapless tops and low fit jeans.

The match was becoming predictable. Bangalore was struggling and there was no way they could possibly put up a fight. Chennai bowlers were too strong and Dravid fought a lone battle. The total of 126 in 20 overs, the least by any team that played full quota of overs in IPL, was in no way respectable. Chennai started confidently. 60 for 0 in 9 overs meant there was only one result that the match was heading to. We were disappointed, as after all we had paid to witness a good match in the first place. Especially the author, who wanted Bangalore to do well for more than one reason. Suddenly things changed. Kumble and Steyn got the Royal Challengers back into the match and some poor shot selection by Super Kings batsmen made them gift the match to the Royal Challengers. The Chennai crowd became furious and empty bottles were being thrown into the ground. The following few minutes saw some commotion; the cheer girls had to run away while the police personnel lathi-charged a few.

The fun ended there but the night was surely memorable. The music, the dance, the rain, the cheer girls, the crowd, the match, the company (and that certain mischievous friends of mine flicked burgers from stalls!), the atmosphere, everything made us have a ball in M.A.Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk. So much for Rs.200!!

Life's like a cup of coffee??

It may be tough to get a girlfriend but it is even tougher to keep her happy. The guy has to put on various facades, pretend to appreciate everything about her and also criticize things she doesn’t like or believe in. There are trivial things that get more importance while the serious things aren’t even cared about. Maintaining a 'happy' girlfriend is an art by itself. There was this guy who had a tough time with his girlfriend. Their story goes like this…

Yes he was very happy when she said yes to him. But that was after so much deliberation. She was modern in her outlook. He was a fun-loving creature born to freak out and is never serious in anything he does. She liked the funny side of him but always feared his insincerity. He, well he liked her. (Does a guy need a reason to like a girl?) Life was fun till they started going out. She liked freaking out too. They decided to meet up everyday at 4pm in the Coffee Day outlet near her house. He was staying some 7kms away and was without any vehicle. So everyday he had to start pretty early.

Day one: He started at 3.30 sharp. Went to the bus stand. To his luck got a bus immediately. Only to find out that it takes a longer route to reach the destination. Heavy traffic and heavily crowded bus made the journey an ordeal for him. He gasped for breath when he got down. Shit!! He was late by 30 minutes. He ran to the coffee outlet. There she was sitting in the corner table looking as gorgeous as ever, at least according to him. With a smile across his face he sat opposite her. “Idiot! Why are you late?! Can’t you at least send a message? I have been waiting here for 35min! Useless creature! You put my mood off! ……” He was shocked when she blasted out at him. He tried convincing her, all in vein. They didn’t even drink coffee properly that day. He came home disappointed.

Day two: He started at 3 sharp. Went to the bus stand. The bus didn’t arrive. It took him ten minutes to get a bus. Alas! He got the same bus as the day before. The same conductor was staring at him! He was smart this time. He got down in the next stop and waited for the shorter route bus. It did come. But… He was late by 20 minutes when he reached the coffee outlet. She was sitting in the same corner table with a lovely face glamorized by the diligent use of make up. “Idiot! Useless! ………” He was furious when he reached home that day. What nonsense is this? Why can’t she understand?

Day three: He started at 3 sharp. This time he took an auto rickshaw straight. Yes never mind the money. She was more important. But the traffic was the same. Fuck! What the hell are these traffic policemen doing? Can’t they set the traffic right for once? Slowly he was moving towards his destination. It was one km away. Ten minutes to go. And as lady luck has her way, the auto rickshaw had one of its tyres punctured! He paid the driver and started looking for another. Not even one on sight. Desperate to go on time, he started running. With all his force he ran and he reached the coffee outlet on time. He looked at the corner table expecting to see her pleasing face. She wasn’t there. He waited. It was 4.10pm. She didn’t come. Suddenly he thought of something. He went out and hid himself in the shop nearby. She came at 4.15pm. He waited till it was 4.20 and went in. “Idiot! How dare you keep me waiting?! It’s been 20 minutes! I am seriously getting tired of you! Get lost ……” He begged and pleaded for pardon. She finally gave him one more chance. He went back home thinking. Bitch! Will teach her a lesson!!

Day four: He started at 2pm. Took an auto rickshaw and reached the place by 3pm. He wanted to be safe. He sat there in the outlet. The time was 4pm. She didn’t come. He was furious. Bitch! Will scold her like anything! How dare can she play this game with me? She came in at 4.15pm. “Wow! I know you’ll be on time dear. Love you so much! Come lets have coffee. You order today ……” He smiled. All the anger and all the things he had planned to say vanished on the sight of her. The date went well.

The moral(?!): Boys remain boys and girls remain girls…

P.S: None of these stories are related to the author and his life unless the post specifically has the label "My life".

Just another way to post an entry...

He was staring at the time in the right bottom of his monitor. It showed 10.37pm. Damn it! The day was about to end in 80 minutes and he had promised the world to post a blog entry on that day. Was it possible? Of course it was. But on what should he write about? His mind was racing…

Can it be on the IPL matches? Nah! Everyone is writing on that. Newspapers too carry a lot of weight age. But should he at least tell them that he is going to watch Chennai vs Bangalore in two days? hmmm… Maybe. No. Too boring.

Something on the vacations he is having? Nothing much to write though. All he is doing is sitting with his computer or TV. What about the swimming classes he is undertaking? He hasn’t learnt anything concrete yet to tell them na.

The Jaipur blasts? The US elections? The 123 deal? Nope! very serious topics those are. There is nothing very interesting in his personal life too of late to tell. God this is going to be tough! Why the bloody hell did he promise a blog post then? Wait a minute! He can write about his birthday na. No nothing special this year.

Suddenly his thoughts started vacillating… Birthday. 21 already. If only the girl was ready to marry!! Hey why didn’t I cut a cake today?? Grown up? Hmmm… Hey have to reply to all the wishes I got in Orkut. Almost forgot. Man I choose a great day to write a blog post didn’t I? Bad. Should be doing better things on a birthday. Better like?? Hmmm… Chatting with friends? Maybe. Hey get back!! You have an unfinished job at hand!!

Yes he did. So on what topic to blog? A story yet again? Yes that’s the only option. All his stories have been well received till date. So what made them tick? Is it because of the intriguing plot or because of the comical side applied to it? Maybe because of the standard of English used? Nah… The comments he got for the last post…

“…only the language seemed forced.”, “…and whats with the new thesaurus of yours.. or are you using an online version..”, “…ana simpler english le ezhudhina engalukkum sulabam”

By the way, what was so tough in that post? Isn’t the meaning of ‘conjecture’ anybody’s guess? How secretive can the meaning of ‘surreptitious’ be? Didn’t the usage of ‘succinct’ make the paragraph brief?

Well well…The blogs are for the readers so he had to get back to the simpler words which are in no way going to affect the post or the flow anyways.

As he sat thinking, a sudden urge in him made him to look at the time in the right bottom of his monitor. It was 11.17pm. His eyes then glanced to the monitor screen that had a Word document newly typed. A tinge of smile came back to his face as he looked at the document. Yes! He had done it. A new post was ready all by its own. On time, for needed to write his diary entry too before the day ended. He edited and reedited the post and copy pasted it into his blog. The day ended, satisfactorily.

BIT ... careful

The time was 1pm. One more hour was left. He was looking at his watch with a nefarious smile spread across his round face. I have escaped thus far! I am a born genius! He was. His style was singular and inimitable. “What are the portions?” he asked his classmate. Yes the exam was in an hour and still he was unaware of the portions. Should he care? Not when he had the most powerful technique in hand!

“Bits” as he affectionately called it. He defined it as “A method to succinctly prepare questions for exams upon conjuncture which should be highly surreptitious and must be done assiduously without any compunction” He was a master and considered it preposterous to study hours and hours for a single exam. Here he was, ready to face the final exam in college life…

It all started in his second year of college when he is under prepared for an important exam due to sudden illness. He had no other option to escape from the predicament that he faced. Though his friends reproached, the remonstrance didn’t prevent him from attempting the alluring technique. And as evil always brings some luck with it in the beginning, he got the best grade possible in the subject. This spurious success made him a recidivist. Over time he became highly presumptuous. The journey has been smooth and uneventful thus far…

Here he was ready to face the last impediment in his college life. Without any foreboding he took out the nicely cut out bits of paper and started preparing the subject. Three bits and ten minutes was all that required for him to finish this paper. He walked to the exam hall with a pompous and cavalier attitude that clearly seemed to mock at the people cramming outside the hall. Three more hours and he was a free bird…

The paper was easy. It didn’t matter. He had almost everything in hand. Shouldn’t take much time! Half way into the exam, his mind was wavering. Should meet up with my girlfriend as soon as possible! No first should meet the HOD. That fat ass will stare at disbelief when I go tell him how successful my academics have been. How dare he reprimand me for being languid in second year?! He looked at his watch. God! When will 5 come? He had almost completed the paper. He folded the bits he had used and kept it in his shirt pocket aloofly and tied the answer script. The time was 4.30pm and he had had enough. With a phlegmatic face he made a frivolous walk towards the invigilator to give the answer script…

The time was 5pm. The HOD was staring at him, with his answer script in hand. The HOD’s diabolical eyes met his face portraying deep ignominy. “Why did you?” he demanded…

The time was 4.30pm. He walked towards the invigilator. As he gave the answer script to the invigilator sitting in the other side of the desk, it fell out of his hands. He reached down to take the paper when the bits in the shirt pocket came out and flew beyond his reach, only to be spotted by the invigilator. He was caught. At last!!!

Memoirs of my college life..

Four long years in NIT Trichy have seen a vivid transformation in me from an apprehensive, hesitant individual to an expressive, confident one. These years have helped me to form a perspective of various things and have overall shaped my personality (good or bad). Here is a recollection of things that happened in my life through these years followed up with a thanksgiving to every single thing that had helped me during my stay in NITT…

First year: The foray into the unknown world combined with the added ‘freedom’ was challenging; New friends, exposure to new cultures, myriad of clubs, variety of girls, different preparation for exams, excellent roommates, frequent parties, movies, Mr.Agate distinction, murder in college, being elected as Hostel Rep, supposed preparation for IIT, new mobilephone, being hooked into table tennis, horrible mess food, satisfying GPAs, many one side crushes, the year was over in a flash.

Second year: The entry into a new department, terrifying one at that. New roommates, out of touch with northees, contact with girls, events for schools as part of club work, school juniors entering to find nice receptive seniors (pun intended!), induction into college hockey team, Ruby cup, various getups being tried, usage of BITs, horrifying GPA, BAD(?!) habits, finding new close friends, various night shows in trical audi. Well was a tough year but at the end I might have settled; for it.

Third year: New close friends, new impressive hostel, decent food, class trip, decent GPAs, more responsibility in club, focus on career, Campus placement course, CAT preparation, new set of school juniors, gaining popularity, DAV team for Ruby cup, responsibilities in events like Pragyan and Festember, getups at their best, product design course, life was indeed fun-filled.

Final year: President of Wisdom club, placement in Oracle, CAT preparation and the exam itself, becoming a blogger, new friend in life (eventually girl friend), CPCs for juniors, XAT and interview, new set of school juniors, death of a junior, senti time, roaming the city with girlfriend, movies, bus journeys, trip to Ooty with friends, last set of getups, heights of popularity, Mr.Trendy sms poll winner, project work, driving license and passport, rem books, slam books, treats, BYE BYE to college, the year marks an end to the adventurous time I had experienced in NITT.

All the excitement, heartbreaks, responsibilities, acquaintances, knowledge and experiences have made me ready to face the corporate outside world as I step into it. I hereby thank all the following contributors to my stay in NITT:

My friends, roommates, wingmates, hostel, messwalas, ali uncle (AU), teachers (for passing me in every sem!), club’s staff advisors, juicy, icey, snacky(old one), dhabas, class reps, event coordinators, clubs, books and novels, coffee shops, Times of India, my old cycle, medical shop, State Bank ATM, pineapple akka, canteen, sportscentre, hockey team, clubmates, classmates, theatres in Trichy, bus servies of Trichy, FM stations in Trichy, Meridian, Azzez, my mob, owners of computers in hostel, Training and Placement Department, CIC reps, ICE dept, Barn hall, A2 hall, Trical Audi, school juniors, dept juniors, NITTfest, Pragyan, Festember, my shaving set, my fans and critics, the girls who rejected me, the girls I rejected, the girl who accepted me and finally you, readers of my blog… and to everything and everyone!!

The four years might have ended quickly but the memories of the wonderful time I had will never cease to exist in my mind. BYE BYE NITT!!! :(