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Monday, February 28, 2011

Fruit !!

Alas!!

Lunch time and corridor conversations are often a sense of good time pass. I was returning from lunch, and I bumped into someone I know by sight. His name eludes and it still does but it does not stop me from having a chat.

“So had your lunch? “, he asked.

“Yep, this time it wasn’t the same old hotel, a new one and the food was ok not great. Beggars can’t be choosers …………….can they”?

Aha, then why beg pal? You can choose …

Aww not again man. Don’t go into the get married settle down route. I had heard it once already in the morning and it seems that that is the topic which people think of discussing with me these days.

Fine let’s play it out your way. I have developed an immense propensity for patience these days.

It is a great art, for I think of me drinking hot chocolate fudge and some Celtic fiddle in the background and just catch the buzz words in between their dialogue, repack and put it across. It is wonders as to what a little bit of third party assurance can do!!

“You know the fruit … “………I heard, which was not really conformal to the predictable route of such conversations.

“What fruit? “, I asked.

"You know that there is a fruit on a tree. Now there are two ways you can have this, either have it directly from the tree or wait. Wait for it to be plucked and washed. Then you wait for it to be delivered to the market in a nice box. Here you see it resplendent on the fruit stall, you take it get it home then you wash it then you cut it. These cut fruits are put on a plate and then you have it , maybe with some book or maybe in front of the TV. Which one do you think is better?"

Hahahaha, this must be a quality or process guy. Even casual conversations have a defined flow diagram in them, cut dry standards and zero tolerance for non conformance as well as kaizen incorporated to ensure any element of non rationality is squeezed out.

"I think I prefer the former one at least I have the fruit fresh and completely organic …….and I don’t have to wait", I replied with a wink.

Process centric answer was good it seems, for he started laughing and said" I was like you once too, a couple of years back, and now when I talk to you I am reminded of that time".

Alas!! That means that someday I would be like him? Accosting strangers in the passageway and recounting silly anecdotes..... If history is to be believed then the depressing answer was "yes".

And also,  I see that men , they never really grow up, they change from hot blooded to lecherous, but the inherent sentiment rarely changes. Consider an old cell phone, the speakers are out, the volume is diminished but when the right stimulus is given it ….vibrates (definite pun intended!!)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Shatter-Proof


It is said, that once just once you see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes you cross it .....sometimes you don’t, but the realization of the fragility of life, hits you hard............ pretty hard........... at that instant.

Yesterday night, it was pretty late. I had spend the whole day filling one detailed vendor registration form( a  9 page document), for a global OEM.Their representative had come in , and my boss and him were at it the whole day, I had filled something and he had to review it and bosses................. never have time.............. but they have deadlines :)
 
White skinned people believe in light lunches, ( a grilled sandwich, alas!) , and I am not a huge fan of these kind of lunches so hunger was predominant .On top if it the realization that if I delay by some more minutes all I would have was leftovers.

Hence the need for speed and one obliging machine at hand,(और ..........बजरंज बली का स्मरण!!) .

I reached outer ring road in about 3 minutes…(yep I timed it).This place is my favorite, cause there is one long stretch of nice tar and all............ want to race! 

Cab drivers cannot accept the fact that someone can be madder than them. So one guy was honking all the way trying to catch up with me.He managed it too, however, I always squeezed in between some gaps not good enough for 4 wheels.

 I caught his eyes and they were determined to get ahead. 

Madness is like gravity, it just needs a little push. So I flicked the throttle and revved to 100kmph easily, zip zap and zoom, and one swerve after another.

Coming close to ISRO, there is a turn. One Volvo bus (500D) roared for a quick U turn. 

It was, it seems to me a bit late to break, from my end, nevertheless I braked hard. Rear and front, the punched and holey disc brakes screeched.

Linear momentum plus coefficient of kinetic friction began a tussle and in the midst of it my machine was unsure whether to stop or move on.

I struggled to gain control. Narrowly missing the bus, I skidded on the last part of the mad dance of physics.

The burnt rubber………….the still rolling wheels…………. and the honks all around and milling of some curious on lookers.

I was dazed.

I patted myself………no scratch…not even one………

It hit me hard then.........the fragility of life........

Why the hell was I rushing about? For one meal of two rotis and some gravy…is that what this all is about?

Why are we all rushing around?

It wasn’t the first time I had an accident miss but it was certainly the first time I had thought about life. I had always lived in moments, and each moment had been transient. I had reveled in the transience and mocked my life, jeered at others who tried to capture on to these moments without any success.

Maybe, they are right.

Maybe life is about housing loans, infrastructure bonds, EMIs, fancy cars, trophy wives and status befitting club memeberships. 

For with them at least when you die you have a reason better than 2 rotis and some gravy.

A smile flickered on my face.I stood up and surveyed the bike, there wasn’t a scratch on it either, so I guess the disc brakes really work and I had just fallen due to the sudden stop.

Revving the engine I moved on.

PS – I had fried rice that night, somehow did not like the idea of rotis : )

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Freelance Diaries


Penned during my time as a freelancer .... (A fancy term to be used for a hustler)!

My eyes were sealed shut as amma shook me. “Wake up beta, you have to be there at 9 am “.I shook her away, still sleeping, but this time she was insistent, “Utho Srikant otherwise you will be late.”  Groggily, I sat up, and then it struck me that today was the first day at IMS. Shaking my head I made my way into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face.

It helped.

10 minutes to eight I was at the breakfast table, having paranthas. I had recently quit my job after graduating making it 2 jobs in 15 months .It sounded better in months than in years, I thought wryly. I had begun my career as a piping engineer, but soon I realized the work was just not for me. This was then followed by an analyst for a consulting firm. Three months in it; I thought, I can do the same job on my own, and make better money. It also helped that the firm was paying me peanuts. And to top it all they had introduced a service agreement for 2 years which I was not told about earlier. That was the last straw. I had no intentions for sticking around 2 years, working my butt off for peanuts. I packed my bags and vanished one fine day. My dad was kind of worried on what I wanted in life and honestly even I wasn’t clear. But I was sure that I did not want to work doing what I didn’t like to , to put it mildly( and those activities seemed quite a lot ! ).And of late I had this thought that things could be better if you could actually do it yourself.

For the past couple of weeks I was running through various advertisements and job vacancies and also looking or any novel opportunities .Using the net I was able to gather a lot of information. Late night yesterday I had come across a freelancing site hosting all kinds of jobs from writing articles to graphic design. I had spent the entire night just figuring out how things work in the freelancing world. I had jotted down a list of activities which I think I could do others I could learn. The money was not very good and I had the suspicion that it would be sometime before I could actually get enough projects to make a steady buck. So I looked at the conventional job market too. A friend of mine directed me to an age old coaching institute that specialized in aptitude training. Recently the institute had branched out into UG professional courses. The money was good, but I did not whether I could act as a teacher or not. I would know soon I thought as I gulped down the last of my tea and rechecked the address.

The place was in West Delhi, which my family had been for a long time back. Metro had made it possible to travel to that place in about half the road time. I waved goodbye and made it to the garage and kicked off in my bike to the metro station. 

I had no trouble is finding the location as indicated by a number of people standing outside. It was 15 minutes to 9 and classes were to begin at 9 am. The centre manager was not yet in the office. In typical Delhi isthyle,  I though it would be at earliest at 9.30. For a minute, I focused on the crowd outside; it seemed like a fashion parade. Pretty girls in nice clothes (! ) and  some had actually come down in luxury cars .For what I thought ; getting coaching that would lead them to a college and then hopefully a job that might not even afford the fuel costs of the car they were driving. One of the boys walked to me and asked, “Yaar ,  what classes do we have today ? “ .I smiled and replied back , “ Not sure boss am new too.” Inwardly I made a note to wear shirts and try adding some years to myself. I decided the manager’s office would be a nice retreat till I know what is to be done.

5 minutes to 9, the centre manager walks in and introduces herself. “Sorry sir,   slightly late, I hope you had no trouble in finding the place “. “ Not at all madam it was exactly as you said it would be, “I replied with a smile. “Ok sir, we have 2 new batches beginning today, and both are in the rooms at the top floor. They are scheduled for Problem solving 1 session today. “I replied, puzzled, “PS 1?  I was told to take sessions on percentages and averages” .I was directed to this place by their central Delhi office and that was what they told me. Meenu looked slightly worried” Both batches have been scheduled as PS 1 session and only PS 4 covers averages and percentages”. Ah the communication divide is here too, I thought and replied gently, “madam its ok we can tell them that the session has been rescheduled, I will handle it, don’t worry.”

Ok sir then we better start the class it is nearing 9 15. “Fine madam, just hand me the questions to be covered.” I did have my set of questions but decided to play it safe. Meenu said she would send it up soon and summoned the helper to dig out the handouts.

I made it to the top floor, took a deep breath and entered in. Contrary to my perception, the class was not very noisy. In fact they seemed to be staring at me expectantly. I started off with a cherry good morning. The beginning of the session was concentrated on introductions what is expected in the exam and how to go about it. Then I slowly started off with the topic. I had a bit of experience preparing for aptitude exams and was aware of the shortcuts so I did not stress on the formula part. Rather I tried to uncover the logic behind using averages and much to my relief and a little bit of delight, the batch was very responsive. In fact some of their answers forced me to think too!


The handouts arrived almost after I had finished off with the concepts. Leaving the class to work out the questions I decided to go in for a tea break, as surprisingly tea was not yet offered. As I came down, Meenu smiled and said “have some tea sir, did not want to disturb the class “. Slightly mollified I accepted the cup and filled her about the class performance.” That is one of the best batches here at IMS, a couple of other batches are pretty unruly. I would recommend that you treat them like kids, stern in action “. I listened, sipping the brew thoughtfully. It too early to decide on what to do, I thought but again meenus comment couldn’t be brushed away.

The other sessions passed comfortably and it was time to leave. Thankfully the metro station was pretty near to the centre. Armed with a bunch of papers for the forthcoming sessions I bid adieu and started off to the station and soon reached home. When I reached home it was nearly 4 pm and I was famished. All I had was paranthas early morning and lots of tea in between classes. Amma prepared lunch and I sat on the bean bag with my niece for company and had a hearty meal. I felt drained though; it almost seemed like a full day at office, the only difference being here I was paid by the hour!

After a short nap I set off to prepare for later sessions. This was new to me and I did my best not to goof up. Soon it was night (dawn for ruddy Americans!), and I wrapped up and made it to my computer. A few bids on projects here and there and then I came across an interesting project related to a green energy blog .Seems like this guy needed a person to regularly write on alternative energy technology for a blog. The term blog was not very clear to me .Google search reveled a lot of info. Seems like blogs were the new “intellectual think tanks “, there was a possibility of making good money from writing. And my previous job had educated me regarding research methods and writing on technical issues. The money he offered seemed to be better than that offered by other projects. I drafted a mail to this guy and by the time I finished it was well past midnight .I decided to call it a day and made it to the bed.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Dharti-Putar !

That was the term with which I was described as recently.

I am narcissist, egotistical, chauvinist male pig and I won’t deny that at all. On the contrary I revel in it. But this term is a source of amusement for me for this came in from the most unlikely source in the most unlikely situation.

My needs are manifesting………… with renewed intensity. I had Noorie, once and I doubt if there is ever going to be anyone like her again, but Bangalore is different. Life here is lived in the ratio of 5:2 or sometimes 6:1 and continuance is not expected.

Everything is a quickie, and we have weekend benefits.

Reference here is drawn to one singular change, Facebook and of course this place where I put all my "mind trends". Got an intimation as to these “trends” seems interesting to someone ultra feminine by nature. I got wheels and the grace of Goddess Lakshmi so “bhavya milaap” is not an issue.

And my ……..oh…….. my, was it a milaap.

We met in one of the usual suspects; a coffee shop which I detest but hey dude it is so un-cool to be anywhere else.

Yakkity yack notwithstanding my eyes rested on the most obvious location of female anatomy. (That is statistically proven as well!!)

She reveled in the silent adulation.

After the silent show reel, but extensive visual exercise the vampire in me............. began the seduction act............. for the ultimate kiss of death.

Words, work well with females, and I have no paucity of them. Fringes of Robert Frost, sometimes Blyton thrown in seemed good enough for a post coffee walk time.

I was asked the predictable question of me being single or it’s contrary. I do not buy or believe in these terms, but something told me that this answers would not go down well with the intellectual image I inadvertently seemed to have projected.

I stopped dead in my tracks, as though I had hit a brick wall when poised to this question. A soliloquy began. Nostalgia lacing heavy in my voice is spun a tail of grief and heart break and the person responsible for all that being me and me alone.

That brief…….. Grief remembrance…….. Gave me……… a very helpless look.(methinks!)

No tears, but the tone was enough to convey that. I did not reach for any physical contact while recounting this tale, in fact it almost seemed that I had forgotten her presence.

Silence greeted me after this performance.

We walked more, and more and I was wondering why I had bought wheels a little bit more I would reach my abode itself.

I felt soft fingers clasp mine, and a powerful strawberry laced perfume smell which was nauseating.

“I had my share too and that bastard was.......just like you"!

Damm there goes a wasted weekend evening, no causality..........for actions........ no fruitful outcome ...........time and resources wasted.

"But, you seem like a true stereotypical man, the one they write ancient Hindi TV serials and movies on....I remember the song which my dad used to play featuring some Dileep Kumar clanging hand bells in a village....."She seemed to be searching for the name....

I replied..."I think you are referring to the film 'Gopi" , and the bhajan "ram chandra kah gaye siya se"....


Yeah exactly that.........you are like him.........you are like a ...she paused and said " dhartiputar “

I laughed!!

A full throat........ guileless laugh

And I said , " Kya baat hai kanya, i guess that is the best compliment you could have given me, for it truly typifies what I believe and live for. I guess I got to thank you...if not for anything else but for this word!!”

She looked at me with a mixture of disdain and pleasure


Suddenly with no warning; I leaned closer and gave her a hug. She tried fighting me, but her heart was not in it, and she relented and gave soft thumps on my back.

She seemed like a very soft pillow, which had strawberry sauce split on it.I never realized my length and strength when as I released her she said " your arms............they are like iron rods"

I let go of her and said.....”Good Night! It was nice meeting you!

“Are you just going to leave at that”? She asked a trifle surprised.

“No I am going to walk you back, put you in some transportation mode and leave”, I replied with a smile.

We began our trek back.

“Dude, I really do not think we can get along as mates, but I guess we can be good friends”, she said.

“Are we talking about friends with benefits”, I asked mischievously.

“You watch Big Bang?!” She asked incredulously.

Yup!!

“I like Wallowitz “she said with a smile.

Needless to say, the return trip seemed faster (thank you Big Bang).

“Can you drop me?”, she asked as we neared the shop.

"That is a 220 CC engine, I have not bought it for a Luna work.I won’t drive slow, so if you ride with me you will have to either clutch me , or the rear handle bars, for if you fall and die I cannot have that on my conscience.............. my life I can play with .....not others"

“Do you take an effort to be rude, or is it natural “.She asked.

I ignored the barb and flicked the starter. Revving the engine I asked, “Where do you live”?

“That is gigantic presumption................. that I am riding with you”, she said with her hands akimbo.

I revved the engine a bit more in response to her statement.

Sighing, she walked ………and sat cross legged on the bike.

 The strawberry smell hit me again and I asked.....

“Do you take an effort to be a fruit or is it natural”?.

She leaned her face on my back and said softly, “Just drive, dharti-putar”.

 

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Value

This Sunday, I managed to wiggle out of my presence at the Aero Show.Four days of sweet talk, hustling was the limit for me. I gave a nice reason to my boss” Sir, I need to go for a meal with someone, if not today it has to be tomorrow…..” I trailed off and with a suggestive smile said,” and tomorrow I will be bankrupt…I hope you can understand”.

The clout at this institution is limited for me; I guess it will change if I get some deals which I hope will happen soon. Hence , my boss insisted, I sweet talked further and said” Sir I can give nice reasons that I am sick, have stomach ache, etc etc….but I think we can be mature enough to understand compulsions.”

Finally he relented.

So Sunday morning, I had nothing to do which is a blessed relief. My body was cracked and stiff after driving for 300kms over 4 days and I decided to give myself some massage to relive the aches.

Lathered with some strong smelling oil and barebacked in the sun was good. A warm bath later, I dozed off, heavy with half a liter of milk, cornflakes, bananas, apples some grapes a glass of Soya milk, topped off with some fruit juice.

Waking up, I was again hungry, this time it was pizza hut, so off we went. The bill was 1000 bucks for two people, I paid off, and D remarked,” We knew we were going to be raped before coming here, and I was prepared to enjoy it.But I did not factor that the rape would be replaced by gang rape”.

I shrugged off; at least the food was good for the palette.

We walked back and I suddenly had some desire for the good old, sugar syrup tea of the roadside stalls. So we stood near the hole in the wall, sipping the warm sugar solution with D with his trademark fag, for my company.

I happened to glance at a decrepit old woman on the opposite side of the road. She was mentally challenged and was rummaging through he garbage. Soon another of her type joined her in rummaging. Both of them were filthy, disheveled. The man had a rag of a cloth with the front open, and the woman thankfully had some form of cloth covering her comfortably.

They located something and a fight ensued as to who should take it. A fiery argument ensured, and I could fathom bits of it thanks to the Kannada I was picking up. The woman ruled over the man it seems and came off better in the argument. Dejected the man ambled his way towards the stall, crying and shouting.

Looking at the crowd eating and sipping tea, he thought of trying his luck. He gave a powerful smell, akin to rotting garbage, and this ensured that anyone to whom he walked took back a few paces. This seemed to delight him, and he began going around in circles near ad hoc groups happy with his power of repulsion ( an offshoot of revulsion, which he did not care about).

He came towards us too. I stood rock still, and so did D. 

The mad man had a deep cut running though the side of his cheek, and that was laced with grime.

He was puzzled as to why he did not retreat.

He touched my arm, darn sure that I would revolt if not that at least show some expression of distaste.

I slowly clasped his hands and removed them from my arm. At this gesture of mine he.......... looked up.

He looked at me with his bloodshot eyes and began crying, piteously.

I am neither social servant nor Mother Teresa, but for a minute I too felt pity. I mimicked my glass and asked if he wanted some tea. He nodded eagerly, and motioned towards some rolls lying on the stall.

I raised my eyes towards the stall owner, and he handed one vegetarian roll and some tea to the man. Happy, he began to sip the tea. 

The roll, he did not touch.

Tea done, he picked up the roll and walked over to the other side of the road, where the old lady was seated trying to eat something that was thrown away by fortunate ones.

He sat beside her and broke the tiny vegetarian roll into half, handed the other to the woman. She kept aside the garbage food and began eating the roll as well.

Both were smiling.

The man then walked away, crooning something.

I had blown hundred times the amount which was food for two people for one time. I felt mollified and a little bit ashamed as well. 

I asked D, "What the mad man just did, do you think any of us fortunate types would have done had we been in the same postion.What is the difference between them and us, for all I know the way I drive my bike, I could end with one broken leg and arm, and maybe be like them one day”.

D replied,” A sardar would have, you know their motto right?...Seva karo, that is why they have such huge  bodies , it is to cover their large hearts”.

I laughed heartily.

D blew the smoke way from my face, “Tell me Rajan, do you think sorrow is bad

"I do not know", I replied

D said, “Well hear me out. Assume you are married, have a kid and she is learning to ride a bicycle. You know he/she has learnt the basics, but she wouldn’t master here fear of falling over unless you allow her to fall and hurt herself ones. You know that you would have to let go of the protective hand of yours, once at least. What will you do?"

“I will let go of my hand if that is the only way for the kid to learn”, I replied.

“And won’t that be hurtful for her, wont that give her sorrow even if it is transient”.

Yes, it would.

“But then the kid learns right, so Rajan sorrow is a great leveler. Sorrow is a great teacher, what you did just now, and what the mad man and woman did just now was learning for them. So do not feel bad or ashamed of it”.

This point I decided to pen this down.

PS – The stall owner did not charge me for the additional tea and vegetarian puff!

Monday, February 7, 2011

How Did Life , Come on Earth?

Move over Darwin and Hawking. Life on earth was not the result of the blue green algae or the tiny probability of preferred selection of universes as proposed by the Big Bang.

Hinduism has the answer.

Now the source of this post  is D. And despite the marvelous tale he had spun for me he has declined his name to be used.

Well suit yourself D.

Now this was a couple of light year ago, when earth was still a virgin planet ,( and by that I mean there was nobody to rape her, specially humans ! ).

Now why where there no humans?

This is because of the inherent blood lust in us. We were busy fighting or common ancestral but even more blood thirstier than us brothers the demons (asuras) in some far off planet.

This fight again had progressed quite long and hard and despite the law of the normal curve it had skewed towards the demons clan. Human survival was questionable and for the preservation of the lineage of humans, wise gurus decided.

They decided akin to the great lord and Moses kind of plan.

Thanks to their Tantric powers and some latent intelligence which humans are famed for, the managed to locate earth. Two superior species were selected to bestow upon earth the gift of human life and were sent under the aegis of a learned sage who was supposed to chaperone the wild hormones in them after they had served their purpose

However they had not factored in probability nor the occurrence of the black swan and they certainly did not know that someone called Murphy ruled supreme even then

Earth was a virgin and thus had a protective coverage as insurance to her virginity, which was the Sheerasagar, or as D said the protective vacuum space.

When the chosen 2 humans passed through this space, the man was rendered impotent and infertile and so was unable to perform his duties as intended.

“Yeah yeah, no wonder we are called the blind faith. You don’t lose your dharma and potency if you travel outside your place of birth”, I retorted to D with sarcasm lacing heavy on my tone.

“Do you know the people who traveled to outer space and lived there for sizable amount of time, came back impotent”, replied D with a smile.

That silenced me. I can’t argue with reason and logic.

Anyways back to the tale.

The sage also suffered the same fate, however decided not to dwell on his misfortunes but began searching for some way around or some jugaad.

I interjected again and said "  Ahem ...........!! D, aren't sages supposed to be celibate?!" .

D replied" No, celibacy is often misconstrued.There is a dharamvasana, and a kaamvasana.I bet you have seen Ekalavaya starring the Bacchan and Saif Khan.Bacchan exhibited dharmavasana there and Saif was a Dharmputra."


D to hai bhai D !

Dignession returns !!

The sage deduced that the Sheerasagar was intended as a cover to protect from humans, but apparently pure animals, could factor in with no love lost for their womb or fertility.

However the Sheerasagar also factored some algorithm which caught and threw exceptions such as forced recruitment, or cross bred species. Added to it was the problem that most of the pure animals set available was such that they were by themselves unable to face the arduous journey to the earth, without any form of force or foul play.

The Sheerasagar coder thought he had covered all hatches to prevent loss of earth’s virginity.

But sages are not known to be intelligent without any reason. 

There apparently is a time when most of the reptiles, ( not mammals ) undertake a form of existence when senses and bodily functions are in standby mode, that is they hibernate. By a little bit of push and prod the set of pure animals which the Sheerasagar algorithm allowed inside earth, could be in induced into a state of such hibernation. This in turn could ensure their safe passage to the earth

The power of intelligence and Tantra reigning supreme, a pure animal (no prizes for guessing, it is the cow – no wonder we call it the gow mata) was impregnated with the seed of humans.

It was then carted off to the earth where it stayed long enough to delver the first human and its decided counterpart to ensure continuous propagation of the human species

As he finished this tale, i asked, “Where do you read such things man? And btw thanks to some conversations with you these days my language has become so chaste, that nobody believes that I am a Madrasi. In fact today I referred to a colleague (a female one ) as “kanya” with no intent of being anything other than ordinary and she reacted so vehemently, but good humorously,

 “Dude , don’t call me a  “kanya” !!!!

D burst out laughing and then dug in his cupboard for some time.

“Here you can start with this”, he said handing me huge leather bound book, which said Geeta Press (it is in Hindi!)

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

True or False ?!


Is whatever you write true?

This query has been repeated many times in the past few weeks, so much so that I am attempting to answer it here.

The golden answer to this question as many would expect is, “Yes” and “No”. But unfortunately it does not do justice to my desire for clarity so I am going to elaborate a little

There are two kinds of outlets.


Writing about what you felt, and writing what you intend or wished you would feel.

The former will be true, and latter will be graphic necessarily not vice versa. 

Your mind is powerful enough to rationalize any thought you have and if you believe in something strong and long it uncannily turns out to be true.

Everret Two World Theory, (am reading a bit of theoretical physics as well - Hyperspace by Michio Kaku).It essentially says that at every juncture you create an alternate universe. For instance you clicked on one line, what happens if you don’t, then another stream of activities will emerge, and for each action there would be an alternate, hence there exists multiple universes.Or like the branch of a tree universes fork out at every juncture.

When you write about what transpired, it is rational and logical. It is an interpretation of activities in the present universe, the one you live eat and breathe hence inadvertently even without you liking it, you are bound by its rules.

However when you write fiction you are free to explore alternate universes and it is something like the dream world as in case of Inception. Time was the filter which was amplified at each stage of dream…..in geometric proportion.

Similar is the case with alternate universes but the factor that amplifies is crumbling of structure (or so Methinks!)

As you begin to think about something that you intended to have happened, or should have happened, the structure of the present universe slowly begins to crumble down.

When you assume an offshoot of an assumed action, the rate of rule relaxation begins to increase, hence the existence of graphic description to compensate for the lack of logic and reason.

Consider it as a 2 way matrix, graphical vs. rational(X Axis) and real vs. fiction or fantasy(Y Axis).4 squares to fill in and "rational real" square is 1 and so is the "graphic fiction" one the remaining of course are zero.

For example just assume early morning you pick your brush and start with brushing in the usual direction (your teeth of course!).However for a minute revere the hand you hold the brush and the direction in which you normally brush.

 It would be for starters slow, for you mind is registering a new activity however that is on a purely cognitive level.

At the same time you may start thinking or concentrate more on the task in hand (brushing in this case) and be reminded of certain occurrences which ordinary and normal by everyday standards but suddenly would seem more amplified.

So what is more graphic? And by the same analogy what is true and what is false?

PS - I got to mention D here...And it is verbatim “Rajan........... that is a great insight I will reverse directions!! 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Do You Want Directions?


I am new to this place, well relatively.

Sometimes when I need to go to a new place I ask for directions.

From today on I have decided to complete refer to only Google maps!!

One of our Directors, (he was the one who took my interview!), came in from firangland.Hi, Hello and greetings went on and later on I happened to bump into him while I was departing. I was planning to go to a place near Kundanalli for dinner, which I was told housed a nice Sardarji ka dhaba, famous for dal amritsari.

For good measure I told this person my plans to have dinner at that place.And just by way of conversation asked if there was a shorter way to go there.

Oh my!!

“Well there are two ways you see….if you leave the entrance of our office and take a right. Now this is a one way so obviously, you will have to take a U turn and then come back to our entrance but on the opposite side”.

He paused and I waited patiently to get some displacement in his instruction rather than the mere distance.

“And then, you see take an immediate left you will end up in a side lane. Now this lane you see is very narrow and mind you there are seven speed breakers so if I were you I would drive slowly. From here the second red light ….. “

He paused again. My mind scarcely registered anything beyond the seven speed breakers. No ways my suspension will go for a toss.

“And from the red light you go on in straight and then……”

I caught a quick look of my colleagues grinning face and had the nasty suspicion that I was at the butt end of an idiosyncrasy.

I nodded to my director and he added, “ To the right you see the gate…..

Ahh kundanalli gate, I knew that place, thankfully his flow stopped then.

“Thank”……and before the “You” ,  came out.

“ And the second way, you see is much better…..”

Seemed,  like he was one long lost traveler and wanted to ensure that no humanity was to ever suffer from lack of directions. 

The dal amritsari and kulcha in my mind were tantalizing close, but ostensibly unapproachable.

It would say to suffice that it was Krishna Vaibhava deluxe thali yet another night !