Multiple Lives

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Nov 28, 2008 – Semester - I has ended and we have decided to leave Jaipur at the earliest. Having cleared all the balances and settled things we leave for the bus as Dudi boss threatens to accompany us all the way till Delhi and I poke fun at him, knowing deep inside me that he will not. Journey is casual one with my friends receiving calls and I simply waiting for them to be free and meanwhile checking out scenes on the road and around. In no time, time runs specially fast when you wish it to be slow, we are at midway Behror. Large LCD is beaming time lagged videos of Mumbai Under Siege. Its day 3 of financial capital of nation being held captive by some 10 terrorists as defence forces try to allay them. The scenes of choppers air-dropping troops on roofs of multi-story concrete apartments is thrilling, despite the chilling reality of several lives being at risk. A generation fond of playing Call Of Duty, Medal Of Honor though aware of the gravity of situation can’t help but enjoy the adrenalin rush, impulses the repeated telecast of videos gives. The lack of information make it seek more and as always it is fun to sulk at some other “ideology”, probably a way of establishing our superiority and thus feeding our egos. Meanwhile the second half of the journey continues and its a lazy one, in the later part Avi and I are chatting a lot, looking at the high rises of Gurgaon and changing seats just for fun. DK is my destination. Wait there till Tan and Shaily leave. An auto takes me to home, family still don’t know that I am coming back. As auto stops at a red-light in Delhi cantt I enjoy a short game of “catch-catch” with boys in school bus beside me. Since all the paper balls the boys had fall on the road we had to discontinue and I was once again thinking, is Delhi actually that bad as projected by the crap media reports daily morning in newspapers and TV news. At home, as I wait for my plate of Paranthas, it is all gory videos of blood and wrath at the Taj Mahal hotel, The Oberoi and CST massacre. Every channel is beaming its own theory of attack and the saga continues. The first week of vacations passes seeking more and more info about the incidents and yup planning our maiden outing in Delhi; the Adventure Island trip. Remembering those who paid for human insensitivity exactly 10 months ago I close this post, wishing justice to be brought to a city which certainly is unbeatable in many senses and rivals Delhi excellently.

Exclusive And Unique

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Just completed work on web-brochure yesterday and am waiting for II mid-semester exams to begin tomorrow. As usual the lethargy that defines a student has taken me over and I would try every excuse to get over the clumsy business of reading that PDF file about Byzantine and Romanesque Architecture.

Just to pass sometime I take out that novel about Delhi and start reading, imagining the hot, dry summers of the city when mild loo would sweep all over you and throw dust over your face. Shadow of trees would comfort you and the glory of the New Delhi, one designed by Lutyens would mesmerize you. Though the city is changing rapidly with all new skyscrapers, extravagant multi-lane super highways; the imperialist charms are kept alive in this part of city.

The subdued feeling of a lost romance that lingers constantly at back of your mind accentuates that desire for refuse from the solitary pangs in this dingy hostel room but in no case you want to surrender and wouldn’t mind killing time doing random things. You suggest your room-mate some really silly and raunchy but classical novels, not intentionally but as an involuntary action to hide what’s going on inside you and laugh over him receiving the notification - “System hardware not found”, mixing two essentially different themes; mocking a sly smile at him as he would try to let it pass without loosing his temper.

The excellent comparisons and in-depth research about the city by a foreigner make you more proud of your city and infuse a temporary enthusiasm towards life that has been numb and dull lately and you had to put a lot of effort to make it run on tracks as you continue to enjoy with different people at different places, essentially being loyal to none, though you want to be to one rather say some!

With “Zombie” playing in background, you probably don’t even want to come out of the confusions that keep on driving you; but once you give a little breathing space to your “romantic” personality, you will be essentially human to fall and see-off a premature demise to your “practical” hard-rock philosophies!

Still Learning!

Day started at 3! A nice draft on autoCAD was fun, loved to plan out my home with some modifications of my choice. Completed design by 9. Joined 10’o clock with my draft and some discussion points in my mind. Sir turned up late and continued with a topic tat was quite interesting. Having woken up early in the morning I felt dizzy in the prolonged lecture, but couldn’t help it as sleeping was no option on second bench. Second half I went all prepared to the class but it turned into a disaster as I had to bear a scold from teachers and later evening walk was rather nice. It was nice walking the talk with Guddu as she scolded me for craps I did, and ya human only. Still learning! :)

Revival, Resurrection!

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A face with wind blowing curls on it, two beady eyes play hide and seek as a jumbo takes off the tarmac in distance and a partially grounded fleet of Jet Airways and Indian is seen amidst variants of Antonovs, Boings and Airbuses. Sun is trying to dawn through clouds after about 5 days as vendors of books, travel manuals and other miniscule articles try to woo passengers in the bus. The guy got excellent communication skills acquired somewhat out of need and partially because at some level he is far more habitual of practicing marketing tactics. The bus has moved some 10 kms and now giant flyovers are providing shade from piercing sunlight.

I have grown more familiar to the face now and we are forming a sort of ‘short friendship’ which will last only till the end of this journey. The 3 feet creature has got nails painted, is wearing pink slippers, yellow lower and a white tee. It has tried once to come to my seat and sit beside me, but soon ran away and I don’t know why!

As the kid turns a bit dormant after having lunch and its father geting busy on calls, I look around and find 2 girls busy chatting and of course the small kid beats me easily when it comes to charming the chicks. You rock buddy! The firang on back seat, to my left is a rather aloof being and probably cares not at all that his luggage lies with the driver in cabin. Having eaten a mom-made Parantha, I am more aware of importance of these people in my life. And find need of expressing myself in more human and visible ways.

Had charged my laptop to enjoy a movie on way back, but the beautiful scenery, lovely wind and sunshine holds me back. Getting images of school picnic days when we would sit in bus seats and enjoy snacks and goodies friends brought, especially the one the girl who usually grabbed a seat before me shared with us.

The guys on seat behind me have started to play some dull Hindi music, which does not suit the environment right. At the same time another thought tells me that mixing different colours produces excellent paintings or some might like vanilla ice-cream in thumbs-up bottle!

Though am solo in the bus people still occupy my mind, what are they actually? Names, Facebook profiles or something that really matter! The kid has got refuge in it’s father’s lap and is busy playing with his glasses as I am taking time to keep some matters at bay and cope my ownself.

Last leg of journey, hilly climes of Amer are there. It is cool weather, but usual dumbness of evenings is profound. May be it is transition from fast paced Delhi life to extremely numb Jaipur one, that takes toll. Anyways kid has found another admirer in the firang, who is trying to amuse the kid, who seems extremely fond of standing in bus and is in hurry to reach Jaipur, impatient just like me! Having bunked for 2 consecutive weeks, classes seem alien to me and thoughts of pending submissions are rather scary. The developments of design and web-development front have been ego boosters. Have to put serious efforts to keep things in control and on track! Signing off. :D :) :/ :$

Journey Or Disaster

04:54, you wake up out of a 2 hour nap, and a rather unrealistic dream that you were fighting with co-passengers for single available charging port on the bus, to learn something not cool! You have actually ended up in something you wanted to avoid, 65 km from Delhi, somewhere in the state of Haryana. A traffic jam that all my imagination and logic told me was nothing short of remaining 65 km, bringing NH-8 to a halt and throwing life out of gear in major parts of NCR.

08:10, another 2 hours of nap, can’t do anything but dreaming and avoiding the views of caravans of trucks, coaches and cars. A marker tells me Delhi – 64 km, simple maths explains we travelled 1 km in some 3 hours on one of the best highway in country, the Golden Quadrilateral. Reason being 2 days of continuous rain in north-west. An infrastructural embarrassment, one can say!

10:54, the bus and traffic around is running down the DG Expressway, you expect to reach Dhaula Kuan in 15 minutes but more trouble is in store. Out of order traffic signals near Western Air Command and other military bases act as final trouble makers extending the travel time to harassing 2 hour. Meanwhile the moron on seat behind, keeps on updating his people about the disaster he was going through every 10 minutes.

A normal 6 hour journey turns in 12.5 hour disaster as the fate of road users is left on the mercy of rain-gods by civic authorities and work is not done perfectly.

Lost Paradise

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As a child you would wake up early in the morning and join your father for an early morning stroll. The usual place would be the railway station just across that bridge. It would be fun to look at a locomotive shunting wagons up and down the yard as sun rose higher up in the sky transforming from a red tomato to a fireball, burning your skin. Mild breeze would cool off your sweaty skin and you will still remember the chirps of birds, specially green parrots or if you are lucky that of some peacocks repeating in your mind.

Walk back towards the home, you turn a bit selfish, bid adieu to dad, he ofcourse always has to leave for work, and would join grandpa on the shop, as he would be setting it up in the wee hours. Grandpa would supply you with early morning meals in the form of shakes, jams and sort of stuff and you would run up and down the place, occasionally asking the help at the shop of itsy-bitsy things and creating small messes. If grandpa was lucky I would help him with some stuff and would leave for home sooner, religiously informing anyone at the shop of my departure.

Fun were those days when, you would be happy playing with balloons in the courtyard, checking out Timon and Pumba, over a plate of Aloo-Poori. Nothing mattered more, just you were the world and world was you.