Ramblings from the heart

She doesn’t have to do it. There aren’t any such expectations from her. She is not under any obligation whatsoever. No social etiquettes entrusted on her, no moral compulsions developed with time spent in the society, no sympathetic gestures anticipated, and no acts of kindness awaited by me off her. But nevertheless, she still does it.

She smiles when I call her. She laughs at my silly jokes. She loves the mocking noises I make, the silly tones I use, the ludicrous lyrics I come up with or the audacious tunes I fit those in. She loves them all. Her eyes light up and her smile extrude the warmth that cannot be gauged with anything, but a loving heart. At times, she even seems to exhibit a bit of shyness at her overt admittance to my foolhardy histrionics.

But smile, she does. And it’s her heart that decides on this act, not her brain. No one taught her that, she is too young to comprehend the need to acknowledge an act from another human.

But I do know the reason why she does it. It’s because she likes me. And I certainly hope that she will grow up loving me. With the same heartwarming and unconditional fondness.

Whenever in life, the horizons disappear,
Darkness looms, in hearts gripped with fear.
Despair not at this frightening sight,
The ordeal shall end with the first ray of light.

God gives a sign that He wishes you well,
A beacon of hope in the world where you dwell.
Cherish the image that keeps your hopes adrift,
Behold the sight of His greatest gift!


The greatest gift of my life. My little baby. Daddy’s girl, Riya.


Post script: I wouldn't blame anyone if my rambling is incomprehensible to others. It's past midnight when i write this, and my mind is half asleep. But i had to write something about my sweetheart. I owe her that much at least. Good night, my li'l angel!

..(Posted the following morning)

Report card on the resolutions made last year..

Ok, so it's been a year since i made some resolutions to improve my mesmeric existence (or should the adjective be 'mundane'? Calling all dictionaries..). Here's the report card:

1. Thou shalt enroll in a driving school: 10/10
Not only did i learn to drive four wheelers, but i am also a proud owner of a brand new Hyundai i10. A spanking navy blue one. Just realized what i have been missing all these years.
2. Thou shalt go jogging every morning : 00/10
The less said, the better.
3. Thou shalt go home early from work : 00/10 or 10/10
If change the definition of 'home', i would score a perfect 10 in this as well. I spend so much time in my 'office', that i can officially call it my 'home'. My former home can be deemed "The place where the rest of my family reside". I do get to check out their dwelling place once in a while.
4.Thou shalt stop making New Year's resolutions : 10/10
Bang on. No more resolutions. That is my resolution this year.

Back to Pune..

..feels good to be here, even if only for a day.
Had started out my career here as a college graduate. I remember my mom packing up my stuff and helping me move to a new city. Trying her best to hide her tears, and encourage her son who was nervous about moving away from his house for the first time in his life. I still remember the first day at Infosys, when i alighted from a bus alongwith dozens of other dreamy-eyed aspirants trying to make it big in the IT world.
Carrying just a college backpack, a notepad and a pen. And the dreams of making it big one day. Plus the fear of the unknown. The date was Oct 13th,2003.

And by the quirk of fate, i have come back to the same city after nearly 3 yrs ( i left Infy on Dec 9th, 2005). The date is 20th Oct, 2008. And i am still carrying a notepad and a pen in my backpack. Additionally, i am also carrying a laptop in it. And instead of a bus, i am travelling in a company arranged Toyota Innova. And i just completed a project presentation for some of my juniors, who are as dreamy-eyed as me and my colleagues were, back in 2003.

I guess i have progressed a bit. Just a li'l bit. In my career, in my life. Although i have thought about this at some point or the other, this is the first time i actually realized..
..the journey has well and truly begun.

Last man standing..

..or sitting, rather. Not me sir, I don't want to be that guy.

There's one thing i have recently come to know about myself. I hate to be the last guy in a restaurant during it's closing time. There is something unnerving about the whole ambience, with the waiters rushing you for your orders, the cleaners staring at you impatiently. Heck, even the cooks peep from the kitchens, to check out the moron who is keeping them away from their sweet homes. There is an air of negativity around as you try to tuck into a hurriedly prepared meal, which as you might expect, is a disaster borne out of a compulsion to do one's duty. It's even tougher when your partner feels that she is not 'in a mood to eat' (which a glutton like me can never fathom) and she opts for a glass of juice or a bowl of fruits. Stuff that can be arranged quickly. And consumed even faster.

So, as you bite into a rubbery, cold piece of roti dunked in a red, oily and tasteless gravy, you just wonder "What about the adage that the noblest deed is to feed a hungry man?". And then you notice the smiling face of owner or the guy at the cash counter.

Well, at least someone's happy.

Keep rocking..

Last Friday, i happened to watch (finally!) Bollywood's first movie based on the genre of rock music - Rock On. To be honest, I didn't have too many expectations, coz of late i have ended up being disappointed more often than not. Nor did the buzz that it generated influence me much, because if 'Singh is Kkkkkking' can be a hit, then anything and everything will be lapped up by our inane movie going public. Having said that, this movie turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me. The refreshing storyline, decent performances, the music (USP of the film) all seemed to work. But most importantly, i could identify with the central theme or the premise, if i can call it that:

What is a man, but for his dreams?

If you want to know what i am talking about, then catch the movie on big screen. I need not elaborate any further. The movie will speak for itself, and how well at that! Watch it.

Bangalore, Jaipur, Delhi..

..and next Mumbai, perhaps? Who really cares? Is it just me being cynical or have we become used to such barbaric attacks on innocent people? Life goes on, we have shown courage..blah, blah, blah. As i have already mentioned in one of my previous posts, try telling this to the near and dear ones of the victims.

All thanks to a corrupt to the core and inefficient Congress in power at the Centre.

A big sunny field to be in.

In this strip, Hobbes reminds me of someone in my life. Someone very close to me. I wish i could be like that person, but i guess i am more like Calvin here. But as long as i have Hobbes on my side, do i care?