Discussion over a cup of coffee

Was having a discussion with wife on a cup of coffee this lazy morning and we started discussing how bad things have been. With inflation at all time high and prices for household commodities rising sky high the common man is left to bleed, all by himself. Why is the dollar prices sky rocketing. All of a sudden what has happened?

So, the next question popped.. Who is responsible for all this ? 
1. Our corrupt politicians  ??
Ans: Yes and No. Yes because they are diverting the funds for their own needs while the common man suffers. No, because they have been doing this for past some time and there was never such kind of rise in inflation or sufferings. So what has changed now ?

2. Anti corruption team
Ans: To a large extent, Yes !! All of a sudden there have been surge in protests and movements across the country against corruption / inflation and blah blah. All this has brought India to a very visible spot in rest of World's eyes. As a result once the people who believed in Great Indian Story have been left to believe that this country's short term future is black and poses a risk of economic breakdown. Hence they are fleeing away taking all the investments they had made in past 3-5 years with whatever profit they could have made. I totally support the cause of these Anti Corruption teams led by some real good people but they have to understand that they will have to be a part of system first and then try to clean it up rather running the blame game endlessly to target people. The people with power have thick skin and they dont give a damn to what you say or protest unless it is a threat to their position.

3. We "The People of India"
Ans : Yes. We are responsible for everything that is happening to us today and if we dont act, the things would be worse than one can imagine. How many of us vote ?? Lets talk of some numbers. Almost 20% of total population is BPL who struggle to get two meals a day. About 35% people are dependent directly or indirectly on agricultural produce so that makes them vulnerable too considering current climate conditions in India which is never suited for the seasonal crops. The educated mass is almost 70% in the country and yet overall voting is done by only 55% of people. Who are these other 45% people? These are people like you and me and mostly who will be reading this post who can vent their anger out on Social Networking Sites and sometime can go to Jantar Mantar to stand alongside the anti corruption leaders but... will never go to vote !! Why ?? Many of them will not be having a voters id and feel its really a pain to get one made. Others... Who cares to go out and vote when you utilize the day watching the latest release with your family or friends. So, in short we rely on the people below poverty line and other vulnerable classes to go vote and choose leaders who can make policies to make our lives better!! In a country where each potato/ tomato is bought with utter care we leave the most important aspect of democracy, choosing our own leaders that can shape the future of this country.

So next time when we discuss about commodity prices soaring or dollar hitting a new high, we must look in the mirror and tell ourselves that "Its all because of ME only and I am gonna change it the next opportunity I get" 

                                                  Vote India Vote  !!!

सागर की लहरों में डूबता संभलता ,

मैं सोचता था की कब आएगा किनारा

जब शांत किनारे पर बैठा तो लगा,

पीछे छोड़ आया मैं जीवन सारा

यूँ किनारे पर बैठना सपना नहीं था तेरा

लहरों की उछल कूद में , और तूफ़ान के साए में,
सचमुच ही बस्ता था तेरा बसेरा,

हूँ मैं एक मुसाफिर, जिसको बस चलते जाना है..

एक समुन्दर की लहर को छोड़ कर दूसरी में मिल जाना है......

ये कहानी है मेरी ज़िन्दगी की, जो अब जीने का बहाना है

रेतपर पड़े निशानों को पीछे छोड़ कर बस,

आगे ही आगे बढ़ते जाना है...

Chapter II

We were scheduled to leave on Saturday Night at 2 AM ( Sunday Early morning you can call it.. ) . Mummy, like all universal mothers, was getting emotional of having to let her "Aankhon ka Taara " go away and was cooking my favorites for past one week, Papa was busy making calculations for deposition of fee for institute, school, Rent for the PG, Books, list of necessary items and blah blah blah... My younger sis was pretending to be happy as she will get rid of me and she can live in peace and monopoly... And I was going through mixed feelings.. Was upset because I was leaving home for the first time ( Before that I had not even been to Mathura City Market alone ) and was happy too for the new financial INDEPENDENCE. Can spend all bucks on myself for things I always wished to have .. :)

Have packed my bags, too much of luggage including the bulky bedding. We reached station on time and enquired about our train Dehradun Express. It was on time ( the only time when it was punctual in 3 years of my stay in Kota). We boarded the train, arranged our luggage and went to sleep.

Next morning 7 30 AM, we were at Kota ... It seemed to be a nice city. Got out of the railway station and headed towards a new destination, Talwandi where my and Monu's dad had already booked a PG for us.

In about 40 mins, we reached our destination A 244, Bhatnagar House, Talwandi. We were greeted by an old couple Mr & Mrs Bhatnagar, our new caretakers. They showed us our room which was on first floor. It was basically their terrace which had two rooms with different entries,one bathroom and rest was a open space. I and Monu smiled at each other, as from that terrace ,the nearby terraces were clearly visible and thus provided a good source for NSP ( Nain Sukh Prapti ) . By evening we had even identified our targets for "Bird Watching " ;)

Someting more about our caretakers.. the Bhatnagar family. There were three other members besides Mr & Mrs Bhatnagar. Two sons and one daughter in law of theirs. Now, the Faux Pax we did here was very funny. We addressed Mr & Mrs Bhatnagar as Dadaji- Dadiji, The two sons as Bhaiyya and the daughter in law as Didi. They seemed really disturbed by this nomenclature but.. it continued till we lived there.. Dadaji-Dadiji-Bhaiyya and Didi... Bechare !!

In other room, that I mentioned on the terrace, there lived this guy Ankur Garg who was also studying in Bansal Classes, only difference being that we were in class XI and he was in the XIII ( Yes.. XIII is what they call for the batch after Twelfth Class ). In the neighbouring house, there was one more PG in which our another friend Ankit Goyal was staying ( He was not our friend that time but later on we turned out to be partners in crime).

More about Talwandi, it was one of the posh areas in Kota. Near to our PG was Modern School ( having the hottest girls studying there ). Even our School DAV was in Talwandi itself but it was not so green as Modern. There were few fast food outlets nearby and also plenty of students living around. All in all, we were definitely going to have a good time here. ( Abhi tak padhai ke baare mein humne kucch socha hi nahi... ;) .

Mine and Monu's father left a day after settling us in our new PG. They had completed all formalities in the institute and the school. Bought us necessary items , listed down some do's and dont's and bade us Adieu ...........

So.. How did our life turned up in Kota after they left ? Keep watching this space for the next Chapter !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter I

So it started... Class X results were out and against expectations of all I was suddenly there in the toppers list... All of a sudden I became a GOOD BOY in my locality which otherwise kept telling my parents to keep a watch on me as I had a bad circle of friends.. This is our Society which keeps changing its views like the THALI KA BAINGAN ... KABHI IDHAR KABHI UDHAR !!

After results it was time to think NOW WHAT ?? Taste of Success is really addicting. I never wanted to go for Medical Side ( I hated Biology as much it hated me... ) So only option was PCM and ultimately Engineering. So, I started taking opinions of GOOD SENIORS of mine and I was convinced that only IITs would serve to the purpose. So that was IT !! Further research and set of opinions made me understood that my next destination should be a good coaching institute where I can learn the tricks and methods to be an IITian. Delhi was a good choice given that I had got admission opportunity to DPS RKP but suddenly... Mere PAAPI dimaag ne bola " Tere lakshan acche nahi hain... Delhi gaya to watt lag jaayegi teri !! " So.. I moved on to the next best option KOTA, A small dry city in Rajasthan which is very famous now but in those days there were only two or three institutes.

There was an entrance exam for Bansal Classes in which around 4000 students appeared for 300 seats. I was not aware how tough it was as I was one of the TOPPERS of my place but... There I was competing with another 3999 toppers... Phir kya.. Wahi hua jo Hona tha ... Pappu pass NAHI hua....

Anyways.. I was very heartbroken at this failure ( and imagine there was no daaru to support you when your spirits were down... SIGH !!! ) . I started going to tutions and School in Mathura only. Suddenly one day, I got a news that there is going to be second round of admissions for Bansal Classes... I told Monu ( who by the way hates being called Monu in Public but dude.. Cant help it.. ABHISHEK is too long to type everytime I discuss about you... ). We both filled the forms , appeared for exams and came out with... wait.. not exactly flying colours but yes.. We got through ............. DONO PAPPU PAAS HO GAYE !!!

Now it was time to pack our bags and head to kota for a new life!!

Will come back with how we reached Kota and our Spicy start to a new beginning in....

Chapter II !!!

New Life !!

So... Here it is. I have come a long way now and today when I look back I cherish the memories time has given to me in all these years. Will turn 27 in two months from now. Its been 11 years when I left home to join a coaching class in Kota for IIT JEE. Dont exactly remember how was I alive before that. Lots of dreams in my eyes when I left for Kota. And I wonder some times... Life has been good to me. To all people who know me, have been a part of my journey for 11 years, in and out of difficult times... I just want to say.. THANK YOU !! I will always cherish your memories like jewel in the crown. For those who dont know me or have missed some part of the action from my life , get ready for a journey back to the Best Times !!

Watch out this space friends..... WIll soon return with Chapter I of the Journey called Life !!

Nostalgia

( its not only the blog but also the comments which follow!! )

Hello All,

I know I am just wasting some space by putting up an address field of a blog which i never write but believe me, I write only when I feel there is a need to talk to soo many people about it and I wont be able to repeat it again and again. So, guest appearance to this blog world at 3 AM in night is just because I saw a movie " The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" right now.

I know I am not a movie critic or something but yes I am great fan of 70 mm. I would strongly recommend people who have not seen this movie to see it. It is one of the Oscar nominees and you ll understand why once you watch it. Comparing it to " Slumdog Millionaire" I feel there is some fine difference in both and yet both alike !! Both the movies tell something. While the latter shows us the reality ( which we already know) about people ,their behaviour in slums/ cities in India( region specific) , the former takes us to a world about which we rarely think about. Some of the lines from the movie are just awesome. The acting is something that makes you feel on cloud 11 and there are some bits of YOU every there and then. We all are just busy in our studies/ jobs and stuff like that but we hardly take some time out alone with ourselves to think how many moments of joy we have spent together and how many more could had been spent. One of my friends, Potter aka Hemant Vyas, wrote a small, simple and humble mail just a week ago asking a small question.... What and for Whom are we doing whatever we are into? Are we doing those things to enjoy our life or we are living to enjoy those things? Many a times we miss some moments of Joy and Togetherness with our dear ones just because we are BUSY !! Busy with something which we are doing to keep our dear ones happy and we are ignoring them when they are indeed having moments of joy just because we are BUSY. Have you ever realised the smile on Dad's face when you are back home after a long gap and tearful eyes of Mom when you are a day before leaving to "WORK". We are just chasing a mirage and we always try to beat the Horizon...................... Its time to realise that we work to live not live to work !! Enjoy life to the fullest. Try being with your dear ones, family, pals as much as you can because " Life is not measured in Years that you live but the Moments you breathe" !!!!!

GETTING A STRANGE FEELING INSIDE!!!

This is the final year and final semester of the college, the thing i had longed for a long time. Always wanted to run away from this place as i never realised what it was giving to me. But now, when only few months are there i wonder how the life would be after these 3 months. All wonderful friends, all masti and all stupid stuffs we are blessed with in this place will be gone. We came as boys and walking away as MEN!!
Hell lot of responsibilities creeping on the shoulders , world turning more hostile and above all paying everything on your own(this is the most ridiculous of all).
We all think that we ll able to keep in contacts but....on the inside everyone knows that once we get through new lives at different places the world would be a changed one.
still i will miss my friends a lottttt...i know this is not the end . memories that have embedded in these four years will shine forever and ever.....