DONKEYS and the proverbial IRONY of LIFE!!!

The recently concluded CYG-08 games in Pune, not only catapulted Pune into the limelight as a city which can host sports events of international repute but did loads for the improvement of the infrastructure in the city. As was predicted the area immediately in the vicinity of the games village was polished like never before and to give a biased view, the most significant change which happened in Pune was to SUS ROAD.

I know there is a grammatical error in the last sentence of the para where I have written “which happened in Pune was to SUS ROAD” and that the purists would argue that as SUS ROAD is a place the sentence should have read “which happened in PUNE was at SUS ROAD”, but then I am referring to the actual ROAD and not the place J

I have been in Pune for the last 6 years now. I did my engineering from Pune and after 4 years I was pretty confident that I at least heard the names of all the places in Pune. But when I started hunting for my living quarters after I came back from Mysore, I heard of SUS ROAD and I made a face which conveyed not only disdain but outright dejection too. When I was taken to Sus Road (by my broker of course, without him I would never gone there to get a flat) these were the things which I saw:

(Forgive my level of detail, but then I was very skeptical of the place and was eager to take in every single detail)
1) A few completed buildings with people staying in them….good sign :)
2) 2 hotels and a few road side hawkers. 1 hotel had a bar…..awesome :)
3) Many garages….whatever…(I didn’t have a BULLET then)
4) Infosys, Wipro buses parked at the side of the road…cool…less of walking
5) Shepherds…(STUMPED??????)

The 5th item really hooked me onto Sus road. Hang on, the shepherds were not herding goats or cattle but DONKEYS!!!!!

I tried to relate one thing to another and found out how the Sus Road ecology needed the DONKEYS so much. There were many construction sites which needed a constant supply of bricks and other building materials. But then the obvious question; what happened to the trucks? Well the DONKEYS carried the material as a supplement to the trucks. Also with the apparent lack of dogs on Sus Road at that time, the DONKEYS found it a less menacing place.

A bit of deep thinking on the DONKEY issue gave me immense satisfaction. Sus Road was (and even is today) thronged by software professionals, the exponents of the so called KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY of INDIA. Having hordes of DONKEYS (considered a symbol of foolishness and stupidity) alongside them (or should I say us) was LIFE’S way to humble these KNOWLEDGE WORKERS!!! The proverbial IRONY of LIFE!!!

However the ecology of SUS ROAD was disturbed some 25 days before the games began in Pune. Kalmadi’s men took over the road and changed the face of Sus Road. Let me tell you, CHANGED is a very subtle word to express the changes which happened. The roads were widened, pavement with power-blocks were made, dividers were introduced, signages and neon signs were put up, zebra crossings were painted (even if there were no traffic signals, for future expansion I feel :) ) and most importantly the road was cleared of all the hawkers who on the earlier narrow roads were contributing to traffic snarls. There was one more thing which was changed maybe for ever, the DONKEYS vanished, without a whimper, without a bray L

“Ekdum foreign main hai aisa lagta hai”, “This must be Pune’s best road, dude” were some of the comments I heard from people.

After the games, the hawkers came back to there old positions. The power block pavements serve them well. The widened road with streetlights help smoothen the traffic, the benches fitted after every 100m at the far end of the road comfort the love birds.

But there are no DONKEYS around anymore :( . The IRONY of LIFE which was staring the KNOWLEDGE WORKER in his/her face is lost :(


But then wait do I sense an ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN coming….

The HAIR CUT and the 5 STAR

Back in the days when cable TV had not invaded our imaginations and when in std V, I had cried hoarse for a cable TV connection and on not getting one would secretly go to a friend’s place to watch the afternoon movies, Sunday mornings on DD-1 were much more than delight.

Having completed most of my homework on Friday evening and also on Saturday, I would sleep on Saturday night with only one ambition, one dream and one goal, which was watching DD1 from 7am onwards.

Sunday morning I wake up with a start. Its 6:45am, don’t worry I could read a clock from std IV (lol!!!), just so that I don’t miss the start I switch on the TV and rubbing my sleepy eyes I gaze at it. The NIRMA add, followed by LIFEBOUY, then HAMAM and then the TV switches off….its 6:55am…..no no no!!!!

Its not a power cut, its mom :( :(

I got 5 mins to wash my face, brush my teeth, drink my morning mug of milk and catch RANGOLI….can I do it…ohh no just remembered I had to shit too :( :( :( Somehow I managed to convince mom that Ill do all this but just let the TV be. I will listen to it while I am doing all my morning chores.

Finally at 7:15am I am back it front of the TV, MERE SAPNO ki RANI song is on and I start shouting (I wont say singing, kya hai unn dino meri aawaz develop nahi hui thi na :)). Two stanzas done and just when I start enjoying myself; enter dad; to interrupt my Sunday morning :( :(

Time for a hair cut he says. Why today why couldn’t we go yesterday? No answer. It was my mistake I should have not told how Gonsalves Sir (our PT teacher) cut Mahesh’s hair in the class because it was too long :( :( . Now I got to pay the price, its too heavy a price…nahiii..and I start crying cos there is no way out besides I am too young to argue with my parents(lol!!).

Finally I stop crying after being promised a 5 STAR..(5 STAR cannot compensate the loss I would go through on forgoing RANGOLI but then next Sunday there will be no hair cuts and plus I get a 5 STAR too, not a bad deal right??)

Enter Vijay Hair Dressers. I didn’t like the guy Vijay. The only reason being he used to pull my cheeks with such force that my cheeks pained :( :( and he used to do that not only when I went to his saloon but also when I used to pass by :( :( . But then that was the only saloon close by.

Me and my dad sit on a stool waiting our turn. There is quite a crowd and we are told that we would have to wait for some 45 mins before our turn. Thank God, dad is here with me today, the last time I came; Vijay made me wait an hour. My number was conveniently given to others who came after me. I was too young to ask for explanations and I found it too trivial to complain to dad about it plus that Sunday we had a power cut so I was not exactly missing on RANGOLI and all :) :)

But this Sunday I was at a loss. The wrist watch on my dad’s hand read 8:00am. When Vijay says 45 mins it is an hour or even more. That would shatter my next plan too. I had planned to get home by 9:00am so that I could catch MOWGLI but that was not going to happen and plus I was gonna get only one 5 STAR. That would compensate missing RANGOLI but how do I get compensation for MOWGLI? I had to get home in time for the show!!!

8:15am and still no plan…think boy think…and finally at 8:20pm I had a plan and I went into action right away..the following is the conversation that took place, it has been translated into English:

Me: Baba, how much more time? (with a sorry look on my face)
Baba: Another 10 mins. Hold on
(I could see that even dad was growing impatient. That’s a positive sign. Time: 8:23am)
Vijay: (Butting in between) Bass Sir, iss ke baad ek daadhi banani hai aur phir aapka number. 10 mins max.
(No reply from dad. Another good sign :) :) )

the remaining conversation in Marathi, I don’t want it to lose meaning in the translation
Time- 8:30am
Me: (in hushed tone) Baba,……Baba….shee lagli (with a constipated look… )
Baba: Kay??? Sakali nahi keli ka..
Me: Keli hoti pan tari lagli…(more constipated look)
Baba: (looking at the watch) 20 mins thamb, cutting zhalyavar ghari jaun kar…aalach number aata (consoling tone)
Me: Jorat lagli ahe :( (more more constipated look)

Baba to Vijay. Time-8:45am
Baba: Arre me ek 20 mintat yeto. Number thev
Vijay: Sir, aata kuthe jata. Aalach ki number and asa number nahi thevat me. Pudche bomba marta
Baba: Asa ka…barr

Only 15mins more. This is my last chance.
Me: Baba, me jato khup jorat lagli ahe…(more more more constipated look. I manage to roll a tear down one cheek.Yesss!!!!)
Baba: Barr chal..(dad is frustrated and angry but he cant show it in the saloon. I am praying that by the time we get home the anger would subside.)

The moment we are out of the saloon I start running towards the building. Dad doesn’t know that I got just 10 more minutes to 9:00am. He thinks the boy was right and smiles. Anger subsided.

I charge up the steps, enter the house and panting switch on the TV. 8:55am just in time. Yess.!!! Thank God mom is having a bath or I would have had to explain the whole thing to her.

9:05am: Dad walks in. Baghira is saying something.

Baba: Kay zhali ka shee (he is nearing the truth it seems)
Me: Ho..attach alo (matter of fact expression)

He doesn’t say anything. Saved. He doesn’t want to spoil his Sunday morning.

I got to see MOWGLI but a couple of things changed from that Sunday onwards. My dad never accompanied me to the hair cutting saloon again. With this freedom I started going to a different saloon (on my bicycle of course) where the barber was more interested in his work than pulling my cheeks and who took customers strictly on first come first serve basis.

But on the down side, I never got a 5 STAR again for any of my HAIR CUTS…

JUST FLY!!!

It is our dreams that shape our destiny,
To achieve them, many times we have to mutiny...
We have to go to unknown lands,
And may be sing along with unknown bands..

Its all a part of the game, they say;
After all to win, you have to play.
As you try to reach out for the sky,
You have to leave something behind and fly..

There are too many things, you want to say..
Too little time..
It's perfectly fine my friend,
Its not a crime!!!

Standing at the terminal, ready to fly..
Don't look back now, don't even cry..
Waiting for you is the sky,
So go ahead and JUST FLY !!!

(this one's for YAM, as a farewell gift!!!! Sorry i couldnt be there at the terminal)