Mile Sur Mera Tumhara: The DD nostalgia

I know the Independance day is behind us, but each time I litsen to this song it brings back memories. I have it on my ipod and when this song starts, I just leave everything aside (that is if I am not riding) and just sit back and enjoy the melody. Images of the picturisation rush back to me in a torrent. Those were the days when DD national was the heart and soul of my existence.

We had that Onida TV with 8 channels. All 8 channels showed DD national. A TV antenna was fixed on the building terrace and the signal was boosted with a booster kept next to the TV. Each time this melody begins the TV, DD national comes to the fore. I see Pt Bhimsen Joshi sing, Lata Mangeshkar in the closing stages and yes Amitabh, Jitendra and Mithun too. Guess we have PT Usha with the torch as well and Kapil too. I will be seeing the video after this. Its fun to recollect this!!!!! Now below are the lyrics.



I am going to put subtitles with the images I remember when I litsen to the lines (even if I dont understand the other languages)




(Music begins....Sea waves..waterfall and Pt Bhimsen Joshi kicks it off)

Mile sur mera tumharaa, Thoo sur bane hamaraa.... sur kee nadhiyaan
har disha se behkee saagar mein milee. Baadalon ka roop leiker
bharse halke halke... Mile sur mera tumharaa.. thoo... sur bane
hamaara.. Mile sur mera tumhara...

(Due on a boat...Kashmir!!!)

Chaain taraj tahin nyay taraj
ek but baniye saayen taraj

(A family of Sikhs on a tractor making their way through a field)

Tera sur mile mere sur de naal
milke bane ek nava surtaal

(Arial view of the TAJ...Shabana Azmi comes on sceen)
Mile sur mera tumharaa....tho sur bane hamaara..

(Over to the deserts now...Narendra Hirawani in cricketing whites walks towards the camera..he made a sensational start to his career but fizzled away on the international scene..)
Mohnja sur tohi desa pyara mile jadein geet ashaanjo madhur tarano
bane tadein



(a group of senior Sikhs...the lady who sings the last part....me likes her)
Sur ka dariya bahte saagar me mile badlaan da roop leike barasan
holle haule

(Over to south. By the method of elimination this has got to be Tamil. I asked Chirstine..she deciphered the Malyalee bit and this she could not understand!!!!) :)
Isaindhal namm iruvarin suramum namadhakum.. Dhisai veru aanalum
aazi ser aarugal Mugilai mazaiyai pozivadu pol isai ...Namm
isssaiiii....



(This is what she understood!!!!...the dude on the elephant at the end of this verse...I still remember him...he sure made an impact...man look at that carefree expression on his face!!!!)

Thik thakida thathikakidA....thaka thimi thaka junu
Nanna dhwanige ninna dhwani-ya, seridante namma dhwaniya..
Naa swaramu nee swaramu sangammamai, mana swaram ga avatarinchey
Ninde swaramum ningalude swaramum otthucheiyum Namudeya swaramai....

(Over to West bengal....A Metro makes it way to the station...Me spotted Arun Lal at 3:36)
Tomaar shoor moder shoor srishti koroor koi ekshoor[2]...
Sriishti karoon woi katha

(Over to the Far East now!!!!)
Toma mora swarer milan srishti kare chalbochatano
Toma mora swarer milan srishti kare chalbochatano

(Scenes of Goa....the parties and the beach!!!)
(Over to the Gujju brothers....)
male sur jo taro maro, bane aapno sur niralo

(Scene of a local from top...and konkani ladies walkin in the background..Maay Marathi!!!)
majhya tumchya julta tara madhur suranchya barasti dhara



(Back to Hindi...I dont knw the first lady....then its Hema Malini..Asha Parekh in a saree which an aunty in the neighbourhood had..long back..followed by Lata didi..in a tricolour sari..!!!
Sur ki nadiya har disha se behke saagar mein mile...
Baadlo ka roop leke barse halke halke..
Oh...Mile sur mera tumhara tho....sur bane hamara...

(The synthesizer rakes up the beat...AB..Jumping Jack..Gun Master G9 take it away!!!Kids dressed in saffron, green and white....and forming a tricolour in the end...)
Mile Sur mera tumhara
tho sur bane hamara tho sur bane hamara
tho sur bane hamara











Enjoy the video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gstRrEmTcBc

Second Best

He tried his best to beat the rest,
But always there was something amiss.
Somehow he always ended-
Second Best.

He soon lost interest,
Not in trying but in winning.
Now he always wanted to end-
Second Best.

He found solace in this now,
He smiled more out of sarcasm than happiness.
There was more fun being-
Second Best.

This was his victory chant,
“I motivate others
I give them a reason to try
They are the best because I choose to be-
Second Best”.

A Milestone

The road lingers on;
From one horizon to the next.
Some people pass me by, but I remain,
Like I was, like I will be

Life is not forever;
Like the turn of the tide it too has to ebb.
But I remain;
Like I was, like I will be.

I found many friends on the road,
Some stuck while some just went by with a wave of the hand.
But I remain,
Like I was, like I will be.

The wind now blows hard,
Bringing back memories of old.
Some more people pass me by, but I remain
Like I was, like I will be: A milestone

Read my blog...somebody please...do leave your comments!!!

(The background: I have recently started posting on InfyBlogs too. And as crave for attention, I refresh the blog page every 10-15 mins to check if somebody commented on my blog or not. But yeah, you are right, no many do and that sure makes me sad. What adds fuel to the fire is my friend Kali. Now he is blogger and writes real well too. Respect for that. But he gets a lots of comments (of which half are his own...but the bottomline is..he gets a lots of comments :( ). So this write-up comes up to address my frustration and yes to gain more page views on InfyBlogs.. :) )

I have never been good at presenting myself. Back in school…well forget about school…I was presentable then…at least my mom says so and she is correct too, she did take pains about me wearing regularly washed and ironed school uniforms and yes regularly polished shoes too. I used to tie my own shoe laces mind you. Learnt that in Std VII (ok…fine…I am a slow learner but not lethargic mind you!!!).

As my mom says and she is correct again, “Everything changed when you enrolled in that engg collg in Pune and yes got that room in the hostel.” (mind you it was COEP, arguably the best in the state after of course IIT B but mom had her reasons to hate it). So be it in my hostel or college I was this disheveled guy, with a stale beard and an even staler t-shirt (no..no don’t look away please, I have not even mentioned my smelly floaters yet). My friends (including girls) didn’t exactly run away from me, but looking at the state of my t-shirt they could guess whether it was the first or the fourth consecutive day I was in those rags (pardon the exaggeration)!!!

Let me tell you a secret,though, the branded t-shirts (like Reebok and Nike) are real worth. I mean I did a round of regression testing on my Reebok t-shirt and it lasted the toil where other t-shirts lost their sheen or just fell by the wayside. So basically I was never presentable, but for the way I spoke or wrote!!!! And I should admit that nothing much has changed these days, only that formal shirts are a bit delicate and a bit costly and have to be washed regularly. The tie with the knot can be pulled on until your roommate mistakenly puts it in the washing machine with the heap of his clothes ;)

With this history behind me, it suddenly struck me that I was not diverting enough traffic to my blog page. So I thought out the reasons and here are my thoughts, point wise (for ease of the reader, “I care so much for the reader, but then why don’t I get many :(???”)

1) You have to be regular in posting: 1 guy reads your blog on 25th Dec 2008. Then one fine day 29th March 2009, he is relatively free and suddenly remembers, “I must check Advait’s blog. Last time I went to his page he had written an engaging account. Here it is.”. “What is this?? The same old entry. Hummmphhhh…another one of those wannabes!!!” :(

2) Profile pic : An interesting profile pic can do wonders. “Where did that “Joker!!!” pic go…Damn these software security guys” :(

3) Write about LOVE: This is a top draw I tell you. LOVE made not only Yash Chopra what he is today but many others too. One name comes to my mind but then I don’t want to offend anybody and say NOM. But ..but its not my fault….so many people talk about LOVE that even a real story will seem like a “Seen that, read that (a 100 times) before” :(

4) Make your presence felt on the BB (the public folder) first: I tried. But damn the server, by the time my reply got posted there were like 10 replies already posted and when I, myself read my reply I found out that it was way out of sync. Others who read it would say, “Man he sure is slow…Ramayan ho gaya aur puch raha hai Sita kon hai!!!!” :(

5) Attend bloggers meet: I did…I did attend it….I seriously did… what!! you don’t remember me. Hey I am clean shaven now. Maybe that is the reason you don’t recognize me. But I did attend it. I swear!!!! :(

6) Appear to be an apprentice of another blogger of interest: I tried even that..Kali you know I did that. But then everybody wants to have a piece of the BATMAN…no one if wants to glance at ROBIN :(

7) Break ur story in parts. Arouse interest: I tried that too. But by the time I completed part II, I forgot who the main characters were and part I was one story and part II was another L

8) Post on BB that you have posted on your blog and ask for comments: I did that. Whatever moderate comments you see are thanks to that. But then I don’t think I managed to get the timing of the post on the BB right. And now getting attention is not possible. “These SWINES, I tell you!!! I always hated them. Flithy ba#$%^&*!!!” :(

9) Don’t give up: Whatever you do. However disheartened you are don’t give up!!!! That’s what I am doing right now!!!! :) :) :)

BLOG ON!!!! :) :) :)
End Result: This post attracted 15 comments on Infy Blog..most of them of sympathy!!!!! :)

Whaaddd a start to the season!!! GO GUNNERS!!

First game of a brand new season....away from home...against a team who has been challenging the top 4 for quite sometime now...against a team who through sheer resilience made it to the FA CUP final last season...one the other hand we..2 players sold out...4 years without a trophy and now critics pointing out that a top 4 finish will also be difficult with money flowing at Man City....it was pressure...

The end result....Arsenal 6 - Everton 1.Truly unbelievable.

I came in the net cafe and checked the score and I was kicking myself for not staying awake the entire 90 mins. I watched the first half and the score read Arsenal 3 - Everton 0. The match was in the back. I did expect that after the half time break Moyes will tighten up. After all he could not afford humiliation at Goodison Park. But 4 goals were scored in the second half. Fabregas taped in 2 and Edu (am so happy he is back) scored 1, Saha pulled one back for Everton. In the first half it was a beauty from Denilson to open the scoring for the Gunners. Credit also must go to Bendtner, he kpet his cool and more importantly possession in the box before tapping the ball to Fab who passed it on Denilson. "Pick your corner and hit me" was written all over the ball and Denilson did it to perfection.

The remaining 2 goals came from set pieces. Unnecessary fouls committed, and poor marking in the penalty area gave the debutant Vermaelen his first Arsenal goal, followed by the veteran Gallas (yes that Chealsea reject...that abusive ex Arsenal captain) who netted the team's third.

It is a dream start to the season for Arsenal especially they have a tough start to the season with a Champion's League qualifier against Celtic coming up on Tuesday. It is of utmost importance for Arsene to win silverware this season more so if he wants to retain the big names of Fab, Van Persie in the team.

With the likes of Nasri and Ro-sicky (remember him!!??? :) ) we only have one way to go...TOWARDS THE OPPOSITION'S goal.

GO GUNNERS!!!!

Man....Machine..The Bullet

Its been close to 2.5 years that I bought the Bullet and each day I have felt that the Bullet is not only a Motorcycle, it is not only a Machine but it is like me in more ways than one. Remember how in Transformers I it is said, “You don’t choose the car, the car chooses you!!!”. Though I must admit that my Bullet (MH 12 DU 9116) did not actually come to life when I first touched it much like BumbleBee did but then it started to grow on me from the moment I got it home from the dealer.

Given my history of being irresponsible and at times utter careless about my belongings, everybody around me were skeptical whether I deserved the Bullet or not. Well I do agree that I am not one of those motor freaks who would take a spanner in their hands and get to work on their machines on hearing a slightest noise which is not normal to their trained ears. But then my Bullet is teaching me, it is making me learn and making myself worthy of it. And that is why I say much in the vein of the famous TV series of yesteryears: Man..Machine..The Bullet!!!

The first 3000kms (running in) are very important to determine the fate of the Bullet. Just like a good schooling to some extent is the foundation of your later life, the running in is of prime importance for the Bullet. It is advised not to rev the engine much and yes also not to go beyond the 50kmph mark on your speedometer. With all this knowledge, I threw caution to the wind and did what I always wanted to do. Within the first 3000km I was consistently clocking 80kmph and I even dared to make my first trip to Nashik this way. I knew I was rubbing it too hard but once the thump started, I just could not stop. It was as if I wanted more of it…more of it. The Bullet was teasing me, many times testing my patience and I gave way. The result, oil leakage, burning of oil in the engine leading to white fumes from the exhaust leading to indications of engine seizure. The block piston had to be changed (thank God this was covered under warranty), but the machine stood in the shed of the garage for a better part of the month mocking me and shouting “You LOSE!!!!”

After I got it back, I ran it in (taking the precautions I should have taken earlier) and every thump that time was as if the Bullet was laughing on me saying “..grow up mate…speed isn’t everything; learn to enjoy the ride.ha ha ha !!!!”

Getting your ride serviced regularly is also of prime importance and my Bullet was no exception. The riding manual advises to get the Bullet serviced every 3000kms, with the replacement of oil, changing of the air filter and other general checkup like the brakes, tightness of the chain etc. After the block-piston heartache I regularly visited my mechanic and my ride responded with no issues at all. I rode to Hyderabad for RM 08 and also rode to places near Pune. The ride to Hyderabad gave me a sense of pride and a feeling that yes I was finally a rider, deserving my Bullet but it was not to be.

Pride brought a sense of complacency in me and the visits to the mechanic started to be few and far between. Only when a ride was planned I visited the mechanic to get the ride serviced. I let the 3000km rule fly out of the window and the Bullet gave me a wake up call!!!

Returning from office with my roommate Aniket one evening, I hit a pothole on the road and the chain gave way much like in a bicycle. I had nothing but to kick myself. Hell the Bullet was due for servicing a couple of weeks back. “Suffer mate!!!”, said the Bullet as I parked it in a nearby building and got back home on my rommate’s bike ( a pulsar). It took me 2 days to find a mechanic who could get there and fix the problem before I got the ride to my mechanic for servicing. When I related this incident to him, he could not help but laugh. I was looking for someone to hide behind; but the onus was on me.

Then I even had a fall from the Bullet when in one of the ghats while coming down I took a wide turn and then slammed the front brakes as I saw that the ride was going off the road onto the gravel. The front wheel skidded and I came crashing down with my pillion finding an apt cushion in me. The guard in the front prevented injury to my leg and we were back up and riding. Not bruised but battered nonetheless. From that day I keep my turns tighter and less wider, controlling my speed also.

There are a lot more lessons to be learnt, lot more wakeup calls to be listened to before I can be anywhere near a TRUE RIDER but to get there I have only one way and that is to RIDE!!!!
And it is only after I feel that I am close enough to be one with my Ride that I will take the ultimate route to RIDER HEAVEN!!! You know what I am talking about, the route from New Delhi to Leh-Khandung la!!!

The ultimate route:

If only we could have bypassed FATE - A short story

“Himanshu wake up, its time for your morning breakfast”, said a compassionate female voice. There was a tinge of sorrow in it. It was more out of instinct than anything else that he opened his eyes. The curtains of the windows were drawn in. It was a pleasant morning outside, but even then the light which filtered in was too much for his eyes. He shielded his eyes against the sting of the light and looked up in the direction of the voice. He did see the face. He tried to smile but it took a lot of effort and he left it there. He tried to recollect where he had seen that face before but his mind returned nothing. It was as if he was staring at a bottomless pit trying hard to find its bottom.

“Doctor, is he improving?”, it was the same female voice. Something told Himanshu that they were talking about him. Words did form in his mind, but when he tried to speak, it was impossible. Somehow his tongue was rock solid. His vocal chords were in total disagreement with his brain. “That must be a bug” he thought. “Bug, now where did that word come from?” he patted himself on the back for that discovery. The answer to the question never got to Himanshu as he got into one of his now common fits. He would blank out for the remainder of the day and just lie there in his bed with the equipment next to his bed registering his heartbeat giving out a receipt of his been alive every few minutes with a loud beep.

The female voice belonged to Chitra. She was Himanshu’s wife – newly wedded wife would be apt. It had only been 3 months since they had exchanged their vows or more correctly signed on the contract of marriage in front of a registrar. The entire event was witnessed by 4 mutual friends whose signatures were also firmly embossed on the contract. It was not one of those lovely arranged marriages where the guy and the gal meet, fall in love and then tell their respective parents who are cool with it and then arrange all the rituals to show the world that it was an arranged marriage in the first place. It was a love marriage per se, with the filmi twist of a registered marriage and the parents from both sides cutting off contact with their respective kids and just going on with their lifes as if nothing happened.

Himanshu and Chitra worked for the same IT firm and their courtship had lasted for almost 2 years when they decided to break the news to their parents. They had never expected that they would be turned down with such venom from both their families.

He was the only son of a High Court Judge who despite his high education was after all very narrow-minded; at least that was what Himanshu had concluded on seeing his father react when he had told him about his love for Chitra. If only mom would have been alive today, she would have helped him sort the matter was what Himanshu had thought when he had walked out of his father’s home with a resolve to never return again.

Her father was the high priest of a temple in the city of Chennai and was highly respected in his community for his mastery over the Vedas. “Don’t any of your Vedas talk about love?” was what Chitra had retorted when she was reluctantly thrown out of her own house by Subbu, the helper. Subbu after all was just a domestic help, what could he do when even her mother was a mute spectator to all this. The only resistance her mother had to offer was in terms of the silent tears which were trickling down her now wizened cheeks. Even she did not want Chitra to be a bad influence on her 2 younger sisters who were now nearing marriageable age.

They rented a 1BHK in Aundh and decided to fight. None had the intention to talk it out with their parents and try and change their point of view. After all even they were like their parents, stubborn and determined. Everything was going great and cozy and as per planned. “Doesn’t this seem like a program I have written, Chitra, fulfilling all the requirements and more importantly bug free!!!” Himanshu had joked. “Not at all. Remember you injected 2 defects in your latest release” replied Chitra imitating Mr. Ghosh, their project manager. “Yeah OK!!! The bypass logic I had put in didn’t work as expected.” said Himanshu making a sorry face making Chitra laugh.

4th November, Chitra was watching TV having just returned from office when her mobile rang. It was an unknown number. The conversation which followed after she said “Hello” was like a blur or static on a local radio station for Chitra.

The events of the evening of 4th November replayed in her mind as she walked out of the room where Himanshu was now lying. She had called it sleep; it helped to ease her pain. She had abruptly cut the call not waiting for the person at the other end to even complete. She just picked the keywords - accident, BPO cab, no helmet, Aditya Birla hospital. She rushed out of the house, and hailed a rickshaw to take her to the Aditya Birla Hospital. She did not even wait to take the change from the rickshaw driver and ran to the hospital’s OPD room.

After she identified herself, she was informed that Himanshu was taken to the operating room and that he had suffered a skull fracture. A MRI scan had revealed that there were pieces of bone scattered which would need immediate removal. There was also a fracture to the right hand and multiple fractures to the hip bone. Chitra instinctively dialed her mother’s number but the call was cut. There was no use dialing her father’s number. She called up Himanshu’s dad but he cut the call the moment she said she was Chitra. A few of Himanshu’s colleagues were there to comfort her. She wanted to be strong. She did not want to cry but the tears were not stopping.

Chitra cleared her mind of the images and walked back inside the room. She looked at the face of the man whom she had married defying everybody in her life. The stitches on his head were still raw. The equipment monitoring his heartbeat beeped and brought her back to the moment. “If only we could have bypassed FATE, Himanshu” she whispered in his ear. His eyelids opened just for a second and closed again as if he had heard what she said.

Nai..nai...ek minute!!!! (Farewell Gundya)

"Me kon ahe na....tula....atta nahi sangnar...me kay koni bhai nahi ahe...pan me kon ahe na....tula ....", I will always remember this exchange which took place when me and you (Gundya) were having anda bhurji at the Shivajinagar Bus Stand. It was not Shabbir but Jai Maharashtra at which we were standing and the exchange was between, a drunkard and the helper who worked at the bhurji gada!!!




Like this one there are some many things to talk about, so many kisse to discuss. As you fly, I want to say THANK YOU for everything. I never thanked you enough because you I never felt the need off. You were always there, read to help, always there available, ready to be taken for granted!!! But now as you move on and more importantly move away I am compelled to make a mention of a lot of thank yous!!!!




Thank You Gundya for


The anda bhurji at Shabbir, followed by falooda!!!

Making me a part of ur close college group and including me in the late nite Roopali coffee session


Always been available whenever I needed to know any route in Pune

And for always knowng all the routes


For trying and making me remember the routes (The ride to the courier service will be memorable)


For always been eager to make it to Aana for tea and bidi


For the booze we had at Sudama when the engg exams were going on


For unfailing repeating the story of how you and Pankaj started talking again ;)


For the cry or the song "Nachu kiti...nachu kiti..kambar lachakli" and "Mai...Mai......"


For threatening me with "BRAKE NAI DABNAR....bh******od" and then actually doing it, till I gave way


For accompanying me to ABC to get the UPSC prep books..(nothing came out of it as of now)


For accompanying me to movies and not paying the bill and then proving how ethically I was to
show you the movie anyways (eg: CHAK DE INDIA)


For being a CHELSEA supporter and more over a MAN UTD hater


For asking directions whenever it came to English (that made me feel important)

For the great time we all had at Junnar....both the marraige, Shivneri and how can I forget the Mutton at Mama's (thank you to him too for tht)

And finally for being the brother from another mother!!!!! (remember the joke of my dad saying "ka re tumhi bhau ahat ka??" hehehe)

There are many more things to talk about. Many more thank yous to be given but I stop here, sitting back and reliving the good and the bad times we shared!!!

Farewell Gundya and all the very best in whatever you do!!!


P.S: Hope you will be regular in updating your blogs!!!!

One Step Closer

(Infosys Pune Toastmasters Club (IPTMC) wll be celebrating its 100th meeting on the 12th August 2009. As a part of this occasion, an Inter Club Speech Contest is organised for which speakers will be invited from the different TM clubs across Pune district. To represent IPTMC in this competition a prelim was organised where the top two speakers selected to carry the banner of IPTMC. I was one of the selected two. Below is my speech. The theme for the 100th meeting is "One Step Closer". )

On 28th August 1963 one black man, not very imposing but resolute, stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and thundered:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

That man was none other than Martin Luther King Jr. The “I have a dream speech” delivered that day brought not only the American-African community but all the other colored races “One Step Closer” to the hope of equality and redemption.

Mr Contest Chair, fellow toastmasters and guests a very Good Evening. I stand before you to take you One Step Closer to “One Step Closer”.

I must admit that the theme “One Step Closer” appeared to be vague to me at the outset, but then as I gave it a thought it became clear that it was anything but vague. In fact, I would go on to say that “One Step Closer” is not only a mere expression but it is so powerful an arrangement of words that I am forced to call it a concept, an idea, An idea that can very well change your life”. …

“One Step Closer” is more psychological than anything else. Imagine a rabbit chasing a carrot dangling at the end of the treadmill. The rabbit is running with all its might; all it can see and smell is only the carrot which is dangling in front of him. It is running but somehow it cannot get closer to the carrot. The rabbit is hungry; and it is not intelligent enough to understand that it will never get to the carrot until the treadmill stops. But then, why does the rabbit continue to run? If you ask me it is not just its hunger but its feeling that “with each leap I am getting
One Step Closer to my goal” that makes it continue to run until it faints out of sheer exhaustion.

When you realize that whatever efforts you are putting in are taking you closer to what you want to achieve, you don’t mind putting in extra efforts to get there. Remember when you were in school, how a mere pat on the back from your school teacher or even words of praise from your mother made you stay up all night and complete that math exercise which normally you would have ignored. Well that pat on the back, those mere words of praise were nothing else but an indication that “Son, carry on you are One Step Closer to completing that exercise”.

14th February is a very important day at least in my calendar. It was my first Valentine’s Day in college when I saw her some 6 years ago. She was not exactly a show stopper, or somebody for whom heads would turn but she was what I had always dreamt off. I still remember the last time I looked at her that day; she had smiled a smile which was careless yet measured. Her smile told me that I was “One Step Closer” to falling in love. I need not ask you whether you have had such an experience or not. Am I correct?

Failures can also take you One Step Closer to Success. You just have to take a peek at the lifes of great inventors and scientists to understand that each failure made them learn how not to approach the problem at hand and thus brought them One Step Closer to their invention or discovery. Thomas Edison brightened our paths not only with the bulb he invented but also with his famous quote, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Each failure which Edison encountered showed him how his approach was wrong. Each failure which Edison encountered, took him “One Step Closer” to the light.

It is rightly said that everything in this world is relative. A glass of water can either be half full or half empty, similarly one can either be “One Step Closer” to glory or “One Step Closer” to annihilation. And it is the latter which the cynics amongst us would root for.

Maybe this is the reason why I have always been in a dilemma whether or not to celebrate my birthdays. Doesn’t each of my birthdays take me “One Step Closer” to the inevitable ?

The concept of “One Step Closer” has so many implications, so many different aspects to it, right from your life’s dream to your life’s love. It is both surreal and simple at the same time. Surreal because it makes sense to both an optimist and a pessimist and Simple because it makes me realize that even as I speak I am getting One Step Closer not only to the end of my speech but to the fulfillment of a dream.

Yes, even “I have a dream” and that is to don a best fit blazer and represent my Club in the Inter-Club Speech Contest.

This speech is nothing but a humble effort to get “One Step Closer” to realizing that dream.

The First Job

I was busy congratulating others when they uttered my name,
“Was it really me?” I asked, but it didn’t matter, others had also heard the same.
Thus I got my First job,
And so for a living, a bank I didn’t have to rob.

An electrical engineer in the software field,
Said my father, “Your fate is sealed;
Waste will be your knowledge;
Entrapped you will remain in this cage.”

“No, no I have ambitions” said I,
“We will see about that.” said he with a sigh.
To prove him wrong I decided, I planned,
But soon my dreams were canned.

Now the ambitions are no more,
And even my dreams have become sore.
Thus I am still in my First Job;
And now I wonder, why didn’t I find a bank to rob??!!!

(I met an acquaintance some days back on the bus stop and while talking he said, “Its very difficult to leave your first job”. That line just remained with me and now this poem is what comes out).