Monday, September 9, 2013

A Train to hell ….. (Fiction Based on a real incident) (www.tatasafari.com/)


“2 ghante late hai"                     
uttered the man sitting at the railway inquiry counter like a trained android.
My heart sank deeper hearing this, as i trudged out of the queue with a heart heavier than my suitcase. Life’s tough.
I looked at Jadda, my roommate for the past 3 years at the college hostel. Nobody knew why he was called jadda, which was of course not his real name. May be because the name suited his personality well. Jadda as u could expect from his name, had features that were anything from remotely handsome. This 6’ 2” lanky lad had often been approached by the local Raamleela organizers obviously for a role of some general in the Ravan’s army) but jadda would brush off the proposals with a “Studies first, showbiz can come later” Heh!
Even the “Red n white” smokers would have fainted at the sight of jadda up close at night.
Well this story  is not jadda’s modeling portfolio so I’ll cease elaborating on his looks. He was the only one who came all the way from the hostel to see me off in such a spine chilling winter night.
Jadda was indeed a nice guy, nicer to me
There he was standing at a distance guarding my suitcase n bag which had a bottle of water pushed in to side pocket and a chain-n-lock in the front.
“Arey yaar 2 ghante late hai train, (the train is 2 hrs late)
I bemoaned.
I had to reach Ahmedabad the next day to attend my IIM interview on 2nd of March obviously one of the biggest days in my life.
“It seems the Biharis have hijacked the train” he sniggered

Actually the train originated from some place in North Bihar to Ahmedabad, The long distance train was bound to get late in winters. And tonight was one of those nights
After analyzing the situation I told jadda in a polite and formal tone
“Jadde u go back to the hostel yaar. It’ll get pretty late and it’s getting colder by the minute. I’ll call you once I reach ahemedabad. OK??”
Jadda was a bit reluctant initially but I managed to send him back to the hostel eventually. I knew his whole family would have to adorn the “hot seat” at KBC to pay the auto late night for a ride to the college hostel.
I picked my suitcase and bag as jadda departed and ambled towards the platform. The nip in the breeze had a sting in it, which I felt each time it intruded my jacket, aided by the malfunctioning zipper, It was time for Pink Floyd to operate, who were hitherto screwing tight their guitars waiting for me to hit the play button of my Walkman. Soon I plugged my ears and the melody flowed.
In one hand I had the suitcase, which contained all the ammunition I needed to sell myself to the interview panel in an effort to fool or euphemistically speaking convince them to let me in their premier institution, and a rolled up ‘TOI’ in the other.
The suitcase contained everything ranging from certificates of a rhyming competition won in the kindergarten (the number of participants was three which was set to become 3 million when I face the panel) to the internship done at BHEL in my 3rd year of engineering. 
The bag contained a pair of brand new formal shirts, which I bought for wearing to the interview. Though the pair I got for just 600 it was extravagance by my standards. I am not fishing for sympathy here, I know there were hundreds of other poor students who were working their asses off at different IITs, lying prostate before their parents’ passport size photos each morning, after taking a lifebuoy bath and diving in to the pile of books.
And here I was just another ordinary student at just another college
You would find Mithun chakrawarty on the cover page of Filmfare more often than you would find me with books. But I was hopeful that I would at least do something good with my life after I complete my degree.
All in vain as 9/11 made sure that I didn’t have a job offer because of the recession which ensued after the top floor of the twin towers kissed ground zero and the Amreekans began irrigating the Afghani land by sprinkling life size bombs. Or I guess it was coz of some dot com crash or something, we  students hardly cared. 
Even BHEL showed me a middle finger.
The IIM call was the only high point in my career (hitherto), which could also go in vain if I don’t convert the call. And Hence I was accompanied by a truckload of expectations.
I was stirring the cappuccino (I ordered it to celebrate the fact that I learnt to pronounce it correctly recently) endlessly till it formed a whirlpool as all these thoughts were stirring me up. At least I could fulfill one guy’s expectation, that was the coffee boy at the stall waiting patiently for me to pull out a 10 rupee note and hand it over to him.
It was still about an hour or so for the train to arrive. It seemed that the passengers were pushing the train all the way from Bihar.
I thought of looking at the reservation chart to look for the F’s (females) in my coach. But to my disgust, there was an array of M’s interspersed with few F’s, that too 40+, on the sheet of cheap quality paper pasted on the notice board called the reservation chart.
After checking the last name which also had an ‘M’ in the column, I yelled a common Hindi gaali(expletive) starting from the same letter.
I retraced my steps back to where my luggage was kept near the bench.
I couldn’t digest this, for it was really strange to have no young females in the bogey, So many male passengers, all boarding from the same station and alighting at Ahmedabad. It couldn’t have been a ‘Baraat’ as without females it would sound like a baaraat for a gay marriage, the concept which was not all that popular in our country. Nevertheless I waited for the train…
Still 15 minutes to go before the aging monster arrives crawling on the rails.
The night was getting more seductive by the minute, as a cheapster poet would express it - “There is nothing more “HOT” than a chilly winter night” And my teeth were like a morse code machine, punching the code into thin air cuz of the spine chilling winter. Kitt kitt kittt….
As the human count on the platform became sparse, the canines started patrolling the platform with their tails up. Dogs added the required Indian ness to the platform landscape.
One of them looked at me inquisitively and after a moment joined its pack, which was howling together at a distance.
In spite of all the atheism and rationale I bred in myself all these years, I was still feeling really uncomfortable with a pack of dogs howling at a distance for no reason. It was a bad omen and I had an IIM interview 2 days from now.
It was the 2nd weird thing to happen I didn’t know what was to follow…
The horn of the train arrested such thoughts to proliferate in my mind. I stood by the LED display, which read “S6”.
Coolies appeared from thin air (probably mutated from the dogs) to look for incapable passengers. A bunch of frenetic red shirted coolies crowded near the S5 coach as if they got the news that all the inmates of a old age home were returning from a excursion trip, sponsored by help age India.
I entered the coach and reached my berth to see the interiors of the coach saffronized….I had my doubts cleared. The reason why there was a barrage of male names on the reservation chart - A whole group of middle to old age people were returning or going on a pilgrimage or probably some religious rally. Well by the worn out looks I could guess easily that they were retreating. With my least bothered self I made myself comfortable on my berth after chaining the luggage to the hooks below.
As I was about to doze off…my cell phone rang. It was my mom calling. I had informed her about the delay earlier. She was awake as it was the exam time on (IIM Interview) I picked up the phone.
“Beta!! Train aayee ki nahee??” 
“Maa train me hi baithaa hoon abhi bas chalne hi waali hai” 
I sat upright to gobble up maximum network coverage.
“chalo theek hai!! Waise beta tumko jyaada pata hai lekin thodaa dhyaan se dena interview unki koi baat kaatna mat.aur nervous mat honaa..” 
I was listening like a 4 year old. Whatever she told me was echoed a zillion times before by a million people but the motherly affection and concern in those words were good enough to choke me up. .
“Haaa maaaa…..”
I could barely speak..as she went on mentioning the do’s and don’ts to follow at the interview. but I was not listening,but her words were ramming the back of my mind…clearly 2nd march was a big big day for me and my family..
After some more informal talk I hung up…and slowly I drifted off.
  • 28th Feb 2002

I woke up rubbing my eyes as I found the train stationary. With a yawn I checked with my wristwatch, it was about 7:45 a.m. As I lifted the window up, a cold and spine-chilling gust of air greeted me. I could see the sun was not out yet for some unknown reason, could be the early morning cloud cover.
The train was not supposed to halt for so long at such a small station. May be some train crossing I thought…I could hear some raised voices from a distance. Probably some dispute. I was not concerned as I was looking for any chaiwallah to walk by my window…
Then I saw a man wrapped up in a shawl, probably hiding something inside, coming towards our coach from a distance. I looked him in his eyes as he came closer.
His eyes were like he hadn’t slept for decades. Such creepy eyes were they…I asked him casually
“Kaun saa station hai bhaiyaa.??” (Which station is it?)
He replied in an eerily calm voice “Godhra

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The Delhi Metro.



The Delhi Metro.

Variety of people, I have observed, while travelling in metro

1. She is always formally dressed, has a figure to kill for, long hair that is always left open in an attempt to show-off the hair color/straightening on which she spent almost half her salary. She moves and you here tinkles coming from her bag that makes up for the bling factor that is missing on her clothes. Her phone is tightly held in her hand and it is then that you notice the well manicured okra-shaped fingers. The men who ogle at her at the platform, continue to ogle at her from the neighboring coach. End of love story.

2. The lost lamb. The innocent first timer who makes the biggest mistake of his life by getting into the ladies' coach. The women around him greet him with cold stares, muttering to each other about the crime that he just committed. None of them however, will tell him to move to the other coach until a kind college-goer alerts him about his mistake. He picks up his luggage and obediently makes his way to the crowded coach.

3. The Sleeping Beauties. The early morning office goer. The moment he grabs a seat, he falls fast asleep, by choice of course. Nothing, mind you, nothing will make him budge. He sleeps peacefully through the entire journey, opening his eyes only when he is kissed by prince Rajiv Chowk. He comes to life and runs downstairs to repeat the same.

4. The pole -dancers. The under 6-year-old who catches hold of the pole as if it were a magnet. While the mother keeps calling out to them, they suddenly find a sense of belonging to this pole that doesn't match the pleasure of sitting on the mother's lap. They go round and round and round and... until you start feeling nauseated at the number of chakkars that they've taken.

5. The gigglee-puff. A bunch of 5-6(or more) girls who giggle among themselves, almost ignorant of the fact that the women behind them are staring at them with knotted brows. They're usually bitching about another girl-friend and enjoying the gossip.

6. The missed-it! They miss the announcements that ask them to get down at a particular station because the train won't go all the way to Vishwavidyalaya or Gurgaon or wherever. The next station, they're enquiring haplessly about where to go. They miss the train by millimetres, they miss the station where they had to get down!

7. The shade-y ones. Okay, so you've bought new, expensive shades. You're probably the first one in your family to buy them. DON'T flaunt them inside the metro because thankfully, there is no sun or dust flying in there. Keeping them aside for a while won't harm you because they're not running away!

8. The duds. They have it all. Branded footwear-addidas/adidos/reebob/nice/looto. They have jeans in the shades of yellow/orange/embroidered blue ones. The have fake Ed Hardy shirts. They have SRK's COOL chains and they have coloured hair that is either spiked or cropped. Style it up. Travel in the metro. Life's good.

9. The DU crowd. They can wear whatever they want, however they want to. You won't question their style, you will only admire them because they're on the yellow line. I-pods plugged to their ears, a book in the hand, a set of spiral bound notes, unimaginable colours. Yes, they're going to north campus.

10. The gender divide. They are a couple. The lady decides to enter the metro from the ladies' compartment. The man enters from the next door, they end up meeting at that bridge that divided the ladies' coach from the rest of the train. They have eyes only for each other. I wonder how things would be any different if they'd entered in the metro from the same door!

11. The angry-young man/angry-young-woman. They can pick up a fight at the drop of a hat. She screams that he misbehaved. He defends himself saying that he'd misbehave with a younger woman instead of her. An argument ensues, the others in the coach smirk at the free entertainment. A few quiet ones intervene and things are settled.

12. The opportunity grabber. They spot an empty seat and rush to grab it, almost ninja-like. Somebody gets up and they hurriedly move towards it like a raging tornado, only to realise that the other person got up to dust himself/herself. They see space next to the door, they rush towards it bumping into 2 others who were trying to do the same! :P

THINGS WHICH WILL MAKE YOU FEEL OLD



THINGS WHICH WILL MAKE YOU FEEL OLD
1. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge was released 17 years ago.
2. Windows XP was released 11 years ago, in 2001.
3 The “new” Millennium is more than a decade old.
4. Chetan Bhagat’s antics have been around for the past 9 years!
5. Pierce Brosnan last acted as James Bond 10 years ago.
6. The Delhi Metro has been running for 10 Years now.
7. It’s been 12 years since 9/11
8. The Matrix came out 13 years ago, Keanu Reeves is 46 today
9. Mother Theresa and Lady Diana have been dead for 15 years.
10. Aishwarya Rai won Miss world 19 years agoz
11. Remember Jungle Book on Doordarshan? That was more than 15 years ago.
12. Macaulay Culkin is 32  today. “Home Alone” came out over 22 years ago.
13. Terminator 2 is 22 years old. Edward Furlong who portrayed kid John Connor is 35 now.
14. Sean Connery is 80 years old and retired.
15. The youngest Spice Girl is 35, the oldest Backstreet Boy 39, Gwen Stefani is 41, Madonna 52
16. The first Harry Potter book came out,14 years ago!
17. The first season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S was aired 17 years ago!
19. Akshay Kumar is older than the moon landing – He was born in 1967
20. Arnold Schwarzenegger is older than free India. He was born in June 1947
21. ‘Kids’ born in 1994 can legally drive, drink and vote this year.
22. Jurassic Park is older than Justin Bieber.
24. Rajiv Gandhi has been dead for 23 years.
25. Bryan Adams’ cult song “Summer of 69″ was released 26 years ago.
26. Kids whom you remember in their diapers posting their pics on Facebook
27. Facebook has been around for 9 years.
28. Remember the little girl from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? She is 25 now.
29. The Maruti Zen was first introduced 18 years ago.
30. Remember the little girl in rasna add she is 27 now.
*Inspired from a note..

Sunday, April 3, 2011

KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA……..



When there was no T.V, no internet, very few sources of entertainment, country was facing political hassles, our national game hockey was at its down fall, India was in desperate need of a hero who can give them something to cherish about.  Well, November 1989 to be very exact, a little boy with curly hairs and chubby cheeks, for whom the world wasn’t enough , stepped into international arena of cricket with big dreams in his eyes. The name was/is/will be Sachin Tendulkar.
From that day he is towing the expectations of 1 billion people on his little but firm shoulders.
Going down the memory lane, I still remember how much my life revolved around Sachin Tendulkar. Below are the some moments, which I will cherish throughout my life:
1. Still remember how I used to manage to wake up till 3am just to watch highlights of the master’s innings after watching the full match.
2. Still remember when I used to bunk school, just to watch the master play.
3. Still remember how I used to shout my level best while watching a live match in stadium when Sachin fields at the boundary.
4. Still remember how I used to switch off the TV after the master’s dismissal.
5. Still remember the TV shows “SACHIN @24”(DOORDARSHAN) and “LEGEND OF CRICKET” (ESPN).
6. Still remember how I was unable to concentrate in class thinking about Sachin whenever he scored a century and I missed it for some silly class.
7. Still remember what I was doing when master scored 200*(against South Africa), 143 (against Australia in sharjah), 136( against pak in chennai), 175 (against Australia in hydrabad ) and many more.
8. Still remember the long discussions with friends on the master blaster.
9. Still recall his career stats and the words he spoke in post match ceremony.
10. Still remember how I used to collect the master’s pictures and felt miserable when I missed him while playing ‘trumph cards’.
11. Still remember every advertisement in which Sachin was featured.
12. Still be superstitious when he is batting.

There are many, many memories and moments which I and my whole nation will cherish for years and years about the master.
I feel blessed to be born in the era of Sachin Tendulkar. Now after winning the world cup many people and media is talking about Sachin’s retirement, I just want to tell all those people that he has shared the dressing room with 4 generations of Indian cricket and yet he is still the backbone of our team.
So all that I would like to plead Sachin is....  KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA….

I would have spent my childhood otherwise,
I would have looked and grew up otherwise,
I would have had fewer memories to cherish,
If there was no Sachin Tendulkar.


                                                                                  ….NIKHIL SINGH.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

UPES—university of ‘pagal’ and eccentric students


UPES—university of ‘pagal’ and eccentric students
Last week, a girl from UPES committed suicide and I don’t want put up any names.  I feel that people, who commit suicide, commit this heinous crime, when they feel that this is the end of the road, there is no other way left. But wait, why would a young, hardworking student who had the whole world ahead her did something like this. She got a GPA 3.4/4 which I can’t even think of.  I would have rather thrown a party for something like that. Now let’s get back to the topic, why she committed suicide, and the answer is the competitive world around her (yes I believe UPES is a world class university with even better students). Or maybe she was forced to excel, yes u got it right, I am talking about parental pressure.
Parents have high expectations from their child, and why won’t they? They are paying so much for the education. Educating one’s child is kind of a business investment, when one invests his heart out, he will definitely expect some profit from that investment.
But the problem arises when parents starts to expect too much from their child, far more than his/her caliber, this creates an extra stress and burden on the child, which leads to a complexity and inferiority in the child and he starts thinking that he is good for nothing (personal experience J)
Every child may not be academically excellent but he/she definitely posses some caliber, parents just need to help them out to realize it.
What if Sachin Tendulkar’s parents expected him to be an academic genius, What if Rahman’s mother  never allowed him to join ilayaraja’s music classes , we would have lesser reasons  to feel proud as an Indian.

…..NIKHIL SINGH