my sojourns through life

And as I left........

2010-02-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

And as I left.....

I could see those dark brown eyes .....

I could read what they said......

Asking me to stop...

I could see a small Tear......

about to roll down .....

And as i Left......

I felt a deja vu...

of a similar scene gone by....

when I was young ..

so mad....So crazy....

so in ..Love....

And as I left ...

I felt in her hug a slight grip...

as she held me as

close to her heart in that one second......

The moment ...that summarised an entire life....

And as I left.....

I could hear her voice .....

about to choke with emotion....

about to say " dont go"

And as i left , I could....

feel in the last call ..

the intense pain....

the complete loss of all sense....

And as she trudged back....

unaware .....frozen....

So cold and helpless.....

And as I left ......

I felt like a kid .....

dragged to school unwillingly....

I just lost for a moment ....

as to why people must leave.....

the people they love..

And as I left

I realized I must go back soon.....

I had left something very valuable behind.

Why will I win?

2009-05-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

The question haunts me a lot of times…..
And as I get up again ….
With the dust in my eyes…
Blinding me completely….
Trying to regain my balance.
The fall is bad ……..
and I see from the ground
A lot of people have gone miles ahead.
It has been hard.
I tried running a lot of times but slipped.
And everytime I slipped I lagged behind by a few miles….
A few years….a few more achievements….
And everytime I get up again …Iask my self
Why will I win ?
How will I soar above this sky
When all I have is a pair of hands and no wings .
Then I realise I am alive…..
the air is still with me.
The passion is still with me to fly….
And that’s why I will win…..

Why will I win?
When the sea ahead is very rough.
When my boat is full of holes and is sinking.
I will win because I have the oar still in my hands.
I will win because the power is still in those arms
To row across the wildest of seas……..
the roughest of storms……

Why will I win?
When the blood is oozing from all wounds….
When the soldiers around me have all gone
But I still have my sword in my hand …
I still have that roar…I still have that fanaticism

WHY will I win?
When the doors are all closed.
When the air is stifled ….its difficult to breathe.
But I still have hope.
To break free and crush all barriers and open the window
To the rays of light.

That’s why I will win
That’s why I will spring out from the deepest of pits
That’s why I will destroy all that stops.
And that’s why I will win.

Treasure

2009-04-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Fading away with each passing day
In the twilight I see
this way on which I had once walked away
searching for a Treasure .....in some paradise it lay...

" It will be mine" ....my heart would always say.
On my Way I met several people ..a happy bunch were they...
A special someone gave me love..adored me like a heaven above.
I thought I had my treasure now.

But it was not to be ." This is not for you " said God to me.
Your Treasure lay in a heaven far far away.
Strive to reach it one day.

So I moved on again ... in Vain.
Till one day I found a valley of Gold And I was happy."
But this is not what you really want" God told.
So I moved on again in disdain, thinking I had lost so much.
I had neither love
Nor did i have the gold and I was growing old.

I remembered the people I met how we loved but....all eventually left
I remembered the riches i Lost.
Flashes of the past cross my vision as i trot.
My treasure lay somewhere else i thought.

" Son , All these were mere stopovers on a long journey ahead" God Said."
Your Treasure is what you have in your heart"

The Subway

2009-04-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

I looked for you in every compartment .
5 PM , you said you will see me .

But by 5.15 you were no where near me.
People poured in..people poured out....
But even after scanning all the faces ..
I was still on your lookout.

Every minute was an eternity.

By 5.30 I was in dispair

I saw a bench at the end of the platform.

Sitting alone , I closed my eyes and for a moment

I was lost...in the noise
trying to hear your footsteps...

And then I heard them .....
and two soft hands on my cheeks

You were there

" Eyes"

2009-04-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

Black eyes.....blue eyes....green eyes....
there are so many colours....
But yours are neither.

They are made of love
and as it pours....
I am drowning

" Dream"

2009-04-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sitting in a boat ...... you and me......
amidst white swans ....and beautiful trees.....
Slowly ....and slowly ...as I look deeper in your eyes,
I can see the lakes depth.

With each whiff of the air ...I smell the sweet fragrance of your perfume....

It's so intoxicating ..I am lost.
In a valley of flowers

Only the sound of the snuggling white swans brings me back to senses..

and I realize ....... I am back from
one dream and entering another.

Sleeping Beauty

2009-04-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Crumpled hair and lovely lips
A beauty queen
In bliss she sleeps

There is a faint smile on her face
Perhaps a happy dream
I watch her spellbound
Her peace is my strength

She feels like a child and I her mother
Her eyes are closed but I know
She is waiting for me
To wake her
To hold her
And say “ good morning girl”

24th Feb 2009, Krakow,Poland

2009-03-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

23 feb 2009 , lodz , poland

2009-03-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

I am thoroughly enjoying my stay in The Grand Hotel in Lodz.
My meeting was at 10 am and I was back in the hotel by 12 Noon.
But looking at the snow outside and the drizzle i decided that staying Indoors was indeed
the best option.
Let me tell you some thing more about this hotel.
The Grand Hotel is about 120 Years old .Built in 1888 its interiors and architecture
is very old.Most of the hotel is quite desolate and its actually quite creepy if you are alone.
The passegways to the rooms are very long and with very dull light chandeliers.
You would acrually think twice about staying hear alone .
But alas I had no options .Even my room had a 3 bulb chandelier.
Now two bulbs were ok but the third one wac constanty flickering.
I noticed it quite late.Initially I saw some thing moving on the wall.
First it were some shadows as the light changed and would incite some images.
Soon I was flooded with all the previous experiences and very soon
I was convinced there was something in the room .
Who knows if this place was a prison during the world war , or maybe a place for execution , or a large cemetery .Poland as it is has a lot of history of bloodshed during the second world war.Since I have been travelling alone since a while now staying
All by my self is ok with me.I thought it would be a good time to see a horror movie.
So I saw “1920 “ and by the time it was over .I was chanting hanuman chalisa.
By the end of it!
In the evening I decided to go and grab some dinner and beer for myself.
So I packed up from head to toe . boy it took me atleast 10 minutes.
I had a set of thermals then my sweaters, mufflers,gloves,cap and umbrella for the
Snow.It took me a while to find a takeaway but I did stumble across a Turkish sandwich shop .Its sandwich turned out to be surprisingly delicious.
I also located a beer shop finally.But the lady at the counter couldn’t understand
A world of English.Fortunately another shopper standing next to me knew English
And translated for me and recommended a strong polish beer.
So I was off with all the stuff ready to party in the room all alone in grand hotel !!
I had to leave for Krakow the next morning by train.

alas

2009-03-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

i was sad ......" you never live to your committments " said she

but i knew it was not true ......alas all i knew ....was that the truth was so far from me.....

and yet i loved her too.....

" you are unreliable" said she

yes darling ......after all i am human too....

but yet i love you......

" i hope we never meet again" said she

i hoped the same dear....

but only out of fear...

as i couldnt face you again and hide my love from you

" we could have been together" said she

i hoped that my destiny was that too

but i guess everything is written.....and i couldnt do a thing " it could have been happily ever after"

it could have been so many things dear....

but the things are ...the way they are....

if only we had the courage to change them for the better

22nd Feb 2009, Lodz, Poland

2009-02-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

Voila , I have had a most amazing day in Poland.
I arrived in Poland with some preconceived notions about it being a Cold and Barren Place
and being an Ex communist regime I had my share of doubts regarding safety and
especially if i will be able to manage without english.
Well the first view I had from top of the sky when the flight was about to land was a vast sea
of white snow...initially I couldnt believe what I was seeing was indeed real.
There was snow for as much as I could see and in between the white snow I
could make out a few houses, roads were not visible at all.
The Airport is very regular , no fanfare nothing fancy...
I had a pickup from a company so transport was taken care of
The pilot had announced that the temp is -14 deg c and my shivers
had begun from there itself.
The drive from Warsaw to Lodz was about 2 Hrs .
Initially i passed a suburb of Warsaw but after that
there were vast fields full of nothing but snow and just a few scattered houses.
I can imagine what it must to live in a place so desolate and cold.
Some of the houses didnt even have a proper road leading to the house.
I took many pics on the way .It was actually a sight for the eyes.
We can see greys and blacks and greens in our cities even blue if you go to a beach.
But to see so much white is an amazing experience.
I finally arrived at Lodz and found it to be a place full of very old buildings.
Most of the construction is either too old , or bears marks of a lot of deterioration.
My hotel is a very old style with a old building.
You can see the old paintings in the alley and the Red Carpet must be a 100 Years Old.
I checked its history.The Grand Hotel in Lodz was built in 1888 and is located on the main, historical street of the city close to the commercial and cultural centre.
By the time I reached the hotel I was dead tired...
On the verge of collapsing.
So i plugged in the TV and to my delight there was an Indian Movie on it, dubbed in Polish.
It s quite incredible how far and wide Indian movies work!
I mean I am in the middle of Central Europe in a small city and it has an Indian Movie on Cable.
It was " Choker Bali" I actually havent seen it , so I finally saw it in Lodz,Poalnd!!
By the time i took a shower and got ready it was 4 PM.
I couldnt sit in the hotel for the evening so I decided to venture out.
With 4 layers of warmers,sweters,jackets,cap etc etc I headed .
In the lobby window suddenly I was a most beautiful sight.
It was snowing , not hard but enough to make you wet.
So I had to get back and out came my mini umbrella, I am glad I
bought it , indeed now it will come useful.
The area around the hotel had a lot of stores, but being a sunday all
were closed.The side walk was full of snow so walking was not easy.
And ofcourse my cheeks were hurting from the cold now.
It was the only part exposed.
I didnt have a pair of gloves , and in 2 minutes my palms were huting.
So i had to alternate my two hands in holding the umbrella and keep the other one
in the jackets warm packet.The place of alive and there were several people
walking.I had taken directions from the recptionist of a mall nearby and it was about
a 15 minute walk.But with this snow , wind and Snow on the ground it would surely
take double the time.But I had to go anyhow, as it was a lot fun , so i plugged
in my radio which was playing some amazing trance music.
I had to consult my map a couple of times to check if i was going the right way.
Europe has an amazing architecture.All the world war two movies that you may have
seen come alive here.I reached a large square which had an amazing statue of some gentelman.
But there was so much snow around that I had to watch it only from a distance.
I reached the mall and found it to be really alive.
People were least bothered about the weather and I was glad I was there too.
The Mall was great , just as malls are.
I loitered around for a while.First I had to grab a bite so I located the food court
and with not many options had to go for KFC.
At the counter the girl was not very clear with english but a fellow
person helped me .In Poland Very few people speak english i guess.
I finally bought a pair of gloves and a muffler and some groceries .
I didnt see any store near the hotel so I had to drag all this to my room.
The walk back was very difficult as there was even more snow on the side walks and i was
carrying about 5 kg of groceries as well.
Nevertheless I didnt loose my way .
On the way back I saw a guy on a lampost as I looked to see what he is doing.
But it was a statue!!
By the time I was back I was very tired of walking , plus
I had not taken any rest so i crashed in Bed.
Fortunately the Internet was free so I could watch a movie .
Its a long tour ahead and aleardy I have had an eventful time.
I hope tomorrow is even better.

twilight

2009-02-17T03:23:00.000-08:00

she sits by the setting sun
her eyes gleaming with a shine
the air is filled with her perfume
setting the tone
for a romantic evening ahead
a sweet tune hums somewhere
making her lost ....
as she blushes with the thoughts
of when he will come.
with every sound she rushes to the door
but comes back with a heavy heart.
the candles on the table are now lit
the room is bathed in a golden glow
the sky looks a dark shade of grey
with each passing moment her anxiety grows
as she stares at the watch ....
an endless wait…..
she is lost in dreams
of a happy land
of promises of red roses
as two arms engulf her
and she opens her eyes in joy!

30th Jan 2009,London

2009-02-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

My second day in London and I am loving it to the core.
Today I had to go to Eastleigh,SouthAmpton.
It was about and Hours Journey from Gloucter Road Station near my hotel.
I am very lucky as my hotel was very near to the Station and also it was a very alive place.
Today I dressed to the core and I must say I looked great in my blue suit and red tie!
It is an amazing experience to dressup in the morning and go for work , take the subway,
have cofee on the way, truly spectacular.
My journey to eastleigh was quite pleasant .
The meeting was great as well and I was free by 3PM.
I was at the station and had to take the train at 3.11 for London.
Suddenly I realized that I had to call Mom.
Whilst I was on the call a train rolled in , but i mixed up and thought my train will be the
next one.But when there wasnt another train for a while I realized I had missed my train
right in front of my eyes!
So i had to go to the other platform and got on the next one.
The stations here have some great cofee and sandwich shops and cofee is great on a cold and
windy day especially!!
By now i am very familiar with travelling in trains in London , and feel no problems.
MY evening had to be celebrated after all my meetings were over.
So i decided to party.
After hanging in the net cafe for a while i decided i first needed the booze.
So i collected a few beers and then got some stuff packed from BK.
The place in the evening comes to life.
There were several bars,Restaurnts,stores.But going to these places alone is something
i was not too sure.
My hotel room was quite dull , so i decided to watch the old X files on my computer
Finally my party was on , good beer,fries,chicken sandwiches and my hotel room with X files!
Since tomorrow i had to go to Rams place i could get up whenever i wanted.
All in all it was a great day

29th Jan 2009 , London

2009-01-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

My first visit to the UK has been quite fascinating.
It is the first time that I am travelling all alone.
The first thing that greets you in London is the laid back buildings and houses
straight out of a fairytale and reminds you of stories like hansel and gretl.
England has an amzing railway infrastructure.
Commuting from one place is failry simple.
I took a train from Heathrow to Earls Court which was an exciting experience.
The subway is jam packed in the morning and you find yourself surrounded by people
in suits , running for work , Brits,Indians , Africans orientals , there are all kinds of faces .
I travelled the first day to swindon which is an hours train journey from Paddington station.
Reminds of the book by agatha christie .
The overland journey to swindon was very pleasant.
I got to see the beautiful english country side.
Most of the construction is of red bricks and all the houses look similar.
The most striking thing about some of the smaller stations is their construction.
It reminds you of any other indian railway station!
My hotel room turned out to be quite small , the way i had expected.
It has a bunk bed , the one in which you have to climb up!
London is a very alive place , you can be alone , but still not feel bored.
In many ways it reminds me of NY also.
i am here for a few more days lets see what else is in store

The Wrong Number : a short story

2009-01-17T04:35:00.000-08:00

The Wrong Number

Ring Ring.......
it's 5 AM and god knows who is calling me so early in the morning.
I imagine the phone is ringing in my dreams till I come out of my semi- coma
state and see the blue light of my phone lighting up the stark dark room.

" Hello "....I said.
" Hello , Who is this?" said the voice on the phone.
" Its 5 AM man!! , you got to know whom you are calling"....I shouted back ,irritated.
"Is this 9999050057 ?" said the voice on the phone.
" Yes it , is . Who are you " I was getting impatient by now.
" Hello Mr. Bhalla , this is Wadhwa, sorry to bother you so early in the morning,sir”said the voice.
“Huh…..There is a mistake , there is no Mr. Bhalla here , this is a wrong number”
I said and disconnected the phone.
I always have a hard time sleeping back after an interruption.
So I was just making up my mind whether to hit the sack for a few more hours…..
….and the phone was ringing again…
“ Darn it”..I shouted
“Hello, who is this?” I yelled.
“ Mr. Bhalla , is that you?” Said the voice.
“Dude, this is the WRONG NUMBER!!, please check your number!!” I said in a stern voice and disconnected the call.
With this the morning was ruined.
I was sure I couldn’t sleep anymore.
I realized it was Sunday finally , and I had to meet Riya for a movie at 10.
So I decided to get out of bed and head for a Jog, it was almost 6 and the sun was barely out.
So I put on my shoes, plugged in my ipod and was on my way.
During the next ten minutes I got a few more calls from the same number
But I never picked it.
I had had enough by then.
It was a beautiful morning and the morning air was refreshing.
As I started the run across with Moby playing a great tune in the ipod I quickly forgot about the mornings events , there were several things running through my mind.
It was my second date with Riya.
We had met at a common friends wedding and things took off really quickly.
So with thinking about what should I wear and what flowers I must buy for Riya I left the park.
Ring Ring!!!
One again there was a call coming in , but this time from another number.
I decided not to pick it again.
And let the phone ring, perhaps the caller will realize that he has the wrong number.

Ring Ring!
The phone was ringing again.
It looked like the entire networks calls were routed on my number today.
Riya Calling.
“Hi Honey”, I Said.
“Hi Sid” what time are you picking me up?” Riya Said.
“I should be at your place by 11, be ready” I Said
“ Come a little early , don’t you wanna come up??” she said teasingly
“ OK , this offer is too hard to resist” I said chuckingly.
“ I will be there by 10 then!” I said with a smile.
“ Hey what happened to your phone in the morning? I tried calling several times” She Said
“ I know, There have been some crank calls since morning” I said
“Hey I hope you don’t have anything to do with this” I asked qizzingly.
“ What are you talking , I have been sleeping, just got up a few minutes back” Riya Said.
“ Then it must be some one else” I said in a puzzled tone.
“ All right I will get ready now, See you in one hour” I said as I disconnected the call.
I was home by now.
As I opened the apartment door and entered the phone was ringing again.

Ring Ring !
My god what was happening today.
I saw another landline number calling.
In two minds whether to pick the call or not, I finally answered.
“Hello” I said
“Hello, who is this?” this time it was different voice.
“Listen , you have the wrong number , I have told you several times , this is Siddharth Kapoor,there is no Mr. Bhalla here.”, I said. And disconnected the call.
The phone rang several times again whilst I got ready but I didn’t pick it.
It seemed that I had to complain to the Customer care about this now.
This was getting too much now!
I left for Riya’s.
I reached Riya’s place and with a whistle on my lips and a beautiful fragrance of GUCCI which I had bought recently I rang the bell.
Riya opened the door.
“ You look gorgeous” I said.
“And you are late!!! Let’s go” she began to leave.
“I thought we will have some coffee first” I said
“Ha-ha.That was a ploy to get you here on time!” she smiled
“Ya Ya , you laugh , first I get these crank calls all morning which ruined my sleep” I said
“What calls? …ok listen I can hear your story in the car , lets go” she said as we headed towards the elevator.
Ring ring! .
“Oh damn it’s the same number again” I said.
“At least pick it up” Riya said.
“Hello” I said
“This is Sion police station……..I am ……..” and the call got disconnected
“What happened” asked Riya, as we got out of the elevator.
“The voice was breaking, but I couldn’t hear properly, but the person said that he calling from the
Sion police station…that’s all that I could hear” I said.
“This has got to be a prank call, these days these radio shows also call you a lot of times”
“Riya if you have any hand in this I will see you!” I said.
“No baba, I don’t know anything.” She said
“ok lets go , forget all this , we must reach the mall on time “ she said and we left.
We reached the mall in 20 minutes .
There are no more calls for a while.
“Come quickly , there is a lot of rush” said Riya as we saw a huge crowd in the mall.
It was Sunday afternoon , all of Mumbai is free and wants to see a movie!
Ring Ring!!
“it’s the same number again” I said as I saw the same number flashing on the cell display.
“ Sid the movie is about to start!!, please switch off your cell and come “ shrieked Riya.
“ok let me pick it one last time, if its another crank call I will switch off the phone” I said.
“hello” I said

“hello , this is sub inspector kamble from sion police station, who is this?” said the voice
The voice sounded crisp and genuine, it definitely was not a fake.
“ This is sid…err sidharth kapoor, how can I help you inspector?” I said in a puzzled manner.
“ Do you anyone by the name Anil Wadhwa?” the inspector said.
“ Anil Wadhwa !, no inspector ,I am sorry “ I said
“ I don’t know any one by this name” I said even more confused.
I had heard this name for the first time.
“ Are you Sure? The reason we are asking is that there has been an accident here “ said the inspector.
“ A person who was travelling in the local train slipped from the train and was crushed under the wheels of an oncoming train”

“ His face was crushed beyond recognition , all we found with him was a wallet with his driving license and his cell phone which surprisingly was not destroyed.”
“The last call that he made was to your number at about 5 AM today in the morning”

Suddenly everything became crystal.
“ ok ok …..Inspector I think I know what you are talking about, there was a wrong number on my cell by a guy named Wadhwa, I think it is the same person who you are talking about.He was looking for some one else and dialled my number by mistake” I said in a shock as the truth dawned on me.

“Since the last call on his cell were to you we decided to call you”
“ We have been trying to contact you since morning but every time before I could say anything you disconnected the phone” said the inspector.

“ I am sorry about that inspector , I thought it was the same person calling “ I said finding it hard to realise, that ….that person was dead!

“Thanks for your support, in case there is no one found from his family we have instructions to go ahead with the cremation in 48 hours” said the inspector
“We would also need you to come to the police station and record your statement, after all you were the last person to speak to him when he was alive” said the inspector.
“Thanks a lot inspector, I will be there” I said …
And the phone was disconnected.

I was in a state of shock. I finally found the reason for the wrong number.
I felt strange, although I didn’t know the person.
Had never met him, but just heard his voice.
I was sad and numb.
Suddenly I realized Riya was not there.
Riya had gone inside the theatre and was waiting .

“What happened? What took you so long? Whose call was it? I have been waiting since so long” She shouted

I smiled and said” It was a wrong number”

christmas

2008-12-25T05:41:00.000-08:00

My earliest memories of Christmas comes from when I was in school and one of our teacher would dress up as santa and distribute toffees to the students.

This had become a ritual and also it would be the last working day before the school would close for the winter break.I still remember my dad would get a chocolate cake for us on Christmas.

My most memorable Christmas was perhaps in pune in the final year.

It was also a break time for us as the college had closed and we were all lazing around at our homes.

Our great house “ avdhut” was blessed by the benign presence of his lordship Mr. Amritesh Singh.

Amritesh had become an icon for us mortals!

His routine was something we all wished to ape.

It went like this :

Get up at 2 PM in the day.

2 Pm !! except for my sisters wedding when I was up all night I don’t ever , ever remember sleeping till 2 PM!!

So after 2 PM the first thing that waas done was to light up a light….

And then followed by a grand Breakfast cum lunch at Happy Guys café in the campus

Or at home, courtesy Ramesh our cook.

Once all this was done it was Barista time.

Every single day no matter what we would sit at barista….and have café mocha

My god….the amount of business we must have given to barista during those days.

So 25^th dec 2004 was no different either….

After gazing around at the hot crowd in barista for a few hours we decided it was time to go.

We headed for Café Down Under….our favourite hangout place in MG road.

What I really liked about that place was that not only it was reasonably priced , the atmosphere was just like I were at some local country bar in far away America .

After a couple of beers suddenly there was a loud noise.

To everyones wonder and amazement our Mr Goel was lying on the floor, as he had slipped from his chair !

Seeing this , much to the fun of every one around us , I realized it was about time we headed back home.

But now the situation was really out of hand.

Mr. Goel wouldn’t give me the keys of the bike.

Any attempts to get the keys were futile as he would just keep on running away.

So Mr. Goel started to run and I was after him.

First he went around Barista towards east street and then opposite georges restaurant.

All the while he was shouting , pointing towards me “ He is Gay , He is Gay and he is trying to catch me”

Finally I put in all my running efforts to grab him and loaded him on the bike and we were back home.Finally dinner was followed at our favourite terrace.With the view of the city lights and our favourite butter chicken from Saurabh .

My last memorable Christmas was in US when we went for Priyanka’s department party in Buffalo.

I still remember shopping in boulevard mall during Christmas time and how much fun it used to be!

I still have pictures of all of us shopping.It was my first and last Christmas in the US !

My Bike

2008-12-23T06:35:00.000-08:00

My earliest memories of riding a motor cycle in pune was when udit,my room mate, bought his passion when we were in the second year. I still remember that night, it was pretty cold at night.

So we went on a long drive to a lot of places.I as usual went in my shorts, a decision I later regreeted, as not only it was quite cold, I also burnt my leg on the silencer!

At that point of time I didn’t really know how to ride a bike, which I learnt very soon, courtesy all the new bikes my friends had bought.

I still remember how I borrowed Himanshu’s bike to go and meet Hamu, my israeli friend .

Boy wasn’t that one adventurous night!!

But my wait was finally over in the summer of 2004 when I finally bought my CBZ!!

It was my good companion for all my remaining days in Pune.

I still remember the first female who adorned the bike!!

It was a foggy , rainy night…..quite romantic!

Soon to add to our collection was aditya’s bike , another CBZ , same colour.

The last time I rode a bike in pune was last year , and the best part was that it was raining

All the time.Riding at night all friends together was something I remember a lot.

Don’t see that happening again offcourse.

So with pretty much everyone you know in college you have some great memory

To share and cherish , of where you went and what you did on your bike!!

I finally sold off my bike before leaving for the US.

Alka picture hall

2008-12-21T03:33:00.001-08:00

Watching movies at alka would soon become my favourite past time !

So I , aditya and udit , my two dear room mates went for a movie for the first time , in Sep 2001.

I clearly remember the evening as it was ganpati visarjan.

So we 3 boarded an auto and headed for Alka.

Alka, is a unique movie hall, old style, 25-35 Rs ticket and the latest English flicks.

The movie we saw was “ Hannibal”, which still is one of my fav movies!

Another memorable trip to Alka was on Aditya’s birthday in March 02.

We first went for a burger at our favourite at that point of time “ Burger King”

Burger King was also one of our Favorite places to hangout , esp I must have eaten

So many Jumbo Chicken Burgers of Rs 40!!

The movie that we saw was A Jean Claude Van Damme starrer : “Inferno”.

But the interesting thing before that was that we first went to Sarangi a restaurant on East Street, found it too expensive and had to escape!

Next big movie that I can Remember at Alka was “ Lost in Translation”

The amazing thing about this movie was I and udit saw it..and for the first five mts there were just two people in the entire theatre…me and him!!!..later on there were some 4-5 more people….

But it still was an amazing experience…..and on top of that the movie was such a strange one..

It left me quite depressed actually.

Another landmark movie that I saw in alka was “ scooby doo”

So nothing spectacular about the movie offcourse…..

But I saw it after shaving my head , perhaps this was in the month of April 2004.

I don’t remember which was my last movie at Alka, but all in all……it holds some of the sweetest memories for me of college time.

First day in Germany

2008-07-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

28th april 2008

I knew last night’s partying a day before leaving was going to prove me costly.
My god this is one day that I will always remember as one where I was not yet packed tons of work and left and everything was going wrong.
Finally by gods grace and my own belief that sooner or later our worst fears are put to rest and 10 yrs down the line we look bac at how im mature we were when we panicked in a crunch situation.
Atlast I reached my second home , IGI airport.
As usual I was greeted by the long queues .My colleagues had already reached , making me late, a fact which I hate the most and makes me feel guilty like I have committed a crime.
It was not until I finally boarded the aircraft that I realized the nightmare was finally over and the trip had begun, to Germany.
Germany at one point of time used to be my fav soccer team for no reason what so ever.JLT-Just like that.The routing was via vienna, a really sad airport, though not very bad just sad so no reason.
This was my first visit to Europe so was special in a way.
Since I was the tour accountant I always was on my toes, as it is I am bad at maintaining accounts
And on top of that I forget very soon, a trait my old college room mates know very well.
So I bought this small pocket diary for my help and carried it with me all time.
We were headed to dusseldorf a small german city .You may have heard of it if you remember the story of William tell from our school gulmohar English reader of class IV OR V.
We were 3 right now and 3 more of my colleagues were joining two days later.
So this was a unique visit.We had booked an apartment for all 6.
The city was standard Europe /America.
Mostly wooden houses and green conifer trees and since we were in the beginning of summer and end of winter weather was pleasant ..though at nights it was supposed to get colder.
We found our apartment , was a regular house with a garden and at the end of the road.
I found the town very slow and easy paced.
But this was going to be the centr of our activity for the next 6 days.
The owner was a german lady and we had 2 rooms in the basement and one on the first floor.
So from there after offloading the luggage we headed to the exhibition center.
This event was the largest event in the wire and cable industry and we were hoping to meet every on e we know across the world.So was a very important event.
The first day was very tiring as the entire day was spent in arranging the booth.
By evening we were exhausted.We were joined soon by some more colleagues from India
Who were co exhibiting with us.
The exhibition center was the biggest one by any standards that I had seen.
It had its own train station, so u can imagine the size.
As the evening approached we decided to go out for dinner.
The only place was downtown also called as Alstad.
It was full of pubs , bars and many restaurants, coming here I felt the city was not so dead afterall.
We finally settled for some Lebanese food after scouting several restaurants .
Lebanese has some great vegetarian food ,.How I can forget Amy’s place the cute little lbanese restaurant near my home in buffalo where I also celebrated my 24th birthday.
Well so after a not so eventful first day we headed home.

21st may 2008,Melbourne

2008-07-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Well last day in Melbourne.
Last day at kings gate hotel.
Another good bye.
Another farewell..though no one to really say good bye, but some times
Even non living things get attached to me..or rather I get attached to them.
After all I was with them for a full 2 days!
The TV,the room,the shower,etc etc…
No breakfast buffet meant that I would have to my breakfast in the taxi…I guess I forgot to mention
So with another indian student taxi driver, who was perhaps as new in Melbourne as I was as ,I headed off for my final meeting in Melbourne.
Chomping off on an apple and some iced coffee milk I reached the outskirts of Melbourne.
In the middle of an industrial area I found the factory where I was supposed to go.
A most unique thing about Australia is that you don’t have receptionist to greet you.
You walk in , you find a telephone with the extension list and you call the one you have come to meet.In the entire company there were not more than 10 people working!!
The director of the company got his own lunch, and after eating not only washed his own dish but mine as well.Can you ever imagine an MD in India doing that !!!
Well it was an interesting meeting as it turned out that my counterpart was a PhD!! Atleast 50 yrs old.So all I did for the next one hr was to listen to all highly research oriented terms which
Went over my head and I was left with no option but stand guard against the barrage of technical questions.It was like 300 spartans against the Persian army !!
So the meeting or rather the examination same to an end.
My next destination was Sydney.But my flight was at 9 pm and there were a good 8 hrs to go still.
Anyhow I bid farewell to my hosts and left.
Luckily they put me on the 3 pm flight and by 5 pm I was hovering over Sydney.
As I landed on Sydney I was greeted by cold weather and I boarded a taxi for my apartment.
But his time it was a chinese guy for the driver.
I reached the apartments only to find my colleagues yet to come , so I had to wait .
The best part of the entire trip was about to come.
The apt was on the 53rd floor!! With a balcony…
The feeling when cold air whizzes past ur air so high up and with all the lights of the city
Just below you is phenomenal and something I wont forget for a long time.

20th may 2008,melbourne

2008-06-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

20th May 2008
I got up at 10..really late!!
Today was a rare day when I had a break during a business visit.
So I took my own sweet time to get ready .
The first thing I did was to get in touch with harsh , my friend in Melbourne university.
So after getting down the details of the meeting point , I was on my way to the Melbourne central station.The trickiest part in local travel in a foreign city is using the public transport and understanding the maps,train timings, etc etc
After buying the tickets from a Seven –Eleven and some instructions from the indian store incharge I headed for the train.The instructions were also unique .I had to remember the street names like this
Kings Street(where I was staying) then William ,Queen and Elizabeth
So it was king- William, queen –elizabeth.Pretty interesting!
Walking down Melbourne downtown was just like being in Manhattan, with parallel streets,
Lots of pedestrians mostly in business suites, I hear Australia is more of a service place with most of the people in jobs.Walking down the streets I bumped in a lot of Indians once again.
Quite a lot of students as well.You can make that out from their backpacks and casual clothes.
Since I had skipped breakfast we headed straight for Hungry Jacks, its like australias McDonalds.
I immediately liked the indian girl taking our orders, tried real hard to read her name on the name batch but couldn’t quite get hold of it.
From here we headed straight to Eureka Towers, supposedly australia’s tallest building and with an observation deck at the 90th floor.A truly charming place.
You can see most of Melbourne from this height.But being a weekday harsh had to leave soon and by 4 pm I was alone once again.
The walk back to the hotel was kind of depressing.I had plenty of time at my disposal but didn’t feel like going anywhere.Plus by this time most of downtown was carrying a deserted look.
On my way back I saw a café by the name The Sherlock Holmes with his most famous line”elementary my dear Watson” written, pretty amusing.
There was another place to see, the immigrants museum on my way back.
But I decided not to go in at the last moment.There was no way I was going to a museum.
So unwantedly I trudged back to the hotel and finally retired to my room.
So with nothing left to do I had no option but to watch TV!
After 2 hrs of non stop TV and with just 3 channels to choose from I was completely going crazy.
So I decided to take a walk , I was also pretty hungry by now.
By 8 pm all the streets wore a bare look , with just a few cars plying about it seemed as if it were very late in the night!
Then I started my stroll outside ,crossing kings street and back.
I came across the usual fast food stuff,subway,pizza joints,Japanese,thai and an Indian restaurant
As well.But indian food was the last thing I would try here!
Finally I came to a really dark part of the street.It also scary walking at night in these places
Who knows when some one may pop out a gun at you!
But still the excitement of being all alone in an alien part of the world can be quite thrilling.
So I came across a sign saying “adult club” but there was not a single light in sight.So I strolled
A little further and came across a heavy gate guarded by two huge looking fellows
I guess I had to turn back now!
And there were several more in the block.
So after strolling around for a good thirty more minutes in the streets I decided it was time to get back.On way I got dinner packed from a subway, though quite unwillingly but I didn’t feel like eating at a fancy place all alone!
So I did enjoy my day in Melbourne finally the icing on the cake was the IPL match witch began at 12 midn ight and offcourse I had to get back to business from tomorrow.

19th may 2008,melbourne

2008-06-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well its my first trip downunder and it’s a fantastic feeling.
I landed in Sydney on the morning of the 19th may 08, very tired from the long flight via Singapore only to board another one for Melbourne, which was just a one and a half hour affair.
Melbourne was just like any place in the US or Europe , but with an Australian flavour and fantastic weather.The one thing you like about Australia from the word go is their accent!! And when everyone calls you “ mate”!!
BY the second meeting I was really drooping but somehow carrying myself!
Nothing new for me ofcourse.
My colleagues who had other business in Sydney left me in the evening, leaving me once again all alone in an alien city with no friends!
But little did I realize that the best part of the day was yet to come.
I headed straight for the taxi and on my way to the hotel.
One unique thing about Australia is that 99% cab drivers are Indians!
All Punjabis , mostly doing some part time or unheard course like cooking,baking,agriculture etc!!
Its funny how hard we try to get out of our country, accepting any kind of work and job to earn and
Save the almighty dollar.
Its sad! But the fact is that most of these people who go and do such odd jobs , would certainly
Not be having a lifestyle any better than they have here.
So in a way , you cant blame it on anyone.
Its just a misfortune of our country and the people , who miss it at every point of their life in an alien country.
So I reached my hotel , The KIngsgate hotel on kings street , in downtown Melbourne.
This was just like new york , with parallel streets and junctions,tram trolleys plying on the road, and people running from one place to another.
On my way , my cab driver who was an indian was telling me all about good places to eat .
Esp indian food,life in Melbourne,his wife who was doing a course in pastry making!!
Wonder what they teach you in such a course,must be pretty interesting!
So I reached the hotel, it looked decent from outside.
As expected there was no bell boy,typical of hotels in Europe.
So I reach the reception only to be told that my hotel paymeant had not been done !!

That meant I was out of All Australian dollars, except A$ 25.
The earliest money exchange could now be done only at 9 am the following morning!
Well I was glad I atleast had some dough to survive the night!
But the biggest shock was yet to come.
It was my room in the hotel.
Believe it or not , it comprised of a 2 by 2 bed one on top of the other, a wash basin .
That’s it.It was the biggest shock !
And even the damn bathroom was common.it took me a few minutes to fathom the fact
That I will be staying at such a place for 2 nights!!
But I was lucky as I got an upgrade and moved to a room with a tv set and a bathroom!
Now the next thing was to grab some dinner in the money that I was left with.
So I bought some lousy veg pizza and a bottle of water.
So finally came to end a memorable day in Australia.
The best part was that I had a rare off day in the middle of a tour , so it meant I was free to
Go and see Melbourne tomorrow!

" The Beauty of Love"

2008-05-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

The beauty of love is such as….

A gleaming leaf ..after the rain….

Shimmering like a diamond……..in vain..

The music of a flowing river…

Quaintly flowing all alone…forever and ever

The mist on the top of mountains

Engulfing all …….in the surrounding

The cool breeze across the vast deserts

Soothing our hearts of whatever that hurts

The twinkling of the nights stars

And the peace they give..

On gazing for hours and hours

The morning sun on the beach

As its rays purify you…… when they meet

The wrath on a grave …..showing us the way
Showing us the way to a better tomorrow with each passing day

"a night in the ocean"

2008-05-10T11:13:00.001-07:00

by the ocean and the sea....
a careless breeze passes by me,,,
by the waves and the shore....
a reckless wave hurls me around...
on the deck ..as i watch the shimmer..
of the full moon tonight....
i am reminded of your face ..in the fading light...
as my shadow falls in the dark black sea...
it is lost in the darkness....
its difficult to see....
a stange feeling comes over me...
this is like magic around.....
as i hear only the waves and the boats rocking sound..
i wish to seize the moment....
and live it all over again....
i wish to hold the darkness and hide all over the pain....
i wish the night never ends and its always dark....
i wish i keep sailing ....and keep away...
but i know the light of the day..
is just around the bay....
and i know....its going to be a fine fine day..

"a night in the ocean"

2008-05-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

"parting "

2008-05-10T11:10:00.001-07:00

rising slowly with the air
is a symphony so clear
i fee like getting up and having a dance..
as if this were my lifes final chance..
i feel the music slowly taking me over..
as my mind enters a trance..
i remember the moments which have passed me by...
so clear in front of me
as if they are all mine..
its an intoxicating pain that tells me i may have run out of time..
but a slow music of the falling rain fills my ears...
a buzz ....a gurgle of falling water so dear...
breaking the silence surrounding me ...
showing me a way..to my destiny

"lost"

2008-05-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

oh my god...
my dear is somewhere lost....
its not easy being without you...
as it is..... its a holiday ......and a sunday too....
i hoped that this weekdend would have been beautiful....
but its too sad to be away from you...
your voice is like a tonic to me...
always with you is where i want to be...
with the jingle bells of christmas chiming away in the vicinity...
they only remind of a time with .....you and me....
strolling together on a cold and icy night...
holding hands and embracing each other tight..
i am flodded with dreams of togetherness....
of happy beaches,lovely mountains in happiness....
yearning for you is what i always do.....
be mine ,be mine.....some day too

"letters"

2008-05-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

its so foggy outside...
as i sit down by the fireplace....
i am reminded of the times gone by...
the warmth of the fire besides me....
is unable to shield me ....
from the cold memory....
i sip some coffee...and in my hand...
i hold the letters ..
reminescent of a fairly land....
so yellow have their pages become ...with the ink still afresh..
i can see the old faces in a flash...
smiling at me they swirl around my eyes...
shining bright ..in the evening twilight...
and as i leaf through the letters..
i can see...
the memories of an entire life...
staring at me...
i am all alone now...
and only the crackling of the burning wood..makes a sound...
i look back at my life ..once again...
a lot of things happened..
some good ..some in vain....
but....with each passing day...
they are getting old and fray...
and i still want to hold on...
maybe i could write them over ..
and bring back all around..

" it rained one night "

2008-05-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

i can feel it .....
a sudden breeze..
a flash in the sky..
and as the clouds turn grey...
i am bursting with so much to say.....
i am waiting for the rain...
for rain brings me hope....
washing with it all worries,despair and vain..
as i rush to the terrace....
i feel like a little child...
dancing to the tunes of the wind passing me by..
and then it happens...
the first rain drops make their way....
splashing on my face...
and the place is filled with this music..
as i hum a quaint tune...i sit down ....and am drenched no soon..
i can see myself transcend...
forgetting who i am and when....

" snow beauty"

2008-05-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

once upon a time ...
there was a girl....
as fair as the snow..
golden hair like barbie..
she was the most adorable person of all....
u know why?
coz she had this sweet fragrance ..
that sent ur senses tingling..
with her face always beaming with joy..
u could never say when would those big black marble eyes..turn moist..
and then you will see...
her little nose turning pink...like candy floss...
her presence was always so warm..
enveloping you all around..
when she got upset..
all u had to do was to remind her..
that you would do whatever she wants...
and then she danced..
reminding you of no other joy than watch her smile...
as if the whole cosmos has descended to bless you..

Darling dont be sad

2008-05-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

some one is sad...
and thats really bad..
let me tell you ..my love for you is still intact
and you are always my first love .let me tell
you that..
so my darling dont be sad..
there r so many moments gone by..so many to come..
so many things left undone..
hope is a good thing ..sometimes the best of things..
so just fly away from all sorrow on ur wings
and as the chirpy birds and peakcocks sing..
as the light shines on u and makes u glad..
so my darling dont be sad..