tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362793702024-03-19T03:56:49.809-07:00It's high timehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-27271293552713261912018-07-04T06:04:00.007-07:002018-07-04T06:09:20.771-07:00Kuch meri kalam se<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
Aadat si ho gayi hai teri, parchaiy meri aur tu nazar aati hai,<br />
Lafzon mein mere kashish hai teri, husn tera meri ibadat si ho gayi hai<br />
Jaagta hoon raaton ko, khidki se tujhe jhaankta,<br />
Dekha na tujhe shaam se, Kuch pal bhi ab muddat si ho gayi hai<br />
<br />
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br />
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Masoom si hasi hai mere yaar ki,<br />
Khuda bhi dekh kar sharma jaaye<br />
Murdon mein jaan phoonk de<br />
Aashiqon ki line lag jaaye<br />
<br />
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br />
<br />
Muddaton ke baad mehsus kiya hai jo,<br />
Aankhon mein uske ek nasha sa hai,<br />
Aanchal mein apne chupa leti hai wo is dil ko,<br />
Pyar phir bhi dikh jaata jai humein<br />
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br />
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Zakhm abhi hare hain, mat chu ae qaatil,<br />
Haath laal tere honge, maile hum ho jayenge<br />
<br />
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"></span></div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-6472308760027818932018-07-04T06:03:00.002-07:002018-07-04T06:09:32.107-07:00Dost wo purani thi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
Dost wo purani thi,<br />
<br />
Nazar jaane kyun badli aaj,<br />
<br />
Khabar uski pehle se thi mujhe,<br />
<br />
Jaane kyun dil dhadka aaj,<br />
<br />
Ek anjaan si Khushi mehsus hui hai,<br />
<br />
Dukh ke Saath aati hai na, woh wali,<br />
<br />
Khoj raha tha jise main darbadar<br />
<br />
Mila mujhe wo yahin kareeb,<br />
<br />
Kya fayda lekin is faasle ka,<br />
<br />
Duriyaan yeh mitengi toh nahin<br />
<br />
Mera hokar bhi mera na hoga wo<br />
<br />
Dil uska kahin aur hai<br />
<br />
Saans lena bhi chod deta main<br />
<br />
Ek baar jo kehde wo,<br />
<br />
Haan maine bhi mohabbat ki hai tumse<br />
<br />
Haan maine bhi mohabbat ki hai tumse<br />
<br /></div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-43615495489095991992018-07-04T06:00:00.004-07:002018-07-04T06:09:53.595-07:00Many things I am...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
Many things I am,a winner I'm not<br />
Many things I like,a lover I'm not<br />
Many things I feel, emotional I'm not<br />
Many things I question, knowledgible I'm not<br />
Many things I do, productive I'm not<br />
Many things I see, observer I'm not<br />
Many things I think,a philosopher I'm not<br />
Many things I talk, listener I'm not<br />
<br />
Many things I write,a reader I'm not<br />
<br />
All things you read, you believed them, I could not<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-77966432660670906022015-02-05T13:04:00.001-08:002015-02-05T13:04:03.489-08:00It will happen soon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
What is it about you, little do I know<br />
My heart pounds less, beats a little slow<br />
<br />
Every time that we meet,<br />
It tends to skip a beat<br />
<br />
I don't know you well, yet it seems like there's nothing I wanna know;<br />
I've heard a lot and yet there's nothing for me to show<br />
<br />
I know it's real but too good to be true,<br />
I cherish these well spent moments with you<br />
<br />
How long do they last that's hard to tell,<br />
Remind me to come over and ring a bell<br />
<br />
Coz it ain't gonna be over so soon,<br />
It'll take time but I'll get you the moon.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-51043124045084172302013-10-21T02:05:00.001-07:002014-01-10T01:17:53.883-08:00I'm not defending Ishant nor am I ridiculing him<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ishant Sharma trolls are all over the internet. Some asking him to retire, other asking him to commit suicide while others simply have lots of adjectives around his name.<br />
<br />
This is a typical cricket fan's outrage that you see. Its widespread and instant thanks to Whatsapp, Twitter and other social media. I got my first Ishant meme minutes after the match got over. It was the Ishant asking <i>kaun bola target 360 tha </i>forward. I was bemused for a little while but after that it was pure torture. With people imagining what might have happened inside the dressing room, while some poking fun at how how his mother and sister would be the two most popular people who were being remembered, etc.<br />
<br />
It reminded me of what happened during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa where India started off on a bad note. There we effigies being burnt of cricketers, houses being attacked and the whole situation was almost as if some religious sentiments had been hurt. I felt as if we had gone back a decade and decided to behave as hooliganistically as we could.<br />
<br />
Let me assure you here that I, as much a cricket fan as the paan wala you see at the nukkad who decides to delay your pan/cigarette only to hear the commentary of Sachin hitting that boundary off a Brett Lee scorcher. I, too, was as disappointed in Ishant when he bowled those howlers one after the other, seeing how effortlessly Faulkner rocked on the backfoot and pulled each one of those short balls for huge sixes. What was baffling me at that moment was that how come no other bowler/fielder came up to him to suggest something or may be just give him a tap on his shoulder telling him that they believed he could still pull off this one. The fact that he kept bowling balls half way down the pitch even after being dispatched like the luggage thrown on the baggage carousel of an Air India flight was prof that he was completely clueless. May be a session with Stuart Broad on how to recover from such blunders could help him cope up! But I am pretty sure Broad did not have to bear the brunt of the insult, the kind Indian fans dish out.<br />
<br />
So to summarize I just wanted to post this as an opinion that Ishant Sharma may not have played his last match in the Indian jersey as may be the suggestion but the thousands of whatsappers. He still is India's leading wicket taker and the most experienced One Day bowler in the current squad. Agreed that Ishant hasn't done anything of great significance lately to keep him here for too long but take a look at the options at your disbursal and you will know why I say that.<br />
<br />
A mentally unfit - Praveen Kumar<br />
A perpetually injured Varun Aaron<br />
A mysterious injury-prone Umesh Yadav<br />
An average medium pacer Shami Mohammad<br />
The big-leap-but-pace-no-line-no-length Ashoke Dinda<br />
A bowler who Wasim Akram hails as the best left-armer in India but Dhoni doesn't think so Jaidev Unadkat<br />
Yet to be tested Ishwar Pandey and Siddharth Kaul<br />
And last but not the least<br />
Where the fuck did this guy go after the World Cup Munaf Patel!!<br />
<br />
Who do you think should make a comeback? Should we ask Sir Ajit Agarkar to may be re-think?</div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-9179659353075965342013-09-26T07:31:00.000-07:002013-09-26T07:31:02.624-07:00The incomplete story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is an incomplete story,<br />
Of the one that gets away,<br />
<br />
She still runs all over my mind,<br />
Making things difficult than they are,<br />
<br />
She does not want to join me now,<br />
But I have saved her some space on the ride,<br />
<br />
The trip is fun, as unplanned it may be,<br />
I am waiting for the right company to step on the accelerator,<br />
<br />
The map is drawn, the stops are marked,<br />
Her approval is awaited though.<br />
<br />
The journey is long and tiring,<br />
We might even get old on the way,<br />
<br />
But that's the plan and am hoping she hops on,<br />
Shhh..but don't tell her yet, she's still making up her mind!<br />
<br /></div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-62562111200591130182013-09-26T07:25:00.000-07:002013-09-26T07:25:10.991-07:00The confusion remains...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What is it that happens every single time,<br />
What is it that triggers this reaction,<br />
<br />
It seems unfathomable to me,<br />
It seems unrealistic to me,<br />
<br />
The signs have all been leading,<br />
Then why is the heart bleeding,<br />
<br />
Not once did I turn back,<br />
Nor did I move away a minute,<br />
<br />
Yet, the feelings did not reach,<br />
It didn't cross the border, it didn't breach,<br />
<br />
Now as I wait for the tides to change,<br />
I, also look at my former self,<br />
<br />
Not much has remained the same,<br />
Not much has changed,<br />
<br />
I still go by the same name,<br />
I still play the same game!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-89611140163104126592013-05-02T06:14:00.001-07:002013-05-02T06:14:25.650-07:00Kohli's body language gave it away<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This happened in the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in Mumbai at the Wankhede stadium.<br />
<br />
Kieron Pollard was on strike to Vinay Kumar, Pollard hit the call to mid-off and Ambati Rayudu was backing up. Kohli who with a direct throw a ball earlier had got Dinesh Karthik run-out, hit the stumps once again. Vinay Kumar in trying to get behind the stumps somehow got Rayudu in a tangle which made him raise the bat at the same time as the ball hit the wicket. Kohli appealed and eventually the umpire gave it out, the Mumbaikars started chanting <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTdkA0sVy2c" target="_blank">'cheater cheater</a>' for Kohli as it was unsporting of him to run the batsman out since it was the bowler whose leg struck Rayudu's bat and made him go out of the crease after it was in the first time. To understand how it happened, see it for yourself below: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qym3HL68c3o" target="_blank">Watch from 11:10 to 11:45</a>.<br />
<br />
Whatever may be the people's reaction to what Kohli did on the filed or what transpired between him and the Mumbai Indians supporters, what I did not appreciate was the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AAwRy86SGk" target="_blank">arrogant body language</a> that Virat Kohli expressed during <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcwym09NSwA" target="_blank">the post match presentation.</a> (From 4:01:54 to 4: 03: 21)<br />
<br />
Now, I may be reading too much into the body language but also pay heed to the words he uses and how he dismisses the opposition. One ignore the aggressive stance for confidence or consider it a sign of arrogance. It is something that is open for debate. Take a look at Kohli, arms on his waist, chest a little out, not a smile but a smirk on his face. He is not holding anything back and is in a very defensive mode. His words are also as sharp as a big knife. He does mince any words in attacking the opposition. He defends his team mates which is a good thing as a captain but completely ignoring his team's lack of a good middle-order will not help RCB in the long run.<br />
<br />
I best love his aggression on the field. There are, of course, people who think that his abusive ways are not justified at all, but I think its part of his personality. I mean, if his way of showing aggression is by abusing how does it matter. He is obviously not abusing anyone, and definitely not bad mouthing any players. For eg. when he got his Test match hundred he did say B^&*$%^#D, but was it to someone? No!<br />
<br />
I, for one, think it is a bit of the arrogant nature that Kohli has managed to tone down a bit since his Under-19 days. The man is known to have a hot temper, just like his Delhi-team mate Gautam Gambhir with whom he had <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8-DwDU-dxc" target="_blank">a small tiff </a>a few weeks ago. What I see as bad body language could just be a defensive and a little angry Kohli though!<br />
<br />
<br />
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hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-61443554756046461952013-01-22T02:02:00.002-08:002013-01-22T02:02:38.935-08:00The dream walk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SgXTqr4m8nAjzI7OOqYeiQIIBta7YAKSL7nHfV_GacMVqDsJQaT7DNr4sDeyi0_wVMbMi6hkUrNhUgXv7iI5S7IITWhxxcPv3ULGY4ItL_Hs_-Uqe9QYjZ-GNCmx7HamwCz5ug/s1600/IMAG0542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SgXTqr4m8nAjzI7OOqYeiQIIBta7YAKSL7nHfV_GacMVqDsJQaT7DNr4sDeyi0_wVMbMi6hkUrNhUgXv7iI5S7IITWhxxcPv3ULGY4ItL_Hs_-Uqe9QYjZ-GNCmx7HamwCz5ug/s400/IMAG0542.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
For a city that never sleeps waking up on a chilly Sunday morning at 5:30 am must have been a task. No wonder then that the 'Spirit of Mumbai' was the thing that was the most talked about at the annual Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2013!<br />
<br />
For a city that is known to be rude, lazy, insensitive, full of workaholics and most leading a very unhealthy lifestyle it was a pleasure to see thousands assembling at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus right on time for a 42 km marathon!<br />
<br />
I, myself a hardcore Mumbaikar, never fail to come up with an excuse for arriving late at meetings/dates/office, etc surprisingly made it on time for the start of the race. Although, let me admit, I was there for the poor man's marathon, also known as 'The Dream run'. It was a mere 6km run which was to begin at 9:00 am. I tried to hide my embarrassment by not letting most of my friends/acquaintances know that I was going for it by shying away from putting up pictures or posts about it on Facebook. Because, let's face it, how tough is it to run/walk 6 kms on empty and clean Mumbai roads, especially in comparison with those running the 42 and 21 kms!<br />
<br />
My dream run or rather the dream walk as I would like to call it, was sponsored by my company. It garnered good response with about 50-60 mostly 30+ people making it on the day. With NGO banners in one hand and shouts of 'Mumbai Mumbai' we all looked like a bunch of protesters out to fight some MNC trying to overtake our city.<br />
<br />
That embarrassment apart, what I saw were some very interesting scenes. As our battalion started moving ahead from the start line, we saw other athletes on the other side of the road about to complete their marathons. There were hoardes of Mumbaikars who had come to support those who were running and merely cheer the others. I saw some really old people running, a man in his 80s suffering from Parkinsons disease running for a charity that supported such patients. A lady running with a chair in her hand was the reason for a lot of amusement until people found out that she was carrying the chair for an old man running right behind her being. Helped by his assistant and a friend, this man could've easily stayed at home and relaxed with his grand kids but he decided against it.<br />
<br />
There were some who had already started discussing where to eat after the run gets over, some women were overheard planning a 'dessert marathon' since they had burnt a hell lot of calories! A few giggles here, a few laughters there, some being sarcastic about people coming in for a 6 km run and calling themselves marathoners and some admiring the spirit of the audience who came in to watch and cheer.<br />
<br />
Amidst this, there were a bunch of school kids standing at a turn with their guitars and mouth organs and lovely voices, waiting to greet the runners. An orphanage had set-up a small deck with 8-9 year-old singing old hindi film songs. It was a good fun walk and although it seemed like the SCMM guys had marketed the marathon well enough to get TV show guys to perform gigs and stuff, it was also a time to see the average Mumbaikar come out on a Sunday morning, walk and run with their friends and family, albeit in the name of 'Spirit of Mumbai' or to post on their Facebook walls 'I finished the Mumbai Marathon' etc, etc<br />
<br />
Faith in the 'fun' Mumbaikar was restored and even though it lasted a couple of hours, it gave a lot of us that sense of accomplishment, that smile on our face, that reason to celebrate, that we had done something good today! This city sometimes needs such moments to come out and live life normally. Thanks, SCMM 2013!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-15644309447631494712013-01-10T02:50:00.002-08:002013-01-10T02:50:52.968-08:00Koi toh batao usse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Koi toh jaaye aur bataye usse,<br />
Main jee raha hoon khushi se,<br />
Kabhi kabhi dard jab hota hai,<br />
Pee jaata hoon khud hi ki marzi se,<br />
Dekh kar uski harkatein puchta hoon khud se,<br />
Ki kisse maine pyar kiya,<br />
Kya yehi woh ek hasi thi,<br />
Jiske liye main ab bhi ghut raha hoon,<br />
Usse toh zara bhi fikar nahin,<br />
Bas main hi hoon jo jee kar bhi mar raha hoon,<br />
Chahta hoon ki koi toh bataye usse,<br />
Ki haal theek nahin hain mere,<br />
Magar phir yeh khayal aata hai,<br />
Ki kya usse qadar bhi hai meri,<br />
Main hi hoon jo ab tak uski yaad mein,<br />
Aansu yunhi baha raha hoon,<br />
Usse toh padi bhi nahin hai meri,<br />
Ki main jee raha hoon ya mar gaya hoon,<br />
Mere marne ke baad bhi khabar na dena yaaron,<br />
Shayad tab bhi main khud hi batane chala jaun.<br />
<br /></div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-68861598544473004112013-01-07T04:33:00.000-08:002013-01-07T04:33:29.655-08:00What if a band was to take over another band?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
They say comedy comes when you think of different situations, mix them up with something and imagine the outcome. This is one of the rules of stand-up artist. If you notice, all they do is paint you a picture of a 'what if..' and then go crazy with it.<br />
<br />
I too, want to try my hand at stand-up and one day will. But until then I can try and think of such situation and may be give an idea to someone who is looking for one!<br />
<br />
So, the other day I was just thinking about how companies take over companies and then change everything that was good about the company they just over took. What if bands were to do the same thing and what would the outcome be like? Have you ever imagined? Let me pair some similar artists and bands and wonder what were to happen...what if...<br />
<br />
Boyzone was to take over say Metallica, what would happen if Pritam took over PSY, or Bappi Da took over Michael Jackson...can you imagine the bizarre collaborations!<br />
<br />
A Beat it style Ooh La La Ooh La La, Metallica getting all gayed with Words kinda music or may be the other way around, Words getting on a full on metal feel! An Indian version of Gangnam style, imagine Gangnam style in Ganpati style music, full on with Nashik Dhols,<br />
<br />
I am literally getting the jitters! The possibilities are just amazing.<br />
<br />
These take overs can go onto a different theme and the final outcomes even crazy.For example, imagine a sport taking over another sport. Football players taking over Hockey, Cricket being taken over by Squash. Imaging how much running the lazy cricketers will have to do, the ball size changes dramatically, imagine Football guys asking Hockey players to stop the ball with their feet!<br />
<br />
Ok, this might not be funny but can be injurious actually, but what the hell!</div>
hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-28175716559517378992012-08-26T22:58:00.002-07:002012-08-29T04:13:01.931-07:00Why the rain wouldn't stay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This year it hasn't rained as much as it usually does in Mumbai. The reason, unknown. I decided to put a thought to this and came up with the following.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Imagine the rain clouds to be a little kid wanting to play with new friends. 'You' being the new friend. Every year a new cloud forms, aka a new kid comes down wanting to play with us. What do we do instead? We open up our umbrellas. We cover ourselves. We wear jackets and go in disguise so that he does not recognize us. We shun all the excitement and eagerness the new kid has.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We go hide in our cars, we go find a building with a roof that can protect us. The new kid must feel like the sick child who comes down to play with us in the building and we because of our protective mothers would not go near him or let him touch us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why then would he pour down? Why then will he open up and burst with joy? Why then will he smile and make that sacrifice?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Go welcome him. Play in the rains. Get wet in the monsoon. Hold someone's hand and go meet the new kid. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It seems someone has made the effort, the rain God is happy now and has sent some more kids to have fun. It's raining in Mumbai today!</span></div>hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-1312246197031157142012-05-07T06:18:00.000-07:002012-05-07T06:18:19.997-07:00Am outraged at this fixing!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The 49th match in IPL 2012 between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings was fixed! There, I said it.<div><br />
</div><div>There is nothing else that would have had more impact and would get the point across of what this blog is about than the first line. Yes, the match was fixed. Believe me you. I was right there witnessing the match in action sitting there right from ball one. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Having won tickets through a radio channel who were proud to be associated with a team that boasts of the supposed God of cricket, it comes as a big surprise that God listens to only a couple of people's prayers.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I will tell you how it all began. </div><div>I was super excited to be going for a cricket match after a long time and was really looking forward to this game. It promised to be a high-scoring affair with two of the big stars-laden teams in the competition. Both had a point to prove and a long standing rivalry. I was happily cheering the Mumbai bowlers as well as applauding some of the crisp shots by the Chennai batsmen. I am someone who enjoys cricket and is highly passionate about it. I live cricket, I talk cricket. As far as I can remember there hasn't been a day since 1996 when I have slept without having a minimum of 30 mins of cricket in the day for me. Be it in the way of watching it or playing it or reading about it or talking about it. Cricket is, and I am not exaggerating, life for </div><div>me. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I was happily enjoying the match sitting at Level 3 of the Sachin Tendulkar stand looking at what seemed like an interesting encounter. Somewhere during the match these two gentlemen came and sat besides me. Before them there were a couple of people who came, sat there for a while and shifted later. That's why when these two guys came I did not pay much heed to it. It was around the 9th or the 10th over that the first guy, whom from now on we will refer to as the 'fixer', spoke to his friend. He casually suggested that Mumbai will be chasing 175 runs for victory. I overheard it and was smiling at his confident prediction. I ignored it as just another fan prediction but did tell my friend about the supposed score! Both of us joked how he is a fixer and is probably telling the right score. </div><div><br />
</div><div>As the first innings got over, somehow Mumbai did manage to restrict CSK to 173 giving them a target of 174. Pretty close, huh! Was our first reaction. But again we rubbished the thought of him being a fixer as it could have been a coincidence. Later, when MI came into bat we suddenly saw him looking at his iPhone every now and then and looking a bit restless. We assumed it was the hunger, the heat and the seating that were causing the restlessness. </div><div><br />
</div><div>He then called up someone and was intensely discussing the game. He would be overjoyed at some occasions and quiet on some. Would stand up and applaud if CSK got a wicket and at the same time would also show some appreciation for the boundaries hit by Mumbai. Since he was wearing a blue t-shirt I assumed his loyalties were for Mumbai. But he could just be wearing a blue t-shirt to play safe or may be did not even think about it. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Anyway, as time passed his actions were getting weirder. He would mimic the IPL tune that the DJs would keep playing. He would cheer on Sachin and ridicule the bowlers when they would get hit. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Here comes the moment of truth: Come the last three overs of the game, Mumbai was losing control of the game. Losing wickets and not scoring runs. This fixer was still smiling. Then he suddenly got a phone call and I tried to overhear him. He repeated what he was hearing,'Kya, is over mein abhi six lagega?' I heard and instantly turned towards my friends to share what I thought could be vital info. Just at that moment, while I was turning to share the news, I saw Dwayne Smith hitting the bowler for a six towards mid-wicket. Me and my friend both jumped for joy and were somehow laughing at how the fixer's prediction came true. </div><div><br />
</div><div>By now we were sure he was involved somehow. Either had bet some money or was talking to some fixer. The overs were passing and his volume lowered. With an over to go and 16 to get off it, some people started leaving the ground. Just then, he stopped this family and said, "Ruk jao yaar, Mumbai Indians jeetega, guaranteed." </div><div><br />
</div><div>Me and my friend we both looked at each other and shared a grin. As we turned around we saw him leaving the ground with a big smirk on his face. Confident as if he had seen it all. Then came the Hilfenhaus over. The man whom the MI guys could not score much off. The man who bowled a toe-crusher to get rid of Malinga of the second ball. With 4 balls left and 15 to get, we had given up. But were hoping that the fixer's prediction comes true. 3 balls to go now and 14 to get, we had by all means given up hope and were staring at yet another defeat for MI. But the fixers had a deal, in comes Hilfenhaus and bowls a full-toss. Smith hits it for a six towards long on, we were jumping in the stands as were the thousand other MI fans. Smith had given us a glimmer of hope. Two balls later, MI had won, Smith had done the unexpected, CSK had lost a game that was theirs for the taking. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The only picture in my head was of the fixer who left with a smirk and a confident around him knowing that the team he had chosen, may be, had won, before the game was complete.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I was shattered, outraged, disgusted. I still am. </div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div></div>hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-37538866739316869472012-03-09T02:56:00.000-08:002012-03-09T02:56:01.500-08:00He was never no.1, always India's no.3 batsman!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltPm90xljmXrWkCd5SwAGf-9jsvb6rbaVNt-TXQMA4Q0v3Ptov_vuQfO37_Vv-JV2J4c-3IVxAiHdBY5IVIDk-ka-ii0ZqV13V2ZNQDwVdEH7DMeVGPna9_pBhZdczcnqqsigXA/s1600/rahul-dravid-close-up-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltPm90xljmXrWkCd5SwAGf-9jsvb6rbaVNt-TXQMA4Q0v3Ptov_vuQfO37_Vv-JV2J4c-3IVxAiHdBY5IVIDk-ka-ii0ZqV13V2ZNQDwVdEH7DMeVGPna9_pBhZdczcnqqsigXA/s200/rahul-dravid-close-up-1.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />
He never was India's no.1 batsman and never can be. He was and shall remain India's no.3 batsman. <br />
<br />
He was India's best no.3! Ever!<br />
<br />
It's the end of an era. The wall has left. Rahul Dravid has retired from all domestic and international cricket for good. He leaves behind what is a Rahul Dravid of a hole! 16 glorious years of Test cricket, One Day cricket and a one-off T20. He has given us infinite memorable moments. <br />
<br />
223* at Adelaide, 180 At Kolkata, 145 at Taunton, that quickfire 53 off 22 balls, those two slam-bam towering sixes in his only T20 appearance! The man has time and again done what many other greats could not. Face the toughest of situations with a straight bat. From once being labelled as a Test-match only cricketer to being picked up in the T20 side in 2011, to scoring India's second fastest fifty to captaining the side to wins in Pakistan and West Indies to keeping wickets in 2002-03 just to get the balance right and play with an extra batsman. Rahul, err...Sir Rahul Dravid has done and seen each and everything he could in his tenure as a cricketer for India.<br />
<br />
I remember how at one point of time, kids playing in the building would ridicule batsman who played slowly by calling them Rahul Dravid. It was a synonym for batsman who cannot score runs quickly. It is very important in building cricket to be able to score runs quickly. To not waste any balls and get off strike if you cannot hit the big ones. <br />
<br />
From that to now any player who can give a straight bat to the fastest delivery hurled at you and manage to drop it dead right next to the bat and be called Rahul Dravid and be respected for it, things have come a long way. Tables have turned. From being hated for 'boring' people in Test Matches to people longing for guys like him in the team. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgKYFg-6AJLBAkrFtw6u_pBTM4YITvjT8_MRT4ESbu1qU6u4YmbKwb0FSaLO73jg3Pi92dM1NyzMYlNUaKT-UauYJ6jkShZ26WnDioPyyjfewdt0QxuQXKFN3oWtqjKQZD7Ju-Q/s1600/_58946078_dravid_1996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgKYFg-6AJLBAkrFtw6u_pBTM4YITvjT8_MRT4ESbu1qU6u4YmbKwb0FSaLO73jg3Pi92dM1NyzMYlNUaKT-UauYJ6jkShZ26WnDioPyyjfewdt0QxuQXKFN3oWtqjKQZD7Ju-Q/s200/_58946078_dravid_1996.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
I remember how I myself would look at Sir Rahul Dravid when he would come to the crease and score his 152 ball-50! He would bring the run-rate down from 4+ to just hovering around 3. He would tire the bowlers by showing them the 'Britannia' bat! Only for players like Sachin, Mongia, Sehwag, Azharuddin, etc to run amok in the last session and the last hour before end of day's play. Who will do that now?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>A lot of the Indian fans must be wondering who will take his place and who will survive in tough situations like the ones we have faced in England, West Indies, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Do we have any batsman half as talented as Sir Rahul Dravid? We are scared to admit but we will be worried every time a new no.3 steps out on the crease. We will all secretly are waiting for his son to be big enough to be taller than the stumps and willing to play for the national team. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwtoon5yOnRbKA7Ok1Po4b_ZmqIcl5Mu_Hjy82bsntSUQ7l5rA53ZofBUJxkQNJUSTTscgF6iY65ORg_6k8dEDIDHWEk4a232L4aF7L1O1FvmrmcE-U9d8sEqr_gtaZXlaKYciw/s1600/Rahul-Dravid.-confidence+and+angry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwtoon5yOnRbKA7Ok1Po4b_ZmqIcl5Mu_Hjy82bsntSUQ7l5rA53ZofBUJxkQNJUSTTscgF6iY65ORg_6k8dEDIDHWEk4a232L4aF7L1O1FvmrmcE-U9d8sEqr_gtaZXlaKYciw/s200/Rahul-Dravid.-confidence+and+angry.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
He has got statistics all on his side, 164 tests, 13288 runs, 210 catches in tests, 10,000+ runs in ODIs, 93 test appearances without a break, and the list goes on and on and on. One list which he most definitely is not the most proud of must be the nervous 90s list. In his early days in Test cricket, Sir Rahul Dravid would often get out in the 90s. Not that he had a fear for them or would act nervous and edgy, but it just was so that he was too unlucky at times. At one point of time he had 9 90 plus scores and had equalled Steve Waugh for the batsman with the most 90s. <br />
<br />
The fact that he did end up getting 36 is a testimony to the patience and perseverance of this guy. Add those 9 90 plus scores which so easily could have been hundreds and you have a number that is even more impressive. <br />
<br />
Well, we can go on and on about his achievements and his victorious knocks and memorable matches. And to be frank there are hundreds of writers who will do that. Taking a note out of Sir Rahul Dravid's book I shall call it quits before someone else asks me to stop. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TqMALqGBfuXUgRNHhgKgNFzziHFADKfeLWKUSsdnTk8SsFNf-iPA-B_T1Obu9DrVWBBSD1Gr48ktkgzB35cl_8_ccXBs9BeDHPNAflVSELy4H0ZBVg1qZWcSQl0nCHjc1WvM_w/s1600/Rahul_Dravid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TqMALqGBfuXUgRNHhgKgNFzziHFADKfeLWKUSsdnTk8SsFNf-iPA-B_T1Obu9DrVWBBSD1Gr48ktkgzB35cl_8_ccXBs9BeDHPNAflVSELy4H0ZBVg1qZWcSQl0nCHjc1WvM_w/s200/Rahul_Dravid.jpg" width="142" /></a></div><br />
Thanks a lot for all those concentration-filled hours you spent at the crease and made me feel as if I was part of that fight India was putting up. Thanks for the amazing cover drives that give me the goosebumps even now. Thanks for those pullshots that I shall use one day to teach my son how to play the shot better than what the coaches and books can ever teach. Thanks for those straight bat defence shots which I try and emulate in my room to a invisible ball and yet get it wrong. Thanks for the moment when you decided to don the gloves just so that India can have a well balanced team and can pose a threat to the world. Thanks for showing us how without saying a word, without chirping from the slips, without arguing with the bowler you can still be as aggressive. You can still be as respected. You can still be as feared. <br />
<br />
And mostly thanks for making the defense shot the most aggressive shots ever! Sir Rahul Dravid...LEGEND! 'Enough said!<br />
<br />
</div>hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-13386833491469580402012-01-22T23:30:00.000-08:002012-01-22T23:30:47.547-08:00Why do we blame Mondays?The week begins with it and has so many great things to offer, yet most of us hate Mondays! It has reached that point in my life that I have now started feeling bad for Monday. Think about it, it was not as if Monday was given a choice to be some other day, Saturday may be? or even Friday for that matter. <br />
<br />
Then why blame the poor chap? <br />
<br />
Look at all the good things it gets and then be happy for it, for once! It marks the beginning of a new week. A new week where you will have a good days at work so that you can party hard over the weekend. A week where you will plan what to do in the next few days. This week could also be the one where you might get your salary. <br />
<br />
A Monday is the perfect day to begin something new, since it gives you about five days to complete it. A Monday means even if you had pending work on Friday you had a couple of days to cool off and not think about them. Aren't you thankful to a Monday that it comes after two days from Friday?<br />
<br />
A Monday is the day when some of us get to meet our office cuties, our crushes in school, our colleagues whom we love to hang out with. A Monday is the day when we are sure we won't be drinking too much alcohol on a Sunday, so no hangover. A Monday is the day when we can log on to Facebook and check what the world did over the weekend and ponder over that. <br />
<br />
A Monday has so much to offer that it really feels wrong to 'hate' it or have the blues on the first day. <br />
<br />
Stop doing it, for my sake, for Monday's sake?hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-33851625735840395922011-12-26T23:37:00.000-08:002011-12-27T21:19:43.441-08:00God, you cheated on me!Again and again and again. Why does this keep happening with me? Do I attract only a certain kind of people or is it one of your tricks to make me stronger? <br />
<br />
I've had enough, I do not need this. <br />
<br />
Things were moving smoothly, a little quick by my standards, yet quite well. After a long time I saw things going in my favour and was anticipating greater results. <br />
<br />
But she did exactly what by now I've been accustomed to. Use me as a throw-away pillow. Hold me when you're scared, snuggle upto me when you want to get cozy, lie on me when you need a friend and throw me at the instant you see a different room!<br />
<br />
I thought I had made a deal with you God. I thought we had a pact. I thought you'd keep your promise. I thought you'd understand. <br />
<br />
She meant a lot to me, she could've been the one. All was not to be and we ended up on the opposite sides of the road. <br />
<br />
She is going her way and has asked me not to look for her. I am left clueless without a map and have been asked to find my way.hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-79747740675533707452011-11-24T02:56:00.000-08:002011-11-24T02:56:05.900-08:00Nahin socha tha kabhiNahin socha tha kabhi ki yeh din bhi aayega,<br />
Tumhe dard ho yeh hamari khwaish hogi,<br />
Dard tumhe hoga aur mazza humein aayega,<br />
<br />
Tumhe dard mein rote bilakhte dekhenge, <br />
Man hi man khoob hum hasenge,<br />
Aur yeh dua bhi karenge ki yeh din kal phir aayehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-90173567851801378782011-11-18T02:40:00.000-08:002011-11-18T02:40:26.988-08:00It's slowThings are moving slower than usual,<br />
I feel a little detached,<br />
<br />
A strange feeling has gripped me<br />
and now I want to relax.<br />
<br />
The surroundings have changed,<br />
The expectations have risen<br />
<br />
I am supposed to take it up a few notches,<br />
Yet the bricks are missing, the cement is gone<br />
<br />
Someone somewhere just does not want<br />
for me to succeed or continue for long<br />
<br />
But I will fight and not let them win,<br />
Because I haven't learnt to give in,<br />
<br />
I try and do whatever it takes<br />
to make work and life fun always<br />
<br />
This is no different but all the same<br />
A win, a win, a win - that's all in this game!hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-11926975201495275012011-11-17T04:29:00.000-08:002011-11-17T04:29:06.245-08:00It has just startedTomorrow I complete a month at my new job and things have just started to get going. Work is happening at a very slow pace. I am caught dozing off in office quite a lot. I am not sure this time like it used to happen in class, I cannot run away unscathed. <br />
<br />
The reasons for these could be many, the lack of sleep, general boredom due to not being given enough to do, may be I do not like the job here as much. <br />
<br />
Things have been a little odd here. I like my profile and I know there could be a great challenge in months to come and its a great industry and a real good place to start from scratch and build a team. In short, a great learning experience. Yet, somewhere I am not as confident about this job just as yet.<br />
<br />
Let's see, today a small interaction with one of the guys did get me excited once again but not as much to get rid of this fear. <br />
<br />
There are fun things happening around - like that Phalguni Pathak ringtone a colleague had, then this spring-bed crunching sound, mangal bhavan amangalaaa bhavaaaaa - ringtone....stupid girl flirting, these characters help me have a smile around here. But, I am yet to go miss work!<br />
<br />
I took a day off and was not feeling as guilty of having missed something. Hopefully, things will change in days to come...hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-21505170986514900152011-11-09T22:12:00.000-08:002011-11-18T02:49:14.900-08:00The grown-up!Torn jeans has given way to formal pants, clean-shaven tidy gelled hair have shown the door to unkempt ruffled hair. Loose t-shirts with silly one-liners are passe and crisp striped shirts are the in-thing. Stupid kitos with socks are a thing of the past and black leather shoes now adorn the wardrobe. <br />
<br />
Funky looking bar-stool-laden office has now been replaced by a simple retractable red and black cushioned chair. A workstation is a luxury and a cubicle is what I have now. <br />
<br />
Is it the end of the creative and the beginning of the marketer? Is this growing up or growing old? Is this becoming serious or becoming responsible? Is this a change of responsibilities or change of industry? Is this a change in working or a change in living? <br />
<br />
I love the fact that every once a while life puts you in a position where you ask yourself some questions. If you are not asking any questions you are not doing anything risky. And if you are not taking risks, what are you doing then?<br />
<br />
Things have changed so much in the last one year that sometimes I myself cannot come to terms with it. <br />
<br />
Good or bad only time will tell me and keeping my expectations fairly high I think a mid-term review is only fair. Haha, the marketing lingo! I think I am getting there. Well, it does not matter what I think what really matters is what they think. And once they tell me what they think about this, all that will be cleared. <br />
<br />
Now don't ask me what is what!hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-37848591577718345672011-10-20T02:09:00.000-07:002011-10-20T02:09:05.299-07:00The dying sport: CricketMost people born post the 1983 World Cup winning India would never have imagined this or would have thought in their wildest dreams that they will see a time when Cricket will be considered a dying sport in India! <br />
<br />
As hard it is to believe for a super cricket fanatic like me, it is even harder to imagine the plight of those who are playing the sport currently and hoping to break into the most glamorous profession in India after acting, in India atleast. <br />
<br />
Since my trip to the land of the queen where yours truly spent a good year hoping to play the sport at some level in the country of its birth! Sadly though the locals of Yorkshire too had few people interested in the sport. My first few days in Leeds, West Yorkshire told me that England has become more of a football nation than cricket. Every sports shop I visisted had big banners and full size posters of Rooney, Cole, Lampard, etc and not one picture of any cricketer. <br />
<br />
In the entire year all I saw with regards to cricket and its players were a few Graeme Swann ads of a certain juice company and one of Kevin Pietersen endorsing some brand. Yorkshire, if some of you do not know is the 'Mumbai' of English cricket. Some of the finest cricketers have been part of the Yorkshire team and Yorkshire takes great pride in its stars. It was a great example of hard core British values as for a long time it did not entertain foreign cricketers in its team. A lot of the other counties had stared importing foreign talent but not the Yorkshire men. Our very own Sachin Tendulakr was the first international cricketer ever to have played for Yorkshire county.<br />
<br />
Coming back to our discussion, the Headingley stadium too had a dull look about it during the year and even though it had county matches played regularly I never really saw the tradition or culture it was so famous for. <br />
<br />
Now, back in India, I have noticed the interest levels for the sport have gone down miserably. Blame it on the overdose in the last couple of months or general losing of interest. What is funny about this dying interest is that it seems to affect more people living in cities. Football has consistently been surging as a sport in India and now its giving cricket a tough competition.<br />
<br />
Since my return to Mumbai I have been dying to lay hands on a bat and tonk the ball beyond the boundary, yet I have been unsuccessful at finding someone to run over and bowl the ball at the other end. There was a time during my school days when we used to have three teams each of 7-8 players playing on open grounds and now just about a decade later am having trouble to find 3 people willing to even say yes for playing it!<br />
<br />
Agreed that most people of my age are working and are at mid-management to senior level jobs but interest is also one thing. Have tried cajoling some youngsters in my building to join me for a game of under-arm cricket, promoising them that I would play football with them if thet did so and yet I was disappointed!<br />
<br />
Today, one of my friends got tickets for the match on Sunday between India and England at the recently revamped Wankhede stadium. We accidentally ended up buying a couple of extra tickets and now are having trouble in finding takers. Their excuse: Do not want to 'waste' my Sunday, seven hours is too long for a sport, who will come that far 'just' to watch a match, 'T20 hai kya?. What match? Who is playing? England is in India, weren't we there a couple of days back? Woh chod, Rugby Finals dekhte hain!<br />
<br />
I am surprised! I am shocked! I am disappointed! I am sad!<br />
<br />
There was a time when the entire country knew where was India playing, what were the game timings and what was the score...at any given point of time. Catch a security guard who is fast asleep and ask him for the score and he would promptly say...Sachin batting kar raha hai, 200-2. Ask some random people in a train, boss score kya hua hai? and he will frantically send an SMs to the service provider for an updated scorebaord and then proudly show it to you once received. <br />
<br />
From that to a time when people know when Manchester United is playing their next game or what is the latest tattoo on Beckham's body but they are not sure if Sachin is even in the playing XI or not!<br />
<br />
Cricket indeed is a dying sport now in this country and I won't be surprised if my son (One day I shall have that too) gets up and asks me, dad, what is this long wooded thing that you have on your desk full of signatures of some - J. Kallis, R. Dravid and A. Kumble?hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-45854747433151887542011-09-09T13:58:00.000-07:002011-09-09T13:58:34.712-07:00A little sweet, a little sourIt has been one complete year. Life has taken a complete turn, I started off as being unemployed and looking to spend a lot of my money on what seemed like a good education and something that would help me take the next step in my career. <br />
<br />
I was all set to step in the land of the Queen and start what would have been the start of my rule. I am back to the country I took birth in, still unemployed, the Queen has taken a big chunk of my savings, I have gained some knowledge which I might have done had I stayed back and done some small time course from some University in India! <br />
<br />
Yet, all is not lost and I still do not regret this experience. It gave me a lot more than what I expected of it. It failed to deliver what it promised and yet it delivered things that were not part of the contract. Ahhaa..contract! One word that has not left my life so far and has different meanings for me for different reasons. Anyway, getting back, Leeds was an unforgettable experience and one that has left a deep mark. <br />
<br />
The day I landed in Leeds and started spending the money, it was a very different experience. I was not comfortable with the thought of spending almost 3 times of what I had earned so far in a country where I will be forced to stay for atleast a year. <br />
<br />
The first few months I spent miserly, saving every penny and writing about every pound that I used up. Slowly, things go better and I got a better hold of myself and my habits. <br />
<br />
Now back in the city and I feel people here are so poor and unlucky. Having seen youngsters spend pounds as if they were actually making more money if they spend more, I felt the people here could be given a little more for their efforts. I saw this beggar kid who was singing to me that he wanted to eat rice and dal. I know very well that money given to him might not go there yet my heart melted at his innocent look and smile. I handed him a one rupee and a two rupee coin. I thought it would make him really happy and he would be elated. He was happy nonetheless but the next moment he was seen at the next rickshaw trying to convince another man to let him eat dal and rice. <br />
<br />
The rickshaw I sat in had a little tiff with a rickshawalla ahead of him as he banged his vehicle and broke his side view mirror. The fight lasted a good 10 minutes and all I did was observe. I did not utter a word in support of either of them and just saw my meter rising with alarming speed. It did not bother me much as I knew that as much as they fought it was obvious that the other guy would not give him any damages as he was too poor and could not afford a cut from his meagre salary. A little later when I got off, I saw the meter rating and it was much more than what it should have been, I promptly took the cash out and gave him the money and did not bother asking to reduce it for the time wasted at the signal. <br />
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I did not do him a favour, nor am I saying that I am a generous guy. I just thought to myself, a few bucks here and there might not make a big difference to me, but I know this rickshawalla will feel happy that his amount was not reduced and he got a little more than what he would have. <br />
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To see people spending money like there really is no tomorrow and to come back and see people being happy at having made a little extra. I am back in the country, am back to where I belong, and yet I ain't happy. <br />
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This small little incident made me think, is it a little sweet or is it a little sour!hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-59483717698103606802011-08-06T14:39:00.000-07:002011-08-06T14:41:19.702-07:00Long time comingI do not know when did I decide this but it seems I am eventually heading back home. One year of staying abroad, making your own decisions - of what to eat and when to sleep! A year of not having to tell your parents when you're going back home, rather letting your flatmates know you are home at 4 in the morning when you try to enter without letting anyone know and yet those stupid whispers wake everyone up! A year of drinking at 11 in the morning and then saying, this country is stupid, who offers beer at 11 in the morning...!<br />
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I can keep these coming all day, just cannot afford to do that at the moment though. I am, atleast supposed to be working on my dissertation and be completing my literature review. Lucky that my group mates do not know about this blog nor do they follow it. <br />
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Well, to get back to the topic, I have finally decided to head back and not waste my time looking for a job here in this recession-affected country. <br />
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It was a tough decision. To choose between a life I have never had so far to a city, country, place where I have stayed all my life and took a break from just to get a better control of my life. The decision was between choosing a lifestyle and choosing job satisfaction. I of course chose the latter. <br />
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It is not that a job here in this country would not have given me job satisfaction, but a job back home will have me more interested. The industry I am looking at is at a more nascent stage in my country than it is here. I ideally wanted to learn from the experts here and may be in another 5-10 years go back and apply the same when the users are closer to maturity. <br />
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I do not know whether this is the right decision or not, whether this reduces my chances of ever working internationally or not. I have no clue, and I am slightly worried about my future. For the first time in my life I have no clue where my life is going. I do not know if it is headed in the right direction or is it going elsewhere. <br />
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In GOD I trust and I know there is someone up there who is looking at me and is helping me. He has been there all this while and will be by my side now too. <br />
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It's been a year since I went back home. A year since I met my friends. A year since I saw my parents. A year since I tasted the smell of fresh rainwater over mud. A year since I drove on Indians roads. It's been a long time coming and I hope it's well worth the wait.hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-51832960064017817662011-04-05T12:23:00.000-07:002011-04-05T12:23:41.581-07:00We Won!!!<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5ZVtb9d6YIo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Yes we did it! 2nd April 2011, will never forget this date for the rest of my life. One of the most memorable days of my life. A dream come true not just for the cricketers but for a nation that was starved of a World Cup victory for 28 years. The T20 World Cup victory of 2007 was sweet, but this was sweeter. We played cricket like only we can. Our batting was not at its peak, but our bowling and fielding was. It was really nice to see everyone chipping in, diving around and throwing themselves on the field. The passion, the commitment, the motivation, the momentum, everything was there. <br />
<br />
The players dedicated the victory to Sachin but Sachin dedicated it to the country. <br />
The players that made it possible - in their batting order style<br />
Sachin Tendulkar<br />
Virender Sehwag<br />
Gautam Gambhir<br />
Virat Kohli<br />
Yuvraj Singh<br />
Mahendra Singh Dhoni <b>(C & WK)</b><br />
Suresh Raina<br />
Yusuf Pathan<br />
R Ashwin<br />
Piyush Chawla<br />
Harbhajan Singh<br />
Ashish Nehra<br />
Munaf Patel<br />
Shantakumaran Sreesanth<br />
Zaheer Khan<br />
<br />
<b>Coach - Gary Kirsten</b><br />
<br />
Dhoni had been saying for long that Yuvraj's form would be very crucial to India's chances in the World Cup and how right was he! Yuvraj was the Man of the Tournament and rightly so. Scoring 362 runs and picking up 15 wickets, Yuvraj helped India in many ways. Picked up wickets in the middle overs which I think is the most important thing in any form of cricket. If you can find yourself a bowler who can pick up wickets every once a while after your main bowlers have finished their spells then you have a great chance of winning the game. I think this was the aspect that made us tick in this World Cup. <br />
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We were struggling with a back up bowler in the initial stage of the World Cup but as the tournament progressed Dhoni started to show more confidence in Yuvraj's bowling and he repaid the faith. Sachin's 482 runs too were helpful but as has been the case, he did not score in the most crucial tie. He did bat well against the Pakistanis, but everyone will agree his 85 off 115 was one of his worst World Cup innings. Luckily for us, it ended in a victory and those runs turned out to be quite significant. <br />
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Sehwag failed to ignite after a stupendous 175 against the Bangladeshis in the first game and so did Virat. Although, his 35 in the final will still be remembered along with the unsung hero - Gautam Gambhir who ended with 393 runs and was 6th on the list of the top run-getters of World Cup 2011. In 9 games he scored 4 fifties and scored at a fair clip with a strike-rate of 85. <br />
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Zaheer Khan was the pick of the bowlers with 21 wickets and an economy of under 5. He was the reason why India could claw back in most of the games except the final. He was due for a bad game after having a surreal tournament, doing well every time the captain handed him the ball. Luckily his jinx with the final ended and although he went for a lot of runs in the last two overs we still won!<br />
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Harbhajan Singh too came in for a lot of criticism and rightly so. He picked just 9 wickets in 9 games at an economy of 4.48. He did a great job of containing but what we needed from him were wickets. He did exactly that against Pakistan. To be fair, he was trying to do it but the opposition know him too well by now and most play him in a very defensive way. A bowler like him needs to be attacked. R Ashwin was the surprise package and did really well in the few chances that he got. The big disappointment was Piyush Chawla. Highly over-rated according to me, he showed people he had some talent when he got 4 wickets against the Aussies in the warm-up game. The lad needs to work on his variations and also needs to understand that the wrong'un can be an option to the left-hander, not the only delivery possible. Andrew Strauss did his best to remind him of this fact but he did not seem to pick that up. <br />
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Truth be told, we urgently need a good leg spinner. Amit Mishra is too slow through the air and these kind of bowlers will only be successful against the Aussies as they have proved before. Hopefully the IPL 2011 will throw up some names. <br />
<br />
Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra till the first few games made people remember Ajit Agarkar. A bowler more known to fuck up at crucial junctures and yet be in the team for mysterious reasons. Munaf Patel lacks the fundamental quality of a fast bowler - body language. He comes across as a bowler who has been slapped on the ass by a sugarcane and a iron rod slotted in the backside and then removed. His expression does not change, be it the first over, the fifth or the last over of a final. The few pleasantries that he exchanged with the on-field batsmen too must have been like - <i>Su kare che? Mane maar nai, Dhoni maaari gaand marse pachi...aavjo!</i> <br />
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Ashish Nehra who seemed to have lost some form and direction when brought into the World Cup was a surprise selection in the Indo-Pak clash but saved himself a year of trouble by bowling that crucial 49th over and redeeming himself after what happened in the match against South Africa. He had leaked 16 runs of 4 balls and handed victory to the you-blink-and-I-choke-South Africa! And that too against tail-enders who go by the names of Robin Peterson and Johan Botha, both of who are now hailed as heroes in their motherland. They are the only Test nation to have beaten us in this tournament. <br />
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A tired lot this must be after a rigorous 6 weeks of handling pressure at its peak. The shutter bugs will not leave their side and they would not mind it too. They have done what Indian teams in the past 28 years could not. They deserve all the credit and footage they are getting. Not sure if they needed to be given extra monetary benefits or any declaration of special wards. it is all our tax money at the end of the day. We should have some say in it, don't you think?<br />
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All will not be forgotten very soon but they will force us to. The IPL is here, you know!hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36279370.post-27470049867379109302011-03-17T18:36:00.000-07:002011-03-17T18:36:38.022-07:00The NightIt's been a while since I looked up,<br />
Up in the night sky,<br />
It's filled with golden stars,<br />
That are shimmering away with a twinkle,<br />
<br />
I want to be one with them,<br />
See the world that they get to see,<br />
Ride the night and play with the moon,<br />
Watch as serenity fills the air,<br />
<br />
Everyone off, dozing away,<br />
A hard day has just gone past,<br />
Another one stares them in the eye,<br />
Yet without a worry they close their eyes,<br />
<br />
But for the stars the day has just begun,<br />
They shall twinkle away all night.<br />
Presenting us with their soothing light,<br />
Playing hide and seek with the moon,<br />
<br />
It's the night I have longed for,<br />
But somehow I don't have the time,<br />
To look up and gaze at the sky,<br />
The one that's there will soon pass by.hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01311491124327080833noreply@blogger.com0