Bolshoi heard her voice before he saw her.
“I work in the evening shift nowadays – leaving home at 7 PM and coming back in the morning by around 6:30 AM…”
Her voice was low, but not quite husky. As if her vocal chords had decided to gingerly tread the border towards huskiness and then decided to stay on that border. It gave her voice a unique and intoxicating effect. And that accent…! Although it did not sound unnatural, it certainly sounded intriguing enough to make you pause and think about each and every sound that came out of her mouth.
Bolshoi had by now stepped off the elevator and into the corridor. He could see that the door of her apartment was open. The other end of the room had a balcony which was welcoming the fading evening sunshine into the apartment. The room itself was full of furniture and potted plants. And then he saw her!
She was leaning on the table and talking. Her arms were crossed in front of her, but not in a defensive way.
“Quite the cool lady!” Bolshoi thought to himself, as he walked into the apartment.
She did not look up at him as he walked in. Ignoring him, she continued talking – each of her sentences ending with a mild laugh. He noticed her laughter – it had a ringing tone to it. It was as if the sound wanted to come rushing out, but was stopped at the last moment, being promised to be set free at the end of the next sentence.
Bolshoi was nervous. This was his first time! All his life (well, at least since he crossed puberty!) he had been waiting for this day! He had spent several hours fantasizing about this occasion and planning out the details of each and every second. He had already memorized a thousand times the lines that he would say, the small talk that he would make and what he would do in this situation! But nothing had prepared him for this! He was too scared to even look up at her face.
Settling down into the sofa, he permitted himself to steal a glance at her! “Wow! She is more beautiful than her photographs…” he thought to himself.
She had long wavy hair, a delicate face, bright and big innocent eyes. And her lips…They looked delicious! She had full lips, rose colored, but without any hint of lipstick. He couldn’t take his eyes off her lips. Finally, with great difficulty, he allowed himself to look at the rest of her. She was slim, but not reed thin. And somehow, he found her cool and casual posture quite attractive.
Suddenly, Bolshoi realized that she was now looking at him.
“Awww..shucks…she has caught me staring at her!” He mentally cursed himself. She had a faintly amused expression on her lips, as if she was indulging a school boy who had a major crush on her.
“Why don’t you guys go into the next room?” Someone in the room asked. Bolshoi dumbly nodded.
She led the way, Bolshoi following her. He was nervous and suddenly had a very strong urge to run out of the apartment shrieking at the top of his voice. “I cannot do this!” He thought to himself. However, he saw himself silently following her into the room.
“Have a seat”, she told him – and sat down without waiting for him. He looked around and sat on the bed.
“Err…hmmm…Hi!” Bolshoi looked at her and smiled. He was feeling very shy and could feel that his cheeks were flushed.
“Hi!”, She replied back.
“So…tell me something about yourself!” Bolshoi replied. “What a lame opening line!” He thought to himself, “I sound like one of the HR interviewers breaking the ice with potential employees.”
“Oh…let me see…I am a very talkative girl, enjoy movies, enjoy having fun. The rest I have already told you in my e-mail to you. You tell me something about yourself.”
Bolshoi could not take his eyes off her – she was too damned attractive. He felt his lips moving and sounds coming out of his throat, but his brain was too focussed on looking at her. He did not even realize how long it had been since they entered the room. A quick and loud knock on the door brought him out of his reverie.
“I think we should go. They seem to be waiting”, She suggested. Again there was a hint of playfulness in her voice..."Do you really want to go?" She seemed to be asking him.
“Yes, lets do that…”, Bolshoi reluctantly got up.
Both of them got back into the main room. As they entered, the small conversations suddenly came to a stop, bringing an unnatural silence into the room. He went and sat near his mother and whispered into her ear – “She seems to be nice.” He didn't want to sound too enthusiastic with his mom. There were murmurs of approval from all directions.
He looked around and realized that she had gone and given a similar report to her parents.
Bolshoi’s mother smiled and told him - “I knew that you will like her.” Turning towards the others in the room, she said, “If you think it is OK, they can probably meet alone another time and get to know each other better. And oh! We would prefer the marriage to be conducted in the summer vacation time, as we have lots of relatives coming in from Kerala…”
Bolshoi could not stop thinking about her lips, her laughter and her voice - even as they got into the car and started driving towards back home!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
Memories...
Several posts in the blog-oh-sphere are dedicated to nostalgic times and fond remembrances of childhood favorites in comics and television. I thought I will add my bit to these. I have already pained my wife enough on this topic, bombarding her with my memories of the above! So, it is now your turn!
Comics
Phantom
Phantom was my favorite in the Indrajal comic series also featuring Mandrake, Flash Gordon, Bahadur etc. In fact, I used to find Phantom the most fascinating – mainly because he had no special powers. (It is for the same reason, that I like Batman more than any other superhero!).
Phantom used to live in a jungle cave shaped like a skull, he used to have a wireless transmitter at home which was used for global communications (precursor to the Internet?), used to always wear a costume, and used to fight and shoot much faster than an ordinary person.
Oh yeah, the series had several interesting places like the garden of Eden (complete with a stegosaurus and a cave man), the beaches of Keelawi with gold dust as sand, some mysterious entrance into a cave – at the other end of which there are these little people who sit on hawks and fly around etc.
All the stories would end with Phantom saving the day, dressed as himself or as a trenchcoat wearing guy-with-a-dog – Mr Walker! I would read and re-read these comics, hoping that the pages would not come to an end.
What struck me then and still never ceases to amaze me – is the extent of detail that went into each story. It was very difficult to find contradictions in the overall storyline and plots, especially regarding origins of the phantom and the history of his ancestors.
Another interesting observation was that his face was never shown directly in any of the stories – it would always be a back view or a silhouette! (Old Jungle Saying – He who looks upon the Phantom’s face unmasked will die horribly!)
Tinkle
I loved the earlier versions – with several short comic stories and where readers could also contribute their own. I remember sending a few stories, but none of them got published.
I especially used to like Suppandi, Hodja, Tantri the Mantri (inspired by the Iznogoud series, no doubt!), Kaalia the crow and so on. In fact, one of favorite characters was Doob doob, the dimwitted crocodile who was Chamataka’s sidekick. I always used to feel sorry for him, and I think, in a few stories, Kaalia also had displayed a soft corner for him and used to do him some favors (of course, without telling anyone about it!).
Chandamama
I was first introduced to Chandamama, when we had gone to Kerala as part of our annual summer trips. I was probably seven or eight years old then! My father had purchased Chandamama for me from one of the shops near my grandparent's house in Kerala. None of the other series including Tinkle, ACK, Indrajal were available there!. I was pretty disappointed. However, that evening, I went to my father and asked him to pick out a story which he thought was good. He selected a story, and then I sat in a corner and read it. Once it was done, I repeated the process. Before I knew it, I had finished reading the entire book and wanted more! – and that is how I was hooked onto Chandamama. I used to repeat this ritual of asking my father for story selection with every new issue. Soon, I started reading the series end-to-end without bothering my father! (My father later told me that he used to pick random stories and tell me that they were good, just so that I would read them.)
Amar Chitra Katha
They were my introduction to history, mythology and folktales of India. It gave me a concise version of Mahabharata, Bhagavatham, Indian freedom struggle, the bible, the mughal rule, Shivaji etc etc. Of course, as I grew up, I started realizing that “history is the view-point of the victors…” and that there are two sides (or even more) to everything! But that still did not take away my love for Amar Chitra katha. At least they made it infinitely more interesting than the dull history text books that we had to go through in School.
Superman / Batman / Tintin / Asterix
These were among the few comics, for which I had to rely on my network of friends. This was mainly because, these comics did not have an Indian edition, and so I could not afford it with my pocket money! So, me any my friends used to trade tattered versions of the comics. We used to have a specific exchange rate too (2 Indrajal Comics for 1 superman comic, 5 Amar Chitra Kathas for Asterix / Tintin – not from a content perspective, but mainly from the cost perspective!). Most of these deals would be negotiated ferociously, probably putting even a modern day trader to shame!
I used to be amazed at the graphic details shown in the above comics, especially Tintin. My favorite activity after having finished reading a Tintin book, was to scrutinize each of the panel – especially reading the other headlines and details in any panel showing a news clipping detailing Tintin’s exploits!
Target
This was again a monthly magazine similar to Chandamama, but aimed at teens. I loved the Funny world section by Ajit Ninan (ingenious and hilarious), and the Detective Moochwala series. I remember reading a series about a group of teen detectives, one of whom was named “Bose D K” – hehehe – I wonder how the censors let that pass by!
Diamond Comics
Somehow, I never really liked the diamond comic series – with characters like Chacha Chaudhury, Billoo, Fauladi Singh etc. My main grouse with them was the unnecessary use of big words in their stories. Also, the storylines used to very simplistic. But, inspite of all this, I never passed on an opportunity to read these comics!
Coming Soon – Television memories!
Comics
Phantom
Phantom was my favorite in the Indrajal comic series also featuring Mandrake, Flash Gordon, Bahadur etc. In fact, I used to find Phantom the most fascinating – mainly because he had no special powers. (It is for the same reason, that I like Batman more than any other superhero!).
Phantom used to live in a jungle cave shaped like a skull, he used to have a wireless transmitter at home which was used for global communications (precursor to the Internet?), used to always wear a costume, and used to fight and shoot much faster than an ordinary person.
Oh yeah, the series had several interesting places like the garden of Eden (complete with a stegosaurus and a cave man), the beaches of Keelawi with gold dust as sand, some mysterious entrance into a cave – at the other end of which there are these little people who sit on hawks and fly around etc.
All the stories would end with Phantom saving the day, dressed as himself or as a trenchcoat wearing guy-with-a-dog – Mr Walker! I would read and re-read these comics, hoping that the pages would not come to an end.
What struck me then and still never ceases to amaze me – is the extent of detail that went into each story. It was very difficult to find contradictions in the overall storyline and plots, especially regarding origins of the phantom and the history of his ancestors.
Another interesting observation was that his face was never shown directly in any of the stories – it would always be a back view or a silhouette! (Old Jungle Saying – He who looks upon the Phantom’s face unmasked will die horribly!)
Tinkle
I loved the earlier versions – with several short comic stories and where readers could also contribute their own. I remember sending a few stories, but none of them got published.
I especially used to like Suppandi, Hodja, Tantri the Mantri (inspired by the Iznogoud series, no doubt!), Kaalia the crow and so on. In fact, one of favorite characters was Doob doob, the dimwitted crocodile who was Chamataka’s sidekick. I always used to feel sorry for him, and I think, in a few stories, Kaalia also had displayed a soft corner for him and used to do him some favors (of course, without telling anyone about it!).
Chandamama
I was first introduced to Chandamama, when we had gone to Kerala as part of our annual summer trips. I was probably seven or eight years old then! My father had purchased Chandamama for me from one of the shops near my grandparent's house in Kerala. None of the other series including Tinkle, ACK, Indrajal were available there!. I was pretty disappointed. However, that evening, I went to my father and asked him to pick out a story which he thought was good. He selected a story, and then I sat in a corner and read it. Once it was done, I repeated the process. Before I knew it, I had finished reading the entire book and wanted more! – and that is how I was hooked onto Chandamama. I used to repeat this ritual of asking my father for story selection with every new issue. Soon, I started reading the series end-to-end without bothering my father! (My father later told me that he used to pick random stories and tell me that they were good, just so that I would read them.)
Amar Chitra Katha
They were my introduction to history, mythology and folktales of India. It gave me a concise version of Mahabharata, Bhagavatham, Indian freedom struggle, the bible, the mughal rule, Shivaji etc etc. Of course, as I grew up, I started realizing that “history is the view-point of the victors…” and that there are two sides (or even more) to everything! But that still did not take away my love for Amar Chitra katha. At least they made it infinitely more interesting than the dull history text books that we had to go through in School.
Superman / Batman / Tintin / Asterix
These were among the few comics, for which I had to rely on my network of friends. This was mainly because, these comics did not have an Indian edition, and so I could not afford it with my pocket money! So, me any my friends used to trade tattered versions of the comics. We used to have a specific exchange rate too (2 Indrajal Comics for 1 superman comic, 5 Amar Chitra Kathas for Asterix / Tintin – not from a content perspective, but mainly from the cost perspective!). Most of these deals would be negotiated ferociously, probably putting even a modern day trader to shame!
I used to be amazed at the graphic details shown in the above comics, especially Tintin. My favorite activity after having finished reading a Tintin book, was to scrutinize each of the panel – especially reading the other headlines and details in any panel showing a news clipping detailing Tintin’s exploits!
Target
This was again a monthly magazine similar to Chandamama, but aimed at teens. I loved the Funny world section by Ajit Ninan (ingenious and hilarious), and the Detective Moochwala series. I remember reading a series about a group of teen detectives, one of whom was named “Bose D K” – hehehe – I wonder how the censors let that pass by!
Diamond Comics
Somehow, I never really liked the diamond comic series – with characters like Chacha Chaudhury, Billoo, Fauladi Singh etc. My main grouse with them was the unnecessary use of big words in their stories. Also, the storylines used to very simplistic. But, inspite of all this, I never passed on an opportunity to read these comics!
Coming Soon – Television memories!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
It's a donkey's life...Part 2
They were now walking on the relatively deserted part of the way to home. There were few other animals or vehicles on the road.
"So dude! Tell me your problems. I may not be able to solve them, but definitely it will help you put your thoughts in perspective", Jamkatki said.
"Well, I am not so sure about the exact reason for my depression. All my life, I was raised with the ideal that if I study well and work hard, then I will do extremely well! ...and this is exactly what I did too. I joined the Indian Institute of Dhobi Apprentices (IIDA) and you do know that they are among the finest technical schools in the country, and arguably in the world. I even did a diploma in Trends in the laundry business after my IIDA degree. I joined one of the best paying washermen in the ghats a couple of years ago. To be honest, he does treat me well and I have no complaints against him." Dhondu paused at this point.
Jamkatki had been unusually silent during the entire discourse. "Go on...Dont hesitate..pour it out!" He prodded Dhondu on.
"OK...so last week, I bumped into an old classmate from my school. Now, his principles have always been different from mine. If mine was to ensure that I went to the best college and worked the hardest to remain at the top, his goal was to take life as it comes, enjoy and have fun. I always expected him to have a mediocre career and a so-so quality of life. In fact, I had all but forgotten about him, till I met him again last week." Dhondu went on.
"Hmmm...continue please", Jamkatki responded.
"Well..errr..the thing is..you see...this guy has done remarkably well and in fact, My master is in fact a new franchisee of the General Dhobi Works - the company owned by him. So, in a convoluted way... I work for him"
"Hehehe...and you are upset about it?" asked Jamkatki.
"Hey no! Don't get me wrong! I am sure he deserved his success very much." Dhondu was now on the defensive. "I was just thinking - that we have... on one hand, a guy who has slogged his way to get admitted into IIDA, worked hard throughout the 2 years in that school going through numerous exams and nerve-wracking training sessions, took the initiative to take up a diploma in Advanced laundry, and joined one of the most reputable washermen in the city."
He continued, "On the other hand, we have this chap here, who dropped out of school, went on a backpacking trip across the towns, flirted with all the female donkeys he met, and has not ever touched a washload with a barge pole in his life"
"...and now, after all this, the irony is that, I, among the top 0.5% of donkeys in this town, in terms of educational qualifications, am now working for HIM!" Dhondu's voice had reached a high pitch by now and he had stopped walking. "So, now I am wondering... Was whatever I was told from childhood that education will result in success wrong? Why did I waste the best part of my childhood, slogging though IIDA? What does HE have that I don't have, that makes him so successful, while I am a pathetic donkey working for some washerman?"
Dhondu was clearly getting frustrated by now. He had stopped walking and had moved onto the side of the road. Jamkatki could feel the nervous shiver running through Dhondu's body.
"Cool it, buddy!" Jamkatki sympathized. "Don't worry! I understand your frustrations. And if you please, I can offer some suggestions too"
"Hmmpppffff...What advice can a crow offer me? You don't know anything about me!" Dhondu replied in a scornful tone.
"...and therein lies your problem, mate! You are way too conceited, ignorant and stupidly arrogant!" Jamkatki was now on the offensive. "You believe that only donkeys from IIDA are entitled to intelligence and every other creature are lower forms of existence than you. Tell me something, why is IIDA so famous?"
"Oh! You don't know? The entrance exams are among the most difficult in the world. Also, the IIDA alumni are among the leaders in various industries across the world. Now, do you realize how great I am?" Dhondu replied with a gleam in his eyes.
"Man! You ARE stupid, aren't you?" Jamkatki replied. "How does having the most difficult entrance exam and the fact that you cracked it, make you the most intelligent fellow on earth? It only means that you managed to answer all the questions in THAT particular test correctly. However, that is besides the point. I am prepared to give you credit for the fact that you must be a person with a reasonable aptitude for whatever-it-is-that-is-asked-in-these-tests, because of which you did well in the entrance test. However, that does not automatically qualify you as INTELLIGENT, or at least more intelligent than other people. Also, just how does the fact that the IIDA alumni are doing well, make YOU great?"
Dhondu was struck dumb by this sudden display of aggression.
Jamkatki continued, "You know what your problem is? Excessive self-pity! Everything needs to be given to you on a platter. And why? Just because you graduated from the prestigious IIDA! Heck, you should learn to pick out opportunities and act on them. You should also learn to NEVER underestimate ANYONE. My guess is that your friend and those successful IIDA alumni all had a great deal of these qualities."
"Learn to take risks. You know how the old saying goes no pain, no gain! Your friend took the risk of doing what he loved most. Also, he looked around for possible opportunities and ACTED upon them! But you have been too caught up in your own smug world of self-satisfaction. You don't look around, you don't consider anyone as good as you. Dude, the moment you get satisfied with what you have, you STOP growing!"
Dhondu was looking at Jamkatki, as if he had been given a stinging slap across his face. He was speechless.
There was silence for a few seconds.
Jamkatki said, "Buddy, I might have been a bit harsh on you, but I found your self-pitying very tiresome. It is time you stopped thinking about yourself and your "greatness" and start looking around and being aware of your environment. But this is the only way to survive and progress!"
Silence again. Dhondu cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed to speak up now after the harangue from Jamkatki. "Err...hmm...you may probably have a point!"
"I do have a point, dammit! And that is this! Stop feeling sorry for yourself, start looking around for an opportunity and then take the plunge and go do it!!!! and while you are at it, have respect for eveyone and treat people the way you want them to treat you..."
"...and now, if you will excuse me... I have to leave now." With a swish, Jamkatki took off from Dhondu's back and landed on the overhead branch of a nearby tree. "I am going to keep an eye on you! I do hope to see some improvement in you! I am confident you can! After all - you are an IIDA alumni, aren't you?" Jamkatki winked at him.
Dhondu didn't know whether Jamkatki was being sarcastic or serious. But he didn't care. He had got the message. "Hmmm...He does have a point! Let me see... I think I should develop on that idea of buying a set of washing machines and using it to wash a bigger load...or rather I should consider getting into the dyeing business..."
His walk was much more hurried and his mood was clearly more effervescent as he walked back the rest of the way home!
"Another day, another good deed for Jamkatki the consultant!", Jamkatki said softly from the tree branch.
"So dude! Tell me your problems. I may not be able to solve them, but definitely it will help you put your thoughts in perspective", Jamkatki said.
"Well, I am not so sure about the exact reason for my depression. All my life, I was raised with the ideal that if I study well and work hard, then I will do extremely well! ...and this is exactly what I did too. I joined the Indian Institute of Dhobi Apprentices (IIDA) and you do know that they are among the finest technical schools in the country, and arguably in the world. I even did a diploma in Trends in the laundry business after my IIDA degree. I joined one of the best paying washermen in the ghats a couple of years ago. To be honest, he does treat me well and I have no complaints against him." Dhondu paused at this point.
Jamkatki had been unusually silent during the entire discourse. "Go on...Dont hesitate..pour it out!" He prodded Dhondu on.
"OK...so last week, I bumped into an old classmate from my school. Now, his principles have always been different from mine. If mine was to ensure that I went to the best college and worked the hardest to remain at the top, his goal was to take life as it comes, enjoy and have fun. I always expected him to have a mediocre career and a so-so quality of life. In fact, I had all but forgotten about him, till I met him again last week." Dhondu went on.
"Hmmm...continue please", Jamkatki responded.
"Well..errr..the thing is..you see...this guy has done remarkably well and in fact, My master is in fact a new franchisee of the General Dhobi Works - the company owned by him. So, in a convoluted way... I work for him"
"Hehehe...and you are upset about it?" asked Jamkatki.
"Hey no! Don't get me wrong! I am sure he deserved his success very much." Dhondu was now on the defensive. "I was just thinking - that we have... on one hand, a guy who has slogged his way to get admitted into IIDA, worked hard throughout the 2 years in that school going through numerous exams and nerve-wracking training sessions, took the initiative to take up a diploma in Advanced laundry, and joined one of the most reputable washermen in the city."
He continued, "On the other hand, we have this chap here, who dropped out of school, went on a backpacking trip across the towns, flirted with all the female donkeys he met, and has not ever touched a washload with a barge pole in his life"
"...and now, after all this, the irony is that, I, among the top 0.5% of donkeys in this town, in terms of educational qualifications, am now working for HIM!" Dhondu's voice had reached a high pitch by now and he had stopped walking. "So, now I am wondering... Was whatever I was told from childhood that education will result in success wrong? Why did I waste the best part of my childhood, slogging though IIDA? What does HE have that I don't have, that makes him so successful, while I am a pathetic donkey working for some washerman?"
Dhondu was clearly getting frustrated by now. He had stopped walking and had moved onto the side of the road. Jamkatki could feel the nervous shiver running through Dhondu's body.
"Cool it, buddy!" Jamkatki sympathized. "Don't worry! I understand your frustrations. And if you please, I can offer some suggestions too"
"Hmmpppffff...What advice can a crow offer me? You don't know anything about me!" Dhondu replied in a scornful tone.
"...and therein lies your problem, mate! You are way too conceited, ignorant and stupidly arrogant!" Jamkatki was now on the offensive. "You believe that only donkeys from IIDA are entitled to intelligence and every other creature are lower forms of existence than you. Tell me something, why is IIDA so famous?"
"Oh! You don't know? The entrance exams are among the most difficult in the world. Also, the IIDA alumni are among the leaders in various industries across the world. Now, do you realize how great I am?" Dhondu replied with a gleam in his eyes.
"Man! You ARE stupid, aren't you?" Jamkatki replied. "How does having the most difficult entrance exam and the fact that you cracked it, make you the most intelligent fellow on earth? It only means that you managed to answer all the questions in THAT particular test correctly. However, that is besides the point. I am prepared to give you credit for the fact that you must be a person with a reasonable aptitude for whatever-it-is-that-is-asked-in-these-tests, because of which you did well in the entrance test. However, that does not automatically qualify you as INTELLIGENT, or at least more intelligent than other people. Also, just how does the fact that the IIDA alumni are doing well, make YOU great?"
Dhondu was struck dumb by this sudden display of aggression.
Jamkatki continued, "You know what your problem is? Excessive self-pity! Everything needs to be given to you on a platter. And why? Just because you graduated from the prestigious IIDA! Heck, you should learn to pick out opportunities and act on them. You should also learn to NEVER underestimate ANYONE. My guess is that your friend and those successful IIDA alumni all had a great deal of these qualities."
"Learn to take risks. You know how the old saying goes no pain, no gain! Your friend took the risk of doing what he loved most. Also, he looked around for possible opportunities and ACTED upon them! But you have been too caught up in your own smug world of self-satisfaction. You don't look around, you don't consider anyone as good as you. Dude, the moment you get satisfied with what you have, you STOP growing!"
Dhondu was looking at Jamkatki, as if he had been given a stinging slap across his face. He was speechless.
There was silence for a few seconds.
Jamkatki said, "Buddy, I might have been a bit harsh on you, but I found your self-pitying very tiresome. It is time you stopped thinking about yourself and your "greatness" and start looking around and being aware of your environment. But this is the only way to survive and progress!"
Silence again. Dhondu cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed to speak up now after the harangue from Jamkatki. "Err...hmm...you may probably have a point!"
"I do have a point, dammit! And that is this! Stop feeling sorry for yourself, start looking around for an opportunity and then take the plunge and go do it!!!! and while you are at it, have respect for eveyone and treat people the way you want them to treat you..."
"...and now, if you will excuse me... I have to leave now." With a swish, Jamkatki took off from Dhondu's back and landed on the overhead branch of a nearby tree. "I am going to keep an eye on you! I do hope to see some improvement in you! I am confident you can! After all - you are an IIDA alumni, aren't you?" Jamkatki winked at him.
Dhondu didn't know whether Jamkatki was being sarcastic or serious. But he didn't care. He had got the message. "Hmmm...He does have a point! Let me see... I think I should develop on that idea of buying a set of washing machines and using it to wash a bigger load...or rather I should consider getting into the dyeing business..."
His walk was much more hurried and his mood was clearly more effervescent as he walked back the rest of the way home!
"Another day, another good deed for Jamkatki the consultant!", Jamkatki said softly from the tree branch.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Four Word Movie Reviews
I came upon this interesting site for Four-word movie reviews while going through Sidin's blog. My attempts for some of the recent Hindi movies follow:
Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya: Maine MPKK kyun dekha
Salaam Namaste: No sex before marriage
Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena: Bad copy of ‘Confidence’
Bunty Aur Babli: Two cons, one cop
Sarkar: The Corleones in Mumbai
Shikhar: Don’t watch this movie!
Zinda: sanjay kills bad people
Dosti: Two friends, one dies!
Fight Club: Terrible actors come together
Range De Basanti: “Patriotic” youth kill minister
Waqt - Race Against Time: A waste of time!
Mangal Pandey: zzzz zzzz zzzz zzzz
Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya: Maine MPKK kyun dekha
Salaam Namaste: No sex before marriage
Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena: Bad copy of ‘Confidence’
Bunty Aur Babli: Two cons, one cop
Sarkar: The Corleones in Mumbai
Shikhar: Don’t watch this movie!
Zinda: sanjay kills bad people
Dosti: Two friends, one dies!
Fight Club: Terrible actors come together
Range De Basanti: “Patriotic” youth kill minister
Waqt - Race Against Time: A waste of time!
Mangal Pandey: zzzz zzzz zzzz zzzz
Monday, April 03, 2006
It's a donkey's life!...Part 1
(This is the first of a series titled "Adventures of Jamkatki the Crow")
Dhondu the donkey sighed softly.
It was not as much a sigh as it was a cry of exasperation! It had been three years since he had started working at the laundryman’s home. The hours were good, the washload (= workload) was not too bad. His master had started trusting him and would allow him to get the bundle of clothes from the laundromat to home everyday all by himself…and very rarely did the master use the stick on him. He was the envy of all other middle class donkeys, who like him had come out of the training school and had joined as an apprentice to a washerman. His pay was good, he was always given the best silk and rayon clothing to handle and was the favorite pet of the washerman. In addition, he had very recently got a pay raise – an extra carrot every fortnight!
But there was still something missing…and he just couldn’t put his finger on that! He sighed again…
“It must be love!”, a voice nearby said. Dhondu let out a startled yelp, as only a startled donkey can.
“What?” asked Dhondu – looking around for the source of the voice.
“I said it must be love”, the voice repeated.
Dhondu looked upwards to the sky to where the sound came from. There, perched on the new mobile connection tower (oh yes! Development was extending her loving embrace to include Dhondu’s town too), was a crow looking down at him.
“Pardon me! But is that you who just spoke to me?” Dhondu asked the crow expectantly. His training school etiquette had prepared him to be polite enough in such situations, even if it was only a crow.
“Yep, that’s me!” replied the crow.
“I am sorry, I couldn’t quite understand what you were trying to tell me”, said Dhondu.
“Oh you T-School sorts! You need all conversations to have a situation-complexity-approach structure, don’t you?” the crow asked condescendingly. “I noticed you muttering to yourself and guessed that you must be going through mid-life crisis. I have seen that look in too many young people nowadays. It is always the feeling that there is something that is missing in their lives”
“Wait a minute, how do you seem to know so much about my sorts?...” sneered Dhondu, clearly offended by the impertinent classification by the crow, and that too by an uneducated one! (at least he looked like one). “…and what gives you the right to guess what crisis I am going through and most of all who gave you the right to give me advice!” Dhondu was clearly getting into the aggressive mode. He had been in too many group discussions in the T-School to know that he needs to make his points heard in the first 3 minutes of a group conversation for it to be heard.
“Whoa buddy! Wait up…take it easy…listen to what I have got to say” the crow did a backflip a-la Keanu Reeves in Matrix and landed on his two legs right near Dhondu. “The name is Jamkatki”, he said extending a raven colored wing towards Dhondu.
There was a pause for a couple of seconds, before Dhondu acknowledged the wing and replied, “Dhondu here, I guess I must say… nice meeting you.”
“The pleasure is all mine. By the way, mind if I hitch a ride on your back? We can talk as you walk – will be a much more productive use of our time”, Jamkatki said. Dhondu was impressed – OK! This guy is not so dumb after all. He is familiar with the concepts of time and motion studies and parallel processing. Nodding his head, Dhondu gave the clear signal to Jamkatki to jump on to his back.
“OK..now you have a free ride home. Do you mind telling me what you were talking about while up there in the tree?” Dhondu was getting impatient now.
“Relax buddy! I have been observing you for the past 2 – 3 months now. You seem to have a good job, minimum cares, yet you don’t seem to be happy.” Jamkatki replied.
To be Continued...
Dhondu the donkey sighed softly.
It was not as much a sigh as it was a cry of exasperation! It had been three years since he had started working at the laundryman’s home. The hours were good, the washload (= workload) was not too bad. His master had started trusting him and would allow him to get the bundle of clothes from the laundromat to home everyday all by himself…and very rarely did the master use the stick on him. He was the envy of all other middle class donkeys, who like him had come out of the training school and had joined as an apprentice to a washerman. His pay was good, he was always given the best silk and rayon clothing to handle and was the favorite pet of the washerman. In addition, he had very recently got a pay raise – an extra carrot every fortnight!
But there was still something missing…and he just couldn’t put his finger on that! He sighed again…
“It must be love!”, a voice nearby said. Dhondu let out a startled yelp, as only a startled donkey can.
“What?” asked Dhondu – looking around for the source of the voice.
“I said it must be love”, the voice repeated.
Dhondu looked upwards to the sky to where the sound came from. There, perched on the new mobile connection tower (oh yes! Development was extending her loving embrace to include Dhondu’s town too), was a crow looking down at him.
“Pardon me! But is that you who just spoke to me?” Dhondu asked the crow expectantly. His training school etiquette had prepared him to be polite enough in such situations, even if it was only a crow.
“Yep, that’s me!” replied the crow.
“I am sorry, I couldn’t quite understand what you were trying to tell me”, said Dhondu.
“Oh you T-School sorts! You need all conversations to have a situation-complexity-approach structure, don’t you?” the crow asked condescendingly. “I noticed you muttering to yourself and guessed that you must be going through mid-life crisis. I have seen that look in too many young people nowadays. It is always the feeling that there is something that is missing in their lives”
“Wait a minute, how do you seem to know so much about my sorts?...” sneered Dhondu, clearly offended by the impertinent classification by the crow, and that too by an uneducated one! (at least he looked like one). “…and what gives you the right to guess what crisis I am going through and most of all who gave you the right to give me advice!” Dhondu was clearly getting into the aggressive mode. He had been in too many group discussions in the T-School to know that he needs to make his points heard in the first 3 minutes of a group conversation for it to be heard.
“Whoa buddy! Wait up…take it easy…listen to what I have got to say” the crow did a backflip a-la Keanu Reeves in Matrix and landed on his two legs right near Dhondu. “The name is Jamkatki”, he said extending a raven colored wing towards Dhondu.
There was a pause for a couple of seconds, before Dhondu acknowledged the wing and replied, “Dhondu here, I guess I must say… nice meeting you.”
“The pleasure is all mine. By the way, mind if I hitch a ride on your back? We can talk as you walk – will be a much more productive use of our time”, Jamkatki said. Dhondu was impressed – OK! This guy is not so dumb after all. He is familiar with the concepts of time and motion studies and parallel processing. Nodding his head, Dhondu gave the clear signal to Jamkatki to jump on to his back.
“OK..now you have a free ride home. Do you mind telling me what you were talking about while up there in the tree?” Dhondu was getting impatient now.
“Relax buddy! I have been observing you for the past 2 – 3 months now. You seem to have a good job, minimum cares, yet you don’t seem to be happy.” Jamkatki replied.
To be Continued...
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Justice delayed is justice denied!
The recent verdict acquitting the suspects in the Jessica Lal case again highlights the many ills facing our legal system. The "eyewitnesses" turned hostile in the court and the "honorable" judge threw the case out without looking at the circumstantial evidence. What was more appalling was the fact that the verdict was reached in a matter of days, when we all know how long a typical case takes to reach a verdict at our esteemed courts! What more proof that India - the world's largest and a vigorous democracy - is thundering ahead as the fastest growing economy!!!!
In fact, this case has received so much attention because of the people involved in it. The victim, the suspects and the witnesses all belong to the very-well-to-do segment of the society. Imagine what would have happened, if the bartender had been someone from a different section of the society. Probably the verdict would have been the same, but would it have created the same level of uproar among us? We probably would not have even heard about the case.
All this made me think - do we still remember any of the high profile cases and their verdicts - where the victims were not so fortunate to have good connections? I did a quick google search to find out the status of some of the cases that I remembered reading in the newspapers many years back. Here are some of them and their current status:
Ramesh Kini Case: Kini's landlord, Laxmikant Shah, was trying to get Kini out of the flat. He (Shah) happened to be a close friend of Raj Thackeray. One evening, Ramesh Kini was found dead in a cinema theatre in Pune. His wife told the police that her husband was regularly threatened by Shah, Raj Thackeray and another Sena man called Ashutosh Rane. She said Ramesh had left home saying he was going to the Shiv Sena office. The next thing she knew was that he was found dead in Pune. Raj was questioned by the CID while Shah and Rane were arrested. Soon, Saamna growled a warning from Shiv Sena to the government and the CM addressed the assembly saying that Raj was innocent. Now this was in 1990. The status of the case - Verdict by an additional sessions court in 2002 - Shah and his son were acquitted for want of evidence. I am not aware of any action after this.
Syed Modi Case: Syed Modi, a national level badminton player was shot dead in 1988. Sanjay Singh, a UP Minister, was accused of being involved in it due to an affair with Modi's wife. As of 1990, Sanjay and the wife were acquitted, and in 2004, the remaining were acquitted for want of evidence. I am not aware of any action taken after that.
Priyadarshini Mattoo case: In 1996, Mattoo was found strangled to death in the bedroom of her South Delhi apartment with 19 injuries on her person. Santosh Kumar Singh, son of J.P. Singh, currently Inspector-General of Police, Pondicherry, harassed Mattoo in January and February 1995 and again in August, November and December that year by stalking her, telephoning her at her residence and at a hospital where her mother had been admitted, and stopping her car and shouting at her. Mattoo lodged police complaints against him, following which he apologised to her. She was provided with a personal security officer by the police on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, but Santosh Singh continued to harass her...and then she turned up dead! In 1999, the judge acquitted Santosh Singh, pointing to lack of evidence and inadequacies in the investigation. No news after that! Last heard, petitions were being signed to reopen the case!
Also, there are the more recent cases of Satyendra Dubey and Manjunath.
...and the list goes on. Now I have been only talking about the relatively well publicized cases. I am sure there are many cases which have not collectively merited even a column in any newspaper. Also, everyone knows about the direction that the Bofors investigation and the Tehelka case took, not to mention the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Narmada Bachao Andolan and so on.
The typical responses to these verdicts have been the same - our justice system sucks, our police are not equipped to conduct a scientific investigation, our cops are not paid enough, blah blah...and that is the end of the discussion. However, Shouldn't we be more proactive and work with people who are ensuring that justice is served to the affected parties? Shouldn't we demand for a reform of the judiciary and the penal code to ensure that the courts do not take 14 to 15 years to "realize" that the investigation was not carried out properly? I have not seen any petitions or movements to get this done. Please, if you know of any such agencies / organizations, let me know. I would like to participate in this noble cause.
In fact, this case has received so much attention because of the people involved in it. The victim, the suspects and the witnesses all belong to the very-well-to-do segment of the society. Imagine what would have happened, if the bartender had been someone from a different section of the society. Probably the verdict would have been the same, but would it have created the same level of uproar among us? We probably would not have even heard about the case.
All this made me think - do we still remember any of the high profile cases and their verdicts - where the victims were not so fortunate to have good connections? I did a quick google search to find out the status of some of the cases that I remembered reading in the newspapers many years back. Here are some of them and their current status:
Ramesh Kini Case: Kini's landlord, Laxmikant Shah, was trying to get Kini out of the flat. He (Shah) happened to be a close friend of Raj Thackeray. One evening, Ramesh Kini was found dead in a cinema theatre in Pune. His wife told the police that her husband was regularly threatened by Shah, Raj Thackeray and another Sena man called Ashutosh Rane. She said Ramesh had left home saying he was going to the Shiv Sena office. The next thing she knew was that he was found dead in Pune. Raj was questioned by the CID while Shah and Rane were arrested. Soon, Saamna growled a warning from Shiv Sena to the government and the CM addressed the assembly saying that Raj was innocent. Now this was in 1990. The status of the case - Verdict by an additional sessions court in 2002 - Shah and his son were acquitted for want of evidence. I am not aware of any action after this.
Syed Modi Case: Syed Modi, a national level badminton player was shot dead in 1988. Sanjay Singh, a UP Minister, was accused of being involved in it due to an affair with Modi's wife. As of 1990, Sanjay and the wife were acquitted, and in 2004, the remaining were acquitted for want of evidence. I am not aware of any action taken after that.
Priyadarshini Mattoo case: In 1996, Mattoo was found strangled to death in the bedroom of her South Delhi apartment with 19 injuries on her person. Santosh Kumar Singh, son of J.P. Singh, currently Inspector-General of Police, Pondicherry, harassed Mattoo in January and February 1995 and again in August, November and December that year by stalking her, telephoning her at her residence and at a hospital where her mother had been admitted, and stopping her car and shouting at her. Mattoo lodged police complaints against him, following which he apologised to her. She was provided with a personal security officer by the police on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, but Santosh Singh continued to harass her...and then she turned up dead! In 1999, the judge acquitted Santosh Singh, pointing to lack of evidence and inadequacies in the investigation. No news after that! Last heard, petitions were being signed to reopen the case!
Also, there are the more recent cases of Satyendra Dubey and Manjunath.
...and the list goes on. Now I have been only talking about the relatively well publicized cases. I am sure there are many cases which have not collectively merited even a column in any newspaper. Also, everyone knows about the direction that the Bofors investigation and the Tehelka case took, not to mention the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Narmada Bachao Andolan and so on.
The typical responses to these verdicts have been the same - our justice system sucks, our police are not equipped to conduct a scientific investigation, our cops are not paid enough, blah blah...and that is the end of the discussion. However, Shouldn't we be more proactive and work with people who are ensuring that justice is served to the affected parties? Shouldn't we demand for a reform of the judiciary and the penal code to ensure that the courts do not take 14 to 15 years to "realize" that the investigation was not carried out properly? I have not seen any petitions or movements to get this done. Please, if you know of any such agencies / organizations, let me know. I would like to participate in this noble cause.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
The Nightingale Sings...
Lata Mangeshkar's opposition to the Peddar road flyover has been in the news recently . A lot of vitriolic responses have already been posted in the main stream media and a few blogs too.
Now, I am neither supporting nor opposing her in this matter - for the simple reason that I do not know much about the project. However, I am certainly opposed to the acidic comments many people have directed towards her.
I believe that everyone has the right to voice his or her opinion. If there is some construction or activity that disturbs our peace at home, we do make sure that we voice our opinions and make it known to the perpetrators / authorities and (hopefully) convince them to stop it. The lady has done exactly the same - she has put forward her opinion that the flyover will affect her privacy and will disrupt her life! She also went on so far to say that if the flyover comes up, she will move out of Mumbai. Nothing wrong in this...It is entirely her prerogative to move to any part of the country or outside. It is also her right to express her reservations about any project.
But, it seems that she does not have this right. Judging by the kind of responses (ranging from asking her to get Central A/C in her flat or move out of the country), it would seem that she has committed some sort of blasphemy. Having personally undergone the torture of sweating it out in a traffic jam in Peddar road, I can sympathize with the commuters, but this certainly is not the way to react to a statement.
I do hope however, that the BMC and the government do not take a decision based on emotions of either side! They should evaluate the project in terms of the costs, the potential benefits (i.e. will it really improve the traffic conditions? If so, by how much?), the timeframe, the environmental impact etc. The project should be implemented IF AND ONLY IF it makes sense using the above criteria - and not because some celebrity has opposed it or that people are all for it!
Now, I am neither supporting nor opposing her in this matter - for the simple reason that I do not know much about the project. However, I am certainly opposed to the acidic comments many people have directed towards her.
I believe that everyone has the right to voice his or her opinion. If there is some construction or activity that disturbs our peace at home, we do make sure that we voice our opinions and make it known to the perpetrators / authorities and (hopefully) convince them to stop it. The lady has done exactly the same - she has put forward her opinion that the flyover will affect her privacy and will disrupt her life! She also went on so far to say that if the flyover comes up, she will move out of Mumbai. Nothing wrong in this...It is entirely her prerogative to move to any part of the country or outside. It is also her right to express her reservations about any project.
But, it seems that she does not have this right. Judging by the kind of responses (ranging from asking her to get Central A/C in her flat or move out of the country), it would seem that she has committed some sort of blasphemy. Having personally undergone the torture of sweating it out in a traffic jam in Peddar road, I can sympathize with the commuters, but this certainly is not the way to react to a statement.
I do hope however, that the BMC and the government do not take a decision based on emotions of either side! They should evaluate the project in terms of the costs, the potential benefits (i.e. will it really improve the traffic conditions? If so, by how much?), the timeframe, the environmental impact etc. The project should be implemented IF AND ONLY IF it makes sense using the above criteria - and not because some celebrity has opposed it or that people are all for it!
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