Mystery or Miracle

I have never had a good opinion on horoscopes and astrology. But I do, actually, strongly believe in destiny. Whatever is destined will happen for sure and whatever happens is always for good is my perception towards life and future. And I accept whole heartedly, that this perception evolved and wasn’t an overnight enlightenment.

Arranged marriage – seems to be a mystery for many people. But, I would address it as a miracle rather than using the term mystery. Even if it is mysterious, it is for sure in the happy sense.

I had been in the matrimony market for close to 2 years. Day in – day out, the talks at home would be only about calls received, interests sent, horoscopes given for match, horoscopes received from astrologer etc. It was a troublesome period for all of us. It was a stressful, painful, weird, awkward and irritating period.

And, one fine day, it happened.

Choooomantar...!

My mom called me during my office hours and said, she had received an interest-message from a guy who was registered in a leading matrimony site. I was just more than uninterested and told her that I would see it when I got back home. I approved it on the spot but was hesitant about a positive response from the other side. We spoke over the phone to break the ice and later met in the presence of our parents, on a Saturday, in a temple. The horoscope matching happened and succeeded after a lot of twists. And 4 weeks later, I was engaged to him. In a month, my two year struggle came to an end.

Two states – a very successful novel by Chetan bhagat. The book explains the complications of love marriages in India. But I personally feel that, ‘complications’ apply to arranged marriages as well. Though, arranged marriages have been customized and moulded as per current trends, the complexities are still manifold.

Starting from the likes, dislikes, perceptions, views of the couple, everything – every single thing – is placed abruptly on the table – like a shuffled pack of cards. Every card is like an unseen, unknown angle. As days pass, each member in the family understands these angles.

Such a complicated phase..!

Choooomantar...!

What if these angles are all the same between both the families?

What if there are no complexities?

No unknown perspectives?

No unhandled exceptions?

No unseen differences?
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What are such twists called?

Mystery? Miracle?

Sexual abuse - my perception

Abuse could have become a very frequently used term, at least in the near past. But when we try to place ourselves in the shoes of people who have undergone sexual abuse, we might end up being completely “LOST”. We have been hearing a lot of cases of sexual abuse. But I am sure that the known cases are like the tip of an ice berg – only 10% of the ice is visible to the human eye. Rest is hidden.

A girl is compared to a flower – soft and sensitive. The family adorns her like a princess. They are safe and secured inside the family cocoon. And she emerges as a butterfly – colorful, attractive and free. But is she safe outside her cocoon?

In current cases, is she safe in the cocoon?

When a girl under goes such a trauma, what happens?

Molestation could be life changing – obviously in the bad sense. People who have undergone the same lose their grip on daily activity, schedules and responsibilities. All they think is about the incident. All they see the replay of the incident. All they feel is the sensation on the skin which haunts them to death. Though they have people around them, they always feel lonely. They are continuously tortured by memories of the incident.

But in spite of all these, why don’t the girls open up to the people around? What stops them from doing the same?

Fear: of harsh words and taunts.
Shame: of having undergone the incident.

We can end up saying that facing such an incident wasn’t their fault. But she was the one who has undergone it. She needs a helping hand to overcome this stress. But what do the people around give her?

- Blame her.
- Taunt her with harsh words complaining about her carelessness.
- Bruise her more – mentally – suggesting better ways in which she could have handled the situation.

But is this what she needs? Aren’t these like adding more fuel to the fire which is actually consuming her tranquility?

Why are these incident dramatized so much?

- Is media trying to bring these into the lime light just for the sake of advertisement?
- Is the law and order handling these incidents, as they have to be?

The victim hesitates so much to open this up to her immediate family. She hardly does. Even when she does she gets weird responses from the circle. The most frequently suggested option would be to launch a complaint regarding the assault. But,

- Is that going to solve the problem?
- Is it going to ease her of the pain?
- Is it going to soothe her?
- Worst of all, will she be safe after complaining about the incident?

Let us have another perspective of these sexual assaults.

Are these assaults happening only in our country? Why are we so affected psychologically when we undergo such situations?

Will a western-woman face the same mindset when she faces such a situation? If no, then is the problem rooting down to the culture we have always been proud about?

Note: No offence meant.

Life

How many of us have understood the meaning of this article's title?
LIFE - Just a 4 letter word. But it might take a lifetime or even more to understand it’s worth and depth.

Children are mirrors of divinity. They are nature in human forms. They are the purest form of human beings. A child has the best view of life.

- Enjoys every single moment of the day.
- No brooding over petty things.
- No jealousy.
- No ego.
- No expectations.

A child lives.

How many of us learn from the child? To Live...

What happens when a child is born? This is where the race begins.

The parents dream. The family aims high. The neighbors and relatives suggest their opinions. These dreams, ambitions and opinions drop on the shoulders of the child. As the child becomes a part of this “racing” society, the clarity and perception it possessed by birth is replaced by the normal human thoughts. The 360° view is cramped to less than 10°. What is anchored in a child’s mind is to win and not to live; to learn and not to understand; to exist and not to live.

The actual enjoyment of every moment of a day is lost in this race.

Students study so hard, pass exams, take campus placements and join renowned institutions. But, how many of them have enjoyed their learning phase? How many of them had the passion for the subject that they qualified? How many of them wanted to be there where they are then?

We are running the race in a vague path. We are running towards the destination which is not fixed. We are running so fast that we are missing out the liveliest moments.

Isn't this race illogical?
Will we get these moments back?
Are we not fooling ourselves that we are moving towards the destination which is actually not defined?
Aren't we losing the race by not understanding the purpose of it?

Why are we in this world? To live or to win? Have we ever paused and thought why we were running?

When we look around we might see people who are running the race. But why are 'WE' running? Are we running the race for the sake of it or we really want to run the race? Have we analyzed the purpose why we were running?

When we have started to run the race without understanding its purpose, then it wouldn't be a race. It would be a MAZE.

How many of us have...

Enjoyed a cup of fresh filter coffee or cardamom tea?

Walked in the drizzle holding hands of our dear ones?

Gazed at the sky and counted the stars?

Fed someone in hunger and seen them smile?

Licked off a bar of chocolate completely?

Sat in the shore and dreamt of what is behind the horizon?

Attempted every opportunity that we had?

Smiled and enjoyed our days?
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To consolidate...

How many of us have LIVED at least a few moments of our life till date?

Unison

Tring Tring Tring... Her mobile rang. She looked up at the screen and smiled.

It was her fiancé. “Hi...” She said and smiled.

“I will be there in sometime. Max 5-7 minutes.”

“Ok, see you there.” She smiled again and disconnected.

She walked towards the place where they had decided to meet. She stood there and waited for him to come.

Clock ticks seemed slow.

Tring Tring... Again, it was him. She received his call.

“Where are you? I reached.”

“Oh. Is it? Ok...”

“Hmmm... But where are you?”

“Right beside you...” She turned around immediately.


There he was, a few feet away. He was dressed in the same colour as hers. He reached her in crisp steps. Standing next to her he smiled and spoke casually.

She looked up into his eyes and admired. They were so expressive and vibrant. When his eyes crossed hers, her world went blank.

While crossing the road, he held her hands. Even after he loosened his grip, she felt his fingers linger against her wrist.

It rained. They stood under an umbrella. Together. His arms brushed against hers. She froze.

They sat next to each other during the travel. Her world stood still.

She was consciously losing every war against him.

He was becoming an integral part of her life. His entry into her life had changed lot of things. He had changed the gears for her and the travel since then was smooth as never before.

Day in – Day out...

He was the one whom she thought about.

He was the one whom she wanted to spend time with.

He was the one whom she wanted to share her strengths and vulnerabilities.

He was the one whom she trusted more than she trusted herself.

When it was time to bid a goodbye that day, she felt her heart lose a piece. She knew she would never be complete without him. She wanted to tell him that he was the one whom she needed.

She felt his hand against hers. She looked up at him. He said...

“You are the one for me. And, you are the best of the bests that has happened to me. Thank you for everything.”
&
Their eyes dilated in unison...

மாற்றம்

காத்திருந்த என்னை..
கைத்தலம் பற்ற சம்மதித்து..
காதலி ஆக்கிக் கொண்டாய்..

கனவுகள் தந்தாய்..
நினைவில் நின்றாய்..உன்னை
கருத்துடன் சுமந்தேன்..

மனைவி ஆகப் போவதாய் நினைத்தேன்..
முதலில் என்னை தாய் ஆக்கி விட்டாய்..

உன் விழிகள்

விழி திறந்து..
திசை நோக்கி..
விடியலை வரவழைக்கும்..
உன் விழிகளுக்கு..
வேறொன்றும் அறியாத என்னை..
வீழ்த்தவும் தெரியுமோ..

Why?

I don't understand why..

it hurts..
To close my eyes and lie on my back..
it pains..
To listen to music..
it troubles..
To stay awake in the night..
it suffocates..
To see your name anywhere..
it pricks..
To walk alone in the rain..

I don't understand why..

I search for words to explain..
How I feel without you..
why..
I always look for something..
That reminds me of you..
why..
I check the calendar to count..
The number of days left to meet you..
why..
I break down everytime I see..
The messages sent by you..

I never knew..
Loneliness was so cruel..
I never knew..
Loving was so painful..
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I never knew..
I loved you so much..

New Turn

Life had taken a new turn.

Her parents were happy. Her immediate family was enjoying. Her cousins were having fun teasing each other. The elders were recollecting their olden days and having fun.

She stood there looking at the smiles. She stood there looking at the winks.
She stood there looking at the guests. She stood there looking at their baggage.

He had come into her life like a bolt out of the sky. After the incident, things had fallen in place. Everything had changed for her too – most unexpectedly.

Life was never this beautiful.
Beach was never this lively.
Rain was never this special.
Calls were never this long.
Waiting was never this pleasurable.
Adjusting was never this easy.
Explaining was never this unnecessary.
Understanding was never this perfect.

This day was indeed special. Not only for her, but for the entire family as well.

In another few minutes...

He was going to add another face to her life.
He was going to become an integral part of her life.
He was going to come into her life to share everything she possessed.
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She was getting engaged to him.

Thank you

Pranathi had survived a hectic day at office. Having been assigned a show-stopper and a couple of high priority defects it was a horrible time for her through the day. When she looked up the office was already almost empty. The time was 9:03 PM. She walked out of her ODC and reached the bus terminal.

A bike crossed her in full speed. After a few seconds, she heard consecutive screams of a girl and then a ‘Brrroooom’.

When Pranathi moved towards the scream-source, what she could see was just “BLOOD”. A girl was stabbed, a few times, by a guy who raced off in a bike.

The girl was whimpering in pain and drenched in blood. She was moaning in acute pain and gesturing for water. A large crowd had gathered around her and was peeping to check the scene. Pranathi crossed the crowd and went close to the girl. All she could do instantly was to hold the girl’s hand.

“Move away…!” was the first statement from Pranathi. “Let her get some air. Please move away. Don’t surround her like this. Please let her breathe”. She kept screaming as she signaled the mob to disperse.

Pranathi quickly dialed the ‘Highway Patrol’ number and waited. There was no response. She tried again but in vain. She looked at the girl. The girl was losing lot of blood – a stab in the neck, left arm and left abdomen. She was still requesting for water with signs and moans.

Pranathi tried to speak to her to keep her conscious and said that she should not be drinking water as it could cause suffocation. Suddenly Pranathi remembered a number printed on an ambulance of ‘Global Hospital’ which she had seen in the morning. She quickly called up and placed a request for an ambulance.

She covered the girl’s neck with her scarf, her kerchief on the girl’s arm and her duppatta and covered the wound in the abdomen. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later and the hospital representatives asked for the person who launched the complaint. Pranathi joined the girl to the hospital. The girl was moved into ICU immediately.

An hour later, Pranathi was questioned by the cops during when she came to know that the girl’s name was Jamuna. Jamuna’s family arrived at the hospital sometime later in the night. Pranathi washed herself and placed a call to her parents about the incident. Her father offered to come to the hospital immediately.

Jamuna’s brother fell to Pranathi’s feet and thanked her. Jamuna’s mom hugged her tight and cried her heart’s content. She also said that she would be grateful through her life for her help. By then Pranathi’s dad also arrived. A few minutes later, the doctor said the patient was out of danger and was willing to meet ‘Pranathi’.

All the eyes looked at Pranathi.

Pranathi walked towards the room. Right outside the door, she paused and looked back.

Jamuna’s mom gestured her to go on. Her eyes looked peaceful for the first time in the night.

Pranathi’s dad’s face was shining in pride and he also acknowledged affirmatively.

Pranathi walked into the ward. Jamuna was semi-conscious but was breathing steadily.

Pranathi touched Jamuna’s hands and held it. Jamuna opened her eyes. There was a small smile and she gestured Pranathi to come closer. When Pranathi moved closer, Jamuna said…
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Thank you!

Don’t Hope.. Decide

While waiting to meet a friend at the airport in Chennai, I had one of those life-changing experiences. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me.

Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.

First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other’s face, I heard the father say, “It’s so good to see you, Sunil. I missed you so much..!” His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, “Me, too, appa”

Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son’s face in his hands said, “You’re already THE young man, Pratheek!” They too hugged a most loving, tender hug.

While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother’s arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said, “Kutti paapa” as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment.

After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, “And… you…!” and proceeded to give his wife the longest, hug. They stared at each other’s eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands.

For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn’t possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm’s length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, “How long have you been married?”

“Fourteen years” he replied, without breaking his gaze from his wife’s face.

“Well then, how long have you been away” I asked.

The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile. “Five whole days!”

Five days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he’d been gone for at least several weeks – if not months. I know my expression betrayed me. I said almost offhandedly, smiled and tried to look away murmuring, “I hope my marriage will also be..!”

The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye and told me, “Don’t hope… decide..!”

Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again…

Was I Silly??

The alarm was already snoozed for the third time and now I had started sweating also.

‘May be I should get up…’

After a long struggle, I rose from my bed. I looked at the clock… It was 7:03 AM – Saturday morning.

Quite early for me… for a Saturday morning… But still…

I was out of my bed. I brushed my teeth and sat to sip a cup of mother-made-yummy-coffee. I heard my mom say – “Yezhunthachula. Walking polame…” (Anyway, you are awake. Why don’t you go for a walk?)

As usual I did not feel like going for a walk. I just neglected her statement and finished the coffee. When I came out of my home to water the plants, my cycle looked at me and frowned.

I had got the cycle when I came back to Chennai from Mumbai but had hardly used it. It was all dusty and dull. I felt guilty for having ignored it for so many days. I dusted it and it was back in form within minutes.

I decided to go for a drive at least to show the neighborhood that I had a shining-self-cleaned cycle..!

I left from home and drove towards an undefined destination. I pedaled at my full speed for a few minutes and identified that I had taken my daily office route. I decided to cycle till CMBT and come back – a total distance of close to 10 KMs…

I stood at every signal, waited for it to go green and pedaled at full force to keep up with my road-mates. It was real fun to stand at the beginning of the traffic and to race with the fellow vehicles.

While coming back home, say at the last signal towards home, I saw people continuing to ride even when the signal was Red. I was not ready to continue my ride. I waited.

10 seconds… A tourist bus crossed me.
15 seconds… A D70 bus crossed me.
20 seconds… Few two-wheelers passed me.
25 seconds… An AC bus passed me.

I kept waiting. The signal wasn’t changing. I started to feel embarrassed. I felt as though all the eyes were staring at me.

Cring Cring Cring…

I heard a bell and turned around to see a tri-cycle filled with vegetables.

“En ma nikkara. Poga vendiyathu thaanae.” (Why are you waiting? Why don’t you go ahead?)

I silently pointed at the signal which was still Red.

“Athellaam paathaa aagathu. Po ma…” (Won't work out if you wait. Go on.)

I saw the vendor move ahead muttering “Vevaram illaatha ponnu” (Silly girl…)
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Was I silly??

Internet chat with God

I found this article very interesting.. so thought will share it with you all..

God: Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No..Who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity
frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can’t figure it out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life becomes better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can’t we be free from problems?

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God: when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask Why me" Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who I am, why am I here. I can’t get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to with a new sense of inspiration.

God: Well...
Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.
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Life is what we make it.. Always has been.. And always will be..!

Smile

I was having lunch with one of my colleagues, Vinith, at office where we had started discussing about matrimonial market. I questioned Vinith about his marriage. He said, he was in love already and his would surely be a love marriage. My curiosity was at its peak and the conversation continued…

“So, you are in love?” I questioned again.

“Yes.” Vinith replied in a cool tone.

“Do your parents know?” The next question was already dwelling in my mind.

“No. I’ll tell them post my elder brother’s marriage. But, her parents know.” He looked up at me. His look said that he hadn’t finished. So, I didn’t pitch my next question. He continued.

“And they are completely fine.” His face lit up with a sweet smile.

“Nice..!” I had already stopped eating now I put my spoon down too.

“But, there will be problems, I know.” Vinith continued and smiled again.

“Like?” My curiosity was very obvious in my tone. “Different caste?” I continued.

“Not caste”. He smiled fully. “This is inter-state”.

“Where is she from?”

“Madhu Saha. Bengali. She is from Kolkata. They are now residing at KKNagar.”

“Then how do you guys talk?” I was really very surprised.

“English..!” Vinith said and smiled again.

“Really..??!!!”

My voice was much above my normal pitch; my eyes bold and bright and eyebrows painfully stretched and curved.

The conversation continued and he narrated how she had maintained an unknown identity for more than 2 weeks during when she had made up that she was in love with him and was willing to live her life with him. Not able to track down any friends who could talk so well in English, he had asked for an in-person meet during when he had identified that she was his gym friend. Madhu had also confessed that she was in love with him from day one. They had spoken about the possibilities of this relationship for a few months and given a green signal for it. Madhu had convinced her parents with no trouble and the relationship was going on smoothly.

After coming back to my seat, I was feeling energetic. Something had happened that had improved my mood and poured in me lot of positive energy. I closed my eyes and tried to recollect.
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Vinith’s smiles flashed in my mind. Then, I smiled too…

Smile like a sunflower and the world smiles with you..! :)
~ Unknown

Unbelievable

It was an unbelievable offer...

Lunch @ the Le-Royal-Meridien... On Day 4...!

On the occasion of 10 years of partnership between my employer and my client, the offshore team was offered Team Lunch at the above mentioned 5 star hotel. The entire team was picked up from SEZ in bus by 11:50 am. When we reached the hotel it was close to 1 pm.

We walked into the hotel in batches. Welcomed by a lighted-water-fountain and 4-level hanging light I was already impressed. The ambience was amazing and mind blowing. We walked a few steps down to enter the basement were the lunch buffet was being served.



The floor was awesomely decorated with wall hangings, paintings and ceramic articles. One side of the hall was an artificial waterfall (behind the glass door). That waterfall point very soon became “Facebook-Profile-Picture-Click” location. The misted glass and the waterfall, indeed was a nice point to have a click.



If you look closely, you can find my partial mirror image in the above click.

Adjacent to the buffet hall was the hotel Ball-Room, where the client meet was actually scheduled... (Funny...!) When I looked up, the ceiling was beautifully decorated with blue-glowing-crystals in bubble shapes. A section of the ceiling was mirrored which made me feel that people were walking upside down on the ceiling. We were 450+ people and the hall could still accommodate more people.

The lunch was served and below was the menu:

• Gobi Kurma
• Daal Tadka
• Aalu fry
• Panneer Tikka Dry
• Bindi Masala
• Veg Kofta
• Naan
• Mint-Cashew pulav

• Italian Pasta
• Potato-Curd salad
• Sprouts salad
• Sweet Corn salad
• Semiya curd rice

The Dessert list:

• Vanilla or Butter Scotch Ice cream
• Custard pineapple pudding
• Jelebi with Rabdi

If you were awaiting a big list of non-veg dishes, I am so sorry. There were only 2: Butter Chicken and Fish Fry.

I feasted on the desserts thrice and filled my tummy. After completing the fantabulous feast, we were asked to assemble at the Ball-Room for the client meet. My so-called-brain started working...

I was at Guindy which is very close to my residence. We had already decided that, post the client meet we would go home directly and saying so, we had carried our bags too. I was waiting for a good chance to sneak out stealthily and abscond from there.

I planned and sat in the corner seat of the last-but-one row. People kept walking into the room and the back row seats were getting filled very quickly. Suddenly the last row was asked to occupy the front seats. My heart skipped a beat – may be next would be my row...! I kept my fingers crossed...

Then a few delegates walked into the room. My mood dropped completely thinking about the utter failure of my plan. The guests were seated in the front and there was a lot of hustle-bustle in the room. Suddenly, the power fluctuated and the room went dark. In a second, the room was lit with emergency substitutes.

After 15 seconds, when the power was back, my seat was empty...

Frankie??!!

I never expected that I would end up eating a FRANKIE...!

Being the first day of induction at HCL... it was a tiresome day. Submitting documents, getting documents verified, attending policy explaining sessions, intranet portal walkthrough sessions... My god...! The sessions were too exhaustive and ripping me of my energy...

After completing the sessions and my joining process, I made my debut to the “Cafeteria”.

It was a two floor food court. Though not as big as Infy’s Food Court, the counters in the cafeteria were interesting – Madurai Appu restaurant, Muffin parlour, Ratna cafe, Pitstop, Curry & Noodles and... A FRANKIE corner...!!??!!

I had tasted a Frankie long back in my college days. Whenever I visited Nilgiris with my hostel friends, we all used to feast on Frankies with Lemon Iced Tea. When I was lost in my memories, the Frankie smell got me back into state. I smiled at the vendor and ordered a Panneer Tikka Frankie.

I munched on it, actually ate it piece by piece and relished it. It was hot, fresh, yummy, spicy and tasty...!



For Frankie lovers, this is the home-made Frankie Recipe:

1) Make wheat-maida (80:20) dough with water, oil, a pinch of salt and set it aside for an hour.
2) Chop onion, tomato. Deep fry them in oil. Add salt, pepper powder, chilli powder, garam malasa, coriander and leave it on low flame till they roast to golden colour. Add asafoetida and garnish with coriander and ghee. Set the gravy aside.
3) Make chapathis with the dough.
4) Add oil to the tawa and roast both sides of the chapathi to golden colour.
5) Spread ghee on top of the chapathi. Spread the Tomato-Onion gravy on the chapathi.
6) Sprinkle Chaat Masala on the chapathi and roll it.
7) Place the rolls on the Tawa and sprinkle water.
8) Cover the rolls with the Tawa-Cover and leave it on low flame for 1-2 minutes.
9) Then remove the rolls and serve them with sauce.

Hope you guys enjoy the FRANKIE..!!

Bubbye Infy..!

When I look back today, there are a lot of things to think about from Jan 23, 2012 to till date.

Joining Infy was not an instant decision. Having missed two rating cycles horribly in my previous company, the only thought that stuck in my mind was to quit and prove my worth-for-a-hike to my managers. I had two offers – Infy and CTS of which I chose the former. But...

• Paranur was a station which I had never heard off.
• Mahindra City, Chennai was not even in my globe.
• Making a note of train timings and running to catch trains hadn’t been in my daily schedule.
• Missing trains and waiting for the next train – I had never thought I would undergo it.

Gone were those days when going to Chengelpet was “Oorukku porathu” (going out of town). MCity has become an IT employment hub. Close to 20,000 people commute to MCity everyday – but MCity is actually amidst forest. There are a few more things that come to my mind when I think about my Infy life...

Train Pass:
Not being a regular train commuter, I had never had a necessity to buy train passes. When I enquired the ticket vendor about the train to board for Infosys, Mahindra City, he said, it was better to take the pass till Chengelpet as fast trains stop both in Mambalam and Chengelpet. I purchased my first train sub-urban monthly pass on Jan 23, 2012.

Samosa:
"நாலு பத்து ரூவா நாலு பத்து ரூவா சூடான சமோசா.."
Not having travelled for more than 20 minutes continuously in sub-urban trains, Samosa vendors were completely unknown to me. These vendors carry a basket full of bright-orange-coloured samosas with oil-fried-green chills. It does smell and look yummy and I have tasted them a few times.

Paranur Station:
Paranur is the station just before Chengelpet i.e. 9th from Tambaram. (Perungalathur – Vandalur – Oorapakam – Guduvanchery – Potheri – Katankalathur – Maraimalai nagar – Singaperumal Koil and... finally... Paranur)

Not having heard of this station, when I enquired about it in the railway ticket counter, he said, “The train will become almost empty in this station. Get down with the mass.” Paranur station wasn’t like the previous stations. It was completely modelled and constructed by “The Mahindra” and it is posh and attractive.

Shuttles:
Infosys shuttles picked up its employees from Paranur station to the Infy campus. The shuttle travel was about 7-9 mins. The shuttles were of 3 different models – Single centre door low platform bus, double door low platform bus and single front door 3+2 seat bus. Off late, I always preferred the second model as people could easily board and alight from the shuttle easily.

Infy Campus:
The Infy campus starts with a security check and turnstile. This is where the employee attendance is accounted. We need to scan our bags, swipe our card, go in, take our bags and walk on. The campus consists of B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, FC1, FC2, FC3, Leisure block and ECC. There are 2 bus bay entrances one close to B4 and another close to B1 from where we have to board the shuttles to Main Gate and Paranur. Apart from these, we have a cricket ground (which was never used according to me, till I was there) and amphitheatre (which was rarely for cultural celebrations alone).

Food Courts:
Infy food courts are special due to various reasons. Most of my “Jobless” times and “special-friend” times had been in the food courts.

FC1 is a dual floor food court and FC2 is a big ground-level court. KCS coffee shop in FC1 and Kaveri coffee shop in FC2 were my evergreen points to relax with my friends. Apart from these two points, the cafeteria in the ground flood of B8-C wing was my all time favourite for evening snacks. The Dominos in FC2 was my most liked treat point. Latest entry into FCs was the soda corner. Though I am not sure of the most liked flavour of mine, the memories associated with them are really awesome.

Leisure Block:
The most visited place in the Infy campus is the Leisure block. It consists of the CCD, ICICI bank, More, Bowling point, Carom & TT point, Connections and few more. I learnt bowling only after joining Infy. The times when I played and enjoyed with my friends were really memorable. Few Fridays had been special – bowling followed by treats at the Juice shop or pastry shop. My farewell happened at the CCD.

Last but not the least...


Friends:
My life at Infy wouldn’t be complete if I do not mention my friends. They made my stay awesomely pleasant and extremely memorable. Sundar Raman, Malathy, Shobana, Nayeem, Thenral, Anbu Raja and few others constituted more life, colour and spice to my life at Infy. Most of my “Enjoyed” times consisted of the above mentioned friends. Thank you friends for making my stay at Infy memorable.


Good Bye, Infosys..!

Vada Poche..!

I woke up hearing a ring in my mom’s phone.

Slowly I walked out of the bed room towards the socket where my mom’s mobile was getting charged.

It was my periappa. I answered the call.

“Hi periappa. Good morning.” I spoke sleepily.

“Chellam (Dear). Woke up?” His voice was loud and clear.

“Yes periappa. What are you doing?” I was almost awake.

“I am searching for your brother’s visiting card wallet. Can you check whether he had kept it there at your home, when he stayed there last Friday? Must be in your bed room...”

“Oh...” I crushed the words out of my mouth. My mind had already started wandering elsewhere.

“Give the mobile to your mom.” I heard his voice and passed on the mobile to my mom.

“Hello. Solungo. ” (Tell me.) Her voice trailed in the air as she moved away.

I had been hearing statements which establish the “extra-careful” nature of Shriram anna. My mom had always projected him as a role-model to me, whenever I was careless. She had mentioned that, he had even safeguarded his water bottle and lunch box which he had used in his junior KG..!!

I saw my mom search the wallet here and there. I sat up straight in the cot, crossed my legs and smiled.

Thank god. Anna lost something. Hereafter he won’t be projected to me as Mr. Careful.

I tapped the cot cheerfully and went to brush my teeth. When I came back into the hall, my mom was already on call. “Appdiya. Ok ok.” (Is it? Ok Ok.) and cut the call. I looked at my mom.

“Kedachuduthaam.” (Got it, it seems.)

ஆஹா.. வட போச்சே..!!

What do you want the most in life?

What do you want the most in life?

During a casual talk with my best friend, this question popped up. Though I ended up saying “Butter Scotch Milkshake and McAloo Tikki” and escaped that instance, the question stuck to my thought process. Post the conversation...

• I sat to check my FB updates. I couldn’t concentrate.
• I tried to listen to some songs. It didn’t work out.
• I decided to go for a walk. It wasn’t fitting my need.

What do I want the most in life? I didn’t know.

My thought process was very confusing. It was too strong and heavy. Random images of people, my successes, my failures, my passion, likes, dislikes, hobbies kept crowding my mind. My heart beat rate was picking up and I started sweating way too much than normal.

I sat down in my table and closed my eyes. I needed a helping hand, a support and a reliable shoulder to relax. Importantly, I needed coffee at that moment.

Creeeech..... My room door opened.

My mom walked into my room, placed the coffee-mug on my table, ruffled my hair and walked out of the room.

I turned and looked at her. She wasn’t looking at me; she didn’t even know what I was undergoing.

But the answer for the question popped up.

I hadn’t been a good daughter always. I had stuck to my decisions even when she had suggested that it would be troublesome to finish it successfully. After attempting and struggling in my attempt, I would come back and say, ‘Mom, you were right’.

She knew my strengths and my weaknesses. She knew where I would flourish and where I would fail. She knew when my temper would raise and when would cry. She knew what I wanted... always.

The aroma of the coffee filled my nostrils. I sipped it. It was hot and yummy. I looked at the mug. It was what I had designed and presented it for her birthday.

It read – “I love you mom... You are the best...”
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What do I want the most in life?

To keep my mom happy... And to know that I am the sole reason behind her happiness...