Dil-e-naadan tujhe hua kya hai?
Aakhir is dard ki dawaa kya hai?
Humko unse wafaa ki hai ummeed,
Jo nahin jaante wafaa kya hai.

- Ghalib

Think Of Me

Think of me
think of me fondly,
when we've said goodbye.
Remember me
once in a while -
please promise me
you'll try.

When you find that,
once again,
you long to take your heart back
and be free -
if you ever find
a moment,
spare a thought
for me

We never said
our love
was evergreen,
or as unchanging
as the sea -
but if you can still remember
stop and think
of me . . .

Think of all the things
we've shared and seen -
don't think about the things
which might have been . . .

Think of me,
think of me waking,
silent and
resigned.

Imagine me,
trying too hard
to put you
from my mind.

Recall those days
look back
on all those times,
think of the things
we'll never do -
there will
never be
a day,
when
I won't think of you . .

We never said
our love
was evergreen,
or as unchanging
as the sea -
but please
promise me,
that sometimes
you will think of me!

(These are words from the famous musical opera 'The Phantom Of the Opera'. Simply fascinating - I had the opportunity of watching it in Las Vegas at 'The Venetian', and it left me spellbound. The romance, the music, the costumes, the dances, the beautiful background sets, the wonderful lyrics, and last but not the least, the 'Phantom' himself. It was all so glamorous and fantastic, yet I felt it was so close to reality. Here is an excerpt of the plot, taken from the official website:

His voice calls to her, nurturing her extraordinary talents from the shadows of the opera house where innocent chorus girl Christine Daae makes her home. Only ballet mistress Madame Giry knows that Christine's mysterious "Angel of Music" is actually the Phantom, a disfigured musical genius who haunts the catacombs of the theatre, terrifying the ensemble of artists who live and work there.

When temperamental diva La Carlotta walks out in the middle of a dress rehearsal for the company's latest production, the theatre's eager new managers have no choice but to thrust Christine into the spotlight.

Her mesmerizing opening night performance captivates both the audience and the Phantom, who devotes himself to casting his protégé as the opera's next star. But he is not the only powerful man to be awed by the young soprano, as Christine soon finds herself courted by the theatre's wealthy patron, the Vicompte Raoul de Chagny.

Though she is enthralled by her charismatic mentor, Christine is undeniably drawn to the dashing Raoul, enraging the Phantom and setting the stage for a dramatic crescendo in which soaring passions, fierce jealousies and obsessive love threaten to drive the fated lovers past the point of no return.

)

Some people have the power to brighten up someone’s day. To make someone the happiest one could ever be. To tease all possible emotions, yet fulfill the deepest desires. To set on fire, electrify. To bring a zombie back to life. To invoke a smile that was long forgotten. To bring a song to the lips. To be one with your soul and stay there forever.

They are seldom aware of their power. I know of one such ignorant soul. Do you?

A Night to Remember

Dreams do come true….Fantasies do take form. The world conspires to give you what you want. The heart does feel content. You are at the top of the world.

Sometimes you do get whatever you wish for. Sometimes you make a night you will remember for life.

Alas, dreams do not last forever, and everything good has to end. It ends too soon.

The night of lights, cool breeze, music, a sweet scent, smiles, contentment, sheer nirvana: I will never forget you.

Hey there Delilah
What's it like in New York City?
I'm a thousand miles away
But girl tonight you look so pretty
Yes you do
Times Square can't shine as bright as you
I swear it's true

Last Saturday….

Last Saturday I was feeling gloomy. Not a good state to be in on a Saturday evening, I thought. So I called my friends and asked them if they were interested in getting out of the house. We decided to go for a movie.

I put on my favorite dress (which I usually do when I am gloomy, it gives me one reason to smile). Somehow I sensed a movie alone would not do the trick. I needed something more that night to lift my spirits.

The movie was lukewarm. It told a very simple story in a convoluted manner to make it look glamorous. I was unimpressed.

The universal feeling in the air stated that home should definitely not be our next destination. So off we went to Rookies (a sports bar). We thought a little drink and a game of pool would do us good.

There is nothing I enjoy more, than a good surprise.

As we approached the bar, we saw people in weird attires, shouting and laughing outside the bar. We soon realized to our astonishment, that there was a Halloween party going on inside! And since we were not in costume, we would be given the last preference to enter the already packed club. We joined the ordinary folks (read non-costumed junta) in the line for entry.

A patient ten minutes later we were part of the action. We entered this whole new world that was so completely cut out from the outside reality. I felt like I had entered a fairy tale. There were people so completely freaky-looking in their costumes, and the best part was that they were so completely enjoying themselves in it! I saw a hulk, a Dalmatian dog, Mr. Jigsaw (from Saw), a gladiator, a nurse, a Dracula, and a multitude variety of ghosts and fairies. At one instance I was waiting at the bar for my drink, and when I looked left there was a man with an ugly-hair wig, with a face painted pitch black, smiling spookily at me! For a moment I was taken aback at the sight. But then I, an ordinary soul that night, smiled back at the ghost who was the real hero of the moment.

There was so much positivity in the air…

There was a live band playing that people were dancing to and singing along with. Each one: age, build, sex no bar, had taken pains in getting into a costume, however weird it may make them look. They were so comfortable in it. Each one, inspite of being one in a group, was at the same time in his own world, did his own thing without caring what the other would think. It was very clear that each person in that room was trying his best to be happy and enjoy life to the fullest, atleast this one night, atleast here whoever they were with. It was as if life wouldn’t give them a second chance.

I decided to follow suit, and realized there was no time to waste being gloomy. I became part of the electric atmosphere. I grooved to the music, sang along the band, and became one of the many. I didn’t care that no one else danced with me (my friends were courteous enough to accompany me till the dance floor, but they just sat enjoying the view and drinks, and didn’t want to dance). I didn’t want to disturb their independence of enjoying themselves in their own way. I danced till my heart’s content.

Last Saturday I did find that ‘something more’ to lift my spirits. Salvation is indeed achieved through life’s simplest of pleasures.

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus

We've heard this a million times from a million different people. No other fact can be more established and 'in-your-face' than the truth that men and women are as different as science and magic. And although this is the title of what I intend to say, it is certainly not going to be the content of it.

The content rather is intended to resist this idea.

My claim is that we are not so different as is made out to be. And I especially emphasize this about one trait in which men and women are considered to act in completely opposite ways:

"Women act from the heart, men are practical and do not consult the heart once the brain has decided. "

I must have heard this from almost all men I have ever conversed with about this. They all gave me the same equation: men act with their brains ONLY. Using the heart is not manlike.

My experiences say something different though. I beg to completely differ.

Think about this again, which of these is true: Women do not use their brains when they make their decisions, or men do not use their heart when they make their decisions? I strongly believe neither is true at all.

Firstly, what does one mean by saying 'acting from the heart'? My best guess is it means acting out of emotions, acting out of essential human qualities, acting out of what we have been made of. And what does 'acting with the mind' signify? Being a woman, and as per myth never having exercised this trait restricted to a man's domain, I would again need to guess. To me it would mean keeping yours and other's best interests under consideration, and doing the best you can for yourself.

The best decision is one taken with the right mix of emotions and practicality governing you. A decision taken with either the heart or mind unemployed is only a half and shallow one.

So why then do men pride themselves over not using their heart and only using the brains? At the risk of sounding sexist, I am going to be frank with my very strong opinion on this. Men border close to insensitivity under the glamorous farce of practicality. It is a consolation they provide to their own conscience for acting in a way convenient to only them. I have witnessed men employing their Everest-sized egos, their raging hormones and their child-like stubbornness whenever they feel like it. So what are the emotions they are talking about never having used? Most times it is a lack of interest, and sometimes they are just lazy to want to use their 'heart', because it is most convenient not to use it. Why bother understanding something that doesn't affect their interests? It is just more convenient to say: "We are practical, we do not use emotions, so we do not even understand species that use emotions, read women." Easy escape.

I only have to say this: Wake up boys, do you really think we dig your 'practicality' drama?

(None of my male friends will be surprised to read this from me, they all know I am very strongly opinionated on this one. For the rest of the world, welcome to my world!)

Just When It Matters Most

The plan was flawless.

A perfect 'Saturday Night Out With Friends' was on the cards. I was especially looking forward to it for two reasons: I love to dance, and I was just done with a techie certi exam that I had cleared Saturday morning with flying colors, and wanted to reward myself with some dance n drink. Two compelling reasons to want to let go, have some fun and hit the dance club.

It was all well planned in my mind. I had a perfect dress for the night, the directions to the best club in town, and made sure I looked perfect after a good workout and a warm shower. I felt like heaven.

At this stage I have got to introduce to the readers my gang, who have a very important part to play in this comedy of errors. I had for company my very interesting friends, who for sake of confidentiality (at their extreme insistence), I will call Mr.Masala, Mr. Hoodie and Mr. IDP. The reason for choosing these names will be evident as you read on.....

The evening started with a plan to catch a movie at the cinemas, followed by dinner out, followed by the much awaited 'hit the dance floors' program of action. We arrived late at the cinemas to start with, so had to settle for a supposedly mediocre movie. The movie turned out to be far from mediocre, on the negative graph. It completely failed to impress. To add to the fact, I was feeling extremely hungry, and my mind wouldn't think of anything other than food, and I didn't let my friends do that either. We left half-way through the movie. At the time it was Mr. Hoodie, Mr. IDP and me trying to deal with the hunger pangs, so we decided to have Mr. Masala give us company. We called him and he suggested we meet at an Indian restaurant in downtown Hartford for dinner. He gave us some vague directions that I had some serious doubts on.

I was hungry, period. My mind wouldn't work. Hartford was a long drive away, and we were lost. If you think nothing can be worse, read on.....

After a 30 minute hunting quest for a restaurant called 'Masala', I was finally sitting behind some 'Tarkori Samosas' and relishing them. The waiter asked me if I wanted a drink, but I told him that I was 'saving that for later' in a very excited tone that was probably inexplicable to him. There were fine Californian wines lying around me, ones that would have gone wonderfully with Indian food, but I resisted my temptations for the sake of tequilas that I thought would follow later that night.

Post food, it was finally time to head for the club. Again, we didn't have directions and Mr. Masala gave us some vague instructions on how to get there. Lost and confused in the crowded and cryptic Hartford streets, I happened to skip a blinking red, and narrowly escaped being hit. As luck would have it, there was a cop right at our heels. His siren went active and we had to pull over. He left me with a warning, and I sighed with relief that I had not had any drinks at the restaurant. It also turned out that we were driving in the completely opposite direction from where we should have been, and the cop was kind enough to guide us to the right path. After leaving us, he was still watching us from his car, and that for some strange freaky reason made me very nervous. I took two consecutive wrong turns and he kept flashing his light at us, indicating 'there you go wrong again!'. My friends were starting to get frustrated with me (can't blame them!), and I vented it all out at them, blaming them for being so insensitive and making me nervous (that's the easiest way out for women, always works!)

Finally we reached the street where the club stood. Only parking was the issue now, we anticipated. We got into a paid park area, and I guess I was still not over the cop incident. While backing up my car into a parking area, I dashed it against the wall (OK, the last time I tried to back park was umm,....ummm....umm...let's leave it at that for now...). It was a rented Subaru and I was insured. But nevertheless the incident left me feeling low. My friends did their best to bring up my spirits, but at such times if there is one thing that can cheer me up, it's music. And music I had! As we approached out of the parking lot, we could hear the thump of music beats from multiple clubs that adorned the Hartford night life. I began to feel good and alive again. I couldn't wait to get on the dance floor and groove to the beats.

(So close, yet so far.....)

We reached the bouncer at the club entrance. He didn't let us in because one of my friends was wearing a hooded tee. Mr. Hoodie was civil enough to offer to stay out while the rest of us get in, but that was not even an option on my list.

Dejected though I was, I decided that the night was still young, and a dance club was not after all a place in Egypt or Hawaii, and not getting there was not such a great deal. I dearly missed being on the dance floor, but what the heck....I was still with my friends....and there were a million other things to do.

We did not get an entry into any of the other clubs/sports bars because one of my friends carried an International Driving Permit (IDP) as the only form of identification, which for some reason was unacceptable at clubs.

By the time we reached Middletown (our home town) my desperation for dance and drink had died down. It was 1 am in the morning. We went over to Mr. Hoodie's place, we played cards, listened to music, talked, laughed and chilled out. We spent the next 3 hours doing almost nothing else but being together, and laughing together about the night's fiascoes. After all, we each had a very major role to play in it! At 4 am, we retired to our respective homes.

I had recently watched a movie called 'Mystery Date', where the first and much anticipated date is ruined by a series of uncalled-for mishaps, and all the while the couple is trying to get out of messy situations. At the end they are frustrated, but then someone tells them that out of their entire lives, this is one night they will always remember.

I wonder...If the movie had turned out to be good, if we had easily found our way to the restaurant, if I had not skipped the blinking red and been stopped by a cop, if I had not taken those wrong turns one after the other while the cop was still watching, if I had not brushed my car against the wall while back-parking, if Hoodie wore a different teeshirt, if IDP carried his passport instead, if we had gotten into the club or bar......would the night have been as memorable? Mebbe not. It wouldn't have earned a mention on my blog for sure!

Penning down verses

Was in the mood to scribble down some verses today...sometimes your mind urges to write some stuff that makes no sense while its still in there....but when put into words it sometimes creates something meaningful. Here's what my mind was rambling about today:

I was hoping it would never come
The moment of goodbye
Was this real?, I wondered
It was time to descend after kissing the highs

Why do good times ever end?
The past is all I will ever have
The future doesn't matter anymore
And the present is too difficult to bear

We suddenly became strangers
'Take Care', were your last words to me
Two words was all it took
You thought they will set you free

I waited for you to stop me
Looking back every hopeful second
You had tears in your eyes, a smile on your face
You knew in your heart it was the end

You have to let go of what is dearest
if you want to be free; like a phoenix be reborn
But all things come at a cost my darling,
You shall weep in my memory long after I'm gone.

**************************************************

Amongst the crowd, you were special
In the blinding darkness, you were my light
In the deafening silence, you were my song
In the arid desert, you were my water
In the tears, you brought me a smile
In the lows, you were my high
In the deadly battles, you were my strength
In all the reasons to give up, you were one reason to keep going.

Will you ever understand what you meant to me?
You go on as usual, you don't hear me, see me, feel me.
I wish you knew, then you would never have let go....

In all the reasons to let go, this could have been one reason to hold on.

How does it feel to finally get to doing what you've waited to do since a very long time? EUPHORIC!

I finally got behind the wheel again today after an absence of six months. And the pleasure felt just as I had wanted it to feel. Surprisingly, the high anticipation of the moment did not diminish the joy at all, contrary to what usually happens.

I have been behind the wheel in India, but driving on the city roads is a far cry from it being pleasurable and relaxing. But driving along open roads or along winding summer lanes is just what my heart seeked and attained. And that I can easily do here in US.

Ofcourse, being at home has other unparalleled pleasures. But while I'm jet-setting on and off, I might as well enjoy the best of both worlds!

Come to think of it, a man would probably unravel the universe's mysteries one day, but he will still remain clueless about a woman's psyche. I guess size doesn't matter after all.

Summer Tales

I just had a perfect summer afternoon....aaahhh...so relaxing.....

Went for a refreshing swim in the warm waters of the pool, followed by a cold shower, and then basked in the sun with my book for company. I now have a moderate tan and a completely rejuvenated soul.

This is the life! :)

Is it that one does not often get what he wants the most, or is what he does not get become what he wants the most when he does not get it? Not sure....The mind plays strange games.

Quidditch et al

Potter fever is in the air once again, and as much as I hate to admit, I am very much one of the victims galore smitten by it.

I have a diversity of intellectual books on my bedside table, each patiently awaiting it's turn to earn my attention. But at the end of a tiring day, in the 30 minutes of pre-bedtime leisure, when I am cosily cushioned in my blanket with my little yellow teddy for company, I can't help but reach out for Potter boy. Somehow the happenings in the life of a regular teenage orphaned wizard battling against a wicked, adult and powerful one, seem more appealing to me at that time of the night than knowing about where I should be investing my money and why the market prices have fallen and just how strong the rupee is getting against the dollar.

Don't get me wrong, I do read intellectual factual stuff besides fantasy. I am also not saying that Harry Potter is the best fantasy ever imagined or written. The point I'm trying to make is, take a Potter book in your hand and it's difficult to put it down. Whatever the incentives.

I'm sure many would disagree. "The prose is very simple with no complex frills. The story is after all just about a kid. What can be more fantastic than a wizard world? It's nothing more than some charms and spells borrowed and concocted from the Latin language. It's only hyped by the media. It's stuff that the kids read! Not for grownups."I'v had these reactions from many uninterested muggles who couldn't care less about anyone named Potter, or his Nimbus 2000. Most of them have never read a Potter book or even watched the movies. Guys, what can be a more disappointing attitude than dismissing something without giving it a fair chance? And that too coming from fantasy readers and believers that anything is possible?

Potter stories appeal to me for many reasons. For starters, it is precisely because they are so fantastic and away from our world, that it is too good to be unbelievable! If aliens can exist, then so can wizards. If airplanes can fly, why not broomsticks? Those who think the story is only about a kid swooshing his wooden wand are way off target and know nothing. At the end of the day, the story is about how good wins over evil not because of the usual goods, but because of support from well-wishers and close friends, and a lot of courage (and yes,luck too). Some of the things that Professor Dumbledore tells Harry can really be good food for thought. (So who said Potter books are not intellectual? :) ). And lastly, the stories do have good plots. Each character is so well etched out and believable. Hermione is so much like I was during my school days! And there's a Ron everywhere I look.

Another very interesting aspect of the story, which I believe is also the real essence of the Potter plot, is that Harry (who is all good) is depicted to be very similar in many ways to Voldemort (who is a genius but in a wicked way). Both are orphans, both are Parselmouths (those who can talk to snakes), both are wizards with unusual talent and power, both have been through a difficult childhood, both Hogwarts geniuses. But one is good, the other is bad. And the constant battle between the good and bad is what makes the crux of this entire mania. Come to think of it, does this not resemble the constant battle between the good and bad in us? There is no denying that there resides an angel as well as a devil within each of us, and whichever amongst the two is victorious when we make our decisions is what makes us what we are. The story depicts that with the right support from our friends and family, with the courage we have within us, and with some good advice, we can make the angel win over the devil in us, even though the devil may be more powerful.

And they say it's a book for kids! :)

So which spell would you prefer to use? "Avada Kedavra" (the Killing Curse) or "Expecto Patronum" (the Shielding Curse)? Well for now the one I want to chant is "Disapparate!" Au revoir! (sound in background:'Pop')

kaise bhulaoon?

tumhe yaad hoga ke nahin
tanha lamhon mein ye khayaal saath deta hai
vo pehle sparsh ka ehsaas
mujhe abhi bhi yaad hai
kaise bhulaoon batla do.

kya tumhe yaad hai
humne nainon ki bhaasha seekhi thi
chupke se tumne apni preet jataai thi
vo lamha ab sapnon mein dekhti hoon
kaise bhulaoon batla do.

yaad hain vo pal?
meri zulfon mein ungliyaan pherna tumhara
vo har waqt mujhe sarhaana
apne hoton ki baansuri banaana
kaise bhulaoon batla do.

itne paas the
saans leti thi to tumhari khushboo aati thi
ab vo aalam hai ki gayaa waqt sapna sa lagta hai
poochh sakti hoon kya mera naam yaad hai tumhe?
par mein tumhe kaise bhulaoon, zaraa batla do.

- Manisha

The Pune Tamtam - An Endangered Species

A lucky few have survived, and all operations are on to save them from extinction.

Introducing to the rest of the world, 'the Tamtam' (also called the six-seater, but this is a complete misnomer) that runs as a form of public transport vehicle in some parts of Pune. Typically black in color, this species can be found carrying an overwhelming number of people from point A to point B. Easy to spot, each occurring within minutes of the other, the tamtam is a popular hit amongst the Punekars.

Ideally the vehicle's capacity is 6 passengers. But the tamtam believes in exceeding expectations, and takes double the capacity. Ofcourse, the tamtam driver has to arrange the passengers in a way so as to balance the load all across, or there are very high chances that the tamtam may topple off if one heavy memsahib sits at one end. But at most times the tamtam drivers are efficient at their job. Occasionally you spot a few light weight boys hanging on one foot from the tamtam as well. The principle is simple: Use whatever space you have to make money. Even if the space is as less as to fit just a person's foot.

If you belong to the 'touch-me-not' types, this is not a place for you. You have to leave your inhibitions behind and adjust yourself so that you can make a place for you till you reach your destination. It is amazing to see how accommodating people can be in this little enclosure. Each one adjusts for the other. If only people were as accommodating in their personal lives too!

Every trip from point A to B makes the tamtam's driver richer by 60 bucks atleast, considering it is holding 12 passengers. The driver's seat is occupied by 3 passengers, other than the driver ofcourse. The rear seats hold 8 more, and one is found hanging from the vehicle, balancing on just his foot and holding the tamtam by his arm (displaying an amazing act of acrobatics).

Proudly cruising away at a speed of 25 km/hr, with not less than 13 people on board, a cloud of black smoke as it's leave-behind trail, being the highest contributor to Pune's pollution (one of the reasons for it's possible extinction in the future), at 5 bucks charged per person, this ride is action-packed, adventurous and cost-effective. Need a ride? Hop-in!

Ever Wondered?

How silent it must be in a graveyard by the night....
How lonely must heaven be.....
How vast would the universe be....
Just how small are we in it....
How scary would it be to look death in the face....
How would nirvana feel....
What is our purpose in this life....
How much can your own fear scare you....
How would it feel to be left as the only human on earth....
How would it feel to win a Wimbledon title....:)

Did You Know?

A 7 year old chimp is as powerful as an adult human.
By the time he reaches the age of 12, he is 5 times more powerful than an adult human.

Adaptation

Adaptation-Here's an excerpt of the dictionary meaning:

1. the state of being adapted; adjustment.
2. Biology:a form or structure modified to fit a changed environment.
3. Physiology: the decrease in response of sensory receptor organs, as those of vision, touch, temperature, olfaction, audition, and pain, to changed, constantly applied, environmental conditions.
4. Sociology: a slow, usually unconscious modification of individual and social activity in adjustment to cultural surroundings.
5. The act of making suitable to an end or the condition of being made suitable to an end.

As per the theory of adaptation proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, giraffes stretched their necks in response to higher leaves, that led them to adapt and the future generations inherited the long necks. A sloth, well known for it's sluggishness, has in reality adapted itself to being so slow and 'slothy'. It is precisely the laziness that keeps him away from harm's way. Did you know that a sloth would usually not cover more than five metres in an hour? The slow speed keeps him unnoticed by his predators.

The best example of adaptation is how the human body and mind adapt to pain. When the pain reaches an unbearable limit, the mind slowly gets numb to it. It is also amazing how the mind adapts to the fact that the person is soon going to die. Facing death in its face is I'm sure a scary thought, but the mind adapts eventually. This is so well illustrated in Iron Maiden's song "Hallowed Be Thy Name", where the prisoner is about to be taken to the gallows, and at first the idea of death terrifies him. But finally when he acknowledges that death is his certain fate, he is not scared to die anymore, and sees the living world as a mere illusion.

When I returned to my country after a very long absence, in the initial days I felt like a stranger between my own people. I felt 'out-of-place' in my own home. It's been four months since I'm back. I am still getting accustomed to driving on the left side of the road. I have started to write dates in DD-MM-YYYY format, as opposed to MM-DD-YYYY format. I do not put hyphens between digits of my phone number anymore. I have packed my favorite boots in the closet because I know I will not be able to wear them for the next four months due to the incessant rains.

As long as change is a constant reality, the need for adaptation will remain so too.

It isn't time that's passing

Remember the long ago when we lay together
In a pain of tenderness and counted
Our dreams: long summer afternoons
When the whistling-thrush released
A deep sweet secret on the trembling air;
Blackbird on the wing, bird of the forest shadows,
Black rose in the long ago summer,
This was your song:
It isn't time that's passing by,
It is you and I.

- Ruskin Bond

Double Standards

Money is important to have a good life....Money cannot bring happiness.
Dare to dream....Dreams never come true, live in the real world.
Exceed expectations....Leave all expectations from life if you want to be happy.
Try your luck....Be a self-made man, luck doesn't take you anywhere.
Love life....Don't be scared of death.
You have one life, enjoy it to the fullest.....Practise discipline and constraint.
Join a gym, look better in 10 days....Beauty is not limited to physical appearance.
What is life without love?....Love is an illussion, what exists is only lust.
Go get it!....Weigh the odds, be practical.
God resides within each of us....You have to walk a long path of spirituality before you reach God.
Work hard....Work smart.
Fight for your rights....War destroys.

Where do I strike the balance? It's gonna take me my whole life just trying to figure out the right way to live!!

Recently I watched the movie 'Umrao Jaan' (the old one featuring Rekha). It's a sensitive and well made movie, and provokes an interest in the medieval times and traditions of Lucknow. The nawaabi lifestyles of prostitutes, music, dances and shaayaries. And somewhere between all the 'ayaashi', the essential human emotions of love, jealousy, loneliness and failure persisting at large....

As always, I picked up a few shaayaries from the movie that I liked :) Here they are:

****
Ab aap saamne hain to humein kuchh bhi naheen yaad
Varna kuchh aapse humein kehna zaroor tha...
****
Tu mujhe chaahe na chaahe, ye tere bas mein to hai
Aur mein tujhko na chahoon, ye mere bas mein naheen
****
Kis kis tarah se mujhko na ruswa kiya gayaa
Gairon ka naam mere lahoo se likha gayaa
Kyon aaj uska zikr mujhe khush na kar sakaa
Kyon aaj uska naam mera dil dukha gayaa
****

To the mountains...

I recently visited a place called Matheran, a tiny hill station and tourist destination, close and almost equidistant from both Pune and Mumbai. The place keeps pulling me back for the peaceful atmosphere it offers.

Matheran is the tiniest hill station in India, at a height of about 2,625 feet above sea level. The climate is usually pleasant, a welcome break from the scorching heat of Pune. It has a population of about 6000 locals, where almost everyone knows everyone else. The name 'Matheran' means 'Forest on Top', and the name justifies the place. The soil is typically red, and the paths are shaded on both sides by trees, hiding beautiful valleys. Matheran was discovered during the British reign in India, by the then district collector of Thane, Hugh Malet. The British developed Matheran as a popular resort to beat the summer heat in the region. Signs of British architecture are evident from some of the older archaic resorts. The only forms of transport here are horses, hand-pulled rickshaws, or by foot. This ensures two things: one, that the place remains cool and devoid of pollution, and two, that you get ample exercise with all the walking. You will typically see a lot of monkeys here, and you had better take care if you are carrying any food on you!

I have been visiting this place regularly ever since I was a kid. As I said, the place keeps pulling me back. It's a perfect weekend getaway, especially for a person like me who loves the mountains.

There is a train that takes you through the mountaineous ghats up to your destination from Neral, or you could take a cab, which is much faster. As always, the journey is more fun than the destination. On the way I got off wherever my heart felt like, and got some good pictures of the valleys. Feasted on some delicious guavas, cucumbers, and lime juice, to beat the summer heat.

At Matheran I have seen almost all the 'points' already (a point is what they call a place where you can expect a breathtaking view, or simply a term for some location of significance). Yet I saw many new things, the place never stops to surprise me. Took some really good pictures, lost my way on occassions, discovering a whole new way in the process, walked a lot, and treated myself to some local dishes like 'kanda bhaji'. At one instance I saw a huuuge bat, lying dead hanging from two electric wires. It was probably electrocuted the night before. Although dead, its skin was still gleaming. I had never seen a bat so closely before.

This time I visited 'Monkey Point', which was graced by the presence of a singular monkey. It was a pleasant morning, and I stood at the brink of the steep slope that led to a deep valley. The wind was blowing in my face, and I saw a beautiful eagle gliding gracefully high in the sky. I flew with it, albeit without wings.

When it was time to return, I felt bad about getting back to the mundane monotony of daily life, but I was happy that I was returning with pleasant memories.

Tang aa chuke hain kashmakashe zindagi se hum
Thukra na dein jahaan ko kahin bekhudi se hum

Hum ghamzadaa hain, laayen kahaan se khushi ke geet
Denge vohi jo paayenge is zindagi se hum

Ubhrenge ek baar abhi dil ke valvale
Maana ki dab gaye hain ghame zindagi se hum

Lo aaj humne tod diya rishtaa-e-ummeed
Lo ab kabhi gila na karenge kisi se hum...

Gham is kadar badhe ke mein ghabraake pee gayaa
Is dil ki bebasi pe taras khaake pee gayaa

Thukra rahaa tha mujhko badi der se jahaan
Mein aaj sab jahaan ko thukraake pee gayaa..

Meherbaan hoke bula lo mujhe chaaho jis waqt
mein gayaa waqt nahin hoon ke phir aa bhi na sakoon

Zauf mein taanaa-e-aghyaar ka shikwaa kya hai?
baat kuchh sar to nahin ke uthaa bhi na sakoon

Zeher milta hi nahin mujhko sitamgar varna
kya kasam hai tere milne ki ke kha bhi na sakoon.

(zauf - weakness, tanaa - taunt, aghyaar - enemy,
shikwaa - complaint, sitamgar - oppressor)

- Ghalib

Love this song

Here's Tere Bin (Rabbi) with translations, what awesome words... how fortunate is the person who has experienced love like this...

tere bin / besides you
sanu sohnia / my love
koi hor nahio labhna / i shan't find another
jo dave / who'll give
ruh nu sakun / peace to my soul
chukke jo nakhra mera / and indulge me
ve main sare ghumm ke vekhia / i have gone and seen it all
amrika , roos, malaysia / america, russia, malaysia
kittey vi koi fark si / there wasn't any difference
har kise di koi shart si / they all had some condition
koi mangda mera si sama / some asked for my time
koi hunda surat te fida / some were fascinated with my face
koi mangda meri si vafa / some demanded my fidelity
na koi mangda merian bala / none wanted my demons
tere bin / besides you
hor na kise / no one else
mangni merian bala / wanted my demons
tere bin / besides you
hor na kise / no one else
karni dhup vich chhan / shall shade me in the sun
jiven rukia / (the) way you paused
si tun zara / slightly
nahion bhulna / i shan't forget
main sari umar / all my life
jiven akhia si akhan chura / you said, looking away
"rovenga sanu yad kar" / "you shall weep in my memory"
hasia si main hasa ajeeb / i laughed a strange laugh
(par) tu nahi si hasia / but you didn't
dil vich tera jo raaz si / you had a secret in your heart
mainu tu kyon ni dasia / why didn't you tell me
tere bin / besides you
sanu eh raz / none shall tell this
kise hor nahion dasna / secret to me
tere bin / besides you
peerh da ilaaj / what druid
kis vaid kolon labhna / has the cure to my ills
milia si ajj mainu / i found today
tera ik patra / a note of yours
likhia si jis 'te / on which you had scribbeled
tun shayr varey shah da / a varis shah couplet
park ke si osnu / upon reading which
hanjnu ik duliya / a teardrop fell
akhan 'ch band si / what was locked in the eye
seh raaz ajj khulia / was revealed today
ki tere bin / that other than you
eh mere hanjnu / these tears of mine
kise hor / won't be kissed by
nahio chumna / none else
ki tere bin / that other than you
eh mere hanjhu / these tears of mine
mitti vich rulnha / will wither in the dust

Back to doing what I love!

Some things you always enjoy doing. They never die in you.

Today I resumed playing my favorite sport: Squash. After a long gap of 1.5 years, it was a pleasure indescribable to pick up my racket again, and bash the ball with it.

We have two squash courts in our work campus. It was on my mind since many days to resume playing, and today I finally made the much required start. I couldn't even concentrate on the warm-up, because the lure of taking the racket in my hand and starting to play was so enticing. Old memories filled my mind...I started to think, so much has changed in such a short time. The last time I left this court, I was such a different person, circumstances were so different. Then I came back to the present, and started my game.

Unfortunately, the long absence from the sport has made me lose touch, and the first 10 minutes I played as if I had never held a racket in my hand before. But then I started getting into the grove again. The sound and feel of the ball hitting the center of my racket was so satisfying. I wanted to release all the negativity through the power I was using to hit the ball.

At the end of 25 minutes, I was panting for breath. I decided to not overstretch myself on the first day. My skin was read with the heat, and my limbs ached pleasantly. It was the same sweet satisfaction that I used to feel earlier after completing a day's playing. Then I realized, a lot of things may have changed in 1.5 years, but then there are always a few that never do.

Thank God for that :)

I like this quote

If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.

- Ray Bradbury

Have to do this...

i will never know myself until i do this on my own
cuz i will never feel anything else until my wounds are healed
i will never be anything til i break away from me
i will break away. ill find myself today

मेरा घम...

Ye inaayatein ghazab kiin, ye balaa ki meherbaani
Meri khairiyat bhi poochein kisi aur ki zubaani

Mera gham rula chuka hai tujhe, bikhri zulf vaale
Ye ghataa bataa rahi hai, ke baras chuka hai paani

Meri bezabaan aankhon se gire hain chand katre
Vo samajh sake to aansoon, na samajh sake to paani

Beeti na beetai raina...

Yug aate hain, aur yug jaayen,
Chhoti chhoti yaadon ke pal nahin jaayen...

- Gulzar

Just a few seconds more...

The night was dark.
All she could hear was a deathly silence humming in her ears. All she could see was a black darkness stretched out till her eyes could reach. All she could feel was the cold wind chilling her till her bones. She smelt rotten carcass near her. She could tell someone was lying dead very close to her.
Her mind could not think clearly. She did not know what to do..Should she run? But where? Where would she go? All that lied ahead was an unnerving emptiness, a definite and mocking darkness. Should she shout for help? But who would listen to her cries for relief? There was no one around. But she had to try. Surely there must be someone, she hoped...Then she was struck by an agonizing realization...her voiced was betraying her. She could not shout, try as she may. It was as if someone was holding her by her throat, not letting her voice leave her. She felt like she was being strangled....she began to gasp for breath..she felt a brutal pain travel through every inch of her. "Was death better than this?", she began to think...Suddenly she smiled to herself through the pain. She waited for her time, she knew it was not very long now...she was about to be saved...just a few seconds more and...she would be dead...free.

I woke up with a sudden start, my face sweating with the tension of what I had just seen and felt. For some time I pondered over the bad dream. What could have sparked such a dream? Surely there must be some connection between what your mind sees while it's resting, with when it's not, I tried to reason.

And then it dawned upon me. This was not a dream. It was real, it was happening to me, even as I was trying to figure it all out. My mind sees this emptiness everyday while it's awake...It was me that I saw in the dream, trying to call for help, my voice not cooperating with my mind...It was the already dead part of my soul that had decayed and made up the carcass. I was gasping for breath all the time while I was awake...the pain seeping through my nerves...

Suddenly I smiled to myself...it was not very long now...I was about to be saved...about to be free.

Clueless...

What is the truth and what is a farce?
Who is real and who is in disguise?
Who can I trust and who can I not?
Who is mine and who is a stranger?
What is right and what is wrong?
Am I scared or am I bold?
Am I strong-willed or am I weak?
Am I rational or am I stupid?
Who am I? What am I? Why am I?
Who are you? What are you? Why are you?

Twenty-seven years of a clueless existence....still searching for my answers....not sure if another twenty-seven will be available and enough to find them.

Just said hello to me...

Lately it's mostly been me who has needed some pacifying. Tears have been uncontrollable, and there are so many people trying to make me feel good, in their own little and unique way.

But the other day I stepped into the opposite shoes. It was me saying to someone else "Hey, it's all gonna be fine with time." Not that I have not done this kind of 'medicining' before, but this time it felt very different, even weird if you may say so. It felt different because I knew exactly how the other person felt, I could totally identify with his plight. And so I knew that saying anything, even harmless words like "It's going to be fine" were futile, and probably inappropriate too. I didn't want to preach because I hate it being done to me. It's the easiest thing to do when your outside the fence of disaster, just an onlooker of the show. Nothing was the right thing to be said, I understood, and what really mattered to the person in tears and agony, was the fact that he had someone next to him. That he was not alone.

In fact, I felt like a cheat when I said the words "It's going to be fine", because I knew I did not believe in those words myself. And I knew the receiver of those words knew it as well as me that nothing is fine, and nothing is going to be fine very soon. If only it was that easy! The only way to get out of the trauma was to go through the fire and burn with it, come out charred and be reborn.

Everyone has their share of terrible times, noone can escape that part of destiny. And I am sure everyone agrees that they get stronger post the experience, ready to challenge the rest of their lives by staring at it straight in the eye. The positive thing about such times is that you really see the truth for what it is, all the false visions are broken into pieces. You rediscover yourself as you are a different person with every phase of the problem, evolving all the time. You see your true well-wishers from the rest of them, and the discovery is at most times startling and moving. Relationships borne in these times are rock solid, they are there to stay.

Most importantly, you discover the survival instinct in you. You say hello to your naked, true and best form. When you feel there is no more hope, that nothing makes sense anymore, and living to see another day is unbearable, there comes a sound from within you that whispers into your soul "You will survive". As long as I hear that voice from within me, I know I am not over. I will survive.

अभी अभी ख़याल आया...

वो ग़ज़ल ही क्या, जिसमें दर्द ना हो....
वो दिल ही क्या, जिसमें हम ना हों...

- मनीषा

पिला दे...

पिला दे ओक से साकी, जो हमसे नफरत है....
प्याला ग़र नहीं देता ना सही....शराब तो दे!

दिखा के जुम्बिशें लब की तमाम कर हमको...
बोसा ना दे जो लब से...जवाब तो दे!

-- ग़ालिब

तुम नहीं

तुम नहीं घम नहीं शराब नहीं
ऐसी तनहाई का जवाब नहीं

Mirage

What is it that we are really looking for? What is it that our eyes constantly keep searching? That our heart deeply desires?

There is no doubt on the fact that each one of us is struggling to get something, or somewhere. Most of us do not even know what that is, or where we want to go. Some of us THINK that we know. But do we really?

We may have a lot, but we still want more, we want BETTER. Opportunities may come our way and go, love may strike like never before, our career may go places, but we are still not satisfied. We still want better. We let what we have now pass, because we are waiting for something better to come our way. We don't even know what better is, it may or may never come, but we will wait.

Aren't we all just running towards a goal that is nothing more than a mirage? Isn't it time to stop for a moment, and re-analyze what we are letting go of, in quest of something potentially wonderful, but also potentially imaginary? Better may or may not happen. Now is beautiful, because it is real.

Hairy situation

Ever noticed how most of the 'gulli' salons and parlours invariably have the picture of a film star adorning their door? I have been observing this ever since I was a kid. In those times, there was a single face that would be smiling back at you from the welcome sign : Amitabh Bacchan's. This makes me wonder (I will assume that most men go to a salon for nothing more than a haircut), was his hair style really that attractive, that salons would use him as their advertising model....Or was his fame the driving factor? I presume that when a man would enter some such salon for a haircut, he would expect that he comes out with hair like Mr. Bacchan's; that too at a price of rupees 10. Not a bad deal, is it?

Nowadays there are a much wider variety of faces adorning salons. People have evolved to demand more options. In fact, nobody wants a haircut like his neighbor's. Also the expectations are not just limited to having a 'filmi' haircut. People want model-like looks. Gone are the days when Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh were style icons. Today it's Ashmit Patel and Milind Soman's hair that rocks.

It's not a different story when it comes to women. Most of the 'women's only' salons have Aishwarya's face welcoming you in. Must say that Aishwarya pretty much is the sole contender in the womens' department. I have not seen many other faces here. Women enter a salon for better hair and better skin. When they enter, they hope for a miracle that will turn them into this beautiful princess by the time they walk out. Hence Aishwarya's face on most salons. After all, the concept of a beauty queen in itself is a fantasy world fairy tale, on which the sponsors encash and make millions. But we women are like that, we love fantasies and love to live in them.

A final observation, and one that always amuses me. There are some low-budget salons, those that cannot arrange to get a 'filmi' photo of a star printed on their welcome sign. Now you don't think they are going to settle for just a plain welcome baord saying 'Famus heircuts', with no star picture to accompany the bad spellings, do you? Certainly not!! They would lose critical business! So what do they do? They get the picture painted. And here is where the fun starts. Check out some of the paintings if you ever happen to see one...most of them turn out to be hilarious! Sometimes, because they can't paint the eyes right, they show the film star donning black shades :) I had once seen a a few paintings, that if the stars see themselves, they would cringe in their seat. They would then wish they were never famous :)

Songs

Songs... There's always one for every situation, every mood, every phase of life. And sometimes you relate to a particular song so well, it's as if the song was written and sung keeping you in mind.

Here's one that gives me that feeling:

Lemon Tree - Fool's Garden

I'm sitting here in the boring room
It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon
I'm wasting my time
I got nothing to do
I'm hanging around
I'm waiting for you
But nothing ever happens and I wonder

I'm driving around in my car
I'm driving too fast
I'm driving too far
I'd like to change my point of view
I feel so lonely
I'm waiting for you
But nothing ever happens and I wonder

I wonder how I wonder why
Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
And all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-tree
I'm turning my head up and down
I'm turning turning turning turning turning around
And all that I can see is just another lemon-tree

I'm sitting here I miss the power
I'd like to go out taking a shower
But there's a heavy cloud inside my head
I feel so tired
Put myself into bed
Well, nothing ever happens and I wonder

Isolation is not good for me
Isolation I don't want to sit on the lemon-tree

I'm steppin' around in the desert of joy
Baby anyhow I'll get another toy
And everything will happen and you wonder

I wonder how I wonder why
Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
And all that I can see is just another lemon-tree
I'm turning my head up and down
I'm turning turning turning turning turning around
And all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-tree
And I wonder, wonder

I wonder how I wonder why
Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
And all that I can see, and all that I can see, and all that I can see
Is just a yellow lemon-tree

****

Irony of Situations

We all know that life is ironic. But some incidents make you believe this to the core. One such incident happened recently to me.

When I returned from the US, my Indian bank account debit card had expired, and since I was not in the country, I had not received a new one. I quickly put in a request for one. At the time, I was in Mumbai. As luck would have it, the card arrived when noone was home, and so it went back.

After a few days I called again. This time they assured me that the card would reach me in a few days. It didn't (for some weird reason).

I called again (If you have been involved in phone banking, you would know how frustrating this can be). By this time I was in Pune, so I gave them my Pune address. Now, giving them a new address means going through all their convoluted processes. For example, you cannot request for a card to be sent to a certain address, until
you have that address as your regular communication address in the system. You cannot change it in the system over phone on the same call, if you've logged into the call using your card number. Once you finally have the address changed in the system, it takes 24 hours for the change to be effective. Only once the change is effective, can you call again and request that the card be sent to a new address.

See, all this is fine, and I understand that things have to go through a process, especially when you are dealing with another person's money. But for me, time was running out. I had only a few hundred rupees left on me, and the month end was approaching. I had to pay the electiricity bill, phone bill, pay the maid, and basically I
was missing the independance of having money in my hands. I had to withdraw money asap.

Then one bhalaa maanus gave me an idea. Why don't I use his card (he never used that account much). He trusted me enough to share his pin with me, so I had a card I could use. All that was fine, but he hardly had any money in his account. Well, atleast not as much as I would want to use!

Meanwhile my extensive calls with the bank were getting even hotter. I was beginning to lose my temper. I had 300 bucks in my purse. I needed a damn card to access my money! On one final call I heard that the address to which I had requested the card be sent, was in an 'undeliverable area' (whatever that means), so the card had gone back to them (yes, yet again). This time they were taking no chances, and had sent it via a postal service. It would take another 11 days to reach me. I thought to myself, "Post, Post!!!!! After all this fuss, they finally send it via a regular, meagre post?!" Then I panicked "Did they say 11 days??!! 11 days on 300 bucks? "

On a frustrated night I was called by bhalaa maanus. He gave me a brilliant idea. Why dont I issue a check to transfer some money from my inaccessible account, into his account? Then I could use his card to withdraw moolah. I thought it to be a great idea and wondered why I didn't think of it myself.

The next problem was to look for my check book. I had no idea where it was. The next morning, I was check book hunting, and I'm pleased to say the hunt was successful.

Bhalaa maanus, who was also intelligent maanus, gave me a new idea again. Why don't I go to a bank, address a check to myself, and withdraw money? I thought about this..."Hmmm, this sounds like the perfectly logical, easiest and in your face solution. Now why on earth didn't I think of it? And why on earth did it take so much time
for bhalaa maanus to think of it?" I kept wondering, but couldn't reach an answer I liked.

Without wasting any time, I wrote two checks, one to myself, the other to BM (bhalaa maanus). The lure of money was too strong for me to be able to think of any other task that day.

Off I go to the bank, deposit one check, withdraw money with the other. I feel like on top of the world, suddenly there is light. I have money in my hands, the soft feel of green....Now there's no need to worry, now I can shop, now I can.....

I'm still dreaming when I return to my desk. I notice the phone is ringing. I decide to answer it. The man at the other ends says to me "Madam aapka post aaya hai, please abhi aakar gate se collect kar leejiye" :)

Some Collection!

When I was in the US, I could not make too much time to read. Not that I did not read at all, books are as basic a necessity to me as food. But certainly not as much as I would have wanted to. But I always knew that once I return to India, I would be able to make much more time for my quest for books.

As always, I went overboard with trying to get a good collection to be read. I have shopped for only one thing from the time I have returned: books.

This is the collection that currently adorns my bedside table:

Planet India - Mira Kamdar

Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki

Malgudi Schooldays - Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (I must have read this a million times, but I keep going back to it)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle (Same for this one!)

Freedom At Midnight - Dominique Lappierre and Larry Collins

Economics from an Outsider's view - P. Chidambaram

The Art of Happy Living - Budhiraj

Tough Times don't last, but Tough People do - Robert Schuller

Neat collection, isn't it? Jealous? ;)

Oldies Goldies

Some invaluable shayaries from very old songs. Heard them on Vividhbharati radio station and had to pen them down:
-----
Vo gham bhi haseen hai
Jis gham ke jimmedaar ho tum.
Dil ki dhadkan ki tamanna ho
Mera pyaar ho tum.
-----
Ye duniya hai
Is duniya ka zamaana kisko bhaata hai
Hazaaron pyaar karte hain
Nibhaana kuchh ko aata hai.

Ye duniya hai
Is duniya ka zamaana kisko bhaata hai
Nibhaane vaale laakhon hain
Manaana kisko aata hai.
-----
Zindagi dene vaale sun
Teri duniya se ji bhar gayaa
Mein yahaan jeeteji mar gayaa.

Raat katti nahin, din guzarta nahin
Zakhm aisa diya hai ki bharta nahin
Aankh veeran hai, dil pareshaan hai
Gham ka jadoo koi kar gayaa.
Zindagi dene vaale sun....
-----
Awesome aren't they?

Bas Ab...

Tanhai ne saath kabhi na chhoda
Andhere ki lau ne dil ke konon mein roshni ki
Intezaar ne khoob dosti nibhai
Aur mujhe lagta tha mein akeli hoon?

Vaqt mere saath chalta aaya
Zamaana mujhpe hanstaa aaya
Khamoshi ne mere liye geet gaaya
Aur mujhe lagta tha mein akeli hoon?

Agar in sabka saath mila hai
To phir dil bezaar kyon
Ye kisika abtak intezaar kyon
Dil mein ummeed ka mahaul kyon

Bas ab ghar laut chalti hoon
Dil chahta hai, dil ko manaa leti hoon
Thak gayee hoon, thoda aaraam kar leti hoon
Khuli aankhon mein aa aakar sapne sataate hain
Zaraa aankhen mandke neend ki ummeed kar leti hoon.

Unke dekhe se jo aajaati hai moon pe rounak
Vo samajhte hain ki beemaar ka haal acchha hai.

- Mirza Ghalib

Hi, Who's just joined?...

In the time of my experience in my career, I have observed the rather overusage of meetings. I would say that 98 percent of these meetings are non-productive 98 percent of the times.

Yet most people spend most of their day at work attending meetings. It seems to me like an addiction, a compulsion that people must perform in order to feel that they are 'working'. If a pin drops, a meeting would be called immediately to discuss its 'Causes and future action plans', in which they would discuss :

First, the day's weather

Second, yesterday's weather and how they had to deal with it

Third, how they had to skip lunch to attend another meeting that just ended

Fourth, why XYZ could not make it, as he had to go to pick his kid from school

Fifth, how yesterday was their teenagers prom night, and how difficult it is to deal with teenagers

Sixth, how its been such a long week, and thank God that the weekend is here, and how they plan to leave early this one Friday

Seventh, its going to be sunny this weekend!Yeah....!

Eighth, how unfortunate it is that the pin dropped from its usual place

Ninth, future plan is that another meeting should be scheduled on Monday to talk about how to deal with this rather unforeseen development

Tenth, exchange a thousand 'thank you's', and 'have a great weekend!'s'

Now, there may be a multitude of participants attending these meetings. I have had an opportunity to observe them on many occassions, and have had rather amusing observations. All of these attendants can be clubbed in a few typical categories.

The 'Who's just joined' types:

Somebody tells them (mostly their managers) that a pin has dropped, and a meeting needs to be scheduled with the whole world in the invite. Not sure what 'whole world' comprises of, he sends the invite to, well, the whole world. His job is to repeat 'Hi, who's just joined?' after every beep. Sometimes he commands some more attention by being a little more innovative " Hi, I heard a beep. So who's just joined? " Once the meeting is in swing, his job is over. He will then wait patiently to finally thank everyone just before another spate of beeps (this time the sign off beeps). Most people don't even wait for him to say thank you and wind up. They know there's going to be nothing new.

The drivers without a licence:

These will very bravely attempt to 'drive' the meeting, by blabbering a few lines at the start about the fact that a pin dropped. At the very moment that another person speaks, they will take the backseat. They will then conveniently not speak until absolutely required (that is, till someone calls out their name and asks a question). And if noone else volunteers to speak, they will keep repeating that a pin dropped, in ten different ways, and confuse everyone, till some impatient soul finally speaks up (not because he has something to say, but because he wants the driver with no licence, to shutup.)

The vultures:

These will silently log in, without announcing their identity. They will wait for their prey to speak, or rather, misspeak. Until then, they will remain silent, and the rest of them will not know they are there. Once the prey becomes complacent, and puts his foot in his mouth, they will pounce. They will then blame the poor soul for being responsible for the pin to drop. A deadly silence will then follow, mostly because of shock, with everyone thinking to themselves "Hope I did not say anything I shouldn't have, the vulture was watching his prey all along!" Needless to say, the vulture is usually a very important and powerful person in the organization.

The so-called managers:

"What do we need to understand clearly the reason for the pin to drop?"
"What do we need to do to make sure the pin does not drop again?"
"XYZ, could you take this up and go ahead and make sure the pin does not drop again?"
"Do we have everything we need to make sure the pin does not drop again?"
"XYZ, could you just schedule another meeting to discuss what we need to do to make sure the pin does not drop again?"

The Yaaawwn-mmmm types:

These got invited by mistake, they have no relation or contribution or knowledge about the pin, or the calamity of its dropping. They would rather just stay on, as they have nothing better to do anyways, or want to show their bosses that they are attending an 'important' meeting. They will announce their name when they join in, and say 'thank you' when they sign out. The time in between that, they will utilize for restful slumber.

The common man:

This guy will come prepared to the meeting with his notes, about the significance of the pin, how it dropped, what are the consequences, and how it can be avoided in future with a backup plan. He never gets a chance to speak.