Lalbagh Express

Hello everyone! Here I am again; back after another long break. I want to take this opportunity to enlighten you all with how enjoyable a boring train journey in the sweltering heat of the afternoon sun could get. Yup, you read it right. The things I mentioned here are actually the contents of a perfect recipe for ultimate boredom. Now let me tell you about the scenario in detail. It was a hot summer afternoon; my mother and I were to catch a train to return to Bangalore. After we got onto the train and got settled into our seats, I started to chat with my mom. Nothing special, just some small talk to pass the time. But after sometime, it was starting to get boring. So both of us realized it and stopped. My mom went to sleep in the sitting posture itself.

I wouldn’t blame her. We had had two very tiresome days prior to our journey. This was the time I really started to regret not buying a book at the small book stall in the railway station. Then I started thinking. The seat to my right was a window seat. But it was empty for the time being. Apparently he had booked for the ticket from some small town on the way where the train made a brief stop. I sat in that seat and started looking out the window. Now me being the day-dreamer I am, started to watch the cloud formations. And believe me when I say it; one of the patterns looked exactly like a mermaid. You know, like the cartoon The Little Mermaid in which they show you some sexy mermaids. I sometimes wished that they had a lower body that was human(you can keep guessing why ). But that was when I was interested more in cartoons and the female anatomy than the creativity part.

Courtesy: Flickr.com

So there I was, dreaming away and imagining myself some pretty good fantasies(now I won’t say what kind. ) when this guy whose seat I was sitting in walked in on my wonderfully landscaped dream. I cursed him under my breath and moved over to my seat. My mom had woken up by now and was reading a Tamil book. A pity I don’t know how to read Tamil fluently, otherwise I could have borrowed the book. But I had far bigger things in store for me. I couldn’t let a simple thing like boredom get the better of me. So I turned to my left to see a lady in her late 20’s sitting with her 4 or so year old daughter next to me. The kid was actually throwing a tantrum that she wanted to sit with her father. The father actually looked so tired that I thought he would drop down unconscious if he didn’t get some sleep.

Now the mom understood this and tried her best to keep her daughter with herself. I actually pitied the woman, because the kid was actually pulling her mom’s hair with quite a good amount of force. That was when I realized that the lady could use a hand. I tried to distract the girl by smiling at her. She quieted down all of a sudden. I bet she thought I was some pedophile Whatever it was, the kid at least let go of her mom’s hair and mellowed down.

This was when I started looking at all my fellow-travelers . There were all kinds of people. The I am ok with anything kind of people (me and my mom), the family to which the lady and the girl belonged to, the show-offs/wannabe’s who think the world is too shoddy for them; and then there were the middle-aged couple who were trying to make small talk with their fellow-travelers. I spent the rest of the time talking with them and the lady. I was also occasionally trying my best to annoy the wannabe sitting next to me by talking so loudly that he could hear me over the loud music playing on his headphones. The rest of the journey went by pretty much the same way.

And that was when I got the idea that I should write a post about that journey. And so, here I am narrating to you in the best possible way I could; the journey from Chennai to Bangalore in Lalbagh Express. I want to make a note here. I got the initiative to turn a most boring thing like a train journey into totally exciting adventure by thinking of Dinesh’s blog. I learned that lesson and wish that other people who read this article learn it too. Saying that, I promise you that I will be writing new posts without giving too much of an interval between them. Signing off, Pavan a.k.a AnniYan.

Once upon a time – (Chapter 8, FINAL)Difficult decisions

Continued from the previous chapter, Falling back to normalcy.

It was a simple party. Just the four of them with the kids at Kiran’s house. The dinner was a very memorable experience for both the friends as well as the wives. The kids had a nice time too. They were getting along with each other fine as the age difference between them was only a few weeks. It was nice to watch them play their unexplainable games. Seeing that would make anyone feel their life was complicated.

After the dinner, the wives were busy chatting while the kids were sleeping peacefully. Aditya and Kiran slowly climbed the stairs until they reached a door. Kiran opened it and Aditya followed him. It led to the terrace. It was not a new place to Aditya. They had been here very often in their school days. They would sit here and chat. Play board games with some other friends; and even share their sorrows at times.

There was a reason why Kiran brought him here. It was to remind Aditya of the days that they spent together without any worries. It was at this place too that Aditya taught Kiran how to whistle. When Aditya remembered all of this, he took a deep breath and relished each and every memory. The night was not a silent one though as there were parties going on almost everywhere.

But still Aditya could here a faint tune from somewhere nearby. Kiran was whistling. He was whistling a song that was cherished by both of them up until that point and beyond. Aditya’s eyes welled up with tears and he joined in with Kiran as they both whistled away into the night. After some time, they stopped.

They hugged each other and said, “Happy New Year!”. They both stood there while draping one arm over the other’s shoulder. Then it started. Fireworks lit the night sky. Celebration was in the air. But there is a saying. “All good things must come to an end”. Aditya enjoyed the company of Kiran on the beginning of a new year. While Kiran was trying to relish each and every second while it lasted.

“Chinnu?”, Kiran interrupted Aditya’s reverie. “What is it Kiran?”, replied Aditya. “I need to tell you something important. But I am afraid it is not going to be good news.”. Aditya was very worried by now. Kiran continued, “I am afraid we cannot be meeting as often as we thought we could. This past year has been very hard on our family. Business has not been going well.”

“The percentage of loss is growing by the day. I guess there is not much demand for our product here as there is in the UK.” “So what are you trying to say? If it is help you need, I will be glad to be at your side.”, interrupted Aditya. Kiran continued with renewed anguish, “No Chinnu, I am afraid it is past that level now. I was forced to dissolve the company to avoid losing even our profits from abroad.”

He stopped talking for a few minutes. For those few minutes, all that could be heard in the vicinity was the sound of the last of the fireworks for that day being set off. Kiran took a deep breath and continued. “We have decided to go and join dad in the UK. My dad wants us to sell this house and join him there.”

Aditya was feeling a mixture of emotions run through him. Some hours earlier he felt the utmost joy because he had found his best friend again. But now he felt very sad that they had to separate again. A whole series of questions were going through his mind at that point. But none found their way out of his throat. He waited patiently for Kiran to explain the whole situation.

“But I don’t want to lose you again. Can you come with me to the UK? You can work in our company itself.”, asked Kiran. Aditya was confused at that point. “I have made some commitments here Kiran. Besides, I don’t want to leave my parents alone in their old age.”, replied Aditya. “I agree with you whole heartedly. Even my father is nearing his sixties now. And he is not as rugged as he was before. I guess responsibilities are the only things that separate us now.”, replied Kiran.

“This is a very tough decision to take Kiran. But everyone has their own life to lead. Even though we may be thousands of kilometers apart, we shall always be in each other’s heart. And even technology has advanced to the extent of showing us what you do thousands of miles away.”, Aditya consoled Kiran. That said, they both just stood there staring into the darkness in the bitter cold of the night. Every one in the world is required to make difficult decisions in their lives. That is what sets them apart from the crowd.

As morning arrived, so did the time for Aditya’s departure. It was a very emotional sight as both of the friends waved goodbye to each other. After a week, they met again at the airport when Kiran was supposed to leave. At that moment, Kiran’s legs felt like they were made of lead. Difficult was the departure to both of them. Although their wives did a very good job of consoling their husbands, there was just one thought in each other’s minds. “Will we ever meet again?”. That was a question both of them did not know the answer to.

Hello readers! I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I did writing it. This chapter was the most difficult of the lot as I wanted the ending to be different and something out of the ordinary. I myself got a bit emotional while writing this part. So thank you for all the feedback and support you have offered. Until next time, yours emotionally, Pavan a.k.a Anniyan.

Family Values: Where do they sell THAT?

Unfortunately my friends, it is not a new thing on the market or a newer TV series. Let me tell you about myself a little first. Don’t worry, only a little . I live in Bangalore, Karnataka, India with my parents. My brother on the other hand, shifted to Chennai a few months back for career reasons. My parents are almost always talking about them (viz. my bro, sister-in-law and their 2.5 year old kid). This set me thinking.

Since we live in India, I have very little idea about what actually happens in other countries. But I am here to talk about India and not other countries. What is a Family? A family according to me, can be a group of people who form a bond and a closely knit colony. Family need not just refer to people who are related by blood. Even a group of friends can live as a family.

But nowadays in the fast paced IT enabled and money-driven world, not many people want to live as a family. Yes, it is true. There are still many families which inculcate family values in children from a very young age itself. Now why am I talking about families? Just because I want everyone to realize that families are the only bonds that keep you going when you are down and depressed. In today’s time, nobody has any time to devote to their families. Hence weakening the bonds that exist between them.

Whatever it is that you want to do, you can do it with the consent of your family. If they refuse, convince them that this will make you happy. They are worried about your happiness too. So don’t just rush decisions. Take time out of your busy work schedule to devote it to your family. They care about you. Don’t you think you should return the favor? If not, Do not pay any attention to this post and please carry on with whatever it is that you were doing. Sorry for wasting your time.

For others who thought on my lines, good going. Enjoy your life. Respect your family.

Burn the dance floor!

What with all the restrictions on keeping discotheques and dance clubs open, Bangaloreans are starting to feel they are in a bureaucratic democracy. One in which they are told what to do and what not to do. I know i am reproducing the content of the newspaper, but it is not so.

When i read the paper today morning i felt the government is trying to rob the people of its time to relax after a week full of workload and tension. But, my fellow bangaloreans, we must stop to think. Is dancing half-conscious and barely aware of your surroundings really that relaxing? Have you ever tried a walk in the park or spent time with your family? Most people would answer no to this question. However, I am not here to say it is “Wrong” to enjoy the way you want to. All I am saying is; what if they shut down the dance clubs? We can still prove to them we are not some kind of unorthodox cult.

This measure proves to us that the government IS bureaucratic. It has been like this for a long time. People are starting to notice it only because they have done something so abrupt. Instead of “Dancing” on the roads and interrupting traffic to prove your point, we can stop going to dance clubs at all. Of course, for a while. The government won’t be willing to lose such a big share of tax. So all you workaholics out there… Its just a matter of time before everything is settled. Until then, enjoy yourself by doing one of the above mentioned things or however else you want to.

Importance of People in others’ lives

Each person encounters thousands of people in his/her lifetime. The majority of them are forgotten, but the others still remain. Whenever we interact with someone, our life is permanently changed without even us noticing it. This happens in our everyday life. Everyone knows the famous saying about time not coming back once it is gone. This is because of what part other people had to play in your life. Even when you are alone, the whole world has a part in it. You are alone because other people are not near you.

No one may do it purposely, but each and every one of us is affecting the lives of millions of people throughout the world. We leave fingerprints or traces or signatures on this world. By the time some of us realize this, we have done enough wrong things that have changed the way people live.

A very simple example for this can be like

The food we eat is of no importance to other people. But it is not so. We eat food after we bought it from someone or borrowed it. By this the other person undergoes a financial up or down. This in turn affects his whole family. The same way, he and his family will also be affecting other peoples lives directly or indirectly.

The reason why I am saying this is because most of us think we can live however we want, say whatever we want to people and behave in whatever way we want. What we tend to forget is that a simple action can have huge reactions. But we need to start caring about other people and act accordingly so as to not affect people adversely to a large extent. So think about what you are about to do not once or twice but thrice.

I conclude by saying : Think before you act. It can take you places you could have never reached if you had not thought about your actions. So enjoy life as it comes. Don’t hurt people knowingly. They may be of more importance to you than you know it.