Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Jai Shree Ram...Jai Hanuman

“Akhand Ramayan” was organized in our society temple on 24th and 25th June. For people who don’t know, Akhand Ramayan is an event held in temple in which entire Ramayan is recited(by singing) non stop.Ramayan is a big epic which describes victory of Lord Rama over evil Ravana. It takes 1 ½ day to complete entire ramayan.

Entire 24th and 25th I was in temple being part of Akhand Ramayan. I served as a volunteer there. I was very disturbed after hearing of death of Umesh. I didn’t feel like doing anything, so I went to temple for Akhand Ramayan thinking that it will at least give some peace to my mind.

It felt very good hearing ramayan. The people who were singing it had a very soothing voice.
During this festival food were served to everyone (for free) who comes to temple (its called bhandara). I was given charge of serving food to people, which was very tiresome.

Below are the pics taken during akhand ramayan.



People reciting Ramayan.





(from right to left)Our temple attendant, myself,society friend,and my younger bro Vivek





Dad(in my T shirt) and his friend



He is Pathak uncle,Dad's best friend. He is genius....master of mathematics.



Below are the pics taken during havan after Ramayan was finished.





View of Lord Ganesha



With Panditji of our temple.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Umesh....you were my best friend.

Yesterday in afternoon I got a call from my friend Gurjit Singh. We studied in same engineering college. He gave me a very sad message. He told that our good friend Umesh Bansal is no more. On 18th June he met an accident in Delhi. After two days in hospital he had cardiac arrest and left this world on 21st June.




Last time I talked to him was on 16th evening. He had called me to inform that he had lost the ticket which I had given to him for cancellation. I was very rude to him that day and we almost fought on phone. That was the last time I talked to him.

Umesh..how I wish today if I could talk to you one more time and just tell you that you were the best friend I ever had in my life. It is said when you lose something you know its value.

Last month we had a meeting.
I won’t forget the lengthy discussion we had in your office. How elaborately I discussed my plan to start a new company with you and you promised me that you will be with me for any endeavor to support me. Brother you broke your promise.

You don’t know what loss you have done to me. You were my only friend who used to listen my ideas, my dreams without laughing or mocking me. Now to whom will I go?

When I came to Delhi you helped me so much. Whenever I needed help, you were always there for me. But I never helped you. I will regret this for whole life.

I remember our last meeting when I was leaving for Mumbai. I said so many negative things about Delhi. You told me that you love Delhi and warned me never to speak anything against it.

It’s a promise to you brother, I will never speak anything negative of Delhi in my whole life. You were the only best thing which that city gave….and now you are no more.

Wherever you are….may peace be upon you.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Good Morning....*yawn*

I just got up from sleep. Its only 7.30 AM in morning. Dad is preparing to go to office and in this process he has turned entire home upside down. Mom is fully co-operating him to make situation perfect replica of havoc. Its not that this is happening today….. but it’s a daily nautanki. After taking bath dad comes out in towel from bathroom and directly heads for small temple made in kitchen. After closing his eyes he chants only-god-understands mantra and performs his puja. The mantra which dad chants has remained unchanged from our childhood days. Exactly same words he has been chanting from years. At 7.00 AM he starts his breakfast with sugarless tea.
From 7.15 starts his wakeup-children campaign. My sister is a good daughter she wakes up early in morning and helps my Mom in kitchen and then gets ready for college and exits home by 7.00. But I and my brother are big lazy bones. My Younger brother has office timings of 11.00AM to 10 PM. So according to him its his right to sleep till 9.00 AM and then get ready for office.

And my timings….well; if you have read my previous post you will come to know that I am salaried Bekaar aadmi.

My father is of the view that a person should never sleep after Surya Uday(Sunrise) . People sleeping after sunrise tend to become pale and without energy. Well,that’s not fully true….During my entire stay in Delhi I used to get up only when my maid used to come i.e after 11.00AM. Now, I am a pale, dull, and dumb person right from beginning. Late sleeping has not increased the degree of paleness in me…may be I have hit rock bottom of this category. So it does not matter for a person like me….if I sleep upto wee hours.

But every morning my dad wakes me and my brother up. We grab pillow on our face, hide in sheets….but in no vain. He never accepts defeat and we end up sitting on bed with sleepy eyes. My father is very angry man. Even though we have grown up so much, we still fear to confront his anger and try not to displease him as much as possible. So we don’t even think of sleeping till he is in home. At 7.30 he goes for his office.
At 7.30 and 30 seconds I and my brother are back to dreamland chasing fairies.

But today my dad woke….differently. He was not shouting and threating….but requesting.
“Sunny bete, zara uth jao beta…please beta uth jao”

I wake from deep sleep thinking who took my dads job…..seeing my Dad’s face I was assured that he himself was waking me.
Me: Haan uth raha hoon.
Dad: Please zara jaldi computer chalu karo. Jaldi.

My Dad has a good Computer on his office table. According to my father’s colleagues that PC was switched on and Shut down last time the day when it was placed on his table.
My dad doesn’t even know that a big rectangular box on which he keeps his umbrella is called CPU….in short my dad is angutha chap in terms of Computer.

He had to take print out of some important mail that his boss had send him. In half sleep I got up switched on my laptop and with telephone cord started the dial up connection. I love the dial tone of modem when it tries to have coneection. That tu tu tu tu trrrrrr tyonnnnnn…..I just love it. Something which I can enjoy till I don’t have broadband connection. After taking printout for my dad, I thought of checking mails where I got message from Dharam Singh……first time in my blogging history I have been tagged.
Thankyou Dharmu…… thankyou.

I have to mention how weird I am...here it is

1) I don’t fear any insects or kitanus. Not even lizards. Nothing.
Except cockroaches. Actually few years back I didn’t even fear this pesky creature. One day at my home I was trying to shoo away one, when it flew in air and landed on my shoulder. I still remember that buzzing around my ear *eeks* I performed acrobats all over my room….This event instilled a dreaded fear of cockroaches in me…..which is still prevalent.

2) I take bath in a very weird manner. Specially when its too cold. I cannot put water directly on my body as water for me is too cool. In order to mitigate the water shock….I take bath a bit differently.
When I am in bathroom I start taking bath by first putting water on my legs upto knees(Whole body still dry). Then I apply soap on it. Then I rinse away the soap. After that I put water on my thighs then I put water on stomach and then on whole body.
Entire bathing excersice take near about ½ hour.[ This does not take place when I am in hurry….and have to go early morning for meeting]
Weird na :P

3) I have morning tea watching Power Puff girls or Cartoons on Jetix.

Well cant remember other weird things….now a days I am sensible guy.

I am not in Delhi yaar.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

At home....atlast.

A post after a long time…..
After coming Mumbai I have become too lazy. Since the day I reached home I am doing nothing but sleeping and eating. For first couple of days Mom was happy that his son has arrived. But soon she was bored of me and is trying to devise methods to throw me out of home. I am not angry on her…no one would like a person sitting at home whole day doing nothing but watching TV, playing games on PC, eating non stop and making mess all over home. I over heard my Sister recommending my mom to fire our Maid and make me work in her place. My sister is great. The first thing she asked me when I came home was,”when u will be going back to Delhi?”
“Never, I have been transferred….so I will be in Mumbai foreva…”
Her face became grim like sad toad…..

It just took only a week for my family to get fed up from me. My job is totally online so I work from home. I don’t go to office….as my office is in Australia. The work I do is not too tedious and takes max 2 hrs a day….thanks to years of experience in Market Research and Business Analysis. I have job which makes everyone envious of me. No Traveling, No boss, No Targets and a cool pay.
My neighbors think that I have lost my job in Delhi and came back to Mumbai jobless.
I told them that I work from home and don’t need to go outside…..which they found hard to believe. My neighboring aunty says,” Aisa bhi koi naukri hoti hai, ghar baith ke bhi koi kaam karta hai?”

I brought Jeffery Archer’s “Twelve Red Herrings”. Amazing book. The stories are too good. This guy’s book is so fascinating. I am waiting for MTNL guys to install broadband at my home so that I can start surfing and give my family a break from myself. Its already been more than a 10 days since I have applied for net connection….but no reply from MTNL yet. I think I need to give some chai paani to the wire man(I have not seen Rang De Basanti) otherwise I would be deprived of connection forever.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Back to Mumbai

Hi Friends,
I have been transfered to Mumbai.
So busy shifting and no blogging for a week.
See you all later.