A Typical Indian IT Professional's Story

It really smells the truth, its the case of every indian idiot who says he'd get back to india after minting money in the US typical life story of an Indian Software Professional It looks long,but is very interesting and true, and I hope you will surely like it)

The man in focus is from a middle class family, and is doing his final Year Engineering; and as any other typical engineering student has these two options as in the below IF clause:


IF fin-aid-got during final year BE
MS in US
display "Foreign MS Degree"
ELSE
Join the (campus offered) big software consulting company;
visit all continents much to the concern of those who took
the above IF logic
Display "Have made more money than you guys who did MS in US"
END IF


Our man took the ELSE clause and happily went around the globe. Learnt English customs, French cuisine, Swiss niceties, Spanish Reggae and American Dreams.

After three years plus (now a days people start at 6 months itself), decides to leave the big consultancy job and takes on a H1B. He tells all his friends "just 2 or maximum 3 years, make $10K or $20K and then come back and settle back home nicely, Ill come back, I wont be like others who settle there". He surely believes so when he says this and does not lie...

First 3 months:
Has got his SSN, managed a driving license after quite a bit of difficulty and fear; managed a second hand car; rented a decent
apartment; spending about 500 $ on phone bills calling up every friend and relative.

Next 3 months:
Finds to his shock that he has less money in bank than he had during the big consultancy trips (when he knew that he used to get peanuts and Hence lived within his means sharing a apartment and a car with 4 people and saved some money really)!! So now he starts making huge cuts in telephone bill (first he starts with his home calls and close friend calls huge cut) and is happy to see the bill cut down to 250 $.

Next 6 months:
Has some friends by now, makes some trips to Niagara (its a ritual like the Kashi and Rameswaram trip in India), New York city and White House. Experienced a winter and fed-up with his car not starting, Decides to buy a new car, feels lonely, thinks of his marriage.

Next 3 months:
Decides to call up his family about searching for a bride. Company Asks him about green card, has 2 minds, change jobs for 10 K increase, or stay content with 5K increase given by the present company.

Next 3 months:
He fixes a trip after daily hunting for the cheapest ticket, goes home (India) with quite a few gifts for his family, fixes a girl !!!
Comes back to the US in 3 weeks, as he knows he will be going back home after 6 months for marriage (Telugu guys are an exception: visit India for 3 weeks, see 15 girls, negotiate on Rs. 50 Lac (5 million rupees) + 10 acres fertile land + 2 rice mills etc., fix up the best bargain and get married in 2 days and come back; the other Indians are not so
rewarded in cash; and they will have to go back 6 months down the line for getting married.)

After 6 months:
Gets married, now he is for sure his dream of coming back in 3 years Is becoming pale !!... he has to spend 3000 $ on travel next time to go Back home; he has spent a lot in car repayment; 2 Indian trips and in gifts; now he wont go back for 2 years: meanwhile he has to get his green card any way; (so he consoles himself that circumstances forced dhim to stay rather than blaming his will power).

2 years further:
Makes a trip home, buys more gifts for the wife side relatives than his own brothers and sisters!! Calculates every dollar, but finds out to his surprise that salaries in India have grown greatly, and also the cost of everything, now his savings will buy only 1 flat in south Madras, not at Mylapore, he wont have any cash if he thinks of settling (in India); decides that he will stay in the US for another 3 years and concentrate more on saving and come back to India for good.

3 years in US:
Has kid (his mother in law came during delivery; he was worried all Along that should they fall sick, he will be gone in medical care; he prays to God more than he prayed for his School final marks or JEE/CET seat). He is a family man; thinks that if his 2 year old daughter stays in US after she is 7-8 years of age, she will have all those bad habits, so makes a plan to go back after 5 years, when his daughter would have seen the Disney Land and nicer things when she is not yet spoilt by the western culture.

4 years:
Makes a trip to India with a 20 % hope of returning to India. His Retired father with BP and diabetes and mother with heart problem are in the fore front of his thoughts. But he goes to a few companies, (His ego is a little hurt as he was working as a programmer in US, in spite of having good knowledge and had managed 10 people team in India), he expects to be appointed as a general manager; but doesn't get one; or even if he gets, compares with 70K $ and finds it peanuts, so he decides to show his parents to a doctor; asks his neighbors to look after them; and gets on a plane to the US;

5 years down the line:
His wife likes the US, and she does not have the problem of the Pestering of her mother-in-law. Halts all plans of her husband's thoughts of returning home. Wife visits India during December season, shows off and then comes back to US (While in India she talks to her relatives about her own car; kids bharatanatyam class in Denver suburbs; her relatives exclaim that they are still so Indian)....

10 years later:
Our man is in his 50's. He suddenly remembers the Indian culture. Is reminiscing in his dreams of the past about reciting ahasranama at 6 PM in the Shiva temple, the prasad at the Narayana temple, his jolly stints with his Chetak (name of a scooter/bike in India) and the coffee at the Naesey bar in front of the Consultancy services at Lloyds Road 185 office and Annapoorna at 12 Cath Road office. He wants all of them back . so goes to India (but doesn't find it and that all are not truly continuing; blames Indians for forgetting culture;) Buys a big flat; and decides to come back in 2 years;

After 2 years;
He goes back to India but not with his family; his children Sweta and Son Nikhil (nice fancy names unlike his Ramanaryanan and his friend Sivasubramanian though they were deep rooted tradition of his Ancestral names) are going to "SCHOOL" (at Michigan university, not in our terms an university; he calls it school) and are likely to get settled their with Steve and Susan respectively. He does not like it; but cant help it and so accepts it without saying anything; wife accepts it more realistically ; but still blames the circumstances (
had I got $ 70K when I passed out Engineering, would I have come here and spent 30 years here. He does not remember that rest of the Indians earned only 1165 + city allowance + DA relief of 180 rupees fifty paise when he got 3500 in Campus and got 1000 hike every 6 months in his software consultancy company).

Now in his sixties at Adyar; he goes to temple; his neighborhood flats=20, Kids are wearing American T-shirts, watching MTV. Our man is feeling bad that they are growing too Western; he passes his last days hoping his son and daughter will join him at death; (doesn't remember that he sent only get well card and made few telephonic calls using AT&T, MCI cheap rate duration's than attend to them personally, but still expects his son will come & nurse him) ... the good treatment at Malar Hospital has restored his health; now he can walk to the corner shop and negotiate coriander leaves for 50 paise spoiling the poor daily wage earners' meager earnings)...

And now our man rests in peace at an old age home !!

Be Urself...Luv ur PArents 4 who they are

Found this excellent story abt being urself and the value of ur parents in ur life and what they are to you...read on...excellent stuff...

---->
An old man, staying in a small south Indian town came to visit his son in Bombay recently. The son in his early thirties is a successful businessman living with his wife and son.
The father, having spent most of his life at his birthplace, hardly understands a splatter of Hindi or English, forget Marathi. But he doesn't care. 'I have come here to spend a few days with my son and his family. I don't have to go out and socialize with the city people,' he said.

But the son is very excited about his father's rare visit to Bombay.He wants to make the best of it.

He and his wife want to show him around the city. And yes, the son enjoys those evening hours too, when he and his father go out and sit in a good bar, sipping their favourite drink.

Face off:
Last week he was in a very good mood. 'Let's go to a five star hotel's bar tonight,' he told his father. It was a beautiful evening.
Talking about everything under the sun they had a few drinks. As usual they were offered some salad, peanuts, wafers etc .as accompaniments with their drinks. The old man being almost toothless was not much interested in eating. But that day when they got up to leave, he simply took a handful of chana (roasted grams) and stuffed it in the fold of his dhoti. He might have thought about munching on them, sitting in the car, or whatever.
Unfortunately while walking in the lobby, he missed a step and stumbled.
Down he went, scattering the chana on the plush carpet.

No problem .Now try to visualize that scenario. Someone else in his son's place would have been mortified, embarrassed to death. He might have cursed not his father but his own self for causing this awkward situation. 'Never again will I take my old man to such hotels', he would have vowed.

No sir, not this son. Gently, with a smile, he helped his father get back on his feet. Instead of feeling irritated or angry, he was amused. He found the whole incident very funny.Laughing, they both went home and on the way they decided to return to the same place the following Sunday.

The old man liked the place. Liked the chana too.A son rises A few days back, at a friend's place they both described this event and made everybody laugh.

Weren't you embarrassed? Somebody asked the son. 'Oh, come on now'replied the son. 'He is my father. He talks in his native language, prefers to wear a dhoti even to a posh city hotel, takes chana from the bar to eat later, does whatever he feels like.... So what? Why should I feel embarrassed with his nature and habits? Nobody has a right to stop him from doing whatever he feels comfortable with, as long as it is not harmful to others.'

The son doesn't care what the staff in the hotel thought about that incident.

He says 'they should be concerned only with their bills and tips. I am concerned about my father's happiness.' The wife too totally agrees with the husband on this issue. She feels there are enough other qualities in her father- in- law to feel proud of.

Accept them .The above incident is not mentioned just to show the love and devotion of a son for his father. More than love it is a matter of understanding and a healthy respect for the other person's lifestyle.

A seventy plus old man doesn't want to change his lifestyle now. He likes the way he eats or dresses or talks. In his eyes there is nothing wrong with the old ways of living. And the son says, ok, fine.Every body has a right to live as per his wish. Now at his age, why should he be forced to learn to eat with a fork and knife, if he doesn't want to? I will feel bad if he is doing something morally wrong or indulging in some harmful activities. But otherwise it is fine. I am not going to try to change him at this stage. He is my father. I love him, respect him.

Hey folks, can you think this way?

So many times we see people getting embarrassed by the so called unsophisticated behaviour of their family members. They keep on apologizing about their lack of class and manners or about their drawbacks to outsiders. My wife can't speak proper English; she doesn't know what's happening in the world, so I avoid taking her out or introducing her to my friends and business associates...

My parents can't eat with a spoon and fork, so I don't take them to restaurants.... My husband is working as an ordinary clerk, so I feel awkward when I introduce him to my rich friends. My brother is mentally challenged, so I don't feel like going out with him...

Are you plagued with such thoughts or do you meet such people who think alike?

If you do, please ask yourself. Why do others or I feel this way?Really what is there to feel ashamed of? Most of the people always have this fear of other peoples' opinions and comments.

What would others say?

They think and try to alter their own way of living. Sometimes unnecessarily. What is worse is they try to change their own people too. And when they can't, they are ashamed, angry. And apologetic to outsiders.

In fact, these are the people who have no respect for others and no confidence in oneself. They try to copy others, try to be what they are not, and constantly ask for outsiders' approval for their behaviour. They don't care about the feelings of their family members when they avoid or belittle them.

They don't think how happy his or her family member would feel if he/she gets an opportunity to go to some swanky restaurant or a fun- filled party. Your wife, mother, father, little sister, and old aunt...all those people depending on you for their happiness. If you don't fulfill their desires, who will?

They are what they are. We are what we are. We don't have to change ourselves to please strangers. And if you do, you are in for life long misery.

In that case you would never dare taking your dhoti clad relative to a five star hotel. And your father would never sit amongst your friends and laugh his heart out over some funny incident.

----->
An Excellent Moral

My Birthday!!!

Its my birthday today...Had a flurry of calls from Blore... u know my friends, Dad & Mom, my bro, well this is my 3rd year in succession i am not celebrating my B'Day at home...i just accept it that it wont be a special day for me as it was in Blore ... its just another day for me... just a routine of another day beckons and I feel WHAT THE HECK... SO WHAT IF I AM NOT IN BLORE, I AM GOING TO ENJOY MYSELF TO THE HILT TODAY...u know my style...another 1 adds to my age...all I can say is this has been a dazing year for me...maybe the first time ever I was confused and I realized how lazy and directionless I have been...sort of opened my eyes on my weaknesses ... good to know that I have such a passing weakness and I can overcome it with my trademark confidence and the adventurous streak in me ;-) ...

LOL !!! Its been a gr8 journey...

BTW started reading 'See You At The Top' by Zig Ziglar, a perfect book to help me to embark upon a global career.

My first 365 Days as an IT Professional

19-Jan-2004.

The day brought immense ecstacy, emotion and a sense of fulfilling achievement and an occasion that re-inforced my beliefs in myself that good things do happen in life. After months of hope, preparation and struggle here I was in Hyderabad joining Satyam Computer Services. Its been a great journey so far. 1 year has just gone in a flash and I see myself in the same vein as I was 1 yr back to this day, albeit with little strong changes...grown more professional, have a belief that "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE",prepared for anything...come what may, a smile is all what it takes to start a gr8 adventure... a journey filled with hope,optimism and a dream that begins many more such journeys... still remember those days when I used to dream that one day I will be a Software Engineer earning loads & loads of money, visit various countries, meet new people, live an enchanting life...the past 365 days have been sort of dreamy...learnt many things abt myself that I didn't knew even existed...the energy & zeal to deal with a challenging task, the meticulous planning(this was my known forte..though it became more better!!!) , my public speaking skills...WOW...i never knew I was such a good speaker...way to go buddy!!!... Staying away from home again this time much farther brought with it its own set of responsibilities and freedom... NO BOOZE... NO FAG ... NO GURLZ... Well can't say have done well in the first category... ocassionaly I do have my highs in parties with my friends out here...regarding FAG... never touched it..will never touch it again.

Well GURLZ... sometimes loneliness sets in and makes me feel... Hey C'mon Mr.Single wht the f*** r u upto..being Mr.Good?...move ur as* and start doing something abt it!!! My thoughts float towards P**** back home. Currently I have a huge crush on her. Am on Cloud 9 these days... well me and my queer thoughts ....(huh!!!) ..... But I am still open to single gurlz out there... ;-) Hey I was talking abt my professional career right!!! So here I am typing in this blog of mine abt the year that went by and the year thats going to be mine. Yes I say this b'coz I have lined up some gr8 surprises for myself and others of what I am going to achieve in the next 365 days... New Challenges, New Vision, New Hope, New Victories here I come...Come 19-Jan-2006... U guys will know and yes I will again re-inforce my beliefs in myself...Here is to a gr8 19-Jan-2005 to 18-Jan-2006...CHEERS!!!

BTW : I have completed half of 'DA VINCI CODE' ... after a long time I finally completed reading all the articlesin a Tinkle (big deal huh!!!) ... I missed out on an Astronomy programme of 3-days here at the planetarium(a rare occurence!!!) Will keep my eyes & ears open for the next opportunity... :-)

Fast approaching a D-Day!!!

19-Jan-2004 ... the date rings something of real prominence right!!! 1 year back it was my first day at the office as a Software Professional though as an amateur :-) ... it was a day I was preparing for from the past 1 month... the goals, the obstacles, the refinement, the challenges, the vision... I had left B'lore and landed in the big sprawling campus of STC(Satyam Technology Center) on the outskirts of Hyderabad. A little bit of nervousness interspersed with my confidence... It was Normal... After all I was selected in Satyam... it was a day of reckoning for me...I knew the days ahead were going to be tough, full of activity, new friends-place-life... I was prepared ... but yes I knew I will be missing some real special ppl in my life who had mattered to me most all this while...I learnt one thing 'THE ONLY CONSTANCY IS CHANGE'... the training days were excellent ..had loads of fun...the early morning trips to STC ... the constant drowsiness... the thought of cameras focusing on ur every action...it was hell lot of fun... the friends I made then... :-) ...

I wake up from my thoughts and find myself typing this blog entry in BBSR office of Satyam... Now I am farther away from home, missing my friends, family like crazy... I want to meet them and feel the comfort of their warmth... moreover add to that my single status right now :-( ... but yes there is that inherent feeling that something special is brewing in my life right now ... I am not able to make out exactly wht its all abt... but i know its something special and queerly pleasant... as always as has been my attitude - whatever it is I am going to approach it with an open mind and give my best to it... yes there are some goals which I am going to chart down very soon and go all out after those GOALS... its not just my existence that counts...wht counts is wht I do with my existence that counts..right !!! ...

Now I am just awaiting for 19-Jan-2005 which will be a checkpoint for me in life and time for me to benchmark myself against the best and prepare my strategies for life... Just wait and Watch !!!

By the Way I have started Dan Brown's 'Da Vinci Code' ... THE PLOT ... A lovely thriller expecting to complete it this month and then start either Dan's 'Angels & Demons' or Edward De Bono's 'Lateral Thinking'... Its been a gr8 start to 2005... LOL

A CHARMED EXISTENCE

I sit here in my office...listening to 'Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye' ... its 12:15 am ... not even a single soul in the office..am all myself...today was the first day of 2005...lots of plans to make. a determined list of resolutions to be made... dreams to be lived ... hidden emotions start coming forth...I close my eyes for a minute and experience the solitary existence I have right now...a forced smile escape my lips...Am i in the right direction...am i doing the right thing...am i being myself... lots of questions hit me one by one...I just accept them and become more strong and more determined to live my life my way...the way I have dreamt and yes to be the guy I have always wanted to be...its a never ending experience...wish I could share this with somebody...but as the saying goes...'A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER' ... LIFE never ceases to amaze me... Its a celebration of existence...Its been a charmed existence so far!!!

BTW here is a snap of mine from a 'not so long ago time'

Dec-31-2004 6:57 pm

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-**-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
A 'NEW' year is going to dawn in a couple of hours from now...
I sit at my workstation doing nothing, just have a gradual slow glance across the office-space and see people...people who are planning to do something tonight, ppl who have no clues as to what they will be doing tonight (/LIFE ) ... some guys going out tonight with their GFs ... There is a sea of activity going around ppl's mind right now...

As for me I dont know what I will be doing tonight (/LIFE ... Naaah...I have my goals set in life!!!)...

Yes for first time I am away from home for a new year, but the feeling hasn't sunk in yet, it is a plethora of feelings right now...all mixed up...cant explain whether its elation or depression ... So this is my state right now on the eve of new year...

BUT i am not going to make these last moments of 2004 go just like that...
SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABT THIS RIGHT...
Lets concoct a blue-print for a wild-bachelor party...u know...where u have this heady mix of excitement all night thru' ...

C'MON FELLAS ... LETZ ROCK THE LAST DAY OF 2004 AND BEAT THE HELL OUT OF THESE REMAINING 5 HOURS ;-) ... HAPPY NEW YEAR 2005...

The following lines goes out to all those special ppl who have made a difference in my life small or big:

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

A gift lies before you,
a sparkling new year,
a realization of the dreams that you hold dear.

Hold out your hand;
don't be afraidto take it,
for the new year is yoursand it will be whatyou make it.

It has not a flawit's whole and it's new.
It's not justanother year,but a new worldfor you

AS ANOTHER YEAR BEGINS,
MAY IT FILL YOUR DAYS WITH PEACE,
HAPPINESS & MAKE YOUR LIFE BRIGHT

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

MY LIFE's 10 DAYS.

So the D-Day has arrived. Even though it's happening I am not able to fathom the fact that I am going home today on this cold October night from a place I never thought I would stay for such a long time (...will be completing 10 months in Bhubaneswar!!!) leave alone working for a software company. Life and its strange ways :-) Well its been a learning experience and yes a passage of time where I had a brief siesta with the IT industry as a fresh college-passout. Varying emotions from frustration to elation marked my ongoing short stay over here...right from the lab-days, the tranings on MortgageServ, the induction process, the not-so perfect planning(....very unlikely DP-style !!!) to the days of frustration of no-work...TT...endless sarcastic discussions to the days of elation and recognition when i won in the SBG-Satyam Banking Group contest...and to TODAY the 5th of November, 2004 when I am going home a feeling of emotion wraps me over and cant help stop it...after a huge gap of time I will be meeting my parents,my friends and my home which has shaped me to what I am today...a silent prayer goes out to all the beautiful persons out there who have helped me directly or indirectly to be what i am today...HATS OFF TO YOU!!!...

A thought escapes from my mind...my dreams,my aspirations,my goals in life...a blue-print is needed for this trip...there is something in life that needs to be achieved...Do it Buddy ... Do it....a feeling of completeness overcomes and gives me an assurance that I am going to achieve my dreams in my life...and yes I am going to make these 10 days in Bangalore count towards that...I am going to live my life in these 10 days...ALL THE BEST buddy ... Live ur Life!!!

These are a few lines from Robert Frost....

~~~~~ ON LOOKING UP BY CHANCE AT THE CONSTELLATIONS ~~~~~

You'll wait a long, long time for anything much
To happen in heaven beyond the floats of cloud
And the Northern Lights that run like tingling nerves.
The sun and moon get crossed, but they never touch,
Nor strike out fire from each other nor crash out loud.
The planets seem to interfere in their curves
But nothing ever happens, no harm is done.
We may as well go patiently on with our life,
And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and sun
For the shocks and changes we need to keep us sane.
It is true the longest drought will end in rain,
The longest peace in China will end in strife.
Still it wouldn't reward the watcher to stay awake
In hopes of seeing the calm of heaven break
On his particular time and personal sight.
That calm seems certainly safe to last to-night.



~~~~~ THE ROAD NOT TAKEN ~~~~~

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Cheers,

Durga :-)

One Cutie-Pie Love Story

It was a lovely December morning in the hottest city in theworld. All right, so that was a little unfair. Chennai is not thehottest city in the world. But it certainly is the city with the mostuncomfortable weather among the cities that I have lived in. And I'vebeen around. But I digress. I was in the company bus on my way to work, as usual trying tocatch up with my sleep. On this particular day, a girl got on the bus,came to my seat and sat down. "Good Morning," she said. I looked back ather through half closed eyes, replied "Good Night," and then proceededto return to my half hour nap before the bus reached the office.Unfortunately, I was woken up by a punch in the arm. "Wake up, bozo!" She was looking at me with a big smile on herface. "I'm not sitting next to you to listen to you snore." Half-heartedly, I opened my eyes and turned to her. "What's up?"I asked. Preeti Mehra was tall, good-looking and slightly tomboyish. Shewas also my best buddy. "Come on," she said. "Don't look sodisappointed. You'd rather sleep than talk to me?" "I talk to you everyday, Preeti." "You also sleep everyday." "It's not enough." "So you've had enough of talking to me, eh?" You can't argue with a statement like that, so I had to give up.I grinned and said, "OK, sweetheart. What's on your mind?" "I wanted to tell you what happened yesterday. Can you guess?" "Anurag called you last night." "How did you know?" She was stunned.
"Oh, he asked me for your number yesterday."\\ "And you gave it to him?"\\ "What else could I do? And stop complaining. You\'ve been\drooling over him for weeks now. He must have thought he had a chance."\\ Preeti was the kind of girl who would openly ogle at every other\guy she saw. And yet, she would not respond to any advances of a\romantic nature. She\'d happily join a group of boys to go to a cricket\match, but if asked out to a movie, dinner, or even coffee, she\'d never\say yes. She defined \'Hard-To-Get\'.\\ "You like putting me in these situations, don\'t you?" she said.\\ "No. That\'s not true. I love putting you in these situations!"\\ That invited another punch in the arm.\\ I had known Preeti for a year. We\'d tell each other about our\joys and our sorrows, our victories and our defeats. I\'d tell her about\all my crushes and she\'d scold me for being silly. She\'d drag me to\classical music concerts and I\'d add them to the list of things she\\'owed me\' for.\\ And though I never let it show, I must say that she punched\pretty hard.\\ ~*~\\ It was 12:00 am and my phone was ringing. "Hello," I said, as I\picked it up.\\ "Happy Birthday!" It was she.\\ "You\'re supposed to throw me a surprise party, sweetheart. Not\just call to say Happy Birthday."\\ "Well then open your door, dumbo!"\\ So I did and found her, cell-phone in hand, at my doorstep --\with what seemed like half the population of my company. My roommates\",1]
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"Oh, he asked me for your number yesterday." "And you gave it to him?" "What else could I do? And stop complaining. You've beendrooling over him for weeks now. He must have thought he had a chance." Preeti was the kind of girl who would openly ogle at every otherguy she saw. And yet, she would not respond to any advances of aromantic nature. She'd happily join a group of boys to go to a cricketmatch, but if asked out to a movie, dinner, or even coffee, she'd neversay yes. She defined 'Hard-To-Get'. "You like putting me in these situations, don't you?" she said. "No. That's not true. I love putting you in these situations!" That invited another punch in the arm. I had known Preeti for a year. We'd tell each other about ourjoys and our sorrows, our victories and our defeats. I'd tell her aboutall my crushes and she'd scold me for being silly. She'd drag me toclassical music concerts and I'd add them to the list of things she'owed me' for. And though I never let it show, I must say that she punchedpretty hard. ~*~ It was 12:00 am and my phone was ringing. "Hello," I said, as Ipicked it up. "Happy Birthday!" It was she. "You're supposed to throw me a surprise party, sweetheart. Notjust call to say Happy Birthday." "Well then open your door, dumbo!" So I did and found her, cell-phone in hand, at my doorstep --with what seemed like half the population of my company. My roommates
\ I blew a lot of candles (seemed like much more than 25), cut my\cake, got kicked in the behind, and got painted with the cake\'s icing.\If Preeti had had her way, she\'d probably have preferred to use a\paintbrush and a can of paint. But I bribed her with a copy of the book\"Lord of the Rings". She\'d borrowed it from me three times already. I\thought it was about time I gave her a copy for herself.\\ We chatted for an hour after everyone had gone. "I think it\'s\time I left," she said finally, trying to stifle a yawn. I nodded. I\dropped her home in my roommate\'s car. As she was getting out of the\car, I stopped her.\\ "Hey, Preeti."\\ "What?"\\ "Thanks."\\ "Hey, don\'t get senti on me now!" she smiled. "Are you trying to\worm out of that gift you promised me?"\\ "You know, it\'s interesting how I\'m getting you a gift on my\birthday."\\ "That\'s just because you\'re stupid," she grinned. "And you\better get me that book, or I won\'t return your copy."\\ "Hey, that copy was a gift to me from my dear friend Preeti\Mehra. I can\'t let you keep that."\\ She wasn\'t falling for that. "Your dear friend? And what about\me? Am I not dear to you?"\\ "Very smart. That won\'t work with me. I\'m not one of your Love\Crazy suitors. Why do you need the book anyway? You\'ve read it umpteen\times already."\\ "That is besides the point. You are getting me the book. We both\know that." She smiled that wide confident smile of hers. "Good night."\",1]
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were supposed to be working late that night. Now I knew why. I blew a lot of candles (seemed like much more than 25), cut mycake, got kicked in the behind, and got painted with the cake's icing.If Preeti had had her way, she'd probably have preferred to use apaintbrush and a can of paint. But I bribed her with a copy of the book"Lord of the Rings". She'd borrowed it from me three times already. Ithought it was about time I gave her a copy for herself. We chatted for an hour after everyone had gone. "I think it'stime I left," she said finally, trying to stifle a yawn. I nodded. Idropped her home in my roommate's car. As she was getting out of thecar, I stopped her. "Hey, Preeti." "What?" "Thanks." "Hey, don't get senti on me now!" she smiled. "Are you trying toworm out of that gift you promised me?" "You know, it's interesting how I'm getting you a gift on mybirthday." "That's just because you're stupid," she grinned. "And youbetter get me that book, or I won't return your copy." "Hey, that copy was a gift to me from my dear friend PreetiMehra. I can't let you keep that." She wasn't falling for that. "Your dear friend? And what aboutme? Am I not dear to you?" "Very smart. That won't work with me. I'm not one of your LoveCrazy suitors. Why do you need the book anyway? You've read it umpteentimes already." "That is besides the point. You are getting me the book. We bothknow that." She smiled that wide confident smile of hers. "Good night."
\ I sat there for some time, just thinking. Our conversations were\always like this - a little joking, a little teasing and a lot of\demanding. But somehow, I felt that something had changed since the\moment she had turned up at my door that night. I was still in my\reverie when a paper ball landed on the windshield. I craned my neck out\of the window and looked up. She was standing in her balcony.\\ "What are you still doing there?" she whispered loudly.\\ "Waiting for you to start a paper-ball fight," I whispered back.\\ "We can do that tomorrow. Go home now. It\'s way past your\bedtime!"\\ "Ok, mommy," I grinned back. "I\'m going home now!"\\ ~*~\\ I\'m an extravagant gift-giver, and it is definitely going to be\my downfall some day. I made her wait for it, but finally bought her the\book. That, and half-a-dozen other omnibus collections of various\authors, including a copy each of `The Complete Works of Shakespeare\'\and `The Complete Short Stories of Charles Dickens\'. All I got for it\was an "I told you so."\\ I started spending a lot of time at her place after that. Mostly\because I wanted to read all those books, and she wouldn\'t lend them to\me.\\ "I\'m not as stupid as you, ape-man. I\'m not falling into the\same trap I laid for you. Plus, you dog-ear your books. You\'re not doing\that to these masterpieces. So if you want to read them, you read them\here. And if you want to mark your place, use a bookmark."\\ So that\'s what I did. She\'d even make me wash my hands before I\touched the books. It was as if they were sacred.\\ "Need I remind you that it was me that bought you the books in\",1]
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And she got out of the car. I sat there for some time, just thinking. Our conversations werealways like this - a little joking, a little teasing and a lot ofdemanding. But somehow, I felt that something had changed since themoment she had turned up at my door that night. I was still in myreverie when a paper ball landed on the windshield. I craned my neck outof the window and looked up. She was standing in her balcony. "What are you still doing there?" she whispered loudly. "Waiting for you to start a paper-ball fight," I whispered back. "We can do that tomorrow. Go home now. It's way past yourbedtime!" "Ok, mommy," I grinned back. "I'm going home now!" ~*~ I'm an extravagant gift-giver, and it is definitely going to bemy downfall some day. I made her wait for it, but finally bought her thebook. That, and half-a-dozen other omnibus collections of variousauthors, including a copy each of `The Complete Works of Shakespeare'and `The Complete Short Stories of Charles Dickens'. All I got for itwas an "I told you so." I started spending a lot of time at her place after that. Mostlybecause I wanted to read all those books, and she wouldn't lend them tome. "I'm not as stupid as you, ape-man. I'm not falling into thesame trap I laid for you. Plus, you dog-ear your books. You're not doingthat to these masterpieces. So if you want to read them, you read themhere. And if you want to mark your place, use a bookmark." So that's what I did. She'd even make me wash my hands before Itouched the books. It was as if they were sacred. "Need I remind you that it was me that bought you the books in
\ "So? They\'re mine now."\\ "Well, then. I\'ve been meaning to ask you this for a long time.\Where exactly is my birthday gift?"\\ "It was in your tummy at one point of time. It\'s probably been\washed into the sea by now."\\ "Huh?"\\ "Remember the cake I baked you on your birthday?"\\ "You what? You can\'t bake cakes!" That was a mistake. She looked\hurt. "You baked me a cake?" She didn\'t say a word. She just shrugged.\\ I was stunned. "But you never told me."\\ "You didn\'t ask." That was typical of her.\\ "It was fantastic! And you wasted most of the icing on me!"\\ "The cake was for you, dumbo."\\ "How long did it take you to make the whole thing?" It had been\a two-layered vanilla-chocolate cake with three flavors of very creamy\icing. She had done all that!\\ "Well, the chocolate cake took an hour and fifteen minutes, and\so did the vanilla. Then cutting them up and putting them together took\another 15 minutes. Each flavor of icing took 20 minutes for\preparation, and then putting it on the cake took another half hour.\Cleaning up the mess took an hour."\\ She seldom claimed the credit for anything, but once she started\bragging, there was no stopping her. However, I wasn\'t thinking about\that right then.\\ "You spent over five hours on that cake?"\\ "A little over four hours preparing it, and an hour cleaning up.\",1]
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the first place? For my birthday!" "So? They're mine now." "Well, then. I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time.Where exactly is my birthday gift?" "It was in your tummy at one point of time. It's probably beenwashed into the sea by now." "Huh?" "Remember the cake I baked you on your birthday?" "You what? You can't bake cakes!" That was a mistake. She lookedhurt. "You baked me a cake?" She didn't say a word. She just shrugged. I was stunned. "But you never told me." "You didn't ask." That was typical of her. "It was fantastic! And you wasted most of the icing on me!" "The cake was for you, dumbo." "How long did it take you to make the whole thing?" It had beena two-layered vanilla-chocolate cake with three flavors of very creamyicing. She had done all that! "Well, the chocolate cake took an hour and fifteen minutes, andso did the vanilla. Then cutting them up and putting them together tookanother 15 minutes. Each flavor of icing took 20 minutes forpreparation, and then putting it on the cake took another half hour.Cleaning up the mess took an hour." She seldom claimed the credit for anything, but once she startedbragging, there was no stopping her. However, I wasn't thinking aboutthat right then. "You spent over five hours on that cake?" "A little over four hours preparing it, and an hour cleaning up.
\ I was speechless. I didn\'t know how to react. She hated cooking.\\ "I forgot to mention," she continued, "the hours I spent the\week before that, practicing. Even the birds wouldn\'t touch the first\three cakes!"\\ I couldn\'t help but ask. "Why?"\\ "Because the first one got burnt, the second one was only half\cooked, and in the third one, I forgot to add sugar."\\ It was just like her, to try to divert the conversation. "I mean\why did you spend so much time on baking me a cake?"\\ She looked at me like I\'d asked her why the sun rises in the\east. "For your birthday, stupid. Of course, I also wanted to beat every\gift you\'ve ever got me. Try beating this one." She was grinning like\she\'d won the world championship.\\ As far as I was concerned, she had. I\'d never spent a week\making her anything. I\'d never even spent an hour making her anything.\Getting her a gift normally involved me taking her to the store, letting\her choose and use my credit card. Suddenly, I felt cheap. "Thanks," was\the only thing I could say. "Thanks a lot."\\ "Hey. Are you getting senti on me again?"\\ I was.\\ ~*~\\ I was still mulling over my feelings for Preeti the next day at\work when my boss asked to speak to me.\\ I went over to his cabin and he started with the usual\greetings, asking how work was going and whether I was comfortable. He\then told me that the company wanted to send me to New York for a couple\of years. Normally, this wouldn\'t have made much of a difference to me.\I could work anywhere and didn\'t have too much love for visiting places\",1]
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Yes." I was speechless. I didn't know how to react. She hated cooking. "I forgot to mention," she continued, "the hours I spent theweek before that, practicing. Even the birds wouldn't touch the firstthree cakes!" I couldn't help but ask. "Why?" "Because the first one got burnt, the second one was only halfcooked, and in the third one, I forgot to add sugar." It was just like her, to try to divert the conversation. "I meanwhy did you spend so much time on baking me a cake?" She looked at me like I'd asked her why the sun rises in theeast. "For your birthday, stupid. Of course, I also wanted to beat everygift you've ever got me. Try beating this one." She was grinning likeshe'd won the world championship. As far as I was concerned, she had. I'd never spent a weekmaking her anything. I'd never even spent an hour making her anything.Getting her a gift normally involved me taking her to the store, lettingher choose and use my credit card. Suddenly, I felt cheap. "Thanks," wasthe only thing I could say. "Thanks a lot." "Hey. Are you getting senti on me again?" I was. ~*~ I was still mulling over my feelings for Preeti the next day atwork when my boss asked to speak to me. I went over to his cabin and he started with the usualgreetings, asking how work was going and whether I was comfortable. Hethen told me that the company wanted to send me to New York for a coupleof years. Normally, this wouldn't have made much of a difference to me.I could work anywhere and didn't have too much love for visiting places
be away from Preeti for two whole years. Twenty-four hours before, I\'d\have been disappointed to lose her company. But right then, I was\devastated. That was when I knew I was in love with her. I\'d had crushes\before. Lots of them. But this was different.\\ "Do you have any problem in going?" my boss asked, since I\hadn\'t responded.\\ "Not really," I replied. What else could I say? That I was in\love, and couldn\'t bear the separation?\\ "When do I have to leave?"\\ I had a month.\\ ~*~\\ "Wow! New York! Great! I\'ve heard it\'s a fantastic city! Did you\know it snows there in winter?" Preeti was obviously very excited about\my going. She didn\'t seem to share my disappointment on what I now saw\as \'separation\'.\\ I had not decided then if I was going to tell her how I felt.\We\'d known each other for a little over a year, and we were very close,\but beyond some mild flirting, the relationship had never got even close\to romantic. That was, of course, until I found out she had spent a week\baking me a cake. It\'s funny how small things seem to make such a big\difference.\\ "What happened?" she asked. "You don\'t seem very happy."\\ "Oh," I replied, "it\'s just that it\'s so sudden, that\'s all. And\you know I was never all that interested in going to America."\\ "What an idiot. Go see the place. I\'ve heard the women there are\amazingly beautiful." She had a sly smile on her face. I wanted to tell\her I didn\'t care if I laid my eyes on another woman again, if she\wasn\'t with me. But I didn\'t.\",1]
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foreign. But right then, the first thought that came to me was that I'dbe away from Preeti for two whole years. Twenty-four hours before, I'dhave been disappointed to lose her company. But right then, I wasdevastated. That was when I knew I was in love with her. I'd had crushesbefore. Lots of them. But this was different. "Do you have any problem in going?" my boss asked, since Ihadn't responded. "Not really," I replied. What else could I say? That I was inlove, and couldn't bear the separation? "When do I have to leave?" I had a month. ~*~ "Wow! New York! Great! I've heard it's a fantastic city! Did youknow it snows there in winter?" Preeti was obviously very excited aboutmy going. She didn't seem to share my disappointment on what I now sawas 'separation'. I had not decided then if I was going to tell her how I felt.We'd known each other for a little over a year, and we were very close,but beyond some mild flirting, the relationship had never got even closeto romantic. That was, of course, until I found out she had spent a weekbaking me a cake. It's funny how small things seem to make such a bigdifference. "What happened?" she asked. "You don't seem very happy." "Oh," I replied, "it's just that it's so sudden, that's all. Andyou know I was never all that interested in going to America." "What an idiot. Go see the place. I've heard the women there areamazingly beautiful." She had a sly smile on her face. I wanted to tellher I didn't care if I laid my eyes on another woman again, if shewasn't with me. But I didn't.
I realized that I only had another month with her. She\'d\rejected every guy who\'d asked her out ever since I\'d known her. I\didn\'t want the same to happen to me, and I didn\'t want to make it\awkward between us. I didn\'t want to risk that month. I wanted it to be\the best time I had ever spent with her. After I came back from the US,\I might not even get to meet her again. Two years was a long time.\\ We ate out almost every night. We visited some of the best\restaurants in the city. She also helped me shop for warm clothes,\formalwear, shoes, toothpaste and a million things I\'d never have\thought of on my own.\\ "You need to buy a nail-cutter." My roommates and I shared one.\\ "I\'ve prepared a list of must-have medicines that you should\carry."\\ "Your iron won\'t work in the US. No point buying one here as you\need one that works at a hundred and ten volts and has flat pins. You\can buy one at a K-Mart or Wal-Mart as soon as you get there."\\ "You need at least two pairs of formal shoes and at least ten\pairs of dark socks. The East Coast has a formal dress code. And you\won\'t do your laundry more than once a week or two."\\ "How many ties do you have? And which trousers do your blazers\go with?"\\ "Better get a haircut before you leave from here. Knowing you,\you\'ll postpone the first haircut for too long."\\ She\'d call me up at one in the morning to tell me to add \'one\more item\' to my list.\\ And with every passing day, I was falling more deeply in love\with her.\\ The month swept by quickly. The day I was supposed to leave, I\asked her to come with me to the airport. "Of course, dumbo. You think\",1]
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I realized that I only had another month with her. She'drejected every guy who'd asked her out ever since I'd known her. Ididn't want the same to happen to me, and I didn't want to make itawkward between us. I didn't want to risk that month. I wanted it to bethe best time I had ever spent with her. After I came back from the US,I might not even get to meet her again. Two years was a long time. We ate out almost every night. We visited some of the bestrestaurants in the city. She also helped me shop for warm clothes,formalwear, shoes, toothpaste and a million things I'd never havethought of on my own. "You need to buy a nail-cutter." My roommates and I shared one. "I've prepared a list of must-have medicines that you shouldcarry." "Your iron won't work in the US. No point buying one here as youneed one that works at a hundred and ten volts and has flat pins. Youcan buy one at a K-Mart or Wal-Mart as soon as you get there." "You need at least two pairs of formal shoes and at least tenpairs of dark socks. The East Coast has a formal dress code. And youwon't do your laundry more than once a week or two." "How many ties do you have? And which trousers do your blazersgo with?" "Better get a haircut before you leave from here. Knowing you,you'll postpone the first haircut for too long." She'd call me up at one in the morning to tell me to add 'onemore item' to my list. And with every passing day, I was falling more deeply in lovewith her. The month swept by quickly. The day I was supposed to leave, Iasked her to come with me to the airport. "Of course, dumbo. You think
\ After packing my bags for me and checking the lists for the\hundredth time, she finally pronounced me "Good to go."\\ We reached the airport four hours early to beat the rush,\because it was an international flight. She got a visitor\'s pass to sit\in the waiting area while I went ahead and checked-in my bags. Preeti\had got a spring balance from somewhere and so we knew my bags were well\within the weight limit. I finished the formalities and came to sit with\her. We had only a few hours before I had to go for my security-check.\We decided to get something to eat at the food court. And all the time,\the one thing that was going through my head was that, after this, I\wouldn\'t see her for at least another two years.\\ "Hey, Champ. Why so glum?" She saved \'Champ\' for special days.\Normally, it was just \'dumbo\', \'bozo\', \'ape-man\', \'matchstick man\',\\'weirdo\', or if she was very irritated with me, \'nutcase\'.\\ "I don\'t want to go," I said.\\ "I don\'t want you to go either."\\ "No, you don\'t understand." I couldn\'t hold it in any longer. "I\can\'t stand the thought of living without you by my side."\\ She stared at me. There was a strange look in her eyes. I\couldn\'t read it.\\ "I am madly in love with you, Preeti."\\ At this, a sound escaped her lips that sounded like a cross\between a sob and a laugh. "Well, dumbo, you\'ve picked an absolutely\fabulous time to tell me about it!"\\ A tear escaped her eyes. It was all I could do to stop myself\from wiping it off her cheeks.\\ "How long have you felt this way?" She seemed amused, though she\",1]
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I'd let you go just like that, or what?" After packing my bags for me and checking the lists for thehundredth time, she finally pronounced me "Good to go." We reached the airport four hours early to beat the rush,because it was an international flight. She got a visitor's pass to sitin the waiting area while I went ahead and checked-in my bags. Preetihad got a spring balance from somewhere and so we knew my bags were wellwithin the weight limit. I finished the formalities and came to sit withher. We had only a few hours before I had to go for my security-check.We decided to get something to eat at the food court. And all the time,the one thing that was going through my head was that, after this, Iwouldn't see her for at least another two years. "Hey, Champ. Why so glum?" She saved 'Champ' for special days.Normally, it was just 'dumbo', 'bozo', 'ape-man', 'matchstick man','weirdo', or if she was very irritated with me, 'nutcase'. "I don't want to go," I said. "I don't want you to go either." "No, you don't understand." I couldn't hold it in any longer. "Ican't stand the thought of living without you by my side." She stared at me. There was a strange look in her eyes. Icouldn't read it. "I am madly in love with you, Preeti." At this, a sound escaped her lips that sounded like a crossbetween a sob and a laugh. "Well, dumbo, you've picked an absolutelyfabulous time to tell me about it!" A tear escaped her eyes. It was all I could do to stop myselffrom wiping it off her cheeks. "How long have you felt this way?" She seemed amused, though she
\ "From the day I found out you had baked me a cake."\\ She laughed. "That\'s all it took? Well, bozo, I guess a way to a\man\'s heart is certainly through his stomach! Hold it. A month? You\waited a month? You were the one who kept saying that if you really\liked a girl you wouldn\'t waste a day in telling her!" She was smiling\widely now. It looked funny, with her eyes all wet.\\ "Well, I was confused. How did I know how you\'d react? In fact,\I still don\'t understand your reaction. I thought it would change things\between us. You\'ve rejected every guy who ever proposed to you!"\\ "That\'s because I\'m in love with you, you overgrown idiot!"\\ "What?" Somehow, I\'d never expected her to say that. She was in\love with me? "How long have you been in love with me?"\\ "Ever since the day you offered to carry my suitcase for me."\\ "But that was the first day I met you!"\\ "I guess I was always a sucker for chivalry."\\ "All this time you\'ve been in love with me and you never said\anything! Then you go and complain that I waited a month!"\\ "You guys are so bad at reading a girl\'s mind."\\ "You women are so good at keeping your thoughts a secret! Even\Einstein couldn\'t figure you out."\\ "Einstein was a nerd. Casanova, on the other hand, understood us\very well."\\ "I love you."\\ "I know."\\ That moment, my dear friends, was magic. I looked into her eyes\",1]
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was definitely crying. I didn't know what to make of it. "From the day I found out you had baked me a cake." She laughed. "That's all it took? Well, bozo, I guess a way to aman's heart is certainly through his stomach! Hold it. A month? Youwaited a month? You were the one who kept saying that if you reallyliked a girl you wouldn't waste a day in telling her!" She was smilingwidely now. It looked funny, with her eyes all wet. "Well, I was confused. How did I know how you'd react? In fact,I still don't understand your reaction. I thought it would change thingsbetween us. You've rejected every guy who ever proposed to you!" "That's because I'm in love with you, you overgrown idiot!" "What?" Somehow, I'd never expected her to say that. She was inlove with me? "How long have you been in love with me?" "Ever since the day you offered to carry my suitcase for me." "But that was the first day I met you!" "I guess I was always a sucker for chivalry." "All this time you've been in love with me and you never saidanything! Then you go and complain that I waited a month!" "You guys are so bad at reading a girl's mind." "You women are so good at keeping your thoughts a secret! EvenEinstein couldn't figure you out." "Einstein was a nerd. Casanova, on the other hand, understood usvery well." "I love you." "I know." That moment, my dear friends, was magic. I looked into her eyes
until then, to a punch in the arm, a slap on the back of the head, or\giving each other a \'high five\'.\\ "You realize, don\'t you," she said, "that this is our first\date?" Leave it to her to notice the little things.\\ "I really don\'t want to go." I\'d always maintained that love is\a bucketful of emotions. I wasn\'t exactly delighted to be proved right.\\ "Don\'t worry. I\'m coming there in a couple of months."\\ "How? On a dependent visa?"\\ She laughed. "For that, I\'ll have to wait, won\'t I? I\'ve got a\project in New Jersey."\\ I couldn\'t believe my ears. "What? When did that happen? You\never even told me!"\\ "Well, I wasn\'t sure you\'d propose before you left. And I\couldn\'t exactly sacrifice you to those New York women, could I? I had\to watch out for myself. So I went on a project-hunting spree. There is\an opportunity coming up for a project in about two months. Someone is\coming back to India, so I\'ll be taking his place. They want me there\for a little less than two years." She was beaming. "I realized I had\struck gold!"\\ "And if I\'d not told you how I felt? When were you planning on\telling me about it?"\\ "Around a month before I reached there. I had to make it look\natural. Or you\'d think I was desperate."\\ "Well, you are desperate!" This was incredible. All I\'d done in\the past month had been to mope around, listen to sad songs and write\her letters that I never intended her to read. "You\'ve been scheming all\this while! How come you didn\'t lay a trap for me a year ago?"\",1]
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and took her hands in mine. Physical contact for us had been limited,until then, to a punch in the arm, a slap on the back of the head, orgiving each other a 'high five'. "You realize, don't you," she said, "that this is our firstdate?" Leave it to her to notice the little things. "I really don't want to go." I'd always maintained that love isa bucketful of emotions. I wasn't exactly delighted to be proved right. "Don't worry. I'm coming there in a couple of months." "How? On a dependent visa?" She laughed. "For that, I'll have to wait, won't I? I've got aproject in New Jersey." I couldn't believe my ears. "What? When did that happen? Younever even told me!" "Well, I wasn't sure you'd propose before you left. And Icouldn't exactly sacrifice you to those New York women, could I? I hadto watch out for myself. So I went on a project-hunting spree. There isan opportunity coming up for a project in about two months. Someone iscoming back to India, so I'll be taking his place. They want me therefor a little less than two years." She was beaming. "I realized I hadstruck gold!" "And if I'd not told you how I felt? When were you planning ontelling me about it?" "Around a month before I reached there. I had to make it looknatural. Or you'd think I was desperate." "Well, you are desperate!" This was incredible. All I'd done inthe past month had been to mope around, listen to sad songs and writeher letters that I never intended her to read. "You've been scheming allthis while! How come you didn't lay a trap for me a year ago?"
"I tried giving you hints, dumbo, but you just wouldn\'t pay\attention!" She was laughing. "You\'re the only guy I ever spent any time\with. Wasn\'t that a big enough hint?"\\ That was true. She would happily join a group of boys to go to a\cricket match, but I now realized, only if I was one of them.\\ "What if I had rejected you?" I was extremely flattered that\she\'d been crazy about me for a year. My ego was swelling.\\ "You must be kidding!" she was clearly amused. "I get proposed\to every few days. You are the one who\'s been rejected more times in the\last year than I can count on two pairs of hands!"\\ She really knew how to burst my bubble.\\ "Hey," she said softly, "don\'t look so dejected. I said \'Yes\',\didn\'t I?"\\ I grinned. "Yes, you did. And you\'ve made me a very happy man.\But you know what would make me even happier?"\\ "What?"\\ "If you learn to cook as good as you bake cakes."\\ So she punched me in the arm again.\\ The End Beginning\\ Note:\\ Senti = Indian slang for \'Sentimental\'\\******************************\******************************\**************\This email (including any attachments) is intended for the sole use of the\intended recipient/s and may contain material that is CONFIDENTIAL AND\PRIVATE COMPANY INFORMATION. Any review or reliance by others or copying or\distribution or forwarding of any or all of the contents in this message is\STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact\the sender by email and delete all copies; your cooperation in this regard\is appreciated.\******************************\******************************\**************\",1]
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"I tried giving you hints, dumbo, but you just wouldn't payattention!" She was laughing. "You're the only guy I ever spent any timewith. Wasn't that a big enough hint?" That was true. She would happily join a group of boys to go to acricket match, but I now realized, only if I was one of them. "What if I had rejected you?" I was extremely flattered thatshe'd been crazy about me for a year. My ego was swelling. "You must be kidding!" she was clearly amused. "I get proposedto every few days. You are the one who's been rejected more times in thelast year than I can count on two pairs of hands!" She really knew how to burst my bubble. "Hey," she said softly, "don't look so dejected. I said 'Yes',didn't I?" I grinned. "Yes, you did. And you've made me a very happy man.But you know what would make me even happier?" "What?" "If you learn to cook as good as you bake cakes." So she punched me in the arm again. The End Beginning Note: Senti = Indian slang for 'Sentimental'

Rants Of A Single Guy!!!

A very good article about the rants of a single guy...very funny and very much practical...a good read..
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I am a nice guy. Or so my female friends tell me. I'm a nice, helpful,generally likeable guy. So nice in fact that once a year, during thatwonderful festival called Raksha Bandhan when we Indians celebrate thatbond between a brother and sister, you will find me hiding under a table,or if that's not safe enough, under a chair, whimpering in fear, andblithering like an idiot. (A lot of people feel that is exactly what I am,but let's not get into that now.)

A close friend of mine once said to me (and this was a girl who I had beencontemplating proposing marriage to), "I wish I had a younger brother likeyou." I mean, how is a man supposed to react to a statement like that? Ithink women use such statements to see how men respond to situations ofextreme stress. It's probably some kind of experiment in psychology. And women go along with it simply because, you know, they are women.

Talking about the strange things women have said to me, this is one of myfavorites: "You remind me of my dog." Meaning, I assume, that I walk on allfours, have long flappy ears, and prefer to relieve myself in front of awater hydrant. I wonder if anyone would want that kind of person as his orher younger brother.

So, as you would have guessed by now, I am single. I am a single, nice,helpful, generally likeable guy. Who reminds women of their dog.

And I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a singlewoman. A single woman is like Schrödinger's cat. (For thenot-so-technically-inclined, Schrödinger was a physicist. The sadist thathe was, he used a poor little cat to teach quantum physics. He hypothesizeda cat in a box, with an arrangement such that as long as the box wasclosed, the cat could be either dead or alive. But the moment you openedthe box to check, a poisonous gas would be released killing the catinstantly -- if it had been alive in the first place. For more details,type "Schrödinger's cat" in Google.)

Women are like that. Until you bother to find out whether they are singleor not, they could be either. But the moment you get curious... bang,they're single no longer. It is normally between the first and third weekof my acquaintance with a girl that I'm given this glorious piece of information.

"Hey, I have something to tell you. I'm getting engaged next week, and Iwant you to come to the party." Ahem.

"Guess what? I'm getting married next month! Aren't you overjoyed?" Yes, ofcourse. I'm so happy I have tears in my eyes.

Once, I was talking to a girl on the phone, and we were interrupted whenshe got a call on the other line. She came back on line a couple of minuteslater with the words "Oh, I'm sorry about that. That was my boyfriend."

Your what?And you know another thing? Somehow, I inspire this unprecedented amount oftrust in women. I'm considered completely harmless! Not only by the women,but even their boyfriends, fiancés and husbands!

"Oh, you're with him? Fine. Have a nice time."

"You want to take a walk on the beach? I'm a little busy. Why don't youtake him along?"

"It's Valentine's day. The poor guy must be alone. Why not call him overfor lunch?"

I guess I've earned that reputation over a long period of time, but still,you know. Sometimes you wish the guys would feel just a little bit threatened.

And it's not like I look harmless either. The following incident is afavorite example:

I was at an Archie's gallery. This was the time when they had that stuffedmonkey on sale. You know, the one that whistled every time you crossed itspath. The kind of whistle that a guy might make when a good-looking girlwalks by. So the monkey was on display in one of the aisles, and the firstfive minutes that I was there, it must have been triggered about 15 times.Gets quite irritating, really. After that, for a few minutes, there was noone in the shop, and I had some peace. Then a girl walked in, and sooncrossed the path of the monkey. The monkey whistled dutifully. And out ofcuriosity, with a big smile on my face for some reason, I turned to see whothe monkey had whistled at. At exactly the same moment, the girl turnedaround, to see who had whistled. If looks could kill, she would have wipedout an army. Fifteen seconds later she had left the shop. I must thank mylucky stars she didn't slap me, or have me beaten up by the moral brigade.But I think you understand what I'm trying to say. Which is, that I don'tlook all that harmless. So, why the loads of trust?

They also tell me that I'm easy to talk to. That is probably why I'm one ofthe first people a girl would tell her secret crushes to. None of whichever include me, of course. But I think you must have guessed that. As youcan imagine, I attend most weddings as a friend of the girl.

But I take solace in the fact that I'm not the only one. Look at the twomen currently heading our government -- our esteemed Prime Minister, and our President. They are both single. With any luck, I'll do better than them. I hope... :-)

I am a nice guy. Or so my female friends tell me. I'm a nice, helpful,generally likeable guy. So nice in fact that once a year, during thatwonderful festival called Raksha Bandhan when we Indians celebrate thatbond between a brother and sister, you will find me hiding under a table,or if that's not safe enough, under a chair, whimpering in fear, andblithering like an idiot. (A lot of people feel that is exactly what I am,but let's not get into that now.)

A close friend of mine once said to me (and this was a girl who I had beencontemplating proposing marriage to), "I wish I had a younger brother likeyou." I mean, how is a man supposed to react to a statement like that? Ithink women use such statements to see how men respond to situations ofextreme stress. It's probably some kind of experiment in psychology. And women go along with it simply because, you know, they are women.

Talking about the strange things women have said to me, this is one of myfavorites: "You remind me of my dog." Meaning, I assume, that I walk on allfours, have long flappy ears, and prefer to relieve myself in front of awater hydrant. I wonder if anyone would want that kind of person as his orher younger brother.

So, as you would have guessed by now, I am single. I am a single, nice,helpful, generally likeable guy. Who reminds women of their dog.

And I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a singlewoman. A single woman is like Schrödinger's cat. (For thenot-so-technically-inclined, Schrödinger was a physicist. The sadist thathe was, he used a poor little cat to teach quantum physics. He hypothesizeda cat in a box, with an arrangement such that as long as the box wasclosed, the cat could be either dead or alive. But the moment you openedthe box to check, a poisonous gas would be released killing the catinstantly -- if it had been alive in the first place. For more details,type "Schrödinger's cat" in Google.)

Women are like that. Until you bother to find out whether they are singleor not, they could be either. But the moment you get curious... bang,they're single no longer. It is normally between the first and third weekof my acquaintance with a girl that I'm given this glorious piece of information.

"Hey, I have something to tell you. I'm getting engaged next week, and Iwant you to come to the party." Ahem.

"Guess what? I'm getting married next month! Aren't you overjoyed?" Yes, ofcourse. I'm so happy I have tears in my eyes.

Once, I was talking to a girl on the phone, and we were interrupted whenshe got a call on the other line. She came back on line a couple of minuteslater with the words "Oh, I'm sorry about that. That was my boyfriend."

Your what?And you know another thing? Somehow, I inspire this unprecedented amount oftrust in women. I'm considered completely harmless! Not only by the women,but even their boyfriends, fiancés and husbands!

"Oh, you're with him? Fine. Have a nice time."

"You want to take a walk on the beach? I'm a little busy. Why don't youtake him along?"

"It's Valentine's day. The poor guy must be alone. Why not call him overfor lunch?"

I guess I've earned that reputation over a long period of time, but still,you know. Sometimes you wish the guys would feel just a little bit threatened.

And it's not like I look harmless either. The following incident is afavorite example:

I was at an Archie's gallery. This was the time when they had that stuffedmonkey on sale. You know, the one that whistled every time you crossed itspath. The kind of whistle that a guy might make when a good-looking girlwalks by. So the monkey was on display in one of the aisles, and the firstfive minutes that I was there, it must have been triggered about 15 times.Gets quite irritating, really. After that, for a few minutes, there was noone in the shop, and I had some peace. Then a girl walked in, and sooncrossed the path of the monkey. The monkey whistled dutifully. And out ofcuriosity, with a big smile on my face for some reason, I turned to see whothe monkey had whistled at. At exactly the same moment, the girl turnedaround, to see who had whistled. If looks could kill, she would have wipedout an army. Fifteen seconds later she had left the shop. I must thank mylucky stars she didn't slap me, or have me beaten up by the moral brigade.But I think you understand what I'm trying to say. Which is, that I don'tlook all that harmless. So, why the loads of trust?

They also tell me that I'm easy to talk to. That is probably why I'm one ofthe first people a girl would tell her secret crushes to. None of whichever include me, of course. But I think you must have guessed that. As youcan imagine, I attend most weddings as a friend of the girl.

But I take solace in the fact that I'm not the only one. Look at the twomen currently heading our government -- our esteemed Prime Minister, and our President. They are both single. With any luck, I'll do better than them. I hope... :-)

A FEW PEARLS OF WISDOM !!!

It isnt everyday that we find the time to reflect upon life and comprehend where we are headed in our life's journey...The following few quotes have guided me in becoming what I am today and what I yearn for in life...though it is not complete as there are more to it...these are just a few...

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the
air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're
keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a
rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four
balls family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you
drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked,
damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must
understand that and strive for balance in your life."
How?

* Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is
because we are different that each of us is special.
* Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you
know what is best for you.
* Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to
them as you would to your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
* Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past
or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all
the days of your life.
* Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is
really over until the moment you stop trying.
* Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this
fragile thread that binds us to each other, together.
* Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we
learn how to be brave.
* Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find
time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to
lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to
give it wings.
* Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've
been, but also where you are going.
* Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel
appreciated.
* Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you
can always carry easily.
* Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery and Today is a gift: That's
why we call it "The Present."
*************************************************************************
On this note I would like quote a few lines from the famous Robert Frost's poem 'STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING' ...

" The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A WHIFF OF REALISATION AND DREAMS...

Just when I was gaining confidence that I was going good in my project...understanding the nitty-gritties of this monster mainframe system, juggling with JCL,Cobol,VSAM etcetera... a new project has arrived and I have been put into it... The domain is really good(Securities-stock markets,equity...all those stuff)... its a challenging project ... with plans of starting from scratch with a newly devised system that has to be put into place...a new challenge ... a new chance ... a new beginning ... the very short period I have been in the IT arena learning to be a galdiator... i have just watched the sensitivity and dynamicity with which things take new shapes and end-up altogether different than what was proposed to be...There is only one constancy in this..and that is 'CHANGE' ... it requires u to be alert , positive and a perfectionist to the core... u never know where u r going in this... once u r in a domain u feel that the other domain are really lucrative and when u come out of ur existing one...u feel u r out of a very good opportunity...one thing i have learned and wud like to tell u guyz if u r reading this is .. dont ever go for the likeness of a single domain..u may get it or u may not get it...

But remember one thing that this world spins on money and whatever day-to-day activities that happens in this fast-changing world is out to generate more of the 100's, the 200's , the 500's bills ... and also as a software professional u r privileged enough to earn some extra bucks than ur counterparts in other arenas... yes the added charm that u r enjoying life to the fullest and u have a global view on the problems at hand...u gain a cold confidence that ... yes boss ... this is my life... and am living life king's size...with a vibrant culture and a feel-good factor...

So i have gained this insight ... no matter what technology or what domain u r in ... all it matters is ur creation... a product from ur mind ... ur design in action and how it is being used by other entities...its all abt a feeling that reverberates inside u --- I KNOW HOW THE WORLD WORKS AND I KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT WORK --- face the world with confidence and belief that u well-equipped to do so, the world respects u....ah yes...apart from all these biz-extravaganzas...there is something called being urself...an identity which has given u an uniqueness and a feeling upon which ur cosmic existence is in being...DARE TO DREAM ... & FOLLOW IT ... doesnt matter u win or lose ... thats a part of the game...what matters is at the end of the day u should be able to tell urself ... Yes I followed my dreams...b'coz i believed in them and myself...after all thats what life is all abt... u only have one life and one chance to achieve whatever u wanted in life ... right...so never ever turn away a chance to do what u might never do at all in ur life...

And as i wake up from this siesta...a strong reality hits me that i need to rush to my apartment and prepare food for tonight...the hunger demon is striking !!!...i need to quiten it and make it wait for a couple of hours more...but yes all the 'data' which i have given above happen very spontaneouly in life...so live for today...and look forward for tomorrow and savour yesterday...never have any regrets in life and try to be a good human being, good friend,good brother,a good son, a good lover ... well the list goes on ...

Special moments in my life :-)

Quarter Life Crisis

Just found this piece of text regarding our present situation of life...pretty interesting read...Go On...

Being Twenty-something - they call it the "Quarter-life Crisis"     
 
"It  is  when  you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing     that  there  are  many things about yourself that you didn't know and     may not like.     You  start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or     two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.     You  start  realizing  that people are selfish and that, maybe, those     friends  that  you  thought  you  were so close to aren't exactly the     greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch     with are some of the most important ones.     What  you  don't  recognize  is that they are realizing that too, and     aren't  really  cold,  catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as     confused  as you. You look at your job... and it is not even close to     what  you  thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a     job  and  realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom     and that scares you.     
 
 
             Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and     find     yourself  judging  more  than usual because suddenly you realize that     you  have  certain  boundaries in your life and are constantly adding     things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute,     you are insecure and then the next, secure.     You  laugh  and  cry  with  the greatest force of your life. You feel     alone  and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you     try  and  cling  on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that     the  past  is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing     to do but stay where you are or move forward.     You  get  your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do     such     damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone     decent     enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone     but  love  someone  else  too and cannot figure out why you are doing     this                                                          because     you know that you aren't a bad person. Getting wasted and acting like     an idiot don't seem as fun.   
 
 
 You  go  through  the  same emotions and questions over and over, and     talk                        with     your  friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a   decision.     You  worry  about  loans,  money,  the  future  and making a life for     yourself...  and  while  winning  the  race would be great, right now     you'd just like to be a contender!     What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it.     We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as     we can to figure this whole thing out.      "Life  is  not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the     moments that take our breath away."     It's  really  amazing  when two strangers become the best of friends,     but it is really sad when the best of friends become two strangers.     
 
Success doesn't mean the absence of failures; it means the  attainment of ultimate objectives. It means winning the war, not every battle."

Well a true extract depicting our phase of life...whr we r constantly challenging ourselves beyond our limits to give our best to succeed in this mad rat-race called 'Life'... and also discovering ourselves in the process...

Arrival of the Monsoon Maiden!!!

Yes..finally the aroma of fresh-smelling earth whiffs thru the afternoon air and it heralds a new feeling of wellness and a feeling of being special...at last a respite from the searing heat of BBSR...i guess i am gonna have a whale of a time for the coming months what with my professional life booming up and the work culture being great it feels good to work and enjoy it. :-)

Some exciting stuff in the store !!!!

Well life has become a little exciting .... work-life is becoming a little busy(:-) sort of good...) fine atleast i am gaining in confidence each passing day ... learning new stuff everyday and solving issues...i am getting into my grove...i have a gr8 team-leader out here...helpful and motivating and of course intimidating...now i am able 2 understand the different technologies that i am working on right now...mainframes after all will be mainframes..there is so much to learn and yet i have learnt so little...its a challenging task...but i guess thats a way of life out here...of course i am missing my friends, parents and of course my neighbourhood where i learnt all the tricks of the game...well its going gr8 out here...still i need 2 squeeze 'time' out of time for my passions...well will be adding more to my blog...Oops!!! I have got a new assignment to work upon...C YA LATER....

Another Boring Weekend :-)

Well another boring weekend went by...sort of different this week...cudnt have a nice dreamy night on Friday, after watching a cute movie "HUM TUM"..ater this had woken up the whole night..had some work...next day(SAT) contained a severe headache, stomach probs, and blood-shot eyes...slept from 1 pm to 9 pm...had dinner and then slept again...Sunday was sort of good ...watched a movie which I had planned to watch some few mmonths back..."LORD OF THE RINGS - RETURN OF THE KING"

...the adventures of Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Aragorn still counts as my most fave fantasy adventure...it takes u to a totally different world - Middle Earth and its inhabitants and their quest to take the RING to Mordor and destroy it ... and of course ,the heavenly beauty of ARWEN still haunts in my memory and as I let out a sigh only one thought strikes me - WISH THERE WERE SUCH BEAUTIES ON EARTH RATHER THAN ON MIDDLE EARTH and let me stop here...i guess i am getting a little boring out here...anyway enjoy the pics which i have posted...

My first posting....... :-)

"A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER" said the poet Keats a long long time ago...its been a gr8 journey so far...many memorable moments in the last 8 months...I guess many more to come...hunting a cool place to day dream in the sweltering heat of Bhubaneswar has become a challenge...of course apart from the unnatural AC environs of Satyam...still life goes on and the hunt goes on...still managing an afternoon siesta in the office is not an impossible task after all... :-)