Scene:
Lights shut out almost everywhere but one cabin in the office: The ‘Aych Are’ One. Me sitting in another typical meeting with the Seniormost HR Boss, ready to have like a Zillion questions answered (Yeah, now even he knows my queries are always something like a Zillion. But if you tell them, it’s a zillion, they won’t entertain you in the first place – so when seeking an appointment, I always term it as, a ‘few issues to be discussed”- and as our discussion progresses, I not-so-cleverly keep appending “one-more-thing” to the list. He has now Christened me One-More-Thing, a feeble joke which he good-naturedly shared with his deputy- an aunty whose response to my physical manifestation in her vicinity is met with- a wince, a blind-eye, and a polite, cold smile- in that order. Needless to state, her response to the joke was a hesitant “mmmm.. haa haa”- a rather poor attempt at camouflaging her real sentiments towards me (read: telepathic-murder))
Back to the meeting: All my papers, files, notes – were all in place ( *sigh* I am forced to be kinda well-organized now, coz I guess it doesn’t augur well for other people’s patience, when I take up 10 minutes out of 15 in sifting through sheets and sheets of paper, trying to dig out the relevant one. No, no one has really complained about it. I just figured that my un-corporate ways are a cause of major embarrassment to many co-workers- associated directly -and unavoidably- with me. ).
So, I take up issues one by one ..and get into furious notemaking.
Boss- talking in full flow, rather abruptly, lets out a gasp of surprise, “Ma’am, your pen’s leaking!”
Me: (Studying my hands curiously) “Yeah..” (flashing a sheepish hee-hee-tell-me-about-it grin to him) … “It’s been leaking since morning.”
Boss: (blinks at my blood-stained hands. Yeah, did I mention the pen was a Red one?) “Why do you use a Red pen, ma’am?”
Now, this was really asked in a manner of sincere curiosity. I was perhaps expected to furnish some response that would attribute such inappropriate choice of ink for a meeting, to some sound personal philosophy, or signature style. Hope is eternal, remember? I could imagine him telling his tender heart ( much in the all izzz welll manner) … “there’s got to be some rational explanation. We chose well. Can’t have made a mistake in recruiting her, no.”
Talk about denial :P
What could I say? Why was I using a red pen? (let’s not mention the leaking bit of it for a while, just the INKing- Shocking Blood Red!)
‘Sir, red is the color of Blood. Blood is symbolic of thriving life. I am alive- and expression in red ink is my celebration of that fact.
Aren’t you proud of how vibrant, brimming with life, I am?’
OR
‘Sir, red is the heart. Heart fosters Love. Ergo, Red is Love. Valentine’s day coming up.. u know? I’m leaking with looouuuv for my office-kind’.
Me: “Noo.. I don’t use a red pen. I am just using one toay- coz I couldn’t find any other.”
Note: Seriously. As usual, I have mysteriously lost or broken ALL my decent pens- official and personal. I had none which would have both of the attributes- a solid body, and flowing ink- Enough to let me write with it.
Boss: “Ohkayy…”( in a tone of confused disappointment)
Interestingly, I just discovered how the words I use in a manner of casual explanation, can have unanticipated consequences/ impact.
While conveying our supplier’s message (in effect, quoting his response), I said something to the effect that he had added some xyz clause to “disincentivise” such and such thing.
Boss: (finding the latter’s response unreasonable, responding in an I’ll-see-him-in-the-court tone ) “…what does he mean, he wants ‘to disincentivise’ it..“
Me: (damage control) “Er.. Sir, he didn’t use the word ‘disincentivise’! I used it – to explain what he said!”
Again, don’t sue me. I know that the word ‘disincentivize’ perhaps does not exist in the dictionary. It’s one of those home-made terms that I use to support my expression. And I like it :D
Boss: (mellowing down..) ..
Me: (Feeling guilty that I’d unwittingly misquoted the bloke) – “Yessir, he was merely making a point that this policy of theirs is to serve as a deterrent to such-and-such-thing.”
Boss: (testing smile) “Did he say “deterrent”, Shruti?” ( In an I’ll-use-your-statement-in-the-court-of-law tone)
Me: (another sheepish grin)- “Nope. That’s Me again.”
(finally deciding to shut up, as all my verbal arguments were only hurting his cause further)
Need I mention that my hands got bloodier as the discussion progressed? When the Meeting ended, I did look like someone who had committed a full fledged murder with naked hands.
Boss: “Ma’am, your pen IS leaking!”
How does this parting remark help, Sire? Hadn’t we established this fact already? **
Me ( using my red fingers to carefully pick up the contract papers I had got initialized by him, and which could not be blood- stained when presented for signatures before the Senior-er Boss.):
“Yessir. I ..will.. take ..care of it.”
I am not made for neat places. Seriously.
** In F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Susan, Ross’ ex-wife’s partner effectively summed up the futility of repeating some unpleasant fact -in denial. Once, when Ross’ ex-wife has recently had their baby, the conversation veers to breast milk. When Phoebe, and Susan display knowledge with regards to its taste,
Ross- appalled- repeats furiously… “You’ve tasted it? You’ve tasted it… oh.. You’ve tasted it..!”
Susan (enjoying the moment with a smug calmness) : “You know you can keep saying that, but it won’t stop being true!”
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Another World.
There were two best friends. Best-Friends, you know? With a capital B, and a Capital F. They lived in the
In our world, we say one thing, and mean quite another. Most of the Time! Sometimes.. sometimes, when it’s realllly important to lay bare the facts- we do it- like in the court of law- sometimes. But when it’s not, we use words the meaning of which we donot feel or commit ourselves to. You know, I’m not saying that as a bad thing, really. The disconnect between spoken word and intended meaning, might be instrumental for societies’ survival sometimes. At other times of course, it’s a nuisance, and highly detrimental.
Let me explain how their world was different from the one inhabited by us.
Every morning you go to work, you meet a colleague in the office – the first face (apart from the guard’s) that belongs there. And this person is someone who doesn’t make life any easier for you at work.
They shake their head in acknowledgement of your entry, “Good Morning!” *clinically bright smile*
You respond with an equally prompt, and (brighter and clinical-er), “Good Morning!“
Now, neither of you has any particular wish to make the morning happier for the other. Bah! You may not even care. If they did care about your mornings or evenings or any hour of the day for that matter, they would make sure the next time you approach them for some work from their end, they act like they are worth the money the company’s turning into their bank accounts every month.
Instead, they will gladly become pillars of lead- obstructing your official work- if it makes their own mornings and evenings more pleasant in a sadistic sort of way.
You get a call from your boss, “How about the XYZ report you were supposed to send across to me this morning?”
You want to say, “It’s a friggin’ unrealistic deadline you set for me last evening, Sir. Get real, and wait till noon- Rest In Peace!*Pun Intended*”
But the sound you end up making, is tuned like this, “Sure, sir. Er.. I’ll be sending it across right away.”
Your cell beeps. Again. It’s an SMS from a particularly aggrieved client. The third SMS since last evening. You haven’t been taking his calls since yesterday. Because you know he is asking for information that you are not quite in a place to furnish, yet. Hence, you wait – for things to crystallize at your end. Yesterday you had dropped an SMS- late in the evening, promising to respond by today, apologizing for not being having been able to take calls coz you were in an important meeting until then. The client has responded with something like,
“ That’s fine. Pl do revert at the earliest, with the updates on XYZ”
Interestingly, the client knows you are buying time. That what you’re telling them is hogwash. Still, they play along – dishing more hogwash in return. And giving the situation a semblance of logic, a truth that does not exist. That is the unwritten rule. Words are exchanged without any conviction in or care for, their literal meaning- yet, the intended outcome from the whole exercise- is expected and achieved- often.
Simply put, in your world, you don’t often say what you mean, and mean what you say. And your life comes along just fine.
The world for these two was different. When they didn’t like what someone said, they’d not think inwardly, “what a creep/ moron”, and shake their heads outwardly in a politically correct , “ hmm.. okay…” They’d tell them then and there, “no, that doesn’t sound good. I donot agree. What you are saying doesn’t make any sense to me.” And the other person, would respond with,” Why not? Or I don’t care- this is my opinion. – coz of abc factors“ And blah blah blah… And the world would not come to an end. Work would flow, lives would go on- Just Fine.
Anyway, so we have a fair idea of how the world was different from ours.
Back to the two best friends?
They had practically grown up together. Sharing each other’s thoughts, values, and good and bad times. 18 years had passed like that. 18 blissful years. In their nineteenth year, they were confronted with an issue.
Oh, do you want their names by the way? There’s a reason I haven’t given them any. Coz methinks that’ll tend to prejudice your mind. You’ll try to fit them into one of the first categories that a human being enters into, the moment they step into the material world of life: The Male and The Female.
Here I must tell you another thing about this place. They had no concept of a socially defined Gender or it’s biological equivalent, Sex. That’s right. There were no males or females there. Just people. Don’t quiz me about their procreation system now. That’s not our theme here.
They did have families though. A person’s 19th year onwards, they could, if they so wished, choose to pick people they wished to spend the rest of their lives with. Yeah, you got that right: people. Not necessarily One Person.
Anyway, if u have to have their names, they were called F1 and F2.
In their 19th year, one day, F1 and F2 sat by the bank of the river that flowed across their little land. This river separated their world- their little land, from ours. Nobody had ever dared cross the river. Legend had it, that whoever had tried such an adventure in the past, had never returned. It was impossible to survive in this land if you had even once been touched by the world on the other side of the river, the elders of the land told the youngsters.
F1 and F2 sat in deep thought about their lives, now that they had finished their formal education.
After some 20 minutes of silence, F1 spoke, ‘I was thinking I should like to stay with you, F2. Set up a little family. I can think of no one else but you, for someone I’d like to spend the rest of my life with.’
F2, furrowed its brow and replied, ‘Yeah, we do have a good time together. I guess it’s no surprise we should think on these lines- we’ve practically known each other for 18 years.’
F1 was in doubt: “But you know what they say about familiarity breeding contempt?.If we end up spending all our time under the same roof- our 24*7 co-existence might throw up some problems. What if we end up not enjoying each other’s company as family? We have to be doubly sure we that we won’t end up wrecking our friendship with our venture into familial bonding. Well, it is a kind of ‘bonding’ – there’s no two ways about that!”
‘Of course not!’ F2 replied, in surprise. ‘Why should you think so? Well, we do have slightly different lifestyles, and slightly different approaches to life- but well, that should come within the limits of adjustment- shouldn’t it? A successful family is not one with all clones. We’ll be good together, I am sure. We’ll complement each other. You will just have to work towards developing a more responsible attitude towards domestic affairs, of course. You are a bit too carefree and free-spirited at present…and-’
“and you’ll need to develop a sense of humility and sensitivity yourself. Your constant air of superiority – over skills that you possess- and that you think to be of superlative nature- it can be inhibitive for my personal growth, if you don’t give me my due space and respect.‘
F2 frowned. “I guess I’ll have to make that allowance, if you so wish.’
“Then I guess I’ll try to develop the responsible attitude, as you desire me to”, F1 responded, promptly.
They settled on a date of entering into a “Familial Knot”.
Both got up, to start walking away from the river, and towards the colony. Just then, as F1 was getting up, its foot slipped on a particularly slippery small sized rock, and it got flung into the river!
“Help! Help me .. F2! “, It screamed.
F2 froze in terror. It did not know how to swim- none of them in this land did. The river was out of bounds, remember. No one had ever been required to learn to swim in its waters.
“I can’t pull you out. I don’t know what to do!!” Tears stung its eyes. There was no point in even trying to jump in and help. It tried to look around for something to pull F1 out with.
It broke off a long wooden branch from a tree nearby, and held it out towards F1. “Here, hold on to it! … but don’t tug too tightly- I might get pulled in. I can’t risk that!”
And as it held out the branch, it thought to itself – much as it would be pained upon losing its best friend, it would never risk its own life to save the other one’s. This, it was sure of. And it held out the stick- ready to let go, the moment it seemed that it was too risky to hold on.
It just so happened that F1, helped by the stick, managed to attach itself to a small rock, and moving from one rock to another, navigated its way back to the land.
Once safe and out of danger, both heaved a sigh of relief.
“Thank god” F2 muttered. “Could have lost you today!”
“ Yeah. Though I’m surprised you wouldn’t have risked everything you could- to bring me back.”, F1 wondered aloud.
“ Well, would you have? Risked your own life, to save mine?”
“Sure, of course! I wouldn’t have had anything else to live for- if my best friend were gone.”
“That’s strange. I should think I would have survived – life is too big to be lost like that.”
F1 was shocked. It was about to reply that, in that case, it made little sense for them to get into a lifelong commitment of a family. Obviously, F2 did not have the same place for F1 in its life, as the latter did, for F2.
Yet, for some strange reason, F1 did not voice its thought. It coughed- choked on this thought and the inability to put it into words. F2 looked at it curiously. “Are you okay- are you hurt?”, it asked F1, concerned that it might have been hurt in the little accident.
It was hurt, indeed. Deeply hurt. But not physically hurt in the accident – it was emotionally hurt, due to what had transpired- how F2’s intensity of affection towards F1 had revealed itself to be in a disappointingly low measure. It was hurt, angry and disappointed. And all of that, he thought sadly, did not add up to an “Okay.”
Heaving a deep sigh, looking up at the concerned face of its Best Friend of 18 years, it said, “I’m okay”.
How was it, that in the
F1 was infected. And that was going to change its life forever.
And I don’t mean this as a good or bad thing, either. You notice how prosaic their lives really seemed to be, in this land? Could such a matter-of-fact place breed any sense of poetry, literature, romantic arts, or any of the other beautiful things that are founded in the ambiguous, the imaginative, the uncertain, the mysterious and the unspoken? Perhaps not.
Let us consider an example: What kind of poetic beauty could be created on the beautiful concept of hope in such a place?
Hope is the state when one won’t let go
Of the belief, that things can be so.
Everyone hopes, hopes for the best,
Some come true, but not the rest.
That is a poem, right? And it states all facts. It rhymes too. Yet, does it move the reader to ponder, to wonder and to exclaim in delight on the concept of hope?
Wouldn’t an element of romance, a certain beauty be added if some quality of uncertainty, some things- unspoken, unclear and open-ended, is imparted to the concept?
Say,
That which survives all space and time,
That which endures all gloom and grime,
That which makes men hold on – for more,
It’s hope, and hope that takes one ashore.
Okay, pardon the naïve hand at poetry. Naïve and rather poor, I know. But it was just an attempt to indicate the point of my point! I hope it has gone home. Hence, for all this, maybe, this infection did make the life of F1 richer- in a way. I am not sure- I can only guess. And my guess is only as good or bad as yours.
But that night, F1 came home, sat by its phone- staring at the instrument for hours. It just had to make a call to F2, and tell it – in no uncertain terms, that spending rest of their lives together, was just not meant to be.
Yet, it couldn’t bring itself to do that. Something held it back. It was not sure what it was, though. It tossed the phone aside, and shifted from one side to another, on its cot. Well, the decision was sad, alright. But it was the right thing to do. Their lives wouldn’t be any happier if they didn’t acknowledge the truth, and take the right call. It was not sadness that held him back. It was a complex feeling that it had never had before.
It now knew that F2 did not value it, in the same way as it valued F1. It was sure that even F2 had failed to analyze this disparity – F2, sometimes, could be too self-absorbed and too full of itself to give this matter much thought.
“Huh!” F1 thought wryly, “That one is not even worth the value I place in it. The Liar, the cheat”.
A small voice in its head seemed to ask him, with a wicked grin: Is that so? So why fret over losing a family with someone who is not worth it?
F1 frowned. That honest voice was familiar- it belonged to its former self! The self that was uncontaminated - before the river accident!
But now, there was another voice, that whispered in its head, rather slyly. “What are you going to tell F2? That you know it does not value you the way you do? And let it know how you have always known the gap between you two. That your friendship has always been defined by an inequality of skill, knowledge, personality- that F2 has had the superior place in the relationship, since forever. That you were always the weakling that held onto this friendship coz you admired F2 for all the qualities you found lacking in yourself? Even though those left you feeling small and worthless, compared to it? Have you the heart to face humiliation by this acknowledgement? That too, before someone who already looks at everyone else as though they are imperfect versions of people it ought to have been blessed with?”
F1 never made that call. Instead, it picked up a pen, to release its thoughts and relieve its mind of the burden that they caused. Tears, streamed down its eyes, as It wrote:
Someday, sometime I wish you’ll ask,
If it’s okay for you to remove the mask;
And face me- for what you really are,
And if I am to you, an indelible scar:
A mark impressed upon you such,
You can’t rub off, try as you much;
For our fate had it so designed,
To me, were you, to be resigned.
Should I, or not, just walk away,
And let you be, wherever you may?
I ask myself- but then I fear,
Your loss, to me, would be much dear!
So I’ll stay put, unloved – uncared,
Will always wonder, what if I’d dared…
*Drumrollllll*
*bugles*…
Welcomeee to our World of Shades of Grey! Where things are obtuse, facts are presented in a variety of trays, garnished with such varied kinds of stuff that you’d never be able to make out, what you’re really picking up. Where black and white rarely exists. The whole richness of the world is defined in the grey area. That’s what keeps the world growing and glowing. The ambiguity, the uncertainty, the unspoken, the mysterious, the implied- the disconnect between what is and what is stated – runs the show. To ‘house full’ :-)
On another day, F1 would have just called F2 and told it that the Familial Knot plans were called off, sad as it was.
On this day, F1 created literature! All Thanks to the water from the Land of “Say What You Must, Mean Whatever You May”
That’s the difference :-)
Friday, January 22, 2010
For Better or For Verse :D
Counting the days gone by…
Thinking of days to come…
Knowing not what lies ahead,
Or if what went by was some.
No shepherd goes by humming the songs,
In the road outside the door,
A soul sits rhythm-less; and longs,
For what was. And for more?
Black and White was easy once;
Right was distinct from Left.
A straight line. And round it runs-
The mind, of thought’s, bereft.
Not every tale belongs in a Book,
That asks a certain plot;
That begins with a certain page, a nook,
And ends on a certain thought.
Not each begins ‘Once upon a time’;
Or ends in ‘…everafter’,
Some are simply, crystals sublime,
Of tears, of fears, of laughter.
The pen that writes this verse,
Does not bemoan the tale.
Or why it has the pages it does;
For it could never fail.
The words are strung together right,
Dramatis personae do their part;
The tale’s fair, a pretty sight-
For the mind, the soul, the heart. .
Someday, sometime down the lane,
The pen shall write another sheet;
In scented ink, and dipped in pain,
The last chapter – just as sweet.
Whatever *Sigh*
God Bless
Saturday, January 2, 2010
How Time Flies!
Sowie. Using a Cliché. But then, as they say, Cliches are dead-on. And it realllly does seem like yesterday! But it’s been a whole year! And some year it has been.
Actually, I am not sure about where 2009 began. Most of my memories are in a B-SCHOOL block and post B-SCHOOL block. And even the first year at B-SCHOOL, seems to be not so far behind in the memory lane.
Yet, some of the memories- the sounds, the words, the laughter, the tears, the blood-wars, the drama, the action, the dramatic moments of togetherness, the moments of light hearted nothingness- some of them are so vividly etched in the eye of my memory, I can practically see, touch, hear, taste every moment.
I’ll tell you how it began. So, Mayur tells me the other day, that he went to watch Three Idiots with Bhanawat and Anshuman. Now, Anshuman is commonplace and boring ( :P yeah) , but it just struck me that I had always thought of Amit as Amit. You know, Amit- the first name. And the name brought a prompt picture in my mind (and a peculiar sound! :) ) - the earnest face of dumb charades, the prompt wit, the childlike expression of innocence combined with lethal verbal shots :D Suddenly, I realized that I was probably the only one in the batch who addressed him as Amit, and not as “Bhanawat”, which is, in fact his last name.
I nevvver called him Bhanawat. And I wondered, for the first time, Why!
This prompted me to look at some videos from B-SCHOOL. The first one I checked out, had Pranay singing at DLF terrace (describing a daily morning ritual at the hostel).. “arrre dwaarpaalon, kanhaiya se keh do .. nagar mein sudama… sudama is Bhanawat… ” – as the guards attempted to shoo us out- coz they had to shut shop. All amidst laughter :) Memories are sweet.
I then moved onto the yearbook- and re-read the bits I had written for all (the ones I had written messages for). I remember my bro glancing through our beautiful yearbook (which, unlike normal yearbooks, had messages running into paragraphs!), and telling me, “you seem to be the most veilla person in the batch, writing paragraphs for people... Oh no, wait, there’s this Mansi person .. who’s
It’s funny how things you had written down just some months back, paint such vivid memories of the past two years. And these are precious, aren’t they! Memories.
I love this verse from our Seniors’ yearbook,
Memories make us laugh,
Memories make us cry,
We are destined not to live forever,
They are destined to never die!
So it seems just like yesterday, that Devina and I expressly told our horrified NGO Prof, how we couldn’t attend her classes or write the mid term (u can let us write it for just half an hour) coz we had important Jazz classes, which we could not miss :D :D (You can imagine.. last trimester.. lamest course… and we had no worries beyond Life :) .. )
Just like yesterday, when some Training and Development class was on.. and some case was being discussed, as I doodled in my notebook. Swati pokes me in the arm in a mock-concerned manner, “Don’t you have something to add to the analysis?” And I..waking from my mental siesta, give the prof a good, hard look, and observe: Doesn’t he look like a Penguin?. And swati bursts into fits of laughter (and I am wondering why…he really did look it!)... and she passes on the joke. To an even more amused audience.
First ever trimester.. Meggs and I, going from pillar to post, brooding before anyone who’d listen, that Stats will spell our doom. And we sail through. :P
Our marketing presentation, there you had me.. looking at my slide, while reading off the products of this particular brand, when I suddenly reach the word, “Lingerie”. Nevver quite anticipating the awkwardness of the situation- I get caught off-guard, and end up with a faux pas!
See, Lingerie is mispronounced by the junta as “ling-er-ee” u know? And it’s the better known pronunciation; Saying ‘lawn-zhuh-ray’ would often have people go, ‘come again?’. So, suddenly, I dunno what to say- something that would not aggravate the awkwardness of the situation! In that split of a second, I reach the word, look at the audience, look at the slide.. give an awkward pause..and with a gulp, speak out, “ling-uh-ree”, as the class erupts into laughter.
And I know precisely which lot is laughing for the ‘haww-hee hee’ factor, and which one, for the “omg.. how could she call it ling-uh-ree.. the ganwaar!” ..
To add insult to injury, Prof. grins too, turns to the class, and rebukes mildly, “comeon! She had to use that word” (whoa ! whoa!, lady.. u’re missing the point!).
And I endure the rest of the class, having sacrificed my language at the altar of societal shame, and prudishness – Only to be cornered by the Language Vanguard at the end of the lesson.. , “Shruti!! We are so disappointed! How could you pronounce it THAT way. Eww”
And then, I have a nervous break down… describing the tempest of thoughts that made me take that split-second decision. And everything I say, only adds to the embarrassment.
Oh, and remember, the Enron movie being screened in the classroom. I enter late from the Chor Darwaaaza…and thud! Land on all fours –right in front of the screen (ergo, in full view through the darkness) before the prof and the very sensitive batchmates …whose laughter only grew louder with each of my protests.
Okay… so these were all most superficial, random things. Am now discussing all the memories with Meghna on chat, so al conclude this ranting here. I revisited my yearbook stuff, and decided upon putting up some of my memories from there, on my blog :)
So, here’s the preface from the yearbook:
Dear fellow 07PGDMHR-ite,
No book, no words will be able to completely capture the delight ( and travails!) of our journey in the past many months… From the first ‘Rooftop party’ to the last, we rather did come a full circle! And boy, did we do everything that a bunch of mortal human beings coexisting 24*7, in pursuit of a common goal, possibly can: From jointly lobbying for our batch-mates against the authorities, to sneaky tattle-tale-ing.. from being the supporting shoulder, the helping hand .. to being the pointing finger, the turned back .. Each of those moments was rich and replete with strong emotions – we laughed hard until we cried.. and we cried our hearts until tears ran dry .... And whatever one may argue, we are just not the same bunch of people who walked into the B-SCHOOL campus in June 2008… These past two years of LIFE are bound to last a lifetime, if not beyond … In the spirit of this bond, we wish you all the very best for life ahead. May you get everything you desire and deserve.
Someday, many years from now,
We'll sit beside the candle’s glow.
Exchanging tales about our past,
And laughing as the memories flow..
And when that distant day arrives,
We know it will be understood,
What really counts in our lives,
is: We were here, and it was good!
This yearbook is our tribute to the rather elusive spirit of ‘
Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end.. They simply mean, I'll miss you
Until we meet again! …………………………
Batch of PGDMHR- 2007-09, B-SCHOOL
United we Stick, Divided we’re Stuck
Messages for all I wrote for. Roll call wise :)
Abhinav. Nick: Mr. Moreover
His orkut profile says, "I am a 'cool, jovial' guy".. Most cliched a description as it may sound, for a distant observer, these words do describe him most aptly. Moreover,does perform every job assigned reliably, duly delivering on all his Key Deliverables. Gets ruffled in unfamiliar, or new territories/ideas/formats at first, until u get a buy-in from him. Rather frank and upfront in expressing his feelings/ thoughts- though that's tempered with some sense of timing and context, for good. Moreover, Cracks PJ's.. a lot more than the legally prescribed limit :P However, for some strange reason, you end up warmly laughing along most of the times ... and No, Abhinav! I will not dispose of my action-ka-school-time wale formal shoes and DPS-jaisa green coat, ever! I like 'em!! :D
All the Best :)
Aditi
For not(-close-)friends, she has this cold, impenetrable wall around her. But that has more to do with her strong affinity for her secure comfort zone, than anything else. For people who truly matter to her, she can be the ideal Doll. PS. Beat This: She topped throughout without ever owning a library card! Good luck in life :)
Amit. Nick: Chintu :D
I have only four major takeaways from B-SCHOOL. And Chen-songs/gatherings, and the concept of 'Chintu Candy' ( courtesy Amit) are one of the list. His eyes always seem to be glinting with purposeful, meaningful wit and a ready smile - both dedicated to sheer fun and celebration of the moment. And all of that underlined with a subtle innocence, sharp observation, and a silent confidence. Amit is really a cute kid!
Ankit
Witty. Will crack the most high- powered jokes in the most low decibel voice. And all in the most refined Style. Avoids any conflict like plague :D
Anshuman Nick: Humility Humiliated ;)
AMAZING dancer. GOOD sense of humor - skilled and spirited at both- taking potshots at unbranded mortals, and being mercilessly shot at, himself! I'm sure he does not even breathe unbranded air ( I think he saw his life's lowest when on our way to Mukteswar, all he got was a packet of 'Anupam Biscuit' to sustain himself) okie.. exaggeration I know! but that's Anshuman .. comically exaggerated, spontaneous expressions ( verbal and facial) ..which can be really life-sustaining during classroom lectures.. unless u really want to study, in which case, he's bad company! .. One can write a bestseller on Comic Anshuman-isms .. coz I have been witness to ( n the subject of) some of his classic social-fiascos [Sample some://*while checking his miserable Stats grades on OLT in comp lab, whining: What! Even Shruti has got more than me! ( until he discovers me sitting in the seat behind him- n almost falls off his chair)// Boring Professor (enthusiastically): ...so... Am I making sense? Ansh (bored/yawning): Not Really! //and finallly, the classic argument- shouting at us.. earnestly ( and angrily) "I AM A HUMBLE PERSON!" for 10 whole minutes, in the vain hope that we'll buy that joke!! Lolz. All the best!
Ashutosh
Ashutosh...Ghani Khamma!! One of my favourit-est people at B-SCHOOL. Could be the raw-Rajasthan factor ( I looved those random discussions about everything Rajasthani- from songs, to places, to food to well-- everything!). Could be the HP factor as well (Sadly, he was the only one here who shared an iota of my passion for Harry Potter- imagine! :-/ Sad because he ruined my last book by purposely revealing secrets on the class white board. I would award him an overall subgrade in MBA here, if I could x-(.... ) With the theme of sarcastic humor written in his every action, word or tone - laughs heartily at every small joke in life - Simple joys :-) For me, he has always been a quarter of positive fun, livin in the moment, exchange of acid jokes, n silent good wishes in general. Always. without exception( except our very first interaction during Singhvi Sir's case discussion, when he told me.. slightly annoyed and condescendingly, "arre.. shayad tumne kabhi non-reusable pens dekhe nahi hain..tabhi galat logic laga rahe ho"! And did speak his mind in the right places, and in the right way. Could seriously do without the constant mocking look at everybody though ( that comes naturally to him!), and of course taking time to think before acting/ reacting. Cheers, Ashutosh. You were a fun soul. Correction: 'you are' :D
Chaturbhuj Nick: Sant Chaturbhuj / Smiling Buddha
Chaturbhuj is like one pristine soul. Seems to live in a beautiful Buddha-land wherein simple but constructive and grand ideas, thoughts and premises rule. Two years of MBA, the dynamics of a B-School, the constant trivial chatter of B-Schoolites, nothing could unfaze him. I think, today, he walks out just as he walked in. Only, having shared his pearls of wisdom with those who got his close acquaintance. And having added some relevant stuff to his pool of knowledge and ideas. He is all about smiles and bliss- that stem from a peace and comfortable pride in being who you are. Won't mention Cricket. I'm guessing this page is already full of his passion for that :) Cheers and God Bless!
Devanshu
Really good wit. A sense of humor that will actually make one go, 'LOL'. Will crack a joke, often in a mock serious, story telling manner, finish the joke - wait for the audience's response and then break into a wide grin/ laughter *curtains down* :D.. Sometimes I've noticed him holding back things he was just about to say ... opinions, maybe (sometimes, wisecracks) that he thought would not be received in the right spirit, by the audience, for some reason... I did spend a l.o.t of time working with him, but I was never sure if I came to know him enough. Or right. His sense of humor is one thing that's a straight USP though, and I hope it holds him in good stead throughout. Good Luck, always!
Devina Nick: Divine-hai-na :D
This will really be one of those too-much-to-say-too-little-space cases .. My co-summer intern, co-Live Project intern, Jazz partner, partner-in-crime in taking-digs-at-unsuspecting-victims ( or sometimes, deserving ones :D ) - who would serve as the subjects of our jokes just by virtue of having come across us. One person I really RESPECT from within, for her warmth, sensitivity, sincerity, simplicity, diligence, dignity, intelligence, and above all, Integrity. Wonderfully apolitical without being 'politically correct'. My favourite memory of her would be: she navigating me through the traffic on gurgaon roads to prevent accidents or other highly embarrassing scenes. And Oh! cutting across crowds to grab Shared Cabs( bakayada ensuring a seat reserved for me :P ) She is one person who is completely and blissfully at peace with her being- coz she is not one to use the happiness/ success of others as a yardstick to measure her own :-) ... The *only* person here with whom I have found something in common in terms of a Mental Framework ( or 'Paradigm' to use some kewl MBA jargon :D ). I am sure *happy* that she'll be in this town for some time. I have 4 key takeaways from 2 years @ B-SCHOOL: 1. An employability certificate, 2. a lifetime learning of business dynamics and human dynamics, 3. Chen-genre and 4. acquaintance with Devina. Period. May God Bless you Devina. A zillion times over :)
Karishma Nick: Chinki Imli
Funny, quick, smart alec replies, snap! (that can often leave the recipient regretting having asked the question n making a laughing stock of himself, or uncomfortably thrown in public light due to the ‘WOW-WHoaa’ factor in what she’ll say ..in that one passing haha-comment ;) )
My first impression of her was : pretty-witty-studious-focused young lady, who was real nice n sweet to talk to ..
Fond of nicknaming people she grows to refer to affectionately.. Sometimes I get to see these child-like aspirations .. small, sweet… tho m not sure she is very clear abt her aspirations herself, from what I have learnt of her, I don't think she *really* values stuff other than some smiles, love n laughter at the end of the day. And you shud see her in one of her nautanki avtaars! Gawwd ...H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S :D ... P.S. The other 3 Tamarind sisters may pout at this, but: I think she should be the Captain of the Tamarind Group. Nothing captures the essence of her personality better than an "imli" :D - Signing off... Tooti :-)
Mansi Nick: MMM ( Mean Miss Mansi)/ Manshee
Pretty (and) Witty. Quite professional, verry practical and street-smart- also knows how to get what she wants, her due share, her way, but that’s not necessarily by cutting into others’ legitimate share. I'll always remember the (in)famous Kodak smile , or the tak-tak-tak heel-walk..hehe... watch her giving away bouquets to VIPs :P Everything she doesn’t like, is “kabaad” or “kabaadi” and everything she finds hopeless is “barbaad”.
She has undergone a real metamorphosis at B-SCHOOL – literally transitioned from ‘East to West’ (e.g, inclusion of non-traditional garments in her wardrobe,or four letter words in her ‘radhe-radhe’ lexicon :( ); am proud of her today – she is more positive, open-minded, self-assured, steady, happy, rational, mature. I had one moment of unearned jolt in B-SCHOOL when I needed to turn to somebody to speak to- for my peace. And she was at her sincerest best in information and opinion- and that day, I knew that though we'd never been very close, we had over time reached a respectful understanding of each other. An invisible bond, that's needed no 'maintenance'. PS. I'll always treasure one old TDS SMS in my inbox: ' TDS Meeting at
Mayur
Quiet, reserved, a thinker, and as is typical with such dignified persons with a high sense of esteem for self and for others, he will not entertain less-than-respectful behaviour from anyone. Articulate with his deeply thought opinions on every relevant issue ( though some of our opinions did not seem to match at all!). All the best in life, Mayur. He was our life-saving grace during the project on “eve-teasing and dress code for women” phase (otherwise, with just Sajjal as a co-researcher, people would have thought our project was on ‘promotion of eve-teasing’ :P ) – Mayur, as usual, was the gentlemanJ And I recall one joke from Mayur too! Prize Catch! Upon looking at our unnecessarily innumerable pie-charts in research report, he remarked: “I hope..sir humein pie-pie ke lbadle marks denge!” All the best in life, Mayur. Given your intellect and scholarship, you are set to do great things.
Meghna Nick: RamLaddoo, JayEmSee, Cut-Wrists
This is what I had originally written for her.
Greatest Wit in B-SCHOOL. F.R.I.E.N.D.S-yclopedia +make that SITCOMs-pedia+ motormouth +LOUDMOUTH +’HAHAHAHA’ +self-confessed attention seeking prat (though 2 years at B-SCHOOL have diluted this trait) +in-your-face +out-WITH(not OF)-her-mind+ never 1 to hem n haw +GIRRLY, kinda LADYLIKE (painted toenails-in shocking shades, n the like... PINK seems to be her religion).. she is about a A HEARTY LAUGH/AN OVERDRAMATIC JOKE/OVEREXAGGERATED EXPRESSIONS/about THE MOMENT LIVED n lived with a smile ..Meghna is an Intelligent woman (Pls Note: intelligent is Not=WISE :P)-talks sense, knows what she is talking about… usually opens her mouth in meaningful public discourse, to add value.. A rich, fertile mind of a writer ( A romantic, and a *very good* melancholy poet. Fellow JMC-ite- though we'd never known each other during graduation, We proudly n affectionately wear JMC on our sleeves :D Though we're as alike as chalk n cheese - she is a specimen picked straight out of Paris' Highbrow fashion streets, while I'm stuff of the rural India pavements :P -... we do get along neatly, coz all of that I mentioned above adds up to a fun combo ... and the shared flair n affinity for acidic repartee is the cherry on the cake :D ... Cheers, Cut-wrists n God Bless ya!
Awesome as that was, the drama queen threw a fit that I had repasted the orkut testi, and made me rewrite the messgae!
Meghna – The Woman… Nails, clothes, bags, shoes, painted in shocking Pink,
Will barge into my colorless space, only to tell me that I stink!
Meghna – The Motormouth on a roll.. will cook up theories truly bizarre,
Buil family trees, wackiest stories, and convince you, that’s how things ARE!
Meghna- The Look-At-Me would pout and whine, when devoid of spotlight…
(Though now she knows, it’s not as much fun…
at least in a B-School, the way things run,)
Though still on the stage with her TS troupe,..
She’s outta spotlight that could land her in a soup;)
Meghna- the Row-Man-Tick .. pours her heart out, in beautiful verse,
Which makes sure, I feel like a deadpan, or worse!
Think it’s some faulty wiring, maybe her brains are placed ULTA..
She’s so brazenly evil- and without feeling GUILTA :O :O
Eloquent, intelligent, world’s Greatest Wit,
Made me redo this message, the Shameless Git!
I could sense your sinister presence with eyes wide shut,
I do hope you’ll always remain a pain in the b… !
Naveen
A text-book example of a young corporate professional. One of the few in our batch who were here by choice, he comfortably understood and enjoyed every moment of a B-School life and dynamics. It's fun to poke fun at Naveen-isms, while he silently laughs away in all politeness (we're never sure if that's coz he's buying time to understand the joke, or if he's just being polite :P ) He is another one with a penchant for cracking PJ's, to an audience which will always go ".....?", while he proudly laughs for 2 whole minutes, before giving up. And that's fun! .. All the best in life ahead :)
Neha
Extremely emotional n sensitive'- that's how she had first introduced herself to us. Famously Extroverted in the initial few months, she went into a shell later ( and is back in her previous avtaar these days :P ) .. Extremely hardworking and earnest , she has achieved a lot in life through plain perseverance and focus. I'm sure she with her creativity, and uninhibited thought and expression, she made a wonderful teacher with kids! Good Luck, always :)
Nirmalaya
Nobody can beat this one at the brutal assault of the Hindi Language (more w.r.t the accent that should ideally go with it) Good luck, always!
Priyanka Nick: Hammy/ Hilti Imli
She is such a doll! Chirpy n cheerful, it's as though the heavenly gods are smiling down upon her and through her! Speaks with excellent diction and tone. dunno if she cares or realises, she made the most impactful presentations in class. I feel she's too sweet and humble for being who she is. My favourite memory of this kid ... in bus at night on our Mukteswar trip, Hammy grumbling loudly unconsciously in half-sleep, something to the effect of: "There's no Bloody space in this place!" Keep smiling always, God Bless ya :)
Rinkal
Knows his IT, and all kinds of logic, systems, processes under the sun, FLAWLESSLY perfect. Good Luck always
Roopal
A thorough professional, a great dancer, well read & well spoken ( seemingly commonplace, but actually verry rare personality traits), creative, a writer at heart,( and a romantic one at that) really good sense of aesthetics!.. It is commendable how she chose to take the high ground during the trying phase in life here at B-SCHOOL, and concentrated on preparing herself into a stellar candidate for a top notch position in the corporate world... Her great oratory skills, inherent marketing instincts, graceful networking, and confidence, make her a perfect package for a successful consultant. She also rose to the occasion when very serious duties were conferred upon her( rather unsolicitedly and not in the rosiest of circumstances), giving the job a very sincere shot and her best efforts. Oh, and I'll never forget the earnest are-u-a-human-being-if-yes-then-why-are-u-slightly-weird look I'd often read on her face and in her eyes, whenever she'd talk to me... in the most quizzical manner :D ... All the best, Roopal for a successful personal and professional life! You're sure to make one great success story in the corporate world.
Sajjal Nick: Pseudo Columbus/ Mr. Sunniest Disposition
First of all, I gave him the name 'Pseudo-Columbus'-Nandi sir had christened him just 'Columbus'. A proud Sajjal ( methinks, he thinks his name is a great adjective by virtue of it being HIS name :P ), leaking with confidence, and an inner center of balance and poise. One person who means his signature, "Cheers". When he says, 'Smiles all the way'.. he means it every bit! Likes to be the Manager guy, 'ordering' folks about :P .. Like Meggs, he becomes this human ego-shredder with me- brilliantly mercilessly running down every single thing that I own ( tangile or intangible) .. :D .. n trust me PC, it's been an absolute pleasure getting even with you everytime :D I think we had one thing in common though ( stop frowning.. m not too thrilled about having things in common with you) - We have a detachedly- attached approach to everything. Despite having been heavily involved with a large network of people, I have never seen him in the casual gossiping-back-biting mode...which is a welcome relief in this place, anyday! Mature to a great extent.. is a net-net good soul. Highly ambitious, but will never consciously hurt anyone in his journey to the stars. And there he will be one day- this I am sure of. May you get whatever you wish for in life. & Sorry for all those times I arrived late, n kept u waiting! Cheers, and God Bless :-)
Sanjeev
A hardworking and reserved person. All the best!
Satish Nick: The Questionmark * colon+ right parenthesis*
Sincere, methodical, always attempts to rationalise every situation and work toward the solution calmly and in a step-by-step manner. Very simple n honest in expression, in a way. Has quite a lot of knowledge and understanding of a lot many things; this and his keen desire to learn, and an unquenching thirst to get-his-answers reflected in the kind of doubts he raised in class. Committed to the major responsibilities that he undertook. 'Cheers, and God Bless', Satish :D
Shiv Nick: Seeeew
Yeh Alag Champion ;) .. A mischievous glint- twinkle in his eye, always up to concocting some fantastically silly theory/ story about everything ( and relating it with the mock-grave look of an accomplished Businessman or an enlightened Know-it-all) .. Shiv has been a surprise package for me.. from being a Finance fanatic, HR bashing creature (he once ripped off HR real bad in the office elevator, unknowingly before his to-be HR Summer Project Guide :D );to ruing the fact of being roll no 31- ( coz I was a disappointing 32 in tests/exams).. he has become more about a bagful of real cheer and warm laughter wherever he goes! Street-smart, with a dose of integrity- he'll speak his mind in all honesty, and can be trusted to stand for the right thing- for friends or former-friends or strangers ( he does not seem to keep 'foes'). I'm glad Ashutosh and he will be together for some time.. They're a fun team :) .. Cheers and God Bless :)
Siddharth Nick: Joey Sabhani :-)
Really good sense of humour ( with an excellent timing), and an underplayed set of fine grey cells, which most of us got to appreciate only after some time into the course. High ambition and capability, sprinkled with innocence and good will . All the very best, Siddharth. I hope that you'll do nothing short of 'sssuuuperrrb' in life! (don't recall you using any lesser adjective to indicate anything good/ positive :D )
Sumeet
Extremely calm, cool headed and sincere. Despite being genuinely warm, and friendly with all and sundry, Sumeet has an objective and unbiased solution- oriented approach to everything, when required - from the best, to the worst- of people, situations etc. To have remained apolitical, and unblemished by the stuff that B-School dynamics invariably pushes down one's throat/ mind, despite having been heavily and actively involved with all the people, relevant situations and issues, is truly an achievement. One of those people, to have earned whose regard is a real honour for anyone. An excellent team worker, quite mature, sensible and a loyal friend, and of course, another zealous member of our Chen- gathering at B-SCHOOL :D .. All the very best for everything in life. Cheers, and God Bless :)
Swati
Nick: The ESTJ/ Prabhjot/ Chamundi Devi-now-on-sedatvies :P
Oh, we do have things in life which we share in common: We both read Harry Potter ( Only, for her it's another book, for me, it's my religion :P), and we are both F.R.I.E.N.D.S fanatics, and over time, we have come to develop a good common sense of comic timing. But, there the similarities STOP. Our opinions, world-views, outlook and approach to life, to people, relationships, our fundas, likings, tastes, ideals, values, practically everything are at 180 degrees to each other. Yet, she is the single person I have spent the maximum number of hours at B-SCHOOL with.Despite our several heated arguments due to these differences, and moments of silent "!!!!!"s- many times, over issues of serious magnitude, we never reached the point-of-no-return. Maybe it comes from observing the trajectory of one's life, from really close quarters- I have seen her move from being the hesitant-sincerely genuine-engineer-girl with stars in her eyes, to sincerely high voltage Ma Durga, to Prabhjot, to (now) a free spirited Lady Smile-for-the-moment ... And all the time, something special kept us connected. Psst.. she actually cried once when these guys thought I'd gone 'missing' for a while... And that sums up the essence of our equation. We have developed a comfort zone around each other n I'm at my stupidest ( n hence, happiest) best inside it. Guess it all started the moment we met as two strangers, hitting off a conversation in the acad block so completely oblivious to the world around.. that poor nirmalya's feeble attempt at butting-in, completely missed our knowledge- until a few days back!! :P Swati :D is truly Affectionate and Possessive, and a joke-o-phile. And my best-est wishes to you for everything ahead in life . Keep faith, and keep cool :)
Vinita
Every body knows that she's quite smart and sincere towards all her academic assignments- everything is impeccably in order, in her work . And very artistic ( Even her random doodling would have well-defined patterns!) Great sense of humor, quick-thinking, rational, mostly objective and unbiased in approach, she is another one with real integrity, and high on dignity for self, and importantly, for others. Cheers Vinita, n God Bless :-)
Marthe Nick: Martha/ Marthey
A people's person. Having Marthe amongst us was like a treat for our batch- especially since her arrival coincided with a period when the rest of us were getting pretty disillusioned with each other - and the class was one divided wrestling- ring :P … Marthe, with the beautifully positive energy that she always exudes, the geunine warmth and respect for people, the "hello/ good morning"smile that could light up anyone's day, was a sure treasure! Her genuine interest in (Indian) culture, appreciation for diversity, people etc apart, she is a wonderful person in mind- I absolutely adored those few but long drawn discussions with her - over issues, cultures, and what not! Her childlike and jovial nature never prevented her from calling a spade a spade though. Cheers Marthe. May god shower the choicest of blessings on you!
…………………………………………………………………………………….
The verse below, written abt 7 months ago, during the Farewell days ..(again, seems like YESTERDAY!)
The story of a bunch of Thirty Six I tell,
I’ve seen all closely, known them too well..
July ‘07, they met - stars in their eyes,
.. the months to follow, were a bittersweet surprise!
Mostly Freshers, some with work-ex- all were at par,
Each one was equally unsure about, “Why HR?”..
In the beginning, the 36 swore, “United We Stick”,
Laughed, prayed n sang together- Boy, did they click!
Each one was like no other, n there could be no tussle-
They all fit- like pieces, of one brilliant jigsaw puzzle!
For many sweet days, it was a fairy tale,
Just CP & CGPA, spelt a smooth sail …
I’m not sure how and when, did the kids begin to screw it..
Issues & petty politics, crept in, before they knew it!
No more a team of 36 ‘people’, each- to each, a ‘brother’,
They were a pile of CV’s –aiming to outdo each other..
Not that they did not laugh now, but more often they cried-
Hurt and anger became the norm; the warmth was lost inside..
It’s quite funny how each one, felt cut-off from the rest,
For had not they, all together, built the little nest!
Goriest battles, verbal sparring, collar-clenching done,
Email and status warfares, became the new sickly fun!
But hey, alongside all this, they won home accolades-
Competitions, Conclaves- they were acing all the trades!
And through all the tears, the daily highs n lows,
The friends became family, (n some, transitory ‘foes’)
The story of this bunch of 36 I tell,
Now they do not wish to bid farewell…
Though the times were trying and tough,
The fun and learning were more than enough-
No matter how has been one’s stay,
It just ain’t easy to walk away…
The past two years, are too rich to define,
Our lives are not the same – yours and mine.
Okie. Enough of 2009-ing. Maybe al do more later. It was some year :)
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