Ride back home

I live 26 kilometres away from my workplace. This isn’t too big a distance for those who own cars. But, for those who take an auto, it is Rs 500 a day to and fro.
It started out to be just another ride back home after work. I hired an auto, and its driver said, “I will charge you a bit more since I will have to drive through huge traffic.” I agreed.
Halfway through, he started chatting. He said, “I’m sorry about Delhi’s state. Although I’ve been here for only a month-and-a-half, I feel this city is going nowh ere.”
I was taken aback, not because the city is a great place to live in, but because I was curious to know which other city, according to him, was better than the Capital. He continued, “Despite new roads and flyovers, there are traffic jams everywhere. Look at the buses. They are packed to capacity, just tailormade for pickpocketing and molestation.” This time, I sp oke, “Where do you come from?” “Mumbai,” he said. “And there is no standing system in buses in Mumbai,” he added.
“I really wanted to see Delhi, but I'm sorry about it’s state. Women in Delhi are not safe,” he went on. In Mumbai, it is a common norm to give martial arts training to women and they are better prepared to tackle such issues, he felt.
And, then came the shocker, “I’m not an auto driver by profession. I teach dance-drama and fine arts at a place. My friends told me that driving autos in Delhi is very profitable.” I wanted to know his name, but I had reached my destination. “Ma’am, please give me Rs 10 mo re than the metre reading,” he said.
I gave the money without asking any more questions. At least, there was a ‘please’ in his request. A true blue Delhi autowallah would have charged me the earth and still would have been disgustingly rude, I thought.

I want my 'INDEPENDENCE'

The Constitution of India came into force & India declared itself a Republic on January 26, 1950

As a child I always had a difficult time remembering dates of Republic Day, Independence Day, and the like. But now, I can't forget. I can't forget January 26, 2009. Fifty-nine years have not changed the way Indians celebrate Republic Day. But, for me Republic Day is different. It has a different meaning, a totally different meaning, for me now.

It was the day my 'forced-resignation letter' was being keyed in at office!

YES! I got it a day after the tri-colour fever gripped the nation. F*** FREEDOM, I thought! Just when I was finally settled.

Today, as I sat down to blog, the picture of the little money plant sapling I placed on my office desk, came to my mind. It was a joy, I must admit, coming to office and looking at the plant grow every day. The day I left office, I took it along. Can't bear to leave it to die there, there where only sweet-poison can grow to its full glory.

As days passed, each little leaf began to turn yellow. As if, it got a 'pink-slip' too! I tried a lot. A lot, indeed -- but I was not quick enough. It died very soon, long before I got another 'job'. I began to grow remorseful. I was the reason for its death. Since, if I had been 'good-enough' at work, I wouldn't have been asked to 'leave' and it could have stayed there too, alive. Only if I knew how much good makes it 'good-enough'.

This is when I knew I had to do something. Something fast! Something, anything!

"Why do you want to join us if you haven't been thrown out yet?"

"You say your designing is fab. Then why didn't they like your job?"

"They are still working. I see their paper still. Why did you get it then?"

"Can you show me the salary slip for this month?"

YES SURE... as if I was the reason MetroNow downed shutters!!

That was it. I cut the crap and sat home. Learned making round-rotis, instead! But how long, I thought to myself. This was when I started reading 'How the Mighty Fall' by Jim Collins. "Whether you prevail or fail depends more on what you do to yourself than what the world does to you," the author said.

My life has been a shuttle-cork -- from, Delhi to Orissa, from Orissa to Delhi, from Delhi to Patna, from Patna to Delhi, MidDay to MetroNow, MetroNow to an online company. Three years into journalism, I've been torn to pieces, but still haven't found my place yet. I have had enough and I want to stop. I want my 'INDEPENDENCE'. No more 'REPUBLIC' days for me -- please god, please!

I learned to let-go, live and love again!

Lying on a small dusty single-bed with my mother on July 29, 2005, I was trying to fight myself. My decision to join an institute situated at a far-off nondescript eastern state, was not entirely my choice. The fact that I got selected at India's best mass communication institute, IIMC, among thousands of students gave little solace. At this point of time, Dhenkanal seemed to me the best place where I can disconnect with the outer world, link with nature and in the process with myself too!

The sweet hostel warden said to me, "Are you Amrita? Some of the rooms have already been occupied. You can choose from the rest." She opened rooms after rooms, until one with a window looking out towards a tree and the hills behind caught my attention. My mother, who decided to stay back the night with me, started arranging my clothes and my bed. I kept lying there thinking why one has to go through heartbreaks. Soon, the warden came back with my 'roomie' and introduced her with me. "Hi! This is Deepshikha. I'm from Shimla. What's your name?"

Here, I decided to disconnect my thoughts and move with the flow. "Hi! Amrita here. I come from Delhi." On July 30, I forced my father, mother and my brother, who had all come to see me off, to leave the town and move ahead with their plan to visit our relatives residing in Kolkata. The very next day my new life as a journalist began. After the first session with the associate professor Mrinal Chatterjee (MC), I began to understand the ABC of being a "journalist".

In one of the sessions MC said, "You can call it 'Indian Institute of Mrinal Chatterjee' if you want, since I'm the boss here. I will be your friend, guardian, teacher, guide and even tourist guide!" The class broke into a laughter. I can safely call him the best tutor I've come across in my entire life. He had this certain charm about him, that made each student respect him a lot. The fact that he made us work like labourers on the institute lawns, did not make him even a bit less-liked.

For me it was a second life altogether. Schedules, daily news, presentations, discussions, tabloids, assignments! I busied myself. Made some great bonds and friends. Met differently-abled children up close and personal and learned how to look at life from them. Visited the 'underbelly' of the state -- beaches, temples, rivers, hills, forests, lagoons and what not!

The place taught me a million things. I understood that sometimes it becomes inescapably necessary to just let-go. What actually matters is today and the day which you haven't seen yet. What matters is what you have learned from life, and not what you endured to get that education. Today, after four years, I'm happy I took the decision to go to Dhenkanal. I'm happy I learned to let-go, live and love again!

Kaudiyala: Paradise of Love!

Yes, it is truly a place where you and your lover will become one!

Although it’s just a village, it’s fresh and the scenery is breathtaking. Situated on the banks of the river Ganga, it is also a famous spot for rafting and other adventure water sports. So if you and your partner are daring enough, rafting can truly be an experience!

As you leave Rishikesh, and drive a little upwards you’ll come across a place called Byasi – Kaudiyala is a little further, at an altitude of 386 m. This heavenly abode is an absolutely quiet and ideal place, to let you unwind and enjoy nature’s beauty. Surrounded by dense forests, Kaudilya also gives oppurtunity to view wildlife in their natural habitat. Under GMVN and Uttaranchal undertaking, various river rafting courses are conducted here and you might also try to book their river-side camps and enjoy bonfire at night. But before taking your car keys and rushing to this place make sure you book – GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) Tourist Bungalow, which is a government run rest house for tourists. Since this place is always filled with guests securing a booking can give you some tough time. If the government part has begun to dampen your spirits – hold it!This resort is very unique and is beautifully located among huge mountains with the Ganga flowing just below the resort. You can walk for a few minutes and reach the beautiful beaches near the Ganga where, possibly, you would not find anyone else...

Just lie next to the river or take a dip, rest on sand or arrange an alcove party. It’s just too good! The food at the resort is yummy, fresh and hot. With river gushing in background, you can imagine how your stay will be an ultimate experience. Just sit in their gardens or in your room’s veranda and watch the river gushing right below you... It’s just awesome, believe me!

Where… Kaudiyala | Go there by... Take a train till Haridwar or hire a cab from home | Keep chasing... NH-58 | Stay at… GMVN Tourist Bungalow | Call for booking… 01378-262911 | ebook your room… GMVNL Website | Don’t forget to visit… Vashist Gufa, Ganga Beaches | Remember… The rooms don’t have TVs, N Veg is not available | Take along… warm clothes, medicines, umbrella, beach-party items, food, and booze!!

Underneath your clothes...

You're a song written by the hands of god
Don't get me wrong cause
This might sound to you a bit odd
But you own the place
Where all my thoughts go hiding
And right under your clothes
Is where I find them...

Underneath Your Clothes
There's an endless story...

No, I'm not a fan of the sexy Spanish 'hip' shaking singer! I was just trying to co-relate her song with something and found it to be quite similar. Just notice the fourth and the fifth line of the song... and you'll know what I mean...

The other day I walked into a store for a few new 'under'clothes. There were thousands of little petite darling choices. I was flattered, but soon my thoughts shifted towards the MRP tag... and DAMN I had to take out my credit card!!

I remember my mother buying them for, as far as I remember, 40-50 bucks. But now it's just getting impossible by the day. I fail to understand how exactly do they price such a thing? Elastic, a lil' cloth, maybe some lace here, a bow there and there you go!

Since lingerie companies know people can't do without such stuff and most won't even argue when in such stores. They put a price tag at their own free will. I have seen miserable souls stove the money into the seller's hands and shoot out of the store in a huff... Yes, we can bargain while buying medicines nowadays... but for this I guess it'll take a lot more time...

Since you know such a great deal about what lies underneath clothes would you care to say... err sing... Shakira?

Brakes at NH-24; roads jammed since 4am

It's not holiday stupid, it's 'JAM'iday... As far as your eyes go...
It's 9.45 am on my watch right now and the scenery in front of my flat refuses to change. It's been like this since early 4 am today. The situation was so amusing it forced me to blog about it. I saw people getting thrashed, not less than three cars getting, trucks overpowering small-car owners... My Lord! What a day!! I started for office hoping some poor auto or rickshaw wala will help me but NO! They refused straight-away.... Uniformed children who got up early in the morning for school are playing in the gardens... must be very exciting for them... they look happy :-) Most office goers are loitering around hoping the NH-24 to clear-up!! I'm hoping so too. But what has caused it is strange. If there has been any accident too bad. Hope for the best.

Unsafe on the net

I always get tons of friend-requests and chat-requests in Orkut, Facebook and Gtalk, but I am an "I don't add strangers" kind of a person. There was a time when I used to talk to people, but over a period of time I understood it is a complete waste of time, money and energy. But one recent friend-request caught my attention, it said, "I will always be a stranger unless you talk to me!" So, talk to strangers so that he doesn't remain one? WTH?
This guy has been sending constant requests and his gmail id reads akash... sumthing sumthing @gmail. Now, as far as my memory goes, I never had many friends whose names were Akash. Although it is a very common name, in my life I have met only three Akashs', one was an office colleague at Hindustan Times Patna, another was a school friend and the third worked with me at MetroNow. I was sure I did not know this one. He kept on sending me requests and I kept denying them, wicked me.
Finally when I got the nth number request, I thought I should accept and see who the bugger was. I did and lo! I knew this person. I kept cursing myself, how could I forget everything about a friend who seemed to remember every single detail about me. It was so sweet of him. He then started telling me how much he is in touch with our common friends and that he has been tracking all that I do. He had each and every detail about me engraved in his mind. He kept talking and somewhere in the back of my mind I could not relate whatever he was saying.
I then started scrutinising, asking him things that all my friends know, but were not there on the community sites. I said, "Oh! You remember when we used to study when we were kids?" He got a little stuck, but nonetheless replied with crossed fingers, "Yah! Doon was a wonderful place." And I said, "Gotcha!! I have never even visited Doon school." He got flustered and started blabbering. When I asked from where he got my email id, he said "maybe from orkut". My next question had to be: what's your id there. To this he said, "I'm not there on orkut. I sometimes go there through my friend's id and get to know about different people."
This still did not clear one doubt: Where he got my id from? After much debate he disclosed that he copies emails from forwarded mails and then through a fake orkut id checks different profiles and enacts being a very close friend. So this is what this smart ass has been doing. Coping email ids from forwarded mails, searching them on the net, acting to be a close friend and then maybe finally even meeting up with those he succeeds to mislead. I was lucky enough and hope you will be careful with such jerks. I can just hope. Nah?