"Mehangai dayan khaye jaat hai"

The words of a Hindi film song fits apt to the post I am about to write about.. "Mehangai dayan khaye jaat hai" (The witch of Inflation is eating us up).

The way things are shaping up in India, the witch of inflation is not far from eating us up. Its the 26th day of December of 2012. We have proved the Mayans wrong and we are moving ahead towards the beginning of 2013. What will that year bring for us? Peace? Happiness? But the way things shaping up, its gonna bring more Inflation !!

Sorry guys, even though I have been a commerce and economics student for so so long, I still cant explain how does the Indian Govt manage to do this. Prices are rocketing. Few years back when I rode a bike petrol costed Rs43/- Today it costs Rs80/- Almost 100% increase.

Why do we go back few years, lets take the difference of just a year. Examples may show just a Rs1-2 increase but the percentage jump shows it all. My shared auto went up from Rs7 to Rs10 in 1yr. 50% increase. My ironing guy hiked rates from Rs3 to Rs5 per clothing. 66% increase. My roadside dosawala hiked rates from Rs15/- to Rs20/-. 33% increase.

Gosh where are we heading? Are incomes increasing? NOOO

I feel I am more than comfortable in what I earn. As of now I only have to feed myself. No wife no kids. If I am feeling the pinch of this mammoth jump what about that guy who earns Rs10000/-, who has a wife and two kids, who also has to support his old parents, his kids are in class 10th and 12th and he needs to fund their education. He needs to save for his old age, he needs to save for his childrens college fund, he needs to save for his old parents health needs. Does he manage it? NOOO

One gas cylinder which costed somewhere arnd Rs350-400 now comes for Rs1000/- in the black market thanks our government.. Our Prime Minister, God knows what do we need to do to get him to speak.. He is the personification of the line " ek kaan se suno and doosre kaan se nikal do" and better still " tension lene ka nahi, dene ka"

Chalo, chhodo. No use complaining. Rehna toh yehi hai. So lets back to working, lets back to slogging, and lets back to getting the government to earn through those LOVELY taxes. Hamara kya hai. Jee lenge, kaat lenge.

I realise it now...

There u sit in office and the lunch time draws near. You see everyone in office getting together and opening up their lunch boxes. Out comes, not only daal, sabzi and roti, but also love and care. You notice the amount of love, the mothers and wives have poured into those boxes. And there u r sitting, waiting for the peon, to get you something to eat.

Its evening and you leave office. You see everyone so happy and joyful, going back to their loved ones at home. They ring their bell and their come their kids, joyfully and happily greeting them. The hug, the kisses, the love. It makes all life worth living. And there you are riding back home in the auto, knowing very well the only thing waiting at home would be ur TV, ur Laptop and ur Mobile...

Night falls, and dinner time comes by. You know everywhere, there would be the garam roti greeting most people. And here you are, walking off to the local market to buy some roti and sabzi to fill ur hungry stomach.

Guys, its not that I dont have loved ones. I perhaps have the most loving mother and the most loving girlfriend in the world. But its at these moments, that you realise the value of human warmth and touch. When people used to talk abt a warm hug, one never realises it. I do it now.

When things go tough, for example in office. Targets are missed, pressure is immense, all you want is someone to come up to, hold ur hand and say.. Its gonna be ok.. When you come back home, tired and broken, all you want is someone to take you in their arms and say.. Its gonna be ok...

The human touch has that power and I realise it now. When I do get a chance to meet her, maybe once a month or so. I always tell her.. I hold ur hand and I forget all my tensions.. Its not a mushy dialogue from any movie.. It happens and I realise it now...

So all you guys, who are lucky enough to stay with their mom, dad, wife, kids or whoever. Dont forget to go give them a hug today. Dont feel embarrased to go give them a kiss and tell them how much you love them. Dont mind in holding their hands and letting them know you are there for them.

For its this touch that I miss. For its those hugs that I miss. For its that warmth that I miss. And I realise it now...

Relaunching into the blogging world..

Hey guys,
14months after my last post I am back again and in a completely different world than where I was 14months back. For those of you who dont know I switched jobs 10months back and then suddenly life changed, and it has changed so drastically that I havent been able to keep pace with it.

From a world where job satisfaction, salary, job profile everything was below my expectation, i suddenly found myself at the level that I expected myself to reach by end of 2013. And I would like to thank God for every bit of it. He has proved it again and again, no matter how tough the situation may seem, no matter how dark the night, he will give you what you deserve. Thank you God

There was a time when I use to look at my uncle and wish that I fly like him, every other day. Today in this country, tomorrow in another. And lo behold, my prayers got answered. Not countries to countries, but at least cities to cities. Flight travel has become my most used mode of transport.And let me also tell you, its not as exciting as it seemed from outside. Consistent travel and constantly living out of the suitcase, after a time does get on your nerves.

There was a time when I use to sit on Marine Drive and wish for a chauffer driver car wherever I go. And lo behold, my prayers got answered. Not Mercedez and BMW but yes, any official work out of office, I can call a chauffer driven car. Wherever you go you are treated with respect for the position you hold. Its like suddenly being catapulted into the big league.

Even though there has been a lot of progress, but there is still a long way to go. A long way to fulfil those dreams that I dreamt and the dreams I lived. Its no time to sit and bask in the glory, its time to keep striving and breaking new dawns in life. God, you have been very kind to me throughout, all I pray is that Your Hand is always beside me, with me.

Even now I sit in a hotel room in Hyderabad writing this post. As morning will dawn tomorrow, I take a flight back to Kolkata, before going forward to my base location, Siliguri.... Siliguri, where is that? Dont worry, if I continue with my blogging, I will surely tell you about my life in Siliguri...
Hasta la vista, Baby !!!

The days I ruled the world...

It has been 2 yrs...but the memory as fresh as yesterday... The day i walked out of that Qatar Airways flight and walked into the City of my Dreams, the City of Love...PARIS... The chilling cold...Sending shivers down your skin....

The night on the floor of the airport and the first bus in the early hours of the morning to the railway station... The first ride on the TGV, the worlds fastest train... Across the fields of France at 315km/hr...

The first sight of Dijon, the excitement of walking into that dream house, the arguments on the selection of the rooms. The first walk to the boulangerie...the first walk to school...the ice skating experience...the trip to the vineyards....

The first view of the Eiffel Tower, the Luxemborg garden, the free hugs, the Moulon Rouge...

The walks to school...the first snowfall...the parties at home... the swimming days.. the trips to Toisan D'or...the shopping at Carrefour...the new pair of rollerblades... the numerous falls...

The games of Mafia late into the night,... The sil vous plait shouting neighbour in the middle of the night...The coffee session with Bob and Elizabeth... The cooking sessions... the Rice and the Pulao... The fights over the number of onions to be used...

The headache to get Ashok to be ready on time..The colors nightclub...the atmosphere nightclub...

BNP Paribas, the Virgin store, JP Billu...My boulangerie friend...

The wonderful trip to Lyon..The double decker church....The ride in the boat down the river...

The night long ride to Cannes...Seeing the red carpet where the greats walked the path to glory...The boat ride to the end of the world... The walk in the middle of nowhere..Finally peeing out in the open (Indians manage that everywhere)...The shooting boat that we saw and ran off...The lit up road at Nice...the rain soaked Nice trip...The gurgling of the waves against the stone beach....

And before I realised the dream had reached its end... The TGV moved out of Dijon, the tears rolled....

The 4 month dream ended and i was thrown back into reality...But it gave me enough memories to last a lifetime..Memories enough to push me on....Memories....are only memories...

Someday...I wish......

From the diaries of a bachelor...

7.00am and the alarm is ringing away to glory...From under the blankets out comes a hand and SNOOZE....
10 min later the alarm goes off again and again the process repeats itself....

And in the sizzling winters of Delhi, Sampark opens his eyes and goes straight for the phone...Ohhhhh Shit its 9.45am...He is late and then the mad rush begins.. Where is the shirt, Shit again, its not ironed...Where is yesterdays shirt, No problem will manage it for today at least...

Where are my house keys...drawers, nope...office bag, nope...table, nope....Oh god now where r my keys...A treasure hunt amongst the overflowing laundry bag and out come the keys from yesterdays dirty jeans...

No time for breakfast, no time for tea its just RUN....

Wrapped completely in sweater, muffler and gloves out he walks into the foggy Delhi morning...

The day passes along, mostly at events since the last few months.. Its sales and customers and convincing all day long...Feels great when customers give you complements... Best go on to say, love your marketing style, you can befriend anyone...people can just love you..But what these guys dont realise that at the end of the day, that person returns to a lonely room across the River Yamuna with just 4 walls, a laptop and cold dabba of food...

7.00 pm.. Its time to go home...Pack up...its a lonely walk to the metro station...Hey look at that couple, they having pani puri together, look at the love in their eyes.. Sampark just smiles, thats all he can do..He can only think of her, far away in the City of Joy...His joy is there and he here in the mad mad rush of Delhi...The metro zooms into the station..Their standing amongst the 100s of other passengers, he is lost, just one of them...

His favourite pass time is to just observe people... Their is this man slowly cuddling his son as he sleeps peacefully...Sam cant help but just wish that he was that little kid..."Dad, I miss you" is all he can think off.. Their at the other side of the compartment, a middle aged couple seem to be discussing their daughters education.. Seems like her exams are near and they seem to be more worried than her..The guy opposite seems to be dozing off.. A hard days work comes to an end for him...2 friends seem to be coming back from college, they seem to be discussing the new girl one of them is trying to woo..

And then their in that crowd stands Sam.. everyone who stands there has a story of their own...Noida Sec 18, announces the sweet voice over the microphone...A 10min rickshaw ride later and back to the 4 walls from where the day began...

Out comes the lappi and back to his only connection with the world, Facebook... She asks him a lot of times, dont u get bored of the net...He does, but what else can he do... A day which begins and ends only with office, at 8.30pm do you even expect he has the time for anything else..

There use to be a time, when he did his MBA when friends surrounded him 24x7... MBA ended, most went off to Mumbai, Bangalore and beyond... and his life landed up in Delhi...Without friends, without family, without his love...

His only consoling factor is his mobile, his SMSs and his lappi...thats what life has become...

O god...His clothes are dirty...There in the chilling winter of Delhi and chilling water he struggles to do his laundry...

Dinner done... Just dump the dirty plate in the sink...will wash it whenever i need it next...

Sitting with his latest book, Richard Branson's Losing my Virginity, Sam gets lost into the world of the billionaire who created The Virgin Group from scratch...Eyes at the watch,11.30pm... He better go off to sleep or else tomorrow will be another mad dash...and slowly the light fades away and a motionless body disappears again into the blankets...

Dreams take him back to Mom...back to MBA days...back to France... and back to Her... But within a few hours dawn will break and the story will repeat itself....again the dash, again the loneliness, again the monotony....

Middle Finger to the World..

There come those days in life where u feel, " F*** what am i upto". Office seems to be like," Eeeks whats happening" And you dont know where to go or what to do.

Instructions come from one side, " This is important, finish this first" From the other end something else seems more important. Its like you are actually caught up between poisonous snakes on one side and a raging fire on the other. Then it strikes to you, do u actually deserve this stress, this tension. Are you a slave, have you been sold off to someone...But then thats the life we have got ourselves stuck into.

In this modern world it has become so difficult to break the shackles and live for yourself. Its takes guts to do something like that. The competition, the need to succeed materialistically, the expectations, the living standards all make it more and more difficult.

But then what is one supposed to do. Keep hanging the middle, not being able to do anything well. And in the end what does one get, " You are lazy, you are not capable, you cant do this much also." It is for all those people out there who feel the ingratitude towards their colleagues and employees. Just tell them on face, I CARE A SHIT AND I CARE A DAMN... F** OFF... and just show them this straight on their face...

The Common Wealth Miracle...

It was just a month ago... Delhi's head had already started drooping in shame...With allegations of officer and officer being corrupt, crores of rupees gone, where no one knows... Deadlines being missed, bridges crashing, ceilings falling apart, dogs in the village, snakes in the tennis court, betel stains all over the place, floods adding to the chaos, the threat of dengue laundering over the city, games lane opposition, traffic snarls,athletes threatning to pull out, shooting of visitors at tha jama masjid contracts not given out and what not... Nothin seemed to be going India's way...

Over and above this the never ending threat of a terrorist attack. I was one of the greatest believers of the attack and i was almost sure it would happen. Not supporting them but the hoardes of foreigners thronging the city were a very easy target to gain worldwide attention. The bad guys have been silent since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. They generally dont seem to be so silent. Was it the silence before the storm and thats what strengthened my belief of an attack.

The media had already torn the games apart and if given the option Mr Kalmadi would have been hanged to death even before the games began (not that he is in any better position after the games)

But then something miraculous happened. All the fears, just remained fears. We entered onto the scene just like a Salman Khan entry in Dabbangg...With a bang.... The Opening Ceremony caused the whole world to sit up and take notice... The 70 crore balloon which had invited the wrath of one and all, just stole the show...

Traffic was not an issue at all, the events began on time..The village turned out to the best the athletes had stayed in till now. The weather turned fine, not a drop of rain... Dengue seemed to have found a solution for itself. Stray dogs and snakes were taken care off. No stadiums collapsed, no floors caved in...

Over and above it went of as safe as ever. No attacks, no blasts, no hostages... Surprising...
And the icing on the cake was the Indian performance....2nd position, 100+ medals, 38 gold medals.. They just took the game by storm...

Now with the games over, Delhi is back to normal... Accusations have begun, enquiries have started, the blame game is on again... But there is one satisfaction, when it required most, somehow some way, Delhi and India pulled it off... Great going guys....

The Dilemma

Life always brings you on crossroads... it always gets you to choose between two things that you dont want to.... One is such thing always eats me up....

On one side i have always looked forward to a life of peace, shanti and relaxation. I have always looked forward to evenings amongst nature admiring the sunset in the distance. A place where you breathe air rather than petrol fumes. Where you walk down grasslands with the wind for your company rather than cars as traffic. But heres where the problem is...

Getting to work here may not ensure you the highest paying of jobs and thats what the world expects from you...

A Mercedes benz, a huge house, foreign holidays, 32" LCD screens, 20K mobile phones, an Apple notebook, Armani suits and more... Not only the world, even your parents, your wife, your kids, all expect the same. These are the metrics of success in today world. Its how much wealth one has acquired and not how much peace he has.

Guys, its not that i dont dream of these things. I do, and thats what is causing the whole issue. Whats more important?? What do u think???

I am back.....

Its been 6 months... Its been 6 long months... Ages since i wrote my last block post... And somewhere within these 6 months i lost myself, the real Sampark in me.

When we last met, i was just out of BSchool... Someone who was all set to face the corporate world...Someone with dreams in his eyes.... With a passion that no matter what, i wont be a part of this rat race.... But like every new grown up, i never realised when i became a part of it....

I became a part of it and in turn lost out on a lot of things i loved... Writing was one such passion... My blog is the best example of how i lost touch with myself. Photography, my other passion, also got lost somewhere... I havent clicked a pic since. Life became just office, sales, salary and done...end of the day, go to sleep. Day after day, week after week, and month after month.

But its all about to change. The eye opener came when i was back in IMT last week for my alumni meet. And as i walked into those gates, my old self came flying back and its then that i realised how much things have changed, how much i have changed. But no more, Sampark is back. Work is work but life is life. I cant lose my life for the sake of work. Its time for a change, its time for me....

There is always a bigger plan....

A few days back i read a status msg of a frnd " Really? Is there a bigger plan?" At that moment i actually agreed with the friends msg. I was depressed as every unemployed friend of mine. But then i went about thinking about the various incidents in my life and i reached the conclusion, THERE IS INDEED A BIGGER PLAN....

It all began 9yrs ago when i got into trouble with my principal, Sister Helena. I got into trouble for calling her "Budiya" (Old lady). Even though always out of trouble and always amongst the good books, i almost got thrown out that day. I was like, "Why me, when everyone calls her by that name." But time passed and i realised there was a bigger plan. That incident stopped my down slide. I realised i was going wrong. My friends were wrong. My future was wrong. Even if it was out of fear, i did mend my ways, i did start studing, i did get the marks and i did get the best thereon...

The next big plan hit me 5 yrs ago. With all my friends sitting in Pune, i was the only one on the verge of getting admission outside (read Mumbai) Though with the highest marks, i was the only one without an admission. I had got through the best college in Mumbai but i had wanted Pune which kept avoiding me. There i sat on Marine Drive thinking what was behind all this. Was there a signal i was getting. Was it God trying to tell me something. I decided no matter what i will stay in Mumbai only. I will make it big here itself. I will prove that whatever happens, happens for the good. The next day the call from Pune came up but i turned it down. My friends were mad at me. "You have always wanted this and now when you are getting it, you are saying no." 3 yrs down the line i had done well. I had learnt and experienced and achieved much more than i could have ever in Pune. The environment, the atmosphere there wouldnt have helped me do any better. I did realise there was a bigger plan.

At the end of my Mumbai tenure, i sat for the CAT. With my list of top colleges ready, i was all set to scale the heights. I got the marks but failed to receive any calls. One call and that was IMT Nagpur. A new institute, not on my list. What was my decision gonna be. Can i take the risk. Or should i sit for another attempt next year. The dilemma continued but i decided to take the plunge. There was a bigger plan awaiting for me at Nagpur- France. Any other place i am sure i would have never made the cut for the International Exchange Programme. But here i did and that trip changed my life forever. The confidence that u see today, the attitude that you see today, the Sampar that you see today is all thanx to France.

Then came the time for placements. November 09 to April 10. Day in and day out the search continued. Being choosy also wasnt helping. Companies came to campus but nothing interested me. Classes got over, MBA got over, convocation got over.. but still no sign for a job. Frustration levels rose, depression sunk in, irritation crept in. Times were bad, even tears started rolling down. "Why is this happening. 23years of toiling and yet no job in hand. Whats the use of an MBA when there is no job." It all changed 3 days back. One phone call. It was A.B. My classmate at IMT. He is starting a business and wanted me to handle the marketing for him. And from tomorrow i join him.

So guys as of now i dont know if the business will succeed or not but thats not the point being discussed now. But not getting a job and finally landing up in a business. Is it a part of a bigger plan? Surely God has something else in store for me. Thats why he is making me a part of a start up rather than any other established business. Time and again things have happened, events have occurred and incidents have taken place to prove that everything has been decided by the one above. He will never let you go. He walks with you, hand in hand, waiting for the right moment to let you on alone. But even once he leaves your hand he is there to save you if you slip. So when things go rough and every thing seems grim, just leave it to him. And dont be afraid of going by your intuition. Just take the plunge and see things blossom.

The Kiddo Love Story

Again taking you to one of my many train journeys. There i sat on my journey back home. I was going home after 6 months, to mom. I had missed her so much. Without a job the brain had started malfunctioning, the tension, the frustration, the depression and only one person could help me with it, mom. So here i was travelling from Delhi to Sirsa in the AC chair car of Kisan Express.

A 3 yr old girl, sweet, cute travelling with her dad. A further 3 rows ahead a small boy of the same age, upset, on the verge of crying. The girl standing on the seat observing everyone in the compartment. The boy cribbing to his parents that when will they reach their destination. Tears had already reached his eyes when something happened.

Through the wetness of his eyes he saw a figure of a girl. A sweet girl looking at him. The tears disappeared. "O no she is looking at me. She should not see my crying. What will she think of me?" He ducks behind the back rest of his seat. And from the corner he peeps out. " Is she still looking in my direction" "Thank God she is not. Time to be a man" He wipes his face clean. Puts his hair in order and ready to win his lady love. And then he gets up on the seat as well. " Hey why is she looking in the other direction. Why is she not looking at me"

"She is so beautiful. What a smile she has. What beautiful hair she has. She looks so stunning" But like every other story, the girl was least interested even in looking at the guy. She was too busy with other things "Dad can i have your mobile. How do i get to the songs. How do i play this game. Where is mom's cream. I also wanna put it" and all this while the guy was like "Whats so interesting in the mobile. Why is she not even looking up. Hey papa give me your mobile. I will show her that i have a better one. See girl my mobile even has a camera. Now at least look at me at least" By this time the girl was already busy with the cream and the guy goes " Hey now whats with the cream. Why does she need the cream, she is so beautiful anyways"

And just then her dad gets up and takes out of the suitcase from the upper loft. " Hey you cant be leaving. " She puts on her small cartoon fur bag on her back and jumps from the seat onto the aisle. The guys face drops. He puts his hand out and wants to stop her but he cant. She has to go. He wont be able to see her again, EVER. She moves towards the door as his tears seem to appear again in this eyes. Her dad opens the door. She follows him out but as the door seems to be closing, she turns around. Looks at him, their eyes meet. The remain glued at each other for a few seconds. Her lips break into a smile and then she disappears onto the platform.
A tear rolls down his cheek but the smile had made his day. He slowly slips back into his seat and stares out of the window, her smile still in front of his eyes..........

Aakhri 10 ghante.... My Thank You Speech

Finally i have reached the end... After many blog posts and numerous days and months and years, i have reached the end of IMT.... In another 10 hours, the train leave Nagpur station and IMT will get behind, FOREVER...

And as i leave IMT I would like to thank all of you guys for giving me those fantastic memories, learnings and lessons... You have given me enough for me to live a lifetime.. and this post is dedicated to all those guys who touched my life here at IMT

My friend circle:
Guys had the time of my life with you. You are the best. Will miss those birthday treats forever. Those trips to the movies. Those dinners. Pranay, Pranav, Jain, Vinay, Neha, Khanna, Nazm, Kapil, Bhardwaj, Shreyaa, Manisha, Tandon,Akanksha... U guys rock... Parag, Pankaj, Mittal, Shweta, Shekhar, Ronak, TinTin motu, Avni... Without you IMT would have been incomplete...

My french family: Eshan, Mayank, Ashok, Aishwarya and Sunil... Tumhare bina toh sab kuch adhura rahega.. kuch bhi nahi rahega actually.. Those 4 months would be the best times of my life.

My team at the Co-op..Jay Sir, Surbhi mata, Sid, Anu, Sumeet, Richa... learnt a lot from you guys... Sheetal Di, Anu maam, Kruti Maam, JLo, Snehil, Avik, Gaurav and sweet juniors Eshaan, Anshita, Rupam, Gaurav, Fuggs, KD, Alen and Chandak... Coop aap logon ke bina adhura hai... Rahul.. You were the heart and soul of the Coop...

Marque, the Marketing Forum: Viraj, Walia, Ronak, Snigdha, Priya and the other... Marketing toh koi bhasad banake dekhe... bahut mazaa aata hai...

My first year gang: Ritesh, Chanda, Shreyashi, Shantu, Chottu, Ravi( mera pyaara roomie) and Divya too... Thank you guys.... It was a pleasure knowing you. Will forever that egg bashing i received on my birthday.. Courtesy you guys and will always remember the friendship day night out...

I have also been great to have fantastic seniors: Zareen and Fareed... you were the best... All of you from the Angels and Demons team.. It was great working with you. Motwani Sir, will never forget your advice which you had given to me when i was about to leave the Marketing Forum... Manila maam, it was great knowing u too...

How can i forget my great juniors... Hitansh, Ridhima, Deeksha, Mr CIC, my Indian Magik team ( Andy, Anu, Anuj, Akanksha, Varun, Shweta, Miky, Nikeeta, Kedia Yogi, Paaji, Vibhor, Vikas, Pooja) Those from my movie teams ( Vidhi, Sanjesh, Ladykiller,)

I left Sumeet and Priya for last but you guys are definately there at the top... Without you Indian Magik wouldnt have been what it was and Sampark wouldnt have been what Sampark is....

Imt also had some of the greatests professors who touch my life and changed it forever. Mazumdar Sir, the God, without whom France would not have been thr ever. That trip changed my forever and all thanks to him. My marketing gurus, Prof gadgil, prof Jaisimha, Prof Fadnavis... Sirs, you were simply outstanding...

And there were so many other people in and outside the campus who just made these 2 years unforgettable.. Panchu bhai, Rahul and Giridhar bhaiya... aapke juice, cold coffee aur maggi... where else will i get that pleasure. Hemraj bhau, ur canteen sucked, but ur chai was enough to compensate. Sailesh bhau mess ka khaana was enough to shoo me off but it was great interacting with u and playing cricket with you during those SIP days..

I am really sorry if i have left of anybody but guys each and everyone of you touched my life and today its not the same anymore..

THANK YOU IMT... MISS U ALWAYS, LOVE U FOREVER

Ek garam chai ki pyali ho

There are 3 saving graces in IMT... Through the day its our dear Panchu Bhai and his maggi... Well supported by Rahul and Giridhar Bhaiya and their unlimited stock of juices and cold coffee...

Once its evening its the turn of my Coop and its wonderful cups of coffee... Cups after cups and you can never get bored of it....

But the winner, the mega prize winner is that lifeline from the canteen, our very own desi chai.... One of the greatest memories of IMT and something that i am going to miss the most is that cup of desi chai.... The chai which stands by you through every weather or mood

Be it those treacherous days of Marketing cases or those days of Milestone or Runbhoomi.... Be it those days when you are out having a romantic walk with your beloved or just ur leg pulling session with your friends... None of them could ever be complete without that cup of tea....

Even sitting in different hostels, google talks would go pinging "Chai??" Ya buddy, y not... And the perfect complimentary to the chai would be an aloo pyaz paratha, fried eggs or the veg cheeze sandwich... Whatever the order, chai toh saath honi hi hai...

If not satisfied with one cup, have another, followed by another... With Hemraj standing at the counter, the canteen was always in a chaos but the chai was worth the wait....

The days when the milk would get over or the LPG cylinder would be out of gas and the chai wouldnt be available, guys would walk out of the canteen as if a girl had rejected their marriage proposal... Such is the pyaar for chai, a simple cup of chai...

Just minutes back i had my last 2 cups of desi chai and tomorrow as i leave IMT forever, amongst all other things, something that i will miss daily would be the desi chai... As the clock would strike 2- 2.30am my heart would crave for the chai but that taste, the thrill, the feeling will never be replicated... the feeling of running to the canteen to have desi chai....

I will miss u Desi Chai... Love u forever....

A Railway Trip thru India

I still remember the time when i was in school and we used to have our English language classes. We used to write essays on various common topics year after year... How did u spend you summer vacations, my pet, my favourite sport etc So today i wanted to write on one such topic but from the perspective of a 23 yr old...

Over the last 3 days i have traversed across the width of the country and back to meet my love, Pooja (She is my life....but only thing is my life stays a 1000miles away ) and during this time she made me conscious about an hobby of mine which i myself was not truly aware of. She rightly said, "You love observing people." and thats when i realised that she was right... I did...

So today i am gonna tell you about my experiences in this wonderful train journey of mine and the sights and sounds i encountered...

As i entered the train and took my seat, i noticed my copassengers... 2 middle aged aunties, seemed like housewives, and i dont think i dont need to tell you more about them... overhearing their conversation was a joy, straight out of any Ekta Kapoor daily or more so i would say the Manorma magazine (Ekta Kapoor stories are more based on the upper class.) " You know so and so came to Mrs so and so's house" " Yesterday she cooked cutlets at home, they were tasty." "I bought this sari from XYZ Market. For how much? Just 300-350 bucks." " I worked all day in the kitchen, now am so tired, everything i only have to handle." " He is always busy in office, doesnt have time for me only." They went on and on... The typical Indian middle class housewife....

As the journey progressed the scenes outside kept changing from state to state and time to time... From the coastal areas where greenary slipped into the horizon with the rice crop to central India where heat was unbearing for the land to dry and crack up... There in the distance you could see the farmer slogging it out in the fields with his 2 bullocks and plough.. As the sun neared noon you saw their wives taking food for them, and there he rested in the shade of the lone solitary tree enjoying his chapaties with chillies and onions.... Then it was back to work for the poor guy till the time the sun gave way to the moon...

On the far off dusty roads you could see young girls going to school on their bicycles dressed neatly in their blue and white uniforms and hair nicely tied up with red ribbons... Somewhere off you could see the shephard boys standing and waving at the train as it zoomed by while somewhere else the boys were playing on the branches of a fallen tree...

As we crossed the villages, the scenes were greatly different. The older folk would be sitting under the shade of the tree and play cards or discuss matters with greater importance. The kids would be running around the streets with a stick in hand, fantastically dodging the wheels they rolled with it. The women were busy blowing into their mud stoves, preparing food for their next meal. The kirana store owner in his characteristic white vest and huge bulging stomach sat arguing with his customers. The few girls that you could see playing outside were busy in their game of hopscotch.

On the electricity wires sat the small sweet sparrows and it seemed as if they seemed to be chatting with each other... Suddenly out of no where you would see some lone bird flying along with the train, as if challenging it to a race but after some time it would give up and get left behind...

The cattle grazing pastures would be too busy to notice the train zooming by... With the horn of the train they would look up, give the "I dont care" look and get back to their grazing...

If i go on about the train and its encounters, it would be a never ending post... so i am rounding off the basic part of it and maybe some day when i get time i would take u to meet the various other specimens that you encounter... Chalo for now.... Gaadi bulaa rahi hai, seeti bajaa rahi hai

Tribute to Indian Magik

This post is specially dedicated to the brand INDIAN MAGIK..
And to everyone involved with it... Priya, Sumeet and all the members of the Milestone 34 team...

Presenting to you the final works of Indian Magik

WE CAN.... The Movie- Runner up, Passion 09, IMT Ghaziabad



Ek Awaaz... The Nukkad Natak... Runner up, Passion 09, IMT Ghaziabad



Cling Safety Pins- Winner AdAge 09, Milestone 35




Kartavya- Entry for MICA Ahmedabad
(abhi upload nahi ho raha,,,, maybe sometime later)

IMT Nagpur Class of 2010

The Final Bye

Today Ashok and Priya left....

Ashok, the rebel, the outcast, My French Brother... Idiot didnt even tell us he was leaving...I got a call straight from the cab that he was leaving.. What did he think that he can disappear like Rancho of 3 idiots.... I tried my best to stop.. took his ticket.. Told the cab to drive off while i held onto him but he slid his hand off and went off... I never noticed that as the cab moved towards the gate tears started rolling down...The cab stopped at the gate and Eshan, Mayank and me rushed towards the gate in another attempt to stop him... Seeing the tears he did slow down a bit but i wasnt able to stop him and the cab drove off.. I tried calling him again and convincing him but he still refused... Mayank and Eshan went to the station also but he still didnt stop... Woh chala gaya...

Ashok, even though we fought a lot, here and in France...Yet I love u.... Bhai you have taught me so much, u introduced me to so many new things, the world of politics, LTTE, RSS, BJP and what not... Our ideals never matched but it was an honour to learn so much from you... You are my inspiration to know more...

When we left France i was sad but i knew you were there... Today as you left i realised that we may never meet on this soil again....



Priya Sharma, The one man/woman army..... My pyari behna actually bhai.... Sweetheart tera basketball dekh dekh ke toh achche ladko ki jal jaati thi... You are the best... Agar u wanna live life and wanna live life to the fullest meet Priya Sharma... Forever stay the bindaas don that you are...

I tried a lot to stop her today... Called her sister, called her dad, requested them to let her stay.. they agreed but she stuck to her stand.... Threatened to get her locked in her room and not let her go... Took a permanent marker and scribbled on her door that we wont let u go today.... But woh bhi chali gayi....

My last attempt is still on.... She still has to reach the train... People are already placed at strategic locations in the city to help her miss her train... Maybe the final emotional punch may work... Only time will tell

With her leaving the brand of Indian Magik here at IMT finally broke.. One of the concept heads and one of the partners of Indian Magik, the team which over time became our recognition at IMT... From the runners up position at Milestone 34, to the making and screening of Kartavya at MICA, Ahmedabad, to winning AdAge with Cling Safety Pins at Milestone 35, IMT-N and then all the way to winning Passion 09 at IMT Ghaziabad with We Can... (the movie) and Ek Awaaz (the Nukkad natak) . I will miss my Assistant Director.

The first day of bidding goodbye is drawing to a close...

Priya and Ashok.... IMT will forever miss you... Your place will always be special in my heart and in IMT's heart...

Its Farewell time... Part 2

Its the next afternoon... I have just woken up... Remember i told you that this party is gonna run late... it did... and i slept at 8...

As usual things at IMT never run on time... the cultural part of the evening scheduled to start at 10 began only at 12 midnight...With songs and dances the evening did come alive... But again half the people were dead drunk... The junior batch had come up with a few titles for some seniors.. From the most charming smile going to Sachin Chadha to Madam Curie to Surbhi Tandon, Management guru to Jay sir to Marketing guru to Ronak Shah. Sandeep Gundeti got the Director of the Batch but it was his humility that he called me onto stage to share it. Sandeep you are the BEST accept it. You are my idol, i have learnt everything from you. I was nominated the Face of the Co-op (Our Cooperative Store)

Once all this got over candlelight lit up the baddi court as the seniors passed on the baton to their favourite juniors. Candles were limited but then there are a lot of Juniors i would genuinely like to thank and give my love to... Hitansh and Ridhima... U guys are great... Dadu ka aashirwaad hamesha tumhare saath hai... Andy and Anu... You were the heart of Indian Magik... Love u guys... Anshita, Deeksha, Ankit, Rupam, Kedia, Sanjesh, Vidhi, Pooja and all of you at Indian Magik, all of you in the Co-op, all of you everywhere... Thank you and love you all....

The Dj party continued long and went on and on... The final dance at IMT, nobody wanted to miss it... But me as usual as far from the dance floor as fish from land... I myself cant believe that i was sitting and running the Co-op till 6 in the morning. Finally when dawn did break i could sense that the dam is gonna break and as the Dj moved onto the last songs life Yaaron and Pal by KK, they did break... Tears everywhere, emotions letting lose... Even guys broke down....
Anyone standing there could feel the moment... Stopping ones tears was difficult at that moment.

And as time slowly ticks by the Moment of Truth dawns on us... IMT Days is over...

Its farewell time...

The day is finally here... when we officially say goodbye to IMT... Thats another point that we are not going to leave campus so soon but tonight officially we will be waved goodbye as IMT Nagpur's Class of 2010...

The evening started with a formal ceremony at the LRC. The female species had begun preparations since early morning... No no they didnt have to cook anything... they had to get themselves ready for the organisation... How can, please explain, anyone travel 40+ kilometres to visit a beauty parlour... The girls here at IMT are seen in a sari twice... Once on the 1st day we get inducted into the college... That time we dont know them.. its just our first glimpse of them... But this time its a whole new picture altogether... You have seen them for 2 years, studied with them for 2 years, jhelofied their nakhras for 2 years and suddenly today when u see them in saris with make up and stuff you feel you are again introduced to someone whom you havent met earlier...

But ya everyone seemed grown up, guys and gals included, seemed like men and women were ready to take on the world... The high point of the ceremony was the standing ovation thats Mr Mazumdar got... Our lovely warden, Our savior of 2 years and specially for 6 of us he is the life changer, the one who introduced us to the world of France and beyond... Sir, we love you... You are the best... Without you life wouldnt have been what it is... And its not only me who shares this opinion, its everyone... The standing ovation is proof enough...

The photo session after that went on and on and on... Now i am back in my room, getting my camera battery charged for the next photo session, and getting ready for our informal farewell.. In another half an hour or so that will begun and the party is gonna run till late in the morning tomorrow...

Part 2 coming up soon.....

Final Hour of MBA

I am getting late... Its 8 45... I have an exam from 9... I want to capture this feeling of ending my education... i know i will get late but i know i wont be able to describe this feeling once i am done with the exam...

I havent studied a word so i very well know that i will leave the exam hall by 9 45... so officially this is my last hour as an MBA student... as any student infact...
23 years the studies that i hated are finally coming to an end... though later in the day i have an interview to sit for but by then i will be an MBA rather than someone pursuing MBA

Last night for the first time since Placements began i wasnt able to sleep properly... there was this sense of uneasiness.. something i cant describe which didnt let me sleep... I tossed around in bed for almost 2 hours before getting up and switching on my laptop... i finally managed to sleep at 5 am... now that i am up, even now that sense of uneasiness prevails, something which i cant describe clearly, something now normal...

If i do manage to get this job today, at least i will be able to say that i walked out of MBA life with a job... If i dont for some time, no matter how small it is... i will say that i am a part of the unemployed brigade.... today i my final chance to fulfil the 1st statement... just pray guys that i manage it... the last time i had this type of feeling was before my CAT exam... even then i wasnt able to sleep all night long....

guys its 8.52... i need to rush or i would not be able to reach the examination hall in time... Jai Kulkarni ka Corporate Governance... Take care everyone, love u and one more thing, the next time you meet me, you will meet a newly crowned MBA....