a vicarious tryst with classic love

"tere dil mein mere saanson ko panaah mil jaye

tere ishq mein meri jaan fanaa ho jaye"

Recently i saw Fanaa. What excited me the most, was the scene where Rehan comes to see-off Zooni at the New Delhi Railway station, which according to me is also the crucial part of the film. i was very moved by this scene and i assume the director was equally moved to discover it as the sole reason why the film should continue after the intermission. Rehan saw-off the train and everyone else except Zooni and as they say rest is history although they didn’t live happily ever after.

This theme was very hard to digest for the Indian movie-buffs few years ago to see their beloved hero or heroine or both dying. (The exceptions were of course the ones where they died for each other purely out of love, like Laila Majnu which were always appreciated). i still remember how a bomb explodes Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala in Dil Se and the movie bombing at the box-office. i leave this topic for some other day as i don’t want to disturb my romantic mood.

Today we are confronting a new problem, having grave consequences be it in, marriages, jobs, group discussions, interviews and what not. If you are an eligible bachelor from a B-school, you would have guessed correctly. Poor ratio of girls to boys. It has invented a kind of competition never imagined before. Remember cramming one test after the other to enter the hallowed premises, only to find a different kind of competition which is stiffer to say the least, looking straight into your eyes. And believe me; here all the tangibles are not in your control. What intrigues me the most is the comfortable position in which the girls are :-)

But Pune is different in so many ways as it defies many ugly natural equations and this is one of them. Having said that it still maintains the rare beautiful equation of beauty x brains = Positive Constant. No surprise that all the boys are the happiest, including yours truly. More girls per boys and less effort per boys per girls or whatever biased way you want to interpret, you would be right. You can feel the romance in the air.

Scene: Railway Station, Pune

Train: Deccan Queen, Pune to Mumbai

Platform no: 1 although not as beautiful as platforms of New Bombay but still vastly different from platform nos. 2, 3, 4 etc of Pune. All in all a perfect Yash Chopra movie setting

Still there are 10 minutes to go before the train leaves. He hands her the backpack that he has was carrying. She slings it over her right shoulder. She also has a large shopping bag in the other hand cutting her left arm and her purse. Weighed down by all this, she looks like some sort of pack animal with bags bulging out on both sides. When he reaches to hug her goodbye for the last time, he cannot get her arms around her. Nor she can raise her arms to hug him. Still they hug, awkwardly like crabs scuttling together with shells coming in their way.

This will not do. She goes inside to offload herself. Still seven minutes left. His impatience only grows stronger. She comes back to the door. He helps her down. She comes forward to embrace him again. This time his arms encircle her waists easily, her arms slides around his neck. They Kiss.

Two minutes later still they are kissing, oblivious to the passer by. Later, she is drawing back putting her hair in place. Still there are four minutes for the train to start rolling. He still couldn't relax as he sees the signal turning yellow from red. She goes back to stand on the door, pressed on one side to let the other passengers in. She waits patiently while he touches his fingers to her cheeks, then nods a hasty goodbye and she vanishes. He checks his watch, still two minutes left. He thinks why she has gone so early. She could have stood at the door for the next minute. And what is she doing inside anyways?

For a moment he thought that he would go inside the coach and surprise her, but that would seem too needy and besides that entering the train feels like an intrusion. May be he can walk along the train, peering into the window till he spots her. But that would be absurd. He draws back, backs up against the nearest pillar. He will just wait until the train leaves. He whistles softly to himself, trying not to wonder why she doesn't come out again.

She tries to locate him from the window, but he wasn’t to be seen in the crowd. He could see her and also tries to help her by waving hands, vigorously. But from her expression it seems still she was lost. The train blows the siren and he starts taking his feet back. She comes to the door desperately to have a last glance, only to see his back moving on the way up the platform stairs. She tries to yell to attract his attention but thought otherwise not to make a scene at the last moment. After few steps he turns back to reassure if she is still there. May be she has come to the door. The train starts rolling out. She was no longer visible only he could see some hands saying bye to their beloved ones. He also waives his hand thinking if she can still see him. The train had already gained momentum.

People are so silly. People are so beautiful.

teetotalers' two pence

It is difficult to be a teetotaler and all the more difficult to advice a doper to become one. This unsavoury situation has its own fun and all my like minded friends (although in minority) will vouch for it. Nevertheless being a teetotaler, it’s always an interesting experience to be with a person who is on a high. Though, i don’t know if the situation would be same if i swap positions.

i have known people who are considered as the pillars of rectitude and moral uprightness in the day and can become craziness personified Romeo in the moon-light. God, how they manage both the extremities with such finesse is a management lesson in itself. Hats off! to all my pals, for whom no Rasa in life is better than Somrasa, or only Somrasa leads them to other kinds of Rasas.

A guy, sitting outside his home about to be evicted from his house, was contemplating how the future would be after he had divorced his wife, lost his children and lost his job. He notices a crate of beer bottles and walks up to it.

He takes out an empty bottle, smashing it into the concrete wall swearing,

Doper : "You are the reason I don't have a wife",

Empty bottle-1 : Friend, why do u blame me. i was always there when u needed me. You always curse me at the end of each month and hug me few days after. Don’t u realise we are made for each other. Even Vijay Mallya calls me King of Good Times.

then he takes out second bottle, same situation same result,

Doper : "You are the reason I don't have my children"

Empty bottle-2 : I was there when u needed me desperately, in bad times. Now you want to forget me simply as a bad episode in life. i always stood by your side when no body was there. Friend this is the time when u need me the most.

then the third and to his dismay, bad luck continued,

Doper : "You are the reason I lost my job".

Empty bottle-3 : But friend, i was the only also the reason, when you got the job. And i assure u tough times never last, but tough people do. We make a healthy combo.

he notices the fourth bottle is sealed and still full of beer. He takes the bottle, puts it aside and says,

Doper : "Stand aside my dear friend; I know you were not involved"
Full bottle : A friend in need is a friend indeed. Subah ka bhula, shyam ko ghar aajaye to usey bhula nahi kehate.

The moral of the story:

Beer makes u smarter......It made Bud wiser.

i raise the toast for all my 'yo' friends.

CHEERS !

nothing succeeds like a failure

Failure is a stepping stone to success

i have understood the veracity of this statement a number of times in my life and sometimes its extremely difficult to pull oneself when one is down or out for some reasons. As we know this is easier said than done, but the character of the man is always determined by how quickly he recovers and stands straight after stooping low.

And there are so many role models exempifying this fact of life and one of the greatest of all times is Michael Jordan.

***

P.S. i love this picture for two reasons. Yesterday i saw 'The Green Mile'. Anyone who has seen would relate why. Made me thinking if only everyone has to walk the green mile...and the life thereafter...interesting...huh.

six days to forget cricket

Football would be the religion ...and who would be God?

Well, the search would be on till the last second.

Sounds awkward? Not any more, not to many people, not atleast in the coming month! Soccer mania is leaving no corner in the world uncornered. And Indians have been caught and bowled like never before. Even as football fervour reaches fever pitch, Indians have already padded up for the Cup, waiting anxioulsy for the biggest sporting "mela" to kick-off. Here is the list of some of the uncanny dissimilarities between soccer and cricket. With Indian team touring the Caribbean, it would be worth listening cricket with closed ears and watching soccer with open eyes.

Six- the most exciting phenomenon in cricket and it continues to create mass hysteria like no other feat. Right from lean, Ravi Shastri's 6*6 to stud Mahendra Dhoni, all have weilded the power of six. But does 'six' have some other connotations? Lets see from the six conversations that i overheard.

1) Kumble and Beckham

Kumble: Cricket is a gentlemans game. See the colour of dress, white stands for purity.

Beckham: Being from England i know the attitude of cricketers. Football can be played in shorts. Airy ones. When its hot and muggy, airy clothing is a must. Long boring cricket pants are a complete no-no... Sure they hide ugly, hairy legs but hey, its time and age of the metrosexual. Bring on the bare clean shaven look.

2) Ganguly and Owen

Ganguly: You can take off your shirt and fling it around but that won't be remembered as the defining moment of your career. I did once but had to the face music. I guess i am right man in a wrong a sport. Soccer had always been my first love. how dearly i wish Chappel had come earlier!

Owen: Absolutely right! Remembered for taking your shirt off? Footballers do it all the time. Fine, they get the yellow for it, but who cares...

3) Dravid and Lara

Dravid: Brian, why not have a game of soccer. Afterall world cup fever is catching everyone. (Even the Indian cricket captain is silently praying that his team have a game of football with Brian Lara. Atleast, Lara can't score runs then).

Lara: Mr Dravid, lest you forgot, Trinidad and Tobago have qualified for the World Cup. Dwight Yorke is my close pal. And like old buddies, we'll beat you at the football too, Unless you decide to give Saurav Ganguly a call. Remember the Kolkata footie connection?

4) Yuvraj and Rooney

Yuvraj: Hmm...it's been ages since I last scored a century. i understand that form is temporary and class is permanent. But how long i can convince them.i m finding hard to convince myself now. How about changing by shirt no. from 32 to 17? Thats my last girlfriend's birth date. She will be impressed.

Rooney: You can't keep changing numbers at whims. If its six, then six it is for rest of the career. i too have a girlfreind so what?? Lady luck cannt make u lucky all the time. How about changing the sport you play, then. Gilli danda?

5) Sehwag and Ronaldo

Sehwag: So many times i have felt that we are one step away from winning and the rain god played the spoilsport. i dont fear Shoib Akhtar but weather ...uff.

Ronaldo: You can play football in the rains. Au Contraire in cricket- a few drizzles and bring on the covers, please. Didn't anybody teach you in school: "The human body is insoluble in water "? You can play football in the rain, in snow, at the beach, on the mountains, in the kitchen. In the bathroom. Yup. You can.

6) Sachin and Zidane

Sachin: i have to wear protection at awkward places. And then settle it in full public view, disracting everybody. Its so embarassing. You know what i mean. My 'lunge' is as famous as my cover drive.

Zidane: In football, we keep it simple. When i prepare for the free kick, the wall members cover their most important part with their hand.