beingdesh

Category: Mumbai

  • विस्फोट, तुम फिर आ गए!

    विस्फोट, तुम फिर आ गए!
    जीवन की कीमत तो तुमने समझी नहीं
    कम से कम
    भय की परिभाषा तो समझ लेते.

    मुंबई शहर में लोग हर क्षण है मरते
    ज़िन्दगी की भागदौड़ में दबते कुचलते
    इस भाग दौड़ थकान के बीच
    किसे है समय भयभीत होने का.

    भय है बढती महंगाई का, नौकरी का,
    भय है घर बार का, सब्जी तरकारी का.
    अरे विस्फोट तुमसे हम क्यों डरे
    मुंबई की बारिश की तरह हो तुम, रोज आते जाते,
    रोज की बारिश से
    किसे है समय भयभीत होने का.

    अब ये मन भयभीत नहीं
    यह बस सुन्न हो चुका है, थक चुका है
    एक प्रश्न पूछूँ तुमसे – उत्तर दोगे?
    क्या तुम नहीं थके?

    – अभिषेक देशपांडे ‘देसी’

  • Ahhh… we won it!?

    It was a weird feeling, a never before kind of experience, roaming around near Shivaji Park at night, thousands of people of all kinds on street. I think it was their presence on streets, rather than of actually watching it on TV, or talking to a 100 friends on phone, or messaging a thousand, or going through all those updates on facebook, or those ever so vocal news channels which made me believe. Did we win it for sure?

    Infact what happened felt more like a dream for a considerable period of time. It started when we were floating in the beautiful surroundings of Kerala, and while attending my friend’s wedding we missed the Bangladesh one. But that was supposed to be won, no major worries there.

    Then came my Bangalore trip, and watching one of the most amazing matches of the world cup at Chennaswamy, with one of the biggest cricket fan I know (my school friend who watches blind cricket and also followed all the ICL matches), and 2 mahaan DAIICTians whose love for cricket is unparalleled. Sitting between them I was the most pessimistic one during the match. But the dream went on, Sachin had scored a century, and for a moment I actually thought this is it. Now I would be able to tell my kids that I saw Sachin make a World Cup century, that I could jump of the Chennaswamy stand and still float in air, and that the food at cricket stadiums sucks.

    Then there was the South African encounter with the person with whom I had scene the ever so forgettable India Bangladesh encounter in 2007. We tried to not do anything we had done that day, still we lost.

    Then there were the minnows, simple boring encounters where Yuvraj was having fun and generally I was getting bored.

    Holi came and also came with it the West Indies encounter. We were beyond repair that day, and for the entire day I just saw weird visualizations of a cricket match, by the end of it I just knew. We had won. Australia they were saying was up next. Australia. Scared.

    The next three encounters can easily be the three best days of every Indian’s life. The pessimistic me gave hope when Dhoni got out, only to catch a glimpse of the match Filmy style on roads with crowd as I walked back from office to home. By the time I was home Raina was hitting Lee out of the park. We had won. Still it was difficult to digest all this, now it was happening a bit too quick.

    Pakistan it was, and I was nervous. Very very nervous. I had a meeting till 1 AM a day before, went back home, came to office at 8 AM, did all the follow-up and basically immersed myself in too much work so that I don’t think of the match. In between 100s of options of watching it here or there, it was going to be the huge office screen where I would watch it. And when Umar Gul started running in towards Sehwag, I was shivering. It was just too much tension. Sachin’s scratchy knock, Pakistan’s pathetic fielding, Umar Gul being thankfully off colour, and awesomest bowling by Ajmal stood out. By far a much more superior side than us in terms of bowling. After Hafeez got out playing a very very stupid shout I knew we will win it, till Umran Akmal (whom I think will become the next Pak captain, anyone who survives for 2-3 years becomes the captain there, anyway, awesome player) started smashing us but somehow finally despite Misbah last minute hitting it was comfortably won.

    And then there was the Final, so much has been written about it already, but I felt Jayawardane’s knock was truly amazing. Low risk high return innings, especially one shot he played from outside the off stump towards fine leg was truly amazing. Gambhir and Dhoni were really good on the night. And we ended up burning tonnes of aggarbattis to satisfy our superstitious selfs.

    So this World Cup ended, and I was truly happy, but still it was much different from the 1996 one. We were kids back then, there were not many Deepikas and Katrinas in the stand, we could see cricketers though, we were never bleeding blue, our blood was red back then, we discussed cricket, we discussed the stats, never the number of drinks which we had in each game, people always thought of cricket as a family affair, never a reason to party and so many things.

    But we used to, we still, and we will always discuss Sachin.

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    What are your memories of Cricket World Cup 2011?

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  • The Times of Navratri- Edition 4

    Sometime in 2008, Mumbai J

    Midterms, horrible they are. I always thought the worst gets over after coming to a b-school, this is over and above worst. Midterms are on and Falguni sings daily next to the hostel, well Navratri used to be different earlier.

    This Navratri hasn’t been great, it had been just Okay, before it turned slightly awesome. Till now just one day it felt like Navratri as I kept a fast and went with one of my friend to Vrindi to have sabudana vada. Apart from that it hardly feels like one, b-school surely kills all the festivities and festivals.

    So our midterms ended and a senti Ajayjeet cribbing about not being at home on Durga Pooja for the first time in his life told me about Lokhandwaala Pooja. (senti Ajayjeet and Tommie had also tricked one of the profs using this sentipanna to get a deadline extended J). By being as dramatic as Ajayjeet can get, he convinced me. Another option to celebrate was that few of my friends were heading for the Falguni garba.

    Garba- well childhood and Gujarat I had lot of it but Durga Pooja, haven’t been to one for many years now. Ajayjeet’s pitch of having khichdi, mishit dohi & bong sweets finally had me in. Although he also pitched about Bong Girls (arguably amongst the best in the country), but that was a point of parity in both the options (Garba Costumed girls giving them equal, if not more competitionJ)

    So I, Ajayjeet, and lot of us went for the durga pooja, few of them also opted for Garba.

    As I entered the pendal, it was time to get nostalgic, the beautiful pendal, the sound of shankha, the dhol & the beautiful idol of Maa Durga. We had a few sweets and then Ajayjeet with couple of guys met Abhijeet- the Singer. Awesome guy he is, talked nicely to all of us and arranged entry passes for the Euphoria show, for all 28 of us!!!

    So we entered, danced, singed and enjoyed that night with Palash & co. One disappointment was the fact that the crowd was short on bong girls, or maybe I didn’t spot them J, ajayjeet does that too well 😉

    Not an elaborate celebration, but enough for b-school days, more than enough.

    p.s. – I have forgotten about episode 3, i.e. the Bangalore days, sadly didn’t visit Mysore Dusshera, but don’t remember anything at all on what we did?

    Technorati Tags: Navratri

  • Short and Sweet Holi :)

    10-11:15 Am on 11th Mar’09

    Shortest Holi ever for me, it started and ended pretty soon. But we won.

    We won over the Kala Bandar of exams, quizzes, tension of assignments of the two end terms tomorrow.

    But still Kala Bandar managed to win over a few… 😦

    Still BH and GH celebrated a quick, nice, rangeen, kichad bhari Holi. As always we have had maximum fun when the batch has been together.

    Last year was a classic Holi, rooftop in Bangalore, sipping Kailasa made Thandai, Mithai and then drinking beer basking in sunlight, ekdum Shawshank Redemption ishtyle 🙂

    Wishing a Happy Holi to everyone visiting the Blog.

  • Vada-Pav, Totos and … Girls :)

    Vada Pav is God’s Own Food in Mumbai. Have gulped thousands of them since being in Mumbai, it comes in various formats and my favorite one is one near NM (Vile Parle) and at Shetty’s in front of my college gate.

    This place in Bandra, Totos– Garage Pub is really quite nice. The first time I was there back in Aug’08 with my friend we ended up standing on a small table on the side, enjoying the view of tonnes of good looking girls on the Table on View, and obviously having Beer :). I really like the place, a Chicken Roll near Carter Road CCD and a Brownie nearby always precedes the events at Totos. Overall good place…

    Girls… well I hardly have had any luck with them… lets not talk… 😉

    Kissa-1:

    Sometime in August, me along with two of my friends, goto Totos. We drink a bit and then come across few of my friends juniors from his college. So we sit and share the table. Enter this girl, who we all know has to be good (otherwise the story won’t be told :)), who comes and sits with us (seems she knows someone among the Juniors). So everyone is talking and fortunately I get a seat in front of her which gives me the freedom to talk with her for ages (it was just two hours:)). Ahha, and her boyfriend too … he was sitting next to me. But who cares, the girl was good, enough 😀

    So when all the bills were cleared, she leaves a Rs. 10 tip (or maybe 20, I was drunk, but my bill was already cleared) . I told her why Tip, I think I brought a Pitcher to the Table too, why not Tip me.

    “What would you do with this?”… kuch nahi, mujhe tip do, isse vada–pav khaaunga 🙂

    Shocked and Stunned, she Tipped me :), my friend who was the closest linked to her was hiding his face and all other laughing. Don’t know why they were, because I kept the note and had an awesome vada–pav of it the next day :)…

    Kissa-2:

    She is a nice and pretty girl, (self claimed hottie, which I dont agree :P), He is the CUTEst kid in the batch (so much so kid that he was asked for AGE proof at Totos :)). I thought will do them both a favour.

    I two years of Vada Pav– for Preety Girl given that she takes Cutest Boy and introduces him to the CUTEst girl at Totos and helps him to hit on the Cutest Girl :). (No one knows who the CUTEst Girl was, rest two are friends )

    Cutest Girl was sitting in a corner (with no boys around). So again will the vada pav make it, or break it. I offered Pretty Girl Beer, she refused, but then when I offered her Vada Pav, she agreed. So she took him to meet the CUTEst girl, and the rest as they say was LEGEN…DARY (Barney Stinson’s Blog)

    Kissa 3:

    My friend enginerd was roaming in Bombay it was the day of Chatt and thousands were performing Pooja on Juhu Beach, enginerd was there too, to have a glimpse of Priyanka Chopra who apprantely was there too. I divert him to this party of bloggers (also on http://www.thevoiceinmyhead.com/2006/10/29/mandira-meets-bloggywood/) hosted by my once favorite blogger (once because I hardly read anything nowadays :)). As I was lucky enough to get invited, I thought if I am in Bangalore why doesn’t my friend get the chance to have a bit of fun.

    But the passing of invite came at a cost, I asked enginerd to buy 4 vadpavs from NM (or mithibai) get them packed and hand it over to the hostess. Surely something that she would remember for quite some time 🙂 (in a party where people are bringing wine and flowers over, that was surely a differentiating factor :)).

    2 years later at my college canteen I see her sitting ( i never met her but wrote for her blog sometimes long back), so I go and meet her, and remind her of the vada–pav. She recognises me on the basis of Vada Pav 🙂 and then she remembers me as desh and then we talk :).

    Conclusion:

    Girls come and go, a vada–pav is forever 😛

  • 10 Hour Sleep…Kidding Ain’t You!!!

    Tired mind, tired soul, tired body, sitting in a lecture and looking at the red layer forming on my eyes is a habit now, it was the same tomorrow, my friend lal saying me that my eyes have turned lal, a quiz to attend (not the regular B-School Acad Quiz, but a general Quiz for a change), walk crazily back to the hostel, drink a chai and the 82gm Parle-G, go to room, another “Online” B-School event to work on, another unsuccessful attempt, eat dinner which has turned extremely boring nowadays and…

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    Roomie wake me up at 12, I know I always say that but surely wake me up, have loads to study, me putting an alarm too…gnite

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    A Foggy room, smell of rain, nice and cool feeling, “The Straight Drive is his favorite shot, they not that, we know that”, the sound of Mark Nicholas from Cricket 2007, the mobile says its 11:45, roomie1 and another guy from my wing onto Cricket, they love EA Sports Cricket07 here and it has caught on with lot of people recently, roomie2 studying most probably what looks like FM, I wake up, sit and sit for 5 mins, I do some badbad and say that I am very tired and want to sleep. I spend five mins thinking about what to do next, and then think why not just lie down for five more minutes…

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    Looks like a nice long shopping street, like “The Mall Road” on every Hill Station, its nice and cool, I am walking, but why alone, I have no clue. Oh, how come he is here, he and his wife, I am meeting them for the first time after his marriage, he still seems the same.

    “Sorry yaar I couldn’t make it to your wedding, how could I have, I have no time”

    “It seems thats the only line you have picked up after going to a b-school”

    I don’t talk to his wife and both of them just walk away…

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    An office, I don’t know where it is, looks like a decent enough one, nice and clean, a sort of a bluish-saawariya-ish tinge to the whole place, I fail to understand why am I here. Hey I know her, I know her for sure, its the same …hmm wait, cant really make out her face, its a bit blurred, infact everything is blurred.

    A change in office from Salt Lake Kolkata to Mumbai is required, she is not getting it, we meet talk about it and start walking. Keep Walking as the good old Johny said (Diageo’s Johny :)). Nice Breeze, great weather, me doing bakbak as I always do, she responding sometimes as she always did!!! Hand in Hand, the touch of her hands, we talk for about 15 mins or so whooffff she goes…

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    Sleep…Sleep…Sleep

    Aaah, the pleasure of a stiffness in the body when you wake up after long time (I just cant imagine what would have happened to Rip Van Winkle), roomie 1 still sleeping, roomie 2 sitting straight with his chadar on his head (in a meditating pose), nice breeze flowing through the window. It seems it rained at night, aaaah, the smell of Fresh Air, for the first time in ages. Pre-Reads and assignments, chuck it yaar, its 7:45, lecture starts at 9, anyway can’t do it.

    It feels great to sleep for 10 hours sometimes, especially in a b-school where the only thing we lack is that, had a fresh day with no sleeping in lecture today, and even the weather is good with slight helpings of Rain making the day every pleasant.

    And see, sometimes sleep is the only time where my imagination runs wild nowadays, it used to different before…

    200201094 was surely much enjoyable and relaxing than PGP-08-003 (my GTalk status nowadays)

    p.s.- Please no Freudian Interpretation of Dreams or Jungian for that matter, I tried reading the first one unsuccesfully and the second one too slightly, both not successful…

  • First month at…

    I am a month old in this MBA thing today, just woke up to the sound of the Jhaaduwaala on a lazy Thursday morning. The only day that I remember nowadays, about the rest I am pretty oblivious. Have lost the sense of days, always feel sleepy, get bored in the classes quite often, sleep in classes, have to attend them all, dont get much time to roam around in Mumbai and I am still to meet few of my dearest friends here due to lack of time.

    But still I am loving it, although MBA is much much different from the pre-conceived notions of yours truly, it needed a slight adjustment in my strategy to approach it, hopefully I am tweaking it right.

    Don’t think I am all that bored and down and out, this is the way we live, infact this is a new way of enjoying things, and last month has been great with lots and lots of interesting stuff happening. Few of the highlights being,

    • The amazing reception I got here, thanks to my friend Dhari, I will never forget that.
    • Getting back along with Pillu Bhai and Patrick Baba for a Alcoholic BakBak session, old days ishtyle.
    • The first classes here, my fear for Mathematics coming back, my liking for Fin increasing, etc etc
    • The only movie I saw here, the one in which Pappu cant dance saala, waste for 200 bucks.
    • Toto’s and getting the 10 Rs tip :))
    • Still avoiding a ZERO in any QM quiz here 😀
    • Freshers, all that stupid effort we put in for preparing some of the most pathetic ads which make Leo Burnett alive just to kick us.
    • KHAULTI KHABREIN
    • Quite a cheerful group of friends assembled here, one a Bangalore continuation, one reminds me so much of Sandy that I don’t feel he can be anything else, one a DAIICT ka bak baadshah and another namesake of my super nachaiya friend from DAIICT and many more including a 2/3rd CA.
    • Room-mates one of whom reminds me of an unpolished Rajeev of the First sem at DAIICT, the other is interestingly named as a English word for Pyaar and initial trends suggest that he is an excellent student.
    • A very very enthu batch especially when it comes to asking questions in class, anyway I just love everyone 🙂
    • A very cute bunch of girls 😉
    • Birthday celebrations here.
    • Screwing up Foundation exams :((

    Those were a few, anyway the thing different between Mumbai and Bangalore is that at Bangalore I had loads of time, empty time, which is less here, one needs to just give up a bit on his/her sleep to be part of lots of great activities, lets see whether I would be able to do that.

    Right now a trip to Khandala today is all that I am looking for… 🙂