Three to tango...

Anirudh's blog post made me sit back on my couch, scratch my head and think on the same lines. I tried reminiscing on the past decade or so, trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle in place so that i get to see the real picture of my life. Firstly, it was hard to admit that it started 7 long years ago, although it still seems just like yesterday. I came from HOLY FAMILY HIGH, one of the better known schools in Andheri. Now every school has pros and cons of its own. For instance, my school had one of the best grounds in the city, complimented by a building which stood magnanimously in the midst of the industrial ones around it. But, sadly enough, it was devoid of god's best creation- women. Yes, it was a boys' school, which just made things worse for a guy like me who was already low on his self-esteem because of being highly overweight. As unbelieveble as it may seem now, i was a very shy person back then. After making way into college- M L Dahanukar, i had a lot of trouble coping up with the alien but beautiful creatures walking past me every now and then. Which brings me to the theme of this post- Love.

2002-2007
Despite being a person who believes that there is no such thing as love at first sight, my heart and my mind decided to make an exception to that idea when i laid my eyes on her. She was around 5'5, with silky black hair which fell loosely on her shoulders, beautiful dark-brown eyes which were encircled by an eye-liner or a kajal, a smile which could light up a dungeon, a child-like giggle which would fill up an empty room, a walk which would make heads turn time and again, and the vital stats of a supermodel. It was the first day of the college in 2002 when i first saw her. It's 2009, and not much has changed, except the fact that she is now a very close friend of mine apart from being the love of my life. Some say i should be happy with that. But i have been drinking PEPSI for many years, and hence yeh dil maange more. She dated some guy for 8 years and ended up dumping him for cheating on her. The guy seems to have moved on, and so has the girl, leaving behind a part of her. She has lost faith in love and guys, as she keeps on saying. Fair enough. We became friends in December 2006, in the last year of college. After a brief period of really hitting it off on the phone as friends, came a long hiatus in which she had that break-up of hers. She made up a lie and walked out of my life, on the 14th of May, 2007, a day before my birthday. It wasn't her fault though. She was told to do so by my mother who felt i was going nuts after the girl and was on my way to ruin my life. However, life comes full circle, and so we got back in touch in November 2008. We met a few times, chatted, and went back to being the good friends that we used to be. Then she started working somewhere, and we started losing touch. It's been 3 months since we have met. We do talk on the phone once in a while, but i still miss her a lot. She is and will always remain the yardstick with which i will measure all women. She will always be the one.

2008
Then came the year 2008 along with the anticipation of the CET exams which were supposed to alter the course of my life, career and ultimately, my future. I gave my exams and started working at a small consultancy to consolidate my interest in the field of Human Resources [which sucks by the way as i realized this fact shortly after i found myself in that hole]. I was there just for a month, but it was worth its weight in gold. It was in the last week that she joined the consultancy. Almost as short as me, she had the most mesmerizing pair of eyes i had ever seen with a sadness which was quite palpable, very thick hair which were mostly held together by a clip, a smile which came very seldom but was worth the wait, a very sensuous yet dulcet voice and yet again, a figure which was not very hard to guess. We hit it off immediately, and i was finding it hard to believe how comfortable i was with her. She may call me crazy, but i think she liked me too. I took off in a week's time, while she continued to work there for another month before moving to a better company somewhere else. We kept meeting throughout this month, and had a pretty good time. To me, it seemed like dating though she always seemed to deny it. There were moments when we admitted how special we were to each other. Then after a few days she started acting a bit aloof. She gave me a birthday treat at BIRDY'S, for which even Sid was invited [who by the way ate most of the cake which had PRATIK written all over it]. Exactly a week later, amidst a series of misunderstandings which seemed more ridiculous than the way i walk, she told me that she does not want to see my face again because i was fake. I was told that it seemed weird how could i switch over to her so easily after having admitted to being in love with another girl for almost 6 years. I probably shouldn't have mentioned the first girl to begin with. Anyway, she also mentioned that i was a hypocrite as i wore my father's shirts despite hating him to the core. In my defense, my father was a lousy man who owned great shirts which fit me like a glove and were left abandoned by my dad in his cabinet, and it was hard to let go of something free and useful. So, anyway, she had a few reasons to back up her case. Fair enough. I met her once again, around 6 months later, somewhere around December 2008.We met like old friends, had a good time and seemed to have come back on track as being friends after telling each other about finding our respective long lost loves. She was in the mood of going back to her ex, while i was too excited about having reconnected with the first girl. We parted on an excellent note. Then the next time i called her i was told to stay away from her life. If you think it's weird, it's fair enough. Now that i think of it, may be i was never in love with her. But i was very close to her. She was a good friend. In fact, she still is a good friend and one of the most amazing souls i have ever come across in life. I miss her too. I miss my friend.

2008-2009 [Present]

I enrolled myself in ADMI- ALKESH DINESH MODY INSTITUTE FOR FINANCIAL AND
MANAGEMENT STUDIES, a b-school in the heart of the Mumbai University campus. I met her very early in the 1st sem itself. She was an enigma. Sometimes i still think she is. Shorter than me, with the cutest smile ever, a very photogenic face, a dusky complexion, a very sharp sense of fashion, a kiddish yet endearing demeanour and a breathtaking figure [again], this girl was indeed an eyeful. We became very good friends by the end of the first sem. I had always found her very attractive but had never thought of her in the real sense until the beginning of the 2nd sem. When our friendship was at its peak, i was told by her that she had gotten into a relationship. It came as a sucker-punch, but i have to say i took it rather well, thanks to all the experience that i had in 'not getting the girl' department. They have been going around for 7 months now, and they're doing great. Her beau is a great guy and takes real good care of her, more than i ever could. Off late we have lost touch thanks to the different specializations that we have chosen, and her other priorities. But we still are friends, or so i would like to think. I would like to believe i was not in love with her either, may be a bit too emotionally attached as we used to spend almost 1o hours together every single day, being classmates.

27/09/09 [Today]
So, here i sit, thinking about all three of them. If you have noticed, all these girls had one thing in common, they were all incredibly hot. Okay....wait....that explains why i did not get any of them. The last two will always be remembered as very good friends whom i will miss nonetheless. But the first one, without a shred of a doubt will always remain the first and perhaps the only girl i have ever been in love with. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to. I may be making the whole thing up, i might be faking, and i still might be wearing my father's shirt. Wait....let me check...yes...i am in fact wearing his shirt today. Damn it. Anyways, i got to go now. But i will surely come back later to crib about my sorry life again. And you know what, i think it's fair enough. And even if it's not, who cares, it's my blog, i can write whatever i want to.

There's no rum in the house but there's a can of DIET COKE. Works for me. We're devils and black sheep...and really bad eggs.....drink up me 'earties yo-ho..!

Woke up Sid...!

Well, for the very first time in the history of my almost-a-year long blogging journey, i'm writing a post on someone else's blog. My brother, Anirudh, aka Sid, is a fine blogger himself. Now this latest post of his, is a true humdinger. In this post, he spills the beans all over the table, something he is not famous for. For someone like him who loves to play his cards really close to his chest, it was a pleasant surprise to see him write something like this. The post is all about this 'friend' of his who fell for 6 different girls in the past decade or so, and what he learnt from each of those experiences. The icing on the cake is perhaps the way he has described each of the girls vis-a-vis their 'Rashees'. Kudos to him for making the post on the eve of the release of the much awaited 'What's your Rashee?'

Having known him for the past 7 years, it was easy to place a finger on each and every girl that he has mentioned in the blog. Needless to mention, that so-called 'friend' of his, is the author of the post himself. The post chronicles the events that took place over the years, and the aftermath of the same. He even goes on to make a few very strong points which would alter his image in the minds of the people who know him. For the better, of course. He makes a lot of revelations in the post,thereby making him very vulnerable to my jokes in the coming few weeks.

After having found himself between a rock and hard place six times till now, he has finally found himself in a great relationship, and it seems like it will last forever. Knock on wood.

But as he said in that sms of his, this post of his is truly legen...wait for it...dary..! Check out the link
http://thispartofmylife.blogspot.com

By the way...you gotta love the title of this post of mine too....! It's almost as if we are promoting new movies....! Drink up me 'earties yo-ho..!

What a rush...!!!!!!!

Last night was by all means, a night to remember. I'm a senior at a b-school, though i never behave like one. So last evening we hosted a freshers' party for our juniors at a nice old place at Khar west. Me and my friend Ameya were amongst the few who reached the place a tad too early. The party was supposed to kick-off by 6 at the most, while we got there by 5.30 ,which didn't turn out to be a very bad idea. The rule was that the FY's and the SY's had to enter the hall as a threesome of sorts as a combination of 2 guys and 1 gal. The host of the party was the quintessential Kenneth Fernandes, perhaps the most confident and eloquent speakers of his age, who did an amazing job throughout the evening despite not being in the pink of his health. It was a good sight all around the hall, Miss Marketing- Namrata looked hotter than ever, Anagha looked as pretty as a picture, Tripti looked more enchanting than usual, Sonam went for a shocking makeover that left us gasping for breath, Shweta looked like a chocolate cup-cake enshrouded in a dark brown dress, while Radhika looked her usual adorable self with shortened hair. The FY girls were looking ravishing too, all dressed to the nines.

Now the ones who were late for the party were made to dance to the most abominable tracks that bollywood has produced in history. 'Sarkaye leyo khatiya jada lage..!' was one of the them, so you can imagine what exactly we put the late-comers through. Some time later, after a small talk with one of my friends i noticed that my watch was no more wrapped around my wrist. While i was looking for the same in a state of panic, i heard a very familiar voice say, "I believe some gentleman has been generous enough to drop his watch..can he please come and collect it!" I then strided towards the hosting area with a look of relief on my face. It didn't last too long though. As Kenny saw me approaching, he announced that i will also 'forfeit' and shake a leg. Fortunately, it was a wordless track, far less embarrassing than the ones i had seen the others dance on. I'm darn sure i made a complete ass out of myself while i was out there for those few seconds. But i think i liked it. For the first time i looked like exactly what i am- stark raving mad. Once that was done, the ice was broken.

While the juniors were given a few games like paper dance, etc. i saw a few of my friends leaving the hall, so i followed them. There were around 8-10 of them including a very good friend of mine. They said they were going for a drink. I refused and stayed back at the party. The music rang through the hall and people, including myself, forgot the world and its worries, and started swinging to the tunes. I don't know whether what i was doing could be categorized as 'dancing' or not, but it sure was better than what seems like scaring away a bunch of pigeons around you. So we danced for one hour straight until we were soaked with sweat. Then arrived those who had went for a drink. And then all hell broke loose. I vividly remember that one of them- Vasu, actually kissed my hand and was about to propose to me. It was very touching. Then he sang a few songs on the microphone, and danced throughout the remaining hours till the very end with an unseen vigour and ecstasy. He really breathed some life into the party. Ameya had had a few shots too, much to the chagrin of his good friends, but he wasn't sloshed at all. Although he staggered a bit initially, he was back to his normal self by the end of the evening after a glass of lemon juice. He even danced a bit with Sonam, who by the way left me flabbergasted with her moves. Nikhil, a very close friend of mine, was there with me the whole time. In fact he was the only sorry soul who had to watch me dance up close. We missed Soniya a lot, a very good friend of ours. Debanjali, or Debo as we call her, captured every moment of this amazing evening on her digi-cam. I think she took around 300 plus snapshots. Harsh and Priya, two of my closest friends were also busy enjoying a cosy dance all night long. The highlight of the night was the dance by Shardul and Nisha, two of my other friends, who really burnt the dance floor for which they received the 'best dancing couple' award, much to the delight of all present who had cheered the couple on the top of their voices while they were shaking a leg.

At one point of time, i was chatting with Radhika when Sonam came and said, "Ladies room ke saamne kyon khada hai?" With a puzzled look on my face, i turned around to see myself blocking the way to that 'room'. While she went inside, i smiled to myself, retrospecting on something that happened a few years back. The ones who know me quite well will know what exactly i'm referring to. This wasn't the first time i had found myself standing outside the 'ladies room'.Then there was a slow dancing session where i just stood back and watched all those beautiful people dance. Some were couples, while some were just good friends. But they all looked absolutely wonderful while moving their feet in sync, to the rhythm of the slow, seductive music. There were two of our juniors in particular who seemed to be really enjoying each other's company throughout the party. Good for them, to say the least.

The evening then came to an end after we had our dinner which consisted of mostly Chinese dishes which i love. Although i didn't eat much, i made myself a couple of coke floats by mixing coke and a few scoops of vanilla ice-cream. It felt nice not to shell out 50 bucks for a coke float at a place which is represented by a red-haired ass clown. We took off then. Shardul, Ameya, Debo, Sonam and myself went to the University to drop the girls, despite knowing that they would be the ones who would save us from the goons, if the time comes. We took a few more snaps near the girls' hostel. Then there was a small incident where a bunch of hammered assholes were yelling at us and seemed to be in a mood to pick a fight. Ameya, not being the one to back off from such a confrontation, was about to retaliate when he was stopped by all of us, fearing the consequences. After the girls safely went to their respective hostels, we started walking towards the University gate to catch a rick. All this while i was turning back to see if we are still being followed by those idiots. Fortunately, they had went their way. Thank goodness they did, because if they hadn't, i would've done some serious damage ( to myself ).

We took a rick back home, and after a lot of complaining and cribbing, and an overuse of the 'F-word', i walked with Ameya till his building while he continued his tirade about how he could go on his own and that he was perfectly fine. The truth is, he was fine. But i just went along with him so that i know where he stays, after all i should know the location of the house where i'm going to plant a bomb in a week's time right...? I hope he isn't reading this. I walked back to my place then, while i had a conversation with Debo about the party on the phone, which took exactly 21 minutes.

I reached home when the needles of my watch, which by the way is still broken as and when i had found it, were embracing each other at 1. I collapsed on my bed after i was let in by my grandma who has trouble sleeping anyway. The night came to an end, but the memory of it will last forever. It was a good life, last night. It was a dream, last night. Now its back to reality. But i want to dream again, and soon i will. What a rush....! As far as the alcohol is concerned...the next time...even i might try some...until then....just sing along mateys... "We're devils and black sheep..... and really bad eggs...Drink up me 'earties yo-ho!"

Down that lane...

Sitting alone i ask myself,
have i ceased to be sane again,
as it doesn't seem the full shilling,
to go down that old lane...

A journey that i endured,
the last time i took that train,
i really should think twice before,
i go down that old lane...

Is the unknown destination,
truly worth all the pain,
as it was not so the last time,
i had went down that old lane...

It left a mark once before,
or should i call it a stain,
now history may repeat itself,
if i go down that old lane...

Will i lose it all this time,
or return back with a gain,
only time will tell this story,
once i go down that old lane..

But isn't there a small hunch,
that it all just might go in vain,
but i guess it's worth it, nonetheless,
to go down that old lane....

Where am i headed?

Being at a management school comes with its own pros and cons. We get the knowledge we need to survive under the new world order, the confidence to face some sordid music time and again, and the acumen to duck when the book is thrown at us. This all seems just about fine and dandy until the point of time when you are asked to describe your future endeavors that will follow your academics. Despite being a very sensible thought which should have precipitated in my mind a long time back, it still seems rather difficult to articulate something that is conspicuous by its absence.

In fact, i'm afraid that all except me know exactly what they want from life. May it be in terms of career, money, education, or power. Somehow, these things have never been a thorn in my side. Needless to mention that this might make my future a fine kettle of fish. So, i'm supposed to make a career plan for myself which is unfair on the part of a guy who has never even made a proper dinner plan in his life. I have a few things in mind about the same which await a severe reprimand for sure. I'm not going to bluff at all as that is not a part of my repertoire, which further makes my choice of 'marketing' look like a rueful mistake.

This plan of mine has to be submitted at the earliest. I know that being ostensible will not really help in this case, so i'll just do what i do best - just say what i feel. Nonetheless, this will lead to the man sitting across me think that i'm a brick short of a load. And it certainly should, because without a shred of a doubt, it is the whole truth. I am as mad as a hatter, and i'm damn proud of it. So, where exactly am i headed you ask? Excuse the profanity, but who gives a tiny rat's ass..!

We're devils, and black sheep and really bad eggs.....Drink up me 'eartis yo-ho!