I had a dream..

.. onsite!

Yes, like an average Joe growing up this was one of dreams(Main coding karke Amreeka jaunga!).Well that, and becoming a guitarist and a footballer, and have a girlfriend(Nothing unusual, right?). For the first to materialize, I had to be a "successful engineer", and to be a successful engineer from Mumbai University(Well this statement can be completed!)
So given that I am an engineer from MU, you pretty much know what happened to other dreams.

Anyway, I decided to pursue the one dream which still wasn't shattered. Life as we know it is a biatch, which is why I was assigned to an internal project.
As I watch every other Tom, Dick and Harry's check-in at airport, I calmed myself saying just 632 days more.(Apparently there is an unwritten rule wherein you have signed a bond for 2 years against a project).

Some(most) of me mates lost their way and moved away from IT. The rest opted for paid onsite aka, MS(Amreeka toh jaana hi hai!). Not me though. I was determined!
So 730 days later, I was officially released from the unofficial bond and was a step closer to Amreeka!

Enter,biatch life! Thankfully not another internal project, but onsite? Get in the queue mister!(The most common reply). Anywho, preparing for interviews, getting back to the basics of coding, I finally managed to the bag a project wherein my dream could be realized. "Yes, an onsite is guaranteed*"(The * wasn't quite visible on telephonic interviews though).

I struggled through the project,while I was hanging myself on someone else's words, dying to believe in what I've heard. As the days slip by from my window watching.
It seemed like a meaningless fight. I knew the moment had arrived. I laid to rest the one last dream,I had as a child. A decade long dream, euthanized.
Thank you life. Thou art a heartless bitch!

"You tried and you failed miserably.The lesson is never try" - Homer Simpson

A musical journey

A random thought sprung my mind,as to why most Linkin Park fans are in their early teens,or why Floyd is the elixir for most mid-life crisis struck lot.I tried to link music with age or better,the phase of transformation through life in general.(What happened next is going to shock you!)At these junctures of transformation,I could see a shift in the musical inclination as well.

Usually commencing on the onset of adolescence,this phase is love laden.This is when so start noticing girls around you,and you fall in "love".Shes the cutest girl in school.Shes the one for you.Your life revolves around your endless efforts to get her attention.Some fortunes ones even have the courage to walk up and speak with them,but the rest are limited to the endless bouts of teasing.Oh,yeah and this is when you start listening to Backstreet Boys,Boyzone and all the classic ballads,because well she likes them!

Enter adolescence,the cute girl is no longer is picture. You've moved on,and you are kind of lost.And one fine day you come across Linkin Park,you know you've found the somewhere,where you truly belong.Every teenager is self-proclaimed biggest Linkin Park fan.(Rawk rulez!)Rest are Eminem fans,because there's a little Slim Shady in all of us.

Every person listening to boy bands is a noob,failing to realize that a couple a years back you were that noob in "love".

You then graduate to Metallica,Maiden,Sabbath as you are passed your teen years.Testosterone levels are off the charts,which is why you can relate to the head-banging,double bass and palm muted riffs.You are young,reckless,no responsibilities,fuck the authoritah!

Some further down the metal line into Cannibal Corpse,Bodom.Mosh is probably one word which brings out your happy face!

There is always this one girl who you know is going to fuck you up,but you want her anyway.Shes the kick you need.You are going to break the rules for her.And pretty soon you are going to end up owing your first drink to her.

Linkin Park?! How the fuck can you listen to that shit? And rock? Oh God please,Linkin Park is Nu-Metal,NOT ROCK!

Pretty soon you'll feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.It's when you end up home after a 20 hour work day or when the love of your life is going to turn you down,when you remember that one friend who was always there for you;who's in another time-zone now,probably going through the same shit as you,is when you are going to feel pinch in,"Wish you were here".

Floyd is an epitome of genius,muscially.You might have heard Floyd zillions of times before,but there comes a time when their words start making sense to you.You've made peace with life,you've matured.

Floyd are probably like your parents,whom you've kept listening to all your life,but its only now you know what they mean.

You still have the occasional encounter with your past,but look at them in a different light.You forgive them for their St. Anger!

Reflection

Being surround by people and still feeling lonely is probably the lowest you can ever hit.Which is why I decided to take a walk with my only "friend".

Small sips turned to swigs,and gravity was trying to get the better of me.Being the egotistical manic I am,I couldn't let it win,and so I kept walking.
Eventually,I had walked across to the other side of the beach,and decided to give my tired legs a rest.I gulped down of what remained and threw the bottle into the distant.

I gazed around,and I was surrounded by darkness.There was only the moon which lit the sky and the waves,crashing against the shore line.
Maybe since being born,never did I find so much tranquility around,as I did that moment.The silence combined with the high inhibition,got me introspecting my life,and where I had reached.

The pain,the suffering,the loneliness;I kept drowning myself into this self-indulgent pitiful hole I was digging.The more I thought about it,the more I kept falling deeper into the abyss.
I had come curiously close to the end,and as I looked back,I found it more comforting.I thought I'd find peace in that emptiness,and I kept walking towards it.
And the emptiness,it was calling me.

I don't remember what or how,but gravity had won,something which I couldn't bear.I lied down,fetal and weeping,looking at darkness.
As my dark moments kept growing deeper,I stared into the sky,as dark as what I was feeling.
There was a sudden light which hit me.The moon spoke to me.It told me a secret,in confidence.

"As full and bright as I am

This light is not my own andA million light reflections pass over me

Its source is bright and endless
She resuscitates the hopeless
Without her, we are lifeless satellites drifting"

I thought about all the pain and suffering and loneliness,and somehow,this time I could see a different side to it.I saw how my narcissism,my negativity,my cynicism was all but responsible for it.I thought about how many people I'd stepped on,to reach to the top.How my ego had always gotten the better of me,made me lose whom I wasn't supposed to.

I couldn't see myself feeding on the narcissism,of my self-indulgent pity I was creating,and I knew I had to get out.I didn't want to be the lifeless satellite,drifting away into oblivion.I knew I had to crucify my ego,before it was too late.I had to leave behind this place which was making me negative,blind and cynical.

I reached out for the light,in the hope that she'd lift me up,that she'd resuscitate me,before I pine away.

PS : This is just my interpretation of Tool's Reflection.

A study in Pink

It was 11.15 at night,on a friday,and I was walking out the office premises,with nothing but curses in my mouth and disgust on the face.It was an evening I had planned out with friends,night of binge drinking,roaming around the streets and reaching home,wee hours into the night.
But,alas.Work as I was about to leave,and the planned had to be axed.

Anyway,with everything sorted,and deprived food and plans,all I wanted to do was go home and sleep.But,the day wasn't done ridiculing me.It started to pour down,and my curses went from body parts to mothers and sisters,and I scrammed for cover,with the bag on my head,not before being drenched completely.Just what I needed to wrap up the day.

Maybe it was the swearing,that a petite young girl,across the road,noticed me.She looked at me dire state,and came over with her bright pink umbrella and stood next to me.She looked at me,made a sequence of nods,assuring she wasn't going to mug me,and with the tacit understanding,and put myself under the cover of the umbrella.

She a slender built,fair,had lank hair,wearing a pink salwar,almost matching her umbrella and a black kameez.She wore a pretty smile across her face,and those hazy eyes of hers,were meant to be lost in.She was what you call the girl next door.She was beautiful in the true sense of the word.My day suddenly wasn't that bad after all.

As we walked,I set myself onto an arduous task of trying to fit myself with another human being,into an umbrella meant for one.I tried not to get close to her,neither too far away,but still half of me was outside and being soaked."Don't worry",she smiled."Get in,don't drench yourself more than you already have.Don't be shy!".She sounded like a sweet acoustic riff,off of Eric Clapton's guitar.
A thank you is all I could splutter out,and we continued to walk and she continued to smile.We walked a good 5 minutes in nothing but silence,to the background of our footsteps splashing water and belligerent rain striking against the umbrella and our bodies.

As we reached the main exit,I prepared to started inching towards the right to get to the bus stop,whereas she prepared to turn to the left.We stopped."Well,this is it",I said."Thank you",and I braced myself to beat Usain Bolt's time in a 100 m dash to the stop."No problem.Always happy to help",she said with her ever luminant smile.As I turned,I heard a hesitant voice,"Hey listen".I stopped and looked at her."I need to walk this way.It's late,and there aren't many lights either.If it isn't much of a bother for you,could you please walk with me?"
Well lets see,a dash in the rains to a bus stop,only inhabited by the homeless ragamuffins,or a walk with a beautiful girl,cramped inside an umbrella,on an empty,dull lit road.For the first time probably in my life,all the living cells(probably the dead ones too) inside me hailed in unison,for the latter.
"Sure,why not",I told her and we both smiled.

We walked in silence again,and it started to bother me now.Trying to break the ice,I tried to be smart-ass."You seem very happy leaving work at 11.30 on a friday night.You surely must not be from IT",I smirked.
She smiled right back at me."IT ain't that bad.I mean sure we don't get paid like our MBA friends,or get to travel,but hey,its what we chose to do,right?Atleast I was never forced to get into engineering nor forced into getting into programming.It was my decision all along."
She was determined to take out the devil inside of me which made me overlook the pros of being a software developer.If the IT industry ever needed someone to represent itself,she would be the perfect candidate for it.
We talked for a good 15 odd minutes,with me arguing on how life sucks in general,whilst she tried to convince me otherwise.She never seized to differ from the fact that you need to look at the brighter side of things,and I tried to convince her how to kill the light on the bright side and focus on the darker things and crib over it.

We reached a junction and stopped."Hold this,will you?",and she handed me her bag.She frantically searched for something in her bag,and finally got hold of it.She pulled out a cigarette lighter out of the bag and then started searching again.
I said to myself,"What kind of a person is this? A frail,beautiful girl,walks with a random guy she just met,along a deserted road,in almost pitch darkness,at freaking almost midnight,when she could've easily taken a 2 minute rickshaw ride home,and now she stops for a smoke?"
As my mind was trying to recall all the possible adjectives to describe her,she pulled out a candle from her bag."Give me a moment,will you?",she asked politely.
She lit the candle,closed her eyes and stood there,getting wet in the rain.And there I was,holding a pink umbrella,a ladies bag,in the middle of the road,watching her.I was flummoxed at the whole situation.The only consolation was there was no one else on the street to watch the whole thing.

In a while,I could feel an air of sadness around her.For the good hour or so I had known her,I had for the first time seen her a frown on her face.It was raining,and I could see a drop of water falling from her eyes.But,it felt more of a tear than a rain drop.
She opened her eyes a couple of minutes later,and wiped her eyes as well as the frown.She smiled again and we walked again.She took the bag from my hands and thanked me.

I was still trying to figure out what was all that about,she,in her sweet voiced said,"You must be wondering what kind of a crazy girl I am."
"Heck no!This is what people do on,with random people they just meet!",I said,though,to myself.I spluttered out a few gibberish words and she cut me short."Last month,a bunch of drunken goons ran their car over my brother and my mother,at this spot.I lit the candle for them."
"My father got transferred to the other side of the country.My mom stayed back because my brother was still studying and I loved my job and friends and didn't want to leave this place.But it's all gone now.I quit my job.Today was my last day,hence I stayed back,looking at all the beautiful things I had created using only so many keystrokes.I looked at my friends,whom I shared so many coffee breaks with.I wanted to take them with me.But the truth is I can't.I'll be moving with my father.I'll be leaving tomorrow morning.I'll be leaving my life over here.I don't want to go.I don't want to start over."

I was rendered speechless.I just wanted to hold her,and tell her cry.Cry it out,I'll hold you.She somehow held herself together and stopped the tears from rolling out of her eyes.

"I am so sorry for this",she said."I don't know what happened,I just cracked.I am so sorry you had to hear this.I mean I don't even know you."But I was still speechless.
"Anyway,this is me.Good night.Here,have this umbrella.It's still pouring.And once again,I am so sorry."
She waved at me and disappeared in the darkness.

I stood there for a couple of seconds,trying real hard for everything to make sense.Finally took a rickshaw,and went directly home.
The whole ride back,I kept wondering how puerile I have become.This girl was encumbered by so many sorrows,and still she managed to smile out it.Heck,she even tried to convince me about how beautiful life is.And I was cribbing over the fact that I had missed out on one happy hours deal,with friends I'll be meeting again the next day,performing the same rituals.

She made me introspect on what I had become.And the funny thing was,I didn't even know who she was,her name,where she was from,where she'll be going to,nothing.All I had was her pink umbrella.I rolled it up and put it in my bag.
I had reached my destination,paid the fare,took the stairs.I entered my place,threw my bag,went to room,and laid on bed.I thank god for everything I had,and I curled.That night,I just wanted to sleep.

Friendzoned

"I like you <insert your name here>,but as a friend.I hope you understand."
Face it,90% of you guys out there must've heard this one atleast once.

So I was having a casual conversation with an esoteric friend as to why girls like to friendzone us so much.Her reply,to my amazement,and I am quoting her,"It feels kinda incest to be dating a friend.It just feels weird."

Incest?So just because you know someone,you know their habits,you make fun of clumsy ones with them,they suddenly related to you by blood?!

Okay,incest not in the literal terms,but what she meant was,girls feel weird to date someone they know,someone say friend.
So exactly how is this supposed to go in that case?
Say I see a cutie at the bus stop,should I keep staring at her,get in the same bus as her,go up to her and say,"Well hey,I find you cute,and since we aren't friends,there's nothing to feel weird about going out with me!"

What I don't get is girls keep complaining about the fact that guys aren't as romantic as the ones portrayed in romantic movies.Well,aren't those the same movies tell you that the best partner you can have is one who is your friend?So,why the differentiation?

I don't mean to deride,what I really want to know is how is a guy supposed to ask someone out,he knows,if you girls find it weird.

You aren't going to like someone just by looking at them for the first time.Its going to be gradual thing.You are going to talk,you will make fun of them,they'll make fun of you,you'll curse them,you cry with them,you'll cry because of them,you laugh together.Only then would you feel comfortable being with someone,wouldn't you?
Or,is the love at first sight thing not a myth?

And if you are one of those who would feel weird dating a friend,let them know,when you know hes into you.
No guy is going to stay up into the night,listening to what you shopped for,or trying to put a smile on your face 24x7,or change just coz you told him to.No,seriously,we never change,unless its again,another woman in our lives,mom,who emotionally blackmails us!

So when you get these "subtle" hints,tell him,"Dude,better back-off before I friendzone you!",and save us the horrors,and probably a friend too! :)

And please,don't ever do this to anyone!
(Video credits : TheViralFeverVideos)

Makeshift

They say first times are real hard to let go,first love,first house,first car(you get the point).
My first 15 seconds of fame is a similar case.It was all makeshift,but it has etched itself onto me.

There I was cheering on to this band which called itself Makeshift,while they rocked my socks off.Little did I know that I'd soon be a part of them.
So like the name suggested,the band was makeshift,which lead-bass-vocalist being permanent members,whilst the rhythm and drummer were added to line-up later on.Anyway,trying to be a groupie,it spilled out that they were in search for a rhythm guitarist and I happened to be one.One thing led to another,and an audition later,woohoo,I was officially part of Makeshift!

Pretty soon it was practice time,as we were nearing our college's "Rock Show".There we were,a vocalist,a bass,a lead and a rhythm,but no sign of a drummer.A few calls here and there,and we found a drummer,a freaking metal drummer,with a shinny Tama kit,and then shit just got real!

A whole week off from lectures,practicing,cursing,laughing,lame-ass wannabe air-guitaring,gate-crashing our drummer into the college premises,head banging,a cutting chai at the end of it,discussing about shit,getting home,practicing even more,Nirvana,Floyd,Maiden ringing in head the whole day,and night,ain't nothing better than that.

D-Day,hands shivering(I swear it was the air-conditioning),and sweating at the same time(again,the air-conditioning)and we go back stage saying,"Lets not shit out  there and lets have some fun.In God we trust,and Rock we must(Anna you effing genius)".
There was I was watching my band perform Yellow,waiting anxiously to get on stage.The song ended and I made my way onto stage,and was handed my axe.Plugged it,checked sound levels,thumbs up and we were good to go.

Drummer gave count and I to a pin drop silence,I started my Smells Like riff,and holy fuck,wheres the sound.Nightmares-nightmares!
Anna stepped onto my processor a few seconds before start and detached my main cable.(Anna,kutte!)
Plugged in again,got the count again,and this time it smelled like teen spirit!

Nirvana-Deep Purple-Maiden,we did it all.And the best part,most of it,like our band was makeshift.A day or so before the performance,we were just sitting,talking,and suddenly someone plays Hallowed,drummer starts off,bass starts,and hold on,lets cover this.And just like that,Maiden made it to our list.And it didn't stop there."Abbe Fear of the dark karte hai,dekh aaise..",and before we knew it,another Maiden song got onto the list.

Sure I sucked,I shit a lot.At one point in Maiden,I even let go off my guitar and joined Anna on the mic,and sure as hell sucked at vocals as well,but who gave a fuck?I was high,high on this elixir called music.Those 30 odd mins,sublime.

Year two was even more better as Makeshift had for change 5 permanent wannabes.I even said lets change our name to something else.Mother-Haggers,Make-Shit,among others were my prominent suggestions.
Year two saw us headlining the "Rock Show",but that wasn't the real deal.The set list we had planned was the effing reason why I was so looking forward to the show.
Zero,The Doors,Pink Floyd,Metallica,GnR,we had planned out on everything.Heck,I was doing the leads on an instrumental.Heck heck,my lead let me take the limelight!(This is primarily why I respect you guys so much,we never had any ego clashes,it was always about music).

Jam sessions were even more better,even more heavier,even more fun,and yet full of shit!
We still followed cutting chai discussion at the end of the day.

D-Day all over again,hands shivering and sweating,again(darn you air-conditioning),the same prayer again,and we were at it again!
Same shit,same high,only much-much longer and better.The set list just kept getting better,and then we reached the penultimate performance,"Emosonal Attyachar".And,the whole place went gone nuts.I had never witnessed something of that magnitude.This one couldn't have been topped,and we called it off without the Metallica medley(saalon,kutton!).

At the end of it,packing up our stuff,I realised something.This was my last year with Makeshift.As much as I was high on the performance,this fact hit me somewhere.
Two years of memories flashed before me.All the music we played,all the music we talked about,all the shit we talked about,all the nicknames we made,all the noobs we made fun of,every freaking thing!

Sure,I went on without you guys the next year,sure I enjoyed,sure I got high,but it wasn't Makeshift!
The jams weren't the same.The double bass was missing.The Papdipoop wasn't there.
Anna's on-stage antics weren't there(No one can make the crowd go wild,the way you do),no Matrix moves(Sridharan),I relied on tabs rather than my ears(Ambuj),no more kick-ass drumming(Mukul).

Kutton,we need to jam.Get your asses back here!

Twenty20

Growing up,I always felt a little jealous of my elder brother.I always wished I would grow up quickly,and enjoy all the freedom in life,being alone,going to the movies with friends,pocket money,et al.And it was a never ending phase,because when I became what he was,he would move on another step and become even more awesome,making all my years of waiting seem worthless.
Hence,when he graduated and started working,started being independent,I just couldn't wait for the day I would I start earning.And now that I am living the phase which I had been dreaming about since the last 9 odd years,I have realized that it is nothing like what I had anticipated for.

For any teen,my life would like a fairy tale story.Still in my early 20s,working for of the top IT company in the country,staying in the city that never sleeps,friends who specialize in douchiness;yes,I live the dream.People find it hard to fathom,how someone can still be frustrated with such a life !
I used to feel the same,when my brother had started working.I would laugh at him,when he cribbed about his job.I would say,"How can you hate this?I can't wait for this phase of my life to begin !"

It started off the way I had always dreamt it would be like.It was a high.But then,the roller-coaster just decided to go for a plunge and never return.And,I knew,to be precise,like Leonard would say it,"I was attached to another object by an inclined plane,wrapped helically around an axis !"

World was shrunk to a size of 10x10;word/excel/paint was where I was immersed in;cell-phone and instant messengers were one of the most hated things,because of the constant work related calls/pings;changes were no longer inevitable,they were only requests;but the most difficult thing to do was to explain people,who knew nothing about my work,my work so that I can get their approval,to do my work.
Being saturated with frustration,PG seemed the only way out of this hell.But fate had some other plans.It seemed as if I had,the Sadim Touch.Tried to start preparing for MS,suddenly rupee decided to take plunge.Tried to quit,job security became the primary aim,in the tumbling economy.Tried to start preparing for MBA,government decided to make admission test common all over the country.

With no choice but to continue with the job at hand,I struggle to see the path ahead,try to survive in the rat race,where sycophancy is the way of life.I sit there,seeing my youth being wasted,at a rate of 12 hours/day.

Algorithm to buy a cellphone

Step 1 : Watch the launch of  "the future of smartphones" online.Keep talking about it,read the reviews,drool over it,till the phone is officially released.

Step 2 : Check the price of the phone.

Step 3 : Login to your net banking account,and check your balance.Sulk as much as you like.

Step 4 : Say to yourself,"Hmmm .. maybe the prices will drop in a couple of months.Till then I can make do with my current phone".

Step 5 : Check the price of the phone again in 2 months.See a strikeout on the 30k price tag.(Enjoy the moment).
Scroll down to find the new price,Rs. 29,499.
Start off a series of swears.(Language no barrier).

Step 6 : Check for the next best phone.Say to yourself,"Hmmm .. maybe the prices will drop in a couple of months.Till then I can make do with my current phone".

Step 7 : Check the price of the phone again in 2 months.See a strikeout on the 20k price tag & an offer badge next to it.(Enjoy the moment).
Scroll down to find the new price,Rs. 19,499 and a case free !
Start off a series of swears.(Language no barrier).

Step 8 : Check for the next best phone.Say to yourself,"Hmmm .. maybe the prices will drop in a couple of months.Till then I can make do with my current phone".

Step 9 : Check the price of the phone again in 2 months.See a strikeout on the 15k price tag.(Enjoy the moment).
Scroll down to find the new price,Rs. 10,499.
Find the "out of stock" label next to it.
Start off a series of swears.(Language no barrier)

Step 10 : Look at your current phone and ponder as to why you need a new phone.
After some deep thought,reach on a consensus that you have absolutely no reason to buy a new phone.

Step 11 : Check the leaked images of a new cellphone about to be released in a couple of days.Go gaga over the blurry images.
Go to step 1.

A year on ..

Last year,this day,I was a different person.

A naive fellow,who was just done with his graduation,finished all the sitcoms,movies and games on his portable,who couldn't wait to start working in the IT industry.IT industry at that time was like a fairy tale,a 5 day week,8 hours of work,friday night parties with team and a handsome salary at the end of the month.Not to forget,the onsite opportunity in just a couple of years.Yes,thats what the guy had always imagined the IT industry to be like.Little did he know his life was going to turn turtle,and shatter his tale,in just a couple of months.

The first 3 months was just what I had imagined it to be.5 days of "work" a week,outing on weekends,hogging with friends,football,mafia,movies.And the best part,we were getting paid for it.Oh,how I loved those days.Little did I know that was the just the lull before the storm that was headed my way.

About a month into the training,we were asked to put in a preference for our base branches along with the stream of choice.Without even a moment's hesitation,I opted for Mumbai,and Java,the latter only because it the maximum seats for the former.At that moment,it seemed like the perfect choice.
Heck,I even tried my friends to opt for Mumbai and Java.But they were skeptical.I considered them as fools to let go off such an opportunity.
And since I was still living in the fairy tale world,I could see myself signing my visa papers in a couple of years,with that choice.
Looking back,I realize,I was just signing off my soul.

A year on,things have changed,drastically.Words no longer mean,what they used to.

KT:
KT is synonym with every engineer.No point in explaining !
Well,now it means the times when you need to sit after work and have your dose of knowledge transfer.

PL:
PL the month before exam,where the first 26 days were spent on movies,sitcoms and games,and the next 4 days searching/buying books and "trying" to study.
Now,it means the person who makes you work for 26 days,so that you realize the importance of the 4 days.

Deadline:
Deadline during engineering meant the day you need to start doing your work.
Now,it means the day you need to finish your work,get it tested,fix all the bugs and move it onto production.

Sleep:
The happiest time of your day,whether you were at your home,or in college.
Now,its a term,which is almost driven into oblivion.

But,somethings are still the same.
-All the good looking girls are in the other projects/buses/buildings and are committed.
-You still snooze your alarm and wake up to your mom's yelling.
-You still can't figure where your money goes.
-You hate what you do,and you wish you'd be doing something else.
-You still want to watch the next Himesss Resamiyaa movie.

All said and done,there are a couple of things I've learned over the year.
-Writing emails.
-How to get your work done.I've have mastered the art of 'cc'-ing a mail,and keeping people in the loop.
-Keyboard shortcuts and impeccable speed with alt+tab.
-Working with MS Excel.

If anything,this year has been an eye-opener,a preview of what your life is going to be.Lets hope I make mends with it.
Till then,I'll enjoy my first appraisal and hope some a good looking trainee joins my team. :)

No,nothing else matters

I didn't believe in love,but the moment I heard,"I Disappear",I knew I was in love with Metallica.Yes,it was love at first sight(or hear,if you may),and I've looked back since.The more I listened to them,the more I fell in love.Initially,I didn't get what the songs meant,I just loved the riffs.
But as time grew,I could relate myself to what they were trying to say.James Hetfield,you are a fucking genius.I can't understand how you can come with something so brilliant and still convey it with such ease.Not to take away any credit from Kirk Hammett,Lars,Cliff Burton,probably one of the best bass players,then the man who had to fill into the shoes of that person,Jason Newsted and of course,Robert Trujilo as well.

Anyway,its almost 12 years into this relationship and up and until the first 5-6 years,I thought listening to them was the best thing.It was then that I saw a couple of videos from S&M,that I realized,listening to them is nowhere close to the experience of watching them play.And eversince that day,there hasn't been a single day of my life where I haven't thought of them playing here in India.

I still remember having a discussion with my friend after watching a Big 4 video and my friend cribbing about the fact that how they'll never come to India.And to my amazement,just a week later,Robert Trujilo,uttered the words that I'd been dying to hear,".. and we'll be doing a gig in India".The following few days were just anxious waiting for confirmation on the news.And yes,this was no rumor as their website officially confirmed a tour in the "Uncharted Territory".
30th October was marked as my date with destiny.And the build up was nothing less than the gig itself,with friends sharing song of the day,cubicles overflowing with Metallica print-outs,frantic searching for t-shirts,bus tickets,plane tickets,deciding the place to stay,journey from the place to the venue.

28th October 2011 : Metallica cancels gig at Delhi,due to safety concerns.
Friends calling,depressed,nervous if Bangalore is going to the same as well.But me,I am all happy.
Why ? Because I wanted to attend THE FIRST GIG by Metallica in India,and with this news,I would be doing exactly that.(Am I Evil ? .. Yes I am !)

30th October 2011,D-Day and we were at the location and still hours before the gates would actually open,but who gave a fuck?Hours of pushing-shoving-false alarms of Metallica van-TV interviews later the gates were finally opened and we rushed as close as to the stage as we can.
After some "Safety First" tips came Inner Sanctum,and man were they good.Awesome beginning to the show.
Then came the party spoiler,whom I wont even mention.An hour later it was time of Biffy Clyro to awaken the dead crowd.And that they did to perfection.Ah,awesome music,rains and head-banging,it just kept getting better.But with all due respect Biffy Clyro,you played one too many songs!
Around 6.30,Biffy Clyro ends its setlist,signing off by saying,"15 years ago,we attended a gig at Glasgow and we saw Metallica perform,and it made us pick up the guitar and start making music"(Respect sir !)

Then came a Shinning White ESP Explorer,and was she sexy !And slowly the whole Metallica setup was on stage.Sound check in progress and we couldn't wait to just get a glimpse of them.30 mins .. 1 hour still no sign of them.Crowds getting restless.Fatigue starting to build up.Patience at stake !My friend turns up to me and says,how much more longer ?,and all I could say was,I've waited 12 years for this,I can wait more :)
People chanting swears.An hour and a half,and still no sign of them,and my friend turns up to me again,"Dude,now even you must be pissed !",and all I did was smile.

And then suddenly the screens lit up,I see Eli Wallach,yes its Ecstasy Of Gold.Yes,they are here !
30th October 2011,at around 8.00 pm,was the moment my dream was realized.Yes,I was there.To that sweet symphony,I saw 4 men walk onto the stage.This is no dream,this is my reality !
At that moment,Nothing Else Mattered.

And without wasting any time,they started off with Creeping Death.Drums which made my heart resonate on its beats,bass lines which hit me like a wall,solos that gave me a high,heavy riffs which made my head bang and lyrics which made me yell out of top of my voice,and I had officially attained Nirvana.There cannot be a more divine feeling than this for me.
With each song,the crowd kept getting louder and Metallica started getting happier.Oh I wasn't the only one in love at that moment.The whole place was in love.And Metallica sure as hell was in love with us.
Those 2.5 hrs were probably the best 2.5 hrs I've ever spent.If I could,I'd just stay there,forever.I had witnessed my Gods,live,playing the songs I've grown up listening to,with the people I've grown up,listening them with.Words cannot do justice to that day.

We didn't want them to go,neither did they want to leave us,such was our bond within those 2.5 hrs.If that isn't love,then what is ?

"So close,no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever Trusting who we are
No,nothing else matters"

                       3.50 - 5.40 : This memory shall always remain !

Dude,you spoke to a girl !

Girls,Girls,Girls .. Thats all we think about !
But,no matter what,when it comes to talking to a girl,we all are sissies !
Having the guts to approach a random chick and just say "Hi",and live to tell the tale,makes a you a God amongst your friends.

"Dude,you spoke to a girl !",is a ubiquitous sentence in a guy's life,but in each phase,it means a different thing altogther !

Phase 1 : The BlunderYears
This is the phase of a guy's life when he is surrounded by hot wheels and g.i.joes!
Girls are the last thing on a guy's mind,and the thought of being friends with one is way behind that.They are like our enemies !

And the day he is caught signing a peace treaty with one of them,all his friends will say is,"Dude,you spoke to A girl ?",emphasizing on the fact you've sinned,by betraying your own.

This probably the only phase in a guy's life where a girl approaches a guy,and the guy says,"No,thank you !"

Phase 2 : Teenage Years
Up and until 12 yrs and 364 day and 23 hrs,59 mins and 59 secs of age,a girl to a guy is what Microsoft is to Apple.But the moment the clock strikes 12,and he officially becomes a teen,he has an epiphany,and he goes,"What the hell was I thinking all this while?"

Everything has to be somehow related to a girl.Girl is the word for us."Hi,I am blah .. Will you Fransheep me ?".Though this time its the girls chance to say,"No,thank you !"
They just wont bloody talk with us !(Probably payback from the childhood)

And the day he says,"You know,that cutie from the next class .. Her bag touched me,so she turned around and said sorry,and I said okay its",he suddenly becomes a demigod !

"Dude,you spoke to A girl !",over here means he actually managed to do what all of the others just think of doing,talking to 'A' girl.

Phase 3 : Desperado Years
After years miserable failure,we become desperate for success.We dream about scoring the hottest babe in college,when in fact we are bonkers over the shy girl,on the first bench.We make up stories about how we spoke with her,how we are in the same classes(though she never notices you,and always hangs out with a senior),till the day you have a drink too many,and cry your heart out,and state the facts.Its the time when the wiser bud says,"Grow a pair dude,tell her how you feel.The other one is a bitch,don't screw your life over her !"

And the day you tell them you poured your heart out in front of her,they'll say,"Dude,you spoke to THE girl !",stressing on the fact that you managed to talk to 'THE' girl you wanted to talk to.

Phase 4 : Committed Years
Ah,the committed guy,a guy whose monthly phone bill is greater than his pocket money,whose weekends are defined by watching the crappiest of the romantic flicks(and still loving it),and visits to the coffee shop.Its a bliss when you aren't that guy(spare a thought for the poor guy,though).

Its time again for the wiser bud to step up and say,"What the fuck is wrong with you man ?You didn't come for the match,neither did you turn up the time we all went drinking",and all the poor guy can say is,"She wanted to shop,she had made plans already,sorry".
"Grow a pair,tell her to shop with her girl friends.You belong here,amongst the buds".

The few who manage to grow a pair,end up being single,and end up crying their hearts out yet again,over the same girl,in front of the same people,having the same drink,and all they get is "Dude,you spoke to the girl !"

Phase 5 : Denial Years(Applicable only for the ones who broke up in the previous phase)
"I hate girls,I'll never speak to one again,ever!",somehow makes its way into every second sentence uttered.This is the phase where the guy starts to listen to songs like,"Dust in the Wind",shaves once a month,doesn't give a shit of anybody,and doesn't even know what the hell is doing.
All he knows is he'll never speak to a girl again,and all he wants to do is drink with his buddies.And all his buddies can't help but think about the fact that he's more pain in the ass now than he was when he was committed.

This is until one fine day,a girl cutie will come up and ask,"Bhaiya,time kya hua ?" and all he can do is say,"Bahut accha",and the guy is back to his desperado phase.This time though,no wise guy tells him not to carry the shopping bags.

"Dude,you spoke to A girl !",emphasizing on the fact that,the same guy who used to recite the pharse,"I'll never speak to a girl,ever again",actually asked a girl out !

Phase 6 : Married Years
And so,the guy finally manages to settle down with the girl of his dreams.He has a wonderful life,everything is a Cinderella Story,and one fine day,an intern joins in the office,and the whole office drools over her.

He sits with his friends,talking about how others in the office make a desperate attempt to grab her attention(including himself,though he'll not mention that),and how he used to be so subtle back in his day.Everyone laughs it off,and tell him shes out of his league,even in his day.But the guy sees it as a challenge to his manhood,and one fine day calls her and with every iota of manhood on stake,he says,"Excuse me,whats the time?"

And just to cut some slack on the poor guy,they tell him,"Dude,you spoke to THAT girl !",stating that he still has it in him.

The Visionary

Its not often that you feel sadden by the demise of someone not related to you by blood.
Its not often that you wake up on a beautiful day,and feel sad.

Its not often that wherever you look,its the same news floating around.

Its times like these,that you know the world has lost a a great man,a visionary.Alas,today was one such day.

Jobs' life wasn't a fairy tale.He wasn't a child born with a silver spoon in his mouth,he earned it.He earned his life,the respect of all.That's what sets him apart.

He always believed in changing the status quo,and believe me did it.
It is this man's belief that computers can be a part of each house,that right now you own one.Hell,he even convinced IBM,who believed that computers were only meant for offices.And he even had the balls to "Welcome IBM" to the PC market,and make them believe what he believed in.
Jobs took what Xerox had,and took to a different level altogether.He believed in the success and he sure made it simpler for us.

It is the Mac-Windows war in the 80s that the computer has evolved to what it is now.Always trying to get the better out of each other,it was the consumers who always benefited.

He was driven out of the company he build,by the person he hired.But did that stop him?No !
He created NeXT,the roots of which are now used in OS X and iOS as well.

He changed the way movies were made,with Pixar.He pushed CGI to its limits.

All this while his brain child,Apple was going into drains.They had no other option but to call him back.And he didn't say no.Not only did he join,he brought the company back to where it belonged,with the iMac.
Years later,he revolutionized the personal audio industry with the iPod.He didn't "invent" it.He just took what existed and made it into something which was worthwhile.Thats the guys vision.

Soon after,Apple Inc. was back amongst the riches,all thanks to this man.But that didn't stop this guy.

He brought in the iPhone,which completely changed the way smartphones were made.Again,he didn't "invent" it.Smartphones existed,touchscreens existed,but,they never co-existed.He integrated all the great platforms into a one single device.Now,almost all smartphones are based on the same platform.
Again,we as consumers are benefited by this ever-growing competition.

He then took over the tablet world by storm,with the launch of iPad.Again,tablets did exist before the launch of iPad,but they truely came into being post the iPad.The iPad has come to a point where PC manufacturers fear it'll drive the PC market into oblivion.

And he didn't stop there.He kept making these devices more better and user-friendly.
Every WWDC,keynote was the event of the year,to understand what the future lies in store for us.

He IS the Da Vinci of technology.I can't imagine the world the world of technology without this man's brilliance.

He pushed the limits of his worker,too.He made them think,he made them work.He made them make his dream a reality.He was a leader.

Though he was often described as arrogant and petulant,at work as well as in personal life.Sure,he was.He did things which had no explanation.But then again,who doesn't? He is just like us,a human being,after all.What set him apart was the way he changed the world.

It was a sad day to see him step down as the CEO of Apple,for somewhere I felt no-one could think like he did,no-one could innovate like him.Still the fact that he was on the board of directors,gave a glimmer of hope.

The keynote a couple of days back was not the same without Jobs.I missed the man in the black turtle neck.I missed the guy telling me why I need to buy this product,why its better than the others.The same location where he revealed the iPod 10 years ago,wasn't the same without his presence.Something felt missing.

And today,to wake up to the news of his demise was really sad.Somewhere,the revolution in technology has also died,for his innovation and ideas is what propelled the market.Sure there,will be thinkers,but none like him.He will be missed.
Goodbye Mr.Jobs.Thanks for everything.You made the world a better place.You will always be one of the reason,geeks are the way they are.You will always be one of the reasons why I love technology so much.

I hope one day I'll join the legacy of 1 Infinite Loop.Bless me sir.

"Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do .. "

The Last Day ..

And so the day had dawned,the day I was praying for since I got my joining,and the day I was hoping would not turn up since the past month or so. 

Woke up to sound of my roommate's alarm,cursed him yet again and tucked myself in for 10 more minutes of tranquility.Woke up finally,got ready for what was going to be the final day.Frantically knocking on the bathroom door and yelling "Abbe bahar aa,kitna time le raha hai ?!","Oye tie ka knot banake de","Shaving cream de yaar","Polish hai kya tere pass?","Iron kahan pe chupake rakha hai ?",neighbours coming running to use the loo and cursing their roomies for taking too long,had soon become a day-to-day thing.Enjoyed those banters for one last time,took some snaps of the place we called home for quite sometime now,entered the out time for the whole floor,and we were off.One thing we always decided on,but never really happened was a photograph of those "working professionals".Well,this was the day for it.Clicking photos from every possible angle,with every person in sight,we almost forgot that we were supposed to report to office ! 
Taking the "short-cut" route,we sprinted towards the office as reaching late and having to lose half a day's salary was not something we really wanted. 

Having been done with the submissions,tests,we wondered what was going to be our last day all about.Some were still busy with java,some checking out the class photos,some reminiscing about the past two and a half month,which was a sheen  on an otherwise charred life.As the appointment letters were being handed out,some prayed to experience certainty for once,and not have their base branch changed,while others were desperate to experience uncertainty,for one final time,and be posted to their hometown. 

At lunch,the thought that we were having the oil laden food for the last time brought a smile on everyone's face.This was probably the only good thing about us leaving the place.But,whatever be the condition food,the whole experience of having lunch at that place with those people was surely going to be missed.Irritating friends by singing Tinku Jiya,watching Sunny Deol songs on 9X,yelling out "Maaza tujhaya haatat aahey",checking out the girls was surely an experience of its own. 

Post lunch,we were told to assemble in the auditorium,where the higher authorities were supposed to address us for one last time.Having being aware of the fact,we quickly occupied the last few rows and dozed off.The top achievers were called upon and awarded 'gems'.Though the real deal of the day was the song written by our fellow batch-mates,describing the time spent there.The song was composed to perfection,as every individual present there,could relate to every line being sung. 
A good bye and all the best,and the 200 individuals were left alone in the auditorium.The poor CRs were left with a few last minute chores,and the useless individuals(yours truly included),were wiling away their time singing their anthem,Tinku Jiya,to their beloved mumma.As if that wasn't enough,we started singing it in different tunes,further horrifying the experience for mumma.Man,thats life ! 
Uncensored,uncut,straight from the heart sessions of Ice-Cream with Ishan and Chaas with Prasad were to follow suit. 

End of the day,a phrase which usually brings a smile to an individual,brought tears this time around.Tears,hugs,good-byes were all around,as this was that all of us were together."I love you,man","These were the best days","We'll surely meet again","Be in touch",were the only sentences people could come up with. 

The hardest walk probably of our lives,as we walked the same old road,stared at the same buildings,noticed the same nilgai,before finally reaching the same old hostel.On our way back,we decided to enjoy a last meal at one of our favourite restaurants.Quickly rushing back,I packed my bags and called up my Goan family for a last good bye.Otherwise garrulous individuals were at loss for words,as we were counting our last few moments together.A quick photo session and our rides were here.A last round of hugs and we were off,and all I could think about was,"Why was this supposed to end now?". 
Chocolate Boy joined us at the station.We laughed and joked and bitched about people.We cursed this place and still cribbed over the fact that we are going miss this place. 

The train honked and set in motion.We waved out and bid adieu to the place,marking the end of the journey.The journey which started on 11th December 2010,with the words,"Please dont make me board this train",ended on 23rd February 2011,with the words "Please dont make me board this train". 

Arrivederci Ahmedabad. 

Enough is enough

Yet another terror attack,lives lost,no clue on who is behind the attacks,investigations under way,and all we get is a salute to the spirit of Mumbai ?

Seriously man,grow up! Be in our shoes for a day.

You are working,and suddenly a there are people talking about an explosion.You go online,till then theres another one.You confirm the news,and you realise its not one,not two,but three explosions.You check the places,you realise that your near and dear are present there,at that time.You try to call them,you cant get through,because the networks are jammed.You try calling your home,to no avail.There you are,sitting in your office,clueless about things happening around,and you feel helpless.You can't do anything but wait,wait till someone calls you and says,"We are all right over here".You heart-rate doubles,you wanna just hear that person's voice,but you cant.

Do you ever feel you'd have to experience the same?

NO !

Why ?

Because you travel in a bulletproof car,with state-of-the-art 24x7 security,funded by OUR HARD-EARNED MONEY.

You dont have to worry about being on a train,or waiting for a bus,or getting into a cab.Neither do you have to worry about your loved ones being anywhere in the proximity of the same.

For once imagine your kid is supposed to be in college,following his usual routine.You hear about a blast in the area,and you are not sure if you kid is still there,or if he/she is home.You try to call,networks jammed.You try to call home,same thing.

Godforbid if you lose a dear one,would you still sit there and say "I salute the spirit of Mumbai.Lets get back to our normal routine and show them how it didnt affect us."

People have lost their sense of security.You never know if you'd reach home back at night,when you leave in the morning.When you hear about a blast in a bus/train,you are still forced to take the same bus/train your way back home.You have your heart in your mouth.You pray and wish the bus/train isn't rigged to blow up.You don't know if the bag right above you is someone's luggage or a ticking time-bomb.

Ironically,the safest individual in Mumbai is someone who proved that Mumbai isn't safe.He is living a regal life,funded by taxpayers.

Why is he still there?

Ever imagined how a person who lost their dear one because of such a person feels when they realise he is still alive ? 

All the working individuals out there,what if you don't do your work promptly,does your boss just sit there?

He doesn't,right ?

So why are we just sitting there ?

I might know much on the working,but there are individuals who do.

There should be transparency in the system.We want to know where our tax money is going.

We want to feel secure.We need peace of mind that we are travelling in a bus/train,not a hearse.

Feb-Brewery in the Dry State

With our bank accounts no longer reading 0,we realized that we had crossed another milestone,probably left with a couple more before finally reaching the destination,marking the end of the journey.With this thought,we ushered in the last month of the most wonderful phase of our lives.

Trying to look at the glass being half full,I tried to enjoy the remaining time as much as I could.Matarani,Nagpuja were soon passé.Chocolate Room,Sardars,Punjab King was the place be.Late night gigs,with makeshift drumkit,weekend trips,movies,awesome dinner at awesome places,Subway,shopping,football,staying awake,chaas with Prasad,Ice-cream with Ishan,Tinku Jiya and no studying was what all the month was about.

The very first weekend was a royal trip to Udaipur.Weekdays were usually full of Mafia and Maar hi daloge.What started off as a relaxed month,started gaining momentum when suddenly test dates,project submissions were announced.Weekends were suddenly replaced by 'Head First',till your head burst.All this and my BI were enjoying weekends,and I started to wonder if I had done the right thing by opting for Java.
It was the last day for Chocolate Boy,and we gave a much deserved farewell.Chocolate boy became more chocolate-ier by a coat of chocolate,as working professionals had turned into college buffoons,again.
It was a night of uncensored,Chaas with Prasad as our beloved Chocolate Boy was asked questions way beyond his wildest imaginations.A night of heart break for the chicks,as their Chocolate Boy was no longer going to be meeting them.Really wished that he could have "hang on" a little while longer.

Still managed to sneak out for an evening of shopping,a frivolous rhyme duel with Bitiya Rani & Cool Aunty,a ride full of 'emptiness',awesome dinner and nice ride back to the hostel in the cold,while ogling at Deepika Padukone.First real experience of splurging,and it was sheer bliss.
The following day was Valentines Day,and the whole whole place was dressed in red.Apart from making a few couples,the day was just another day at the office.

Days were passing at the speed of light,as we had reached the last week of our stay.With the end of exams and project demos,we had the last weekend to ourselves.A DJ night with decent music,decent food,but awesome company was the last of our weekends together.Even better was the 1 am walk of almost 2 kms from the place to the hostel.But the day wasn't over for us yet,as the guards caught us.K-Pill and our security guy talked us out of the situation in what probably what was our last tussle with the security.
The next day we toured the city from one corner to the other,in search of a decent movie.Totally disgruntled by the movie,we decided to go in for another one,and yet another one after that.Shame though,as we could not execute the plan.Sunday was study day,as we were left one final test.

Last week was morning shift,and 2 pm marked the end of office hours.This left us with whole evening for movies.A class picture at the end of the day,and we were off to another movie,the next day and we had now officially seen all the movies that had been released during that time.
It ain't over till it is over,and that is what happened as we were given a last minute project,just so that we could not wile away our time on Mafia.Though no one really bothered on completing it.

And just like that,it ended.End of a phase,as we headed back to our hometown,though mentally we were still there,lost somewhere in Infocity.

January at Ahmedabad(Integration)

Home is where heart is.Having being under the conception,that I'd left mine in Mumbai for almost a month,the 3 day visit back made me realized that mine had shifted base to Ahmedabad.The journey back to Ahmedabad didnt seem as gloomy as it did the first time around.
Travelling with pals means no sleep.And reached 'home' at like 5 in the morning left us no time to sleep in the morning either.

Like promised,I got home-made chicken for savangs,who'd been missing home-made food.The only problem being those lazy asses were in deep sleep,and were in no mood to wake up that early.I'd been eyeing the chicken for as long as I could remember,and that sexy thing was trying to seduce me into gluttony.I tried to look at it like a stream of System.out statements,that is what probably saved it from me.
Danny Boy was the first to respond to the array of missed calls and called me over to the canteen.The situation didn't change much there either,as the two of us kept staring at the food,while waiting for the others.5-10 mins of waiting and dozen calls and messages later,we lost our patience and started hogging along with few others.

After probably the delicious breakfast in like a month,and still dazed,I got ready for the 1st day of the Integration Phase.Though all my fellow Mumbaikars were there with me,the fact that RP,BP,Danny weren't gonna be there wasn't all that pleasing.
Early to the 'Learning Room',we waited for our new facilitator,as I prayed for the person to be a hot chick ;).
To everyone's surprise,a boy not older than us,whom no one had ever seen before,entered the room.Before anyone could understand hey kon 'ale',pawan ke jhoke jaise,the lad introduced himself as our facilitator.Though he wasn't a hot chick like I wanted him to be,he seemed like a nice no kit-kit guy,and I'd make do with that.The shy guy was then made to(forced to) sing later.
After fun and games came java sessions,during which I made up for my loss of sleep from the previous night.

The initial few days were nothing more than java and few songs.God,how I missed those A-44 days.It was only after a week or so that everyone really gelled in and sessions started becoming fun.'Maar hi dalogey' and 'Mafia' were the two most frequently used words in the class.Soon chocolate boy also started joining us for our "sessions". All this and occasional frivolous mails to RP and the rest made the Integration Phase seem worthwhile.
Evening shifts were alloted to batches.No more getting up in the cold morning.Tuck yourself in the blanket till 10.Get up,have a nice breakfast,play football,have lunch and then office.And theres more.Evening shift meant office for 7 hours and salary for 9 hours worth of "work".Life couldn't have been any better !
A weekend trip to Diu,was the icing on the cake.It also made two new people enter our batch,viz.,Pressy and Nelly.

But,the very next week,our heaven was taken away from us,when after enjoying a week of evening shift,we were made to work in the general shift again.Zaina !
The night of 25th marked the 1st Gig of AHD-10 batch.Armed with 2 guitars,a makeshift drum kit with a C# snare,a tabla and 20-odd vocalist,we screamed,yelled,sweared and sang our way into the night,and also into the guard's ears.He was quick to respond with his usual dialogue of,"Aapka employee id do".But a session of singing and he melted like butter,and left without bothering to note down our ids."Bass awaaz kam rakho",was his advice and we continued yelling to the strumming and drumming.
Still the soft skills sessions full of fun,mafia and maar hi dalogey kept us company with chocolate boy's java sessions.
Weekend meant a time to step out into the city.Some went shopping,others went for movie.An awesome movie,a bite of Subway after months and a half decent laser show,marked our last weekend of being dependent,as the following week was going to be our first salary day.

31st January 2011,was a special day for all of us.Our first salary was to be credited on that day.Finally,after almost 45 days of waiting,our accounts were finally ready to get rid of the size zero diet.Excited,we all logged into our accounts,but to our disappointment,our accounts didn't hog the way we expected them to.The next 10-15 mins were mostly cries of swears and disappointment,as people were trying to figure out where exactly the money had gone.(6 months on,the story still remains the same).
Disappointed,angry,denounced,I tried to console myself,as though not what I expected it to be,it still was,and will always be my 'First Pay Slip',and we headed out,to splurge our first salary :).

January at Ahmedabad(Induction)

As new year began,half the people were at Mt.Abu having time of the life at almost sub zero temperatures,while the others were still at Ahmedabad,working really hard trying to get a hang of MVC architecture.
Bored with being in the office on new years,we headed to Akshardham.Awesome architecture and the best freaking laser show I've seen.

Back from an awesome weekend,everyone was back to work,trying to meet the coding deadline.Few lost souls like yours truly,RP & BP were still busy with double entendre.Par aaisa karna allowed hai ? Allowed hai,allowed hai.These words soon became shibboleth of A44.
Amidst the chaos technical sessions of coding,documentation were soft-skills sessions with awesome plays.One particular really struck a note with the people when Swamy said to Mr.Wang,that he'll open if he wants to open.Swamy was the highlight of the play,as the escort in the play was willing to offer him any services he wanted.

In between all of this came the moment all of us were waiting for,the posting details.One by one places were listed with the number of vacancies,with Mumbai nowhere in sight.The best they say is always saved for the last.Mumbai,there it was.Good things come in small packages.In this case,the small package being the number of vacancies.Only 70 seats for 120 Mumbaikars.As we headed to the auditorium for a briefing on the whole thing,half the people were already in tears,as if they had been already told that they were going to be in those 50 who were not going to get posted in Mumbai."Why is it always us? Previous batch had 70 odd seats for only 30 Mumbaikars.",was what every third person was saying. The session got over,but the tears didn't.
Back to the rooms,I kept on convincing RP,BP to stick with me and apply for Mumbai,but they were adamant of going to Bengaluru.In a last valiant effort,I tried to make them opt for Java,but they were again not willing to settle for anything which required coding.I prayed and entered my choices and hoped for the best.

The following week was full of hoaxes about posting.Not bothered much,we continued our daily routine of songs,jokes,coding,documentation,fixing errors one by one,as our tester Chabdaji kept finding loop holes in the code.
The time had come,our weeks hardwork put into the coding was finally put to test.Our facilitator started entering erroneous data,but was always showed a proper error message(Daddys home baby !).Tired from extensive testing,he finally asked us if there are any errors in our codes that we hadn't fixed.Its like asking,is Osama hiding in your country? Anyway,he still pointed out some errors int the documentation,which he wanted us to fix by the next deadline.Whatever!
Evenings were the best part during those days.Though we enjoyed as hell during the sessions,football in the evenings was the real deal.

With the week nearly coming to an end,the day everyone was waiting for was had arrived,as the lady held the results for the form we had 'feel'ed.One by one she started calling out names.The sheet was almost over,but still no sign of my name.For the first time I'd become nervous.Not Kochi,not Kochi,not Kochi is what my mind kept saying all that while.Finally,she uttered my name and said Java-Mumbai.Punched the air,and mailed my brother about the same.
Though most we happy with their choices,some of them we left throughly disappointed,not getting either their preferred choice of stream or city.Some of them didn't even have their names in the list.
Excited with my posting,I rushed out to know where others had been posted to.Almost all my fellow Mumbaikars had been posted to Mumbai.

Counting the last few days of the induction phase,I tried to enjoy as much as I could.Our trio continued with our banter,annoying mumma,cracking stupid meaningless,double meaning jokes,singing weird songs.Had never enjoyed so much.Some of them laughed so hard that their " 'Teeths' were showing ".
Having completed with the case study and still one day left of the induction phase,we decided what we wondered what could we possibly do on the last day.But,surprise surprise,there was an announcement,"Test hai kal".Though of them were not much worried about it,RP seemed tensed,as for him,test is hard.
Despite not having studied anything,the test was quite easy,and RP wondered had he done the right thing by opting for BI over Java.
Post the test,we had a viva and we officially done with the 'Induction Phase'.

EOD,and we were off to the hostel,packing bag(s) full of clothes to be washed,as weekend this time around was going to be in Mumbai for us.

December at Ahmedabad

6 am.Alarm ringing,but unlike most of the times,I dont snooze it.Why? Because,its my roomie's bloody cell thats ringing.Covering my ears with the pillow,I try to go to sleep,but soon I realize that today is my 'First Day at the Office'.Quickly I get up,and start getting ready.Meanwhile,Mr.Cisco too is busy getting ready for his 1st day at the office.Combed our hair to perfection,polished our shoes as clear as a mirror,tied the perfect tie-knot,prayed to the Gods,took our folders and we were off to the office.If life had background music,surely "Aakhon mein sapne liye,gharse hum chal toh diye" would have been the apt song.

Dressed and raring to go,we made our way downstairs,waiting for the others.Alongside were 200-odd people,with the same nervousness on their faces and the same list of documents in their hands.As the others came,we left for the a memorable,yet terrifying experience of our lives.The 10 minute walk seemed like an eternity,with mind wandering away into thoughts of cubicles,projects,deadlines,team members,etc.Finally reaching the building,we were directed towards the cafeteria,where oddly enough,the ever hungry yours truly didn't even look around for food.Shaky hands kept on checking the documents every couple of minutes,as if they were going to vanish in the thin air.The chitter-chatter of the 200 nervous people amplified through the cafeteria,eventually inviting the security guard to intervene.Don't know if it were my anxiousness or the noise around,but i all i could make out was snap,blah blah,bang,blah,snap,pointing towards one end,blah blah and suddenly there was a pin drop silence.The ephemeral silence ended as soon the guard made his way out of the cafeteria,as people resumed to their chitter-chatter.Eventually,we were told to make way to the auditorium.

There is something about auditoriums that always make me feel sleepy.Nothing different was this situation,and so I tried to find a seat at the back rows but being a 'late latif' didn't do me any good.All the preceding seats were occupied as well.During this row scanning process,certain vacant seats in the middle were occupied as well,and the only vacant seats left were the first and the second rows.With no other option left,I went and sat at the seat which seemed relatively farthest from the speaker.Soon all the higher authorities came and gave us an introduction about themselves and the organization after which we were off for lunch.Post lunch,we gathered again in the auditorium, completing the document formalities and called it a day at around 6.30.

2^nd day began in pretty much the same fashion.Sleepy from the oil-laden food I had for lunch, I made my way to the auditorium .This time though we were gonna be told our batches.Being an introvert,I wanted someone from the 10 odd people I was acquainted with in the 2 days,to be a part of my batch.One by one,names were being announced.As Mr.Cisco’s name was announced,i crossed my fingers for my name to be a part of the batch as well.Sadly though,I wasn’t a part of the 1^st batch.Zaina !

Then came the names of people from the 2^nd batch.4-5 names were called,after which I heard my name,and I rose from my half sleepy state and I started noticing the people who were there with me.Soon the list of 40 people was over and as I looked around,none of them were of my acquaintance.Hell,more than 80% of them,I was seeing for the first time.I couldn’t help but bombard a series of swears(in my head) at the person responsible for making these batches.Rubbing salt to the wound was the fact that all of my friends had atleast 1 person of their acquaintance with them.

Still upset with the batch allocation,I made my way back to the hostel,asking people,”Hi,u from A-44?” Dinner was over,and we headed back to the hostel.Met K-pill on the way,cribbed in front of him too about the allocation.K-pill with his ever smiling face told me,”Arre,A-44 na.Yeh bhi A-44 mein hai”,and I met Mukesh Uncle,who also was the CR of our batch.Wow ! My first friend from the batch.Happy I was returning to my room,where I was stopped and invited to Room 201(miss that place),to play the game of Mafia(miss that too!). Ecstatic,I RSVP’d a confirmation.

As I made my way to the room filled with 15 unknown people,playing an unknown game was no different what my situation would have the next day at office,except that the number of people was going to be more.In a way,this was kind of a trailer.Though the trailer seemed like the trailer for Paranormal Activity,a few minutes into it,I turned into an Adam Sandler flick.Soon,I was acquainted to everyone present there,and got a hang of the game as well.1-2 rounds in,double entendres made its entrance and introvert-ism took a back seat,as we laughed and cracked jokes.What started off as a crappy day,turned into quite at eventful one.I returned to room a content person and called it a day.

1^st day with the batch.Nervous,I made my way the classroom,as I searched for a familiar/friendly/beautiful face,with a vacant seat besides.Since many had already utilized the output from the above search function,there were barely any places left.I made my way to one of them,and introduced myself to the person next to me,Danny Boy a.k.a. The-man-with-the-golden-voice.As the first session began,our facilitators made us introduce the person sitting next to us,along with his/her favourite food.So ,we got down to work,and to my amazement,Danny Boy was a meat lover like me :).Having introduced my newest buddy,’Sorpotel Danny’ to everyone,I geared up for the next activity. Made quite a few friends by the end of it too,and soon I wished for more of these activities.By the end of it,almost everyone knew everyone.The technical sessions began later,though I’d rather not talk about them.

Next few days were pretty much the same,with an entertaining non-technical session,and 3 technical sessions per day,and mafia in room 201 at the end of the day.Singing,dancing,laughing,coding we made a week into training.Soon tests were announced and sooner tests were conducted as well :P

Finally,the day I was looking forward to since the past 2 months had arrived.As my roommates got ready to give me a sore ass,i prepared myself by tying a pillow to my ass,a method which was used by my roomie,when we gave him a sore ass some days back.As the clock struck 12,phones calls,messages kept coming in,as my roomies waited eagerly for me to hang up,so as to begin the ass whopping.Next day,we headed to the office,as we had an exam the next the.Still,I got a nice surprise birthday celebration amidst the preparation :).

Post test,we were divided into groups for case study.Though was friends with just Danny Boy,soon gelled with the rest of group members as well.Case study was probably the best part the entire first phase,as Petrol Pump and me kept on bugging Danny Boy with our endless pjs.It was during this time that RP and me started our double meaning talks as well.Soon BP joined us as well.With our terrific trio of brothers in place,all that was missing to complete the picture was Mumma.Having recruited her,we went our in search of our dad.Soon Mumma became Mother Ahmedabad,as everyone addressed her as Mumma,with a new brother/sister being added to our family everyday.With project work aside,RP,BP and me kept on making more and more senseless double entendre,from almost every word that ‘came’ from people.

As the year drew towards an end,we had a small celebration organized by our employer.Music,food,fashion show,and a hell lot of a dance as we bid adieu to the year that was,a day before the actual new year(the only sad part about the ‘New Year’ celebration).Though we had a little celebration of our own on 31^st night,as well went all over  the hostel rooms,wishing everyone,playing music,dancing and as always,at the end of everything,headed to room no.201 for Mafia :) .

.. And the journey begins

December 12th,around 5.30 am

After a long,tiring journey,sudden commotion woke me up.People were getting ready to alight,as Ahmedabad station was almost in sight.Quickly,I got up and started taking out luggage hidden under every seat.Half asleep and a bag in each hand,I got out off the train,and looked around at the place which was going to be my home for the next 2 months.I couldnt help but dislike every single thing which I saw.Call it being narrow minded,but still the fact still remained,i missed Mumbai.Though,I loved the cool weather over there.Its the one thing i didnt miss about Mumbai.

I as got out of the station,i saw a bus waiting to pick us up.Alongside were 100 odd aspiring engineers,people who were going to be a part of my mañana.Tired and weary from the journey,didnt really make an effort to know anyone.Loaded my bags in the bus,and climbed aboard.As the engine roared,we began our hour long journey to the campus.The driver,probably pissed at the fact that Vijay Mallaya didnt sign him for Force India F1,decided he didnt need VJM04 to show off his skills.He maneuvered the 5 ton bus,like a 500 kg F1 car,through the streets of Ahmedabad.Cutting corners,running red lights,left side overtaking,u name it.Lewis Hamilton would have been proud of that man.

45-50 mins later,the bus finally halted in front of a gate, and we knew we had reached the campus.Happy not only coz we'd reached,but also the fact that bus had not become a hearse.A few people got down to enquire about our campus.Though we were at the right place,we were at the wrong gate.Arrrggghhh ! Damn these people.What difference does it make if we use a gate for entering as well as leaving the campus.Disappointed we headed back into the bus,only problem being the road was too small to turn the bus around,atleast thats what most of us felt.But the driver had full confidence in his driving abilities.Like before he maneuvered the gigantic vehicle like a hot knife through butter.Michael Schumacher would have been proud of this guy.On we went from one gate to other,through a beautiful road surrounded by trees on both sides.Though this beauty was making it difficult for the bus to make way through it.Slow and carefully,the driver made his way through the road,to reach gate no.2.This time too,the 'Team Leads' went on to enquire about our hostel,but the result still remained the same.Thankfully,this time around we kept the bus on the road.Moving on,we finally reached gate no.3.Team Leads on their work,but surprisingly,this time we got a yes.The bus entered the huge campus and navigated through the roads towards our hostel.


We got down,unloaded the luggage and made our way towards reception.Pacifying myself with the thought that i'll be off to sleep in about 10-20 mins,I made my way to the reception,only to find everyone already in queue,waiting to 'get a room' and doze off.I joined the ever increasing line and waited for my turn.According to my initial research,these rooms were already assigned to each individual and this was merely a handover of the keys and signing of the agreement part of the deal.Surprisingly,rooms were not pre-decided and were alloted to each individual as he came.Seeing this trend,everyone started switching places to be next to their friends.I too squeezed between Mr.Cisco & Dino,either of whom,or even both could have been my roomies.
As I told the receptionist my name,he handed over me sheets to filled.Completing all the required formalities,i handed those sheets back and was told the room I was assigned to.Mr.Cisco was my roomie and Dino was alloted the adjacent room.


Me,Cisco and our newly made friends made our way to the apartment.Making entries in the attendance registers we made way to our room.Ringing the bell,we woke up our roomie on a sunday morning at 7 am(not a pleasant thing to do to an engineer,especially a working engineer).Though he was kind enough to not take offence and showed us our room,where our other roomie was fast asleep.Leaving him be,we kept our luggage towards one corner of the room and left for breakfast.

Having a quick breakfast and making a few acquaintance,the Idea of getting a new SIM struck us.So we said Tata to our new friends and went SIM shopping.Explored the place a little,but the sun got the better off me and I headed to my room for a nice nap.
Waking up in the evening,I started preparing myself for my first day on the job,asking roomie about his experience.Having an early dinner,I headed off to sleep,as the day drew towards an end.

Oh yea,I did miss the fact that I could no longer stay awake till the wee hours of the morning,watching movies,playing games,or just staying awake !

Build up to the journey

Post engineering,sans the degree(or results),i eagerly waited for my call letter,not because I wanted to work,I just wanted  to have my first pay check,and 1 by 1 start eliminating the plethora of gadgets,and start filling my room with them.After enjoying the initial few months of vacations,I started becoming restless as the months kept passing,with the joining not visible for miles.Soon frustration crept in,but,its prolonged exposure made me immune.Employed,still jobless,I sat in my room,watching movies,playing games,which I once used to be a dream.
As one by one,nearly all colleges in Mumbai had received their call letters,we sat there,waiting for ours,cursing our college authorities for not making an effort.All we kept getting during that time,were mails to verify our details,conduct Bio-metric tests and shit.One thing that I was happy about was the fact that I got to stay in Mumbai longer,as almost all Having lost hopes of getting the joining before the end of the year,checking mails regularly had also become the thing of the past.

One fine afternoon,towards October end,switching between movies,Call of duty,I stumbled upon my Call of duty,which was nothing less than finding kryptonite.After going through the mail,which stated I had to report to Ahmedabad office,on 13th Decemeber,I realized,the joining could not have come at a better time,as I would get to celebrate my birthday with my friends,as I always wanted.Also,the fact that I wasn't very far away from Mumbai,made me even happier.

After sharing the news with my family,I quickly messaged my friends about the same.As excited as a man who was just told he had become a father,I started preparing a list of all the movies I had to watch & games I needed  to play within the next month,as my mom started preparing a list of food items she had to prepare in the same time.

As the days kept passing,slowly life started getting serious.This I can say from the fact that suddenly my Iron Maiden,Metallica t-shirts started making way for ties & shirts.Crap! As they say,no pain,no gain.
Clothes,shoes,documents were soon out of the cupboard,as my room became an obstacle course,with me having to navigate through bags,wires,clothes lying all around.

As the month of November drew towards the end,I started to count my last few days in Mumbai,thinking about how things are gonna suck in Ahmedabad.With less than a week left for me to leave the city,Mr.Ha-Horses got posted to Ahmedabad,and had to report within the very next day.As we had a makeshift farewell for him,I put myself in his shoes,thinking in about 5 days,i'll be the one who'll be getting a farewell.

11th Decemeber 2010.Bidding adieu to the city which had been my home ever since I was born,wasn't easy.At the station meeting up everyone,who had been a part of my daily routine for the past 4 years,for last time wasn't easy either.At the platform,waiting at for the train,cracking stupid jokes,teasing friends,irritating cousins,I realized how much I am gonna miss all of this.
Alas,the train was at the station.With no option other than boarding it,I waved one last time to family,friends alike,as I embarked upon a journey,which I didn't really wanted to go on.