“Wake up you idiot, don’t be a Karthik”

As we came out of Cinemax theatre after watching movie ‘Wake up Sid’, I could feel the fresh blood flowing exceptionally through my slender veins. While I was driving my ‘old-edition’ bike over the mountainous roads of Banjara hills in Hyderabad, I could contemplate the thought of existing in this world without really waking up…

It was midnight, and as we came out of INOX theatre after watching movie, ‘3 Idiots’, I could re-collect the days I had spent in engineering college. We had hardly noticed a ‘Rancho’ like character in our hostel that can teach a lesson to our seniors or excel in exams with passion for electrical engineering. Sometimes I fumble when I think, what I was doing those days…

Recently we saw a movie in Cinemax, ‘Karthik calling Karthik’ in which Karthik played by Farhan Akhtar is portrayed as ‘super-common’ man and it shows the transition of his character from mere commoner to a dynamic one. Although for a very brief moment of the movie, had this concept worked…infact big portion of the movie belong to thrill and romance..anyways, I was impressed with this one too..!!!

However after going through all these thoughts, I could infer one common trend among these movies and that is, all these movies show the inspiration striking the youth only. Take ‘3 idiots’; it talks about young engineering students. ‘Wake up Sid’ talks about young college graduate and ‘Karthik calling Karthik’ mention briefly about an employed one (too brief to comment). So what could we infer about this trend. Is it only that the youth needs inspiration or maybe they are the most susceptible ones???? It’s been ages we haven’t seen a movie depicting a mid-aged frustrated professional struggling through various daily job issues. Most of the issues related to career, profession, organization, compromises, family and motivation appear at these ages.
I am still waiting for such movies…

1 and 1/2 bottles of beer

I really need a mug full of beer to pen down my experience with divine liquid. Those were the days when sharing 3 bottles of beer were good reason to celebrate without any reason. IIT is a place where carrying colored liquid inside the campus is always considered as an offence. But we hardly cared about the same, and this was never our constraint..!!! We normally had no reason to celebrate; it was just to spend time together after grueling days with seminars, classes, assignments and hell lot of other happenings.

The time was usually early in the evening. The menu used to be almost fixed. Before venturing out to get the bottles, we ordered 1 plate maggi (universal bachelor cuisine) and one pack of “kurkure” at hostel canteen. My bike was tattooed with “Tere Naam” and it looked like fragile piece of 3^rd handed vehicle. I am talking about my cycle which is a norm in IIT, infact all IITs. The campus gate was almost a kilometer from our hostel, so we decided to take our turn to ride the bike. The liquor shop was located just outside our campus gate followed with a small road-side cart (“thela”) of eggs, omlette and boiled eggs. After we purchase 3 bottle of beer, we used to visit this “thela” and had 2 plates of boiled eggs that seem awesome at that moment. We had to wrap the bottles with newspapers to avoid any noise that could hold us in suspicion in front of campus guards. Our next objective was to reach our room as soon as possible to have our drinks as chilled as possible. Since Vivek was strongest between us, he took the charge to ride the cycle. As we reach our room, our recipes were already ready in the canteen. Second room in ‘D’ block was our “adda”. Vivek had good collection of songs and movies (which doesn’t matter after two sips of drinks). Three bottles of beer was good enough for us. We shared half of these, always. We never complained, never regretted about the quantity and quality. It was always the same; one and the half bottle each…!!! We discuss all sorts of issues, right from latest movie to low GDP of our country. Sometimes we were accompanied with Supriya who had no relation with beer but acted as a chorus for two of us. We had our share of troubled life with us, and this was the best time to share. This was the time when everything seems to be the best.

It’s been 3 years that we haven’t met over the beer party, but I still cherish those glorious moments at IITK. We had our share of successes and failures but these moments can never be re-created unless we meet. Now we have been married and comfortably settled, but still the magic of this divine liquid remain the same.

As I gulp my last sip of beer, I could still remember the old days with my friend, the only moment I still miss now-a-days. We might have grown our life to new dimensions, but the beer party remains the same…

Ultimate divine..!!!

Show must go on...

As I laid my hands on the red cushion stacked over the dilapidated chair, I felt the streak of pain rushing through my spine. The fluid was gushing through my veins at lower pace than few days before. The eyes seem to be relaxed mood. I slowly sat over the chair with my palm resting over my thigh bone. I rolled my eyes all over the place around. Now, there were no heated fumes. Chairs were placed up-turned over the tables. Waiters were off with their dresses. Lights were few and dim. Suddenly I was felt a bit cold, sitting in large grass-ware…!!!

I looked at the sky above which was not as dark as few hours before. It was waiting for new rays to strike….

…our house was filled with swarm of guests, most of them I hadn’t received at all..!! The momentum picked up as the sound of instruments reached its maximum peak. Some were singing while others were just humming. The soon-to-be-bride was sitting in the middle of the room surrounded with numerous gaping ladies. Secluded, as always, I was standing over the room’s gate, with my elbow resting over the support. Few days from now, the house will return to its original state, deprived with one of its member.

Anyways, I wasn’t prepared to receive this call, but papa called me and revealed that the days ahead weren’t going to be simple for all of us. All of a sudden I went blank and couldn’t think of what expressions should I portray. Don’t know, I could have called mummy and Divya and explained them about this or remain calm and wait for papa to return to home. God..!!! I couldn’t stand the music anymore.

She was admitted to hospital, struck with needles and glucose. I wasn’t aware if this was the best option, but this was the only option we were left with. We all were avoiding facing each other to avoid the basic question in everyone’s mind, “what to do now, and how???”

Show must go on…I don’t know if we all were feeling confident or not, but our intentions were clear and strong….the show must go on. Everything went on plan, I think almost. Few hiccups, few changes and few disappointments...but we all tried to manage our grace. Danced as if nothing happened…wore as if it is pleasure…ate as if it doesn’t bother...laughed as if it never happened…cried as if it was usual..!!! But the only thing that kept us motivating was the strength behind her tired eyes. This wasn’t the first time; almost after 8 years. Probably she is one of the strongest among us.

As I looked at the sky above which was not as dark as few hours before, I thought, the show finally went well. Few turns..few twists..but at the end it went well. Pains were receding and smiles were back..

It’s been 52 days since I had that night, one of the most strenuous of all. But now it feels pleasure to know that our efforts have finally paid. She is happy, bright and healthy…

God bless…