Saturday, May 24, 2008

Rainy Ride

Yesterday , was friday and i decided to leave office a little early since i had been out late the previous evening ... when i looked out of the office window, i could see it was pouring crazy.... and it looked evident that the rain would not stop for the next few hours. I had for a change come to office on my bike...

I decided I would take the risk and start of on the journey home, being fully sure that i would be a wet kitten , by the time i got home. I wore my jacket, kicked off from the basement and Zoom was on the road.... there was no much traffic at all since it was raining mad. The ride from manipal hospital to command hospital was almost on a dead road... infact what pleasure.... rain was pouring like crazy hitting me on my face... it felt some movie style .. so i decided to even hummmmm and feel very lively about the whole thing, until suddenly my bike skid and the way i just controlled the bike was very movie style ,, but it was sheer fluke ...
I was kind of nervous all the way home and quiet serious also, till i saw a garbage collecting van at the signal....His unique way of asking people to maintain distance was really hillarious.. He had a big saying put up at the back of the van.... any guesses...



" Please don't kiss me Sir" with a design of a hand beside it...

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Silent Whispers

Cloudy Morning
Sun hidden behind the clouds
Silence at the churchyard
And whispers not loud
A soul is being laid to rest
A life lived to its best

A life that has gone by
Thru happiness and sorrow
A life lived to its fullest
With nothing more the borrow

Seeing the sunset and the moonrise
Dusty road and the countryside
The ups and downs
A roller coaster ride

Learning and growing
Wrinkles on the skin
A time for silent prayer
To whip all our sins.

This is a poem that I dedicate to my beloved father who left earth to move to a more peaceful place in heaven on this day 13 years ago.. Be it 13 or 30 years, the hollow in the heart missing him would always be there.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Old Scribbling

A Day has gone by
With the killing heat
And the very thought
You’re not in your seat
No Call for coffee
No mail for lunch
No buzz at teatime
And the wink for munch
All seemed so dull
With a sudden lull
Friend, you’re the very essence
That makes the difference
By your very presence
Spreading the fragrance
Of happiness among us

I was trying to clean up all my old mails and i got this one, that i wrote , for a very good friend of mine... long time ago...

Guess without friends, we would all be half dead in our lives!!!!!!!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Fiercely Independent

Every Saturday, as a general practice in the name of god, i have a meal just once a day.

Saturday evenings are meant to have snacks and with this, gives an opportunity to explore different joints selling something veggie
For this VV puram, near Sajjan Rao circle has been my favourite venue since I was 14 years old. This is one famous road, that has so many roadside carts, shops…. that sell variety of foods, from puttu, puligare, bajji, obbattu, badam milk, dosa, idli…. Akki roti, just name it and you have it.
Over the years, each time I have visited I have observed that the road has gone thru its changes. Some cart guys just vanished, while some cart guys are now shop owners. New shops have come up and variety too, many competitors have grown and the place now is extremely crowded on a Saturday that I visit.
Since my last 3 odd visits, I have observed a couple, may be in their 70’s have set up their cart. During the 1st visit, they were only selling a few fried items, like chakli, nippotu. Very few or no customers were going to them and the man used to just sit on the platform unable to stand. This time when I visited, they had started few more things like behl puri, tomato slice, mango mix…. They had come up with some quickies which was now beginning to sell quiet fast. The old man seemed more energetic, grating the carrots and cutting the tomatoes at jiffy speed and his wife was equally quick taking orders. I could see a spark in their eyes even at that age.
Something that said they wanted to be fiercely independent whether it was at their will or the society had caused grief. But their faces just beamed with will power to face anything. It surely requires lot of energy and will power to stand that long on the road and cater to customers. I felt a lot of positive energy when I saw them and in that sheer feeling ended up eating a bhel puri and a tomato slice… and had a filling Saturday snack

Hats off to that couple!!!!!

Friday, May 9, 2008

House on the Highway

Rain Drops falling on my roof,
Looking at it I stood aloof

Deserted highway
And silence around
Just the rain And I were bound

Listening to the falling drops
for hours I stood,
Singing tunes only I understood

The trees were drenched
Their thirst was quenched
The leaves began to Swing
And the flowers seemed to sing

Dancing in the rain
Feeling life so full
Fresh thoughts in my mind
Oh! Life is wonderful

Friday, May 2, 2008

50 years to 669,

April 30th marked a very memorable event for me, when my ajji’s house celebrated its 50 years….. The house has stood the test of time against all weathers.

My Ajja used to say that in 1958 when he built the house in Rajajinagar , bhashyam circle main road , there was only paddy fields all around and the only school out was in malleswaram , that was a good 5 km walk which my mom and her siblings would do to go to school. Today after 50 years it is one among the 5-6 houses that stands on the main road against the stiff walls of all the complexes and shopping centres.

Despite all that traffic when I still enter that gate which has two coconut trees as welcome pillars and the gate makes a loud squeaky noise , which is as good as a calling bell…. And my Ajji walking slowly, feebly towards the door to open it with a smile on her face. The truth is there is still some serenity which I can just feel and be happy. The backyard still remains calm to my ears and looks beautiful with different trees from plantain , mango, curry leaves, neem, to name a few and a huge Tulasi ( Basil plant) which has a lovely “ Brindavan”

The house has seen Three generations grow, 6 children, 12 grand children and 3 great grand children apart from many cousins who grew here. I still remember my Ajji making me sit on the compound wall and show me the moon while she fed me curd rice, may be I was just over 3 years, now it is my turn where I make my daughter sit on the compound to give her curd rice…not showing her the moon coz it seems lost in the traffic smoke