A CONVERSATION

It was a hot Saturday afternoon. Maithry was busy in her room preparing her quarterly performance report. Just then her mom came in “putty, r u busy? Pay a visit to the beauty parlour, we have a visitor in the evening”. “hm..ok” grumbled Maithry.

The visitor – the prospective groom who was to come at 5.30 arrived at 7.30 & blamed the Bangalore traffic for the delay. Now, after savouring the special dishes served the prospective groom & Maithry went to the terrace to “exchange” their views………maithry noticed her neighbour – a north Indian lady peeping out of her window to get a glimpse of the prospective groom.

Prospective Groom: hi, let me say a few things about myself first. U might be knowing I am working as manager in the QC dept. of this famous biotech co., I joined there as a store keeper for a paltry salary u know!? I have climbed the success ladder with lot of hard work & years of efforts. I have achieved soooo much though I am just a science graduate. I am a self made man u know.

Maithry: hm…(smile)

(She wondered…. is he speaking to me or addressing a bunch of fresh recruits in his co.)

PG: I am a happy man now…but I was happy when I had nothing as well. That’s the principle for my life…be happy whether u have money or not. I have never borrowed a single rupee from any one in my life. I may lose my job one fine day then also I will be happy & I want ‘you’ also to be happy in such a situation as well. I am not bothered about u r qualification & u r job. Its upto u to decide whether u want to work or not.

M: hm….
(She thought “why is he speaking as if I am already his wife! she wanted to say that she did her engineering from the education loan that her dad got & she has got a career graph that’s any bodies envy……..but kept quiet)


PG: ours is a big family you know….I have got four elder sisters who are married & settled & two elder brothers who r not married…. they r not financially very well & am supporting them. I want you too to take care of them very well.

M: hm…
(she thought is that an order or what?! she thought of asking why his brothers were not married.. but thought that is none of her business & so kept mum)

PG: I respect elders very much. I want you also to respect everyone in my family & you should treat everyone of them with high regard………. & I think its my responsibility to take care of my parents. Isn’t it the duty of children to take care of parents? What do u say?

M: Agreed…By the way…. my mom said u r parents live in u r village.

PG: oh ya… I was alone here na…& am quite busy with all my responsibilities in the co. I am the manager in the company na…..but once we r married my parents will come & stay with us. You must “take care”of them very well. They r quite aged & isn’t it “our” responsibility to look after them...hmm?
(Maithry wondered why his English came down from corporate level to friendly chat)

M: hm... I too want to take care of my parents. May not be now. But perhaps in their old age

PG: (gave a startled look & mumbled) of course ….your parents should also be “respected”.

Maithry thought it was enough & wanted to end the conversation but the guy suddenly remembered something & started of……

PG: do you watch TV? I like S M Janakiram’s serials very much.

Maithry: hm… (She wanted to say I hate serials & prefer watching NGC or MTV if she had time but she didn’t)

The guy suddenly shifted to Kannada

PG: nanige yavdu ketta abhyasagalu illa…nanu thumba adarshagal iro manushya…

…………..pause………….

Nan helidna hege nambtheeya?

(maithry thought of asking him how will he - believe her …but kept quiet)

Prapancha ninthirode nambike mele alva….ond sala commit madkond mele adakke baddhavag irbeko ….nambike droha madbaardu….alva…neenen heltheeya?

Maithry felt a bit giddy & she knew the dialogues he hammered were lifted from one of those TV serials that he watched & she felt irritated by the way he addressed her…she thought… English is a strange language …u can’t make out whether it is ‘neenu’ or ‘neevu’ when somebody says ‘you’.

She had had enough & said “shall we go?”

PG: Ha ok…nimge yenadru prashnegalidre dharalvag kelbodu… feel free to ask me….any time…

(Maithry felt his tone has suddenly mellowed down)

‘ha khanditha’………..said Maithry & started walking down the stairs…without waiting for him to lead the way….


The time was 9.30pm & Maithry came into the balcony after her dinner. Her north Indian neighbour seemed to be waiting for her…. peeping through the window, with her face lit up with excitement she said ............

“kyaa decide kiya Maithry…ladka tho bahuth smart hey…bahuth fair bhi hey…. bilkul chocolate hero hey….”

M: ha didi …par zyada chocolate khane se danth mey sadan ho jathey hey…….heyna?

Isn’t it true dear….she is Maithry living in 2008 & not Savithri of the puranas. & wonder why men still try impressing a girl by being Sri Ramachandra prabhu ....with all those double standards of the Ramayana intact!!!

ignorance is bliss..............

January 6, 2008

Today morning I got up late, got ready & hurried to the bus stop. Got into the bus & was lost in thoughts. When I got down near the factory I was startled! My office building has just disappeared!! Am I still sleeping & is this a dream? Or some problem with my eyesight?

I looked around & saw hazy pictures of people entering the gate. Oh! It was just the morning fog. It was so thick that you can hardly make out what lies after five steps.

I made my way through the fog. The uncertainty of what lays a few steps ahead scared me a bit. But soon I reconciled myself & started enjoying the bliss of ignorance…………the ignorance about the person you are going to meet after a few steps.

Is it going to be an old familiar face? Or a perfect stranger with a friendly smile or your ever arguing, never agreeing dictator boss? Or your co-operative, supportive colleague.

Oh my mind……., it is just a phase that you are going through. Just be calm & accept your ignorance. The uncertainty of future, the unsettled thoughts of getting settled, unpredictability of practical things & impractical things that are quite predictable.

Just wait……..as the sun rises through the horizon, the fog disappears. But you can’t move the sun at your whim. He moves at his own pace. But he sure will rise across the horizon and clear the fog. So be patient and learn to accept &…………….. enjoy your ignorance!

Swing of Life

Up.............. down................. up.................... here goes the swing
Sometimes along the wind
Sometimes against the wind
“Enjoy the swing little girl”

Her little friends stand behind her
Push her & cheer loudly
A few strong hands push her higher & higher
The girl laughs merrily………
……… as the swing goes up in wind

A few tender hands push her lightly …… hands not strong enough
“ stamp your feet on the ground dear…
… so that you can swing higher “
Says the tender hands

And two graceful figures …… Stand beside the swing
Leaning over the pole……… Watching the little girl swing

The lines on their face says they have seen
…… many many such swings
“Why don’t they push me?!” thinks the little girl

Little kids get tired of pushing
They leave her swing & go play for themselves
The two step in now
they just rock the swing
……… as the swing looks like a cradle to them

The little girl turned back & saw a twinkle in their eyes

My little girl, it’s not in their eyes…..
That’s the dream in your eyes
.........................getting reflected in theirs

Swing along little girl
Merrily along the wind
Boldly across the wind
& bravely against the wind…………
…………… that gushes through your ears

A BAG FULL OF MEMEORIES

Written when i moved out of the department

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Pack your bags dear…
It is time to move out
Move out of the office room
Room filled with things & just things


But things seem to have a life…………….A life of their own
The creaky chairs, noisy tables,
The cleaning cloth & the unclean racks
The dustbin filled with chocolate wrappers & tablet covers
The numbered files, unused covers
The calendars of a bygone year


The bag is filled to the brim
With memories & just memories


Memories
Of Smiles, guffaws, cheers & tears
Of sweet chocolates that melted in mouth
& those which got stuck
Of Letters accepted, rejected & saved forever
Of Pins, pens & stickers abased, lost, got & given away

The writings in the log book
read, laughed at, misspelt, & missed

Tiny yellow stickers that scared, reminded & shared the work
Tiny red knives that teared papers, carved labels & shared apples
Glittering wrappers that changed hands & changed minds


The motors & minds burnt & rewound
The bills, cheques, requests & doubts paid, cleared & left pending
Hairs & thoughts left astray
Songs & messages played, saved and deleted
Clips and photos shared, hidden and flashed





But one thing seems unfazed…………the window grill
The window grill that had witnessed many things
The bright, sunny mornings
The foggy, chilled mornings
The scorching hot middays
The cool, cloudy noons
Soothing breeze in the evenings,
The tender drops, drizzles and heavy downpours……..
…………Both on that side as well on this side

Oh….! Is it the third siren dear?
Is your bag ready?
Close the window and switch off the lights
Shall I lock the door now?
Hey……! What is this I am hearing?
Did u forget your cell phone ?
“No nonsense, it is in my bag”
Then from where is this music beaming out?

Hmmm…………… the table drawer is singing!!!

believe it or not

this is a not a bedtime story as it looks like

once upon a time there lived a bunny and an owl in the deep forests of western ghats
the owl always wanted to have the bunny for its lunch
the wise bunny somehow escaped
but on a full moon day a beautiful angel came to the forest
the bunny came out to see the angel
just then the owl jumped on the bunny and killed it

the angel felt pity for the bunny and asked it had any last wish

the bunny replied
" i want the eyesight of the owl as it is so sharp and a heart as light as u
and i would like to retain one of my bunny quality in my next birth......."

the bunny meant the fairness of its skin
but the angel gave it its teeth!!!!!!!

Thus a girl was born with bunny teeth and owls eyes with a dark complexion and a light heart


now it is for u to find out who the girl is