Man in the mirror

Who? Who exactly is that man staring back at me?
Is he a part of my past or who I am destined to be?
I ask him again and again, Are we one and the same?
For everything wrong, which one of us is to blame?
Does he see me as well? Does he know the pain?
Has he been through it too, over and over again?
Just reflection it is, or is inimical rather?  
Which one is me? And which one is the other?

Conversation between life and death

Life asked death, "Death, why do people like me, but hate you?" Death responded, "Because you, life, are a beautiful lie. And I am a harsh reality"

Thank you Rahul Dravid

Today, Rahul Dravid retired from international cricket. It is hard not to feel a bit emotional for the man who showed very little emotion on and of the cricket field. It is the end of what has been a glorious and illustrious career,spanning more than 15 years, ending with him being the second highest scorer in test cricket. Here are some stats: In 286 Test innings, Dravid played 31,258 balls. Given that no other batsman has faced more than 29,000 deliveries, it puts into perspective the amount of hard work and sheer effort that went into scoring those 13,288 runs.

Hard work, effort, determination, discipline, concentration, humility, dignity. These are the words which come to mind when you speak about Rahul Dravid. He was the perfect man to be out there along with the aggressive stroke makers in the Indian batting line up. Calm and assured, he waited for the bowlers to make a mistake to score his runs. Leaving the ball alone and a compact defensive push were as important strokes to Dravid as the typical flick off his pads or the elegant square drive. As a 11 year old cricket fanatic, I vaguely remember his innings coming in to bat at no.7 on his debut at Lord's. And he never looked back after that, at least in test cricket. He might have his critics in one-day cricket, but nothing can be said about him in test cricket. He was out on 95 on his debut. He would have liked a century on debut, for he has this sense of history about him. He would have wanted to be on that honours board. 15 years later he inscribed his name there with a Dravid special. In an era when Indian opening batsmen were nothing more than sacrificial lambs, he often walked in to bat early in the innings. He was instrumental in turning India's overseas records from abysmal to respectable. It was not just by the sheer number of runs he scored overseas, but the sense of calm and belief he brought to the dressing room when he was out in the middle. He was a man who could be counted stand up at the toughest times, and he delivered more often than not.

People from my generation should realize how lucky we have been to grow up watching distinguished gentlemen of outstanding integrity playing together - Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman, Srinath, Kumble. Hence, it hurts to see youngsters like Raina and Kohli swearing and showing middle finger. They need to learn from Dravid that you let the bat do the talking, for Dravid was a man of few words. Respect mattered to him, it is a word he will often use in conversation ("the respect in your dressing room and that of your opponents is what matters") and he strived to achieve it, at times maybe too hard. For me, Dravid has never got the recognition he deserved. I would say he was a bit unfortunate to be playing in the same era as Sachin Tendulkar, the world's best batsman after Sir Don Bradman. Dravid has often been the supporting act during great innings by Sachin, Laxman, Sehwag, Ganguly et al. His great innings have often been overshadowed by those who came in later when things were easier, or should I say, made easier by Dravid. But then, Dravid did not seem to mind that. He was never comfortable with the glaring media attention. He liked to stay in the back, away from all the attention; doing what he does the best - scoring runs. This can also be seen the way he announced his retirement - in a sudden press conference, not before a game like Ganguly or Kumble. No carrying around the stadium over the shoulders, no guard of honour, no last standing ovation. That is just not Dravid.

When anyone will sit down to make a list of All Time Greatest India XI, the no.3 spot will be reserved for him. Such has been his influence and contribution in Tests, it might be very easy to overlook his contribution in ODIs. Early in his career, he was criticized to be unfit for the shorter format. But he went back to the nets, developed his game, learnt to play with soft hands, and came back a much much improved player. He has always been selfless, and it showed in his willingness to keep wickets in 2003, just for the sake of balance of the team. It was not something he enjoyed. He did not look comfortable doing it. But he was willing to make himself look ugly, just so that the team would look good. He was also willing to bat anywhere in the order for the team. Whenever there was talk of a youngster coming in and a senior dropped from the one-day squad, it was always, unfairly, Dravid. He might not have been the quickest runner or the fastest scorer, but still he was invaluable.


Thank you Rahul Dravid for your contribution to Indian cricket. You shall be sorely missed. Never again will I get that assured feeling when a no.3 walks in to bat for India at 12/1 on a seaming Lord's wicket, or a pacy Durban wicket, or a hard bouncy Adelaide wicket, or a Mumbai dust bowl. Never again will I enjoy a batsman defending or leaving a ball as much as I did watching you. In this IPL age, never again will I see a batsman grind out a century, batting for more than 8 hours against genuine fast bowling in tough conditions to save a game for India. Never again will I see a man doing whatever it needs for the sake of the team - be it opening the batting in tests, or playing down the order to guide youngsters, or keeping wickets for the sake of team balance. Never again will I see a more dignified gentleman and a true role model-with his behavior on and off the field. Never again will the sight of the Indian slip cordon be the same. Never again will I see the sweat dripping down the helmet as a testimony of the hard work and disciplined effort put in. Never again will there be another WALL.

Sleepy

His phone rang. It was her.

"Hello."
"Hellooo!!!What's my shonaaa doing!!!???", she asked in her usual bubbly tone.
He hated that word 'shonaa'. So cheesy. It was a word for "blind in love teenagers who have not even seen the real word" according to him.
"Nothing."
"You know what, today I went out shopping. I got this beautiful dress for so cheap."
"Nice."
"And then, on the way back, I had a pastry at this local bakery. It was soo yummy. But now I am not hungry. And so I called you!!", she continued in her excited tone.
"Hmm..." This was his standard reply during any phone conversation, like most guys
"What hmm. What are you doing? Why are you giving me monosyllabic answers?"
"I am very sleepy. Can I call you tomorrow? I am going to sleep"
"What the heck? I have not talked to you whole day today. Both were busy at work all day. We have not even met for the last 4 days. And you want to sleep! OK, fine. Bye.". She hung up.

He could sense from her tone she was pissed.

Silly her! She does not even know that sleep is just an excuse......

.....To meet her. In his dreams.

Yes...But

He sat at his work desk. He was typing away furiously. Of course, he should be. He had a clear logic in his head, and wanted to finish coding before it all fades away. That is what programmers do. They think and ponder over things for long, and then in an eureka moment, it all strikes them. It could be in the middle of the night. He had experienced those days in graduate school when he struggled with his assignments all day long. Finally, he used to retreat to his bed, tired and frustrated. And then in the middle of the night, it used to strike him. He used to get up and start coding, and the assignment would be done within an hour.


The thought of the graduate school days put a smile on his face. Those were some of the best days of the life. Some great friends were made. Life taught him the survival methods. He learnt it the hard way. He had graduated, and got a job in a leading global software development giant.
He stopped for a second, and pondered over something. Is this what he wants to do in life? Maybe. But that "maybe" might be his answer because of the decisions he had made. Coming to the US, getting his masters degree, living a good standard of living et all. But was it what he REALLY wanted to do in life? Was his head and mind in this at this moment?Would he like a vacation right now, and visit family and friends back home in India? "Yes. But I cannot because of visa issues." YES BUT. Never were more fatal words uttered. "Yeah, but what about my education loan?" "Yes, but what about the job" "Yeah but ......." "Yeah. But........"


“Yeah, but…” is pernicious. Because it makes it sound like we have the best of intentions when really we are just too scared to do what we should.It allows us to be cowards, while sounding noble. The yea-but kills your dreams. It makes you live in constant fear and doubt. Of yourself. People say that childhood is the best time of the life. Why? Because you do not have the yeah-buts and what-ifs in your mind before you do anything. The older you grow, the more they crop up. These will always exist. You are after all a mature,responsible adult and cannot live in denial of the truth. But there are times when you need to become a child again and not think of the yeah-buts.


His thoughts were interrupted when his manager stopped by at his desk.Manager: "So, what's up?" He smiled, shook his head and got back to typing away.

Burn me bright

The sun drowns slowly in the oceans deep
While I stand silent on the shore and pray
For peace and strength, and the right

The countless stars through the clouds peep
While those tides hit hard and thrust me away
And my feet tremble in this dark night

The white of the moon is too fickle to seep
While solitude strikes I wish to hold one ray
For that will let me stay still with all my might

The fire within is in an unkindled sleep
While I wish for a beacon to hold me if I stray
And all I need is your spark to burn me bright

Premier League teams in school

-Manchester United is the type of student who jokes a lot in class,but always tops the exam by hook or by crook.
-Arsenal is the type of student who keeps on failing exams but his dad always tells him "my son, am sure you will pass the next time".
-Chelsea is that kid who is disillusioned at school and can't achieve much because a kid whose father is richer has joined the school.
-Man City is the rich, arrogant, spoilt brat.
-Liverpool is that kid whose only pride in attending classes is because his grandfather sued to be a bright student.
-Spurs is the type of student who thinks he is clever and smart, but in reality is a dimwit and never passes a single exam.
-Aston Villa is the type of student who is really nice. No one hates him, but no one is best friends with him either.
-Wigan is the type of student who everyone expects to fail each year, but somehow miraculously manages to pass each time.
-Stoke is the big and ugly class bully who likes to rough everyone up.
-Rest of the teams are the middle and backbenchers who no one really cares about.

My city bleeds (one more time)

Today my city bleeds, for they bombed it once again
Kids lost their mothers, many a household lost their men
News channels screamed - Terror Attack, Dozens Dead
I watched in horror,helpless; drop of tear I quietly shed

Tomorrow will be a new day, people will leave their home
And there will be stories of how the spirit of Mumbai shone
Investigation teams formed, same old promises made
As days pass by, the limelight will slowly fade

And one fine day it will happen all over again
Until we catch those devils, dressed as men
Oh wait, we did catch one earlier - Kasab
What did we do? Fed him biryani and kebab!

How many more should die before we eventually realize
Unless we kill them all, we will keep paying the price
We have had enough dialogues, its time to act tough
Anything else we do, its not good, just not good enough

Every day I fear the well being of my friends and kin
The patience of an ordinary man is running very thin
If war is the solution for ultimate peace, so be it
It is time to flush out that big pile of shit

Eye for an eye might make the entire world blind
But if not now, then when is the time?That we respond in kind
I would prefer to die in a battle, than a moving bus
At least, we will let them know not to mess with us

I have strong views about tackling terrorism, not everyone might agree with those. But then, everyone is entitled to have their own opinions.

Things we learn from watching CID

I think that people fall into three categories: those who like CID (genuinely), those who hate CID (genuinely) and ones who absolutely love CID (sarcastically). I fall in the third category. Yes, THAT CID which runs on Sony TV any time you switch on your TV. And that too for the last 12 years. 12 saal jurm ke khilaaf, as their tag line goes.

Here are the list of things I have learnt from watching CID:

• People call up CID for any matter, be it murder, robbery or even if they see a dinosaur in Mumbai city. Main CID ko phone lagata hu.  They do not believe in the local police. Sorry Mumbai Police, you have lost the people's trust.
• Everyone has the phone number of CID officers on their speed dial. Hello CID?
• If you tell anyone that you are a member of CID, everyone will be in shock and damn scared.
  Person: Aee kaun ho tum? CID: Dekho hum CID se hai. Person(scared and shocked): CID?yaha?
• CID has such amazing and futuristic gadgets, that even James Bond is envious of them.
• Dr. Salunkhe has a dual degree. MBBS+BE Electrical Engineering. That is the only way he can be the forensic expert and diffuse bombs too.
• In each and every chemical test, Dr. Salunkhe finds out that Boss, isme zeher milaya gaya hai when the color of the solution turns pink, and smoke starts coming out.
• ACP Pradyuman needs to wear a suit each day. Strictly formal dress code only for ACP.
• Abhijeet is ACP Pradyman's most trusted officer. He tells him in every episode Abhijeet, kuch to gadbad hai. Ermm, isn't that why the CID was called into action in first place?
• ACP Pradyman has to roll his fingers around and make a constipated face whenever he says something. Noone, and I say noone, can beat ACP Pradyuman's reactions throughout the show. Bring them on-Johnny Depp or Amitabh Bacchan!
• CID officers have to repeat everything which ACP says. ACP: Abhijeet, khooni ne us terrace se goli chalayi hogi. Abhijeet: Us terrace se?
• CID officers need to say rhetorical statements. Sir,lagta hai khooni khoon karke bhaag gaya. Yea, like he was going to wait for CID to arrive before running away. OR Is glass pe khooni ke ungliyon ke fingerprints jaroor milenge. Aur kiske fingerprints hote hai apart from ungliya?
• Daya can break any door with his brute force. Daya, darwaaza tod do.
• CID officers can enter anyone's house without any search warrant.
• CID officers always find a clue when they return to a particular site. Hume us jagah pe vaapis jaana chahiye, shaayad koi suraag mil jaaye.
• CID officers can match finger prints and search from the criminal database using Microsoft Powerpoint. Even developers at Microsoft are not aware of this feature of Powerpoint.
• Daya screeches the tires of the Qualis when coming to a halt, no matter where he is driving,and what speed he is driving at. And, the trusted Qualis has been around for a long long time.
• Most of the times, the culprit is someone who is least shown throughout the episode.
• Culprit confesses to his crime only when Daya slaps him. I wonder why don't they slap every suspect at the start of the episode itself!
• Daya's slap is so powerful that it lands the culprit from the location he was caught at to the chair in the CID interrogation room. 

And these are the reasons I absolutely love CID. The best comedy serial ever on television.

We are the Champions

India won the World Cup. We are the Champions. I cannot write much. Its a very proud feeling. I feel lucky to have witnessed the moment. The boys in blue did us proud. A billion dreams came true, a billion prayers were answered. Indians all over the world rejoiced, the country celebrated and partied like never before. Scenes like this were in every corner of the country. What a night it was! Well played India. Shabbashhh Shabbashhh. Indiaaaa!! India!!!!

The victory did not come easy. We fought for it, and deserved to be the best team in the competition. We beat the arrogant defending champions Australia in the quarter finals, won a battle against our arch rivals Pakistan in the semi finals, and beat the competitive Sri Lankans in the finals. The best thing was it was not one or two individuals who carried us through each game. Everyone played their part and raised their hand to be counted when it mattered.

Sehwag gave us blistering starts in most games. Too sad he could not capitalize on those starts. But then, thats Viru for you. Sachin was one of the top scorers in the tournament. Gambhir and Kohli played important knocks in the finals when the tide was against us. Yuvraj had a dream run in the tournament,both with bat and ball. Raina played a useful and composed knock in the quarters. More than that, he saved at least 15 runs each game with his fielding. Dhoni,captain cool, saved his best for the last. Not having scored much till the finals, he played a captain's knock in the finals, and what a knock it was. Zaheer was the go-to man for India every game. Each time we needed a wicket-new ball.old ball,power play,middle overs-you name it, he was brought on and responded with a wicket each time. Bhajji getting rid of Umar Akmal was, I feel, the turning point of the quarter final game. Bhajji was always giving his 100%, even though he was off-color. Munaf- THE Munaf- was the unsung hero. Quietly bowling his quota without giving much most of the times. The likes of Yusuf, Nehra, Chawla and Sreesanth were as important to the team, irrespective of their under performing. We need people running on to the field with drinks and messages :) .

And all of this would not have been possible without the calming influence of Gary Kirsten and his support staff in the background. I really feel he deserves more credit than he has got. Thank you Gary. You would be leaving us after the world cup. Wishing you all the best with whatever you decide to do in the future.

Special mention of Sachin. This was probably his last world cup. Everyone wanted to win it for him, do it for him. The glee and the joy in his eyes after winning was priceless. It was not a fairy tale ending, with him scoring his 100th 100 in the world cup finals. But then,he will do it another day. Kohli summed up the feeling of billions with his words: "He has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years, it is time we carry him". The world cup medal, which was missing from his collection, now has a place in a billion hearts.

I have seen this Youtube clip maybe a hundred times, and I still am not tired of watching it. I can watch it over and over again.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

Why You Should Care About Cricket

Amazingly written.Must read article.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110329%2FCricket

I tell myself

I tell myself to be happy
That everything is fine and okay
That I should live my life
And hope tomorrow is a better day

I tell myself to trust
In myself,without caring for them all
That I made the correct choice
Whether I choose to fly or fall

I tell myself to believe
And hope everything will be right
I am the only one I have
Never to give up without a fight

I tell myself many a things
Both truth and lies I seem to bend
But that does not ease my pain
For thats what matters in the end

Goodbye

Crimson rivers are flowing,
Down your long, dark path.
Should I come near you?
Just to face your wrath.

There's a glow of the razor,
Laying next to your torn skin.
People ask you questions,
Yet, you're now dead within.

Your eyes closing, silently,
There's nothing else to say.
You speak words,barely audible,
'Maybe it's better this way.'

You find nobody holds you,
But, what is left to hold?
Your smile keeps lingering,
As your skin grows cold.

Your crystal tears are falling,
Down from the velvet sky.
And all you ever knew about,
Was, how to say goodbye. 

Cricket World Cup 2011

while (date<= '4/2/2011'){
eat cricket;
drink cricket;
sleep cricket;
live cricket;
}


Indiaaaaaa Indiaaaaaa.Sachinnnnnn Sachinnnnnnn.

Few Rules for Men

1. Unless he murdered someone in your family, you must bail a friend out of jail within 12 hours.

2. Moaning about the brand of beer in a buddy's fridge is forbidden. However, you may complain at will if the temperature is unsuitable.

3. One may eat anything and everything when it is free.(free includes from a friends's fridge)

4. No man shall ever be required to buy a birthday present for another man. In fact, even remembering your buddy's birthday is strictly optional,unless it is on facebook.

5. On a road trip, the strongest bladder determines pit stops, not the weakest.

6. Only in situations of moral and/or physical peril are you allowed to kick another guy in the nuts.

7. If a man's fly is down, that's his problem, you didn't see anything.

8. Women who claim they "love to watch sports" must be treated as spies until they demonstrate knowledge of the game and the ability to drink as much as the other sports watchers.

9. In a bathroom, an almost imperceptible nod is the only conversation you may have with the guy urinating next to you.

10. It is acceptable for you to drive her car. It is not acceptable for her to drive yours,unless you are too drunk to be able to stand.

11. There is no reason for guys to watch Men's Figure Skating or Men's Gymnastics. Ever.

12. It is permissible to drink a fruity alcohol drink only when you're sunning on a tropical beach...and it's delivered by a topless supermodel... and it's free.

13. If a guy is watching any game on the television, you cannot even dare to touch the remote. No matter even if he is watching Chelsea play.

14. You ignore any quarrel or fight you buddy is having with his girlfriend/wife, and do not interfere in in. You cannot ask about it, nor shall he talk about it. Offering a can of beer to him is the only way you can offer any kind of sympathy to him.

15. You hang up your telephone call with your girlfriend/wife within 3 minutes when in company of other guys.

U for Unique,U for Useful

I saw this image somewhere on the internet today. It really made me think. A lot.

How many times have we heard someone say "He is special,because he is unique" or "His uniqueness is an asset" or something similar. Special he may be, but being an asset or being useful is questionable and depends on many circumstances. Your uniqueness has nothing to do with how attractive you are, how well you do your job, or how much of an asshole you are. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Your usefulness is probably directly related to how well you fit into the surroundings and work together with others. A square peg amongst thousands of round pegs is unique alright, but it is ineffective when it is put in a round hole. Using your uniqueness to be useful is what matters the most.

I'm better than you

All this talking takes us nowhere
How does it matter? You just don't care
You lied, you cheated, you broke my heart
But everyone had warned me from the start
I guess it was my destiny, or did I err?
I know I should have known far far better
I had painted a beautiful dream for you and me
Its now in pieces, scattered around clumsily
It is all over, I walked in on you two
Getting cozy, there is nothing I can do
I'll get out of this mess my life is now
I will manage, don't ask me how
I will move on and find someone great
My heart will be filled with love and not hate
Good luck, goodbye, I wish you well, I really do
You know why? Because I'm better....
I'm better than you!

Happy New Year 2011

On the eve of the new year,tonight`s forecast in most parts of the world - Mostly drunk,scattered shots,relays with slight chance of being steady on feet.Occasional falls or tumbles can be expected.

Wishing all a Happy New Year 2011. Be safe and party hard! Me off to the party :D :D

Warne,Liz Hurley and the Ashes

The drama surrounding the three mentioned things above can be summarized in one single sentence:
"Shane Warne: The only Aussie to be on top of a Pom since the Ashes started" :D

What do you want to be in life?

When someone asked me "What do you want to be in life?"

In school: I want to be an engineer(Why?I don't know.I was too young and naive to know or think about it)

In junior college: Maybe an engineer (Why?I don't know. Because everyone says he wants to be an engineer or doctor?)

In engineering college: I am on my way to become an engineer. I want to go to US and complete my Masters. (Why?I don't know.Big American dream, and it is "cool"?)

The answer to the why's at all the stages of life was, knowingly or unknowingly, to have enough money to enjoy life. Let's be honest, that is the only thing everyone seeks. Anyone seeking anything else is either telling a lie, or is Gautam Buddha - seeking the path to spiritual awakening and nirvana and etc. etc.,or is plain out of his mind.

When someone asked me "What do you want to be in life?"
Today:



Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar!!

---

On a serious note, at the end of it all, one should be able to look at himself in the mirror without a feeling of guilt or remorse about anything he has done in life. When I die, people should say "He was a good man"