The Nelson In My Life

It has been a long time since I wrote my last post, 111 days to be precise. Isn’t it ironical as well as comical that my restart is happening with Nelson figure, something considered as inauspicious and made famous in cricket by Umpire David Shepherd who had several peculiar mannerisms which included hopping, shuffling, jiggling, jumping etc.  whenever the score (either of a team or of a player) was Nelson or its multiple. Nelson figure comes from the name of Admiral Nelson who apparently had one leg, one arm and one eye when he died. Wikipedia says it’s not true as Nelson never lost a leg. I don’t know the truth, never had the opportunity to meet him (pun intended) but remember the image of Shepherd since my childhood and along with that the legend of Nelson.

For me though these 111 days were one of the best periods of my life both professionally and personally. I have to be politically correct otherwise someone or else who, just by chance, if reads this post will be offended indirectly because of him/her being a part of my life. On the professional front, I got the opportunity to learn lot of new things in this very short period, had enriching experiences, met brilliant people and was part of a team which created new organisational records. I know with so much of professionalism this post has started to feel boring to you. Don’t worry, I will try my best to spice it up as I move ahead.

Personally, this period was good, bad and okay. I met some amazing new people, had one of those rare trips to home and spent time with parents, met some old friends and built lasting relationships (I would like to think so). The major part of my sadness came from hearing some news which have become routine for me now. Many of my friends, colleagues and acquaintances got either engaged or married. Some even had children. The last time I had met these people, they were unmarried let alone expecting or their wives expecting. Actually since most of them were unmarried, the question of their wives expecting did not even arise. I am very happy for all of these people, very happy with their happiness. At the same time it comes to my mind that what is wrong with me, why is it not happening with me? I also want to be someone’s husband, life partner, pati parmeshwar. I also want someone to wake me up in the morning with a cup of tea and saying –

 “Aji suniye. Uthiye na. Subah ho gayi. Office nahi jana hai kya aaj?” Hay, kahan ho tum meri charno ki dasi? Jaldi se aa jao na.

There should be someone who,  when I come back home from office in the evening and even before I manage to untie my shoelaces (which are unfortunately non-existent in my current pair of formal shoes but I will buy a pair of new ones for her), produces a cup of piping hot tea and says “Aaj din kaisa tha aapka? Chehra bilkul utar gaya hai. Itna kaam mat kijiye office me.”

And the baap of all things, “Koi to ho jo mujhe bhi papa kahke bulaye apni tutlati aawaz me”.

But then the reality dawns on me. It is not that I did not have the opportunity to get married and get settled in life but what happens to me is that my legs start shaking, body sweating and mind spinning. And above all that wish to have my kind of girl is also there – Kahin karti hogi wo mera intezaar, jiski tamanna me phirta hun beqarar”. I also want to be like Tom Cruise of Jerry Maguire and tell the girl – You complete me.

In this period I really missed some of the things which I like very much or which have become a part of my life in recent times – travelling in Mumbai local trains, having a sumptuous breakfast, Mumbai rains and reading Ajay Rao’s blog on Namma Bangalore or Bengaluru now a days. 

Well I sometimes satisfy my urge by travelling in Mumbai locals on holidays or during off peak hours or at night. Standing on the footboard, which is a punishable offence by the way, at night and music plugged in my ears, the feeling is always awesome. Hey Ya sung by Clinton Cerejo from the movie Kartik calling Kartik is my personal favourite for such an occasion and always plays on endless loop during the night journey to Churchgate. Yes, readers, yes, you read correct. I live in South Bombay. But living in the Southern part of Mumbai has its ill effects also. For my office which starts at 10:30am, I get up at 10:00am and still manage to reach on time. But this does not give me time to have a sumptuous breakfast, an opportunity which I always had when staying at the posh suburb of Mira Road. 


Mumbai rains have started returning; twice Mumbaikars had to wake up to a wet morning during the past seven days. Let it come then I will try to write something about it. 


And finally about my dear friend Ajay, who after spending 2 years in Sadi Dilli went back home to Bengaluru. A lot changed for him during this period. When he came to Delhi he was be-car and Bangalore was still Bangalore. After two years when he went back it had become Bengaluru and he a carwala. J , I really missed reading a new post of yours during this period. Now as you are back to your home town, please write about it, in the same way you wrote about Delhi, recounting the magic and ills of the cities, its people and their eccentricities and everything which is unique and special with it. Perhaps your new job does not give you time for it but remember “Hare k friend jaruri hota hai”. (I had written about J and his blog in detail in my very first, I request you to have a look if you have not already visited it).

Now on to some random things which I learnt about, got to know or came across and will advise you to experience them. Don’t worry, I won’t blabber now. It’s just a list - 

1.    Aakar Patel’s column in Saturday’s Mint Lounge – Well written and on a wide gamut of topics. Every week I anticipate what will be the topic this Saturday. 

2.    Kheer and Fruit Cream along with Aam ras at Crystal, Charni Road – Amazing taste and damn cheap. 

3.    Poetry of Sahir Ludhiyanwi, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ahmed Faraz – All of them are Urdu poets. Sahir was Indian and wrote lyrics for film songs also. The other two are Pakistanis.

4.    The Avengers – Please watch it if you already have not done so. And please watch in 2D. I saw it in 3D and the experience was not good. 

5.    Prometheus – Go watch it when it releases on 8^th June. I don’t care if it as good as Alien or not. The sheer grandness of the canvass is awe inspiring. And how many times a movie comes which is a prequel of a movie released 33 years ago.

6.    Bun-maska – At Yazdani bakery, Fort near Horniman Circle. The buns are fresh and hot with dollops of butter and are to be enjoyed with a cup of hot tea. Thank you Mitesh for taking me there.

I had long planned that my comeback post will be about my childhood and the memories associated with it.  But when I sat before the laptop today (my friend’s not mine, mine has developed acute keyboardosis and has keys –W, X, Z, C, D, E and @ which refuse to function and typing on such a keyboard with the on-screen keyboard, a great Microsoft invention, is cringe inducing) and started typing, words started to come out in form of this post which you read above. I express my gratitude to you and you must also be feeling lucky because one day you may come to know that the writer of the blog post you read that day, without any interest at all, has become a big writer and is now a famous celebrity. And you may be called on Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, which unfortunately never had a second season, to reminisce about me or my blog and end up getting your 5 minutes of instant fame. Anything is possible my dear reader in this age and me acquiring instant celebrity status cannot be ruled out. At least I would like to think so…….

Enough of my bakwaas and gyan.

Ciao.

P.S. IPL 5 concreted my belief that IPL is always fixed. Chennai reaching final after being virtually out of the tournament and Kolkata winning it were perfect proofs to it.  No offence to CSK and KKR, both team and fans.


P.P.S. Please read Chai, Chai: Travels in Places Where You Stop But Never Get Off by Bishwanath Ghosh. I promise you it will force you to reminisce about you childhood, no matter which part of the country you belong to.