Sunday, May 6, 2012

Partners in crime

The empty coffee cup from the table was picked up. And the gaze back to the book. A sudden burst of wind inside the doors, everything else forgotten. To be carried away by the moment...

Partners in Crime – Unabridged
The day was ordinary, some mundane tasks at the bank. Forms filled and stamped and refilled. Not a very smart cookie when it comes to matters of the wallet. The money checked and counted and in place and the smartness fades when it comes to the placement of the wallet. Damn, now the wallet is missing. Where is it? Well, before that is it worth the effort of the search? The cards maybe, money discountable. A zillion thoughts buzzing, would it have been taken by somebody who really needed the cash? Is it okay, to simply let go? But the cards matter don’t they? Aargh!

The security empathised, maybe he understood the plight of missing wallets more than anyone else. He was of no help really though. Well a little more time with the nice security man, who is really concerned about the misplaced/stolen wallet than other matters at his hand. So, what next? Maybe a briefing, asking him to give a call if the wallet turns up.

It wouldn’t matter if the wallet cropped up legs and walked back without the money but just the cards would do. It would be understandable of the wallet though, how long can one simply hold money, it was the wallets urge to splurge now. Maybe, a visit to the wallet cleaning guy for a shiny look or a trip to see the world instead of the dingy pockets and smell some fresh air.

Well now, the office beckons. But not for long, the bank seems the place to be for the day. So after half an hour, it is time for another visit for further investigation. A little desperation maybe, the gaze falls on a group of women who keep the campus clean and beautiful. Would they know something? Is there a feel of ‘I wish I can share something with you’? Well, one brave lady bucks up. The conversation rolls. The overtly concerned security guy himself the culprit and with evidence. 

Dilemma,  Is confronting him a solution? would he need the money so bad? Can the wallet take precedence over a human being? Some more voices from the women join along.’ Leave the poor guy, don’t complain, god knows in what need he is in.’
so.. Theft == Gift !

Another lady retorts with indignation, ‘How can you say that? The guy needs to be sacked, a thief is a thief, and a security thief just isn’t right!’ 
so.. Theft = Theft !

The lovely ladies with so much heart and guts also divulge the place where the wallet is hidden. Hmmm, so what now? All points duly noted, a confrontation or let go?
Theft = Theft or Theft == Gift ?

Well maybe it is time to look and scout the bank again. There sits the wallet, there the security watching over the stolen wallet. There the security cameras with their faces turned in all directions. Well, the Sherlock Homes inside came souring out at a singular moment, when the cameras were turned away and the security beckoned to another duty. In that fraction of a second, an ultra chilled out walk, a smooth retrieval of the wallet with all casualness in the world. Mission accomplished !

None confronted. None offended. Just a pack of smiling ladies, a smiling me and the dear wallet which loves to see the world, all in place.. but for the bewildered security in search of the gift / happy enough with the gift of 'no confrontation' B-)

finally, its.. Theft * Theft = Gift 
wow!, what a gift...

Partners in crime :)


Sunday, February 26, 2012

A walk to remember

Just Imagine...
If you were to come back to insti after some 20 years and take a walk starting from stadium all the way around insti through CCD, Tiff, OAT, cauvery hostel, gurunath, CCW, swimming pool and finally back to stadium. 
Quietly listening to the questions that every part of insti puts to you...

[stadium to tiff]

IITM lake sign board-'Beware of crocks': Take a dip & figure out if crocks still exist, Did they ever exist? 
Stadium: No night sky view, only sky scraper view:p . Dude its 2030! still I could help you shed some from your pot belly :) 
CCD : Treat! put treat!!
Tiff : whom are u waitin for, pack off. He/she is not gona come over ;) 

[Tiff to cauvery hostel gate] 
Library: Didn't you find any junta for your pseud putting session.. 
Academic area : oh, you... that visiting student? :p 
Sound of breaze (uzz..uzzzz...) : Dude don't wonder where the sound is coming from, with out any breeze, b'cos its the uzzz... sound of the ghosts of cut-down trees !
CLT : Have told u 'n' times that you are the elitist of students, you could give back so much to the society & the future is in your hands!
      Oops! I got it, Your pay slip is still not enough. seems like the society hasn't given enough to u in 20 years :(
OAT fence : I am the loving fence that gave way when ever you were out of ticket for a movie or a Saarang show :D , those painful kisses ;)
Sports fields sign board: Inter IIT practice sessions, evening games - schroiter - fighting spirit-wins-loses-Inter IIT...pack, Pack all these - Who had the sexy abbs ;) ? 
 [Hostel to stadium thru gurunath & CCW] 
Hostel Security : World may have changed but my snoring will never slow down! ha ha...
Monkeys : What have you got for me this time, U used to stock up so much stuff in your room for my 10 am / 4 pm rounds !!
Gurunath : b'day bumbs, you feel that pain in ur ass, when you got one :)
Quad & sangam : Do u still have it in you, that joy of the fighting spirit in ur guts ?
CCW : pain max processes !!!
swimming pool waters : Fat ass! do u want me to gulp you few more times, won't spare u this time!
Doms DayOut : Have you got your team to win me again ?? 
stadium: Aren't you with your buddy for the secret talk? Beware:- green grass is embedded with microphones...............
you are completely lost into every little crush scattered all over insti - one by one ;)
.......Don't worry, Grass is not yet capable of capturing your thoughts / dreams :p
Hey sweaty !!!
(silence is broken as an old insti friend bumps into u)
Insti - Home sweet Home :) 
 
This is Uncensored version of the concluding article published a year ago in the book 'The Last bencher' titled "A walk in 2030". The Last Bencher was an attempt to immortalize the memories of life at IIT madras.  
Hats off to 'the last bencher' team & especially to Surbhi(Editor-in-chief) for making this book a reality. You could download a PDF copy of the book at http://thelastbencher.wordpress.com/. 
 

Sunday, September 18, 2011

La Tomatina ~ Nay Tomatina !


10 years ago:
I vaguely remember that quite evening,I was watching TV.
Red, Red Tomato Red.. news flashs about spanish La tomatina festival !
will be party to La Tomatina when i travel to europe some day; Day Dreaming:D

Recently:


La Tomatina:  latomatina.co.in flashed all over, since its caught the imagination of many (fueled by 'zindagi na milegi dobara' )
Nay Tomatina: After a week or so i hear about Tomatina from another set of friends for a different reason, wanting to stop the event - Nay Tomatina !

kid's voice: Tomatina, La Tomatina.. la la lala llaa. awesome. its gone be fun :D
Emotional voice: How can i be party to wasting food, when so many go hungry & malnutrition :(
Lazzy voice: oki, forget it; its prized little high & i am anywayz not going.
Few days pass by....

Managerial voice: Why not heavily TAX the people having fun by wasting tomato & Feed the malnutrition / hungry with it !
Entrepreneurial voice: Figure out the supply chain of tomato ( Farm to market) & tweak the tomato procurement policy to source only excess/wastage tomato's during peak tomato season. It's building a strong case that the event will not increase the Net wastage of tomato, moreover they end up Saving on procurement cost. B-)    Bindas !!
Few more days pass by...

Yet again another set of friends prepare a legal petition on the basis of supreme court order issuing notice to central government that wastage of PDS food is in direct violation of 'Fundamental right to food', when millions go hungry & high rate of malnutrition.
oh man , Bindas Idea is gone for a toss. Event is few days away & i may have to take a side. :S
Activist voice: Idea and all is good, but how can we plant a thought in the young minds that wasting food is ok. That too in Indian context?
Gentlemanly voice: Every one has fun in their own ways. Having fun per se can't be condemned & at the same time it shouldn't effect another set of people. There must be some way out...   How about making the organizer implement the Bindas Idea & at the same time make every participant to get involved in few hours of social work before the event :)
wow! its like making them more socially grounded through La Tomatina fun filled event B-)
Practical voice: Dude! talk some thing that's practically possible. You think they are going to listen to all this social thinge ?

Clarity eluded my voice in search of a way out!
Unlike me, a lot of my friends had a strong opinion.
At least they had taken a side :)

Eventually I would have fallen for my emotional voice :)
Is it really necessary to have a strong opinion on everything?
La Tomatina ~ Nay Tomatina !