They're coming to get us!!

I believe one of the hardest things you can do is conquer your fears, but if you have a goal, then it's your job to open up and let it be real no matter how scary it seems.

I was born and brought up with Bangalore ,although I can’t claim that I know each and every part of Bangalore ,but I can say I’m a true bangalorean. Every bangalorean lives life with a zeal, lives life fearlessly, and takes life as it comes,
However, it all changed for me end of last year. That’s when it hit me that the Bangalore that I was talking about was the thing of the past. Why? Because this one episode in my life thought me how gruesome a city life can actually be, not just for woman the so called weaker sex, but also for men.
It was a regular weekend thing, nothing very special, a girl friend and I decided to catch up for a bite as we did most weekends. This particular weekend, we were is a jolly good mood and decided to take a drive post dinner and headed on towards the new Airport. It was lovely weather and we were listening to our favorite music, so when we reached the airport we hung out for a while in the coffee shop, and decided to head back to her place for a night cap.
As we reached this place called Bell Circle the Lorry Traffic got a bit heavier so we waited for the signal to turn green before we took off, that’s when all hell broke loose. I shit you not it was one of scariest experiences of my life. I thought I would pass out with fear, I felt powerless as a woman; I felt that our life was to come to an end that day.
Episode
So this is how it all happened. The music was loud; the front window was open half way. My friend and I were sharing a laugh, when I suddenly we noticed a Big car overtake and stop at the signal. Suddenly a Man got off the car and started approaching us , in a jiffy I pulled up my window , put off the music and checked the doors, he approached us looked into the car and went back just like that , by that time we sensed the danger and were cautious . The signal turned green and we took a right toward her place, when the car started following us, all we wanted to do then confirm if they were actually going to follow us so to make sure of that we took the road on the left instead of the actual road which led us to her place.
The Chase,
It was a double road with median about every two hundred meters from the circle, as we hit that road , the car overtook mine and stopped right in front of me , My friend who thought fast asked me to take a U-Turn which they least expected and so I did , unfortunately the road was narrow and I had to reverse my car again to make that turn , and so the chase began.

The car chased us on that double road which lead to her place , I was trying to keep calm and drive fast to get rid of the stalkers , but they were fast as well and keeping pace , they cornered me again and luckily right in front of the median and as instructed by my friends, I took the that median and drove on the wrong side of the road and the chase continued , until I we reached this Sharp narrow turn where they were successfully able to over take me and corner me for the last time . two guys got out of the car and I could say that they were high on something , when they approached , I took that opportunity took a slight reverse and over took the car that was blocking me . we were close to her place by then another 1 kilometer and we would reach her place, but the damn chase still continued, I hit a 110 and did not care about the damn speed breakers, My heart was racing faster and was my friends, in that panic we could not think straight and did not think about the cops, the idea was to make it near her place and the and scream if we had too. We stopped with a screeching Halt at her front gate and I asked her to stay put. There were four guys, two got out and approached us right in front of her house a started banging on my windshield and tried to open the door, I kept the car running, holding the clutch so tight that my ankle had a sprain. They looked threatening and tried to say something which I could not hear. My friend called her parents to open the door and as soon as the lights came in the guys jumped in to their car and took off.

That day I came not come to terms with the new Bangalore and how it had changed. How it was not safe anymore. How woman could not walk freely without being looked at or molested in a crowd. How we could not party all night and return home safe.
I learnt my lesson the hard way, but life goes on and I know I can’t stop living because of that one unfortunate incident. My faith in god increased because I’m sure without him, I would be dead meat and ended up in the gutter. So girls out there are cautious being Bold and learn to drive, keep a weapon with you at all times and learn to kick some arse.

Cheers!

Newyork - Yash chopra movie




After 3 long years I watched a bollywood movie on the big screen. The name did sound very Hollywood and the review was high-quality.

The storyline was based on pre and post 9/11attacks and some facts.

Interesting quote,I noticed in the movie was : Fush Buck !

Actors: Neil Nithin Mukesh did a good job; Katrina was ok, but did make a style statement in perhaps setting a new trend. John Abraham was straight-faced like his most other movies, and proved to have the same idiom throughout. Irfan Khan was himself and did a fantastic Job.

They spared us the love songs, and there was no running around the trees or hiding behind the bushes for a change. All in all worth one watch for the money that I paid.
The interesting part of watching it in the theater was the company. At my sides were good friends and colleagues. The one at my left kept me entertained with remarks on everything that happened in the movie. So we burst out laughing at serious scenes, while others watched in complete silence.

My next Bollywood commercial flick will most likely be in the next 3 years, if I ever get talked into watching one.
Catch or Trash it? If you have nothing interesting to do on a weekend then catch it or else get a copy and watch it at home I would say.

Michael rest in peace and thank you for making such great music.

I mourn the death of one of my much loved singer today.


I’m not much of a fan for Hollywood movies stars. But I have a special place in my heart for musicians. The fact that music is best part of being alive makes me bow to people who make it.

It was post 12’noon, when I finally woke up after a late night, to hear of the latest news that had hit the late hours of US and early hours of India. Hey “Michael Jackson died this morning! Is all I heard?

It was quite a shock per say with disbelief. As usual the news was unbelievable and thought of as a hoax, until it got confirmed on my way to office. The fact that he was to perform his last concert in London for his 50th and for one last time and making possible for his fans to truly enjoy the spirit and excitement he brought into his music now will remain a lost dream. It also made me think of how unpredictable life really was and further strengthened my belief in the saying “life is what happens to you while you’re making plans”.
My Past with Michael,
I grew up listening to his music in the late 80’s and have been and avid fan since. The fact that Michael was dragged into some senseless controversies, his self abusive nature, did not affect me in the least and I’m sure all his fans as well.
His music did not limit itself to entertainment but fascinated me, was momentous and thought of as very consequential to the world. His music brought awareness, promoted solidarity, an aura of incredibly inimitable flamboyancy, which captured once imagination at its highest point. I’m Glad he was part of the 80’s and we got to witness four decades of marvelous music.
As I write this, several funny instances come to my mind. This one particular episode of my school life is closely tied into memories of Michaels one very special song “ Remember the time “ as part of the co-curricular team in the 9th grade back in 1996 I think, some my mates decided to entertain peers with their dancing skills and dragged me into it as a scapegoat . After much thought and discussion, it was decided that we’ll replicate the video which we had all watched on MTV and loved. I was to play the part of the queen as I proved to be a nuisance and had issue synchronizing with other very good dancers. So all I had to do was sit around and act coy ;). Although that performance never made it to the stage, it was an experience and definitely worth it. I have several such incidents of my school life where Michael pictured,“Heal the world”, Just beat it , you’re not alone , are some such songs which have a special place in my heart.

As a promise to keep the spirit of Michael's music alive, I hope to tell my Children and grand children all about him and make them listen to his music. He was truly a legend.
Michael rest in peace and thank you for making such great music.

Silent Noise Party: to have or not to have ?

Silent Noise Party:

Last month when I was speaking to a customer of mine, I came to know of a very interesting thing, it was about the latest party scene. Apparently this type of partying was called the “Silent Noise party” which drew a lot of young party goers in Goa. This customer of mine who apparently came to Goa last year during Christmas told me that this was being done to make sure people don’t get disturbed and people can have fun as well .
It was quite amusing this news , cause I felt the whole reason of being around people , talking in high pitch tones ,trying to hit on someone were soon going to be lost party traditions. First you would have to take of your head phone each time the other person said something. You can’t head bang to some shitty techno music, because you’re way too under the influence and don’t give a *fish about the DJ or his music and have your own rock song playing
The positives of such partying no doubt are, quite impressive no neighbors to complain, No cheap guys getting closer to make some silly conversation, because they are busy managing their headphone, and if you have a headache, you can get those damn headphones off and relax with a drink....
In a way I think this is a brilliant idea but yet a very crappy way to party… wonder what’s next………
So what say Bangalore … should we have our own headphone parties? Check this out the link and comment http://www.silentnoise.in/

You Cheated !

I often wondered how adults turn into immature kids when something completely innocent and fun changes its course and becomes competitive. I have always found it fascinating to watch people playing a fun game of cards or board games and act outrageously pissed off if there is a dis-agreement. Not that I have not been a part of several such torrent fights and walked out on many such events fuming and fussing.
Ever wondered what makes them go Ga Ga over a stupid game. Recently I witnessed quite a few incidents and all I could do was laugh and try to make peace. I heard accusations being made about how the game should be played , referring to the rule book, to try to make sense out of it,“ you cheated” being said as if it was the worst form of torture that someone could inflict.
What did cheating mean in the real sense? , An interesting quote that I read somewhere comes to my mind “He that will cheat at play, will cheat you any way”. When I read this quote it did somehow make sense but not completely. How can we not trust a best friend or a lover or sibling, just because they cheated in a silly child game?
Does cheating when we were children have serious implication in adulthood, I hope not! The dictionary meaning of the words stated it a deception for profit to yourself , further digging brought out several meanings…….
To deceive by trickery; swindle: cheated customers by overcharging them for purchases.
2. To deprive by trickery; defraud: cheated them of their land.
3. To mislead; fool: illusions that cheat the eye.
4. To elude; escape: cheat death.

1. To act dishonestly; practice fraud.
2. To violate rules deliberately, as in a game: was accused of cheating at cards.
3. Informal To be sexually unfaithful: cheat on a spouse.
4. Baseball To position oneself closer to a certain area than is normal or expected: The shortstop cheated toward second base.

That one word could mean so much if put into different contexts, and my personal opinion is that cheating should be treated carefully in any form. Careless accusations have serious after affects. Before accusing someone of it consider the implications and then make a sound decision.

Damn !! Good things just dont Last

Good things don't last!!

After a number of weekends wiled away in cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning the remains of the day left by the never-ending construction of our new red brick room on the terrace, which by the way still progresses at snail’s pace. An opportunity not to remember work and let our hair loose was presented, sometime last week.
The much needed break came from a good friend,and a double celebration (belated birthday and just for fun) was in store for us valiant (Ash and Renjith ;)) soldiers who by the way had worked real hard and were entitled to some commonsensical time to avoid shooting themselves in the head or shooting someone else in the gut.

My Saturday started as usual like any other day.Waking up to my mum sweet voice ;) had kind of become a repetitive thing which was hard not to pay much attention to, when it happens for the millionth time,as usual and like every parent she thought we were negligent and lazy and all that good stuff. After much contemplation I woke up, made my way down stairs looking for that much needed fresh air to clear my lungs without which the start of the day seemed impossible.

Anyway, without much a due and the continuous cribbing from the parent, I got into my jeans and a T-shirt, got my car keys and set off to find the perfect floor tiles for the new brick sanctuary, the fact that the new establishment will one day serve as a unruffled place to hang out with friends and family, and grant us bit more privacy from the gaping eyes of the much respected neighbors was i must say quite inviting,and needed some contribution from me. After driving from one place to another, back and forth, re-visiting the same place with an empty stomach, tired faces, invariable instructions to drive carefully by my little mature sister, the madness came to a halt at tea time.

Thanks to all the dharshini’s in south India, a quick bite on some Mangalore goli bajji and a sticky orange candy was satisfactory and quite a re-charge to our exhausted body, we got back home to some more cleaning,and that’s when we pulled out the card of UNO to play a few games and start getting ready for the evening to hit that one savior friend’s place who invited us to a terrace barbecue jamboree.
After much excitement and contemplation on if we should squander time giving the big bear( that’s our yellow lab , unless you thought otherwise ) in the house a bath, which was not very appealing and long due, we decided against it and made our way to take a warm shower before heading off.
It turned out to be a long drive but definitely worth it,a pit stop to buy some smokes also led us into buying some props which were to be used at this double celebration, (Face Masks, a Fake drum, and a pom pom if you may call it). After completing the transactions with the shop owner, we headed off to the house and the people awaiting our arrival of us valiant beings,with great patience were relieved to see us guests who were quite delayed. The grill was happening and the yummy food was being served which was very inviting to our empty stomachs . We at last reached our destination put on our masks and exited the car with screams and squeal wishing the host a belated happy b’day, and crowned her as the queen of the night.





The excitement resumed
Food and drinks were consumed.
Spontaneous jokes were shared
Funny poses were made

Pictures were clicked
Girls’smiles were faked
There was a new bloke
Who warmed up to the folks?

Shit hit the roof
When the game of UNO was introduced
It all ended at 3
And we were all relieved

Sunday morning came fast
though we slept 10 past
Leena,this party was a Blast
Damn!good things just don’t last.

Hopeless Romantic -A short story of a woman on her path to self discovery…..

Arundati had just turned 28. A Services Manager by profession; she had still so much to achieve. Coming from a very orthodox Indian family with views to go with that, they were not exactly her fans. Her liberal attitude and strong opinions on topics ranging from marriage to politics infuriated her father to an extent he had given up on her.

She personally felt she had reached a point where she had lost patience to impress people or chase around some bloke just for the fun of it. Often finding herself puzzled with her dealings and the fact that she had not learnt much from them often left her wondering.she suddenly remembered a the economic theory that had kept her up all night during her pre-university days. The theory of human wants. She laughed out loud, so much of studying that crap and she could not even remember it straight.

She was truly a hopeless romantic,of that she was very sure……………………………………………

For several weeks she had done nothing but loath over her latest great love and how it had botched. But deep inside she knew she had hard-pressed the limit of human stamina and it was not correct to hold on to somebody who could never be pleased with the way she was. Oh F***!! she said,and her dad looked at her with that same look he always gave her when she used the WORD.

In her mind she could hear herself saying “I would never be happy with the way I had turned out to be”.That was it; in a split second she was sure she could no longer go on like this, could I? Was it really me? Had I said and done all those things? Could I be more hurting? What had happened to me? What was this obsession? What made me suicidal? Would I be able to see the person face to face and act like a stranger? So many questions ran through her anxious mind, which was urgently looking for answers and found no books for counsel. She knew she had fallen and was on her own, no one to lend a hand … what does a person do at these aching times? What does one do, when it hurts so shoddily? That’s it … she said to herself …. It was time for decision, measures and most of all a point to grow up.

This was exactly last Sunday the 29th of March 2009…. The day she said her first “that’s it” and meant it for real. It was exactly week later… Sunday night … she had recently taken up to Photography and was coming back from the photography work shop, which she had really enjoyed, quietly driving in her red Ferrari after a nice cold beer,which was her usual weekend thing,she dreamily made her way back Home . Suddenly out of nowhere as if something jumped out of the bushes here thoughts began to clobber her then vacant mind.

The one question that kept repeating like her mother’s cribbing. She laughed at the irony of her comparison and thought that there is so much more to life than broken heart, Right?

Her actions flashed like a space ship traveling in light-years…or watching those movie flicks in fast forward mode. What had I done? Stupid stupid little girl … cursing herself she brought her hand down hard, Bang! This action and the loud noise it made drew some unwanted attention, but of course arundati had no patience to give it a second thought ...

Arundati’s Journal:

My life began at 28…..
I won’t say i have entirely become a different person, but in way I was a new person with a new agenda and this time it did not include any MEN. It was time to move on , live on my own stipulations … yes marriage was on the cards , would love to find some one to hold on to … but for now , I required to be with myself , discern myself , get to know me from my own eyes .

What brought that change in me was an attempt to look at things from a brighter side. Blaming myself for my mistakes and others was no solace… believe me, when you find reasons to blame someone one, then you know it was entirely your fault.

Truth is definitely sour if not bitter and it’s always “Better late than never”.

As I tried to think more and more of what I had done wrong, it all came flooding back to me. I had to seriously change myself, even before I thought of associating with a special someone. Did I really know myself? Do I know what I wanted from this life; yeah sure I have dreams like any other person. Sure I feel immature, grown up all at the same time, I even feel positive about everything at this very moment , but some where in that creepy little corner of my head , a dark little place , there is insecurity and self doubt .

DO I really know my self? This question I guess has no definite answer, surely I have taken a path to self discovery , but how far would I go , would I crumble and fall all over again and hurt my self . No not again is my Final Answer…. Funnily I can hear the TV Reality show anchor saying “Lock Kiya Jaaye” in one of those hyped Get rich quick shows.

I would not fall in to something I know wont work out in the first instance… Life just gets complicated when you’re not single, sure everyone needs someone, but what makes us feel that way, why can’t we be happy with ourselves? This is my path to self discovery , this is where I say no to things that really don’t hold any value… this is the time I say no to things which don’t make me happy … do I need a person in my life to make me feel loved ? I don’t think so … I need to make my self feel loved… that’s what I have to do, love me, yet be selfless. So do I turn into a Narcissist, no but a bit of self obsession can prove to be very positive. The need to feel good , look good , dress well , are all good things to have … self love , to be the kind of person you want to be is very important. Today I start loving myself, and stop pitying myself for me. I have come to terms with this change the hard way and can now claim that I understand when people say “ everything happens for a reason and i don believe those reason were definitely for the better.

The End…