What Lies Ahead...

I got this as a forwarded mail but couldn't resist myself posting it. I know it's lengthy but worth reading

Date: 1st June, 2020

Sun is rising as usual in the east. I’m standing here outside the school waiting for my 10 yr kid. He studies is class 2. Only this year he could get admission into the school. For the last 3 yrs admissions were closed for the general category students. School bell rings. I can see a lot of happy children coming out of the gate, I waited for half an hour and my kid came at last after other children. General students are not allowed to cross the gate unless other OBC/SC/ST students have crossed the gates. OBC/SC/ST fathers drive away their children in classy cars. But I have to walk back home with my kid a 5 km stretch. I lost my car some years back when Govt. came with a rule that general people have to deposit a tax equal to cost of their cars. Failing which, I had to sell the car. As far as buses are concerned, the seats in buses are reserved for OBC/SC/ST. So no place there also. After walking some 5 km in scorching heat I finally reached home. It was Wednesday... shit, no electricity. Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday is power cut in the houses of General category population. So that SC/ST/OBC can be uplifted by providing them with every opportunity and in that consideration electricity is an important factor.

Its 10:00 pm in night, no electricity at home. It’s very hot inside the four walls of home. So I dare to step out in park with my wife and kid. I seated myself with my family on a secluded bench in garden. It was hardly 5 min, when a guard came to us strolling in the park. He asked me what caste you belong to. I said with some hesitation; G..General. He asked me to pay a fine of Rs.200 and get out of the park. My Fault... The bench I was sitting on was meant for again the SC/ST/OBC, for their upliftment peace of mind is on essential things. So govt came with this decision, to reserve benches for them. Kudos to them...
Its early in the morning... the newspaper wala just knocked the door. I took the newspaper and started reading.., it’s Independence Day. I never used to forget this day some 20 yrs back. My kid hardly knows wat 15th August is, because I never told him any stories of greatness of our country or anything realted to country. I don't feel like telling him the failures after freedom.

On front page of newspaper, in a corner their is a news about a OBC member getting 6 months impriosonment in "BAL SUDHAR GRAHA" from a juvenile court for murdering and raping a six year old girl. Yes the rules have been amended, since the last 5 years. The Culprit was a 20 year old OBC so age relaxation was provided for trial of crime. So he was taken to juvenile court, since there is an age relaxation for OBC/SC/ST.
About 11 am some one gave me the BAD news about demise of one of my neighbour and friend Mr.Mehta. I went to his house for condolence next day, his body was lying there still rotting in the heat. I asked his son about the Cremation. His son told me "Many reserved category have died yesterday so we are not getting entry to creamtion ground." This rule is the latest from Govt. where the seats in creamtion ground will be reserved for SC/ST/OBC for their upliftment. Finally next day Mehta ji was cremated. I could see sun seeting through the Flames burning a libarated Body, liberated from casre n creed. I was surprised sun still sets in the west?

It was about 9 pm, I was about to sleep in my bed my son came to me with innocence in his eyes, inquisitively he asked me the question, what is reservation? I asked him where you listened that. He suddenly burst in tears. I asked him to keep quiet. But I could listen through his sobs "mujhe bhi reservation chahiye (I too want reservation)". How can I convince him that it’s no other toy in the market, which I can get for him? He kept crying that night, claiming many of "his classmates have got reservation". To make him quiet I said ok, I’ll buy you reservation at your next B'day.

Bye Bye INDIA !!!

Barsaat ke mausam mein...

Rains always remind me these lines, written by Rossiter Johnson:

How it pours, pours, pours, In a never-ending sheet! How it drives beneath the doors!

How it soaks the passer's feet! How it rattles on the shutter! How it rumples up the lawn! How 'twill sigh, and moan, and mutter, From darkness until dawn.
(Source: Rhyme of the Rain)


Yesterday, first time I witnessed the rains in Mumbai. The rains brought both joy n reliefs from the scorching heat of summer but along with this, it also brought panic n feeling of fear in the minds of the people.

As soon as the rain started, my mailbox was flooded by the mails, warning about the future dates on which there is the possibility of heavy rainfall. But this was not all, then came a warning SMS came from my mobile service provider. People here in Mumbai, really fear rains now, atleast after last year’s 26/7.

Panicked Mumbaikars believe that this was only the trailer, as it rained only for few hours. The rains led to water-logging at many places between my office and home. Addition to this was heavy traffics jams on the road, as everyone was in a rush to reach their homes.

Finally, I managed to reach my place, bare-footed, with shoes in my hands and singing the song “Barsaat ke mausam mein…”

Na Jaane Koii.....

Amidst volatility the markets have slipped in deep red. The markets ended weak after a choppy session with the BSE Sensex closing at 452.82 points down 10,938.61 levels below the 11,000 mark.

In intra-day trade, it slipped to a low of 10,799 levels. The market tried to gain some momentum during the day but the due to heavy selling and some disappointing Q4 results, it again slipped in deep red.

Now all eyes will be on the stock indices on Monday. The BSE Sensex had nosedived 1279 points approximately in the last two days, the highest-ever absolute fall for the index.

Reacting to the Thursday's losses, Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram said on Friday that the crash had been a "manufactured crisis". Even he mentioned that the government is not looking FII’s as traders and they will be considered only as investors. Even this promise was not enough for the market to rise.

The question which comes to my mind is that “What should retail investors do at this moment of time?” Whether they should continue holding the stocks, hoping that by next week, the markets will flourish again. Or they should sell their stocks because sensex can go down further. “What will be the future of small investors?”

How much correction is still needed in the Sensex? Or till what time we’ll continue fearing from Black Monday, Torrid Thursday or Freaky FryDay. The last and the most important question is that how this crash will effect the future of Aam Aadmi….


Please Note: I’m neither an investor nor a trader. But try to follow the markets closely because of my interests.

Hasna Zaroori Hai

RGV & K Sera Sera presents “Darna Zaroori Hai"

Saw the movie on Friday night @ Cinemax, Andheri East. I just wanted to share some of my experiences related to this movie, this may help my frndz in saving some money.

Few years ago, Ram Gopal Varma experimented; he made a movie with six different stories but with same conclusion named Darna Mana Hai. His latest offering in this 'Darna' series is Darna Zaroori Hai. This movie also has six different stories but they all are similar to the stories in previous part.

Even the main plot of the movie was similar to the previous one. Let's get this straight. 'Scary' is too strong a word for Darna Zaroori Hai. The film doesn't even succeed in sending a slight shiver down your spine. Almost everyone present in the theatre was laughing instead of getting scared.

Of the six stories that are juxtaposed in this new 'Darna' series, I only liked the first story, which was directed by Sajid Khan. The remaining five stories and also the story that binds them in a thread, of an old woman and five children were unable to generate interest amongst the audiences.

On the whole, the movie lacks the power to scare, frighten, terrify or to even generate some interest in the audience. It was a major disappointment. Instead of Darna Zaroori Hai, the title of the movie should be “Hasna Zaroori Hai.”

Live Humbly !!

The story written below is based on a real life incident and it may teach us how to be modest:

" Vivek Pradhan wasn't a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the First Class air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi Express couldn't cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought; he had tried to reason with the admin guy, it was the savings in
time. A PM had so many things to do!

He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.

"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop.

Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.

"You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today everything is getting computerized."

'Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a detailed look.

He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stocky like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a Railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.

"You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naivety demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."

"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.
This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence came into his so far affable, persuasive tone.

"Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in." "Hard work!" "Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office doesn't mean our brows don't sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."


He had the man where he wanted him and it was time to drive home the point.
"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country.

Thousands of transactions accessing a single database at a given time; concurrency, data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system?"

The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination.

"You design and code such things."

"I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the project manager,"

"Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, "so your life is easy now."

It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan. The man had to be given a feel of the heat.

"Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder.
Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I don't do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. And to tell you about the pressures! There is the customer at one end always changing his requirements, the user wanting something else and your boss always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."

Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realization. What he had said was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth.

"My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in the line of fire."

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization.

When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.

"I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was staring blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolor at the top only 4 of us were alive."

"You are a..."

"I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a land assignment. But tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier. On the dawn of that capture one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded. His own personal safety came last, always and every time. He was killed as he shielded that soldier into the bunker. Every morning now as I stand guard I can see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire."

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a word document in the presence of a man for whom valor and duty was a daily part of life; a valor and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes.

The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight.

"It was nice meeting you sir."

Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This was the hand that had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger and hoisted the tricolor.

Suddenly as if by impulse he stood at attention, and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute.

It was the least he felt he could do for the country.

PS: The incident he narrates during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true life incident during the Kargil War. Major Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and his various other acts of bravery he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra – the nation's highest military award.

Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn! ”

Mandal II

So now there are fresh reservations to get into IITs and IIMs. Premier institutes forced to compromise on their meritocracy. I do not understand why we are so socialist. Shouldn't the best survive and let others perish?

If there has to be reservation for anyone than it should be done on the basis of their economic position not on the basis of their caste. Initially when the constitution was drafted, this reservation system was proposed only for 10 years but it has been extended to 55 years, even now not giving any sign to terminate. I agree that reservations were a necessity in early years after our independence but now, in the global economy, there should be no place for reservations.

Caste system is evil practice because then people from a particular caste could be deprived from getting into a particular organization. However, reservation is also bad because of same reasons; It denies the general public who are more able, an entry into these organizations just because they do not belong to particular castes.

By making reservations up to 50%, we ourselves are creating a difference amongst the society. Students, who joined on merit basis in these colleges, will treat the other group, who came there on the basis of reservations, as inferiors.

Even after having reservations in some of the top notch colleges, these students are unable to perform. At IITs they have preparatory classes for the student community, who come through these quotas. These classes are given to them just to bring them to the level of the other students and also to the level of studies which they have to do at these colleges. In spite of all this many of them become drop-outs in between of the course coz they are unable to cope up with pressure there.

A real meritorious student is never deprived; he comes up in life whichever field he chooses and which ever college, industry he joins. Even I know one person who belonged to these minority classes but then too he got the admission in IIT through the general category, just to prove that he doesn’t want any quota to be there.

We all know the kind of extraordinary talent, which is needed to get into the India's best institutes like IIT's & IIM's. Students start their preparations for these exams; years before they actually appear for them, with a hope that one day they will be IITians or IIM grads, they face a cut throat competition in these exams, which selects 1 student out of thousands. Every year competition is becoming tougher n tougher and instead of reducing the reservation and increasing number of seats, government is restricting the general class to get into premier institutes.

Now what exactly is the government trying to do? It’s playing with the future of thousands of students belonging to the General Category. Instead of giving them economic support, fee waivers and scholarships it wants to appease them with something that will cost students their future. Reservation aimed at more than 50%. Approximately 1330 seats going to be out of question for general candidates in IITs and 210 in each IIMs. Half the passouts from these esteemed institutions will be those who never fought for their careers. If the government is so interested in their development, then let them open new colleges for these so called underprivileged backward classes.

Children of poor labourers’, anywhere in India, who has been discriminated for generations, will never benefit from these reservations. Since reservation never permeates to that level. The only ones who actually benefit are well-settled city folks who are under the "Creamy layer" category of SC/STs and so called backward classes.
The reservation does not ensure social respect for anyone. On the contrary it prejudices minds of those merit based candidates who have been at the receiving end of reservations. And also it is not good for our economy.

These reservations are made by the politicians just for their vote banks and not for the welfare of the common citizen. The major vote banks for these political parties have always been these minority classes and other backward classes. Since We, (the general category) never vote. And the Politicians want their votes... Therefore, we have to face all these crap. So, it’s high time that we should be aware of our rights and should vote.

India is now becoming a superpower, economic growth is on fast lane, more and more Multinational's are investing in India just because of 1991 reforms and the strategy "Open For All", but at the same time, making the education closed, restricted to few. It slaps the face of education in India...

Whatever is the reason, vote bank or up gradation of backward castes, it is injustice to the deserving candidates. Apropos to the government's recent decision to increase the reservation quota up to 50% for the reserved castes, we the "General Society" strongly oppose this government's authoritarian step.

One Rupee !!!

Few days ago, while coming back from Linking Road, I was getting restless as my auto-rickshaw stopped on every other signal.

But soon I was engrossed in listening to the songs, played on the FM that I didn’t noticed that we were again waiting for a green light. I realized this when I saw a beggar standing at one side of my rick, with her baby. I tried to ignore her and turned my head towards the other side.

The story on the other side was more or less the same. A girl between 8 – 10 years of age came and stood on the other side of my auto. I ignored her too in the beginning but the dejected look on her face, made me re-consider my decision.

After thinking for a while, I took out my purse gave a one rupee coin to that girl and said, “Ab kissi aur ko mat bhejna. (Now don’t send anybody else.)” She smiled and ran away.

As my rick moved ahead, she again passed by my side and smiled looking towards me. This was the third time; I saw her happy and smiling, after receiving that one rupee from me. My rick moved further and by this time she must have been left far behind. But as soon as we got stuck in the jam again, I saw her standing on one of the sides of my rick. She again passed me a smile and waved to me as my rick moved forward. I don’t how but my hands automatically started waving back towards her. I turned back and kept on looking as I wanted to see that happy face again and again, as my rick moved ahead.

We’ll give tips to waiters, cab drivers or any one else but we’ll not give a single penny to the beggars because the fact have been inculcated into our minds that begging is a bad habit and we should not encourage it. We don’t blame people who take bribes or tips, for making our society corrupt and dysfunctional. We never think of the reason that why people are forced to beg. It is our society which is responsible for the evolvement of this evil practice.

Before this incident I never knew the amount of happiness, which a single penny may give to someone. May be I cannot change this world or buy something expensive but certainly I bought happiness on the face of that girl, by just One Rupee !!!

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaray dil meiN hai !!!

Thought of reminding you the cost of our freedom


Dont forget their sacrifice,their valour efforts,their courage .....for the freedom in which we were born and have enjoyed so far:

23rd-March 1931

Its 75 years of their valour martyrdom.
Exactly 75 years back from here three gallant sons of India
(Shaheed Bhagat Singh,Shaheed Sukhdev,Shaheed Rajguru) sacrificed
their lifes for the sake of our freedom.

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaray dil meiN hai,
dekhna hai zor kitna baazuay qaatil meiN hai
karta nahiN kyuN doosra kuch baat cheet,
dekhta hun maiN jise voh chup teri mehfil meiN hai
ay shaheed-e-mulk-o-millat main teray oopar nisaar,
ab teri himmat ka charcha ghair ki mehfil meiN hai
waqt aanay dey bata deNge tujhe ay aasmaN,
ham abhi se kya batayeN kya hamare dil mein hai
khainch kar layee hai sab ko qatl honay ki ummeed,
aashiqoN ka aaj jumghat koocha-e-qaatil meiN hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaray dil meiN hai !!!

Star of the Future !!!

Many of my frndz must have guessed by now that about whom I am talking, just by reading the heading of this blog. Yes, guys you all are right, I’m talking about Abhishek Bachchan.

I always believed in his acting abilities, and I was sure that one day he will definitely become a star and I came onto this conclusion just after watching his first movie, Refugee. Many times we had a debate over this topic that how can I say that he is “The Star of the Future,” at that time I was always proved wrong, by my frndz, but I believed that one day he will be.

After getting many flops in a row now Aby’s Baby has become a star in true sense. Nowadays, he is in the news for smallest of things he does; whether he’s throwing a b’day party, signing any new movie, or having affair’s with his co-stars, etc everything is in news. I hope that in future, we’ll see not him only in one or two but in many more commercials too. He has been voted as the “Most Promising Star of the Future,” by the audience, in a survey conducted by a TV channel. While in another survey, conducted by a leading news channel, he was chosen as “Sexiest Male in India.” Even at one of the popular award’s function recently, when he came onto the stage, the crowd went crazy, and this didn’t happen only once but every time he was there.

Nobody wants to put his money on a flop actor; but these days every filmmaker is keen to work with him or had already signed him for their next venture. So guys, what do you say? I think now every one will believe me, that he is the "Star of the Future."

Paint It Yellow !!!

Saw Rang De Basanti over the weekend. The first half of the movie reminded me of all the “FUN” we used to have in college whereas the other part touched me, with the “ISSUES” that have been dealt in the movie.

Almost everything in the movie was fantastic, whether its script, screenplay, music, direction or the performance. The background score was amazing, so was the screenplay. How Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra interchanges between the two plots, that is, past and present in the movie, is brilliant. The music by Rehman is not of the regular type and it will be liked by almost everyone. The performances of not only Aamir Khan, but all the actors were excellent. All of them look very natural. Even Alice Patten had spoken Hindi so fluently that nobody could say that she is a foreigner. The way each of them start behaving like real freedom fighters towards the climax was really fascinating. The climax of the movie is also one thing which makes it unforgettable. Guys believe me, do go and watch this movie.

I strongly believe that Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra should have made this movie in English too, as he originally thought of; so that this world would have not missed such a brilliant movie. The name of the English version was to be “Paint It Yellow.”

VT Program !! (Part I)

This is first in the series, “From Sangam to Nariman Point”, about which I mentioned some time back.

It was first time that I reached somewhere on time, may be bcos it was sumthing related to an opportunity for a job……… When I showed my letter to the security personnel, he asked me to wait in the security room: I found a place to sit, just next to a guy with long hair n also with an earring, he was also carrying the same letter like me so I understood that he was also there for this VT Program !!

The first impression I got from his looks was that he is a typical Delhite n it will be very difficult for me to have gud frndship with him but in life everything never falls on the same platform as we have thought n opposite to my believes he became one of my closest pal there, he was Abhishek Kalra or ‘Abhi’, as we later use to call him………

Few minutes later, security guard asked us to move to Building 22B, Second Floor, Cafeteria….. I asked for the directions n moved ahead, and I was among the first few to reach there;

After sitting alone for few minutes, I saw Abhi sitting on another table with a guy, I went to them n asked “Are you ppl also for the VT Program?” He replied with a nod n asked me to join them. After this we introduced ourselves to each other. On the table beside ours were sitting a guy, Rishi and two beautiful ladies, Megha and Laveena. They were so busy in giggling and chatting with each other, that we even thought that they may be very good frndz from before. Rest of the ppl were also scattered throughout the cafeteria.

Almost after sitting there for an hour, came a person from the HR Department. He took all of us to a conference room on the ground floor of the front building. The room looked good; it was a semi-circle shaped room with sofas all around the walls, except for one side. We all fitted ourselves on those sofas. After some formalities, which are usually done by the HR Department of every organization, we took our lunch break. The day seemed to be good as well as exciting too. We were enjoying every bit of it as most of us were new to this Corporate Culture.

I don’t know about others but it was first time I saw a BPO from inside, how ppl work there, etc. There were also two ATM’s counters just outside the room where we were sitting. A pantry just next to our room, with a TV in order to make their employees feel relax. One thing which I saw for the first time in my life was the Shoe Polishing Machine, which was placed on every floor, just outside the washroom. We all used these resources on our own convenience.

After having a good lunch, we all assembled back in the same room. The best thing about the lunch was that it was free of cost. Now that HR person came again and told us that we’ll be having our Pre-Assessment in short while from now and it will be a telephonic round of interview. There was panic amongst all of us, that why they are taking another round of interview? But he told us that it is only done to judge our abilities and we should remain assured that no one will be thrown out or disqualified.
Telephonic round of interview began and it was just similar to the interview which had given at the time of recruitment. But then too everyone whose turn was left was tensed till the time he/she finished off with his/her interview. My turn came almost at the end but it went okay. Till the time one person gave the interview, we all others had interactions with each other. After finishing off with this round, we were told to leave for the day. We took the respective cabs and went home happily. In the cab I found another guy from our batch, he was Kunal. He lived very near to my house in NOIDA.

Next day we were again made to sit in that same conference room and the whole day we only had fun. In between, some ppl from different departments came to address us, but the day passed and what I remember about it is only fun. One important thing which we learnt that day was that we’ll be divided into two groups; one will have training for 4 weeks and the other one for 6 weeks. This announcement made us a little sad coz now we ppl will be separated.

The third day began in the cafeteria, where came Arti. She introduced herself as the trainer of one group and told us that she will be announcing the names of the ppl in her group. So the names were:-
1. Abhishek Kalra
2. Anshul Agrawal
3. Anurag Sareen
4. Ashish Khattar
5. Joy Mukerjee
6. Kunal Kishore
7. Laveena Samvedi
8. Megha Shah
9. Vargis Khan
10. Vijayendra Singh

And ten of us went with Arti to Arctic Waves (this was the name of our training room)………



to be continued……………………