Wagle ki Duniya- A throwback into the times

I have to agree that this year in Germany will remain special for me. Just for the fact that it has helped me reconnect with many things I loved once, moments long lost and forgotten, friends with whom I always thought of talking but kept on delaying about the chance encounter bit- everything!

Now coming back to the part of reconnecting, I think 'Youtube" has been my godsend gift. Imagine this...early 2000's Calcutta, a young pigtailed girl having a huge crush on her maths teacher waiting eagerly for "Shudhu Tomari jonnyo"- the weekly dose of star crossed love stories on Etv Bangla every Sunday. The gawky teenager watches and develops further crushes on Parambrata, the lanky young guy as he was then, not the very handsome man that he is today, and Jishu Sengupta. Ah! I think it is not only my story. But then her parents decide that Cable television is too much of a disturbance for studies and decides to disconnect from the network.

Sigh! what does the girl do if she has not yet been able to know the outcome of the remaining episodes of the season? She simply finds them on youtube many summers later...in a distant foreign land :) And that is the reason I think youtube you were one of the best things to happen in this era of technology. In some context , it s a time machine also. Of course I did not decide to restrict my curiosities to only watching "Shudhu tomari jonnyo"... I of course went back to the good old Doordarshan days when "Superhit Muqabla" was the coolest thing to happen to me and "Phulwari Bacchon ki" (especially the episode in Fatehpur Sikri") was a dream come true. And then "Tehkikat", "Suraag" and what not! My god! a treasure trove of my childhood. I actually read up on the reams of nostalgia available on the internet surrounding DD. And there I discovered "Wagle ki Duniya". The original airing time of the show did not actually coincide with my childhood. I must be around 2 or 2 and a half years only when the original episodes were shown. I decided to watch the episodes to see what was all the jazz about. I watched only the ones available on Youtube and I am not sure if I am qualified enough to comment since not all the episodes are available online. However, I decided to go ahead as the "common man" today in my eyes have gone a sea changes from the values that Mr. Wagle bore during those pre liberalisation days.

(Image Courtesy: http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2007july/wagle-ki-duniya_030111025608.jpg)

To start with Mr Wagle did not have to bear with the computers. That made his sons' childhoods colorful as they are shown playing a lot of cricket, reading comic books, doing a lot of puzzles and stuff. But poor Mr Wagle also did not known the joys of the internet and Google. In one of the episodes he had to literally chase down a few acquaintances to gather information about planning a vacation somewhere nearby. Sounds a bit unrealistic in today's time when hotels are pre booked over the internet :). But as a 90's kid I remember all those family vacations every year where atleast once we had to tag around our fathers looking for a decent hotel. Must have been irritating then...but happy memories now! Reservation was good, but then again my dad had to go and stand in queue in front of the Railway booking office in Koilaghat Street for booking a railway ticket. There was no internet and more importantly no IRCTC website to make fun about also :)

I am not sure if the series ran further, how would  have been the portrayal of  Mr Wagle's sons' growing up. May be they would have been the faces of post liberalisation India- A haven of service industry, which on one way is boom and also a bane for our country. The best gift of the turn in tide- smart jacketed corporate honchos who made flying abroad- which till yesterday was a dream for many into a regular habit for many middle class Indians. And that was the beginning of a change. While we keep on hearing about a soda ash factory coming up or the sound of the Company siren in the background, the story knits together an India which was still walking towards a future of manufacturing industries and industries of core competency.

I will not be a bore about how "simple living and high thinking" dominated the times. Everything was not good about it. We may be nostalgic choose to remember only the happier time, but it was also a time when unemployment was at its peak, a time when the household decisions revolved around the question  about whether to employ a domestic help or not...whether that will push the envelope for the family budget or not. We will have to agree that the common man or the Indian middle class lives a much more comfortable life today in the terms of monetary value. I am not so sure about the emotional security part. The part which belongs to the times of job security, 9 to 5 jobs, hesitation about whether to pay the bribe or not! Yes red tapism was a part of the culture of the times but so was the belief of the parents that their children will grow to see a much better India...probably the reason why MR and Mrs Wagle did not like their son eavesdropping on their conversation about paying bribe to a government servant.

I think the new improved shining India has done enough take away that belief. And I say so because, nowadays I see parent, rich and famous, some of them have earned their positions and they deserve every bit of it. They might not like their children to go through the same struggles they have been through, but that does not mean that the value of 'humility' will also be forgone. The sense that 'you can buy everything', that I think is a problem that the young India face. Come on! I could not have contained myself in that lowly 2 BHK residential quarter shown in the series...many of us would not have. And I am justified in asking for more...the anthem of our growing up years have been "yeh dil maange more"...and is asking for more a bit too much? It never should be...We are hungry as a nation, we are hungry for everything...and probably that's the reason our parents..the same ones who taught us to be better human beings, nowadays go to each other's houses, the ones they live in as a part of their own self built old age homes, and compare the successes of their wards in the terms of the pay packets earned, the number of foreign trips made and blah blah! Imagine this in the time of Rk Laxman's common man...there were neighbours, the prying ones and the 'neighbour's envy' was palapable, but then again the same ones let you borrow their binoculars or may be their hot pot also. Can you imagine if I thought of borrowing my neighbour's binoculars today? I will die of shame and buy a new pair. Probably that is the reason the neighbours who were once considered even dearer than your relatives and knew every bit of your household story, turn a deaf ear even when somebody is probably dead in the next apartment.

And what do we do in turn? We run....we run everyday...behind the much alluring success story never knowing that our parents who are alone in a city or a town, which might have been my hometown once, spending days and nights alone in our thoughts. Because where we come from often makes us feel ashamed..too constrained for the growth story.


But who says asking for more is bad?

 

Shanghai- It really makes you think!

The joys of weekend is back in my life since I decided to take another plunge back to corporate life and it has been a nice experience so far. I will not deny that the amount of money, not obscene but the decent amount in Calcutta, that they are paying me has been a deciding factor. I am still not sure about how can I keep my promise to myself about taking up writing seriously going (and my blog bears testimony for it), but will probably never stop loving it enough.
So, enough of chit chat over, let's come to what is more relevant. And that is Shanghai! what a movie! probably the best after Kahaani this year. In fact, we should feel lucky to be part of a year which gave you gems like Kahaani and Shanghai, albeit with Bong boys and their sentiments written all over them.

Shanghai is special, Shanghai is close t my heart because it touched a chord. Back in college I had this favourite Professor of mine called Prof. Amita Dhanda. I remember doing a jurisprudence project on "Dev D"  for her. Wish I could do the same theroisation for Shanghai for her class. I so miss NALSAR and the wonderful course readings we had. Nietzsche, Nussbaum and Tagore in a melting pot. Ah! life.

And before I am overtaken by nostalgia, I just want to let everyone know that go and watch Shanghai- a must watch for the very underrated and subtle performances. For Abhay Deol who never fails to surprise us. A Jat speaking in that immaculate south indiaised hindi accent. And he is a dream of an IAS officer as Krishnan. For Emraan Hashmi because this is undoubtedly his career best performance till date. As a local ruffian he never fails to surprise you. You can never relate to his serial kisser image. For Kalki Koechlin, and thank you anurag Kashyap for discovering her( and making her an integral part of your life). Kalki's enraged performance engulfs you. However, her roles are now becoming a tad bit repetitive. For the supporting cast who makes Bharatnagar special. And for the none other than Prosenjit Chatterjee's Dr. Ahmedi. The very dapper Dr. Ahemdi is something you will cherish through out the movie even though his screen time is limited.

And thank you Farooq Sheikh. I seriously miss you on screen. That we had something going on since the day I saw Chashme Buddoor on television or heard a portion of the recital of 'Tumhari Amrita', is a different story altogether. Something that Deep will be utterly jealous of maybe ;)

Shanghai shakes you up. It stays all over your mind long after you have left the theatre. May be because it stands for a cause I find my self deeply attached to- "Kiski desh? Kiski pragati?" A question which gets lost in all the rat race that we are in today and in between all the probabilities of a better lifestyle. Probably the water that costs you Rs.35 per glass :) Shanghai is based on a Greek novel, but Dibabkar Banerjee makes it relatable...and in every aspect.The irony is I watched Shanghai seated in a plush multiplex where the irony gets lost in the overpriced coke glass that you buy for yourself during the movie. But I sincerely hope the portrayal and the idea behind Shanghai doesn't remain solely limited within the arty farty multiplex classes. Because its something which we need to answer now...soon! An answer which we face every day...my state faced it a few years back. And it has been a constant struggle since then. What is development? what actually? Can that plush house in the neatest corner of the city compensate for real smiles? Or do smiles generate otherwise. Think! because we nowadays rarely do so. Shanghai is disturbing that ways. It makes you think.

"Bharat mata ki jai"

Life these days- Hyderabadi Autos and the overbearing 'Anna's...kkkkkkkkkiraann

There have been queries. and more queries. and simply speaking..some of tehm have left me quite flattered. I never knew that so many people actually read my blog. A big thank you.

And to all your queries as to where I have been..and why didn't I update this page often in the recent months- Well! to say the truth- I have been busy, very busy actually. I have started working and so now I know what it means, actual deadlines I mean. It's quite surprising to note that a few days back we were this rebellious bunch of college kids bargaining for an extension of the project deadline with the seemingly helpless teacher. she had already provided us 2 in the past 1 month. But then who cared? we were the fifth years...the batch of 2011.

And today we are all these blackberry totting grown up professionals...managing our own lives in this big bad world. We dont argue with our respective bosses for extension of deadlines. we all know that the client is supremely important. the world stares at us, gives us jealous glances....but nobody knows the story behind all that corporate jazz (slavery! :P)

But am lucky to have a very nice team to work with. People say you will always remeber your first boss....and I will surely do remember my Manager...He is one of the sweetest and most accomodating fellows I have known. and so are my other senior members in the team. the best part about my team is that every one is approachable :) May be that's what a true professional should be- be approachable.

Hyderabad really doesnt seem the similar town that I had known for all these years. Its a changed place now....the every day haggle with auto annas, or the needful for "aatey daal ka bhao"-times a are changing... a quite indication that we all are growing up.

In deed we are. all. everyone. Just the way that guy whose article pointed out why the youth is suddenly so conscious about the anna Hazare movementy. Because they know they have no place to run away to, they can't escape India. We are the ones who are providing aid to the nations to over come their debt crisis who supposedly have a better credit rating than us. India is truly the furture. Don't believe me? Browse through the world stock market idices in the past few days and you will understand. I remeber reading an article way back in 2010 which had succinctly put why India had fared so well during the recession. the reasdon was one we all know (an I agreed wholesomely with the author)- the presence of a very strong public sector.

Don't get me wrong, neither do I support corruption in any ways (since we have this huge thing for black and white...so in case I dont support Kiran and Kejriwal...I am anti Anna- Don't make this presumption) but how many of these protestors actually read the draft of the bill? Perhaps not many. Noit that our democratic thought ever advocated the cause of informed decision making. Or else what would make people still support the commies who destroyed and actually bludgeonoed the economy of my state in these 34 years. Frankly speaking there is nobody called a communist in this world. None. those who claim to be..decoarte their daughters with tons of gold jewellery and show off by throwing lavish parties....if that's socialism...I am very proud to proclaim myself as a supporter of Didi. even if she pretends (according to some), she does it well. Besides I believe in everything being open and that includes the economy. There are no free lunches anywhere I suppose :)

But coming back to the point. there was this mad rush to support Anna. I have gathered that he is a truly dedicated man. But I had thsi huge feeling that during the last few days of his fast, he merely became a ploy in the hand of Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi. Come on! these guys should know that nobody is beyond the constitution in this country. Not even Arundhati roy (who seemed to jump at another ocassion of attention grabbing by *NOT* supporting Anna). It is the Constitutional framework that we have in place, that makes this Democracy a success. Yes! a true success story. and that includes the way Kejriwal protested and Kiran Bedi cry when she asked the police force to disobey the orders of their seniors-err! wasn't that seditious? I mean you arrest Maoists on same ground....and what was Om Puri saying? atleast the same people he was referring to had the guts to face the election.

Well to sya the least anyone could have gone up on that stage and claimed to be our youth leade including a guy who provides MBA degrees without any affiliation. A person on twitter rightly pointed out that his claim to fame now- "Think beyond the Parliament" Bwahaaaa!!!!!

Nobody supports corruption. everyone has the right to be angry. Everyone has the right to protest, but just like Chauri Chaura happened and killed the momentum, the proclaimed new age Gandhi should be very cautious. Gandhiji was right to call off the movement after Chauri chaura. He knew we were not mature enough to handle the principle of non violenece right then. That did materialise...in varied form...many years later. Don't know where Ramlila Maidan will take us. If that recorded tape of one of the original heroes of this so called second freedom struggle is anything to go by- we are not ready for it Annaji. Hope the Janlokpal turns out to be as idealistic as it promises to be. Best wishes from a proud Indian.

Sokhi bhalobasha kare koy?

Tagore had asked this question aeons ago...and frankly speaking none of us have the answer till date. We all know how does it feel....it feels good, it feels great :))

But that never implies that the journey is a cakewalk. In case it is, it is something else....love is as much about sharing a life together as like eating your hilsa with extra mustard toppings :P (that's the bong foodie in me talking)

"Jaan jaati hain jab uthke jaatey ho tum"

Farida Khanum sums up the pain beautifully in probably one of the most simple ghazals I have ever heard.

and there is more to it. Just like Gulzaar saab's poetry :)

"sehme se rehte hain, jab yeh din dhalta hain/ ek hi aah bujhta hain/ ek hi aah jalta hain/ tumne koi deep jalaya hota"

I don't claim to understand completely the serenity behind those lines...but the eternity behind them is truly magical.

Just like the dreams of a lonely sunday afternoon, 'us' in our living room.....our favourite songs on the music player......one where he will shre random facts about some stuff I thought never existed...and then he will bear my completely out of tune songs....and then he will say something about the Jasmine- the flower and the revolution. and then I will share with him my new found enthusiasm about finance. He being the pro will tell me where I was fundamentally wrong...and he will buy me books! loads of them.... :) :)

"lokey tobe kore ki sukheri torey emon dukheri aansh"

Realisations...lately.

1. Love makes your world go round....and square, rectangle and what not! It's like watching the stars descend and kiss your feet goodnight...every night :)

2. Have you ever said "I Love you" and meant it? In case you haven't, please do! It will make you the happiest person on this planet.

3. I am nowadays training to be that perfect homemaker. I can now wash bedsheets and jeans on my own, without a washing machine that is. Quite an acheivement for daddy's little girl na? :D

4. It feels liberating when I pay my own bills. Pay through those vouchers when we go to eat out. And buying those flight tickets back home- first time with my own money. I remember everytime I deceided lastminute to go back home when  all the flights were dangeously overpriced and all I needed to do was to call up dad and start crying :P. Did you ever watch that Mastercard ad?

5. I have this huge crush on Shashi Tharoor. Probably the second longest one. And I am just completely in aw of him. Wonder what made him marry a garishly decorated woman like her :( I am jealous! Also, I am yet to finish his article in Deccan Chronicle this week. My bad luck :(

6. I have discovered almost all good loooking eateries in and around Madhapur. I promise myself everyweek that I won't have so much outside food next weekend, but then again friday night comes and I crave for Chinese. That reminds me. I have discovered this amazing small bengali food joint near that Madhapur petrol bunk called "Tumpa". Seriously! it's awesome and so cool on your pockets. so any bong out there (in and around Madhapur/ Jubilee Hills) who is missing home food and ont want to spend so much on that overhyped "Calcutta Cabin" can surely go there. It's alsmot like a Dada Boudi's hotel. And you will be amazed to see the amount of bengalis out here only in Madhapur. Every time I walk down my lane I can hear somebody or the other blabbering his/her way to glory in probbaly the sweetest language on the planet (ok! I will consider Urdu and am yet to learn French so....)

7. I think I am just in awe of someone. That one guy who discusses and gives me random gyan about India's foreign policy. Can educate me big time on India's defense policy. The one with whom I can share my views about Atish Taseer's that 'now' much talked about article. And how he makes a point that Taseer, with all due repect, doesn't make any new point..academically speaking. And then we discuss why is this one special...may be because of that politically overhyped parentage...and the real pain that Taseer faced. You see! I think you are just plain and simple "awesome". Be my friend. Always :)

Hyderabad Blues

 That's one of my favourite films. May be my love for the Kukunoor film had some chitchat while destiny was planning it out for me. On second thoughts- can love talk? yes it can :) and it can say "I love you" too :)coming back to Hyderabad, it's almost like second home now. The city saw me grow up. It has been through the many ups and a few downs I have gone through in my life. Agreed, there is nothing like Calcutta, but Hyderabad you will always remain special to me. Yes, may be this is the first time I am acknowledging this on a public forum, but yes! I am in love :) with the city :) And I still long to go back to Calcutta. That's the only place on this earth I call 'Home'. (Reiterated the umpteenth time) Oh1 wait, wasn't this post titled Hyderabad blues?


Blues! yes. They are everywhere nowadays. that muddy puddle I need to cross everyday while I go to office. The silent drizzle on the glass and the greens of the Durgam Chevuru lake....and the perfectly controlled silence inside the office. The deadlines...now I know what is called one :) Crazy schedules. dog tired weekends. Living alone. No friends to do all the random bakwaas. (Oh! they are back again in Hyderabad :P)

......blues. It's everywhere.

Wish there was a dhaba trip planned. and bhutta.

And wish he was here.

Nuggets and more.

1. Now that house hunting is over, at least temporarily, I am gearing up for the big shift from being a student to a working lady soon. Well, a few days are still left before I graduate and I am enjoying it to the hilt, but I am also super excited to start work soon. I am going to miss being a student....but I am sure I will enjoy being the responsible taxpayer too. May be change is the only constant in life.

2. The jealous glares do amaze me now and then, but doesn't matter anymore. Koi nahi, pay package aur brand value hazam honey mein thoda time to lagega hi :) :P More so when they asked for that all out war while shouting from the rooftops. But truly speaking, I am at peace with myself. And nothing makes me happier than that.

3. That reminds me. I love to stay happy. My friends often compliment me (at least I count it to be a compliment) as "being high on life". True. I really dont need to take refuge to alcoholic drinks or smoking for that  matter to get that high. I don't have nay issues with people who drink or smoke, but somehow I still prefer my glass of "coca cola on the rocks" :P in parties.

4. Have lately taken a lot of interest in learning Continental dishes. I have learnt quite a bit of Indian sabzi daal and stuff by now. Have to learn 'amish' (non vegetarian) cooking though. But I am trying to pick up Italian and stuff from my friends who are really good at it. And guess what? I suppose I can cook a proper Italian meal now for the people who matter :) Learnt how to make mouthwatering Pasta (the red sauce variety), Sauteed Mushrooms and the mashed potato with garlic and milk. They tasted nice. Considering I know how to make Pizzas already, the Italian thing is quite a deal now I suppose :D. What next? may be lasagna :) and obviously chitol macher muithya which I have been trying to learn for quite some time now. I love to cook. It's therapeutic.

5. Have been reading this book called "The red Carpet" by Lavanya Sankaran. Considering that bookstores do sell it within the same bracket of a few books titled "Anything for you ma'am", "Oh! shit, not again", "Ofcourse I love you, until I find some one better"- I was obviously apprehensive (am even more apprehensive of the people who consider themselves literary enthusiasts after reading the above mentioned books and go ga ga over them- nothing personal against anybody, you might find my "Sesher Kobita". "Uaccustomed Earth", "A suitable Boy", "Hamlet" or "Angels and Demons" boring too...but it's just a personal take). But coming back to the point that is...I like the book...and the author. She is good...very different from the cult that she is being promoted as a part of. She writes about Bangalore....I quite liked the place, the one single time I visited it....but the very bong Calcutta (and to some extent Sunu Da's GK II and it's proximity to CR Park neighbourhood) enthusiast me also found it a very endearing and honest effort. Some day I would love to do a similar anthology on "Calcutta". There might be thousands of them...because "ei shahor janey amar prothom sobkichu"...but it will be the stories I want to tell :)

6. It's the last two day weekend in college. The remaining will have working Saturdays....somehow, the five years, though they didn't just pass by like that, was quite a journey. A journey that made women out of girls. :)

Nuggets

1. Aging gracefully is fun. I just realised that people who acknowledge and celebrate being fifty always end up on the positive side of the age debate. After all who minds the compliments like "Fifty? you still look so young". Bottom line- Accept your physical age. Wrinkles look good and wisdom even better. Salt and pepper is in and Grey is sexy. Also, It's your mind which does all the calculations. Be nice and be chirpy as a sixteen year old.

2. Went to watch Saat Khoon Maaf. And I just want to quote Gulzaar to describe the experience- "Aapko dekh ke, badi der se/Meri saans ruki hain..." Also, the security at Inox in GVK mall, Hyderabad asked my friends Shreya and Paridhi while pointing towards me "Inki umaar kitni hain?" Well! it was an A certified movie and I actually had to show my Voter ID card to get in. I didn't know how to react. He let my other friends enter. Only me and Runjhun were asked to ensure that we were more than eighteen. What to say?

3. Was in Calcutta last week. Had Mourola machher chochchori after long and I re-realised that I love food. It was good food week for me with the newly discovered Hot Chips outlet near my place taking the award for the debutant category.

4. Marriage invitations for all and sundry seem to be pouring in. And my parents are making it quite clear that it will be my turn very soon. Well! to think about it, I will love o get married. But only to the right person. And I made quite an effort to describe Mr. Right to my parents. In the end, I ended up singing Suman- "Tomar tulona aami khujina kokhono/ Bohu byabohar kora kono upomay". Wish I meet Mr.Right sometime soon :)

5. Had this really fun journey while coming back from the airport. Had Pami and two wonderful juniors like Chau and Sandipan for company. amazing weather, adda and songs which we adore- Rabindrsangeet, songs from teen bhuboner paarey to Hirok Rajar deshey, Chandrobindoo, Suman and Anjan Dutta. Thank you guys :))

6. Was sitting through a class lecture when it just occurred to me that why does the feeling a vernacular language is amiss in any other language known to you and you are quite comfortable with. Imagine this. "Lyang" and "lengi" sound optimistically brilliant about a foregone love affair and the calculative other half into it (Aranyer Dinratri anyone?). Whereas this new age- "dumping" "ditching" sounds so very "kejo". As if the affair wasn't one to remember. It was all about calculations. May be the words are quite reflective of the generations swearing by the lingo. But when Anjan Dutta sings about the girl (Mala?) who "lyang" ofies her poor boyfriend and settles with a rich man, it talks about a generation when the term love marriages were coined. And truly speaking, you empathise with Mala too.

7. That reminds me. Why do you call it Love Marriage anymore? As it is the term sounds horrendous. What is love? Isn't love getting to know the person and discovering him through the journey called Life. You begin as strangers and end up to be quite the good friends you are supposed to be. Does that idea of Arranged marriages sound good. For a person branded as Romantic to the hilt, that sounds quite an idea that Mr. Darcy should approve. In the end it's all about love....it's about the journey, not the convenience of it. Nowadays, the proverbial love marriages sound more like "marriage of convenience". But then again, who am I to comment on that? I am still in search of true love (wink) whichever way it reaches me.

Dear Ophiuchus, Why I am still a true blue Capricorn

Are you in for interesting conversations? Are you the kinds who are interested in almost everything? Do you take a look at the day's predictions in the newspaper before you head towards work? umm...do you still love going back to your tattered copy of Linda Goodman as soon as you come across the cute guy in the office gym or college library? Well! you are in for a talkathon then...this week, the coming one and the ones yet to come....because your predestined zodiac might just have changed places. err...quite so!

I think by now we are all aware that because of this new star called Ophiuchus in place, the constellation has one more to think about and predict. That takes the count up from the normal twelve to thirteen...and more interestingly, turns me a saggi from what I believed was a straight out of your wikipedia guide for a capricorn woman (yes! I believe in randomly reading up stuff and that includes the typical capricorn woman)

I know for a fact that the applicability starts 2011 onwards and that I remain safe in my zodiac zone, but the fact that my children may bear another sign while the copybook classic lists his/her characteristics as of something else is truly disturbing. As disturbing as the fact that nobody, no goddamned star can take away the fact that I am ambitious and strong willed. Or for that matter the fact that I love my family and believe in keeping in touch with people. I simply do not understand the concept of establishing yourself as a honcho sort of person by being arrogant with your near and dear ones. Well! if you are good enough, you will automatically be considered one. No need to shout from rooftops. You may credit my upbringing for this but the fact remains that I love making new ties but never at the cost of old ones. Being rude is not a part of my dictionary and people who know me, and that includes my extended family, will vouch for that. But, wait! I can be rude and be that perfect snob.....only in case you don't return the loyalty. Yes. Like any other Capricorn worth it's salt, am truly committed and loyal to any relationship I undertake..and the severity increases with the proximity. In case you betray me, I exercise the delete button. I lost people in my life, people whom I considered a dear friend, almost a soul sister, but then it was not meant to be that way. But then again it was my decision to not forget the betrayal. Actually, betrayal hurts in any form. Being soft on it is actually good for oneself, but even when you are unceremoniously used as a toy stuff, I am not the one to forget it that easily. It might be a different question altogether that I do not believe in revenge. It's just that you go out. And even if you stay on, you must have done something really good :P. But all said and done, if you count me as a friend, be rest assured, I will be the perfect agony aunt and stand by you when you need me the most.  

And I believe in waiting for the perfect one. No less. I am practical enough to understand the value of adjustments and compromises one makes for true love...but if it is undervalued at the cost of your own self respect I exercise the delete button. Yet again. But once I make the connect, I will stand by. 

None of these, stops me from being occasionally moody, sometimes unreasonably stubborn and to an extent a workaholic....or should I say obsessive. I am obsessed with particular ideas and they range form shahrukh khan to people I randomly meet. Studying people is kind of an interest and in case that person is of the opposite sex, the general presumption of a crush arise. Like it happened in case of Shashi Tharoor. But twenty three years of wisdom (or the lack of it) has made me realise the difference between the two. I can read on them, study them for weeks together. And interestingly they stay that way. The most recent addition to the list is 'North Calcutta'.

So even if I am a Saggi now according to your star chart, it doesn't stop me from being a Capricorn right?

Things on my mind.

1. Onion inflation is really taking a toll on my life. The onion salad which made bland mess food appear somewhat eatable is missing. Not that I blame the mess contractor, he his left with no other option with Rs.70/kg (+-10) price tag. But it makes me miss home like anything. The rising prices were just another newspaper story for me other than my mom cribbing about the rising prices with the cook who sometimes tend to waste a little bit more. But then again, in case I wanted that extra onion chaska in my omlette, it sounded normal. Not anymore. It just makes me realise how my friends and cousins are pampered at home. Be it 70 or 100 my parents won't mind me getting onions in case I promised to eat the full egg. Not in hostel. It's not completely untrue that hostel life is a complete leveller. And not completely unfair also. But you somehow end up missing home.

2. Do dooni char is an amazing film. Perhaps one of the finest I have seen in a long long time. Reminds me of the Basu Chatterjee-Hrishikesh Mukherjee era where the stories of the common man was part of the ballad. This film starring Rishi and Neetu Kapoor in their first appearance together after marriage and kids (which includes certain Ranbir Kapoor) is a very realistic portrayal of a middle class Delhi couple with two kids to worry about thinking about the big leap from owning a scooter to owning a car. Hats off! the 'rafu chakkar' guys have still that crackling chemistry on screen. The way rishi kapoor goes to a wedding wearing the pagdi, suit and sports shoes make you feel like it's almost the same punjabi uncle you had met at karolbagh. The way they talk, they think and the status symbol they would acquire through a car..that 'showoff' bit that comes along with the Delhi package..all so truly portrayed. A must watch recommendation for all.

P.S.- Rishi Neetu did a fleeting appearance together in 'Love aaj kal', but then that was not this fun and long lived.

3. Talking about the 'aam aadmi', am really concerned about the onion prices now since the three weeks time limit suggested by Mr. Pawar, the agricultural minister, is over. Are you listening Mr. Pawar? Hello!!! It cost the NDA an entire election.

4. Now that the common outrage is evident, I think not picking up Dada for IPL by any team was a bad cricketing decision. But it might prove to be an even worse business decision for KKR. While it will be interesting to see that how do they build up a cricket brand based out of Kolkata without dada, my bet is on the fact that there can be no 'sporting' brand in kolkata without dada. basiclly brand kkr? what's that? 

poor srk..he is always surrounded by such stupid advisors who keep on suggesting outrageous solutions like may be that four captain policy. The tax troubles just add up to his woes.

And Dada, you will emerge an winner. what's 4 crore in front of a million hearts?

5. The recruitment is on the last stage. I so hope all my friends land up a job in the next few days..so that the rest of the semester turns out to be a never ending party. Err! it already is with hardly a few left and all of us pitching in for others....but one thing that makes me feel really proud is the fact that our batch broke that overwhelming NALSAR myth that cgpa is the end all of everything. It just went bonkers this time. NALSAR batch of 2006-2011....joy, ecstasy, depression, desperation, fights, cold wars...we have seen it all...but when we go out...we will be a happy batch. I know that for sure. *touchwood*

Unoshyar, bishorgo ar Chandrobindoo.

I was first introduced to the kind of music Chandrobindoo makes, in class IX (9). I still remember vividly how the girls of our class gave mickey and rahul the surprised look while they started singing- ta na na nana na and duniya dot com from their album 'Cha'. It was just before the puja vacation in school. I suppose it was either Shukla aunty's class(she used to make special requests- "gao to")or the break when they started singing the popular Malgudi days tune, of course with a 'twist'. Mickey, the funny man of our class later clarified it was chandrobindoo and I was almost five years too late sinc etheir first appearance on the bangla music map.
But then again, I was quick to catch up and oh! boy, how much I loved them! Simply speaking, to any ardent follower of contemporary bangla music they (Chandril, Upal and Anindya) do not need any introduction. For me they are the ones who set the standard for sense of humour, wit and subtlety. The range of music they cover- be it from 'Bhindeshi Taara' (original version-not the antaheen one) to 'Amra bangali jati' or for that matter 'gabgubagub' or 'tomake shonabo joy goshaayi' to 'mon' or 'sei hawa'- it's magical and hillarious at the same time. They are different from the regular 'band' picture we get- three guys with overgrown hair and beard head banging with the guitar and another two sitting on the drums and the keyboard (no offences meant!!). But they look like the average bong guys next door with chandril's sparkling eyes giving a hint of dushtumi going on his mind. Also, I have a very soft corner for anindya's beard apart from his voice and that 'fichel hashi'. But it's their lyrics and soft, melodious music which attracts one to them the most. Long after you are done listening to their songs, the chuckle still remains. They smell of Calcutta, innocent love, nostalgia, lush green of the days gone by and what not. What more can you expect after hearing a song whose lyrics goes like- "marx, freud er kache jeo na, brain ey jhilmil legey jaabe" or for that nostalgia evoking first love fetish that you get after hearing- "shudhu snaner jol ey likhehci daknaam...arey na shona...eka boka thakbo na".
And many more....I sometimes pity poeple who don't understand bangla. Primarily for two reasons- one, they can't read the original robi thakur or sorotbabu or shankar (trust me, his chowringhee has a very good english translation, but nothing compares to the original) and secondly, they can't understand chandrobindoo's songs :P.
So here's to the creators of immortal songs like- "tobu tumi amar cpm, tumi amar atm, tumi amar series prem er sesh ta", "dada didi haat dhorey shiriteyi boshey porey", "aami to chayiboyi- e shohorey tumi nemey esho", "o amar modhyobitto bhiru prem gopon kalshitey", "muchhe dao jolchhap, ashbe na mon kharap...thik 5tar por".....the one's which never fail to uplift my mood. Cheers to them and their music! The best thing to happen to bangla music after Suman Chattopadhyay. (ok! now the fossils fans can shout....torko na holey bangali hoy naki? torko diyei to bojha jaay- bangla gaan ajo bechey ache guru)

this is for the ones who love their music just like moi...am sure there are many.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_idD2SWBqGc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFt_aer7epg&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5EJvSqxciQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZifgKwiqKV0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=futedPK6054&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84IOMi17Ens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiCj8hjiEtY&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5utZcl_ORM&feature=related

Just a random collection- no particular preferences and also, no copyright infringement, if any, is intended. Onek dushtumi r gaan bad porlo..couldn't locate the videos..abar onek 'mon kemon' kora gaan o nei llishti tai...mon kharap koro na tai boley...."bondhu tomay e gaan shonabo bikelbelay.....arekbaar jodi tomader doley nao khela"

P.S- Just before I left home for NALSAR, I wasn't carrying a laptop or a computer, but I made sure I copied the entire Chandrobindoo collection on a CD (i didn't even have a flash drive then) from my didibhai's computer. The one stays with me till date with additions now and then.

How to spot the proverbial bong in the crowd-10 of the most hackneyed and easiest ways

So here I am, the proverbial nostalgic bong who loves to travel and see places but craves for home during durga pujo, to guide you through the 10 easiest steps to identify a bong. And that obviously includes the bong at heart.....you know, 'being bong is a state of mind'!

1. Does he look dreamy eyed, bespectacled, nerdy and gives you a deep look? Does she have round eyes- the ones she speaks through, thick black hair and flawless skin? do they look chubby, rotund with tons of baby fat that refuses to go? Chances are that you are hitting on a bong.

2. Does he write poetry? Does she inspire you to write some? No matter what happens to those fallen trees (the papers eventually find their way to the trash can) they are essentially bong favourites.

3. Does he smoke? The Charminar? the gold flake? Does he know the best places to find weed.....Is he possessed with the soul of GB Shaw, Marquez, Octavio Paz or someone closer home like Sunil Gangopadhyay after two shots of cheap liquor? Yes, of course :)

4. Do they know their Beer and "Bhodka" too well? Oh! and even if you replace the high end foreign varieties with options like Bangla and Mahua they will still sing "robindroshongeet"....yes! yes! who else it can be?

5. Do they behave like snobs while treating people who don't know who Che Guevara was or who have never heard of Suman and Beatles with a smirk that can destroy the world? Ah!

6. Do they claim to be writers, theatre people, meaningful cinema people, art, craft....blah, blah, blah? Oh! in practice they are engineers, lawyers, research scholars, doctors and stuff? Hmmm......

7. A bunch of them cannot sit without arguing/debating or as they call meaningful discussion or Adda. Well the topics may range from the Economic recession, oil crisis, J&K problem, Obama, recent Manmohan-Sonia tension, Whether Ram was actually born in Ayodhya, Satyajit Ray, Singur and Nano......ask any of them and you have a ready solution? Bang on!

8. Do they prefer dressing up in a 'Punjabi' for particular social events or for that matter the red border cotton sari with a big red bindi.....This one is a cakewalk.

9. Do they reminisce often about good old days aka- bandh holidays, childhood durga pujo, school, first love, untapped poetry talent, Calcutta, Victoria Memorial, gangar ghat and idle days- You seriously want any more hints?

10. Last but of course not the least- they know about any god damn cuisine on this planet while swearing by their ilish mach and ready to kill for Calcutta's or CR Park's phuchka? The perfect foodie out there for whom religious festivals mean another gateway to good food while their counterparts from North can't believe they have non-veg during Navaratri- That's what you call the making of the perfect bong theory.

P.S. I neither do smoke nor drink. Kind of detest them. Five years of hostel life also could not change that. I love to party and dance with my friends, but only with my non alcoholic concoction of blue lagoon (yes! I make sure they make it that ways :P). But I am a true bong too..who swears by her Dakshinapon phuchka. 

25 random things.

This is about 25 random things, facts, habits or goals about you which nobody is quite aware of or even if they are, there is no harm in repeating them :P. It is originally a facebook tag, a note actually where I had been tagged long back. I was supposed to pass it on. But for reasons unknown to me, I didn't. I was going through some of the notes that I had been tagged into and bumped into this one. Thought of doing this as a blogpost, more so because I have been sounding all serious and stuff nowadays..haven't done something random for long on my blog. so here it goes. And I don't tag anybody in particular, steal as you wish. After all, it's always great to know about you my dear friend. So here it goes

1. My father had Tagore all over his mind while naming me Paushali, but my teachers, friends, colleagues always had a tough time pronouncing/remembering/spelling my name. So I have been called Panchali, Poshla, Poshmashali/Kaushali- everything....yes! beat that. closer ones have settled for Posh/Pau. The fact remains that I have never quite forgotten or forgiven whatever they have done to my name and wait for a chance to retaliate.

2. I am a hopeless romantic at heart and keep falling in and out of love often. Yes! that's quite true. Shekhar from Parineeta was literally my first crush and then I moved on to Amit Ray. Looking back, I detest both of them. But my longest crush had been on my maths teacher, a neighbourhood dada whom I fell for hook line and sinker. Years later when we had become good friends and stuff, we both had a hearty laugh over this.  But mind you, when his finace told me "so you are paushali. have heard a lot about you."- that was a true embarrassing moment *blush*

3. Thinking of love, I had once imagined a guy as my dream man who grew up to be like this- Posts his bodybuilding pictures on Orkut, still uses Orkut, once wrote me a scrap like- "hello sweetiez, wad r u upto?" Needless to say I hated myslef and my choices at particular points of time.

4. But I still believe in Mr. Right...the kind I will be head over heels in love. Yes! I still wait for him to sweep me out of my feet. Or for that matter sing "Hoyto tomari jonyo..." or "tomaake chaayi" for me while expressing his love. Gangar ghat, sun soaked winter evening at Victoria- what more does a woman want? ;-)

5. Aamir Khan was my favourite actor once. And I still like watching all those films of his with Juhi Chawla. Love their chemistry. But then SRK happened to me. I chanced upon Baazigar. The rest is history.

6. Nothing works for me like mush does. I have now lost count of the times I have seen DDLJ, QSQT, HAHK, KKHH. Same goes for Hollywood stuff. Give me 27 Dresses anyday and I will be happy. And before you judge me, Did I mention I once did a jurisprudence project on Dev D? or for that matter I had to drop out at the last moment while doing a comparative analysis between Charulata and Noshtoneer for a writeup since the original text was not available online.

7. I love watching people, studying their minds. In fact, I have seen that the more I am ignored, the more am I interested.

8. I am a true blue Capricorn and after watching Dabangg am so happy to share my birthday with the one and only Salman Khan.

9. My Baba is my role model. He had been so since my childhood. I always wanted to be like him. My passion for law was nurtured in NALSAR but it all began with him.

10. I take it as a huge compliment if anybody tells me that I walk or talk like my Baba.

11. I love Jane Austen. Same with Shorot Chattujjey, Jhumpa Lahiri, Suchitra Bhattacharya, Bani Basu and Vikram Seth, but Robi Thakur is my guiding star. I keep on re discovering him now and again.

12. I love my books. They are scattered all over the place in my room, across Calcutta and Hyderabad, but deep down I have a soft corner for all of them. The second thing on my list may be a piece of antique jewellery I treasure.

13. That reminds me, I have a thing for everything old. A senior in Law School once told me, you are born 30 years too late. Yes! I romanticise Calcutta of 1960's and 70's.

14. I love Soumitra. One of the reasons I so want to go back in time. I want that parar rock er adda to come back live when he steps up and says- "gurumoshayi toley chollen naki?"

15. Needless to say am a huge fan of Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhonsle, Lata Mageshkar, Manna De and likes. My friends in hostel often complain- "tum yeh kya sunti rehti ho?" :P that doesn't stop me from playing "munni badnaam huyi" at full volume though :P

16. I can't draw. That's one thing I will rue all my life. My sister is a beautiful painter, but I can't draw to save my life. My mom tried to instill that skill in me for long but she gave up ultimately.

17. My dad is my favourite but with age I have realised that my mom had a great influence on me. The way she had instilled all those values of "maniye guchiye newa" "sobaike niye eksathe thaka" in the rebel inside me- hats off to her.

18. I consider my sister as my little kid. She is nine years younger than me. I boss around her quite a bit but ultimately get beaten up in the process. she is also the more mature one. I am still the one who learns form her mistakes.

19. I love taking trips. Ask Shreya. I am the prankstar of my group. There are numerous instances of me passing chits and embarrassing people.

20. I love wearing saris. I have a tough time coping with the odd glances that middle aged, trying to be hep aunties give me when I declare my love for saris- too bad, they just missed the most amazing piece of clothing ever.

21. In case I want to be reborn.....I will like to be reborn as an Indian bengali woman. Five years in law school, interactions with people across the country and world- no body respects woman like bengalis do.

22. Also I love matchmaking. Needless to say the success rate is very good.

23. I miss school. Those days of Class VIII and IX in Nava Nalanda or for that matter those XI XII days in South Point.....seriously "those were the days"

24. I use the exit button silently many times for people I don't like in my life. Either I make them see the point or I leave-silently offcourse.

25. Last but not the least, law school introduced me to the pleasures of cooking and I truly believe that it has therapeutic effects. So in case you lost a moot, didn't do well in your surprises- Cook!

Forgotten and unsung.

Note: This is another angry citizen post. Those looking for porn and other related stuff, kindly avoid. It's disgusting when google analytics shows up the list of words people were searching for and landed on my blog which particularly has no connection to it whatsoever.

We are a nation which loves to crib. Yes, I am counting you- the overworked software guy who has made two onsite visits which added to the purse and the waistline. You- the overpaid and overworked hot shot elite institute graduate who sits in the comforts of his/her air conditioned office, works on holidays, makes foreign trips with family for holidays, have event managers planning out his son's birthday party. You- the normal BPO/KPO guy. You- the supposed academic who could not resist the lucrative foreign offer and crossed the Atlantic leaving the pittance paid out here to fill the coffers of some undeserving brute. And you- the elitist and luckiest of the lot, the babus who have access to all the power and position that this country boasts of.
We all crib about something, sometime or the other. We crib about the extended hours at office, the coffee vending machine not working, the non approval of an extension for a project deadline, the pittance being paid for supposed research, the non availability of holidays, good food, great clothes, shows, bags...blah, blah, blah..the list goes on. Be rest assured I belong to all the categories mentioned above in some way or the other. and I still crib.

I had gone out for some work with a friend of mine last week. While returning to this campus some 30 kilometres away from the city, the bus needs to cross the Secunderabad army cantonment area. We saw a bunch of young men, almost our age or may be younger practising their evening drill in drizzling rain, the one that had become the source of our discontent for past few days. My friend and I generally struck up a conversation about how the army men are one of the most poorly paid people in the country. It was a superficial discussion but somehow the headlines regarding asking out the army for every possible disaster management in the country has caught my attention since then.

The morning TOI print edition carried a piece about the army now being called to salvage the messy CWG preparations by building up a footbridge in record time through their emergency techniques. This will be in place of the grand overbridge that collapsed whose contract must have been doled out by Mr. Suresh Kalmadi and Co. in 'severe' respect for taxpayer's money. Oh! the best part was this would be done in a fraction of the cost the original bridge had cost (and would have cost in case it survived the games), atleast that's what a proud PWD official says.
I am in no mood to talk about the loofest (borrowed from Bhagat) called the CWG. But there is one thing that needs attention here.. why are we so insensitive to the needs of the people on whom we depend for basic survival issues??? We dpn't raise their salaries. We put them in BEST buses after they save a horrified city and it's even more horrified air kissing class after 26/11 and send them away like cattle while the chief minister visits with his convoy and a film  director in tow. Waah!
We can fill in the coffers of these corrupt politicians and officials (gill, dikshit, bhanot and the great kalmadi included) and not raise a voice about where did all our money go- that's fine, but we can atleast talk and think about people who guard our borders day in and day out so that we can plan our exclusive party well and secured. Does National pride have any bigger carriers than them?? what do we give back to their families apart form that Tiranga and the gun salute?? Do we have any better social security measures in place.
I am not the angry citizen speaking here, it is we who should demand the change, just like we demand their presence and arrival to save us from that national calamity in form of flood, earthquake or communal riots. We don't even get to know if they crib. even if they do, there is no HR manager to look into their demands and order a pay hike. right?

To tell the truth, you me and everyone enjoy our air conditioned comfort. who doesn't? Only that we can spare a thought about our folks fighting it out really hard to make us comfortable. You have anything in mind? Do share.

Things to do.

1. House hunt now that I have got my posting.
2. Shop around for my new house. Will have to look for that perfect curtains and cushions for my room. Have to look for a room mate. Have to buy new utensils and stuff. Argh! why does college have to end.
3. But at the brighter side am already planning to buy that big wall to wall shelf for keeping my books. No more shipping in and out of Calcutta since I am presuming that I will have more space than my hostel room.
4. Have to come to terms with the fact that the five years in NALSAR is almost over. One half of this semester is over. The batch of 2011 is left with only one more semester before we graduate. Time flies like anything. Final year of law school brings back memories of good, bad and not so bad moments I spent here. The NALSAR years changed me for the better. Transformed me to say the least.
5. Now that I will be employed soon, I have to start planning for the gifts I need to buy for my near and dear ones.
6. Before everything else, have to study for my impending mid semester exams.
7. Have to plan out job treats. Now that everyone is landing up jobs, we need to space out the eating out calendar. God! we can hog like anything.
8. Have to start eating in the mess again. I end up cooking something or the other every day. Innovations you know :P
9. Last but not the least, have to sound sugary sweet to everyone calling up with those congratulatory messages. Have been doing that for the past two weeks. The very same people who taunted me when I "decided" not to study science after tenth, the ones who tagged me "a bad student" inspite of my Nava Nalanda-South Point-JU (a while)- NALSAR lineage. Their case in hand? That am studying Law. And what were they doing? studying engineering with a 10,000 rank in WBJEE in some private engineering college (yes, they dared to compare that with NALSAR).
Frankly speaking nothing gives one bigger and better pleasure than showing the "kuor byangs" (sorry can't translate that) their place. They can count on the multiples in monetary terms and the niche, stiff upper lip, snobbish brand value too. am not boasting, neither do I intend to. But for five years I have taken the crap and now I earned this for myself. At least I did not shout from the rooftops that I am the best and others are crap. Be secure and safe about your position dudes and dudettes (sarcasm intended). "Best" people don't need to do that you know. At least I will be doing something I learnt in Law school and is truly interested in. You are doing some thing with codes and stuff right? Err..remind me what did you study in those 4 years of engineering?? :P
The last one got long. But couldn't resist myself from expressing my sadistic pleasure when I see or hear these people's voices on phone now. Bechara :P. Here's wishing more becharapan to you. and oh! yes keep badmouthing me. Gives me extra kicks to perform hard and do better and write such posts.

Just like that.

"So what is your biggest turn on?"

Hostel gossip and bitching sessions tend to get interesting day by day. This question is not about any particular day. It may be any night in a girl's hostel when you have ganged up to laugh hysterically over the "multi millionaire in the making" guy from class was spotted in that "chamkeela shirt" and "kala batua". Coffee, conversations and many a laughs later the discussion inadvertently tends to follow a strict pattern. Men. Yes, we openly size you up and we 'can' do that. Just about the way you discuss what we wore and who has the cutest smile in your rooms. I think it's kind of mutual. Natural too. Never understood what's the big taboo in accepting this fact. So there goes one of my turn ons- A man who talks to me about the neighbourhood girl with jet black hair and over whom he had the biggest crush. Also, the girl who just passed by- whether or not she has 'statistical' alliances.

But coming back to the point. I have been directly/indirectly asked about what do I like in a man. Kind of what is that turns me on. Well, I have stuck to the conventional(albeit true) ones like- conversations, sense of humour, everything bengali-like fascination for Tagore, chandrobindoo, saraswati pujo, dhuti etc., writing (love letter types- not email), can discuss with me newest book releases and the tharoor-pushkar wedding with equal elan kinds...pretty much the ideal variety you know..and he has to be worth his salt. But deep down I was thinking- is that all?

Erm. No. I think the biggest of them all is food. My fondness for food and eating are well known. And I kind of love cooking also. But nothing more than eating a hearty meal perked up with wonderful conversation. In case, he decides to cook it up it's great. But equal marks for choosing the perfect place to dine out or plan the dinner with family- it works great for me- only that the food on platter and the choice of the delicacies- bengali, chinese, italian (in that order) needs to be in place.

Tweeted and lost.

I am pretty hooked to twitter these days. Off course! who isn't. I mean the God(s) himself is there. He joined yesterday and already has a following of more than 1,55,000 and counting. And the other God finds time in between shooting for Ra.1 to post perky tweets about life in general. Needless to say given his sense of humour they are always a pleasure to read.
So what did twitter do to revolutionise social networking which previously it's predecessors like orkut and facebook failed to do? Well! twitter has done away with the celebrities being from a different planet concept completely. Now you can have a sneak peek in to their lives and more. You can have ministers thrown out. The cricket baron being shown the door- all that and more happening on twitter.
It began as a platform where you shared as much you wanted to share. So it worked out fine with all. But there were some like the sex bomb from India hissing! her way on twitter or the dimpled darling shaking off her image of being everything bubbly to being a spokesperson on issues of serious consideration(?). so who gets the next jhappi? :P. There were also those reticent ones with brilliant sense of humour who tweet once in a while but when they do they make you go roflmao.
And then there are bores like the uptight journalist who tweets about integrity in journalism and why kasab's trial shouldn't be converted in to a media trial while her own channel telecasts minute by minute update of it. Sure! we haven't forgotten Kargil, but we haven't forgotten the hyperventilation in front of Taj either.
And there are others who speak sense and make sense and reverse.The not so known ones. They are the celeb category no.2 with a large number of followers.
But in between all these you get to know too much. Information that don't bother you.But you still bite the bait. Why? because we are quite crazy about celeb watching. So when this evening I was checking out the twitter page of young, suave bengali film actress who was having a conversation with a leading film producing company's head honcho about they never offering her anything, I felt bitter. Come on! think about it how many times have you actually imagined the scene happening in front of your eyes where Shabana Azmi is begging Satyajit Ray to cast her in some of his work in bengali. As the legend goes, she wasn't satisfied that very small share of the arclight in Shatranj ki Khiladi under Ray's tutelage and Ray wouldn't agree because her Bengali was not good. True, we have seen Shabana nostalgically reminiscing about that moment and her "Manik Da" refusing on the grounds of her poor bengali on TV or read about it in print. But there's the charm of it. It didn't happen in front of your eyes leaving nothing to your imagination.
It's often told that every incident leads to a story. So when Mrinal Sen's office regularly used to get a call from a top Bombay actress' office, everyone imagined it to be Madame Rekha. But the Sen-Rekha combo never worked out. There was silence from both the sides. Nobody confirmed or denied. But we can still have one page of dedicated fan story on this in Anandalok (A bengali film magazine). What happens in this case? there is nothing left to your imagination.

Dear Twitter as much as you have fulfilled our aspirations of celeb watching/stalking, you have killed the romance of imagining and weaving out our stories about them. Day after day. Everyday.

It's the merrier side.

So what did Law school do to you apart from taking off 10 years from your life expectancy? (There is an actual Facebook group supporting my point.)

Well, let me encapsulate some of them. Though, I think some of them may be very very much NALSAR specific, still-

1) You are perennially hungry. Good food is a better turn on for you than good looking men (and vice versa).

2) You live on just with the hope of going back home. and once back there you miss the independence and the random bullshit you carry on day in and day out.

3) You stop watching television just because there are numerous people in the common room asking for one or the other channel to be put on during the break. Also the remote is not in your hand. Sigh! you miss the remote.

4) Your laptop is your best friend. In case you want to ask your friend next door if she is game for dinner around 7.30, you will rather ping her than calling out for her.

5) You indulge in activities you would have never imagined yourself doing before law school happened. Like you might have cringed at the thought of passing chits in class and making weird noises, because you were this prim and proper teacher's pet in school. But in between one of those sophisticated top law school things happened to you. :P

6) You also would have never thought about indulging in stupid water fights,singing Govinda songs loudly in class, drowning a grumpy moody type person's room, getting all excited about dressing up in a pajama in class or scurrying through the entire Girl Hostel blocks 1,2,3,4 (in that order) looking for a saree to wear on ethnic day.

7) The various rhythmic concoctions that the nerd boy in class did during the fest or dj night provides fodder for your entertainment 3'o clock in the night on the hostel balcony for the next one year.

8) You are invariably late for the 9'o clock class. How much you try, you end up running after the teacher begging for attendance.

9) Also, in case attendance is over you look for an opportunity to sneak out and have breakfast in the mess. That's like some heroic deed.

10) Before you came to law school, you were this very well mannered girl who always listened to mom. In fact before you came here your mom warned you against guys sneaking in to your hostel and advised you to stay away from it. 1st year- you are damn against it, 2nd year- you grow indifferent, 3rd year- you don't mind, you enjoy the buzz about somebody's boyfriend making an effort. 4th year- Darn! you actually help people plan out the sneaking in and sneaking out. Also by this time you  know none of the romantic possibilities are going to work out and almost the entire other half of the batch barges in to do some more bakwaas as an extension of the class hours. 

And there is more to come. Only that I have to write a mid semester paper tomorrow and none of us can make out anything of the 400 odd slides.

A little bit of the blue and oh! yeah a bit of red too

My childhood memories of Holi remain entangled with the onslaught of annual exams. My school had this uncanny preference for preparing the exam schedule so as to support my Ma's fervent plea of- "don't play holi, otherwise you will catch a cold" gesture. I had no other option, other than to oblige. Also, our plans of visiting Shantiniketan during "Boshontoutsav" never materialised.

Once in college (technically University), the 1st time I entered that Gate No. 4 of Jadavpur Univeristy, the first thing I was told about was the snob value that is attached to you once you say you are doing Comparative Literature from "Jadobpur"(trust me, half of the times people doing English Hons. form nondescript colleges hadn't even heard of it, but still looked at me with awe since I was kind of friendly with Tagore and Austen, both actually). I found the second one even more interesting though. The "across the jheel" romance angle. And before you started viewing the world with those rose tinted glasses on, you need to thank the entire "boshontoutsav" on campus...and "jodubongsher lokjon" (people of the jodu clan- a name attached to people from JU) were more than eager to make it even more colourful every year. 

But I was stuck! The one year I spent there was anything but drab. But during Holi I was just a silent spectator from the 1st floor Comparative "ledge". My law school entrance exams were nearby and I could not afford to miss them. Greener Pastures beckoned me you know! though I am yet to decipher the comparative degree of blue I lost out on.

Once in NALSAR, Holi meant everything of breaking out. 1st year holi brings back memories of boys sneaking into the girls hostel and the resultant drama when the warden, the Registrar and the Vice Chancellor arrived. It was fun. Fun because it wa sthe first time I was playing Holi in a pan Indian set up. But my resilience was short lived. One egg on my head and fatak!- I was gone. After that the last two years had been drab. Working or not, I somehow was not interested in taking part in the festivities.

But this time in my 4th year, I suddenly realised we(atleast me) were too short on time. One year more and college gets over. and so does our coveted days of everything random. Not that we aren't professional enough now. Seriously, that gets on my nerves sometimes, but I agree we have to be that ways some time, everytime. And even though this time not many were around, the bunch of us present here made sure that it was special. 

And special it was for us. For me, it was the proper Holi I played in my entire 22 years of existance....Colours, Sprinklers on the field, egg and last but not the least the "Keechar". The "Keecharowali holi" just made up for everything. I was stinking with the 4 eggs on my head and the mud on my body. But so were my friends. But I was happy that I retaliated. Also, that the amount of running around on that manicured campus lawn made up for the amount I hogged during the holi break. There was no Bhaang or Thandai. But the vibes were infectious and the smiles, for once, were real. Here's to the brightest and "junglee-est" holi I have ever played in my life. Here's to my friends, classmates and juniors- Richa, Anku, Paridhi, Swetali, Nidhi, Nannu, Sadhika, Rana, Baba T, Nayak and Chau for making it this special. Thank you guys. And needless to say I missed Shreya, Samiksha, Runjhun, Jyotika and others being around. 

Bored.

It's almost 1 in the night and am munching on a bar of five star. No am not an insomniac, it's just that i have overslept. And I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle too. But chocolates just find their way to me. And by now you must have understood that I am an ego(t)ist.
But I guess boredom and being alone (well almost) does that to you. For starters, I stay in a hostel and I love it. But I hate these parts of the year when there is a sudden break and there is no one on campus. Not that my campus is full of eye candies that I want to feast upon, but it's essentially the fact that you have grown familiar to the fact that you will get to see these 400 people everyday on this 65 acres campus. I hate it more when my peers are sitting at home and enjoying macher jhol or the home cooked rajma chawal and I have to languish in the agony of eating the same mess food. Baba barred me from coming home because my kid sister has final exams and it is a known fact that she doesn't study when am around. That just makes me wonder that apart from  the last 3 and a half years that I have been here, she had taken all her exams when I was around (well almost all).   I hate being treated as a guest in my own home. But then again the fact remains that nowadays I visit home for a holiday. I hate that part you know. Just the way I have developed a strong dislike for the way am treated still as a kid at home. I was literally barred from going to the beach for a vacation with friends just because my parents where scared that I might drown in. Not that I blame them. It almost happened once in Puri, I guess a year and a half back, on a family holiday. If not for an uncle who knew how to swim, it would have been my ghost typing out these words :P.
I understand the concerns but it is like I can feel the gap widening. I was the laziest soul on this planet (and still is) before NALSAR happened to me. In fact, one of the primary reasons why I think my Baba never objected to my coming here was (apart from the fact that I actually made it through one of the best national law schools in the country) the fact that he wanted me to be independent. I remember the year in JU when I was doing Comparative Literature there- Everyday I had classes from around 12...and my house is like 15 mins by an auto from the university (shit! i miss the ride on the rickety auto and haggling for change with the drivers), but I used to be late by some 5-10 minutes everyday. And god forbid, if it was a 10.30 class- I was always absent. But nowadays, am always there, albeit running, for the 9'o clock class. I remember Ma calling me up every morning during my 1st semester to wake me up. Nowadays she doesn't. She knows I will manage.
I do manage, but I also miss being pampered. But I also find it a little freaky when my parents prod on every move I make when am at home. I do understand the genesis of the dillema, but I don't know a way out.

So, did that rant help? Well, you might just be cursing yourself under your breath for taking up your valuable time, but as I told you I was bored to death and you get this philosophical when you are bored to death. I was. So, digression came easily. and now that I am done I will get back to Oscar Wilde, Chughtai and Tharoor- the one's I borrowed from the library and promised myself to finish before this holi break ends.

P.S. I was actually planning to write an analysis of the Annual Budget but dropped the idea eventually. Think that would have been less boring for you. See, an overdose of Economic Times does that to you. Btw, the FM promised that there is a plan underway to compile all the FDI related documents in one place so as to make it comprehensive and make the FDI policy understandable and less obscure. Good for us. Hapless poor legal interns who have to scurry through all of them to locate the right one and then work on it. Also RBI to grant more banking licences and that includes NBFCs too. Interesting! (and I won't further lengthen this P.S.)