The only Chemistry I loved

“Re-write your Statement of Purpose (SoP). This is how you have to go to the US”, I quipped to my friend, a MS aspirant seated next to me. “Wow! See this guy. He’s truly a Man-on-a-Mission”, I continued unable to keep a check on my emotions. These excited remarks had a tinge of envy attached to it and deservedly, I was experiencing and watching something lovely. The reasons backing my emotions were quite preternatural and I wondered if fantasy could actually meet reality. If it could, then Life would be adored with an unprecedented beauty. As a reader, if you’re wondering where I was experiencing these wonderful emotions, it was the first show of the Tamil film ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ featuring Surya and Sameera Reddy.

The protagonist is on his way to the US in search of his dream girl who’s pursuing MS at Berkley University, California. It was at this moment when I asked my friend to re-write his SoP to land in the US. The scenes that unfold on his arrival at California till intermission is a must-watch for any romantic movie buff. Though it’s quite hard to accept the storyline, it doesn’t contradict reality as much as the scenes in today’s movies where our so-called Heroes fly with agility from one skyscraper to another. Coming back to the movie, it’s a sincere attempt by a 20 year old Engineering graduate to SWEEP HIS GIRL OFF HER FEET. Being a 20 yr old Engineering graduate, I could relate to Surya’s emotions quite easily and to be honest, I felt it was worth the bucks to go in search of her. To the eyes of a 20 yr old, Sameera Reddy is buxom, full of life and creates a pang at your heart.

As soon as Surya landed at Sameera’s apartment and especially the moment after she offered him accommodation at her place, I exclaimed to myself ‘I really have something to watch if not experience’. To be honest, this kind of a life is what every teenage guy would love to lead, in a city as cosmopolitan as California and with a woman as sexy as Sameera. Hats off to the director and especially Surya for having cinematographed those scenes quite beautifully and it was indeed aesthetic. Surya deservedly, has carved a niche for himself as the Chocolate Boy of Tamil cinema. As he rightly admitted in one of the scenes “Spending 90 days with a girl in the US was as refreshing as an Ilayaraja song”. I’ve opined to quite a few of my friends (girls) that they look prettier in white salwars and this opinion of mine has been acknowledged by many when they've worn the same. On watching Sameera (clad in whites), on her way to Surya’s home, I exclaimed to myself “Will it ever happen to me?” Those whites were an icing on the cake and made Sameera more gorgeous.

The song “Adiyae Kolludhey” is beautifully pictured and the REFRESHING CHEMISTRY between the lead pair makes it a must-watch for any teenager. Admiring his girl’s beauty while she’s asleep, hugging the pillow on which she slept, added aestheticism to the already existing beauty of the scenes. Accompanying her almost everywhere she went, remaining jobless and staying in the same apartment by neither earning nor spending a penny, Surya has reveled in the belief ‘All is fair in love and war’. The scene where he accompanies her in the cab while she’s on her way for a project work was mind-blowing and it was too romantic a scene. I’ve always felt that romantic scenes best reach the audience when portrayed implicitly and it was a decent attempt by the lead pair. Beyond a point, I started to envy the man so hard that I wanted him brutally murdered because he seemed to have enjoyed much more than what was expected. Such was their love and it was well substantiated in the scenes.

Being chemistry avert, this was one exception I marveled at.

I take this opportunity to wish you a Happy and a Prosperous 2009 and sincerely wish to receive your continued support.

A Diary Entry

This is my first attempt at fiction. Due to technical difficulties, I stand in the shoes of one of the characters and pen down this diary entry.

Dec 20, 2008

I learnt what it takes to build relationships and understood the multi-faceted nature of friendship. I learnt how hard it is to resurrect one and understandably, underwent the hardships associated with it. I learnt how tough, overcoming mental stress is and despite this, presenting oneself in the best manner possible to overcome the acrimony is a yeomen service one is rendering, just for maintaining a friendship. I experienced the fury when a smiling face had to be put up just for the heck of it. I did come across joy, warmth, and the exuberance associated with a pure, heart-felt and lovely relationship called FRIENDSHIP. I admit, I got a feel of happiness only, and put behind me, the melancholic past after I learnt to bridge that inconspicuous gender gap that had clogged our re-union. And this bridging put an end to the months-long ordeal.

I realized, there’s nothing more sorrow than accepting your friend’s straight face and there’s not anything that could make you happier than the delight, your friend bestows you with, even for a few seconds. I definitely want to forget the sorrow of the former but the happiness accompanied with the latter shall be treasured all my life and beyond a stage, I yearned for the wonderful moments we once shared. Can you imagine your friend not giving a smile at you, and pretend to have not even taken notice of you, after having sat just near you, for an hour? But how is it, when your buddy calls early in the morning at 6, even after three missed calls, to convey birthday greetings despite the fact that the meeting between you is just minutes away. When the former happened, never in the wildest of my dreams did I expect the latter to follow, in just a few months, and when the latter happened, I wondered if the former had actually taken place.

We had given birth to a baby called ‘Friendship’ while in school and just like any kid, ours too was so much attached to us and in its infancy, it was so much fun to play with, throw banters at each other. But when it was time to part ways with each other (as we moved to different high schools), we seemed blind to the fact that the baby (friendship) had to be shared equally between us and that it shall not be taken away with just one. The baby’s beauty could have been best realized and subsequently admired had we shared and when I, on my part, failed to realize this then, the baby had to be orphaned and later, it questioned to us, its birth when we were in the process of reunion after two years, in college. It’s extremely tough to get the comfort level going and fortunes did fluctuate when reunion was done in college as the last two years that preceded was too big a gap to be bridged. High school is when we enter teens and emotions run high when we just finish high school (especially in my friend’s case) and begin a new life in college. And at this point of time, in an attempt to give back life to this baby, we ended up getting petulant and made life tougher. Though we share a lot in common, the differences seemed more prominent and the prejudiced minds never really got us going in a friendly direction.

Amidst the tribulations, I acknowledged the presence of a concealed unwitting liking for each other and this exactly acts as the fulcrum on which the endurance of our friendship rests. In retrospect, I qualify this aspect of friendship as the prerequisite for a strong bond between friends, filled with trust and affection devoid of egos and mental blocks. I best enjoyed the happy times because I had a taste of the toughest times too. As time passed, we understood each other better, shared the best things in life and I always made sure, I did things that she liked the most and our friendship reached unprecedented heights. And just when it attained its peak, due to reasons known just to us, we had to move a little away from each other and became the most dependants on wireless communication.

Ironically, we spent majority of our time together when we were not the best of friends and had to move a little away from each other when our friendship reached an unmatched peak. All said and done, I still treasure the times we shared and the series of events, full of twists and turns were indeed a learning experience and deservedly, weaned me off prejudice. I still yearn for the days when I was bestowed with happiness of the highest order and life then, looked beautiful and joyous like never before. I shared the best of times for those few days when we were the best of friends and also stayed together. Without an iota of doubt, we are still the best of friends and despite the reasons that distance us, I hope for a much better life ahead (and the very best of times in the coming months).

Rajesh

Building Perspectives

A few days back, I was conversing with one of my childhood friends and we were discussing about changes in people and the way life has changed for each one of us. We’ve known each other for a long time (14 years to be precise) and hence I asked her, ‘Having known me for a long time now, how do you see me today and what do you have to say about my character?’ She played safe, in my opinion and what she actually said was ‘career-conscious, a music addict and pretty straight-forward’ and summed it up ‘you trust your friends a lot’. That was quite unexpected because I was expecting a more informal and an in-depth analysis. When I questioned her formality for being safe (if I could say, circumspect) in her comments, she said ‘I generally don’t see the negative side of people and I take the positives alone' That was fair enough and I certainly cannot question her approach towards people. 

To me, building perspectives is very important and I observe people very keenly and there's a section of my friends who used to appreciate my mimicry while in school. I try to study the other man’s mind in the midst of a conversation and in general, their body language. There is a saying ‘People share one thing in common : They’re all different’. Being a staunch believer in this, I admire God for His wonderful incarnations. Each one is different in one way or the other and it's pleasurable to study people and analyze their different approaches towards life. I’ve always tried to imbibe in me, qualities that I’ve found impressive in others. I get inspired but I’m not influenced. There’s quite a difference between the former and the latter. Coming back, after hanging up the phone that night, I pondered over this idea of ‘Building Perspectives’. My flair for observations and thereby building perspectives has been on for quite some time and the discussion with others doesn’t stop with my friends alone but extends still further. A protracted conversation with my uncle about our family members made up for a wonderful and an interesting discussion, a few days back. We opened up on our opinions about each one in the family and I was happy for the fact that, most of my observations were almost spot-on and my uncle held similar views. Even the most trivial of actions/attitudes failed to go unnoticed in our eyes and we (myself and my uncle) had studied almost everything. And as we were discussing about people, he cautioned me not to bring these perspectives in the way of relationships, in the sense, he didn’t want me to get obtrusive. I promised him that I had always built perspectives only to smooth relationships and definitely not to harm. 

A watchful build helps to study people at length and also lets one to analyze people’s responses/reactions to different situations. I’ve always tried my best in getting the better out of people which I feel, is done by analyzing both their strengths and weaknesses. It helps in many ways and when you study both, you shall keep away circumstances which make that person uncomfortable and make the air pleasant by bringing in conversations to make him/her more comfortable. And as my uncle rightly pointed out, unsubstantiated opinions might turn into prejudice and make one over-react to situations when not called for. This, in turn, bitters the relationship.

Last evening, I was watching a program on CNN IBN wherein Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was responding to people’s queries on methods to tackle mental stress. He was sharing the screen with Anubha Bhonsle and giving answers that looked 'easier-said-than-done'. Tackling mental stress is one of the toughest things in life for a common man and for every question thrown; he answered with a wide smile on his face and responded in a manner that looked just an ordinary thing. In actual practice, it’s not that easy as he mentions and similarly, building the right perspective is quite tough and one gets better only with experience. 

Good Judgement comes with Experience &

Experience comes with Poor Judgement

Though we might not build just the right one, life’s all about ‘Building Perspectives’.

P.S: I would like to receive your votes in the poll (look right top corner)

A Musical Journey - Songs and Reminiscence

It was around 11 last night when I was rolling around 360 degrees on my bed, just not able to get that one thing I wanted – SLEEP. Yet another Sleepless in Chennai was in the making until I hit upon the idea of doing something I’m always fascinated about – Listening to Music. As I delved into the musical notes of the songs and with the moon alone looking at me, I embarked on a virtual sojourn of various phases of my past. Each song played, had something attached to my past and apart from supplanting a sleep tonic, it also made me feel light-hearted and pleasant. Here I go...… 

Song: Na Jaa Ne Mere 

Film: Dilwale Dulhaniye Le Jayange (1995)

I was reminded of those sunny evenings when I walked my way back home from school singing this song like no one is watching. I seemed totally lost in my own world with Simran (Kajol’s screen name) and if I’m right, I was in my 5th standard when that film happened. On retrospection, I feel there’s no particular age to feel Love. Love takes many forms with varying intensities and this was one, experienced by an 8 year old. I equated my walk to Shahrukh's drive from airport (in that song). This is one of my most favorite videos and I wish I could drive on the roads of Europe one day ( not alone, but with my girl beside) :)

Song: Poovinai

Film: Ananda Thaandavam (Audio released last month)

This is one of the finest Tamil melodies composed in recent times. This melody is special in a way, it has Shreya Ghoshal's midas touch and no wonder; this happens to be the most played track in my mp3 player. When I listened to this track last night, I was reminded of the morning of my Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) exam last week. This was the most stupid paper I studied this semester. It was too dry and I couldn’t get into my head, certain topics. And that morning, as I was trying to learn by rote, the learning just didn’t happen and I ended up with fury all over my face. Just then, I realized Shreya’s intimidating musical power. I listened to this song and related those from the text to my favorite lines of hers. I learnt those tough sentences when Shreya made her presence in that song on Srinivas' exit.. It sounded disgusting to relate those boring chapters to this mellifluous rendition but I had to compromise for a few more marks in the exam. Things got better, and so did the exam. It was much better than what I had expected

Song: Tum Se Hi

Film: Jab we Met (2007)

This is that song which made me take notice of Mohit Chauhan’s fineness in rendering a song and this track won over me for its composition and picturization.. The song video depicts with excellence, the impact of a woman’s absence in a man’s life. When someone whom you like so much, parts ways, you see her everywhere. And when I watched it, I imagined myself in the shoes of Shahid and wondered how I would react to such situations. Mohit’s rendition was an icing on the cake and the pain in Shahid’s heart reflected on Mohit’s vocal chords.

Song: Netru Illaadha Maatram

Film: Pudhiya Mugam (1994)

I would rate it as one of Rahman’s finest Tamil compositions. When I heard this song, I was reminded of the 1996 Cricket WC semi-finals between India and Sri Lanka. It was 3 in the evening on a sunny March day in 1996 when my aunt had come to pick me from school. As I rushed out of the school gates, the first thing I asked her was, ‘What is the score?’ and she said ’Sri Lanka 15/3 in 5 overs. Jayasuriya, Gunawardena and Kaluwitharana out’. I sat on the two-wheeler with gusto. My aunt is a decent singer and she sang this song on our way home. That was the first time I heard this song and the joy in the song (of a female who has just fallen in love) synced just perfectly with my joy at hearing the score.

Song: Main Koi Aisa

Film: Yes Boss (1997)

It was a sunny afternoon in the summer of 2000 and I was looking at my cousin standing in-front of the mirror, admiring his own beauty, combing his air, lifting that front part of his hair, whistling and what not??? He was on his way to a movie with his friends. He had just finished his 12th exams and I was in his house, with my 7th standard science text book. As my cousin was in the process of self-beautification, the song 'Main Koi' was being played on the music system. I wondered if I could ever freak out with my friends. Just imagine the situation!!!! He's getting ready for a first show with his friends and I was sitting with my science text, uninterested. A poor kid, I was. And this yearn I once had,  tags along with the song, everytime I listen to it.

Though there are more songs that could be added to the above list, I’ve mentioned only a few here just to ensure, my space stays with me. For a Music addict, it’s always a nice feeling to listen to his favorite songs and with memories attached to them, both the song and the memory seem 'Made For Each Other' with past incidents getting entrenched in the musical notes of the songs.

I'm a person who:

~ Can Never Forget His Past

~ Is Always Living With Memories

P.S: Please vote in the new poll that I've created (Right top corner)

Hello...

A BIG Hi to every pal of mine on blogosphere. I’m BACK!!!!!!

After a not-so-good performance in CAT and a pretty good performance in my seventh semester exams, I’m back to active blogging. I had posted one on Dada a few weeks back which was totally DRIVEN-TO-WRITE. Anyway, it feels good to be back in a world where I’ve enjoyed quite a lot and made many friends. I’m back in a world where lateral thoughts are brought to the forefront, constructive criticism is welcomed, there is mutual respect for each other’s feelings and thoughts and above all, I’m back to a world where there’re no RAINS or TERRORIST ATTACKS. As an Indian citizen and being a Chennai resident, I know how it feels when things get out of control. 

This post is just to say a Hi to you people. I wanted to write something nice but then, nothing interesting to write or rather my thinking is just not perfect to pen down something interesting. Quite a few may feel that a write-up on the recent terror attacks could have fitted the bill. But honestly speaking, I’m not too good at it and I don’t want to venture into a new world. Let me do some serious INTROSPECTION and I'm sure, my life's journey will come across something new this week. I shall delve into my inner feelings and share them with you next week.

Hope you are doing well. I’m on my way to your blogs and see what’s happening at your ends. See you next weekend with an interesting (hoping to make it so) write-up. Take Care.. 

Regards,

Rajesh

Dada, I Miss U !!!!

I'm posting this with my emotions running so high. Quite a few of my blogger friends wanted me to post articles and not take this break. And I've been unable to comply with their requests for a few reasons. But Dada has just pushed me to write this. I'm just starting to miss HIM. All news channels have been telecasting those last few moments of Dada sporting India colors. And Boria Majumdar's tete-a-tete with Dada just got over and here I'm, penning down this heart-felt tribute to one of the Doyens of Indian Cricket. 

I seem to have an inseparable attachment with people who have S and G as the starting alphabets of their first and surnames. SG seems to entice me quite a lot. Be it Shreya Ghoshal or Sourav Ganguly. They've, to a very great extent, inspired me and incidentally, both happen to be Bengalis :)

I just can't imagine Indian Cricket without Sourav. What a player he has been!!! What a Captain!!! Well, all these have been said many a times but then, I want to say this once more. It feels really good to cherish those Ganguly moments.....if I can say. Be it that famours arms-up, punch the air style at Chepauk in 2001 after defeating the Aussies or his broad smile after taking that final catch to win the test series in Pakistan or that historic Lords balcony sight when he flung his T-shirt and cherished that victory to his fullest extent. There're many to note because Ganguly has just been an exceptional player, in all aspects. But he's best remembered as a leader who changed the face of Indian Cricket and gave it a new dimension in the 21st century. I'm very happy, he didn't disappoint fans like me, as he repeated the Lords sight for one last time at the Nagpur players' balcony this noon, after winning the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

He's been a special player. I'm not going to get too statistical here. Everybody knows his record as a player, captain but I'm going to pen down, what every youngster shall learn from this legend. Firstly, SELF-BELIEF. Had he not epitomized this, he wouldn't have survived this long and he's what today, just because of his self-belief. Second, DETERMINATION. In his recent interview to CNN IBN, he said he had a few goals in life, one being playing 100 tests for India and when he was left out in 2005, he had played 88 tests. That determination to make his desires deserving, is just amazing and something, we youngsters should emulate. He worked hard, really hard to make that IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE. Oxymorons have, many a times, been exemplified by Ganguly's actions.

The honor he was given this morning before taking the field was a pleasing sight, and more importantly, it was Dravid and Sachin up-front, patting him on his back as he led India onto the field. Bhajji, exchanging pleasantries with his mentor, wishing him good luck was a mark of respect he showed to someone who groomed him and for what Bhajji is, today, much credit goes to Dada for having backed him in the early days of his cricketing career.. Finally, as Johnson made his way back and as the stumps were removed, it was so so touching to see Dravid, run from one end, come near Dada and hug him with so much warmth. The expression on Dravid's face said what it's to miss a 12 year old friend and a once-upon-a-time roommate. A perfect way to emote one's affection for a long-time friend. Dravid's face said it all. And The Wall followed it up with another hug a few seconds later and I feel, maybe he wanted to live that moment of his life with Ganguly alone. 

It was also moving to see Dada's facial reaction as he hugged Sachin. His lips moved closer towards each other and it really expressed what it is to miss someone who has seen every run you had scored, every ball you had bowled, every catch you had taken, every win you had got for India and more importantly, appreciated and witnessed both the comebacks you had made. Sachin had a few words to say after the hug and Dada was all smiles as he bid adieu to a career which many say, has been DRAMATIC. 

This is a heart-felt downpour of a Dada fan. Dada!!! You have nothing to prove. It's for the world to look up to you and get inspired. You re-defined Indian Captaincy, YOU gave the Aussies a taste of their own medicine, YOU showed us what WINNING ABROAD is, YOU backed youngsters during tough times and was never parochial, unlike many of your predecessors. But above all, You've been one of the finest ambassadors for Indian Cricket and in particular, your ODI career has been something AMAZING, FANTASTIC, FABULOUS, EXTRAORDINARY and what not, I'm running out of adjectives. You'll never retire from my heart but still, I admit, I Miss You Dada!!! 

As Dada walked along the sands of time, his footsteps are the bunch of talented players he's left behind, who are currently the backbone of Indian Cricket...be it Sehwag, Bhajji, Zaheer or even the current Indian Captain MS Dhoni. Hats Off !!! I take a bow and salute this BENGAL TIGER.

Straight from the heart of a fan.....

‘Success is a process and you’ve to turn stones into milestones’, were Mr. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar’s words after he compiled another majestic innings yesterday, en route to it, crossed two more landmarks.

1. Overtook Brian Lara’s record of max test runs

2. First cricketer to notch up 12000 runs in Tests

Records have been part and parcel of Sachin’s career and these two added to the many in his kitty. It gives me great pleasure in penning down my admiration of the two Doyens of Indian Cricket, one achieved that landmark and the other applauded from the non-striker end. Yeah….they are the two men I respect the most in Indian Cricket and have inspired me quite a lot. Just scroll down and look right. I’ve always been a staunch admirer of Sachin’s Consistency and Dada’s Resilience. They’re two men whose contribution to Indian Cricket has been unmatched. Though they’re contrasting in character, it’s a treat to watch them bat together. They were once; rated as the best opening pair in ODI cricket and I opine, they still remain the best ODI opening pair World Cricket has ever witnessed. They have shared the maximum number of 100-run partnerships and piled up tons of runs much to the despair of the opponents. If it was Sachin’s elegant straight drives and wristy flicks off the legs which tormented bowlers from one end, it was Dada's graceful cover drives and flamboyant square cuts that destroyed bowlers' rythm from the other end, no matter what the number of fielders were, on the off-side. The analogy below, best describes their strengths.

SACHIN: ELEGANCE::SAURAV: TIMING

Their talent apart, they’ve been wonderful entertainers of the game and provided cricket lovers with the best of batting performances. The Geniuses made full use of their technical brilliance and have endowed us with some wonderful stroke-play over the years. It’s hard to find players of such high caliber and it’s a gift to have these two cricketers belonging to the same generation. The year 1997 saw the coming together of these two stalwarts at the top of the batting order and this was also the time, when, as a 9 year old, I started watching the game with so much involvement that I wouldn’t miss a single ball bowled. Their batting made such a big impact on me that I used to cut pictures from newspapers and magazines. I’ve, in fact, made an album on Sachin Tendulkar and with a special feauture on the 2003 Cricket WC. When I reminisce of some of their best innings, memories of my notorieties peep into my mind as I'm reminded of days when I watched cricket during exams without my mom's knowledge. Though I've been caught by mom on many occasions, quite a few of them have gone my way..

The best is that impeccable innings in September 1998 when Sachin and Saurav were on a rampage, taming the Sri Lankan bowlers en-route to their World record 252 run opening-stand. They batted, batted and kept batting till Sachin became victim of an unfortunate LBW decision and replays clearly showed the ball getting deflected off the bat. This innings happened just a day before my Social studies quarterly exam. I was in class 6 then and not switching off the TV was inevitable and I just couldn’t take my eyes off the TV. With a Social text-book on hand, I sat in-front of the TV for the entire session and my mark in Social studies was just one-fourth of their partnership score….a mere 60+. Apart from the batting, it was fascinating to see the team vibe so well under Dada’s captaincy. He took over the reins when parents in India advised their children not to watch cricket because of the match-fixing scandal. Dada led from the front, exuded confidence, made his players believe in themselves. That period also saw the induction of youngsters like Yuvraj, Kaif, Zaheer Khan, Dhoni, Pathan and Bhajji in the team. All these players were groomed under Dada’s captaincy. A pro-active captain he was, on and off the field, backed his players whenever they needed his support, made the necessary bowling changes and brought the team closer with the GREAT INDIAN HUDDLE. This was one of the very reasons which made the team perform really well in the 2003 Cricket WC and in my opinion; it became the team’s lucky mascot. 

The series win in Pakistan and the test series level Down Under in 2004, was at a time when Indian Cricket was at its peak. Not many know that Dada was the first captain to call the entire 15-man squad to the dais for collecting the winner's trophy. That was at Canada when India won the Sahara Cup against Pakistan in 2000. These performances made Indians be more passionate about cricket and exemplified the need for team-work. As a fan, it was a treat for the eyes to watch the team celebrate the fall of an opponent wicket. To see 15 members uniting before taking the field with Dada doing the talking, cheering up his players made up for the perfect start to an innings almost matching the legendry Sachin-Saurav walk together to kick off the India batting. 

Sachin’s contribution was no behind. Despite being criticized by his detractors, he proved time and again that he was and will always remain THE BEST. Another sight that’ll stay in my heart forever was when Sachin scored his record-breaking 35th test century. As the ball was flicked off his pads to square-leg, he punched the air with his fists en-route to the non-striker end. He turned back only to see one of his closest pals waiting to congratulate and hug him. It was none other than the Dada of Indian Cricket and it was, indeed, a wonderful sight to see that repeat a few days back, as Sachin crossed Lara’s magical score of 11953 runs in Tests. They're 'Men for the biggest occasions'

It was an emotional moment for me when I watched news stories flashing the announcement of Saurav Ganguly's retirment from International Cricket. When I read that headline aloud, my voice choked for a moment because I just couldn’t think of Indian Cricket without Dada. Love him or Hate him, you just can’t ignore him. His comeback exemplifies his self-belief and the way he’s played cricket since September 2006 has been phenomenal. He’s worked hard on his game, concentrated and paced his game just brilliantly. His has been a journey worth reminiscing and is a book chaptered with cover drives, square-cuts, lofted sixes, verbal duels and of course, Inspiring Captaincy. In my opinion, he's been the BEST INDIAN CAPTAIN. Though fans will miss this fantastic cricketer, I feel he's made the right decision and I breathe a sigh of relief as he doesn’t have to face any more humiliation and as he rightly said this evening when asked if he would re-consider his decision to quit, I quote, ‘No….this is my last series and I don’t want to depend on anybody for selection’, he put it point-blank with that characteristic smile. 

I just can’t wait to watch the farewell at Nagpur and I won’t be surprised even if I end up with tears in my eyes as I see the man sporting National Whites for one last time. Age will definitely not act as a hindrance to his contribution to Indian cricket. I’m sure; he’ll contribute in one way or the other.

@ Dada

Even if you happen to bid aideu to International Cricket in a few days, you've entrenched a special place in my heart and remain A Hero who never dies. 

Goodbye Dada!!!!! Miss U!!!!! ***HUGGZZZZ***

Long Live Sachin and Dada!!!! Kudos!!!!

And Sachin....carry on the good work and continue to entertain us.

P.S: I take this opportunity to inform fellow bloggers that I plan to take an indefinite break from blogosphere. I promise to be back as soon as possible.

Till then, Happy Diwali, Merry X-Mas and New year Wishes. Hoping to catch up with you guys soon… Take Care…

Interesting!!!!

Yesterday, as I was browsing through one of my friends’ Orkut profiles, I came across something interesting. He had learned from his past relationships that ‘All people are basically good. It just requires a little bit of effort to bring out the best from each one’. 

It caught my attention immediately and one look at it and I exclaimed to myself ' INTERESTING !!!' I pondered over it for a long time and I inferred quite a lot as I could relate to many past incidents and it was indeed, a learning experience.

As I finished reading that phrase of his, people who appeared cruel, arrogant and who deserved only a bad conduct certificate came to my mind. People who first deserved one but later bettered their impression on me came next. Just then, I started contemplating and felt what he had learned was 100% true. It first called for putting an end to the JUMPING-TO-CONCLUSIONS attitude of mine. Next, it called for patience, politeness and practicality. It spoke of the optimism embedded and the benevolence. As I went deeper, I felt the need to look at people with a broad mind forgetting any of the unfortunate incidents of the recent past and build an after-all-a-human-being perspective.

There’ve been days when I’ve pulled up a straight face at people who had failed to impress me on the first occasion. If not impress, they would have been those who had just not been my kinda people. And when I meet them for the second time, unpleasant memories of our previous meet flash across my mind and I get uneasy and don’t actually portray my own self. An indifferent attitude to a lively conversation might make the relationship bitterer and hence facilitate in creating a bad impression of me thereby leading to a breakaway of relationship before it could actually take off. Practical difficulties or situations may have made them behave in a way that annoyed me. A broad-minded perspective of things is very much needed in anything and I must understand the fact that everybody is good at one thing or the other.

So, all people are basically good. Now, what I inferred from ‘It just requires a little bit of effort to bring out the best from each one’ is this. I felt the need to be patient and wait for people to give their best. To make me understand this better, I brought to my mind some of Rahul Dravid’s finest innings which made him earn ‘The Wall’ tag. To many people, his batting looks boring at the beginning but as we wait, just like him, we start enjoying his style of play, those exquisite cover drives and the flamboyant flick off the legs. That bit of effort we put is, to wait for him give his best and the effort Dravid puts is, to understand the wicket better and that will make him give his best and we are provided with one of the best batting performances. To cite one example, I would like you to rewind to the 2003 Adelaide test where Dravid’s master-class 233 not out won the test for India and level the series 1-1. It was a proud feeling to beat the Kangaroos at their backyard and when it did happen, as a fan, I was happy like never before.

Now as I had said, practicality is another factor. People may have been forced to behave a little harsh on you but that doesn’t make them rude every time. Being rude is just one example but this is the one that annoys people many a times, or at least me to say the least. Other instances may have been on occasions when the second person may not have performed to the levels of your expectations. A hearty talk or exchange of polite words would have definitely helped but when we fail to do that, things never seem to get better. 

So let’s be patient, polite and above all, optimistic. We’re sure to get better and better and make people give their best. This will definitely make us live life at its best and it's indeed a FEEL-GOOD factor.

I truly agree with my friend’s view that ‘All people are basically good. It just requires a little bit of effort to bring out the best from each one’

Words that kissed me

Imagine:

~You’re coming back home after a tiring journey on a sunny afternoon and your mom welcomes with a glass of chill fruit juice. How does it feel??

~ How did it feel while you first watched the climax of Dil Chahta Hai when Aakash surprises Sid with ‘Aaj Abi Isi Waqt…just turn around’? Was it not a scene epitomizing friendship? Was it not a realistic portrayal of what true affection is?

~ Not knowing what to do, you sit by the window to watch tiny water droplets kissing the ground on a rainy day and just then, your lover calls to say ‘I Love You darling’. How does it feel? Does it not flutter your hormones nay electrify your nerves?

The above situations could be experienced by anybody and something everybody could relate to. Above all, the second person in the above situations is people who mean a lot and with whom, you share a close bond….be it your mom, friend or lover. They, on most occasions, mean the world to you. Could one experience happiness any better? How does one measure joy? Is it, in any way, related to its staying power?  Is there a superlative degree to ‘Happiest’? I don’t have answers to these questions. But I did experience a joy which I never have, in the past and that made me ponder over the questions. Those few moments when I experienced that joy will forever, be part of the air I breathe.

I’ve described my blog 

‘Life is not about the breath we take, It’s about the moments that take our breath away…I enjoy every moment of my life’. 

But what, when moments are always part of the breath you take in? Don’t you enjoy every breath you inhale and find life happy like never before? Does it not culminate to a feel ‘Happier than Happiest’? When that happens, in my opinion, you feel like running to the terrace of the world’s tallest building, look at the sky, wink at the stars, rocket a flying kiss to the moon and tell God ‘ Thanks for incarnating me in this world….I owe you lots’. I felt like doing that on Oct 1st at 1845 hrs and here I am, posting this article exactly 24 hours after I first breathed that joy.

What’s special about the day nay that moment? Here I go…….

It was around 6.30 in the evening; I was watching TV for a while and after some time, started experiencing boredom. Hence, I switched to the best alternative - surfing the net. My pc was turned on, followed by the windows media player. I played ‘Munbe Vaa’, one of my most favorite songs. Next, I turned on the modem, waited for a while and then logged in to http://www.mail.yahoo.com 

I entered:

Username: coolrajesh88

Password: ************

To my left, it read 675 unread messages in my inbox. The comments people post in my blog get forwarded to my inbox and I just leave them unread. I moved my cursor to the inbox, clicked on it and left my room for a glass of water. The song ‘Munbe Vaa’ was being played, and thinking of Shreya Ghoshal, I sipped water and strolled my way back to the room, and as I sat on the chair, I was shocked on seeing a name in my inbox. A comment had been posted by 

S-H-R-E-Y-A G-H-O-S-H-A-L.

I was dumbstruck, completely bowled over. To be honest, I pinched my arms to confirm if it was reality because I have dreamed of meeting and exchanging pleasantries with her. I wondered if it was my heartthrob Shreya Ghoshal and hence, rubbed my eyes to verify if it was actually that name appearing on screen or was it just an illusion. I clicked on the subject of that message and moved to the next window. She had read my article ‘Fallen in Love with someone I’ve never met’ and left a comment at 1820 hrs and I happened to read at 1845 hrs. As I was reading her comment, the song ‘Munbe Vaa’ was still in progress and if you didn’t know, it was this song which made me fall for her. It was indeed, ‘LOVE AT FIRST HEAR’. What a co-incidence!!!!!

The playing of this song then, added to the emotions I was going through. I was on cloud 9999999999999……….….tends to infinity. I read her comment very fast that I just couldn’t wait for the next word she had typed. As I was reading, I seemed totally blind, deaf and dumb to everything around me and even had a bomb exploded in my locality, I would've failed to come to terms with it. I read her comment at least 5 times on and on as I just couldn’t believe my eyes and at the end of it, I found my cheeks moist. Yeah!!!! Tears had indeed, rolled out of my eyes which I actually have failed to realize having got lost in her words. Her words had kissed my cheeks and I believe, tears had rolled down just to emote that feeling. Is it not an indication of true love? Doesn’t this validate the purity of love? It is love sans infatuation or lust. I never have experienced so much joy and it will remain indomitable. It could only be bettered by a feeling which I, for sure, will experience while I meet her someday. I wish for that to happen soon. I just can’t wait for that to happen. Nevertheless, I’m happy for the fact that she’s aware of one Rajesh living in Chennai and that he’s waiting to meet her. Also she’s read every word I had written and that by itself is an achievement. It feels great!!

A food for thought…they say ‘Nothing is impossible in life’. This experience of mine clearly substantiates. Even in the wildest of my dreams, I never expected her to take notice of my write-up and read. She’s read and even posted a comment which was something totally unexpected, to be honest.

So friends!!! Let’s work whole-heartedly with full dedication, and we’re sure to make even the negative positive. Sounds an oxymoron? Well, just think about it. It’s something for all of us to realize if we haven’t, in the past.

Here is her comment on ‘Fallen in Love with someone I’ve never met’. Hers is the 43rd -THE MOTHER OF ALL COMMENTS. Do read it. Also read my heart-felt reply.

Shreya’s was a comment which, in my opinion, was bigger than that write-up of mine. The purpose of the article was served and the script couldn’t have been written any better. No reader’s visit, other than the Melody Queen Shreya Ghoshal herself could have made me happier. 

We bloggers, post comments for articles written, but here I am, writing this article for a comment posted. Is it not ironical? Does it not indicate the height of my craze for her? 

Ms. Shreya Ghoshal, are you listening to my craze??????