Tushar Mangl's Blog, page 35
July 4, 2015
Greece Default
So Greece has finally taken the plunge. It went into default. Of course there is a referendum waiting to happen. So 5 days after it was supposed to pay its creditors, Greece will do a referendum. As if for past months, creditors and borrowers were just enjoying paid vacation hopping from one meeting to another. Really, if the Greeks wanted a referendum they should have done it and over with it by now.
And there in lies the arrogance and brashness of new age borrowers. Playing the victim card and funding the media's craving for the underdog story. You can see it across the globe. The big businesses in the United States being bailed out by their government, the sovereign defaults. So many people and businesses willingly wanting to go bankrupt as to show creditors who the king in the transaction is.
Greece is just a symbol. In India take a closer look at our state owned power companies. Thousands of crores of debt is what they have raked in to supply power to their people. But neither they have power to give to people nor have they any idea how to repay those loans. Other departments are doing no good either for everyone knows that you have created a debt monster. You keep feeding debt like that, and you reach the point where everyone knows its never going to be returned.
Its not just governments, look at the Vijay Mallya story. Shareholders, employees, tax payers funds were all deployed to keep his businesses alive. Loans were handed out over generously as in many cases over valuing properties and shares. What could anyone do? Nothing.
So what's the lesson in the Greek default? We the common men and women will bear the brunt of ambitions and foolhardiness of politicians and greedy men. In all such cases its the tax payer's money that is used to feed bailouts, debts and restructuring relief. For the trillion that Greece , in some other European country a peasant will be made to work more hard to pay more taxes so that they some one can organize more fancy meetings to organize bailouts or fund more debt. The logic would be the betterment of that same peasant. But in his heart he would know how much he is really progressing.
If they write off those debts, more countries will call for write offs, more tax payer money will be drained and the arrogance and powers of those in debt will only rise.
In the meantime, the Indian finance ministry if looking for bailouts for the steel industry as it is heavy in debt and the finance ministry feels shy in asking the banks of their accountability in giving out debts like free candy,
And there in lies the arrogance and brashness of new age borrowers. Playing the victim card and funding the media's craving for the underdog story. You can see it across the globe. The big businesses in the United States being bailed out by their government, the sovereign defaults. So many people and businesses willingly wanting to go bankrupt as to show creditors who the king in the transaction is.
Greece is just a symbol. In India take a closer look at our state owned power companies. Thousands of crores of debt is what they have raked in to supply power to their people. But neither they have power to give to people nor have they any idea how to repay those loans. Other departments are doing no good either for everyone knows that you have created a debt monster. You keep feeding debt like that, and you reach the point where everyone knows its never going to be returned.
Its not just governments, look at the Vijay Mallya story. Shareholders, employees, tax payers funds were all deployed to keep his businesses alive. Loans were handed out over generously as in many cases over valuing properties and shares. What could anyone do? Nothing.
So what's the lesson in the Greek default? We the common men and women will bear the brunt of ambitions and foolhardiness of politicians and greedy men. In all such cases its the tax payer's money that is used to feed bailouts, debts and restructuring relief. For the trillion that Greece , in some other European country a peasant will be made to work more hard to pay more taxes so that they some one can organize more fancy meetings to organize bailouts or fund more debt. The logic would be the betterment of that same peasant. But in his heart he would know how much he is really progressing.
If they write off those debts, more countries will call for write offs, more tax payer money will be drained and the arrogance and powers of those in debt will only rise.
In the meantime, the Indian finance ministry if looking for bailouts for the steel industry as it is heavy in debt and the finance ministry feels shy in asking the banks of their accountability in giving out debts like free candy,
June 27, 2015
Weekend Banter
Its such a nice hot weather with cool winds blowing all round. It creates a mood for yearning, you are yearning for the rain, for the heat to subside, the dust to settle. It pushes you into a mood of nostalgia. It happens, right? The other day, in office someone tuned up the Aaj Tak channel which was showing 40 year anniversary special for the emergency. I just watched it for a few minutes and wondered if it even matters today. Its relevance is all lost in history books for young kids to mug up the notes on the same and pass their exams. I soon got over it, but yesterday I found some very old songs that I used to hear all the time ( Summer of 69, The Desert Rose, Through the Monsoon etc). It bought back more memories.Again, you move on, pour yet another glass of scotch whisky and pick up your kindle. Only, the book that I got hooked to was The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky. It's the kind of growing up story, you read and it just tumbles and bumbles something inside you.
So I went in for a long ride around Gurgaon, tearing into the ever present smog of dust and dirt in air, steering around the potholes like we used to play Contra as kids. I feel sad about it. In its soul its still a village. A big city wannabe. But the rich and the corrupt have parked their money here and forgotten about the place itself. The immigrants have no special affinity for the land itself, very few want to stay back. Most want to move on. I almost bang into the third bull I met since I started from home and wondered about these animals. There ancestors truly lorded the land around here and now they have all become plot sitters or homeless. Life is sad, if you think about it. But we are not supposed to show it. We are supposed to show optimism. Like there is this road which is in very bad condition. Today we will make metro track on it, tomorrow we will build a flyover over it, next week a underpass, and next month we will four lane it and surely by the end of the year we will make it an expressway clone. Till then, you got to chug along as one contractor after another puts his fix on the road.
I don't know why, but I feel sadness at the optimism. So I go to a roadside dhaba. Europeans had their cafes and we Punjabis have our dhabas. Of course now we also want cafes because optimism is good, exaggerated fake happiness over an overpriced cup of coffee whose bean's name you won't know. So I go to a dhaba, an institution that shuns pretensions and artificial behaviour. The guy who took my order will wear a vest, he has not qualms in dressing in awkward clothes for me. It is like these guys are proclaiming, "this is how we are, accept it." I take the que and decide not to wipe my plate with paper napkins. I don't even comment that the guy is sneezing in his hands. (I really wanted to hand him some paper napkins, but that's the point let go). I asked him for two paranthas but the guy who had to make them, says no you wont be able to eat two, only one for you so decide which one you want. How you want your parantha to be. He said two would be too heavy for me. I smiled and said okay to one. I mean, honestly, in this age of mindless push on sales and corporations forcing products down our throats and wallets which we never need. This guy shows me some honesty.
I feel happy. Even though they had no AC, it is okay for me. Things are good, we don't really need 5 star optimism and yearnings. We need, simple straightforward answers and attitude. I paid the modest bill for the parantha, promised to return to eat the chicken (to which he said I was welcome all day any time of day after 11 a.m. I can walk in to eat butter chicken). This is life, not waiting to get better tomorrow but to pushing to enjoy the basic today.
So I went in for a long ride around Gurgaon, tearing into the ever present smog of dust and dirt in air, steering around the potholes like we used to play Contra as kids. I feel sad about it. In its soul its still a village. A big city wannabe. But the rich and the corrupt have parked their money here and forgotten about the place itself. The immigrants have no special affinity for the land itself, very few want to stay back. Most want to move on. I almost bang into the third bull I met since I started from home and wondered about these animals. There ancestors truly lorded the land around here and now they have all become plot sitters or homeless. Life is sad, if you think about it. But we are not supposed to show it. We are supposed to show optimism. Like there is this road which is in very bad condition. Today we will make metro track on it, tomorrow we will build a flyover over it, next week a underpass, and next month we will four lane it and surely by the end of the year we will make it an expressway clone. Till then, you got to chug along as one contractor after another puts his fix on the road.
I don't know why, but I feel sadness at the optimism. So I go to a roadside dhaba. Europeans had their cafes and we Punjabis have our dhabas. Of course now we also want cafes because optimism is good, exaggerated fake happiness over an overpriced cup of coffee whose bean's name you won't know. So I go to a dhaba, an institution that shuns pretensions and artificial behaviour. The guy who took my order will wear a vest, he has not qualms in dressing in awkward clothes for me. It is like these guys are proclaiming, "this is how we are, accept it." I take the que and decide not to wipe my plate with paper napkins. I don't even comment that the guy is sneezing in his hands. (I really wanted to hand him some paper napkins, but that's the point let go). I asked him for two paranthas but the guy who had to make them, says no you wont be able to eat two, only one for you so decide which one you want. How you want your parantha to be. He said two would be too heavy for me. I smiled and said okay to one. I mean, honestly, in this age of mindless push on sales and corporations forcing products down our throats and wallets which we never need. This guy shows me some honesty.
I feel happy. Even though they had no AC, it is okay for me. Things are good, we don't really need 5 star optimism and yearnings. We need, simple straightforward answers and attitude. I paid the modest bill for the parantha, promised to return to eat the chicken (to which he said I was welcome all day any time of day after 11 a.m. I can walk in to eat butter chicken). This is life, not waiting to get better tomorrow but to pushing to enjoy the basic today.
June 12, 2015
Driving yourself away
What's the deal with driving? As in, why people riding wheels? I was wondering about it today, on a long drive in this stuffy humid weather. I saw around me, so many people enjoying driving. The guy on his yamaha who zipped past me as if he was racing an airplane, that woman driving the honda city with one hand on the car horn and other on her mobile and so many others. We all know of someone who is crazy about driving cars, bikes and even planes. They just want to ride the thing.
What do we get out of it? Are we looking for a release? Are we trying to find some meaning in the maddening traffic? Or are roaming aimless like our ancestors used to do on chariots and horses sets some order in our random life?
Look around you, how many people close to you would say no to a long drive if time permits? Even if some people don't enjoy driving much, they love being the part of the process, riding pillion to a scooter or a passenger on a train. At times I feel its about a feeling of control, you have the the aeroplane in your hands, the reigns of the horse are in your hands, you can take it left and you can steer it to right, control gives you the thrill. But how can be that true for the passive drivers, who are just out there for fun and contribute just a little to navigation?
It could be yearning for the destination, a pursuit of meaning that bugs us all through our lifetime. I look around me the rickshaw drivers, the taxi drivers, the guy driving his Audi with a collar in neck, perhaps its that the roads with their vastness of distances, beckon us to run away, run along, run close. Or it could be just sheer boredom and lack of other hobbies.
What do we get out of it? Are we looking for a release? Are we trying to find some meaning in the maddening traffic? Or are roaming aimless like our ancestors used to do on chariots and horses sets some order in our random life?
Look around you, how many people close to you would say no to a long drive if time permits? Even if some people don't enjoy driving much, they love being the part of the process, riding pillion to a scooter or a passenger on a train. At times I feel its about a feeling of control, you have the the aeroplane in your hands, the reigns of the horse are in your hands, you can take it left and you can steer it to right, control gives you the thrill. But how can be that true for the passive drivers, who are just out there for fun and contribute just a little to navigation?
It could be yearning for the destination, a pursuit of meaning that bugs us all through our lifetime. I look around me the rickshaw drivers, the taxi drivers, the guy driving his Audi with a collar in neck, perhaps its that the roads with their vastness of distances, beckon us to run away, run along, run close. Or it could be just sheer boredom and lack of other hobbies.
June 6, 2015
All good things end one day ...
You meet a guy at work. He is totally opposite of you. You know you could never be friends. But you develop a relationship of respect and acquaintanceship. You never save his number in your phone. He tells you about his life. His parents who live down south and have got him a house in Delhi to live. You don't tease him about his 9 year old relationship with a girl he met at school and wanted to marry. But he tells you all about it. Your respect for him goes up a notch, after hearing about his love for this girl and his future plans with her.
And one day a mutual friend informs you on whatsapp that the guy is dead. Killed in an accident. Life so young gone. Saddens me. Disturbs me. But all good things end one day. Don't they? Some sooner than later.
And one day a mutual friend informs you on whatsapp that the guy is dead. Killed in an accident. Life so young gone. Saddens me. Disturbs me. But all good things end one day. Don't they? Some sooner than later.
May 29, 2015
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna
Touted as one of the biggest bank deposit mobilization schemes in recent times, what is Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna?
Nothing. Yes, its just a Prime Minister asking banks to do their jobs, which is all being camouflaged in a PR stunt. Banks in India are notorious for their anti customer behaviour especially if they have less money. Such people are just wasting their time. They are not valuable clients with promises of good diwali gifts. In 1970s all banks in India were nationalised by government for reasons best known to people of those times. But one of the reasons of course was to make banks work for politicians and big businesses. Banks did as masters in Delhi told them and this culture still remains. Customer service is least of priority of any bank. So if they did have some soft corner for their customers, it would have been easy for people to open bank accounts. And we wouldn't have a Prime Minister, lending the title of his post to a scheme to increase bank accounts.
Also look at so called features of these specially designed bank accounts. Zero balance accounts are already being provided by banks like IDBI. Without cheque book accounts can be easily be opened as per procedure with balance requirement as low as Rs.500 in almost every nationalized bank. So what is new in this Yojna? Just PR and clever advertising.
But still its a good news for India. Even if they don't want to (yes, they point blank tell you that ) open bank accounts for less privileged, the might of Finance Ministry and prestige of the title of PM of India is ensuring many accounts are now being opened.Even if they make excuses like shortage of plastic cards (in one branch of State Bank of Patiala I learned shortage ran for several months) they are still processing the accounts.
It is also becoming a back door for money laundry guys, for in an effort to boost volumes, checks are becoming lax and with just one ID card you can open your bank account. Like taking a telecom sim. Again, I say, shouldn't that be the case for all types of banking. Simplified, less bureaucratic but good on security too?
I hope, the new government after done with its PR mumbo jumbo, will push this as just not a yojna but a reform to make Indian banks especially public sector banks more customer centric.
Nothing. Yes, its just a Prime Minister asking banks to do their jobs, which is all being camouflaged in a PR stunt. Banks in India are notorious for their anti customer behaviour especially if they have less money. Such people are just wasting their time. They are not valuable clients with promises of good diwali gifts. In 1970s all banks in India were nationalised by government for reasons best known to people of those times. But one of the reasons of course was to make banks work for politicians and big businesses. Banks did as masters in Delhi told them and this culture still remains. Customer service is least of priority of any bank. So if they did have some soft corner for their customers, it would have been easy for people to open bank accounts. And we wouldn't have a Prime Minister, lending the title of his post to a scheme to increase bank accounts.
Also look at so called features of these specially designed bank accounts. Zero balance accounts are already being provided by banks like IDBI. Without cheque book accounts can be easily be opened as per procedure with balance requirement as low as Rs.500 in almost every nationalized bank. So what is new in this Yojna? Just PR and clever advertising.
But still its a good news for India. Even if they don't want to (yes, they point blank tell you that ) open bank accounts for less privileged, the might of Finance Ministry and prestige of the title of PM of India is ensuring many accounts are now being opened.Even if they make excuses like shortage of plastic cards (in one branch of State Bank of Patiala I learned shortage ran for several months) they are still processing the accounts.
It is also becoming a back door for money laundry guys, for in an effort to boost volumes, checks are becoming lax and with just one ID card you can open your bank account. Like taking a telecom sim. Again, I say, shouldn't that be the case for all types of banking. Simplified, less bureaucratic but good on security too?
I hope, the new government after done with its PR mumbo jumbo, will push this as just not a yojna but a reform to make Indian banks especially public sector banks more customer centric.
May 24, 2015
CallAtHome - convenience and comfort
Mrs Majumdar dreads big cities. Its been three years since she came to Gurgaon from her home in a tiny hamlet of Madhya Pradesh. She was not very enthusiastic about but after death of her husband, it made sense to shift with her only son, Rakesh who has a job here. But as her son and daughter in law are at work, she feels helpless at times, especially when one time she needed a plumber to fix the kitchen faucet and she couldn't find one. Rakesh had called in someone and all the haggling over price had her mentally drained.
Reema is a recent divorcee and she is loving her new found independence. She has moved in recently into a new flat with her daughter and is busy furnishing the new house. But sometimes she feels she could just hire a driver for a day or two, especially when she has to go over to her mother's sister's house in Noida. She likes going their for the change and longing for family but driving through is tough for her at times.
Mr Pathak has a house in Gurgaon which he uses just for 12 days a month when he has to come down for business from his home in Sonepat. But getting it all cleaned up takes up a lot of his time and he has trouble finding reliable people to deep clean it.
Fortunately for Mrs Majumdar, her son Rakesh, Reema, Mr Pathak and other residents of Gurgaon, a new app service CallAtHome has started. Through this app, Rakesh can just book a plumber over his phone and Mrs Majumdar has nothing to worry about price or service. Reema can hire a driver for those trips to Noida and can relax over the way as a trained driver from CallAtHome drives her through. Mr Patahak can now just order a deep clean service through his phone while on way to Gurgaon. A team of cleaners will deep clean his house to his satisfaction.
Apart from above mentioned services CallAtHome also provides other services like Electrician and AC maintenance services. All team members are carefully vetted by the company and are properly trained. The company is led by IIM graduates and very soon they plan to replicate the success in Gurgaon to other cities.
Here is all the best to the team CallAtHome,
The App is available at Google Play Store and through Apple Itunes as well
And yes they are active on Facebook too - https://www.facebook.com/CallAtHomeIndia
Reema is a recent divorcee and she is loving her new found independence. She has moved in recently into a new flat with her daughter and is busy furnishing the new house. But sometimes she feels she could just hire a driver for a day or two, especially when she has to go over to her mother's sister's house in Noida. She likes going their for the change and longing for family but driving through is tough for her at times.
Mr Pathak has a house in Gurgaon which he uses just for 12 days a month when he has to come down for business from his home in Sonepat. But getting it all cleaned up takes up a lot of his time and he has trouble finding reliable people to deep clean it.
Fortunately for Mrs Majumdar, her son Rakesh, Reema, Mr Pathak and other residents of Gurgaon, a new app service CallAtHome has started. Through this app, Rakesh can just book a plumber over his phone and Mrs Majumdar has nothing to worry about price or service. Reema can hire a driver for those trips to Noida and can relax over the way as a trained driver from CallAtHome drives her through. Mr Patahak can now just order a deep clean service through his phone while on way to Gurgaon. A team of cleaners will deep clean his house to his satisfaction.
Apart from above mentioned services CallAtHome also provides other services like Electrician and AC maintenance services. All team members are carefully vetted by the company and are properly trained. The company is led by IIM graduates and very soon they plan to replicate the success in Gurgaon to other cities.
Here is all the best to the team CallAtHome,
The App is available at Google Play Store and through Apple Itunes as well
And yes they are active on Facebook too - https://www.facebook.com/CallAtHomeIndia
April 23, 2015
My First IndiBlogger Meet
Its been years since I started blogging and joined IndiBlogger but until today I never got a chance to attend the IndiBlogger meet a much awaited event for bloggers. I remember, at the very beginning of setting up the blog network, Renie had worked on ideas of meets and they have all been a success.
Today, I finally got a chance to attend a meet held alongside the launch of Asus Zenfone2, the world's first smartfone with a 4 GB RAM.The venue was the amazingly designed Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon. In it's auditorium the launch of the Asus Zenfone was organized with Bollywood actor Said Ali Khan making a special appearance. Aditi Singh Sharma opened up the show with melodious songs. Asus CEO Jerry Shen launched the new phone with 'Incredible Comes to India'. This was followed up by top executives from Asus and Intel highlighting features and functions of the new phone.
Oh yes, it really sounds like a great phone. Especially the pictures Robert Jahns a renowned photographer had clicked in Paris were too pretty. He was their as well interacting about his work and photography in general.
Over the very tasty lunch (yes, non vej lunch) I met Gaurav a blogger who has been into blogging almost same time as I have been and attended a lot of blogger meets in Delhi. Later on met bloggers Tarun, Priyanka and many others, which really made my day. I have known a lot of bloggers but to know new and awesome blog people is great.
I would have told you that I received Some gifts ( t-shirts, selfie stick, mug) but that would make you jealous so I am skipping those details :p
For those blogger friends whom I couldn't meet this time around, really missed you all. For those new friends I made today. Thank you, will look forward to catching up again, next time.
Thank You IndiBlogger, Renie, Anoop and the entire team for this fabalous event. It was great seeing you all in person. Looking forward for the next meet.
Today, I finally got a chance to attend a meet held alongside the launch of Asus Zenfone2, the world's first smartfone with a 4 GB RAM.The venue was the amazingly designed Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon. In it's auditorium the launch of the Asus Zenfone was organized with Bollywood actor Said Ali Khan making a special appearance. Aditi Singh Sharma opened up the show with melodious songs. Asus CEO Jerry Shen launched the new phone with 'Incredible Comes to India'. This was followed up by top executives from Asus and Intel highlighting features and functions of the new phone.
Oh yes, it really sounds like a great phone. Especially the pictures Robert Jahns a renowned photographer had clicked in Paris were too pretty. He was their as well interacting about his work and photography in general.
Over the very tasty lunch (yes, non vej lunch) I met Gaurav a blogger who has been into blogging almost same time as I have been and attended a lot of blogger meets in Delhi. Later on met bloggers Tarun, Priyanka and many others, which really made my day. I have known a lot of bloggers but to know new and awesome blog people is great.
I would have told you that I received Some gifts ( t-shirts, selfie stick, mug) but that would make you jealous so I am skipping those details :p
For those blogger friends whom I couldn't meet this time around, really missed you all. For those new friends I made today. Thank you, will look forward to catching up again, next time.
Thank You IndiBlogger, Renie, Anoop and the entire team for this fabalous event. It was great seeing you all in person. Looking forward for the next meet.
April 12, 2015
The Gift of Pure Love
You would say, it’s so simple. It is so routine and so routine. But for her it is a special story, a story of magic. That changed her life. Malati was born into a simple middle class family. There was just ever enough for her and her three siblings to eat and wear. This irked her to no end. Why
couldn't they have fancy clothes and the latest cell phones? She always pestered her mother with these questions. Every time Malati would see her closest friend Swati in new clothes always being driven in chauffeur driven cars her heart would burn with envy. All her friends in the colony and even in school seemed to have more money than her.
Now she wanted a new mobile. She was using an old handset passed on by her father to her mother to her elder brother. She hated it for it was used and old. She had asked for a brand new mobile phone. Her mother always dismissed her request with a shrug. It was if to her this was just a passing phase. She did not understand how important it was for her.
When her father came home at that night, she created a fuss to make him realize how important these things to her were. He listened to her with patience with an impassive face and told her he would surely take her out next Sunday. Malati beamed at what she considered to be her victory for she will be sure granted what she pleased. Oh, now how well she would make all the other girls jealous in her group.
On Sunday however things did not turn out as Malati would have hoped it to be.
Her father took her to Bal Niketan, a day boarding school for poor kids. She was reluctant to enter the dilapidated building at first, but then something on face of these children captured her heart. The slow measured smiles on their faces as they sat under a large tree studying, playing and creating mischief. She noticed their feet all bare and cloths torn and worn. Yet they all looked so happy and content. “I could have got you a new mobile; it would have been a special gift for you. But I brought you here to show you there are so many with so little in their lives and yet they give out so much joy.” Her father told her. It was a special thing for her, she learned that life was not always about receiving but giving. You have to learn to have the joy in your heart to enjoy every little moment in life.
“I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdeal activity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal.”
couldn't they have fancy clothes and the latest cell phones? She always pestered her mother with these questions. Every time Malati would see her closest friend Swati in new clothes always being driven in chauffeur driven cars her heart would burn with envy. All her friends in the colony and even in school seemed to have more money than her.
Now she wanted a new mobile. She was using an old handset passed on by her father to her mother to her elder brother. She hated it for it was used and old. She had asked for a brand new mobile phone. Her mother always dismissed her request with a shrug. It was if to her this was just a passing phase. She did not understand how important it was for her.
When her father came home at that night, she created a fuss to make him realize how important these things to her were. He listened to her with patience with an impassive face and told her he would surely take her out next Sunday. Malati beamed at what she considered to be her victory for she will be sure granted what she pleased. Oh, now how well she would make all the other girls jealous in her group.
On Sunday however things did not turn out as Malati would have hoped it to be.
Her father took her to Bal Niketan, a day boarding school for poor kids. She was reluctant to enter the dilapidated building at first, but then something on face of these children captured her heart. The slow measured smiles on their faces as they sat under a large tree studying, playing and creating mischief. She noticed their feet all bare and cloths torn and worn. Yet they all looked so happy and content. “I could have got you a new mobile; it would have been a special gift for you. But I brought you here to show you there are so many with so little in their lives and yet they give out so much joy.” Her father told her. It was a special thing for her, she learned that life was not always about receiving but giving. You have to learn to have the joy in your heart to enjoy every little moment in life.
“I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdeal activity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal.”
April 4, 2015
The other day in Delhi Metro - 3
By virtue of their operational plans, the DMRC or Delhi Metro Rail Corporation people make sure that the metro trains are always full. They increase time interval between trains or decrease coaches in trains so that even during off hours you get the feel of tightly filled metro train.
On one such journey which was a long route from Gurgaon on yellow line to GTB Nagar on the same line I saw her. Of course I recognized her. Though I had been standing on the platform since some time, I can swear I never saw her there.It was only when the jostling crowd was swallowing us in the very packed coach I saw her. Would it have made any difference if I had seen her before? Well it had been four years since we last spoke. Or was it five? Distant time seems so abstract so lost.
My first reaction would have been to scurry away. But the train was packed and the way to the next coach was where she was standing. I looked the other way and was suddenly conscious of two eyes following me. So, she had seen me. After a wave of consciousness, guilt crept up to me. There were probably two people in between us. Should I call out to her? If she calls me out, what would I say? Questions plagued my mind like mosquitoes swarming a water tank. I impatiently turned my wrist to see the time. It would take me more than sixty minutes to complete the journey. I was tempted to call her out to ask where she was heading to. Not for curiosity but relief.
At the next station more people got on the train and she was pushed back. Its a common thing in crowded places to be pushed around but that look on her face. My heart pinched at seeing her eyes terrified, her long straight nose twitched. I mean the protective instinct still remains even if all is lost. Doesn't it? I recalled at that time those moments of travelling on metro together. How she would hold my wrist in crowds. It was a tell tale sign that she was nervous.
I wanted to hide, run, sprint, jump out of the train but couldn't do anything. Not even when her eyes met mine and pierced them in an accusing way. I simply couldn't move.
On one such journey which was a long route from Gurgaon on yellow line to GTB Nagar on the same line I saw her. Of course I recognized her. Though I had been standing on the platform since some time, I can swear I never saw her there.It was only when the jostling crowd was swallowing us in the very packed coach I saw her. Would it have made any difference if I had seen her before? Well it had been four years since we last spoke. Or was it five? Distant time seems so abstract so lost.
My first reaction would have been to scurry away. But the train was packed and the way to the next coach was where she was standing. I looked the other way and was suddenly conscious of two eyes following me. So, she had seen me. After a wave of consciousness, guilt crept up to me. There were probably two people in between us. Should I call out to her? If she calls me out, what would I say? Questions plagued my mind like mosquitoes swarming a water tank. I impatiently turned my wrist to see the time. It would take me more than sixty minutes to complete the journey. I was tempted to call her out to ask where she was heading to. Not for curiosity but relief.
At the next station more people got on the train and she was pushed back. Its a common thing in crowded places to be pushed around but that look on her face. My heart pinched at seeing her eyes terrified, her long straight nose twitched. I mean the protective instinct still remains even if all is lost. Doesn't it? I recalled at that time those moments of travelling on metro together. How she would hold my wrist in crowds. It was a tell tale sign that she was nervous.
I wanted to hide, run, sprint, jump out of the train but couldn't do anything. Not even when her eyes met mine and pierced them in an accusing way. I simply couldn't move.
March 30, 2015
The other day in the Delhi Metro -2
The first thing I noticed about her were her shoes. They were boots that ran till her knees and were adorned with an elegant fur lining.
I travel long distances through Delhi Metro for its cheap and fast. So basically you are stuck with hundreds of others looking for cheap transport. It gets arduous and boring at times but the story teller in me often inspires me to look for characters, for stories.
She was pretty. Leaning on the pole in front of pole I noticed this beautiful girl in long boots seating in front of me. But what struck me about her were her brown eyes underlined with thick black kajal. The eyes overflowed with love as they stared the man next to her.
He was tall, appeared a little older than her and had a thick beard. He took her hand as quickly as she offered to him. As both looked into each other's eye I looked around for love deserves privacy in a crowded metro coach as well.
It lasted just a few seconds as I gazed across the couple to the glittering street lights in the distance. His gaze followed mine but her eyes were fixed on his face. She leaned across her and rubbed her nose across his bearded cheeks. He looked back at her and wrapped her in arm. Her lips embellished with red lipstick gave away a little smile.
I left them there as I dropped down at my station late in the evening, tired about the day but pleased with the World where love still blossoms in its pure and innocent ways
I travel long distances through Delhi Metro for its cheap and fast. So basically you are stuck with hundreds of others looking for cheap transport. It gets arduous and boring at times but the story teller in me often inspires me to look for characters, for stories.
She was pretty. Leaning on the pole in front of pole I noticed this beautiful girl in long boots seating in front of me. But what struck me about her were her brown eyes underlined with thick black kajal. The eyes overflowed with love as they stared the man next to her.
He was tall, appeared a little older than her and had a thick beard. He took her hand as quickly as she offered to him. As both looked into each other's eye I looked around for love deserves privacy in a crowded metro coach as well.
It lasted just a few seconds as I gazed across the couple to the glittering street lights in the distance. His gaze followed mine but her eyes were fixed on his face. She leaned across her and rubbed her nose across his bearded cheeks. He looked back at her and wrapped her in arm. Her lips embellished with red lipstick gave away a little smile.
I left them there as I dropped down at my station late in the evening, tired about the day but pleased with the World where love still blossoms in its pure and innocent ways
