Delhi-Mumbai-Hyderabad-Chennai-Beyond

First major business initiative. First tour to the south of India and its innards. Test of ability. Test of Talent. Test of Destiny.

Wish me luck, or some such thing.

Travels off the not-so-beaten path

Coming back to working in 'the' business has its share of unexpected things to look at and learn from.

The last month (its been a bloody month already!) has had me travelling across North India for a series of work-related meetings. While the meetings have been as they can go (me plying my wares to mostly baniya businessmen), the journey on the road has been fascinating on its own.

Sample this-

On a Haryana State Transport Bus, enroute to Kurukshetra, a passenger requesting a non-scheduled stoppage-
" रे भाई, ज़रा अगले चौराहे पे ब्रेक मार लियो"
The driver breaks suitably and the passenger in question says Thank You with a flourish, and trundles off into the afternoon.

When Summer Comes

You shall have more than your fill of ice-cold beverages, and be the only person in the Dilli city to have a running nose in the peak of summer.
You would as many momos as you can, and than top it up with some iced tea, to ensure said running nose happens.
You would move in and out of an airconditioned car through the day, to further aid the development of said, by-now-ace-sprinter-nose.
Since you do not do anything to alleviate said condition, as you do with all other things that need alleviation, you sneeze 459434 times through the day.

Welcome to Delhi. Welcome to Summer.

--
Written after three days of sinus-infested living. I can be exempt from writer's sickness now.

Whoa!

Two years. 1400 hours of academic interaction as per my director. A long time to keep doing the same thing all over again.

Now that I'm (hopefully) through, there are a few admissions to make:

I did not finish one single notebook for writing notes, I know people who used about 40 of them. Not that I'm smart, people pay more attention to details.
You can get through subjects you don't give a shite about, by elongating the tail (tale) of your answer.
Pune's has the world's best weather, and the worst autodrivers (and cigarette vendors too).
Meeting people from different parts of the country has to be one of the top things to do in your life- I was stuck in Delhi, and would have never known what diversity means outside of a term in corporatespeak- People in offices become the same drones, they need to be seen in full flow at college.
German Bakery and Little Italy are the two best eateries in Pune- only after Malakka Spice.
Bike Riding is fun- but one's butt numbs after 29 1/2 minutes on average.
My life in formal education is over. My life as a student begins.

I'm joining the family business. This may be temp or lifelong. I'm keeping my plans to myself for now.

More than one person has warned me against my ability to speak and not deliver fully, or as per their enhanced expectations. So since the proof is in the pudding, I'll have my cake and eat it too, thank you very much.

In Mumbai now, doing what I would for a very long time. Just got off the phone where someone just gave me another order to fill. Gotta run!

Good Luck Life! It's been fun living with you.
Pune, I'll be back, for backlogs, convocations and work. Keep loving me. You've been great.

Today. Forever.

Half a conversation.
Snatches of desire.
Reach out, Reach within.
Run, leap, fly.
Head down the canyon.
Smile.

Color your vision,
wear a rainbow hat,
look through the stained glass,
Again.
For the hue that matters,
is just another point of view.

Love. Today. Forever.
It only takes so much.
Smile. Now. Together.
It helps the pain.
Speak. With love.
Its what sets the pulse racing.
Blink. Don't stare too hard.
It hurts.
Dare. To Love.


All it takes. A deep breath.

Scramble

Just when you feel your pulse slowing down,
you discover the lighter fluid in your veins.
Just as it slows down, it gets a nitrous shot instead.
When all you have is time to play with,
sometimes you smash open the hourglass.
And as the sand slips out of your hands,
you discover your destiny.

Destiny, unwritten. Unwarranted. Not asked for. Given.
Yours to scramble, deconstruct and make good of.
The last three steps you took, make you ready.
For the leap of your life.

Learn. Smile. Scramble.

Main Pause

There are days when pain is dull and withering. When it rears up its head repeatedly as you push it down. When its not physical or psychological but something beyond anything you've known your whole life.

You can live with it. Or you can choose to purge it. Don't try to parse through it. You'll only leave marks on it, that will come back to you when you least expect to.

Ignorance is bliss, after all.