2011 - A year that was

Well, this is the first time I’m recounting the things that had happened in a year, sitting all alone on a New Year’s Eve with several thoughts of what I’d do for the night running paralleling on my mind. Not that I haven’t done the same ever in my life as yet; the fact is I had done it several times, but only in my mind and not in a blog, as in, only to me and not shared to anyone else. Having said that, I’ll make sure this one is not going to be a-boring-recap of the stuffs that happened with/to me.

To begin with, a New Year is nothing without any resolutions, even if we are sure of ourselves that we won’t be going to stick to those any longer. Just the concept of ‘resolution’ is itself exciting and keeps us going strong (at least for few days), you know. I, as usual, welcomed 2011 with a couple of resolutions – Blogging and Reading (Check The long awaited start for additional details). Surprisingly, none of them were ever a part of my New Year resolutions till then. So, at that very thought of fixing them, I made sure I shouldn’t hold on to my record of handling my past resolutions.

On this day, looking back at the track record, I’m happy that I almost stuck to my resolutions.

a)    The posts in my blog is an indelible proof for the first (though the count is negligible compared to the fellow bloggers, given my past, it is, by far, more than acceptable for me. After all, it’s me who should be satisfied first).

Some noteworthy points with respect to my posts are:

·         ‘A Story’ happened, out of the blue (or I should be truthful and say it was because of my friend’s repeated request – and that’s the reason I dedicate it to her). It’s special because it’s my first attempt after I’d decided to stop writing stories after ‘Deathbed’ (due to some secretive reasons). The special thing about this is I didn’t round off on the storyline when I started penning the first part or the subsequent parts published so far. I just wrote what struck my mind when I worked on the respective parts. As of now, I don’t know how and where the story will end; neither do I know if it will have a happy or a sad ending. As you know, if only you’ve been following ‘A story’, only eight parts have been completed so far, I hope I’d finish the remaining parts soon.

·         My personal favorite posts of the year – ‘Puppy Love’ and ‘Random Ramble #1’.

·         Not to mention, my letter to my crush. J

 

b)    Reading hasn’t been my cup of tea for long. I hardly read any novels before my sister asked me to read ‘Five point someone’ – a book that kindled my interests for novels – Thanks to Mr. Chetan Bhagat. But still, such a lazy ass I am, it took more than a year and half for my hands to touch another novel (co-incidence maybe, the book was ‘Three Mistakes of my life’ – the third book of Chetan Bhagat). From then on, I have read quite a few books, but not at an acceptable rate. That was the reason for me to include ‘Reading’ as one of my resolutions for the year. Just like my other resolution, this too was carried on with utmost sincerity, I’d say.

 

The carrying out of this resolution began with ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ and ended with ‘Can love happen twice”. I can’t give away the exact count of books that I read this year, but all I can say is that the count is respectable.

 

So, what’s in store for 2012, in regard to resolutions? No, I can’t reveal it here until it’s executed in a proper way. Maybe, I’d do it in the post, “2012 – A year that was”.  

On the other note, the year had few interesting, or rather, positive things, I’d say, happened. To mention a few –

 

·         I was happened to acquaint a couple of new friends – the onsite counterpart of my previous project Mr. A, from whom I’d learnt a lot – both professionally and personally, tops the list. I wish I’d more time working with him.

·         Tried my hand on cooking, which was eventually a short stint though.

·         Played AHL, after a gap of two years, and won the trophy for the second time in as many appearances.

·         Won first place in the technical quiz back in September – my first ever participation since joining the company.

·         Got two followers whom I wasn’t aware of to my blog. That means a lot, really. J

·         On top of all, got good news, on professional front, a couple of days back. That is something to cheer about.

 

When there is a crest, there will be a trough; when there is a positive, there will be a negative. That’s how the universe is designed, after all. So here are my few regrets/negative things of the year –

 

·         The biggest regret of all, I failed on the mission ‘june10’. The piteous fact is I wasn’t even given a chance to start the mission that I had been planning for a while then. L

·         Simple things play spoilsport, sometimes. One such thing – a simple message - played with me too, by not getting back to me ever.

·         I couldn’t offer any help to my friend when in need (which I only came to know later through my other friend), just because I wasn’t in touch with the person for a while. My bad, but I keep reminding myself that I should make it up to the person somehow.

About the new year, all I can say now is that the year 2012 is going to a significant one in my life in several aspects, either in a positive or a negative way, for I have already have few plans in my mind. Hope everything turns out as per my calculations.

I just hope 2012 will be happy and prosperous for everyone. Let miseries drown and Joys fill the air. Wishing everyone a Very Happy New Year!!!

Have fun; enjoy your life. Cheers!

Did I miss something? Oh yeah, Dec 21, 2012. What do I want, the world to end or not? It unarguably depends on the outcome of my plans. LOL… J

Random Ramble #1

He woke up, only mentally, still lying in his cozy bed with his eyes closed. It wasn’t the case for him normally, that too when he slept after midnight, not to mention the empty beer bottles lying around haphazardly in his room.

That was the first time he boozed alone. No friends, no random rambles, and no fun. Also, that was the first time he was fuddling all night to get over his sadness; he knew he can’t rely on ‘I drink for fun’ – his usual excuse, anymore.

It was too early, but his thoughts were running between his days with her and her last words to him.

It was a chill Sunday morning. He felt the blanket of mist around him. He rushed to turn off the fan, again only in his mind. His body was too lazy to do it physically.

He wanted to smoke.

---

“I found a lighter in my son’s pant pocket today,” his neighbor said to his Mom, fuming.

“Is it? God save this generation kids. I mean, what’s his age? 17 only na?” his Mom said, “No matter how strict we are, they still find ways to cheat us.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what to do. For a moment I thought it was his dad’s, but then I found one in his dad’s pocket as well. I’m confused whether or not to let his dad know about this,” his neighbor said.

“Lucky, my son hates smoking,” his Mom said ignoring her neighbor’s concern.

---

“Get the fuck out of my room, you idiot,” he shouted at his friend who lighted a smoke in his room.

“Cool dude. I can’t booze without this, you see,” his friend tried to explain holding a cigarette in his hand.

“Hey, go to the terrace to smoke. Get back once you are done. He hates smoking. Don’t you know that? You dumbass,” his other friend who had already gulped three beers, voiced to prove that he was still in his senses. Prestige issue, it is.

---

“Smoking is the best remedy to get over your sadness, you know.” Those were his friend’s words in his lecture about the advantages of smoking, during one of the bleak Saturday night chat sessions in his final year at college.

Not to forget, that guy, who gave the lecture, was a chain smoker. And he was careful enough to end his lecture without answering the question - “How do you say that?”

---

He wanted to smoke.

He woke up, physically this time. He walked zigzag across the room only to end up holding the wall at one corner of the room.

After few minutes of struggle, he managed to stand before the mirror. He was not able to see him in the mirror; instead, he saw her. She was smiling. He kissed her in his ‘hangover’ senses, but he kissed the mirror in real.

---

“Beta, do you smoke?” his Mom questioned him as soon his neighbor left for her home.

“Mom, what question is this? Don’t you know how much I hate it?”

“I know you, beta. Just be careful with your friends. People always change; some people make the other people change, just remember.”

---

“Bhaiyya, ek filter cigarette, please.”

He lighted the cigarette. He struggled to smoke, not because he was shivering from the cold, but because he was fighting with his first smoke of his life yet.

He unlocked his mobile as he wanted to engage his other hand in something. His Mom smiled in the wallpaper. 

He switched off his mobile at that instant.

Finally, he was done with this first smoke, but still not with his sadness. She circled his mind still. He loved that feeling. He loved the feeling even more with a smoke in his hand. He found happiness in his sadness.

In another half an hour, he was done with a whole packet of cigarettes.

---

After few days, his ‘chain smoker’ friend called him as his competitor. He has become a proud chain smoker now. Thanks to her? Hell no. Thanks to his love for her.

Some people make the other people change, he remembered.

---

A Story - Part 8

'A story' started here - [part 1]

I recalled my friend's fact#21 in my mind, “You’ll have a very good future together if the last two characters of your name are same as the first two of your partner.”

Do I need to say this to her? I thought. How stupid of me to bring this topic now, I beefed myself. With these thoughts running inside, I started to think of a way to get rid of this ‘facts’ topic even though I knew I can’t kid a girl without any reasons. You know how good they are at these things, at getting an info from the other person, that too when the other person had created a trap voluntarily.

“Hello, there?” she patted me on the shoulder.

“Yep,” I nodded in approval, coming out of my thoughts.

“What are the facts?”

“Just forget it. They’re lame, you see.”

“No matter how lame they are. You brought it, now please tell me those,” she was adamant.

“It’s only one, actually.”

“But you told facts, not a fact,” she said giving an added effect to the word ‘facts’.

“Okay, here I’m, dealing with a grammatical genius, huh?” I tried my best wit.

“Are you going to say or not?” she asked firmly, with her hand sliding towards her bag. Oh my God! Is she about to get that pamphlet out? I thought.

“My friend, he is actually drafting ‘love facts’ for his girlfriend. He just told me one of his facts drafted so far,” I said in a hurry.

“Is it? It sounds interesting. Come on, go ahead,” she was keen.

“You’re lucky if you marry someone whom you happen to first meet at a place, um, meant for studying.”

I don’t know why I didn’t say the actual fact that I was told by my friend. I don’t know why I decided to come up with something different instead. Moreover, I don’t know how I came up with a fact on my own that would eventually strike a chord on her.

“Wait a second, are you serious? I mean… is he serious?” she was eager with her response.

I just shrugged my shoulders.

“I, uh, okay, do you, um…” she tried to say something.

“Look, don’t read too much into this. He is just stupid to draft such things. Well, maybe to impress his girlfriend, who knows?” I tried to bring her back to her comfort zone.

“Place meant for studying? Does he refer the library?” She was still showering on the fact. That was evident.

I’m not sure what my friend would have meant by it, if he had come up with that fact (furthermore, I’m not sure if he had met his girlfriend somewhere in a place meant for studying). What I meant was the library, only the library. But I wasn’t bold enough to accept that, and eventually my mind was left to get hit by the questions - Do I need to play it safe? Or Do I have to go on with it and see where it takes us? Or Should I be smart as a whip to change the topic? I was confused, failing to figure how she might react to whatever I say. If only I was a good mind-reader.

“Yeah, a library,” I was afraid of her response, and continued, “Or a college, or even a school.”

“Hmm, whatever, but why did you call it lame?”

Ah man, what is she expecting from me? That I should say he meant the library, and by quoting that, I was referring us. Should I say that? What if she was really feeble by asking me further details forgetting the fact that we had met at a place meant for studying?

“I called it lame because it was drafted by my friend, after all, and only for the sake of impressing his girlfriend so that he could get a…” I stopped.

“Get a what?” a question again. My bad, I cued.

“Probably a GIFT,” I said, wondering what the relation between a GIFT and a KISS is. Well, a kiss can possibly be a gift, right?

“Whatever. Get me his other facts as well. It’s funny and interesting too.”

I don’t want her to listen to the reply that my friend had given me a day before when I asked for his other facts drafted yet. Hence, I simply nodded.

“So, what have you decided about the course?” she started again.

“Yeah, I’m okay with it,” I said merely not to disappoint her. I wasn’t in a mood to catch her frowning face.

She was more than happy. I was able see that from her face, her body, and her everything. Or I should say I felt it around. Meanwhile, she fumbled into her bag and took few sheets of paper out.

“Do you read stories?” she asked holding the bunch of papers in her hand.

“Yes, I do. Don’t you know I visit the library often?”

“Yes, yes. But do you read short stories penned by someone, like your friend?”

“I don’t have any friends who write short stories, but I do read the ones that circulate through the emails.”

“Okay, fine then. Here is a story dedicated to my friend that was penned by her friend. Read it, if you’re interested.”

“Sure, why not?” I said and plunked the papers from her hand and asked, “Was it her boyfriend who dedicated it to her?”

“Nope, just a friend who is a boy,” she replied quickly.

Why would a guy, literally, dedicate a story to a girl? That guy must be crazy or the girl must be crazy not to understand the hidden reason behind it, I thought. Actually, I was crazy to think like that. Later I found that he dedicated it to her merely as a friend, just because she was nagging him to write one for long.

“Huh-uh” I nodded sarcastically.

“So, if at all you write one, whom would you dedicate it to?”

“Neha.”

“What?”

“I mean, Sneha,” I said and stressed again, “Sneha.”

She stared me through the corner of her eyes.

“Okay, it’s time for me to leave. Have to hang out with my friends. Will call you sometime tomorrow to fix the date and time to go to the center to register us for the course,” she said happily, and left the library in minutes.

I sat there still looking at her walking away.

... To be continued [A Story - Part 9].

9. Someone you wish you could meet

Dear SIWICM,

Frankly, my list of ‘Someone I wish I could meet’ is long. Yep, it’s really long that it could be evident from the fact that I’m inspired by many people in different fields. Call yourself lucky or even be proud to feature in my list, which of course, is the reason for this letter being addressed to you. However, I’d like to put up this point that you’re not on top of the list, certainly not. No offense. Credibly, this letter should have been addressed to the one(s) topping the list, but it was only you who struck my mind the moment I wanted to write this letter.

I haven’t seen or heard from you for ages. Well, apparently, it shouldn’t be the case for the people who were the-best-friends. Hmm, we were; guess you too remember that. You know what, I still cherish the days I spent with you, the inexplicable fun we had, the places we explored (do you remember our adventure ride to the forbidden palace next to the railway station? I still laugh at the fact how fearful you were that you made us run back like hell just as we were about to enter it).

Man, how good we were as the-best-friends! Ever wondered why do things go wrong when everything seem to be so perfect? We too were all but perfect for each other, giving the necessary support when the other was in need, sharing almost everything - the happiness and the sadness, sacrificing anything just for the sake of other’s wellbeing. But why did we end up like this? I know I was responsible for whatever we are now; I was the one who gave you the cold shoulder. I was lame then, you see.

I still miss those gifts that you gave me when we were together. I shouldn’t have returned those to you the other day – the day when I wanted to break up with you. I curse myself for that act of mine. I can feel now how bad you’d have felt at that moment. By all means, I should have at least listened to your words of having them with me even if I choose not to talk to you ever again. But if I were sane enough to listen to your words, I wouldn’t have broken up with you in the first place.

Whatsoever, nothing is going to change apart from the fact that we could patch up at least now. Better late than never, we’ve been taught in school, after all. J

Do reply or give me a call, if you’re interested. And, BTW, send me those gifts if you’ve those with you yet.

P.S: I’d definitely have posted this letter to you, if I had your address with me. Trust me.

Yours (wanna-be) friendly,

Suresh R

+91 - 9952965990

In case you're wondering what this is about: 30 Letters

Why this kolaveri di

The latest anthem of the young lads (or the soup boys as mentioned in the song) is this song, written and sung by Dhanush for his forthcoming film ‘3’ which has the music composed by a newbie named Anirudh. The song was OFFICIALLY released yesterday as a single (after the draft version of the song was leaked online few days back by some UNKNOWN person). Everyone says ‘kill piracy’, but God, who is going to kill it actually?

Whatever, the song has already reached a mass. If you are yet to listen to the song, don’t get any idea that it has something to be cherished in the lines of ‘Oru Nazhil’ [from Pudhupettai] or any of your other favorites that you hold close to your heart especially for its lyrics or the music or the singer. The song doesn’t have any extraordinary lyrics, yet so catchy (at least among youngsters). To be precise, it’s a Tamil song with English lyrics, with only English lyrics. I’m not worthy enough to comment on the music front. All I want to say is it has a good music and in fact, a good start for the new composer. And Dhanush renders the song so beautifully, proving that he is a good singer too.

The ‘actor’ Dhanush has already become a ‘lyricist’ penning a couple of songs for his film - Mayakkam Enna, and has already been lauded by many sources for his nothing-extraordinary-but-so-catchy lines. Now, here goes he, penning all the songs (seven in total) for his next film – ‘3’. This one is just a sample!

The song is gonna top the charts for sure, for a very long time.

Here is the video of the recording session of the song. Watch it and have fun. (Guys, don't worry about the lyrics if you can't follow it J, it's been subtitled.)