STRANGERS....

The blossoming month of november thus ended with full of surprises and few important lessons taught.Here I would like to share some glittering personalities who in some way left an everlasting impression in my heart.I just refer them as strangers and describe how simple things such the events described below can leave an important trail to follow through.

Stranger 1:

It was a day in the last week in october,a friday actually.My best buddies Ram,Sid and Kaushik had already done enough pestering the day before to book tickets for the duo movie "Maatran"(they regretted for doing so after watching the movie).So the first job I did as soon as I entered my bollixed cubicle ,I started looking for the movie tickets.Luckily things were done with ease and I sent the copy of ticket to Ram's mobile.Okay,first job over.Next,my reminder mail from HR hissed saying that a factory visit for the team instru was arranged the following afternoon.So I just passed time till after noon and flew to the industry situated somewhere 40 kms from chennai. The return journey was a messy.The roads were breached by the thunder rain.And forget not to mention the time for my night show movie was nearing.Already had a dozen missed calls from the dear rascals.Finally reached the office at 9:15 pm.Just checked my mails and moved out at 9:20.I knew that I could no where make it to the theatre at 9:45.I finally met the stranger number one while I was returning from office. Inspite of me wearing a helmet and a jerkin, my body was soaked.I crossed the Kathipaara junction with an average speed of 100 kmph. Suddenly my bike halted on seeing her.
                              SHE was wearing a white dupatta with red embroidery.And she was asking for a drop till Pallavaram signal. Of course any guy would stop on seeing a gal (particularly a corporate gal) asking for a lift.I am no distinction.So I did give her a lift and dropped her near the signal.I saw her walking towards the corner of a closed shop and waking the old woman sleeping there.The old lady was glad on seeing the girl and she happily accepted the packet she offered to her.The gal then hugged the lady and returned back.On seeing me still staring at her, she brightened her face with a smile saying that this was her habit ever since she came for a job in chennai. did it regularly, offering food for the old people whom she had met in the path of her life.And for the first time I met a gal of my kind and with nothing to say I just said "Good people in this world are few..". Aarthi,the name of the gal I met.I missed the movie that night but I was happy, not for this gal I met but bcos of her deed.At times I think people in this world are selfish worrying much about the known persons but then I realised ,nah I was wrong.Am not the lonely hand clapping fingers together for the sick society,people are there for me.Thanks to the stranger for making me realise this.

Stranger 2:

                     It was a siesta time on  sunday.I was more worried about my pending jobs and my papers of research.Nothing so far had turned out well..Ram called me and asked for a small get-to at home.We guys usually meet on weekend and spend the night in one another's home.In a nut-shell ,each of us got three mothers and three fathers(biologically one and affectionately two).So that's how deep our friendship lives.Okay,friendship stories apart..to the content now.So I started to Ram's home after his call.After eating a mouthful of gulaab jamoon offered by aunty, we went out to have a pre-lunch session.(A pre-lunch session for us, means to have a smaller tiffin before a gorgeous meal).As usual Ram had his pre-lunch ,with me watching and on our way back to home we halted near a "naariyal paani" shop.
                    The shop runner was a friend of Ram.The man was at first astonished to see the twin brothers each of 6.3 foot high.(FYI, Ram and me look similar with same height and kinda same face though our characters are foiled).This particular man ,the shop runner was a cheerful man, that a minute talk with him can get your sad mood undone.The guy started discussing topics right from cinema to the back home politics.You can read the lines of poverty on his face.A torn jean with an unwashed shirt and all in the middle of a black face appeared a teeth with snowy white touch.The thing I was attracted to was that he always got interested in the growth of others(in this case Ram and me) rather than complaining about his poor run.I have always had an attitude of friendliness with the so called "little runners" of the higher end job.Right from the "chaai wala" in my office to the "machan" server in the hotel I eat, I have always been friendly with them.But out of all these people I have crossed ,this guy attracted me the most.And yet again another stranger teaching you the way of life. Thereafer,my pre-lunch session is always with this "naariyal-wala"

Stranger 3:
                  Nov 28..night 9:15 pm.The bus halted near kaatangulatur which was the boarding point for some passengers.I was on my trip to madurai, coutralam and kerala. The guys from SRM university boarded in and came along them was my next stranger a "cutey beauty".She was accompanied by an octogenarian,should be her grandpa I guessed.The bus was not full as it was not a week end.So I had a comfortable journey since there was no one sitting in my adjacent seat.For a guy like me of more than 6 feet, this  was a gift bcos I can stretch my body to the max.So I cuddled fast into sleep.My ipod was shuffling the right numbers."Nenjukkul peidhidum maamazhai"-the best track from varanam aayiram.When you travel on a full air conditioned bus with dim light and transparent window with a melody track on list what will be your mood? In love.Yes,I saw the "cutey-beauty".Such a smile and an attracting charishma.I was admiring her till she fell asleep.
                     The bus came to a stop around 12:30 AM,somewhere near Trichy(I dont know the place exactly).She was alone .The octogenarian had stepped down to meet his urgent issues.She came and sat near my seat on seeing me switch ON my mac-book.(This was my worst habit.Whenever I got bored I open my laptop and start reading stuff.That's why am famously known "The show-off".Never mind,inborn habit can't be changed)Okay..now into the content.I asked her name .Preethi ..A cute girl,should be around 2 to 3 years..chubby and attractive.She was interested on my wallpaper which was an animated cartoon.So I took her and made her sit on my lap and let her touch my MAC.
"You painted it??"-She asked.
"No,its an animated one"-I said
"What is animation??"
"Ahmm..well animation is something which is attractive and moving or making movements.You watch cartoon right.That is called an animation.."
"You don't use sketch for making a cartoon??"
I had trouble answering this question.You have to become a kid while answering a kid.So I did and gave a possibly satisfied explanation.
"What you have in your ears??"-she asked pointing my ipod
The conversation went thus until the octogenarian returned. Preethi slept in my adjacent seat for the remaining journey.We both were hearing to the songs for sometime till she slept.I revisited my childhood when I saw this gal.I remembered my kinden garden days.Thanks again to the stranger gal.This last part of the post is for you people. Fayaz(bhaiya),Rathika(paru),Rinu(dear monkey),Dony(dons) and Sneha(snakes).I mention these names in particular bcos we are still together since our kinden garden.Each of us had settled in a different place and in a different profession but still memoirs prevail though we had not met in the recent 3 years.Just remembered...Thanks for the memoirs..

Day By Day...We live.

Rainy day:

               In my eight years of stay in chennai,I never had witnessed a cyclone hitting her so hard.But it was a blessing in disguise.A declared holiday even for the mushroom growing corporate(hope not my manager read this) . I was as wet as a fish and I returned to my newly carved(!) 12 X 10 room.Its only been two days I  moved into this new apartment. One could easily sense a kooky atmosphere in my apartment.The walls  with all kinds of drawings,the dressing table with the bio-molecular physical theory equations and most importantly the board explaining the "Holonomic Brain theory" ,often would make people go dizzy about my way of living.
          I decided to go to bed as early as possible.I gulped down a glass of milk and thought that dreams would make me survive for the rest of my day. I've had this bad habit of sleeping with the study lamp turned on and books wide open with the keen red bookmarks seen.(the flapper of the pages makes me sleep I think).But that night instead of my books, my Mac book (white girlfriend-as I call it) was ON and unfortunately I was under the heavy influence of "THE FIGHT CLUB" effect.Insomnia again.

The day before the "NILAM"-chennai view

                        People who say that Insomnia is a condition of "sleeplessness",No you're wrong.Insomnia-a state where you will  neither be awake nor asleep.So the result in morning, "everything you see appears to be a copy of a copy."

Corporate world:

                         Morning 7:30..It had been months ever since I had my morning breakfast.I started from my apartment as usual at a speed of 100 km/h.It was an inconceivable day though.I didn't see the rushing of the throng on the highly cleaned(!) chennai roads.What I saw was tiny little bots moving around speeding one over the other.Again when you don't sleep for days everything appears to be a copy of a copy.The same was happening to me-"THE FIGHT CLUB EFFECT".A cloud burst  of a squall appeared from nowhere.Since I was wearing my jerkin and a helmet( law abiding citizen(!)) I wasn't affected much.For an hour and half I travelled and all I could see on the road was just moving robots.The night dose of "suvorexant" was doing the magic on me.I still wonder how I made myself to the office in that heavy rain.Literally I saw two men sliding their bike alongside the road as if the road was a bed cover and also I saw a tall rooted giant just falling with a thud a few meters away missing my head.Finally I reached my office.

Like Ducks:

                   "Though your cerebro is of mentation type you just have to make it work like a cat's-paw".That was(is) the thumb rule of any corporate.I entered office at about 8:30 am.Except for my head I was drenched.One could imagine how my day would have been spent in an air conditioned building for a span of 10 hrs with no where to go.So as usual I started my machine and checked my daily mails.My work-"An old man's work of struggle for 10 hours with no place to sharpen the axe".As the time machine moved on, the employees started entering the office.Heated discussions about the climate outside.But all I could hear were the sounds and the motions of machine.I was always used with the habit of having my lunch in my cabin.I prefered to have them in my own place than going to the canteen and to have a little bit of chit-chat with my buddies.And this  habit of mine had gained me a name- "The Secluded guy".Yes, I respected my privacy and was comfortable with it. Working hours of 9 and half ended thus and my alarm reminded me "Time to leave the office".I left .

Rat's race:

              Everything in life happens according to a pattern.One life ends ,another begins.To keep myself occupied at all time I've been doing this part time job for two years.I moved onto my studio.Unfortunately,there was no work left since my senior manager had already completed the works on a prior schedule.So I was asked to come the other day.I decided to walk.Having parked my bike somewhere near Adyar,I started walking towards the Elliots beach,I don't remember how far I have walked.When you are left in your own world with the persons you like (music and nature) you never would bother about time.I remember myself starting by 8:30.When I had finally found the the time to be 11 p.m I would have walked a least of 15 kms and then I walked back again.

Hippie Life:

                 I saw a few merry making men during my return journey.First time in my  life I was meeting such persons in a closet .These men had their own way of living.For them money was of no worth. Infact,they had the idea that money makes people cautious.True.I wish I could lead a life like that.It is not that I like man the less,but I love the nature more.But the falling pattern of life may still have more surprises within its closet.Journey continues....
                 

A strange tune:

    ...Its still a mystery to me.We have a greed,with which we have agreed.You think you want to have more than you need,till you have it all you won't be free.When you want more than you have,you think you need and when you think more than you want , your thoughts begin to bleed.I think I need to find a bigger place,cause when you  have more than you think,you NEED MORE SPACE.Society,you're a crazy breed;I hope you're not lonely without me.And please don't be angry with me if I disagree.. so yet another article made out from the crap of mystic living.