Sunday, August 17, 2014

Tucked away in a quiet Summer Afternoon...!

I was engrossed over the Productivity Report in the boring afternoon when suddenly the sound of splattering drops on the tin shade drew me outside. The sky had turned into a painters’ canvas. The pigeon couple, I share my apartment with, were all drenched but seemed in no mood to call it a day. On the contrary to they seemed to mock my urban reluctance with “oh so boring” stare! Trees were all glowing and swaying with gay abundance like young damsels fresh out of spa treatment. The smell of wet ground wafted through the air. “Reports can wait”, someone whispered. Soon I found myself in unison with the elements drenched to the core.
Thank God the child hasn’t died yet and is lurking somewhere deep within….

Sunday, April 10, 2011

I met God...

I have heard of people making huge efforts to experience the omnipresence of Almighty. However for a cynic like me, this is perhaps the closest I could have come to that sublime experience...

It was a balmy sunday evening and I was in the Plaza for a leisure walk. My little one, hardly year and a half old, was busy toddling around and exploring the surroundings with her new found freedom.

Now as we grow worldly wise I guess our eyes get trained in a certain sort of filtering. Though they wander on everything but they see and register only a selective few. The knick knack seller at traffic lights or the dusty and hungry figures with stretched palms; numerous such encounters daily, too trivial to be even worth acknowledging. Many such nameless faceless children of lesser God infest the pavements of Plaza and try to attract our attention through their colorful wares.The intensity of our interaction with them is directly proportional to the gloss of the ware they sell. They still remain nameless faceless to us lest we lose our guard. Lest they contaminate our world with their uncouth ways..

I was trying to crack one such bargain when I suddenly realized my little one was not beside me. Momentary panic gripped as she was hardly only few days into toddling. I frantically turned around and started looking for that familiar face amongst the melee of strangers. Suddenly at a relatively dark corner beneath a shady tree, I found that face. A sigh of relief left me. But that was short lived as I got anxious of what I saw. She was Sitting comfortably on the dusty concrete with her legs crossed oblivious of the surrounding. Giving her company was a pale, sad faced kid about three years old and his mother. She was trying to pacify him with an oily piece of patty wrapped in an old newspaper. probably that's all she managed with her day's earning. My little one was absolutley comfortably sitting with them as if she found a long lost friend. She had even struck a conversation in her own language. She was demanding her share from that oily piece."How come you keep me away from this impromptu feast", She seemed to be saying! The lady innocently extended a morsel to her. I was aghast for a moment. Then I realised why they say, "since God can't be everywhere he created Mother.." But worldly sense prevailed and I indicated her against it. I asked her not the disturb the kids and watched from a distance. The two laughing and giggling to their hearts content.The bonding was spontaneous and absolute. The urchin on the pavement had forgotten his hunger. Mine had forgotten she was away from her mother for long!

The two would grow up into two different worlds which would probably never meet. However for the moment I was witnessing one of the purest human relationships Almightly could have thought of...pure, uninhibited and spontaneous. I was meeting God....

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Golden Rule for Career Success By Richard Moran

Business is made up of ambiguous victories and nebulous defeats. Claim them all as victories.

Keep track of what you do; Someone is sure to ask.

Be comfortable around senior managers, or learn to fake it.

Never bring your Boss a problem without some solution. You are getting paid to think, not to whine.

Long hours don't mean anything; results count not the effort.

Write down ideas. They get lost like good pens.

Always arrive at work 30 minutes before your Boss.

Help other people network for jobs. You never know when your turn will come.

Don't take days off Sick- unless you are.

Assume no one Can/Will keep secret.

Know when you do your best-Morning, Night, Under Pressure, Relaxed; Schedule and prioritise your work accordingly.

Treat everyone who work in the organisation with respect and dignity, whether it be the Cleaner or the Managing Director. Don't ever be Patronizing.

Never appear stressed in front of a client, a customer or your Boss. Take a deep breath and ask yourself; In the course of Human Events how important is this?

If you get the entrepreneurial urge, visit someone who has his own business. It may cure you.

Acknowledging someone else's contribution will repay you doubly.

Career Planning is an Oxymoron. The most exciting oppurtunities tend to be unplanned.

Always Choose to do what you'll remember ten years from now.

The size of your office is not as important as the size of your pay cheque.

Understand what finished work looks like and deliver your work only when it is finished.

The person who spends all of his or her time is not hard working; he or she is boring.

Know how to write Business Letters- including thank you notes and proposals.

Never confuse a Memo with Reality. Most Memos from the top are Political Fantasy.

Eliminate guilt. Don't fiddle expenses, taxes or benefits, and don't cheat colleagues.

Reorganizations mean that someone will lose his or her job. Get on the committee that will make the recommendations.

Job security does not exist.

Always have an answer to the question, "What would I do if I lost my job tomorrow?"

Go to the Company Christmas party.

Don't get drunk at the Company Christmas Party.

Avoid working at weekends. Work longer during the week if you have to.

The most successful people in the business are interesting.

Sometimes you'll be on a winning streak and everything will click. Take maximum advantage. When the opposite is true, hold steady and wait it out.

Never in your life say, "It's not my Job".

Be loyal to your career, your interests and yourself.

Understand the skills and abilities that set you apart. Use them whenever you have an oppurtunity.

People remember the end of the project. As they say in boxing, "Always finish stronger than you start".

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Ten Commandments of Success: Excerpts for " I Bought the Monk's Ferrari by Ravi Subramanium"

Aspire High- To aquire the Ferrari you need to ASPIRE. And when you aspire do not compromise for anything but the best.

You Can Fly

With all the colors in the sky.

You can soar

Don't think about your troubles anymore!

You can glide,

and forget about why

you can'd do this or that.

You can dream!

Though life may seem so hard sometimes,

Get on with your life

and just fly!



Stay Positive: Be optimistic; chase the negative thoughts away. A positive frame of mind will surely get you closer to Ferrari.



Be a winner, not a wimp: Do not whine and whimper about work-life balance. Be the winner, not the wimp, and the Ferrari will be yours.

The heights of great men reached and kept,

were not obtained by sudden flights,

But they, while their companions slept

were toiling upwards in the night.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



Be Honest to Yourself: Set and follow the highest standard of integrity in your personal and professional lives. If you are high on integrity, people will respect and value you.



Value Time: Value your own time and that of others, and be rest assured that the Ferrari will come to you.

To get all there is out of living, we must employ our time wisely, never being in too much of a hurry to stop and sip life, but never losing our sense of the enormous value of a minute.



Strive for Perfection: No one is perfect. The moment you think you are, it is the countdown to doomsday. Earning Ferrari is all about constantly upgrading yourself, improving your skillsets and equipping yourself for the future. And for this the initiative has to be yours.



Befriend Achievers: Identify the owners of Ferrari and align yourself with them. Ifb you are in the company of successful people, their success will rub off on you. But you need to back it up with stellar performance. If you live in Ferrari town, chances are, you will get to drive one sooner.



Share the success: Share your success with others. If you commit to uplift the downtrodden, you will become the true owner of Ferrari.



Watch Out on Health: Remain fighting fit and be in perfect shape. No one will entrust you with the Ferrari if you are not fit enough to drive it. Work Hard, exercise harder, build stamina, and keep illness at bay. This is a sure shot way of getting into the driver's seat.



Build a Mind Boggling Profile: If you have followed all the commandments with dedication and determination, it is the time to build up a profile for yourself. Target your audience and announce your achievements. You will own the Ferrari in no time.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Rise ....and The Fall...!!!

I do not know the distance from Solan to Seattle. But what I have definitely known since childhood that it’s a land of dreams. It’s a land which honors individual mettle and not family linage. It’s a land which does not bother about intruding into your personal space, unlike in Solan where your every move, especially if you are a young girl in early twenties, is for public consumption and moral scrutiny. I always knew I was made for that "Other Land". My presence here in Solan is just transitory. So when I first got a job which involved speaking and connecting with the citizens of that “Other Land”, even though just over the phone, I knew this was my calling...this was where I always belonged. My father did not have much to say as always. More so it was one less mouth to feed and one extra bottle of Solan Strong that he can now afford.

In no time I packed my bags and landed in my city of dreams, Chandigarh; or at least the city which will help me get closer to my dreams.

Now Chandigarh is a modern city with modern people almost like my dream “Other Land”. It accepts outsider with an Open Hand, true to its mascot, as long as you are part of its “Chic Crowd”. It wasn’t difficult for me as I was always meant for bigger things, you see! All I had to do was to replace my Old fashioned Solan clothes with some Body Hugging tops and some low waist jeans, put some twang in my Hinglish and wash my hair with some strange chemicals to give it a glam auburn hue. And yes, I had to take my hair out of its natural shape (which was any which ways very outdated) and straighten it! Though its cost was slightly above my budget but then I needed to prepare for the “Other Land” anyways.

Soon I found myself amidst a big circle of friends. They had big cars, shining clothes and always smelled good. Life was a never ending party for them. How generous and forward looking their parents were! My mind drifted back to my humble setup in Solan with my father’s expressionless face staring at me. I snapped back!


My job was equally cool. The crowd was mostly of my age and quite a few of them doubled up as my friend circle outside. But I was very choosy about who I went out with. After all I was meant for bigger things and couldn’t afford to be seen with below standard people.

Though staying awake whole night to talk to ever complaining customers was slightly irritating, however the after shift parties which we had at some of our friends places, more than compensated for the same. At times even my manager used to join us. He was single and good looking and I think he had some inclinations towards me. I never complained about the extra attention as it always ended in some additional favors at the work place. Who would’t like attention and I was anyways an attractive young girl who had arrived! All he asked for was to share some innocent drinks with him and join in for some dance. Initially I didn’t like the taste of the drinks and the body touching moves. But I was determined to outgrow my “small town girl” tag. Very soon I became a connoisseur of both drink and dance. Now I could down more pegs than most present at the parties. I was the focal point of all these do’s.

The words of Savita Mausi faintly echoed in my ears. She was once telling my mother about the stories she had heard about the reckless and wanton life these “Call center” people lead. I am sure she was jealous of my achievements. I was thoroughly enjoying my moments. Life was definitely in the fast lane.

And fast lane it indeed was. I felt my days increasingly becoming incomplete without a drink or two. Was I getting addicted? Absolutely not! On the contrary people in the “Other Land” consider it to be healthy to have a glass or two daily. Even my manger said so. How backward we Indians are still! My manger was becoming more of a Knight in Shining Armor for me. Only the other day he almost took me in his arms and drove me back home! I was told later that I reached office with red eyes and was almost tipsy. Not only did he drive me back safely, but also he made some new drink for me! Though it felt strange but I was in the seventh heaven after that. On asking, all he said, I was in the big league now. “So sweet of him...” I was thoroughly enjoying his intimate touches that day…

Life really moved into the big league thereafter. I started going to bigger parties. With louder music and brighter psychedelic lights. There were a lot many newer faces who all wore a strange far away expressions. We started going out of town to attend these parties. I was told they were very exclusive and only selected people were allowed in. I found few white skinned people from “the Other Land” in those parties. I was head over heels about my manager to have helped me come up to this level. Regular drinks started boring me. I took to higher and classier things. My manager told me they were Party Mood Boosters and I had all the reasons to believe him. I used to dance like crazy for hours after those bouts. “The Other Land” was increasingly getting nearer to me.

Sooner than I realize I had almost given up on drinking and gradutated to the classier thing. I was increasingly getting dependent on my manger for the constant supply. He was sweet enough to be always with my side. Very soon he promised me to take to a party I had never been in my life over one of the extended weekends. I was feeling so lucky to have him in my life. I couldn’t wait for that weekend.

On that day he suggested we would go uphill. After about a couple of hours of drive I found myself in the most breathtaking natural surroundings amidst lush green deep forest somewhere up in the Himachal hills. He said it’s the venue for one of the most exclusive parties where most of the guests were foreigners. I was extremely thrilled. I could feel the thumping beat of the music coming from somewhere above. We moved to a small clearing by a small stream and found around seventy odd people, mostly from the “Other Land”, swaying to the beats of loud music in a trance. None of them seemed to have noticed us. One local guy approached my manager. Without uttering a single word He gestured towards a small hut behind a huge tree. We moved inside. There were few people lounging inside. All of them seemed to be high on the magic substance which I have already graduated to. I was thrilled. Soon I found myself amongst those dancing outside. Even though we had daylight outside, I felt thousand bulbs flashing in my eyes. I was floating in the air. It was heaven. The crowd around me swayed with increased vigor with the tempo of the music. I could see nothing but streaks of light around me and some blurry faces.

I was really flying. Soon I realized I was being pulled aside and inside the hut. I felt a heavy weight on me and some hands working vigorously on my body. My eyes were wide awake but my mind was far away. I could feel the heavy breath of my manager on my face. I felt a strange sensation inside my body I never felt before. I was still dancing and swaying to the beats outside…

I didn’t know how long I was inside the hut. But my eyes opened when I heard a commotion outside. There seemed a lot of people shouting and running around. Suddenly few men in uniform rushed inside the room and dragged my manger aside. I tried to get up but couldn’t. Though I was awake but was blank. Only few broken pictures and sounds crossed my mind like the clippings of a fast paced movie. I could hear those uniformed men shouting at my manager, which soon turned into a conversation and then hushed whisper. They were all looking at me. I saw my manager moving out of the room leaving me with those men. For the next few moments, I didn’t know for how long, I was again transported to a different world. Even in my half awake stage I could feel my body being tossed around, being scratched, being nibbled at, being abused. The pain inside was unbearable…..then everything was blank.

When I opened my eyes next, I was in the car with my manager. Neither of us spoke. I could not even bear to look at myself. The whole body was tearing apart. I could hear him mumbling, “I am sorry I had no other way out..” I closed my eyes again.


I still don’t know the distance from Solan to Seattle. But sitting in my father’s two room tenement in Solan, I was wondering whether the price I paid worth it…?

Monday, October 19, 2009

If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
Rudyard Kipling

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Soul Stirring Experience..

My deep thought process while strolling back home from the local grocery shop was broken by a half muted call. Initially I ignored, thinking it to be one of those numerous cacophony around me. However its persistence forced me to turn around, only to find a lean underfed overworked man in bleached blue uniform half smiling at me. I was mildly irritated with this unwanted intrusion to my private world.

I dragged myself to him with a quiver on my eyebrows. He was stading at my neighbours gate seemingly for sometime, trying to locate a soul around. His one hand holding an assortment of envelopes and with the other trying to brush off the grime and dust from his face. I slowly motioned towards him mentally cursing the publice parasite that he is, feasting on public funds.

He enquired about the occupants of the yellow house with a concern non existent in a public termite. Now to be honest, in my last four years of existence in this neighbourhood, I don't even remember the face of my next door neighbour let alone knowing their names and the least...their whereabouts. The irriation was now apparent on my face. He was unpurturbed. His anxiety was palpable on his face which was so very uncommon for a parasite. I am so used to their nonchalant brooding faces. He insisted that today was the Rakshabandhan and that Mr. Khanna (till then I didn't even know the surname of my neighbour) must be waiting for this "Precious Gift"all day long, that if he could not deliver this Rakhi to him today, gesturing at the blue colored envelope in his hand, Mr. Khanna would be deeply pained, that he will be responsible for the breaking of the hearts of a sister and brother duo seperated by the pangs of modern day living, that his professional commitment to serve his customer will be dented forever. He almost begged me to accept the package on his behalf and help him redeem his professional pride. ...

The words trailed off from me. I was almost dumbfounded. I could not believe what I was experiencing. A simple Parasite, who I always loathed for being everything Unprofessionalism stood for, demonstated a grassroot level, matter-of -fact compassion for Professional Excellence which even a Harvard studied, Jack Welch fed professional will find hard to macth! A World Class Customer Commitement, delivered in such an unadulturated manner, yet so profound so deep. His eyes glimmered with the satisfaction achieved by a task well accomplished. He rode off on his rickety bicycle with an amazing grace, Profusely thanking me for helping him in his professional commitment.

I was humbled. A professional with a mutlnational organisation, who always thought, true meaning of professional commitment can only be learnt with a simulated training module, prepared by some World Leading Expert. Customer commitment can only be learnt if one has attendeded or read the motivational sermons of New Age Gurus.

Slowly realisation dawned to me. I mumbled to myself, "India, this century belongs to you....", still clutching the blue envelope in my hand....