Baba Maarlo and My Bestest Friend

Ok I have weird ideas I know.......And they get weirder by the day. But then so does he. And what happens when 2 otherwise sane(?) people get stuck on to their respective weird ideas and try to prove their point??-An argument..right...........So that's how it started -with an argument-my aquaintance with Baba Maarlo. In a restaurant in Pune. Well ...ok.....fine....we argued.......so what?? Nothing actually.....
And then I moved on to Mumbai and he to ....Ahmedabad to complete his studies.
And then many autumns later we met again in Mumbai.... And this time there were no arguments, we had grown up.
But who is this Baba Maarlo and how do I know him??
Hmmm needs some explanation........
My mom always says that a only a good person can be a good friend. Well I have yet to come across a better person than Shikha all my life........And considering that I have n number of friends and aquaintances apread across India -That's saying something.
She was my neighbour back home , and over a period of time we became good friends as well.
Those were the days- endless gossip over phone, long evening walks, shopping trips , going to college together, giggling over silly jokes, discussing our crushes......the list is huge. Those days I was on a cooking experimentation spree and my poor Shikha used to be a guinea pig for all my culinary end products. But trust her to constantly motivate me by praising my efforts all over.
She has always been a source of motivation and inspiration for me . Today I sit back and wonder how would life had been if I didn't have a friend like her to stand by me through all my turmoils and failures. I am sure I would have made a mess of everything. Well so there is she-My Shikha, she is not my Best Friend , she is my BESTEST Friend....
But Yes we were talking about Baba Maarlo-where does he come into the picture.......Well my mom also says that good people always get good people as companions.
So Shikha got Baba Maarlo -in other words they are...eh...em ..er." Good Friends" ............
What a pair they make!!!! He- Tall ,Handsome, cheerful, bright- She- Pretty , slim, charming, attractive and Me-The perennial kabab mein haddi. (Make no mistake- I am writing all this at great risks to my life. Someone sitting there in delhi is gonna kill me once she reads this)
So Baba Maarlo is a good friend today-we don't have arguments about silly things any more. It feels good to talk to him when I am happy, sad, cheerful, grumpy-in other words at all times....Banda yeh definitelty Bindaas hai......And Shikha is the Best.....and she remains the special person that she always has been....And sorry to do this to u guys-but u have to bear the extra baggage called Mishi all ur life:)))
Cheers to our Friendship!!!!

Another Day

It is not too hot today and it's also a Friday. Last working day of the week.
Feeling happy, humming to myself. 5 months in this city and still a stranger.......How many places have I been to in 2 years of work experience??Silchar, Kolkata, Dhanbad, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Vijaywada, Chennai, Pune..and how many times have i been to home-twice.......Small ironies of life.....
What would I do tommorow.......What have I been doing in these 2 years....
Some times life seems more cryptic and complicated than a crossword puzzle.
Pains, misery, failures, illness, dejection, love, hatred, betrayal, happiness, success-have i seen it all?? Maybe Yes.On retrospect there was so much I could have done to avoid failures and miseries. There was so much I could have achieved had I not wasted my time in pointless self pity. Every experience is a learning. And every learning has a price tag.Is life fair?? This discussion often comes up amongst friends during post dinner conversations. How can it ever be..... some one had to lose so that someone else can win.......this is a neverending vicious circle, you have to wait for your turn.
The greatest irony of life is perhaps the fact that we do not have any control on things which effect us most.So while we can celebrate birthdays, we do not have any idea about when the final hour would come or how it would come........and while we appreciate good looks , we do not have any control on the way we look, and while it is important to make it to IIT, and yet we do not have any control on our grey cells-we are born with them and have to live with them and utilise them to whatever extent possible.
Maybe I am too sceptical and caustic...but it doesn't hurt to do a reality check.

Roses

Do you stop and smell the roses? No, you don't have the time.
Do you know smelling the roses is just a frame of mind?

Life goes by so quickly in this hustle, bustle world.
But roses are all around us, for every boy and girl.

Have you seen Old Glory waving? Did your heart swell with pride?
And did you thank God for freedom, though many brave men died?

Did you see those blue birds flying as you drove to work today?
And the colors in the sunset on your return displayed?

Did you hear the children laughing while playing games outside?
Or see a twinkle in your baby's eyes as you kissed her cheek goodnight?

Did you feel the breeze on your sweated brow that hot summer day?
And smell the rain in the springtime that washed the dust away?

Roses are all around us - even in busy times.
You don't need TIME to smell the roses - it takes a state of mind.

My Tom

He is dark and handsome , if not tall and has a roving eye. He flirts with many females of his species and they give him equal attention.He is all of 3 years and is very proud of his grey coat and whiskers. Three years ago he was born in our garage, the mother having abandoned the baby as soon as it was born, we decided to adopt him.And since then he has been living with us a family member.All day he has nothing to do and lazes out in the sun or sleeps on my bed or watches TV sitting on the sofa. His diet is rich and good- bread, biscuits, fish, eggs, meat, chocolates, ice-creams, cakes,sweets and a daily dose of scoldings , which is given by me.
I have a tough time listening to our neighbour's complaints about his misdeeds which include scaring  their pet rabbit(Mrs Sharma) , stealing things from their kitchen(Mrs Raman) and flirting with their tabby(Mrs Balchandani).And I try my best to punish the culprit amply for his pranks , but it is easier decided than implemented, for whenever I try to be strict , he gives me such a meek and weak look that it melts my heart and everything is forgiven and forgotten.
He stays out sometimes for long hours and I begin worrying ........but it is actually not required because he is always back before dinner, cos he obviously wouldn't want to miss his dinner.
After dinner he walks over to my bedroon, climbs over to my bed , stretches himself, yawns, purrs softly, licks his fur clean and lies down for a goodnight's sleep....And as I watch this oft repeated scene , I murmur fondly"Thank You God for this wonderful gift"!!!

Manittude

Why do you run away as if you have seen a ghost, whenever you see me-I asked him. Ab bhoot dekhenge toh bhaagenge hi ........that was his tongue-in-cheek answer.
I ask him why do u act so pricey-He answers Because I am pricey.
I ask him-Why do u behave this way, his reply-Mera Mann
I ask him-Why do u have such attitude,Answer-Ab aise hi hain hum.....
You are getting fat I say, he replies-that is a sign of prosperity

What do you say to a man who openly proclaims"I am bad" and it's not jackson's dramatic style, but a cool nonchalant approach.
He wants to have pretty girlfriends, but wouldnt make the effort to get up and say Hi to a pretty girl ,whenever there is one and believes in "armchair romance".

I hear he was called "Mr Tension" during campus days. But as far as I am concerned, he has always helped to ease my tensions. Honest and straightforward to the point of being blunt, you can count on him to tell you the truth-always.......

I would like to leave the rest of the space blank.............so that I can keep adding stuff about him.......................

Friend from Scotland

Short, dark, curlyhaired with a bright smile on his face , I met him 3 years ago. Today he is happily married , settled and doing well in life. I remember the long chat sessions we used to have, wherein I would crib about everything in life.And he would listen patiently . Sensitive, caring and very patient he is a typical ladies man.
When my mom had an accident, when I did not get placed and for many such traumatic occasions he was there for me -unconditionally. I got to learn a lot of things from him-and it would not be wrong to say that I am a better person today because of the things I learnt from him.There are a lot more things which I would have liked to put down.........but sometimes words become inadequate to express feelings.
Wish You all the best in life Buddy.............

Parrot and Love

You have to have an operation,the doctor told me. I was scared . Operations do sound scary. I called up Neha-the worry in her voice was real. She and Mithu, they were there for me-all the time. They spent the night uncomfortably on a small bed in the cabin I was allotted to. I decided not to go for the operation after all. Medicines suit me fine. And of course the love of my friends-the ultimate healer.
Neha-short , cute, plump and softspoken our "ludhku", Mithu -tall, slim, pretty and very active. We have a tacit understanding between us to agree to agree. Petty disagreements have no place amongst us. We have our own dreams and wish lists-the chopper which we will buy, the house and the home theatre system.We have our unplanned sundays, when we wake up late, cook together and then do some last minute planning for movies by pinching the neighbour's newspaper and looking up the movie menu card.Far away from home, we have built a extended family , cementing out bonds with care, love and respect for each other.
Going back home, cooking together and watching jassi together, and cribbing about our respective bosses-Can one ask for more???

Cobra Friend

Ayodhya, Mathura, Kashi he said. What do you mean I asked.
I need to build temples he said, and I am also listening to Italian National Anthem .And as if to prove his statement, he sent me the soft copy of the anthem!!! That's Tilu for u!! 2 years ago when I met him, he came across as a absolute crazy person. He doesn't seem any different today . One of the few people I know who are not bothered about what people say about them. He is himself, the original, straight forward guy whose favourite topic is he himself. Girlfriends, jobs, money, sex, heartbreaks, -we have discussed abt everything under the sky.And his views on all of the above is different if not radical.I owe him some money and he never fails to remind me of the same and its almost more than a year now. I told him I am writing about him.You must be writing all gaalis about me he says. Not exactly Tilu, just want to say that just be the way you are and dont change.It's great to have a friend like you...........

Bulletin Board-The Members

They came to stay next door-a family of four-The boy of the family was tall, so tall that you nearly sprained your neck trying to talk to him. He hated cats.The girl next door had a pet cat. They had arguments over the feline being. The cat couldn't care less of course... Years passed, they grew up,worked hard for their careers, and went far from home to make their fortunes. The boy and the girl met again.This time there was no cat. Staying in an alien land with strangers, they sought solace in each other's company .Friends?? Maybe they are.

He had a happy life.A good job, several trips to germany, a house of his own , a loving family. What does one want more from life. And to top it all , there were pretty girls to stare at and maybe date with in his office.Morning breakfasts were pleasant-watching them and trying to make some friends. This was a similar morning, pretty girls around...nice watching them ....its a beautiful world......keep watching....and then bang..........someone poured hot coffee over his wrist.........He looked up to see a plump girl staring into his eyes with a questioning look-cant u see where u are going......He was vexed, couldnt she have seen what she is doing with her coffee.Anyway she's not worth bothering about. But this girl seems to be a busybody, no work, moves around the office , generally doing timepass, and she talks so much!!! How does one avoid such a person!!!

He seemed to have it all-a good CV with all the right credentials. A good job, good friends. He had made a new good friend in his current workplace-a mallu with a penchant for food and germany.
Saturdays were fun days to spend time with friends. His mallu friend insisted on inviting another friend-a girl. Well no harm ,let her come.But it was so irritating, she was late...........he did not like waiting for anyone........and she was late......well certain habits in certain people cant be avoided, but certain company can certainly be.......But it wasn't destined to be......She insisted on tagging along to them on every weekend and made them wait all the time.......Well life's small ironies.......

For the first time she would be staying away from her family. It wasnt a easy decision. But what will be ,must be. Accomodation-in Bombay? within budget?Seems a mammoth task....Someone in her new organization told her about a colleague looking for a roommate.Talked to her, moved in. But life was not all hunky dory.Adjustments, compromises with a unreasonable roommate and colleague isnt a easy task.And the other roomy? Lazy girl, who keeps her stuff all untidy and all over the place and who sings at the top of her voice.Sunday mornings going to office is such a unpleasant task. Atleast the evenings should be spent nicely. The fat roomy is there, shopping trip to Hiranandani.Both of them discovered good bargains to buy and a friend in each other-for life.

She is plump, lazy, talkative and crazy. But she is lucky cause her friends are there with her even if she keeps cats as pets, throws hot coffee on them, is always late and keeps her things untidily.

Thursday Blues

Mom called up-she was angry.It's been almost a year since I last went home.
I gave her the usual consolatory answers........Came to office late, the usual 40-50 mails. And then the calls, and the interviews and the offers and 20 other things all of which need urgent attention.Somu was online on messenger, talked to him. It's always a pleasure talking to him. Saw 2 missed calls- Ravi and Anupam. Called up Ravi, bugged him and then called up Anupam. Anupam has got a promotion. My friends are doing well, feels good to know that.Election results are pouring in accompanied with post breakfast and lunch discussions.Lots of arguments and counter arguments. Went to KC Das for lunch.And then kulfis.........And now feeling sleepy. But got lots of work to finish. Well its just another day......................