Monday, August 29, 2005

Here I go again

Irritating,obnoxious and vain to the core,
A girl whose wit never got off the floor,
Never would the twain meet was what I thought,
Then the large eyes opened and it was all to nought.

The obvious was just about her limit,
And that too broken down,fed bit by bit,
Her arrogance in contrast rose to the heavens,
Only stopped on the way by the question is 5+2 seven?,

Finally I decided couldnt take it any more,
Unanswered calls brought my feelings to the fore,
To which she replied by giving me the sack,
And told me to go hunt for another rack.

Angry and relieved I looked forwards towards a future,
Not to explain that(rubber)stamps are not made of rubber,
Then my eyes caught sight of the curves attired in red,
Who knows this could be different,naah here i go AGAIN.

Thursday, August 18, 2005

...And then there were none

“Dai wake up!,time to go to audi”..Half asleep I glance at my watch and strike out 17.

Yup I am one of those rare species found at SSN today-the unemployedusnohopeus.First a few facts noted about this almost extinct species-
1.It can be identified by perenially being well shaved and in
formals with a file in hand
2.Noted for its unique ability find its way blindfolded to library
and audtorium from anywhere in campus
3.A disturbing tendency of naming voodoo dolls after HR
managers.

Me and the other five members of our tribe start the now well beaten path of canteen to auditorium.Abandoning the usual favourite-“hum honge kamyaab” the groups ebullient cheerleader raja strikes a more sombre note with “winds of change”.Thus whistling lightly we make our way to the now more familiar than home auditorium.
The ppt and the very difficult aptitude test get over without too much incident except for the HR being witness to a highly entertaining but touch out of place display of break dance by suraj on hearing that there will be no C in the aptitude test.
Then all of a sudden came the bombshell-of all the 3 colleges students,15 students were selected including all six of us were shortlisted.And now there was no stopping Suraj, He decided to not only give us a glimpse of MJ but threw in a couple of somersaults and took the oppurtunity to hug everyone in sight and only the combined strength of all of us prevented him from giving HOD a sample of his considerable affection.
Actually it is fair to say we were all shocked.It was the first time all six of us got selected togather for the second round and the first time ever for Suraj.But the sobering thought was the company never recruited more than three people and with 15 shortlisted and a GD and interview to go we knew it didn’t look too bright.But we were just happy to be togather however short or long it may be from now.
The GD was our collective nemesis.None of us ever cleared a GD and so our attitude at the prospect of another one was not of high cheer and optimism.Giving final handshakes like soldiers going to war we trooped manfully into the library with the assurance of Anil Kumble facing Brett Lee without an abdomen guard.
Then the unthinkable happened,the company for lack of time abandoned the GD all togather and said there was only going to be an interview.The other college guys went in first and before we knew it all six of us went in and were simultaneously interviewed by six panellists.
My interviewer took me to task in circuits and networks and for thirty minutes he gave me hell asking me question after question even if I could answer only a couple in between. Finally he said “you know how you have performed here.Give me one good reason to pick you”.To which I said “Sir I have been rejected at 16 places many for which I still don’t know the reason why but I have never stopped believing in myself and that’s the best reason I can think of”.
He just smiled and wished me all the best.
The rest is just a blur.When they announced they said they had picked six people and as he called out five and every single one of my mate’s names I could see all of them praying for me and then there was a scream like I had never heard.We had done it.

We partied with the hostellers all night.I was taken to task by 10 guys four of whom I didn’t even know who tore my lip and then proceeded to break my backbone but all I could do was smirk and smile.And as a battered suraj decided this time to opt to be a low flying aeroplane and ran around for a mile and the rest of the guys went to get something to eat,I made my way back to the canteen and next to the 17 scratched on the wall put a full stop beside it and then began to sleep.

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Riding the night train

1 am in the morning and I just cant sleep.The lights are off and from the middle berth I just look at the street lights and the dark emptiness as they whiz past me.The compartment sways rhythmically and the distant hoot of the train whistle just completes the setting.I think to myself, it cant get any better than this.

Why? Probably because riding a night train is the best metaphor I can think of, of how I want my life to be.A great screamer of a journey,fast and purposeful and enjoying every single damn minute of it.

As the train flies past another bridge and the cool wind hits me smack in the face,I wonder if its also the emptiness.Suddenly the earth seems like an empty canvas,dark and noiseless and I feel like I am its only owner.To paint on the canvas feels too presumptuous and all I want is to just gaze at it all alone for just that one second that the train affords in which a small snapshot is etched in my brain.Not an image of great detail but still clear somehow.In the sense of not wanting to know the details and ruining it.The fact that it exists as in my conception of it and nothing else.

Then all of a sudden the sky turns blue and the sights are visible.They are beautiful and the ride is still great but somehow the moment(or the moments as it were) is lost.Presently a voice calls out "chaay" and I begin to yawn.