tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-413533353025633782023-09-22T10:53:06.536-07:00Some one's gotta be!Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-33433639947786863632010-03-09T03:00:00.000-08:002010-03-25T03:11:48.786-07:00The R-word<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I’ve been waiting the whole day to write this. Now that the International Women’s Day is done and over with, I have got something to say, heck I do!</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Let me just put across that I am neither any male chauvanist pig or any other animal for that matter, nor a misogynist. I have just got some doubts which I consider valid, and the way I see is to justify just plainly troubles me to no end......</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a></span><br /><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Vishnu_and_Lakshmi_on_Shesha_Naga%2C_ca_1870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Vishnu_and_Lakshmi_on_Shesha_Naga%2C_ca_1870.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Reservations - Holy/Unholy?</span></b></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In the beginning of time there was Vishnu, it is believed in the Hindu philosphy that the entire universe was created from a single “Anda” that came out of his navel. So everything in this universe, and so in our world, still extending, so in our country should be and is Holy! no?</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(I wouldn’t dare to disagree to this if i were you)</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">But what about..........??!!</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Khamosh! No buts! no butts!</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Okay maybe it is Holy, but is it good for us, the mango people?</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Well it all began with 15% and 7.5% reservations in government aided educational institutions and jobs in government/public sector for SC’s and ST’s for a period of 5 years after which it was to be reviewed. Now nearly 60 years later there are still reservations for SC’s and ST’s and army people, people with disabilities, and also for backward castes and wait for it other backward castes and then god created women.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">So, didn’t they review it?</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Ofcourse “they” did. They did review it and extended it for another 5 years, and then again and again. Did you know that the clause for reservation in India was meant to stay for only 10 years after which it was to be slowly rolled back.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">What happened then?</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Well we keep on hearing that Indians are very good at math. Unfortunately this was one time, when we bungled up big time. We didn’t seem to get gist of the 10 part in 10 years, and our understanding was exactly opposite to what was said and they kept on increasing the reservations.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Really!</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Yes, really! Rajasthan has recently proposed a 68% reservation!</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Is it bad?</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">This is difficult to say, the basic necessity for reservation is to uplift the sections of the society that have been oppressed for centuries together in the Indian society.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">So that means it is good, infact brilliant!</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In theory probably yes though I wouldn’t exactly say that. Large disparities still remain in India.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Maybe more reservations and for a longer duration can take care of this......</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">That will be naive to put it as simply as that. Wouldn't that lead to a fragmented country? This was one of the main contentions which led to the partition of India, separate political constituencies for muslims and hindus.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In reality India is a country laden with corruption (rank 64 as per worldaudit.org). Up from 88 two years, Yippee!</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">So wassup doc? whaddaya gotta say?</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">A couple of titbits:</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1. The Marathas are agitated since they aren’t being given the Backward castes status.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2. After a National headline catching agitation on the roads leading to New Delhi, the Gujjars got the recognition of “speacial backward caste” and a 5% reservation.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Oh!!Hmmmmmm.......</span></i></b></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Don’t you see a disturbing pattern emerging? Forget about the election sops that parties regularly dole in terms of providing to specific communities. Isn’t this dividing the country?</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">But what you are saying is already heard many times, why did you bring up the Women’s Reservation Bill?</span></i></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is disturbing to see that the whole media and the political fraternity is behind this bill providing voracious support to it.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I had been going through different news articles on the run up to this bill, some of the things that I read were very disturbing.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">An enlightened journo from ToI stated that India stands somewhere around 130 in 144 countries ranked according to female representation in the parliament. Is this the reason, why the women’s bill is being introduced? To get a better rank in some of the surveyer’s next rankings?</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Mulayam and Laloo were alleging that this was a conspiracy against the dalits, muslims and backward castes from entering the parliament and assemblies. It’ been 60 years, aren’t anybody yet thinking about rolling back reservations atleast in some sectors, ofcourse slowly. </span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Really is reservation for women in the parliament and assemblies going to suddenly empower women who were being oppressed (yes, they are being oppressed)? Remember Rabri Devi, when Laloo got embroiled in cattle fodder scams, she was the dummy through which he ran his empire. Maybe I might not be entirely correct, but think about the stakes that are present with a seat in the parliament or for that matter, an assembly.......These are the domains where the politicos run their fiefdoms and ensure that they win again and again. Just because a women’s reservation bill is enforced, will they be put off? I personally think not, rather on the contrary they will field their wives, daughters, sisters and again run their little kingdoms, as the bill specifies the reservation in a constituency is on a rolling basis, the ladies will literally be the seat warmers for the grand lords to return back.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reservation is a very important tool in an administrator’s hand to wipe disparities across his land and to let equality prevail. But it is a double edged sword and when such a situation arises when it is considered blasphemous to even think about decreasing reservations, there is something wrong with the democracy. I am not opposing reservation, I understand the sad state of affairs in our country, but wouldn’t it have been better if the powers that are could be a little more imaginative and try to cover these glaring loopholes and ensure that it propers fulfills its utility and then weed it out when the time is right........</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(All said and done, if they are still itching to increase reservations, why not provide reservations to women in IIT's? This is one cause I will support :). We can also help in the admissions process then by sifting through the pictures of the applicants, oh! didn't I tell you? Full facial photographs are a must! Now, there I am not a misogynist!)</span></span></i></b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I would love to see this post as a discussion, I am more interested in knowing your views and opinions on this topic. </span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-28783337808085324462010-03-06T10:16:00.000-08:002010-03-25T03:11:48.804-07:00Time Travel<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>This post has been published by me as a part of the <b>Blog-a-Ton 8</b>; the eighth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following <a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/"><b>Blog-a-Ton</b></a>.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Time is like the serene waters in a still lake. There is no beginning and there is no end. People who keep saying that in the beginning there was a big bang 13-14 billion years ago and then our universe came into existence are like the croaking frogs in the deep dark well, for whom their ignorance sets the limits to the boundaries of their universe. There was time beyond that point, but it is very difficult for many of us to jump the huge energy barrier that the big bang has caused. There has only been one person Canaan who is said to have done it, but we have not seen him come back again. Time is like the water in the lake, it just spreads in all directions, it is all enveloping, its grandeur is inexplicable and one can move from one point to another just like the fish in the lake. Only, you have to know how to do that, for then you will be one of us. We humans have been gifted with one of the most wonderful gifts in evolution that of the logical brain, but we have been very slow to unravel its mysteries and completely understand its capacity. </span></span></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a name='more'></a></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As a group we the Time Hoppers aren’t accustomed to many additions to our numbers, infact no one remembers when was the last time we had a person who could break the shackles of his mind and to start traversing time like we do. I am among the youngest in the group, this seems like a sort of an in-house joke, because you see age is not a parameter for us, once when you learn how to traverse in time, you stop ageing, we ourselves haven’t understood it perfectly well as yet, but when one can develop the ability to travel in time like a fish in a pond, it is not that difficult to produce more and more stem cells which provide us with our unfading vitality. We believe so because we are also very quick healing and also possess superhuman strengths and sensory abilities. Thats what we think of ourselves, the Superhumans, the ones that bridge the gap between the normal people and the Gods.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We are a very secretive group and we believe in one supreme power that provides the fuel to run the universe, one which many cultures have agreed to call as soul or as something similar. We believe that we are the guardians of this planet, and of this bank of souls and we follow a certain set of rules. Now, we do need rules because even when a fish glides along the waters in a pond without ever disturbing the water you should understand that it requires but a small overlapse on its part to disturb the water and cause ripples all along the surface. This gains further weight when you can understand that emotions are one part of the brain that we have still been unable to reign in even with the larger capacity of the brain that is being used by us. The biggest rule of them all is to guard the lake (earth) and make sure that there are no anomalies that might develop due to various reasons. It once did happen when one of our kind was killed in Jerusalem, the whole lake was in turbulence then. Things were put back in order and the guy was saved and everyone believed that he returned back from the dead, but once ruffled, things hardly fall back into place as they were, we are no gods, we could only make them only as event free as possible though some of the ripples that we couldn’t control overflowed as religious aggressive terrorism during the 21st century and the world wars during the 20th century. But things could have been much worse. We couldn’t right them more without further plunging the world into chaos.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Though we could remember every thought that has ever passed through our mind, though we hardly ever need rest to recuperate the brain or the body, I have decided to maintain in writing the thoughts that are freely flowing through my mind right now because like I said earlier, we have still not mastered our emotions and the flood of feelings that I am going through now is very unique for me, I have never felt as such before. I am filled with thoughts about what has been, what is, and what might be, because this is one trap I am unable to come out of. I fear for the world, for power without responsibility in a malicious person’s hand never bodes well for the world or in fact the universe.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Of late things have started going slightly astray, I was in 8th century Spain when I began feeling these signals. Very faint signals of something that should not have been happening are happening. Just like ripples being felt by a fish, I got them and decided to investigate these and started following the signals. We cannot just time hop blindly, because it is highly taxing on our bodies and we need sufficient rest between two hops and also in such a big world and large timespace it is very hard to exactly predict the source correctly. Following a signal involves me going back in time very slowly towards the direction where we are perceiving that signal to come from. It was all very confusing, because we have never felt such a signal emanate earlier and also I haven’t come across others of my kind while I was coming in to check the source of the trouble.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One of the major rules for our kind is not to venture into some spots of lake, some regions and time periods. We weren’t given any explanation but promised with the ultimate punishment, to push us onto the time of the big-bang. Not that we needed such a nudge, we were told that these spots are never to be meddled with in order to maintain the world in order or else all hell will break loose and we will not be able to contain it again. Some believed that these were the spots where Canaan had operated before he willingly departed into the otherside. No one knew why he tried such a jump or why we shouldn’t be entering into contact with Canaan. But our elders, the first time hoppers have put these rules for a reason and we are to uphold it.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Did I mention that I am the youngest of the time hoppers? I was also an anomaly because the elders had put constraints on newer entrants for entering into our fold and have managed to maintain as such by going into all the areas of turbulences and picking up the worthy hoppers while making sure that the ones who didn’t make the mark were unable to make the transition. I am told that I am the only one who was helped to make the transition though there was no apparent reason for it, Boraam was the one who stayed with me during my early transition and explained about the new world that I was to experience. He used to say that I am special, I am an anomaly and they hadn’t expected someone like me and I was a blessing for them.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The signal was getting stronger. It was coming from the middle east - mediterranean quadrant from about 500-600 BC. I am suddenly starting to feel week, unable to move faster though I have an idea where I need to go. I had never been to this quadrant as it was one of the forbidden areas. I stopped just outside the forbidden territory and started exploring the surroundings for any abnormalities. Everything seemed just fine, but something is wrong, suddenly I am becoming highly emotional, somehow feeling weaker and.....there was the involuntary jump. I was confused and unable to escape from the quadrant. Is this why people are warned from entering these quadrants?</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I met him, I can feel that he is the hopper who was creating all those ripples. I needed to confront him. He was standing in the middle of the crowd, he was much larger than the other hoppers that I have ever come across. It looks like he was commandeering an army and calling onto the other army which was on my side. I was torn apart as to whether should I confront him and undo the damage he is doing or shall I just try to escape from this quadrant? I finally decided to bring this case to an end as I am anyway going to be punished for entering this quadrant, at the least let me stabilize it again for my brethren.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Can anybody dare to face me?”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Yes I can!”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Everybody turned to face me. They were astonished. The guy nearest to me admonished:</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“You are so puny, how can you even think to stay alive in a fight with him! Are you out of your mind!”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I stayed calm and said, “My name is Nestor, son of Neleus and I plan to rid this region of his menace!” pointing my hand at the other hopper.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He watched me closely and then roared aloud with a haughty smirk, “Do you know who I am oh tiny one?”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“No, but tell me your name if it makes you any more secure”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Hmmmph such big words for such a small being, prepare for your final moments. Blessed you are for your death is written in the hands of a thousand-bear slayer”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I lay there in a foot soldiers’ tent wearing my armor. I know that I don’t stand much of a chance with Ereuthalion, apart from his visible strength, I understood that he is a time hopper like me too, that means the fight is still tilted in his favor, but something bothered me very much, he didn’t talk or acted like a time hopper, also I don’t think he recognized me as a fellow hopper. Something is really really wrong. I started carrying my sword, a shield, a dagger and entered the ring of men, which was made into a sort of an arena for our fight.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Just as I entered the arena, the champion of my side of the army came near me and said, “I don’t know who you are but if you can win this fight, I know that our kingdom can be saved. Somehow I am feeling that you might win. May the gods bless you and be on your side.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The fight began and my suspicions quickly were proven right, he was a hopper with much much more strength than me, and he fights with gay abandon without bothering to hide his abilities from normal people. He is someone who stopped following the rules of our people and apparently out to cause trouble. I lost my sword and shield and we were prancing around and fighting with our full strength which was terrorizing the soldiers of both the sides. The ring widened to nearly four times its size as people were afraid to stay near our fight. It was then that he struck me with such force that my armor broke and I fell down.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Is this the best you puny Pylians can offer!”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He started barging onto me with his iron mace. It was then that I quickly took out the leather belt holding my armor and quickly inserted some huge boulder and threw it on his his head. This is the weakest part of the hopper which doesn’t heal very fast and strong blows can be as fatal as to any normal human.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It worked. He fell down bleeding profusely and I could feel my wobbliness feeling lifting away and my mind becoming much clearer again. I went to his side and asked,</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Why are you doing all this?”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Whats your real name?”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“I can still help you if you want.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He didn’t speak but kept on staring with wild eyes onto me and died in my arms. The Arcadians beat a hasty retreat and I proceeded back to my tent, when I saw Boraam in my tent and a deep dread started taking root in my insides and I can clearly hear my heart beating so quickly and loudly as if it will fall out of my mouth. But he gave me a warm smile and said, “I am happy to see you alive and that you have taken care of this turbulence. This story is going to become the fight between David and Goliath.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I was confused, “But isn’t this quadrant a forbidden part?”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Don’t worry that rule never applied to you. Don’t you remember that I always used to say that you are very special”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“I am totally confused, please tell me what are you hiding from me.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Do you remember Canaan?”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Yes, is this him!”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Yes. Did you know that Canaan was also an elder? Infact he was the first timehopper.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“He was also the strongest of all of us. Unfortunately he didn’t like the concept of governing rules for our brethren and he decided to finish of his brothers one by one so that he will again be the only one who can freely manipulate the world as he sees fit.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Then why did he form the brethren in the first case?”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Forming a brethren and setting up a governing council and rules was never his idea, he was alway opposed to it as he believed that we are the Gods and that there should be no rules for the gods. The method to find other brothers and the tests for their inclusion into our brethren was actually devised by Artemis, he was the second hopper whom Canaan had helped to transcend into hopping from being a normal human. He was a steadfast man of principles. Upon repeated disgression which the council never took lightly even though he was an elder, Canaan grew tired of our brethren and took it upon himself to clean away all our brethren. It was then that with Artemis we all came together to oppose Canaan and then many battles followed which devastated this planet. We fought in Kurukshetra, Sri Lanka, Cyprus, Egypt and Jerusalem and many other places, we could defeat him every time and finally pushed him over the big-bang. But not without considerable loss to our own brethren. We lost Artemis and more than 3/4ths of our elders. I was tasked to rid the world of all his traces which he had left aplenty. But he proved very strong here too and in the end it was only me of the elders who was left who can still fight Canaan. It was then that I stumbled upon you which no one of us foresaw and which has re established order amid the chaos that Canaan had left behind.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Me? Why did you always used to say that I am special? I understand that I wouldn’t have become an hopper without your help?”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“You see we could not fight Canaan head on head anymore for we had become weakened. So when we found you, with our remaining prowess we managed to put controls on the minds of the Canaan’s traces left behind and isolated this quadrant and charged some hoppers to maintain a high energy barrier which restricted other hoppers from entering these zones.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“But that still doesn’t explain why am I special?”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Canaan had successfully hid one thing from all of us which wouldn’t have come to our notice hadn’t he been overthrown. He had progeny. He bore a child with a woman in the 20th century, the child brain activity even before he converted was enormous.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“And so you quickly helped him in transcending into the hoppers brethren. And then made sure that I killed my father today..........!!!”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;">The <b>fellow Blog-a-Tonics</b> who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective <b>posts</b> can be checked <a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/2010/03/rules-and-reminder-for-blog-ton-8.html#comments"><b>here</b></a>. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following <b><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/">Blog-a-Ton</a></b>.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-11522140945968648592010-02-06T09:40:00.001-08:002010-03-25T03:11:49.026-07:00What if.<div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;">This post has been published by me as a part of the <b>Blog-a-Ton 7</b>; the seventh edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following <a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/"><b>Blog-a-Ton</b></a>.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333233; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">He just sat there lifeless with unfocussed eyes and the look of someone filled with dread. Flashes were flickering from the cameras in the trembling hands of the reporters who knew that they have a story that they are never going to forget. Some of the police constables were wearing a look of impending doom, a few were even praying for they did not want Raj to be convicted. He shuddered with a tremor passing through and saw up slowly to catch the red and swollen eyes of his sister who was sitting among the huge crowd that has turned out to witness the trial. For this particular incident has jolted the peaceful town of Vizag and sent jitters down to its very core.<a name='more'></a></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It seems like ages since he first met her. Some other time time, some other world, like it was in another life. For he has wasted away so quickly during the last few months, his sister could not stop weeping everytime she came to meet him.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He met her at a friends party.</span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Who is that angel? Is she for real? Oh God, I will do anything to spend the rest of my life with her. Is she looking at me?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">His heart started to race and suddenly his palms and feet became cold and sweaty.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I cannot risk losing her. I don’t know what will I do without her!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hi, I am Raj. Can I get you something to drink...........</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Within a year they were married. Life looked rosy, his company has started to reward his hardwork and finally he started getting the recognition that can take him places in this dog-eat-dog world, he found the love of his life and he said one day to his close friends.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I am living out my dream, what else can a man want.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But then something somewhere went wrong. Horribly wrong. Things started to turn murky, he started to hate everything in his life, his job, his home. He knew that he still loved his wife, but somehow he always ended up snapping at her, which made his mood even darker. The company had sent him off for counseling.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You are suffering from Dysthymia which might in time lead to a Major Depressive Disorder. You see, it runs in your family, your aunt, grandmother also suffered from a similar diagnosis.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I suggest you start taking a medication course.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">But the doctor did not mention to him that medication does not always make a patient better, he can only try.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">His life then became more like a machine, monotonous with a job that has been reassigned by his company keeping his condition in mind.</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Off late, fed up with this life, he secretly started decreasing the dosage of his antidepressants which always seemed to dull up his senses and thinking.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What is happening to me, this is not how I dreamed my life to be. I need to get myself out of this rut. They will not understand why am I doing this right now, but I know I can get better. I have to win her back.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">and he threw out his medicines from the car window. He felt justified in doing so, because his marriage was failing. He started to fear if his wife will leave him someday. He had to re-ignite the romance of the old.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Honey, I have a surprise! I have bought a Tempo Traveller so that we can live up your dream of traveling through India and visiting places and still have our home with us.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He said winking.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">She also noticed very gladly, the wonderful change that was coming upon her beloved husband.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Maybe the doctor’s fears were wrong, maybe I am witnessing a miracle and he is recovering.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Wow! Really! I love you Raj.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Life again started to look beautiful. Infact he started to feel very bright and chirpy again and he noticed that his wife was also very happy and that she also seemingly ignored visiting their family shrink or if he is still taking his daily dose.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He was bubbling around and was full of life and she started loving every bit of him again. He started loving every bit of himself again. For he is winning her back.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Honey, this is the wondefull city that I had promised to take you too.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is where I was born.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This was my childhood school. I am taking you to a place that you might actually feel like heaven on earth.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">They set up camp at Jungle Bells, a camping site on the eastern ghats near Vizag and started to recapture the love that seemed lost from their lives. When, a group of unruly teenagers came about their camping site. He had quarreled with them, but they never seemed to stop the jeering and name-calling. There wasn’t even any authority in sight.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hello.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hello is this the tourism office?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yes.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We have a problem here at the camping site in Jungle Bells.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Please sir, do tell us.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There is a batch of hoodlums here who are disturbing our vacation.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Sir, we are already short staffed now, can you please try to hold on, we can send you someone within a couple off hours.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But this is not what I paid up for! Please connect me with your superior!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Please sir, don’t get angry, if it is alright for you, why don’t you shift your camp to No. 42 then. We promise that we will send up a team to check on this batch that you have told us about.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Alright, how can I reach there.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Please, take out your map sir...</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yes.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Can you see the...........</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Though this was a small incident, on hindsight he was ready to give anything in exchange to have avoided one such as this.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Oh my God! Raj is really shook up by this. Why can’t he understand that I am still alright.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Raj, what you are doing for me is something very special. You took out your time from your job and you gave me by far the best time of my life dear. You do know that I love you more than anything else in this world. More than myself.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Night had fallen and he was sleeping. Then suddenly he heard some rustling sounds and then some low whispering like noises which seemed to come near. What he feared was coming true! Those demons were trying to get back at him! His heart again started to race, he waited for the right moment, so that they will not know that he is awake and waiting to get them.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The moment seemed fine, one had entered his trailer and within his arms reach. He reached out and then attacked with all his force suddenly which had seemed to take it by surprise. His ploy worked and though the rascal seemed to fight back and struggle out of his hold, he wrestled it and bought it into some kind of an improper headlock.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;">He doesn’t know that I was a karate champion in my college days.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">and then he suddenly opened his eyes in the morning, the beautiful sun was streaming by though the window onto his bedside. The golden rays ended beside him on his wife dark and shiny mane.</span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Wa</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ke up Anita, we have got a lot to do today.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">He dialed 100 and he was shaking violently while he spoke on.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What have I done? I’ve been trying to wake her. I think I killed her. I think I have killed my wife! Oh my God! I thought someone had broken in. I was fighting with one of those boys, but it was her. What have I done! I must have been dreaming or something. Oh Lord! What have I done? What have I done! Can you send someone.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He was sobbing by the time the call ended.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The police were aghast, they hardly saw much of crime here, a few accidents, yes, but murder by strangulation was too much to take for them. But then also was the behaviour of the repentant husband who did not speak anything except periodical mournful personal lashing that he had killed her, he had killed her.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">They went through his belongings and registered a case of homicide against him and informed his sister about the incident. It was her who brought a lawyer and told them that her brother was under psychiatric care. They did not believe her, because this was one defense that every other criminal seemed to hide behind, though the Sub-Inspector who had arrested the man seemed to believe so. So, finally the police chief relented and had the man checked by a psychiatrist.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He suffers from a condition called automatism. It means that during his sleep, his mind is not in control of what the rest of his body is doing. Also this particular incident looks like a perfect example for </span></span></span></i><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">pavor nocturnus </span></span></span></i></b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">also known as “night terrors”. The patient had stopped taking his antidepressants which had led him to develop a bipolar condition, where the patient experiences mood swings, which might have made his condition more acute.......</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But all of this was not important for him. He wished he was punished with the strongest and harshest possible judgement, that of death, because he had lost the will to live. He was unable to pardon himself in his own personal court of justice, he was found guilty for stopping to have his medicines and then letting such a ghastly act happen.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Not Guilty.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span> </span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The Judge also seemed to know the harshest punishment to Raj, that of life, that of a lifetime of repentance.....</span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Epilogue</span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I am not a doctor. I am not a medical student. I hated doing the background work for this story. Why can’t story writing be much easier!</span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Dysthymia is a chronic long lasting form of depression sharing many characteristic symptoms of major depressive disorder. However, these symptoms tend to be less severe but do fluctuate in intensity.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A person suffering from a unipolar disorder tends to have a consistently low mood whereas one with a bipolar disorder has extremely fluctuating moods.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A dialogue from Watchmen.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;">Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. Says "But, doctor...I am Pagliacci."</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Reading!!!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 32px;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The <b>fellow Blog-a-Tonics</b> who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective <b>posts</b> can be checked </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/2010/02/rules-and-reminder-for-blog-ton-7.html#comments"></a></span><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/2010/02/rules-and-reminder-for-blog-ton-7.html#comments"></a></span><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/2010/02/rules-and-reminder-for-blog-ton-7.html#comments"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>here</b></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> To be part of the next edition, visit and start following</span> <b><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/">Blog-a-Ton</a></b>.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"> <span style="color: blue;"></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span></span></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-10222477563597942632010-02-06T09:40:00.000-08:002010-02-10T21:41:53.783-08:00What if.<div style="color: #333233; font: 14.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>This post has been published by me as a part of the <b>Blog-a-Ton 7</b>; the seventh edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following <a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/"><b>Blog-a-Ton</b></a>.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333233; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">He just sat there lifeless with unfocussed eyes and the look of someone filled with dread. Flashes were flickering from the cameras in the trembling hands of the reporters who knew that they have a story that they are never going to forget. Some of the police constables were wearing a look of impending doom, a few were even praying for they did not want Raj to be convicted. He shuddered with a tremor passing through and saw up slowly to catch the red and swollen eyes of his sister who was sitting among the huge crowd that has turned out to witness the trial. For this particular incident has jolted the peaceful town of Vizag and sent jitters down to its very core.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">It seems like ages since he first met her. Some other time time, some other world, like it was in another life. For he has wasted away so quickly during the last few months, his sister could not stop weeping everytime she came to meet him.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">He met her at a friends party.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Who is that angel? Is she for real? Oh God, I will do anything to spend the rest of my life with her. Is she looking at me?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">His heart started to race and suddenly his palms and feet became cold and sweaty.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I cannot risk losing her. I don’t know what will I do without her!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hi, I am Raj. Can I get you something to drink...........</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Within a year they were married. Life looked rosy, his company has started to reward his hardwork and finally he started getting the recognition that can take him places in this dog-eat-dog world, he found the love of his life and he said one day to his close friends.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I am living out my dream, what else can a man want.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">But then something somewhere went wrong. Horribly wrong. Things started to turn murky, he started to hate everything in his life, his job, his home. He knew that he still loved his wife, but somehow he always ended up snapping at her, which made his mood even darker. The company had sent him off for counseling.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You are suffering from Dysthymia which might in time lead to a Major Depressive Disorder. You see, it runs in your family, your aunt, grandmother also suffered from a similar diagnosis.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I suggest you start taking a medication course.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">But the doctor did not mention to him that medication does not always make a patient better, he can only try.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">His life then became more like a machine, monotonous with a job that has been reassigned by his company keeping his condition in mind.</span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Off late, fed up with this life, he secretly started decreasing the dosage of his antidepressants which always seemed to dull up his senses and thinking.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What is happening to me, this is not how I dreamed my life to be. I need to get myself out of this rut. They will not understand why am I doing this right now, but I know I can get better. I have to win her back.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">and he threw out his medicines from the car window. He felt justified in doing so, because his marriage was failing. He started to fear if his wife will leave him someday. He had to re-ignite the romance of the old.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Honey, I have a surprise! I have bought a Tempo Traveller so that we can live up your dream of traveling through India and visiting places and still have our home with us.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">He said winking.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">She also noticed very gladly, the wonderful change that was coming upon her beloved husband.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Maybe the doctor’s fears were wrong, maybe I am witnessing a miracle and he is recovering.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Wow! Really! I love you Raj.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Life again started to look beautiful. Infact he started to feel very bright and chirpy again and he noticed that his wife was also very happy and that she also seemingly ignored visiting their family shrink or if he is still taking his daily dose.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">He was bubbling around and was full of life and she started loving every bit of him again. He started loving every bit of himself again. For he is winning her back.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Honey, this is the wondefull city that I had promised to take you too.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is where I was born.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This was my childhood school. I am taking you to a place that you might actually feel like heaven on earth.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">They set up camp at Jungle Bells, a camping site on the eastern ghats near Vizag and started to recapture the love that seemed lost from their lives. When, a group of unruly teenagers came about their camping site. He had quarreled with them, but they never seemed to stop the jeering and name-calling. There wasn’t even any authority in sight.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hello.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hello is this the tourism office?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yes.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We have a problem here at the camping site in Jungle Bells.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Please sir, do tell us.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There is a batch of hoodlums here who are disturbing our vacation.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Sir, we are already short staffed now, can you please try to hold on, we can send you someone within a couple off hours.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But this is not what I paid up for! Please connect me with your superior!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Please sir, don’t get angry, if it is alright for you, why don’t you shift your camp to No. 42 then. We promise that we will send up a team to check on this batch that you have told us about.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Alright, how can I reach there.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Please, take out your map sir...</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yes.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Can you see the...........</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Though this was a small incident, on hindsight he was ready to give anything in exchange to have avoided one such as this.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Oh my God! Raj is really shook up by this. Why can’t he understand that I am still alright.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Raj, what you are doing for me is something very special. You took out your time from your job and you gave me by far the best time of my life dear. You do know that I love you more than anything else in this world. More than myself.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Night had fallen and he was sleeping. Then suddenly he heard some rustling sounds and then some low whispering like noises which seemed to come near. What he feared was coming true! Those demons were trying to get back at him! His heart again started to race, he waited for the right moment, so that they will not know that he is awake and waiting to get them.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The moment seemed fine, one had entered his trailer and within his arms reach. He reached out and then attacked with all his force suddenly which had seemed to take it by surprise. His ploy worked and though the rascal seemed to fight back and struggle out of his hold, he wrestled it and bought it into some kind of an improper headlock.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;">He doesn’t know that I was a karate champion in my college days.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">and then he suddenly opened his eyes in the morning, the beautiful sun was streaming by though the window onto his bedside. The golden rays ended beside him on his wife dark and shiny mane.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Wa</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ke up Anita, we have got a lot to do today.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">He dialed 100 and he was shaking violently while he spoke on.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What have I done? I’ve been trying to wake her. I think I killed her. I think I have killed my wife! Oh my God! I thought someone had broken in. I was fighting with one of those boys, but it was her. What have I done! I must have been dreaming or something. Oh Lord! What have I done? What have I done! Can you send someone.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">He was sobbing by the time the call ended.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The police were aghast, they hardly saw much of crime here, a few accidents, yes, but murder by strangulation was too much to take for them. But then also was the behaviour of the repentant husband who did not speak anything except periodical mournful personal lashing that he had killed her, he had killed her.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">They went through his belongings and registered a case of homicide against him and informed his sister about the incident. It was her who brought a lawyer and told them that her brother was under psychiatric care. They did not believe her, because this was one defense that every other criminal seemed to hide behind, though the Sub-Inspector who had arrested the man seemed to believe so. So, finally the police chief relented and had the man checked by a psychiatrist.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He suffers from a condition called automatism. It means that during his sleep, his mind is not in control of what the rest of his body is doing. Also this particular incident looks like a perfect example for </span></span></span></i><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">pavor nocturnus </span></span></span></i></b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">also known as “night terrors”. The patient had stopped taking his antidepressants which had led him to develop a bipolar condition, where the patient experiences mood swings, which might have made his condition more acute.......</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">But all of this was not important for him. He wished he was punished with the strongest and harshest possible judgement, that of death, because he had lost the will to live. He was unable to pardon himself in his own personal court of justice, he was found guilty for stopping to have his medicines and then letting such a ghastly act happen.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Not Guilty.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The Judge also seemed to know the harshest punishment to Raj, that of life, that of a lifetime of repentance......</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333233; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Epilogue</span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I am not a doctor. I am not a medical student. I hated doing the background work for this story. Why can’t story writing be much easier!</span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Dysthymia is a chronic long lasting form of depression sharing many characteristic symptoms of major depressive disorder. However, these symptoms tend to be less severe but do fluctuate in intensity.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A person suffering from a unipolar disorder tends to have a consistently low mood whereas one with a bipolar disorder has extremely fluctuating moods.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A dialogue from Watchmen.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;">Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. Says "But, doctor...I am Pagliacci."</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Reading!!!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 32px;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The <b>fellow Blog-a-Tonics</b> who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective <b>posts</b> can be checked </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/2010/02/rules-and-reminder-for-blog-ton-7.html#comments"></a></span><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/2010/02/rules-and-reminder-for-blog-ton-7.html#comments"></a></span><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/2010/02/rules-and-reminder-for-blog-ton-7.html#comments"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>here</b></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">To be part of the next edition, visit and start following</span> <b><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/">Blog-a-Ton</a></b>.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div></span></span></span></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-39279468901555830062010-02-03T00:57:00.001-08:002010-03-25T03:11:49.067-07:00A Few Good Cartoons<div style="text-align: justify;">A couple of good cartoons that I got from <b>The Hindu</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/S2k6I5gkC1I/AAAAAAAAAhw/hvqYpD1e8jA/s1600-h/crtn_idnttythft_grab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/S2k6I5gkC1I/AAAAAAAAAhw/hvqYpD1e8jA/s400/crtn_idnttythft_grab.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/S2k6S8MXuJI/AAAAAAAAAh4/W4YqTOY9vpM/s1600-h/cartoon_mgccrpt_grab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/S2k6S8MXuJI/AAAAAAAAAh4/W4YqTOY9vpM/s400/cartoon_mgccrpt_grab.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Have a Good day!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-17280302117880788162010-02-03T00:57:00.000-08:002010-02-10T21:41:53.807-08:00A Few Good Cartoons<div style="text-align: justify;">A couple of good cartoons that I got from <b>The Hindu</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/S2k6I5gkC1I/AAAAAAAAAhw/hvqYpD1e8jA/s1600-h/crtn_idnttythft_grab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/S2k6I5gkC1I/AAAAAAAAAhw/hvqYpD1e8jA/s640/crtn_idnttythft_grab.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/S2k6S8MXuJI/AAAAAAAAAh4/W4YqTOY9vpM/s1600-h/cartoon_mgccrpt_grab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/S2k6S8MXuJI/AAAAAAAAAh4/W4YqTOY9vpM/s640/cartoon_mgccrpt_grab.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Have a Good day!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-55485131291388721652010-01-19T12:57:00.001-08:002010-03-25T03:11:48.971-07:00Just Another Travel Story<div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">His mustache looked weird, too wiry on the edges and too brushy with a stashed-in feel about it every where else, should I ask him if it </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">is</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> a fake one? like some sort of a wig. Fake hair on the head is called a wig, what about the fake hair on the face (read mustache, period) be called? mig? no, not good enough ummm, uh oh, don't divert, shall I ask him if it is a fake one? It wouldn't seem polite, but then, maybe, it might seem to come across a friendly jibe and change that topic of his, now what were we talking about? He had been blabbering along for quite some time now, Gosh! he doesn’t have any idea that I am neither listening nor in the least interested in what he is talking about! I had been half-smiling and half-nodding for the past 15 minutes with periodic "oh"'s and "ahaan"'s with some "hmmm?"'s generously interspersed in between.<a name='more'></a></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He does look like a teddy bear with a beer belly and hair-fall issues. Did Theodore Roosevelt also look really like a teddy bear? or was it just because of his name, that he was called Teddy Roosevelt? I’m diverting again! his physique does look like a teddy bear though, one that we had when we were kids, I got possession of the family teddy bear from my sister who is four years old and I used to sleep with it until one day Tommy decided to make the teddy his breakfast, meal and dinner, long time ago, feels like in another century, another era, like one of those black and white movies. Funny, how I recollected this fact, I think this is the first time that I have recollected this particularly fateful scene from the corners of my rather dusty memory, like they say, time is a great healer of wounds and I shut out this rather ghastly incident from my still infantile memory then. I saw his mannerisms as I was thinking this, but instead of seeing him, I was looking at my old tattered red teddy with a double breasted black suit-like dress, I wiped my eyes to come back to reality and I blurted out an inadvertent laugh and tried to cough and cover it up. He looked up at me questioningly, uh-oh, but instead he assumed that I didn’t get what he was saying and so repeated more slowly</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, I have been traveling in this line (Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani) since 1997!</span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(wow! I should suggest his name, next time I meet Mamata, should start a new award for this guy, if only that can shut him up)</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A train host passed along our cabin, my seat number is 71 and so I was sitting right near the entrance door to the coach. The poor guy was carrying many food packs on his tray and while trying to balance it was also struggling to open the door to carry them out. Everyone who were chattering, blabbering, puckering, talking, whispering, snoring (okay, I am taking this a bit too far) stopped their chattering, blabbering, puckering, talking, whispering, snoring and looked upon the acrobatics the poor guy was embarking on in order to pull open the door and hold it while at the same time take the tray outside right-side up.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As Murphy always says, a pack of dal (lentils) fell out of the tray, the train host let out a audible sigh and pushed on ahead with his hand-held tray.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You could rather have asked us to open up the door for you to pass.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(I thought of saying to him, but rather did the right thing in keeping these thoughts to myself and made a mental note to help the other guys with trays when they pass through again.)</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Three pairs of eyes followed the great mishap that had ensued. Mishaps are something which shouldn’t have happened, but once it happened we cannot exactly get around to call it an accident because there is some amount of a lingering possibility all along that events might take such a course, which doesn’t make it exactly an accident. </span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Indians that we are, we proudly are, we knew the reason for our extra-ordinary resistance to diseases. Call it the Indian Paradox if you want, but if you are not Indian and you see yourself nodding your head in the wrong direction after reading this, then ask anyone who has been to India</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Did you ever fall ill during your stay in India? If not, how many antibiotics have you taken while in India?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well we do eat outside, at the street vendors, where the hygiene is more often than not literally gone to the dogs, our drinking water isn’t as clean as for it to be labelled as “drinkable” in any of the other three quarters of the planet. But still we are a million and still going strong.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well Indians that we are, the three pairs of eyes followed the train host as he placed his tray on a wall-hanging support outside the doors and came back in to lift the leaking dal pack. So far so fine, but we hung on watching him, because if you are any Indian either you would do that or you had already accepted the laid-back nature of our people. But the three pairs of eyes held on for different agendas of their own. Me out of amusement, the teddy sitting opposite me, for that “I told you so moment” he had been having aplenty with me deciding to be polite with another human being in at least this journey and the elderly man sitting across the aisle who along with his wife is going to the USofA with his daughter and grandson to have a chance at some final potshots at the country that he was born in and grown up (I hoped) rather ungrudgingly. What the train host did then was........to put the leaking dal pack back on the tray and carry it on into the next coach to provide it to some unsuspecting passenger with a smile in order to get some chai-paani karcha (tip) later on when that unsuspecting passenger is about to disembark the train. Yes, horror of horrors! well actually we were all expecting just this thing but still held on hoping against hope that he might drop the dal pack in the trash-bin that was very near to the support where he had earlier placed his food-tray upon.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I chuckled in a what I presumed to be an intelligent yet understanding sort of way, while the old man lamnted</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ye kya Rajdhani hai! yahan par bhi wahi halat! (!What kind of Rajdhani is this? Even here it is the same!)</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I chuckled on thinking about the lackadaisical attitude of ours towards basic hygiene, yet being proud of the acquired immunity as a result of our habits. Just because we boarded the Rajdhani, we haven’t been transported immediately to some remote land that hasn’t ever heard of us Indians. I thought on, We are Indians, we are like that only! By now all three of us notice that my seemingly innocuous chuckle had turned into some sort of dry throated croaking and so I quickly stopped.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mr. Teddy started going on again with whatever he was telling me earlier after a snide y remark about the “happening” and I went on to interject some intelligent remarks and a few insightful observations in our one sided conversations to fight boredom and also to get a chance at properly watching his teddy-like mannerisms with amusement!</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This went on for some time and I was getting tired by being bored when suddenly I heard the booming voice of the old man above the general din that generally accompanies any Indian railway coach. I turned around to see the head </span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: line-through;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">waiter</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> host for the bogey standing in the aisle.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old man. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Dal pack fell, why are you giving that to us again!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old man’s wife. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are three people here, how come you gave only two dinner trays to us?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are getting you another dinner tray Madam.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When are you going to get it?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We have already been waiting for a long time now!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are getting you the tray right now, immediately Sir!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man’s Daughter. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I don’t want this water bottle, I need boiled water.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man’s Wife. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please get our tray quickly.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why are you serving us food that has been picked from the ground after it fell off?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What? Sir?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These guys, I know them, they are like that only!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please Sir, we are not serving you any bad food.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man’s Daughter. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Brother! Please get me the boiled water quickly.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of your boys had earlier picked up a dal pack that fell of his tray and started leaking and put it back in the tray to serve us people.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Train Host 2. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What happened?</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Someone picked up a fallen dal pack from the ground in front of these people and put it back</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These people are like this only! They serve food which contains cockroaches and fallen down dal packs and when one asks them for the complaint register, it vanishes into thin air!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Train Host 2. </span><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(</span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">murmurs something to the Head Host.)</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please go to the pantry car immediately and get an extra dinner tray.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Madam, sorry, we are getting your dinner tray and I will get you boiled water immediately.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man sniggers.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please get me the complaint register.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Head Host looks at him uncomfortably and wobbles his head in an unintelligible sort of way and then he was off in a jiffy. He supplied the dinner tray to the old lady and the hot water to the woman, so that she can feed to her infant, all the while conspicuously trying to ignore our side of the compartment on the other side of the aisle while Teddy continued in top gear to bore me further. It was during this time that I found the wonderful company of easily accessible internet through mobile which I didn’t know was possible through my piece. Like they say, necessity is the mother of innovation.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then enter shady character who had earlier been supplying with clean linen and bed sheets to our berths. He comes over, again in true black and white film style of a bygone era and bends sightly between us too and offers free daru (alcohol). Teddy bites his lip, unable to decide and finally deciding otherwise. Mr. Shady then goes on to apologize for any inconvenience and says that if any of us cannot fight off the urge to drink anytime in the night, he is always available just on the other side of the door! Metaphorical that it did sound (crossing the door, getting onto the other side to reach him, who with alcohol, you either got it by now, or not), he put up a straight face, rather a very solemn face and apologized again and again and asked Teddy to not complain against them. Teddy who by now was floating a few visible millimeters above the ground due to the new-found superiority and power to bend the poor rascals to his will was smirking left right and center and couldn’t control it. He said no and when the shady character had understood the package that our dear Mr. Teddy really is, he left feeling secure for himself and his fellow train hosts.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That guy was offering daru. I said no.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(wide grin on his face)</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Me. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ahaan!</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">They will do anything to protect their complaint register.</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Me. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ahaaan! hmmmmm.......</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I then went on to brood over other worldly matters like how we are teaching the art of bribery to our children. This was because, my bogey was unfortunately full of pocket-sized demons and I tamed one of the lesser unruly ones by offering it some candy. Where is my cell phone for my new-found love in tweeting......</span></span></span></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-45682118175827801862010-01-19T12:57:00.000-08:002010-02-10T21:41:53.822-08:00Just Another Travel Story<div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">His mustache looked weird, too wiry on the edges and too brushy with a stashed-in feel about it every where else, should I ask him if it </span></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 19px/normal Times; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">is</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> a fake one? like some sort of a wig. Fake hair on the head is called a wig, what about the fake hair on the face (read mustache, period) be called? mig? no, not good enough ummm, uh oh, don't divert, shall I ask him if it is a fake one? It wouldn't seem polite, but then, maybe, it might seem to come across a friendly jibe and change that topic of his, now what were we talking about? He had been blabbering along for quite some time now, Gosh! he doesn’t have any idea that I am neither listening nor in the least interested in what he is talking about! I had been half-smiling and half-nodding for the past 15 minutes with periodic "oh"'s and "ahaan"'s with some "hmmm?"'s generously interspersed in between.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He does look like a teddy bear with a beer belly and hair-fall issues. Did Theodore Roosevelt also look really like a teddy bear? or was it just because of his name, that he was called Teddy Roosevelt? I’m diverting again! his physique does look like a teddy bear though, one that we had when we were kids, I got possession of the family teddy bear from my sister who is four years old and I used to sleep with it until one day Tommy decided to make the teddy his breakfast, meal and dinner, long time ago, feels like in another century, another era, like one of those black and white movies. Funny, how I recollected this fact, I think this is the first time that I have recollected this particularly fateful scene from the corners of my rather dusty memory, like they say, time is a great healer of wounds and I shut out this rather ghastly incident from my still infantile memory then. I saw his mannerisms as I was thinking this, but instead of seeing him, I was looking at my old tattered red teddy with a double breasted black suit-like dress, I wiped my eyes to come back to reality and I blurted out an inadvertent laugh and tried to cough and cover it up. He looked up at me questioningly, uh-oh, but instead he assumed that I didn’t get what he was saying and so repeated more slowly</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, I have been traveling in this line (Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani) since 1997!</span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(wow! I should suggest his name, next time I meet Mamata, should start a new award for this guy, if only that can shut him up)</span></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A train host passed along our cabin, my seat number is 71 and so I was sitting right near the entrance door to the coach. The poor guy was carrying many food packs on his tray and while trying to balance it was also struggling to open the door to carry them out. Everyone who were chattering, blabbering, puckering, talking, whispering, snoring (okay, I am taking this a bit too far) stopped their chattering, blabbering, puckering, talking, whispering, snoring and looked upon the acrobatics the poor guy was embarking on in order to pull open the door and hold it while at the same time take the tray outside right-side up.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As Murphy always says, a pack of dal (lentils) fell out of the tray, the train host let out a audible sigh and pushed on ahead with his hand-held tray.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You could rather have asked us to open up the door for you to pass.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(I thought of saying to him, but rather did the right thing in keeping these thoughts to myself and made a mental note to help the other guys with trays when they pass through again.)</span></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Three pairs of eyes followed the great mishap that had ensued. Mishaps are something which shouldn’t have happened, but once it happened we cannot exactly get around to call it an accident because there is some amount of a lingering possibility all along that events might take such a course, which doesn’t make it exactly an accident. </span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Indians that we are, we proudly are, we knew the reason for our extra-ordinary resistance to diseases. Call it the Indian Paradox if you want, but if you are not Indian and you see yourself nodding your head in the wrong direction after reading this, then ask anyone who has been to India</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Did you ever fall ill during your stay in India? If not, how many antibiotics have you taken while in India?</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well we do eat outside, at the street vendors, where the hygiene is more often than not literally gone to the dogs, our drinking water isn’t as clean as for it to be labelled as “drinkable” in any of the other three quarters of the planet. But still we are a million and still going strong.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well Indians that we are, the three pairs of eyes followed the train host as he placed his tray on a wall-hanging support outside the doors and came back in to lift the leaking dal pack. So far so fine, but we hung on watching him, because if you are any Indian either you would do that or you had already accepted the laid-back nature of our people. But the three pairs of eyes held on for different agendas of their own. Me out of amusement, the teddy sitting opposite me, for that “I told you so moment” he had been having aplenty with me deciding to be polite with another human being in at least this journey and the elderly man sitting across the aisle who along with his wife is going to the USofA with his daughter and grandson to have a chance at some final potshots at the country that he was born in and grown up (I hoped) rather ungrudgingly. What the train host did then was........to put the leaking dal pack back on the tray and carry it on into the next coach to provide it to some unsuspecting passenger with a smile in order to get some chai-paani karcha (tip) later on when that unsuspecting passenger is about to disembark the train. Yes, horror of horrors! well actually we were all expecting just this thing but still held on hoping against hope that he might drop the dal pack in the trash-bin that was very near to the support where he had earlier placed his food-tray upon.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I chuckled in a what I presumed to be an intelligent yet understanding sort of way, while the old man lamnted</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ye kya Rajdhani hai! yahan par bhi wahi halat! (!What kind of Rajdhani is this? Even here it is the same!)</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I chuckled on thinking about the lackadaisical attitude of ours towards basic hygiene, yet being proud of the acquired immunity as a result of our habits. Just because we boarded the Rajdhani, we haven’t been transported immediately to some remote land that hasn’t ever heard of us Indians. I thought on, We are Indians, we are like that only! By now all three of us notice that my seemingly innocuous chuckle had turned into some sort of dry throated croaking and so I quickly stopped.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mr. Teddy started going on again with whatever he was telling me earlier after a snide y remark about the “happening” and I went on to interject some intelligent remarks and a few insightful observations in our one sided conversations to fight boredom and also to get a chance at properly watching his teddy-like mannerisms with amusement!</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This went on for some time and I was getting tired by being bored when suddenly I heard the booming voice of the old man above the general din that generally accompanies any Indian railway coach. I turned around to see the head </span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: line-through;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">waiter</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> host for the bogey standing in the aisle.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old man. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Dal pack fell, why are you giving that to us again!</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old man’s wife. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are three people here, how come you gave only two dinner trays to us?</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are getting you another dinner tray Madam.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When are you going to get it?</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We have already been waiting for a long time now!</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are getting you the tray right now, immediately Sir!</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man’s Daughter. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I don’t want this water bottle, I need boiled water.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man’s Wife. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please get our tray quickly.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why are you serving us food that has been picked from the ground after it fell off?</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What? Sir?</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These guys, I know them, they are like that only!</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please Sir, we are not serving you any bad food.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man’s Daughter. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Brother! Please get me the boiled water quickly.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of your boys had earlier picked up a dal pack that fell of his tray and started leaking and put it back in the tray to serve us people.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Train Host 2. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What happened?</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Someone picked up a fallen dal pack from the ground in front of these people and put it back</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These people are like this only! They serve food which contains cockroaches and fallen down dal packs and when one asks them for the complaint register, it vanishes into thin air!</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Train Host 2. </span><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(</span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">murmurs something to the Head Host.)</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please go to the pantry car immediately and get an extra dinner tray.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Head Host. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Madam, sorry, we are getting your dinner tray and I will get you boiled water immediately.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Man sniggers.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </span><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please get me the complaint register.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Head Host looks at him uncomfortably and wobbles his head in an unintelligible sort of way and then he was off in a jiffy. He supplied the dinner tray to the old lady and the hot water to the woman, so that she can feed to her infant, all the while conspicuously trying to ignore our side of the compartment on the other side of the aisle while Teddy continued in top gear to bore me further. It was during this time that I found the wonderful company of easily accessible internet through mobile which I didn’t know was possible through my piece. Like they say, necessity is the mother of innovation.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then enter shady character who had earlier been supplying with clean linen and bed sheets to our berths. He comes over, again in true black and white film style of a bygone era and bends sightly between us too and offers free daru (alcohol). Teddy bites his lip, unable to decide and finally deciding otherwise. Mr. Shady then goes on to apologize for any inconvenience and says that if any of us cannot fight off the urge to drink anytime in the night, he is always available just on the other side of the door! Metaphorical that it did sound (crossing the door, getting onto the other side to reach him, who with alcohol, you either got it by now, or not), he put up a straight face, rather a very solemn face and apologized again and again and asked Teddy to not complain against them. Teddy who by now was floating a few visible millimeters above the ground due to the new-found superiority and power to bend the poor rascals to his will was smirking left right and center and couldn’t control it. He said no and when the shady character had understood the package that our dear Mr. Teddy really is, he left feeling secure for himself and his fellow train hosts.</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That guy was offering daru. I said no.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(wide grin on his face)</span></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Me. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ahaan!</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teddy. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">They will do anything to protect their complaint register.</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Me. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ahaaan! hmmmmm.......</span></span></span></i></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><br /></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I then went on to brood over other worldly matters like how we are teaching the art of bribery to our children. This was because, my bogey was unfortunately full of pocket-sized demons and I tamed one of the lesser unruly ones by offering it some candy. Where is my cell phone for my new-found love in tweeting......</span></span></span><br /></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-58131574636319743992009-11-03T05:13:00.001-08:002010-03-25T03:11:48.950-07:00Training and Placement<div style="text-align: justify;">The climate in Kharagpur is cooling down, winter is coming here my friend. But there are smolders inside our campus, the Campus placement scenario is heating up in IIT Kharagpur these days. Many companies have started their pre-placement talks (PPTs) and quite a few have already started doling out pre-placement offers (PPOs).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The skies which are already getting rather congested with all the airlines, sick airlines, soon-to-be-launched airlines and Twitter users are getting murkier and this should be of concern. The new lot, leaving aside the chirping freaks from twitter, are getting a bit unruly, don't get me wrong, by this new lot I mean the different students who received their offers who are getting used to float around on their "cloud 9"s.<br /><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The others who haven't yet been lucky are all still looking towards the sky 24/7 to know where each of their limits are. Hope that there is some small wobbly-dibbly little cloud with my name on it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Everything else is fine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not exactly though, the other day I came across something funny. I noticed the latest notice that was put up in our TnP notice board. Here is a screenshot of the placement notice board, don't you think somethings funny?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/Su3F22iZCVI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/bDlCYPAthjk/s1600-h/tnpgrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/Su3F22iZCVI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/bDlCYPAthjk/s400/tnpgrab.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Yes it is indeed, your eyes aren't mistaken, go ahead, they even seem to have a few pretty "exciting job profiles" on offer.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SvAiV4Qsv5I/AAAAAAAAAfY/EikBA6sM7hw/s1600-h/tnpnoticegrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SvAiV4Qsv5I/AAAAAAAAAfY/EikBA6sM7hw/s400/tnpnoticegrab.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">What were they offering? Below is a copy of their letter:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ours is an institution that truly believes in "think local, act local" and our actions since the time we have been conceived have been in this direction to achieve our various goals, which you might have already been fairly well educated through the media, ofcourse. We have always held West Bengal in a special place in our heart as well as our minds. Likewise, we always maintained a peaceful presence as the local government could neither oppose us nor support us. Quite a quandary they found themselves in. We also have a wonderful network that can extend into Nepal and China through this state. We underline the importance of this state to stress about the importance that we have given to your highly reputable institute. In line with this reasoning of ours and the recent unfurling of events, where we could have a whole town within our grasp for a few days, and then the rajdhani and other many </span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">specialized</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> activities that we could undertake with such success, we would like to offer three different positions to your students:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Preacher - We know that you guys suck in all forms of writing, but we saw some of your inter-hall dramatics competitions, atleast the students can print-distribute and enact street plays and eke out a living out of that. Also the availability of considerable expertise has been observed in social-networking sites, anyone can do well with a little bit of online chatter, ask Obama.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Bollywood-Tollywood Liaison - Chemical and Mechanical Engineers wanted. Need to work out how the movie directors could blow up vehicles with such apparent ease. We could do with a little bit more understanding.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Agricultural Engineer - finding out new ways to grow weed.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Thinkers - Students from CS and ECE are particularly desired. Job profile includes sitting in corners and thinking without any distractions about what to think for all the time which we are going make available for this post. This is important as all the thinking required by the organization will be done by this set of erudite individuals who will be given unrestricted mind-space to think about anything they want as long as they just keep thinking. Procrastinators from other departments might also want to apply. We would like to receive a portfolio of pictures in your different thinking moods and postures beforehand. Enough weed will be supplied during the written test and personal thinking-view for these individuals.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Birdmen - Preferably Aeronautical Engineers. Daedalus made it possible and Icarus tried it centuries ago, we want to do it now. We are not so naive, we believe that history tends to repeat itself, so we would rather try flying with wax wings in much lower altitudes. We do not need any material science graduates, as we have already got hordes of A1-quality wax from the forest that we control(whom are we kidding, we do control a major chunk of India, though no one seems to accept it!). </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We have one of the best corporate cultures around and depending upon the potential of an individual, they can quickly rise through the ranks of the technical team to even host attacks on any body under the sun. Our cause provides cover for any and every opposition that can be mustered. More on that later.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">This is a piece of fiction. This is not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. Take it with a pinch of salt or sugar or sugar substitute. Whichever one you prefer best.</span></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-33833839489222471152009-11-03T05:13:00.000-08:002010-02-10T21:41:53.842-08:00Training and Placement<div style="text-align: justify;">The climate in Kharagpur is cooling down, winter is coming here my friend. But there are smolders inside our campus, the Campus placement scenario is heating up in IIT Kharagpur these days. Many companies have started their pre-placement talks (PPTs) and quite a few have already started doling out pre-placement offers (PPOs).<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The skies which are already getting rather congested with all the airlines, sick airlines, soon-to-be-launched airlines and Twitter users are getting murkier and this should be of concern. The new lot, leaving aside the chirping freaks from twitter, are getting a bit unruly, don't get me wrong, by this new lot I mean the different students who received their offers who are getting used to float around on their "cloud 9"s.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The others who haven't yet been lucky are all still looking towards the sky 24/7 to know where each of their limits are. Hope that there is some small wobbly-dibbly little cloud with my name on it!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Everything else is fine.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not exactly though, the other day I came across something funny. I noticed the latest notice that was put up in our TnP notice board. Here is a screenshot of the placement notice board, don't you think somethings funny?<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/Su3F22iZCVI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/bDlCYPAthjk/s1600-h/tnpgrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/Su3F22iZCVI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/bDlCYPAthjk/s640/tnpgrab.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Yes it is indeed, your eyes aren't mistaken, go ahead, they even seem to have a few pretty "exciting job profiles" on offer.<br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SvAiV4Qsv5I/AAAAAAAAAfY/EikBA6sM7hw/s1600-h/tnpnoticegrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SvAiV4Qsv5I/AAAAAAAAAfY/EikBA6sM7hw/s640/tnpnoticegrab.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">What were they offering? Below is a copy of their letter:<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ours is an institution that truly believes in "think local, act local" and our actions since the time we have been conceived have been in this direction to achieve our various goals, which you might have already been fairly well educated through the media, ofcourse. We have always held West Bengal in a special place in our heart as well as our minds. Likewise, we always maintained a peaceful presence as the local government could neither oppose us nor support us. Quite a quandary they found themselves in. We also have a wonderful network that can extend into Nepal and China through this state. We underline the importance of this state to stress about the importance that we have given to your highly reputable institute. In line with this reasoning of ours and the recent unfurling of events, where we could have a whole town within our grasp for a few days, and then the rajdhani and other many </span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">specialized</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> activities that we could undertake with such success, we would like to offer three different positions to your students:</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Preacher - We know that you guys suck in all forms of writing, but we saw some of your inter-hall dramatics competitions, atleast the students can print-distribute and enact street plays and eke out a living out of that. Also the availability of considerable expertise has been observed in social-networking sites, anyone can do well with a little bit of online chatter, ask Obama.</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Bollywood-Tollywood Liaison - Chemical and Mechanical Engineers wanted. Need to work out how the movie directors could blow up vehicles with such apparent ease. We could do with a little bit more understanding.</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Agricultural Engineer - finding out new ways to grow weed.</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Thinkers - Students from CS and ECE are particularly desired. Job profile includes sitting in corners and thinking without any distractions about what to think for all the time which we are going make available for this post. This is important as all the thinking required by the organization will be done by this set of erudite individuals who will be given unrestricted mind-space to think about anything they want as long as they just keep thinking. Procrastinators from other departments might also want to apply. We would like to receive a portfolio of pictures in your different thinking moods and postures beforehand. Enough weed will be supplied during the written test and personal thinking-view for these individuals.</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Birdmen - Preferably Aeronautical Engineers. Daedalus made it possible and Icarus tried it centuries ago, we want to do it now. We are not so naive, we believe that history tends to repeat itself, so we would rather try flying with wax wings in much lower altitudes. We do not need any material science graduates, as we have already got hordes of A1-quality wax from the forest that we control(whom are we kidding, we do control a major chunk of India, though no one seems to accept it!). </span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We have one of the best corporate cultures around and depending upon the potential of an individual, they can quickly rise through the ranks of the technical team to even host attacks on any body under the sun. Our cause provides cover for any and every opposition that can be mustered. More on that later.</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">This is a piece of fiction. This is not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. Take it with a pinch of salt or sugar or sugar substitute. Whichever one you prefer best.</span><br /></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-3841778011805855632009-10-19T10:22:00.001-07:002010-03-25T03:11:48.931-07:00Festival of Lights<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am attaching two videos that I had recently made. "Festival of Lights" seems to perfectly capture their essence. The venue is IIT Kharagpur, a university in India. Every year almost unerringly a competition is held which is fought with much gusto and flair between the students of different "halls of residences". The competitions are called Illumination and Rangoli, more generally referred to as "illu" among us students here. Any Indian will quite clearly understand Rangoli, though for others, it is a bit of a work on my tiny little brain to come up with words to explain it.....why don't you google, or as the latest trend that is catching up, "bing" it? Illumination refers to the competition of lights, putting it as lighting earthen lamps (diyas) might sound a tad too easy. As you have already read untill this point why don't you have a look at these videos, I promise you they are fun!<a name='more'></a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span> </div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am a boarder in one of these hostels/"halls of residence" and these videos are just of my hall for only this year, as a matter of fact, there are 18 halls and this competition is being held since "I don't know when!", now do the math yourself.......</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span> </div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The first of these videos captures a 20-minute time frame, from the frenetic activity that went on just before the judges came along with their "Ahaan! I got you there"-set of maddening rules, till the moment they left. A small glimpse for you getting a little more clarity about these rules, any hall can get disqualified if any one is found visible by the judges who does not belong to the presentation team. I know that I am not one of them and God bless me for not getting caught when I was snapping these pictures. Another of these rules include one of these judges coming on the morning of the competition and getting the structure (structure, what? you'll know when you watch the video!) measured in order to confirm that it maintains with the Limits-in-dimensions rule.........Now this isn't a rule-book, what are you waiting for? Have a look at the video and don't forget to watch it in Full screen mode!</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><object height="900" width="1200"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7118043&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7118043&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><a href="http://vimeo.com/7118043">LLR Illumination (Diwali'09) medium</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2148811">Muralidhar Duvvuri</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The second video, "The Vishwakarmas" has a much bigger time frame, it shows the weeks leading to the competition and the work that had been put in by the boarders of my hall. Some wise guy once said "Rome was not built in one day", but probably I can dare and say that our work had been done in one day! (and many many nights!!). It has some really, really great shots! unfortunately, I have no hand in any of these shots, though I just made the video, the credit for some of the wonderful snaps you are going to witness cannot be mine.....Go on, have a look here to see how great a job, my fellow boarders have done!</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><object height="900" width="1200"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7128337&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7128337&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><a href="http://vimeo.com/7128337">The Vishwakarmas</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2148811">Muralidhar Duvvuri</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #76a5af;">Now don't be a snob, and comment! I know you want too......</span></span></div></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-48692203054670729822009-10-19T10:22:00.000-07:002010-02-10T21:41:53.853-08:00Festival of Lights<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am attaching two videos that I had recently made. "Festival of Lights" seems to perfectly capture their essence. The venue is IIT Kharagpur, a university in India. Every year almost unerringly a competition is held which is fought with much gusto and flair between the students of different "halls of residences". The competitions are called Illumination and Rangoli, more generally referred to as "illu" among us students here. Any Indian will quite clearly understand Rangoli, though for others, it is a bit of a work on my tiny little brain to come up with words to explain it.....why don't you google, or as the latest trend that is catching up, "bing" it? Illumination refers to the competition of lights, putting it as lighting earthen lamps (diyas) might sound a tad too easy. As you have already read untill this point why don't you have a look at these videos, I promise you they are fun!</span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am a boarder in one of these hostels/"halls of residence" and these videos are just of my hall for only this year, as a matter of fact, there are 18 halls and this competition is being held since "I don't know when!", now do the math yourself.......</span><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first of these videos captures a 20-minute time frame, from the frenetic activity that went on just before the judges came along with their "Ahaan! I got you there"-set of maddening rules, till the moment they left. A small glimpse for you getting a little more clarity about these rules, any hall can get disqualified if any one is found visible by the judges who does not belong to the presentation team. I know that I am not one of them and God bless me for not getting caught when I was snapping these pictures. Another of these rules include one of these judges coming on the morning of the competition and getting the structure (structure, what? you'll know when you watch the video!) measured in order to confirm that it maintains with the Limits-in-dimensions rule.........Now this isn't a rule-book, what are you waiting for? Have a look at the video and don't forget to watch it in Full screen mode!</span><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span></span><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><object height="900" width="1200"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7118043&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7118043&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><a href="http://vimeo.com/7118043">LLR Illumination (Diwali'09) medium</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2148811">Muralidhar Duvvuri</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span><br /></div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><br /></div></span><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></span></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second video, "The Vishwakarmas" has a much bigger time frame, it shows the weeks leading to the competition and the work that had been put in by the boarders of my hall. Some wise guy once said "Rome was not built in one day", but probably I can dare and say that our work had been done in one day! (and many many nights!!). It has some really, really great shots! unfortunately, I have no hand in any of these shots, though I just made the video, the credit for some of the wonderful snaps you are going to witness cannot be mine.....Go on, have a look here to see how great a job, my fellow boarders have done!</span><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><object height="900" width="1200"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7128337&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7128337&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><a href="http://vimeo.com/7128337">The Vishwakarmas</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2148811">Muralidhar Duvvuri</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span><br /></div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #76a5af;">Now don't be a snob, and comment! I know you want too......</span></span><br /></div></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-39711310314933687852009-10-03T10:30:00.001-07:002010-03-25T03:11:48.914-07:00Tagged - Innocent/Guilty<span style="color: white; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 22px;"><span style="font-size: 22px;">Tagged by Karthik</span><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i>RULE 1- You can only say Guilty or Innocent.<br /><br />RULE 2- You are not allowed to explain anything unless someone messages you and asks!<br /><br />RULE 3- Copy and paste this into your notes, delete mine and type in your answers and tag your friends to answer this. </i><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;">Let me begin…</span><br /><a name='more'></a><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><b>Asked someone to marry you? </b><i>Innocent<b>.</b></i><b><br /><br />Ever kissed someone of the same sex? </b><i>Innocent<b>.</b></i><b><br /><br />Danced on a table in a bar? </b><i>Innocent<b>.</b></i><b><br /><br />Ever told a lie? </b><i>Guilty<b>.</b></i><b><br /><br />Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? <span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Guilty</i></span></b><i>.</i><b><br /><br />Kissed a picture? </b> <i>Guilty.</i><b><br /><br />Slept in until 5 PM? </b><i>Guilty.</i><br /><b><br />Fallen asleep at work/school? </b><i>Guilty.</i><b><br /><br />Held a snake? </b><i>Innocent.</i><b><br /><br />Been suspended from school? </b><i>Innocent.</i><b><br /><br />Worked at a fast food restaurant? </b><i>Innocent.</i><b><br /><br />Stolen from a store? </b> <i>Innocent.</i><b><br /><br />Been fired from a job? </b><i>Innocent.</i> <b><br /><br />Done something you regret? </b><i>Innocent.</i><b><br /></b><b><i><br /></i></b><b>Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? </b><i>Guilty.</i><b><br /></b><b><br />Caught a snowflake on your tongue? <span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Innocent</i></span></b><i>.</i><br /><b><br />Kissed in the rain? </b><i>Innocent.</i><b><br /><br />Sat on a roof top? </b><i>Guilty</i>.<b><br /><br />Kissed someone you shouldn’t? </b><i>Innocent.</i><br /><b><br />Sang in the shower? </b><i>Guilty.</i><b><br /><br />Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? </b> <i>Innocent.</i><b><br /><br />Shaved your head? </b><i>Guilty.</i><b><br /><br />Had a boxing membership? </b><i>Innocent.</i><b><br /><br />Made a girlfriend cry? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Inn</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">ocent</span></b><i>.</i><b><br /><br />Been in a band? </b><i>Innocent.</i><b><br /></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style="color: black;">Shot a gun? </b><i style="color: black;">Guilty.</i><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> <b style="color: black;"><br />Donated Blood?</b><span style="color: white;"> </span><i style="color: black;">Innocent.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Eaten alligator meat? </b><i style="color: black;">Innocent </i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Eaten cheesecake? </b><span style="color: white;"> </span><i style="color: black;">Guilty.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Still love someone you shouldn’t? </b><span style="color: white;"> </span><i style="color: black;">Guilty.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Have/had a tattoo? </b><i style="color: black;">Innocent.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Liked someone, but will never tell who? <i> </i></b><i style="color: black;">Guilty<b>.</b></i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Been too honest? </b><i style="color: black;">Guilty.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Ruined a surprise? </b><i style="color: black;">Innocent.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn’t walk afterwards? </b><i style="color: black;">Guilty.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Erased someone in your friends list? </b><i style="color: black;">Guilty<b>.</b></i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)? </b><span style="color: white;"> </span><i style="color: black;">Guilty.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Joined a pageant? </b><i style="color: black;">Innocent.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Been told that you’re handsome or beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? </b><i style="color: black;">Guilty.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Had communication with your ex? <span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Innocent</i></span></b><i style="color: black;">.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Got totally drunk on the night before exam? </b><i style="color: black;">Innocent.</i><b style="color: black;"><br /><br />Got totally angry that you cried so hard? </b><i style="color: black;">Guilty</i><span style="color: white;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: 17px;">That's it. </span><span style="font-size: 17px;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> </span></div><div><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> </span></div><div style="color: #ffd966;">I am not tagging anyone in particular, nor in general for that matter. Every beginning needs to have an end. Let this be the end for my chain :) </div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-53128982310113696572009-10-03T10:30:00.000-07:002010-02-10T21:41:53.869-08:00Tagged - Innocent/Guilty<span style="color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 22px;"><span style="font-size: 22px;"><span style="color: white;">Tagged by Karthik</span></span><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> </span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: white;">RULE 1- You can only say Guilty or Innocent.<br /><br />RULE 2- You are not allowed to explain anything unless someone messages you and asks!<br /><br />RULE 3- Copy and paste this into your notes, delete mine and type in your answers and tag your friends to answer this.</span> </i><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> <br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 17px;"><span style="color: white;">Let me begin…</span></span><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> <br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: white;">Asked someone to marry you? </span></b><em><span style="color: white;">Innocent</span><b><span style="color: white;">.</span></b></em><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Ever kissed someone of the same sex? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent</span><b><span style="color: white;">.</span></b></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Danced on a table in a bar? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent</span><b><span style="color: white;">.</span></b></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Ever told a lie? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span><b><span style="color: white;">.</span></b></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? </span> <span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span></i></span></b><i><span style="color: white;">.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Kissed a picture?</span> </b><span style="color: white;"> </span><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Slept in until 5 PM? </span> </b><em><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></em><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: white;"><br />Fallen asleep at work/school? </span></b><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Held a snake? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Been suspended from school? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Worked at a fast food restaurant? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Stolen from a store?</span> </b><span style="color: white;"> </span><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Been fired from a job? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><span style="color: white;"> </span><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Done something you regret? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> </b><b><i><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> </i></b><b><span style="color: white;">Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? </span></b><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> </b><b><span style="color: white;"><br />Caught a snowflake on your tongue? </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent</span></i></span></b><em><span style="color: white;">.</span></em><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: white;"><br />Kissed in the rain? </span></b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Sat on a roof top? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span></i><span style="color: white;">.</span><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Kissed someone you shouldn’t? </span> </b><em><span style="color: white;">Innocent</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></em><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: white;"><br />Sang in the shower? </span></b><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on?</span> </b><span style="color: white;"> </span><em><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></em><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Shaved your head? </span> </b><em><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></em><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Had a boxing membership? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Made a girlfriend cry? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Inn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;">ocent</span></span></b><i><span style="color: white;">.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Been in a band? </span> </b><em><span style="color: white;">Innocent</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></em><b><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> </b><span style="color: white;"><b></b></span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: white;">Shot a gun? </span></b><em><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></em><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: white;"><br />Donated Blood?</span></b><span style="color: white;"> </span><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Eaten alligator meat? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent </span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Eaten cheesecake?</span> </b><span style="color: white;"> </span><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Still love someone you shouldn’t?</span> </b><span style="color: white;"> </span><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Have/had a tattoo? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Liked someone, but will never tell who?</span> <i><span style="color: white;"> </span></i></b><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span><b><span style="color: white;">.</span></b></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Been too honest? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Ruined a surprise? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn’t walk afterwards?</span> </b><em><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></em><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Erased someone in your friends list? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span><b><span style="color: white;">.</span></b></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)?</span> </b><span style="color: white;"> </span><em><span style="color: white;">Guilty.</span></em><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Joined a pageant? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Been told that you’re handsome or beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? </span> </b><em><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></em><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Had communication with your ex? </span> <span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent</span></i></span></b><i><span style="color: white;">.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Got totally drunk on the night before exam? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Innocent.</span></i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /><br />Got totally angry that you cried so hard? </span> </b><i><span style="color: white;">Guilty</span></i><span style="color: white;">.</span><span style="color: white;"></span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">That's it. </span></span><span style="font-size: 17px;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> </span><br /></div><div><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span> </span><br /></div><div><span style="color: #ffe599;">I am not tagging anyone in particular, nor in general for that matter. Every beginning needs to have an end. Let this be the end for my chain :) </span><br /></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-29909808873623464262009-09-23T03:13:00.001-07:002010-03-25T03:11:48.892-07:00Whats in a Name?<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">She was looking perfect, like an angel from heaven. The woman she was looking at. The woman in the mirror, herself. She just finished adjusting the kajal and the tilak on her face. She was wiping the kajal, she must be happy because this was the day that many girls long for. This was the day of her wedding. Not any kind of wedding, but it had nearly half of the city as guests. Her father was not taking any chances to make this wedding forgettable in any way. Not that she can be complaining, he had been consulting her for every tiny detail too to make this wedding "her" wedding.<a name='more'></a> She liked him very much, she is not angry with him, she cannot get herself to get angry with him. He would have got the moon for her, had she asked. But still, she was unhappy, no she was more than just unhappy, she had that huge sinking feeling in her life, the feeling that one might get when they know that they had left something pass-by, something they shouldn't have done, something that they might regret their whole life just for doing what they just did. Because this was the exact predicament that she was in. Not that she loved some-one and her love was so strong that she could not leave the guy, nor is there any reason for her to hate the guy her father was hitching her to.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Love hardly ever is as clear as that. It is like a dark cloud whose shape we cannot decide as it keeps on shifting its shapes while it moves across the sky just like our feelings change as time moves on.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">She had a friend, Neel, she liked him very much. She liked him so much so that, she always enquired discreetly among her friends about him, whenever she went out. But Neel was no perfect guy, he used to charm her and also irritate her, sometimes, to her bare bones. Probably this was the reason she could not decide upon her love. But Neel, Neel never showed any special interest for her, nor did he ever do anything special for her. Only time would have decided, if there would have been anything between them, when this marriage happened. Her father's best friend who lived abroad came to India and during his visit, he saw her. He asked his father, and his father, her father's dear friend made this proposal that was accepted with much happiness and glee. She could not say no, she could not get herself to say yes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was no reason to cry, none at all, there were no happy memories of theirs, truly theirs. But she had this deep dreadful feeling that she is leaving someone who would have been that special someone to her. Tears were welling up, though she did not want to cry. She did not want to ruin this wedding. She was not like this at first, when her father told her about the wedding, she was willing then because she was a proud girl and she thought that when Neel is not approaching her, it's better for her to get on with her life. She also had a feeling inside her that Neel would come begging for her hand, would have been a great ego-rush then. But then, that did not happen, even then she was not crying, she did not mean to cry or feel so overwhelmingly sad until even on the start of her wedding day. But with the wedding-fever catching on and seeing beaming faces all around, this deep sense of regret began to consume her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">She was sitting on the mandap, her heart began to race. Suddenly her she started fearing if she will die of heartache, because of her love for Neel. She did not know what to do. The slokas were being read, the mantras were being chanted, she started hallucinating that she was in a room full of demons shouting and jeering all around. She started sweating. Her eyes became red. But all of this were covered under the inch-thick layer of make up that was applied by the beautician. Everyone who saw her then thought that she looked a lost little duckling. "Isn't she sweet", they thought. Then something happened. Something really stunning had happened. The groom suddenly stood up. He stood up, got out of the mandap, went near his parents and cried out loud, "Enough of this!"</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">Epilogue:</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">1. He thought he liked her very much and though his friends taunted him for having an arranged marriage, he believed in the old sub-continental custom that love can be found even after marriage. He never felt anyone interesting back home anyways. It might have been out of desperation, his friends thought. But during the days leading to the marriage he met Nikki. He got to know her and liked her so much so that he proposed to Nikki right after stopping his marriage with Her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">2. She was relieved with the turn of events. She suddenly felt like she was on cloud9 after he started shouting for the marriage to stop. She supported his cause and helped their parents understand.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">3. Neel was not her man. She got to know that. But she was happy, because she understood what she wanted. She went out with her father, one day, to the beach and explained to him everything. He accepted to her requests to let her live her life though rather hesitatingly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: small;">I haven't used any names for the main protagonists. Would the story have changed, if they had any names? Or had I given some names, would the story seem different depending on the names that I might have chosen?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: small;">Like Shakespeare once said, </span><span style="font-size: small; white-space: pre;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Whats in a Name?</span></span></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-77149746676833890072009-09-23T03:13:00.000-07:002010-02-10T21:41:53.880-08:00Whats in a Name?<div style="text-align: justify;">She was looking perfect, like an angel from heaven. The woman she was looking at. The woman in the mirror, herself. She just finished adjusting the kajal and the tilak on her face. She was wiping the kajal, she must be happy because this was the day that many girls long for. This was the day of her wedding. Not any kind of wedding, but it had nearly half of the city as guests. Her father was not taking any chances to make this wedding forgettable in any way. Not that she can be complaining, he had been consulting her for every tiny detail too to make this wedding "her" wedding. She liked him very much, she is not angry with him, she cannot get herself to get angry with him. He would have got the moon for her, had she asked. But still, she was unhappy, no she was more than just unhappy, she had that huge sinking feeling in her life, the feeling that one might get when they know that they had left something pass-by, something they shouldn't have done, something that they might regret their whole life just for doing what they just did. Because this was the exact predicament that she was in. Not that she loved some-one and her love was so strong that she could not leave the guy, nor is there any reason for her to hate the guy her father was hitching her to.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Love hardly ever is as clear as that. It is like a dark cloud whose shape we cannot decide as it keeps on shifting its shapes while it moves across the sky just like our feelings change as time moves on.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She had a friend, Neel, she liked him very much. She liked him so much so that, she always enquired discreetly among her friends about him, whenever she went out. But Neel was no perfect guy, he used to charm her and also irritate her, sometimes, to her bare bones. Probably this was the reason she could not decide upon her love. But Neel, Neel never showed any special interest for her, nor did he ever do anything special for her. Only time would have decided, if there would have been anything between them, when this marriage happened. Her father's best friend who lived abroad came to India and during his visit, he saw her. He asked his father, and his father, her father's dear friend made this proposal that was accepted with much happiness and glee. She could not say no, she could not get herself to say yes.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was no reason to cry, none at all, there were no happy memories of theirs, truly theirs. But she had this deep dreadful feeling that she is leaving someone who would have been that special someone to her. Tears were welling up, though she did not want to cry. She did not want to ruin this wedding. She was not like this at first, when her father told her about the wedding, she was willing then because she was a proud girl and she thought that when Neel is not approaching her, it's better for her to get on with her life. She also had a feeling inside her that Neel would come begging for her hand, would have been a great ego-rush then. But then, that did not happen, even then she was not crying, she did not mean to cry or feel so overwhelmingly sad until even on the start of her wedding day. But with the wedding-fever catching on and seeing beaming faces all around, this deep sense of regret began to consume her.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She was sitting on the mandap, her heart began to race. Suddenly her she started fearing if she will die of heartache, because of her love for Neel. She did not know what to do. The slokas were being read, the mantras were being chanted, she started hallucinating that she was in a room full of demons shouting and jeering all around. She started sweating. Her eyes became red. But all of this were covered under the inch-thick layer of make up that was applied by the beautician. Everyone who saw her then thought that she looked a lost little duckling. "Isn't she sweet", they thought. Then something happened. Something really stunning had happened. The groom suddenly stood up. He stood up, got out of the mandap, went near his parents and cried out loud, "Enough of this!"<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Epilogue:</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">1. He thought he liked her very much and though his friends taunted him for having an arranged marriage, he believed in the old sub-continental custom that love can be found even after marriage. He never felt anyone interesting back home anyways. It might have been out of desperation, his friends thought. But during the days leading to the marriage he met Nikki. He got to know her and liked her so much so that he proposed to Nikki right after stopping his marriage with Her.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">2. She was relieved with the turn of events. She suddenly felt like she was on cloud9 after he started shouting for the marriage to stop. She supported his cause and helped their parents understand.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">3. Neel was not her man. She got to know that. But she was happy, because she understood what she wanted. She went out with her father, one day, to the beach and explained to him everything. He accepted to her requests to let her live her life though rather hesitatingly.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">I haven't used any names for the main protagonists. Would the story have changed, if they had any names? Or had I given some names, would the story seem different depending on the names that I might have chosen?</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Like Shakespeare once said, </span><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial; white-space: pre;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Whats in a Name?</span></span><br /></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-56594085151031612782009-09-20T11:48:00.001-07:002010-03-25T03:11:48.875-07:00Whimsical Cows (Holy Cow!!!)<div style="text-align: justify;">The Holy Cows have been made "Front Page Popular" by our MoS - External Affairs, Mr. Shashi Tharoor via his tweeting on twitter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.pentagram.com/Holy_Cow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://blog.pentagram.com/Holy_Cow.jpg" width="144" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This made me think.....I do feel like one!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">India had been a poor country for the better part of the past two centuries. Atleast. I would not like to comment on the reasons, nor am I inviting any, for this just plainly is beyond the scope of my blog. You see, I am a simple guy, I can do well without any controversies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, India had indeed been a really, REALLY poor country for the better part of two centuries. Many Indian families had been very much entirely dependant upon agriculture and/or textiles, artisan(-ry??), there was no IPL and cricket endorsements back then (DON'T BELIEVE LAGAAN!). But agriculture had been the silver-lining amongst them all. It offered very high returns and a good name in the immediate society. Though, being in the sub-continent, one does understand the importance of the monsoons and the high dependence of agriculture on rainfall for irrigation and the high risk involved.<br /><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most of these families and also many of the other families which were not directly related with agriculture had reared cows (or sometimes even buffaloes). These holy creatures not only provided a free pass to heaven irrespective of how sinned one might be, also provided lots and lots of milk and other cute little cows/oxen which had high commercial value apart from obvious agricultural value. These animals were so important that even in the times of drought and extreme scarcity, the "Holy Cow" used to have the highest position in the family, even if that meant the family members might die due to starvation, it did not deter them from plumping up their sacred bovines. It had to be fed the most, green grass, then dry grass, then that special nutritive water (thoudu in telugu, google it for names in your language) in a cyclical fashion that bordered on insanity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now I hope you are getting to understand my feelings, if not, carry on......<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eoinbutler.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cow3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.eoinbutler.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cow3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I came home after a prolonged absence. Right from the time I put foot inside the house I am being treated with dinner, breakfast, brunch (yes brunch!), then lunch, afternoon snacks, evening snacks, dinner, midnight nibblers, again, breakfast.......</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I shared my feelings with my parents about this supposedly disgraceful treatment. Isn't labelling someone a "holy cow" wrong? that's what I understood from the media reports! My progenitors just laughed off my confused feelings and explained -- "Beta, we haven't been able to feed (yes they said feed!) you for the whole year, so this is our way of making up!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">So much for parental love!!!</span></span></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-49808657230170107482009-09-20T11:48:00.000-07:002010-02-10T21:41:53.918-08:00Whimsical Cows (Holy Cow!!!)<div style="text-align: justify;">The Holy Cows have been made "Front Page Popular" by our MoS - External Affairs, Mr. Shashi Tharoor via his tweeting on twitter.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.pentagram.com/Holy_Cow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://blog.pentagram.com/Holy_Cow.jpg" width="144" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This made me think.....I do feel like one!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">India had been a poor country for the better part of the past two centuries. Atleast. I would not like to comment on the reasons, nor am I inviting any, for this just plainly is beyond the scope of my blog. You see, I am a simple guy, I can do well without any controversies.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, India had indeed been a really, REALLY poor country for the better part of two centuries. Many Indian families had been very much entirely dependant upon agriculture and/or textiles, artisan(-ry??), there was no IPL and cricket endorsements back then (DON'T BELIEVE LAGAAN!). But agriculture had been the silver-lining amongst them all. It offered very high returns and a good name in the immediate society. Though, being in the sub-continent, one does understand the importance of the monsoons and the high dependence of agriculture on rainfall for irrigation and the high risk involved.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most of these families and also many of the other families which were not directly related with agriculture had reared cows (or sometimes even buffaloes). These holy creatures not only provided a free pass to heaven irrespective of how sinned one might be, also provided lots and lots of milk and other cute little cows/oxen which had high commercial value apart from obvious agricultural value. These animals were so important that even in the times of drought and extreme scarcity, the "Holy Cow" used to have the highest position in the family, even if that meant the family members might die due to starvation, it did not deter them from plumping up their sacred bovines. It had to be fed the most, green grass, then dry grass, then that special nutritive water (thoudu in telugu, google it for names in your language) in a cyclical fashion that bordered on insanity.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now I hope you are getting to understand my feelings, if not, carry on......<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eoinbutler.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cow3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.eoinbutler.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cow3.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I came home after a prolonged absence. Right from the time I put foot inside the house I am being treated with dinner, breakfast, brunch (yes brunch!), then lunch, afternoon snacks, evening snacks, dinner, midnight nibblers, again, breakfast.......<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I shared my feelings with my parents about this supposedly disgraceful treatment. Isn't labelling someone a "holy cow" wrong? that's what I understood from the media reports! My progenitors just laughed off my confused feelings and explained -- "Beta, we haven't been able to feed (yes they said feed!) you for the whole year, so this is our way of making up!"<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">So much for parental love!!!</span></span><br /></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-71465318597452650292009-09-05T15:03:00.001-07:002010-03-25T03:11:48.849-07:00Of Cats and Dogs....!I'm soggy and drippy,<br />drenchy and mulchy,<br />I've been sneezing with wheezing,<br />just for one late night's dining!<br /><br />I've got to learn a big lesson today. One should start believing in the meteorology department. If you are anything like me, and think of them as buffoons running a total Farce, then you're in for shit, deep shit, like I was today, just a few minutes back!<br /><br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">YOU HAVE GOT TO START BELIEVING THOSE CLOWNS IN THE METEOROLOGY DEPARTMENT!<a name='more'></a></span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLblFTpfYI/AAAAAAAAAdw/j9kNVWMUINU/s1600-h/wading-through-river_chngd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLblFTpfYI/AAAAAAAAAdw/j9kNVWMUINU/s320/wading-through-river_chngd.jpg" /></a>They put up this notice saying that there is going to be "heavy to very heavy rainfall". But it has been a downpour since the morning for around 12 hours continuously.<br /><br />Like any of the 7 nights in a week, 365 nights in a year, I had this little strong innocent midnight craving for food (some call it hunger, nowadays, young-people!).<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLbouZDiQI/AAAAAAAAAd4/pOix6ZelDHg/s1600-h/1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLbouZDiQI/AAAAAAAAAd4/pOix6ZelDHg/s320/1+copy.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The result, I had to wade through knee deep water for miles as all the nearby canteens had taken a holiday(or night?).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Don't get me wrong, I totally enjoyed the trip, the toads gave me company with their "WIBBICK"'s, and so did the LGBs (li'l green bastards, if you happen to be from some other universe and did'nt understand me earlier).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLfLHpAGjI/AAAAAAAAAeA/S1YMCi2q0RQ/s1600-h/aa_poster2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLfLHpAGjI/AAAAAAAAAeA/S1YMCi2q0RQ/s320/aa_poster2.jpg" /></a></div><div>This year it hardly rained in India in general and here in Kharagpur compared to last few years, but when it did today, it poured cats and dogs.</div><div></div><div><br />There were even tree branches falling! one that fell, just a few centimetres from me when I was busy waliking, sorry wading through the water.</div><div></div><div><br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">I got my very own near death experience! :P</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What about you?</span></span><br /><span style="color: #ffe599;">What were you doing?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-9189384634195063872009-09-05T15:03:00.000-07:002010-02-10T21:41:53.937-08:00Of Cats and Dogs....!I'm soggy and drippy,<br />drenchy and mulchy,<br />I've been sneezing with wheezing,<br />just for one late night's dining!<br /><br />I've got to learn a big lesson today. One should start believing in the meteorology department. If you are anything like me, and think of them as buffoons running a total Farce, then you're in for shit, deep shit, like I was today, just a few minutes back!<br /><br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">YOU HAVE GOT TO START BELIEVING THOSE CLOWNS IN THE METEOROLOGY DEPARTMENT!</span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLblFTpfYI/AAAAAAAAAdw/j9kNVWMUINU/s1600-h/wading-through-river_chngd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLblFTpfYI/AAAAAAAAAdw/j9kNVWMUINU/s320/wading-through-river_chngd.jpg" /></a>They put up this notice saying that there is going to be "heavy to very heavy rainfall". But it has been a downpour since the morning for around 12 hours continuously.<br /><br />Like any of the 7 nights in a week, 365 nights in a year, I had this little strong innocent midnight craving for food (some call it hunger, nowadays, young-people!).<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLbouZDiQI/AAAAAAAAAd4/pOix6ZelDHg/s1600-h/1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLbouZDiQI/AAAAAAAAAd4/pOix6ZelDHg/s320/1+copy.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The result, I had to wade through knee deep water for miles as all the nearby canteens had taken a holiday(or night?).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Don't get me wrong, I totally enjoyed the trip, the toads gave me company with their "WIBBICK"'s, and so did the LGBs (li'l green bastards, if you happen to be from some other universe and did'nt understand me earlier).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLfLHpAGjI/AAAAAAAAAeA/S1YMCi2q0RQ/s1600-h/aa_poster2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bp1Y3vmLBvY/SqLfLHpAGjI/AAAAAAAAAeA/S1YMCi2q0RQ/s320/aa_poster2.jpg" /></a></div><div>This year it hardly rained in India in general and here in Kharagpur compared to last few years, but when it did today, it poured cats and dogs.</div><div></div><div><br />There were even tree branches falling! one that fell, just a few centimetres from me when I was busy waliking, sorry wading through the water.</div><div></div><div><br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">I got my very own near death experience! :P</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What about you?</span></span><br /><span style="color: #ffe599;">What were you doing?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span></div>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-68972103751293475872009-09-03T12:39:00.001-07:002010-03-25T03:11:48.823-07:00Its a Mad World!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/UN_Human_Development_Report_2008.svg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="87" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/UN_Human_Development_Report_2008.svg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Had some doubts and views (not so brilliant, but hey, cut me some slack) during my Human Development class today.......</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">1. Why are all the countries striving to increase the life-expectancy of their populations?</span><br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: large;">Isn't there supposed to be a population explosion?</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">2. Who said that the world is biased towards men?</span><br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: large;">I see that the female life expectancy beats its counterpart's for any given age of a person! Isn't death considered the most intriguing awe-inspiring nerve-wracking and fear inducing of all the events in life?<a name='more'></a></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">3. That India is considered as a flawed Democracy!</span><br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: large;">Amazing after being fed day-after-day by the media reports that the Indian Democracy is the greatest in the world, whereas the world doesn't yet consider it to be a proper democracy at all!</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">4. Why are "they" calculating the Democracy Index for a country like North Korea (ans = 0.86)?</span><br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: large;">Someone's gone bonkers! Seriously, aren't we supposed to conserve our resources and do the "Saving the Planet" act?</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">5. Was the Happy Planet Index invented by the cubans to get back at Americans? Why are the Indians always so happy that they got democracy even though china got development-crazy?</span><br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: large;">Cuba is ranked 7, China is ranked 20, India is ranked 35 while USA is ranked 114. Obviously the Chinese are even scoring on the happiness front. Where the hell are you, Karma!</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">P</span><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">S: I've happened to meet two Cubans during this summer, unfortunately the above mentioned statistic, though official might not be a correct metric.</span><br /><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">I've also happened to be an Indian who has met quite a few friendly Chinese people who are very nice and happy, I've got only one thing to say.</span><br /><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: large;">We've got Kamasutra, In your FACE!!!</span>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-85661188777670439942009-09-03T12:39:00.000-07:002010-02-10T21:41:53.892-08:00Its a Mad World!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/UN_Human_Development_Report_2008.svg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="87" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/UN_Human_Development_Report_2008.svg" width="200" /></a><br /></div>Had some doubts and views (not so brilliant, but hey, cut me some slack) during my Human Development class today.......<br /><br /><br /><br />1. Why are all the countries striving to increase the life-expectancy of their populations?<br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Isn't there supposed to be a population explosion?</span><br /><br />2. Who said that the world is biased towards men?<br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">I see that the female life expectancy beats its counterpart's for any given age of a person! Isn't death considered the most intriguing awe-inspiring nerve-wracking and fear inducing of all the events in life?</span><br /><br />3. That India is considered as a flawed Democracy!<br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Amazing after being fed day-after-day by the media reports that the Indian Democracy is the greatest in the world, whereas the world doesn't yet consider it to be a proper democracy at all!</span><br /><br />4. Why are "they" calculating the Democracy Index for a country like North Korea (ans = 0.86)?<br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Someone's gone bonkers! Seriously, aren't we supposed to conserve our resources and do the "Saving the Planet" act?</span><br /><br />5. Was the Happy Planet Index invented by the cubans to get back at Americans? Why are the Indians always so happy that they got democracy even though china got development-crazy?<br /><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Cuba is ranked 7, China is ranked 20, India is ranked 35 while USA is ranked 114. Obviously the Chinese are even scoring on the happiness front. Where the hell are you, Karma!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">P</span><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">S: I've happened to meet two Cubans during this summer, unfortunately the above mentioned statistic, though official might not be a correct metric.</span><br /><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">I've also happened to be an Indian who has met quite a few friendly Chinese people who are very nice and happy, I've got only one thing to say.</span><br /><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #ffe599;">We've got Kamasutra, In your FACE!!!</span>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-17435233210933992262009-09-01T15:24:00.001-07:002010-03-25T03:11:49.090-07:00Wake me up when September ends.....Version 1:<br /><br />But first can you sing me a lullaby,<br />or else, do sprinkle the sleeping dust,<br />Oh please! do the thing you do best,<br />That magic of urs whatever it might be......<br /><br />Version 2:<br /><br />But first sing me a lullaby,<br />sprinkle the sleeping dust,<br />Oh please! do the thing you do the best,<br />That magic of yours, whatever it might be!<br /><br />Cheers! This happens to be my first personal post on this blog that I created for this sole purpose. I have to thank Prashant of Tatsat, though, for because of him, did I start blogging after quite a while, again.<br /><br />Now, the clock shows 3:38 AM and there is not even an ounce of sleep lurking in any corner of my head! Damn the Nestle company. They make such good Iced tea, gulped too much of it, and it's kicking in. So, what do I do? Start blogging!<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Do tell me, which version sounds better?</span></span>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-89859853777716342002009-09-01T15:24:00.000-07:002010-02-10T21:41:53.908-08:00Wake me up when September ends.....Version 1:<br /><br />But first can you sing me a lullaby,<br />or else, do sprinkle the sleeping dust,<br />Oh please! do the thing you do best,<br />That magic of urs whatever it might be......<br /><br />Version 2:<br /><br />But first sing me a lullaby,<br />sprinkle the sleeping dust,<br />Oh please! do the thing you do the best,<br />That magic of yours, whatever it might be!<br /><br />Cheers! This happens to be my first personal post on this blog that I created for this sole purpose. I have to thank Prashant of Tatsat, though, for because of him, did I start blogging after quite a while, again.<br /><br />Now, the clock shows 3:38 AM and there is not even an ounce of sleep lurking in any corner of my head! Damn the Nestle company. They make such good Iced tea, gulped too much of it, and it's kicking in. So, what do I do? Start blogging!<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Do tell me, which version sounds better?</span></span>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353335302563378.post-51981508879045166082009-09-01T14:38:00.001-07:002010-03-25T03:11:49.128-07:00Tatsat - A Scoially Conscious Store<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Socially conscious shop has been defined as one that sells sustainable, eco-friendly, recycled products. Being a socially conscious shop also means supporting the community, local artists, NGOs and Fair Trade Organisations.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> With a focus on triple bottom line, Tatsat a retail store in Hauz Khas works as a bridge between marginalized producers and markets. Established as ‘Shop with a cause’ in Delhi, it offers most of the products sourced from either NGOs or fair trade organizations or green producers. Tatsat offers numerous alternatives to sweatshop production in pottery (glass, stone and ceramic), stationary (paper pulp, recycled paper, elephant poo), jewellery (glass beads, metallic, paper, wooden), and other miscellaneous products for office/ home use (banana fibre, jute, cloth) and handloom fabrics.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">By procuring these products from NGOs, self-help groups, fair trade organisations and socially conscious companies, Tatsat offers customers an alternative to sweatshop production bringing them closer to nature and rural artisans. Every purchase you make improves the lives of poor artisans. Here is a list of the various suppliers of Tatsat: </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>CFM</strong> - <a href="http://whycfm.org/">Community Friendly Movement</a>. As a supply chain manager for many artisan communities CFM provides a one stop shop for retailers and wholesalers who are looking to source quality handmade products from India. They provide <strong>handmade jewelry</strong> and <strong>bags</strong>. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>AADI</strong> - Located at Hauz Khas, AADI works with disabled people. They provide <strong>handmade paper products</strong>. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>Prerana</strong> - <a href="http://www.preranahandicrafts.com/stores.php">Prerana</a> is a brand of handicrafts and lifestyle products promoted by ESAF, a registered charitable society working to mainstream the marginalized people through micro-finance and enterprise development. They provide <strong>coir and banana fibre products</strong>. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>Himjoli</strong> - A Kumaon based NGO. Provides <strong>skin care products and other traditional products like terracotta diyas, terracotta trays</strong>. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>Mura</strong> - A collective that provides Shibori fabric, sarees, salwar kameez fabric duppattas and other textiles. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two Eco-friendly Companies: </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>Haathi Chaap!</strong> - Provides <strong>Environment-friendly, organic and safe paper made from elephant poo</strong>. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>Green Somethings</strong> - Provides Plants and hand-made soaps. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is a small video that gives you a walk-through of some of the jewelry that they have put up in their shop: .</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal;"><object height="600" width="800"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6338859&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6338859&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></span></span><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/6338859">Jewelry at Tatsat</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2148811">Muralidhar Duvvuri</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br />If you have any interest or queries, please address you mails to tatsat297@gmail.com <br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>IMPORTANT **This post has been written by me for the Weblog, "Tatsat - People, Planet and Profits" in my capacity as a contributor to that weblog. This is just a reproduction. If you liked this post, then please visit http://tatsat297.wordpress.com/ and go through the whole blog.**</b></span></span>Mural!http://www.blogger.com/profile/11643191331885148010noreply@blogger.com0