A Bad day!!!!

After a tiring Friday, I was pretty relaxed about the weekend. While multitasking with a book and a song, my phone rang, surprised at the hour of the call and the caller, who turns out to be my very good friend from Mumbai, and wanted to speak to me about her disastrous day. As a true friend I went out to lend my ears as she broke out her series of unfortunate events in her “D-day”.

Actually sharing this on my blog was also her idea.

Let me put this to you in her words. “My day started off when I realized that the freaking alarm clock had woken me an hour late. As I rushed in to the bathroom I realized it was already occupied by my father, who instead of getting out was scolding me on the top of the voice. In the brawl I forgot to shampoo my hair leaving it in an oily mess. As I headed towards my closet cursing my memory, I suddenly realized that my dhobi hadn’t come making me leave the office in crumpled white kurta. I headed towards the kitchen to have a cup of coffee; my sweet little mother’s intentions to help me worsened my condition even more. We dashed and the coffee went all over my white kurta making it brown, smelly and sticky. I glanced at the watch and grabbed a kurta out of the closet, barely changed it and rushed out of my home. I was a bit lucky as an auto wala was already present outside my building and I asked him immediately to drop me at Seepz – Andheri. As I entered already 20 minutes late, I forgot that I was missing my gate pass to make things worse. I called up my office and asked somebody to help me out in this precarious situation and after 20 minutes of waiting I realized that the gate pass was hanging on my neck along with my office id on the other side. I felt I had completely lost it as I rushed through that gate; Man road runner would have definitely lost against me. After running 2 blocks from the gate, I made it to my office panting for breath. I went and searched for that stupid pen drive to make final amendments, when I realize Gosh!! It was a wrong one. Without thinking anything I called up Arun, frantically and explaining him the situation. I ask him to give me a ride and by giving few instructions to my colleague, we make a move towards the gate. I call up my brother and ask him stand downstairs with that stupid pen drive. Arun was a real savior as driving 10 kms back & forth escaping the Mumbai traffic and with the tight timing was truly amazing. We return back office as a survivors coming back from a strange mission, when we hear that after 2 nights of getting screwed up and having a terrible bad day, the clients have called off the meeting. Great…all done for nothing. My boss calls me and asks me to help my sworn enemy to help him in the presentation. Sitting clueless besides him as he looks with an evil glint in his eyes, suddenly the clock struck 1 calling for lunch. I rush towards canteen and as we find places to find that we have to wait for 15 minutes more to get our lunches fixed. Hungry as ever my friend gets this brilliant idea to drop by at Dominos nearby, as we drag ourselves in to the scorching heat and hunger. We end up having nothing but garlic breads and a 12 inch pizza. The idea of working with my enemy back again, irritates me. After a certain hours of fidgeting and a tea break I go and ask my boss to let me go a bit early making a weird excuse. I land up in to our company bus thinking of getting peace atleast for two days from office. Landing home early I find my home locked, terribly irritated and tired I sit on the stairs for 2 hours to find my mom back. What a day. To make it more badly the net was down and I had to eat brinjals again. Arghhhhhhh….What a day…

As I listened to this long story I hang up consoling her asking her to sleep tight. I wish and pray God never let me have such a terrible day...

Mosaic – A true conflict between opposites

I came across a book named “Mosaic” written by Soheir Khashoggi, an Israeli writer. I usually complete my books within a span of 2-3 days, but this book was a lot different from others. The story is woven in to the lives of a couple hailing from same culture but with a difference in their upbringing. The couple belonged to Israel but wife was a half American and the husband was a core Israeli. The troubles in their relationship start with the revelation of the truth about their elder son, who turns out to be a different persona, which is difficult for the husband or rather a strict Israeli to accept. How slowly the love in their relationship is converted in to a conflict of thoughts, feelings and ethics and how these conflicts take a drastic turn is brought out very nicely. The husband panics and decides to flee one night leaving behind a note for his wife and taking both the children away to his motherland. The fight and struggle undergone by the protagonist is clearly seen in the story as she strives to save her children and bring them back home with her, the struggle is really difficult as it is with none another but her own better half. The book leaves you as a reader on crossroads giving you good reason to think about your relationships. We often forget that commitment and compromise are two essential things needed for a good relationship. This story surely reminds us the same.

I personally feel that every book written brings some of the elements of a writer’s life. The same can be witnessed with “Mosaic” as such. One tip to share with all of you, kindly don’t read this book with a biased view. The couple was both wrong and right in their own positions; they both made their mistakes and had to undergo its consequences. To conclude “Mosaic” is truly a conflict, which has been brought out very beautifully.

Mami Mania

Mami a generic south Indian terminology used to refer a curious, nose poker, best oral advertising personnel, the best marriage bureau one must know and a typical madisar clad lady.

Ladies and Gentlemen the topic for today’s session “Inter-caste marriages”
After a bit of Thutham, Kaapi and Karam, Mami clears her throat and starts off with “ do you know that Lakshmi’s daughter?...with a deep breath and long sigh she says “ kali muthi pochu ”…she ran away with another caste guy…Poor Lakshmi…what a tragedy… Poor thing how can she now show her face in the community (I am one of the secondary reason for it) …Nobody knows about this issue except me (showing how exclusive is she in breaking the news). The girl looked so innocent and so homely; I was going to ask Vishalam to send her boy’s horoscope for her… “Yenda puthu la yenda pambu iruko yaaruku teriyum”. She is also ok but that Kitu’s son Rajesh married a Christian … Abacharam abacharam…Ava vera yellam sapiduva…A small discussion takes place between other mamis...They discuss further on where the couple met? When did they get married was it on church or a register office?? Finally a roar sounds, just like lion breaks off the different sounds of animals, our Mami swings into action and asks one of her colleagues Kausi, what happened to your son? I heard…………………

Hell comes in different forms!!

Last week at office, we started our preparations for sending our products aka reports out... …nothing new for us as such but with reports we had something else to follow clients and their queries…? From Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday (Yes we had to work on Sundays too….and we r not being paid for it…I hope HR ppl give us sum insights on laws) I see faces looking long, down and frowned, unhappy with the client’s responses…what all were we suppose to do when our boss was sitting on our heads and nodding his head stating we should have maintained the quality..Lol a very late time to realize.. But finally done is done…..

Monday…back in action… papers flying…People working…Our department swings back in full form…The query returns….We all were breaking our heads on what to do and not to do. Long discussions, meetings with the team... confirmation with the teammates on the issue...all on the loop the first half passed successfully… Finally a call comes from our Marketing team... client aka the king has responded with a new issue …An issue unheard of…droopy heads follow…Too tired to respond anymore, hungry, drained…we went off to canteen…A call comes for me as my boss calls me to his cabin and I gulp the tea and get my back moving… He shows me an article and asks “Aarthi, These are the mails that we have been receiving till date…Kindly tell us what you think about the whole issue?? I respond to my best of knowledge...I explain the whole thing, carefully speak up on behalf of our team that this is how we feel…My boss gives me a smile and says surely you have a valid point...Suddenly the quality control person interrupts…Sorry sir how do you think is the Mumbai team going to cope up with the issue aka our explanations?..My boss confused suddenly nods… aka the project explanation failed within the wicker of moment…Though a failure, it felt good to explain yourself…that smile proved that though you were a silent spectator and did not face the issue directly…your idea was appreciated..That felt good and great to let out how were you feeling and to know that even for that second you boss agreed to you and nodded along with you…

But bad news is yet to be delivered …We had a valid point to fight but we couldn’t, actually we didn’t...We kept mum as we waited for hell to come in different forms ….Hope next time we become devils and play hell on others who created once for us…