Five stars hotels in Delhi have always been out of bounds for mango people! Largely beacuse they are best and the costliest of their kind and located in areas off limits for common man. After all how many of us would go and dine in diplomats enclave or would like to hit the floor in a building surrounded by the ridge of kilometers?

I had heard that Hiltons are famous for doing weired things (Let's not forget the heiress Paris Hilton) and so they have done in Delhi by cropping up a huge garden less or should I say one with a miniature garden building right at the end of an ugly DDA District Centre building in Janakpuri - an area dominated by retired government babus and migrated punjabis.

The view is hardly breath taking! But it's altogther a different story when we see it from metro. The metro station balcony has become a spot for youth with sparkling eyes! I am taking about the youth that works their ass off to achieve the next level of social strata and their key to this sankritisation that lies in Hilton! Well at least they dream so!

Sudden errection of a world unattainable in middle of their terrotary has triggred a series of dreams and wishes in unknowing minds!

Everyday I see at least two people standing at the station balcony quietly... just standing and gasping at the see-through lobby of the hotel! One day I will dine there and then probably stay and probably have my business deal.... dreams go on!!

I am sure many would have made positive attempts too even it might have costed them a month's salary!

Well I too made a similar attempt but hardly positive! It was for my very close freind who always wanted to go there once! at least! Luckily or should I say unluckily I got an email offer from hotel to dine in at 90 per cent discount (I was still supoosed to pay Rs 5000 something, almost my month's salary then). I planned the dinner for my b'day. But alas! the offer expired the day before I was to make payement!

A dream was shattered, a battle was lost! but was is still in my hands! I still dream to make it there for the sake of her! The Hilton in my balcony has become icon of what I want to achieve (at least at the monetary front) for my loved ones! Hilton has become my hilltop and I have just starte trekking!   

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Today 8 people turned up for what was a campaign of millions only five years ago. The situation was very much like today and a organisation fuelled by young blood not unlike India Agaianst Corruption had held the Indian eyeballs. Media was on to it without going into break for days together. Everybody was a member of YOUTH FOR EQALITY - a group formed by AIIMS doctors to fight against impending reservation.

Thousands fought water cannons and tear gas shells and filled jails to support the cause. The only difference from today is that they did not have a charismatic Gandhi like leader and to think of it they still managed all that. 

But I fear for the fate of Anna's organisation. Will Indian Against Corruption also be tattered as YFE five years down the lane?

Today I went to Youth For Equality's meeting. I am not a member, but I do support the organisation for its cause and its methods. Although it lost the battle against OBC Quota Bill and hence the media attention but for them the war is not lost!

The few left from original core froup have been fighting legal battles against reservation, commissions, researches and parties! But of course due to lack of funds and power they have won none so far! But their efforts didn't stop there! They launched a party to fight elections to Lok Sabha, but could harness only 1300 votes... from millions across the nation to 1300 in 2 years, well that's not a good stat and today only 8, definately dvindling! but the group now hopes a revival!

Youth has once again united over something, youth which was once member of Youth For Equality and more! there is a potential support and they plan to harness it, but how?

Today Youth For Equality has become a name that was once to reckon with but hardly a reality today. People like what gets media attention and no matter how hard they try and how much people remember them its not gonna work untill they manage to turn lenses on them again!

But it's not just a sad story, there's a silver lining too! Amit, a cordinator of YFE told me that core member Ravi Mishra has managed what they could not do in Delhi. He brought people together and has managed to win 3 panchayat seets in Jharkhand. One might wonder how come they won on seats where OBC and Dalits are majority? Well, Amit has an answer to that. 

He says people who belong to the poor strata of society understand there cause and do not mininterperate them as anti-dalit like high and mighty. He says YFE is about supporting the needy rather than greedy!

From the zeal in Amit's eyes I could say he has a long way to go1 YFE has a long journey to cover and who knows they may finally reach a destination that seems more peaceful, more just and more equal!

Here's to a bright future of Youth For Equality and organisations alike!!!  

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We make friends and then we fight with them. Some say that these fights add strength to our relationship, make it stronger with every bolt, but things can be rather difficult if it do not turn out that way. My friendship with my closest buddy has been ruined and I just don't know how to cope up with that. Here, I said it! I can't imagine my life without the greatest person I have ever met - my best friend, my soul mate and my partner in every crime :).

We have known each other for more than six years now and its been a year that we are not...  let's just say happy. Despite all the differences, despite all misunderstandings and reconciliations. we miss each other and yearn to be together. Both at our ends, I am sure! But just can't be, for a relationship once broken cannot be restored to its former glory. And I have realised this in a very painful manner.

Life has become so dull and meaningless for I don't have that particular person to talk to, that person to discuss my problem jokes and frustration with. That one person who had solution to my every problem, who never seemed to be uncomfortable to meet me or catch up on phone at any point of time. I miss those days desperately when he was always there. But he is not anymore and it hurts every time I take breath, not in a superfluous sense but truly.

I try to move on but I can't for I don't want to leave behind the most beautiful part of my life.. of myself. There could be no one who can replace him, who can even substantiate even a bit of what he was for me. Now, I just hope that I can learn to live with this solitude and perhaps cherish it someday.

Here wishing myself and my best buddy forever.. A Best of Luck! 

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We all are hunters, of course not all in the same genre, but yes all of us are hunters - in one way or the other. Some of us are hunting happiness, some are on a look out for money, other are in ambush waiting for right partner but all of us are definitely hunting better jobs!

In the commercialised 'open market' of our sweet rapidly developing nation, options are plenty. It's just that they don't help much. Because right job is never available at the right time. Either the vacancies would be recently filled or will be about to open, but never there. Either we will be under qualified or over, but not rightly educated. Our right contact will not be in town. We will miss out the document deadline for some idiot clerk in some idiot university did not maintain records. Or simply we are running in bad luck!

And if all of this fails to entertain Mr. Misfortune, our dream job would not exactly be a fairy tale once we land it. The boss will be too interfering. Work load too much. The support staff too lazy. The HR too bugging. If all that is fine, our job isn't challenging enough.

Need a new Job! Well some my friends use that phrase in every phase of their job. Be it nomad (unemployed), primitive (fresh job, rosy), Learner (stress builds upon), Pissed (irritation, errs), Frustration (log in to job portals) or Salvation (short lived, :)). The cycle is inevitable, unless you want to sit free at home and build up even better forms of frustration. So, basically it is our duty as a part of privatised India to keep hunting.

And everyone in our overqualified nation wants a Tiger, that is nothing but the best! But alas! India has only 1706 tigers and 1.21 billion hunters! :(

What to do??????  

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Last year has perhaps been the longest one in my life. Not for unhappiness but for the happenings. In last 365 days, I have experienced life like never before. Month by month, I made friends, experienced cities and cuisines, had flings, tasted drinks, attended parties - all kid of parties - conferences, luncheons, marriages, birthdays, college freshers, anniversaries, even the disco parties, which are organised, thrown and attended for no other reason than to get drunk and dance like hell.

The year passed away with hues unseen for me. While I spent most of my year with probably the best research minds in the country with immense experience and knowledge to share and to evolve, off lately I am also having a gala time with people who perhaps have just stepped out of their nests but ready to take on the world as it comes to them.

Within a year, I have 'planned' and prepared to visit over 26 cities of the country, well I could make it to only eight of them :(, but hey those were amazing trips. From serious business cruise with the boss to thoroughly unplanned college trip, I rocked them all. Damn the trips, even the planning for me is fun. The excursions also marked a lot of firsts, like Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express and most of all an aeroplane. The view from the top was breathtaking.

From writing business proposals and marketing strategy plans to giving surprise tests for 10 marks in college, well what can I say. But the best part, no doubt, has been writing this blog. I could never imagine that I would ever be able to express myself as a blogger. I am just a beginner but the love that has been showered upon me here is unmatched. This space gives me immense satisfaction and glory to live by. All thanks to Kalpana Mam.

I made numerous friends, senior workaholics,sports junkies, vellas, MBAs, PHDs and friends just like that. And I do not know how many of them might actually end upp being my life long buddies. At least I hope so.

Hope I continue to make new histories and turn new milestones in days and years to come by.

P.S.: I dedicate this entry to all my lovely friends whom I met in last one year, Specially Divya Aravindan! Love you Dear! God Bless You All

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“Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi, ke her khwaihish pe dum nikale
Bahut nikale mere araman, lekin phir bhi kum nikale”
We live once, and if we live more than once, who remembers to rejoice or remorse? So basically, we have one life to be happy, to be sad, to be loved, to conquer and to make proud. And we all want to make this one time count. 

As soon as we begun to understand the value of our precious birth, we set a clock, a timetable, wherein we decide the years for studies, sports, romance, marriage, children and hobbies. But what if life refuses to follow our path, our master plan? Well, no big deal, it always does, we all have faced the irritating situation and that’s when we realise, whatever the hell with it, I am going to live it all everyday in every moment and be content. Content in smiling, content in crying, content in celebrating and content in dying. So far in my timid life, I have been content. I have been loved, cared for, pampered, made beautiful friends, met amazing people, visited exotic places, heard unknown facts, explored jungles, scaled mountains and most importantly laughed – till my tears came strolling down. I have lived. And if I today I die, I have no regrets.

Just like my dad. He was a jolly man with high ambitions, till he learned he has heart disease and cannot involve himself in any kind of heavy physical activity. He was 22 then. Just about what I am today. He was by then captain of his district Cricket team, and champion of Chess and Carom in the State, but he quit all of them. And as I knew him, became a quiet man with very less demands.

His daily routine had only home to office, office to home with minimal baggage as he could not carry more than a lunch and a content smile. But he was happy and he made sure, we were more than that. He made us live what he could not in his first 22 years. I have had most adventures and wackiest trips around country with him, shared most naughtiest pranks and made some of the most funniest jokes. We were a team. All four of us.

We were happy wherever we were and yet we all wanted more. He wanted more. He wanted to live his own life. A life he imagined for himself before the disease. And as I said earlier, we all need one damned incident in our live to send our pretty routine and cared world down the drain, my father’s chance came as his new boss. Who can say, a person who had worked for years in a department with utmost dedication can freed himself just because of a nagging boss.

His new boss was a blessing in disguise. My father started living again. He chose after office hours to fill in lost happiness during the day. His dressing sense improved. We shopped a whole new wardrobe for him (in 25 years of his married life it happened just once). New perfumes, deos, hair sprays, sweat shirts, jackets, the works! He started visiting places he loved, concerts he yearned, plays he always wanted to watch. He always took us along. We painted the town red with endless mushaiyaras, mehfils, nataks, sufi sammelons and what not. It was amazing for him and thus for us.

When he passed away suddenly one night, he was with his family of four with two kids, who had successfully graduated from school and were ready to take on the world and a very strong wife, he knew could conquer the world if she wishes to. He knew he has lived his life, fulfilled his duties, laughed and made people proud. He was content. Yet, he longed for many other wishes. Yet, every day, I count wishes he told would come true one day. Yes! They all will come true one day! I promise you Dad!

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Everywhere I see around me, I see fear. Fear of a future event - untoward incident. An incident, which has not yet taken place or has been confirmed. As far as I can see, it might not happen at all... at least I hope so, but everyone is scared. Scared of riots, bomb blasts, train burnings and chakka jaams.

And all this for what - for something happened 17 years back - Babri Masjid Demolition. With due respect to all religions, I do not see any point in all hue and cry related to Babri Masjid issue. I remember saying as a seven-year-old, "What is all that fuss about Ayodhya, mandir - masjid, mandir - masjid. Just demolish everything and make a damn park there for kids like us."

My parents laughed, but even today I do not think it was funny. On December 6, 1992, a mosque in Ayodhya, a religious city in North India, was destroyed by Hindu propagandists for it is believed to be erected upon the birthplace of Rama - a Hindu God. The demolition was immediately followed by riots in different parts of the nation.

The incident took a long time to cool down, in fact it never died down completely and comes up violently during every elections. Everything related to it makes news - verdicts, witnesses, anniversaries, committees, reports. But a forthcoming verdict, supposedly final, has created a sense fear among common Indians, which I cannot apprehend.

Yesterday, I read a news about an upcoming multistarrer movie being postponed for the fear of unrest in the country as a result of the Babri verdict. I felt strange, but the same evening my friend sent me an SMS, which plead friends to stand united on 24th September in the name of the nation. That message smelled fear, a threat, a mistrust of Indians on Indian Govt. and law and order authorities. Today morning, I saw an appeal by a religious sect to all their 'Hindu and Muslim brothers and sisters' to maintain peace and harmony on the eve of the final verdict.

But why? why do we need to plea, I mean isn't it understood that we all have been fed up of stupid fight over a peace of land and have grown over and can't imagine ourselves being puppets of greedy propagandists, who had never or will ever have people's welfare in mind. And in case we have not, it's high time we should be.

Please leave your comments on how you feel about Babri verdict?

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I have been writing this blog through inspirations. People around me, my friends, my colleagues, my family and events have all inspired me for each entry. But from past few days I have not found any inspiration. So I thought why not write about inspiration itself.

I have always been surrounded by beautiful people with amazing creative abilities. Some of my friends in school have been very intelligent and studious. They are doing well for themselves. Some of my friends have been highly expressive through alternate media and they are doing very well for society.

My parents thought I was a born leader, but I have always been following others' lead. I love to watch my friends do things differently and then I try to imitate. Though I do not confess it and never admit also but I do it because I think they are definitely worth following.

But in the meantime, I also try to maintain my own identity in midst of all. I do not know how much I succeed, but I get to see life through a different point of view. However, I admit that sometimes these people become very successful and it becomes very difficult for me to draw inspirations from them as I feel jealous, but that jealously again is my inspiration to believe in myself and my creative abilities, for  I am no less than others, it is just matter of time.

Everything I come across leaves an impression on me, my style of speaking is often influenced quickly by people I meet at everyday basis, irrespective of the liking factor between us. I have even felt influence in my writing style from the authors I am reading at particular point of time. Khushwant Singh makes me simple and witty, Jeffery Archer makes me mysterical and twisted, Khalid Hussein makes me facty.

I change with my surroundings and love to adapt! But then that is what brings variety in life. And I, for sure, enjoy variety the most. In the long journey of life, I wish to find many more inspirations and many more sagas to share. So while I go on a hunt for my next tale, keep getting inspired.


And please keep being my inspirations for I am you :)

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'Extempore' - the word was introduced to me after I accidentally made one. I was in Ninth standard when I had volunteered to make weekly environment speech in morning prayer. But, I forgot. I was wandering fearless until one of my friends casually wished me the best of luck. I was stuck and did not know what to do, I could not step back - it was too late, so I decided to do it and I did it and to my surprise was awarded with a warm applause.

My listed topic was polllution, I chose a sub issue - noise pullution and gave few silly examples and made my way through. After the unexpected applause died down (I was still shaking with nervousness), my English teacher approached me and asked, if I would like to represent school for upcoming extempore competition? I asked her what is an extempore, though surprised with my question, she explained. I quitely refused and never made one again.

Extempore, I opine, is sheer injustice to the audiences for they deserve better. Any patient listener has full right to a well researched and through off speech with full presence of mind and concern on speaker's behalf.

The fashion of making on the spot speeches for showing off spontaneity and deep knowledge of subject matter has never been practice among read people. Any famous speaker, who might have in past gave a so called extempore, had always strategically planned for it for days and rehearsed it several times.

So please dear friends, collegues, teachers, class mates, bosses, I beg you guyz do not ever try to make one.. for we deserve better!

And I pray for all of you that you do not have to bear the one too!

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My life is mixture of dead-ends and new beginnings. I have met so far in my 22 years almost as many dead-ends and as many fresh starts.Every new beginning gives me immense pleasure, excitement and thrill but is obviously presided by a fear, a stigma and a guilt of mostly abrupt and only sometimes decent endings.

Each time I open a new book, buy a new toy, or install a computer game I feel I have found the world, but like other X generation kids, happiness would not last much longer. During my childhood, I enrolled in stitching, knitting, Kathak (classical dance), Odissi dance, Origami, paper flower making, aerodynamics, Spanish and Urdu languages, mehndi/heena application and several other courses I can not even remember now, but completed only few.(I have just started learning driving and guitar!! do not know how far that will go)

First days of every class are always very fascinating. It's all new world with new people and excitement and then gradually it becomes monotonous, actually it becomes monotonous quite quickly in my case. All those new books, new people seem old and boring and in due time it all becomes too pushy and unbearable. And then suddenly, I want to break free, away from those pushy people who think that I am lame and find opportunity to make excuses, in most of the cases I find a very good excuse to place it before my mother, like in Spanish it was a broken leg, in Urdu it was shift of work schedule, in Kathak it was teacher's rude attitude and knitting was not just my thing.

My Mom has always been very worried about my attitude towards work. Her worries about my inconsistency earlier irritated me but then amused me (I was particularly amused with notion that inconsistency is related to free spirit, happiness and different people, I felt I have my own identity). She used to lecture me, scold me, even give warnings but then she stopped. She stopped doing it when I took my professional life seriously and started working on my grads.

But my attitude did not change, it began to affect my professional life. For me, my career was never going in right direction and every new coming up job was better than the current one, I changed jobs too frequently and left them and sat at home when no new job was offered but did not work anywhere for even a year at a strech. No guilt no shame, because I am always right, my employers do not deserve me or vice versa, who cares!

But then I landed on this job! The place, I am currently working at, is awesome, and strangely has not given me a reason to quit so far. There was nothing new about this place. I knew most of the staff and my bosses were familiar to me but somehow I kept making friends here every month. Every bunch of new friends inject freshness into my blood. My work profile has also maintained same dynamics, even its faster, it keeps changing its nature very week! obviously retaining the basic goal of my project. People here are great, colleagues cool, bosses even cooler. But then I am I. I have to change, move on. Even if I know I am currently probably at one of the best organisations to work for and probably at a very opportunate designation but still I want to move away.

I am moving away...towards a new beginning...towards a new journey, which marks threshold of a struggle to reach a place perhaps less smarter than this one but I need to embark this journey for reasons unknown, perhaps for terrorities unseen.

Wish me luck friends for you will never change and I am lucky to have you all!

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