Mirages & Milestones

Bored as we all are, of the current setup in our lives, what do you plan to do. Sit back and crib or do you have balls to just throw off the blanket of comfort zone and take a plunge into the unknown without a thought of what the others would think or feel !!

Not being preachy but two years after quitting a settled, easy going job and searching for fun, I now realize that suddenly I've gotten into a pretty comfortable situation which I never was in before. There are two weird times that you may come across - one where u r stuck and have no where to go, and the contrary where you have so many equally good options that u just cant decide. Happy to be in the latter at the moment !!

So been an year that I joined Voicetap and it has been a new day everyday till now. From an ideation stage to a point now that we at Voicetap are now launching with an international telecom operator as a complete VAS company, Ive been along all the while. Frustrations in the office to Hi fives on TV coverages, missed deadlines to happy cheques seen it all closely. If I look further it all seems a mirage but as we keep moving forward and look back, all of those mirages at one point were actually milestones unknown.

But now this feels closest to my understanding of being married. I have never been as committed as before. I go to my work religiously everyday and see the same set of faces everytime. The 7-8 ppl that Ive come across in past some month are so different that I've seen a new face of life each day. How can seven different ppl react to the same situation in seven different ways is what amazes me. I learnt adaptability, patience, resourcefulness, fact that there can be multiple extremes beyond your comprehension. A new perspective each day. All thanks to dada , sudhir, Mrigank & Khandelwal. I learnt Life. I am not scared of anything now !!

I dont have money, No one knows me in this city, family always has questions, I dont 'drive' to work, frens talk of salaries in 7 digits, but i somehow feel immune to all of it. There's a drive, there isn't one. I'm hallucinating that I have it all .. .maybe I'm drugged.... may be I feel that exactly at this day this time, I was meant to be here . .. . . But this is so comfortable. I smile to myself in this sweet winter chill of Delhi and believe that there's so much more I can do - even more than what you can imagine if you are reading this.

Playing a lot of blinds....and I dont really care if someone changes the joker this time.

Cheers !!

Wake up World !!

I get up in the morning at 730 on Thursday, to come across yet another blast news on front page in TOI, right in my face saying 91 dead in a powerful car bomb blast. I immediately think back and realize that its been a month that every alternate day I’ve been waking up to a similar news. That's not what I want to see when I get up in the morning. Not once have I smiled looking at my newspaper in the past couple of days. What’s going on man? Where are the peace forces or where are the forces. To a person like me it does not really matter where this happening is, be it Peshawar, Lahore, Assam or Colombo coz for me the world is one big place to live and have fun in. I want to be free !! this is really restricting me, my flight, my thought process. These 91 ppl dying were not Pakis only, they were humans, who while moving out of their homes did not know what lies ahead, just like us who move out for office, lunch or parties.

A war is a different story, but definitely not like this. This is not the life and not the death you and me would agree to. And believe me we can not afford to get ignorant. Like noted Guru Shiv Khera says 'If your neighbor is in trouble and u can sleep well, the next victim is you'. So I can completely see this Taliban thing proliferating. To India and ahead. And hey, why isn’t this being curtailed. Pak claims to have military enough to take on India, why is it letting Taliban take human life for granted. US forces all over the region are not taking a stand either. Peace keeping forces from UN and else where have always been utilized only in floods and quakes so no point expecting anything from them.

Is there a solution. . . Can we do anything about this at all? Because I’m so much not OK with no peace around and I’m sure many of you would second this thought. So I’m leaving this incomplete till I hear something better towards this or till I think of something better about this . . . .

My Friend says:

There’s nothing me and you can do about it

All I say:

Jaago Re !!

Sweet October Smell. . .

After spending a fairly long time on collecting my thoughts for the client discussions tomorrow, as I pass this lane near my house, this intoxicating smell again fills my mind with tickling sensations and I cant do nothing but smile.

This smell is very close to my heart as this is the first smell which I started loving rite when I was 2 ft tall. All over my school there were these trees with white flowers which blossomed only during the months of October and March. Very close relation with these flowers. Rishta isliye coz' these were the two months when we used to have exams . ..and study and frens place and while growing up spent most of the time in these groves. Fairly attached to these.

Lost some touch with this fragrance in college and then when I reached Pune I again came across this smell only in the elite societies and areas. Thats when I met this girl who had this tree rite before her home...Dunno what did I fall for first, well, she is no more with me and I just felt this smell back again. Seems she's following, I again can't help but smile, to mself. Its bin sometime that I have bin living all alone. ..

I'm but spoiled for choice. Have had multiple relations. . .3 hrs, 3 mths . . .. 3 yrs at all levels. In touch with most of them who are doing well and in good touch, but I just learn one thing. 'Love is so transient'. And yesterday, a virtual world's friend comes and says that it is wrong, there's love all around. True, I agree and thats exatly what makes me call it transient . . . .But just let it go.

This smell is making me realise, all that i need to do. . . . and at the same time . I want to write, and a lot more .. I'm terribly High and perhaps I'd return to you ...

my friends say...

'You need to understand people"

I say...

Aao milo chalo . . .

Cheers !!

समय सीमा समाप्त !!

.......I seldom hear people using this phrase "I'm just buying out time". Can some one please tell me how do u do that. I need to byee tonnes of it, bcoz today, all that I want is time. Its precious to me, far too valuable to trade for anything else. Money is passe'.
Help me buy out time so that I may get better proffessionaly, make presentations on time, send mails on time, save time in traffic and reach for that important meeting in time.
I want time to meet my friends, to go back home on weekends to see my folks well, i want time to read, to write the half done book, i want time to see places, I want time to find love.
I want time so that I get myself a dog, time to reach out and give back to the society, i want time to study more, time to share and implement my thoughts and ideas, time to eat slowly so that i stay healthy.......
......and hey, its not that I'm asking to be The One, I just want it to ease out, Relax ! Hate to hear that 'siddharth you need to get better at time mgmt'. Oh yeah I need to. But to manage i need to have some.

All I say : Time is an illusion !!

Another Expedition begins:Voicetap !!

Hi. Couldn't write for long: No excuses. Just, couldnt find time.
Updates: Many


Today marks one month that I landed in Delhi. the moment I set foot on the platform, I sent this message to my To be Boss: " सर ज़मीन-ऐ-दिल्ली को पाण्डेय का सलाम " and in the same filmi way I got a response " Voicetap तुम्हारा मज़हब, Voicetap तुम्हारा ईमान " | That day itself I got a feeling, that it is gonna be fun. No doubt, it has been quite a ride since then.

it wasn't easy at all to unroot from the set life in pune which had become my microcosm for some time. However it was very important to move out of that comfort zone to register some growth.
Delhi, is a big place. Well, I'm not in Delhi for that matter but Noida sounds and is a bit downmarket place to be in. There's nothing small in Delhi. Evrything is inflated to a couple of degrees at least. Huge Homes, Flamboyant cars, humungus malls and equally great babes all around. And to add to it, No one talks normal, again inflated by a couple of degrees. So for a straight talking assertive person like me it is quite a challenge to stay in peace with locales but have to.

Voicetap is where I'm now. Always wanted to come to delhi to maintain closeness to home. V gave me the idea, M gave me the opportunity and here I am; trying to become a 'सेलू बन्दा' [one who can sell easily in M's terms]. HR is done with, ops played with for some time and sales is something I'm experimenting with. Not going all that bad, but time is something which is creating problems. Not able to manage it. but would fall in place shortly. Team is good. Lot of learning coming my way. So happy.

Not able to gel with the place. No frends. Dont feel like coming back home. Fone's the only frend since many days... will be for some more.

Will keep posting stuff now on. ....Like I said, many updates.

In the end,

We Choose Our Own Place !!

CHEERS DELHI !! I'm here to stay .

Leaking Conscience: Racism

A leading brand for detergents says ' दाग अच्छे हैं ' . We [Indians] are totally in love with entire concept of it and practice the fact freely. How can we ever go out and work things around in OZ when we ourselves practice complete segregation based on caste, color, region and every other fact that distinguishes a man from another. It's gone into the blood and no matter what detergent u use, u wont get rid of it.

We found a table near the cash counter in a busy restaurant in the heart of the city today noon. A customary hello to the receptionist who new us as regular ones. After some time we hear this guy hurling abuses to our counter waala man. just inquisitive we try to figure out and get to know that there was some issue over the bill payment and the mistake was on part of the customer. Now this well educated person was in full flow in his native language and was cursing everyone that they speak with the outstation guys who come from delhi and north, so nicely and dont pay respect to the natives. 'काय झाला ज़र मी कमी दिला .... तुमि हे मुलाना hi hello कशाला म्हणतो '
The shopkeeper was all ready to get a few blows had we not spoken in local language and pacified him.

So what if Indians are a target in Australia. We practice the same in India, in our own 'motherland'.

Devotion Ridiculed...

Considering my longer than ever presence at home, to be ample proof of my worklessness [read: uselessness], dad ignored my religious sentiments [ Siddharth happens to be almost an athiest], and tagged me along in his never ending quest to meet the one who takes care of all his issues [read: GOD].

Trip dedicated to Lord Krishna at Mathura, Vrindavan etc. I expected a lot of pooja paath and all but what met the eye was entirely different. Or rather the way i look at it is pretty different. Lacs of people at one time at one place trying to move over the one ahead and reach out to the all powerful. What i hated most was that mom who's got a lot of pain in her knees coz of arthritis, and Grandpa who cant walk were a part of this maddening crowd. 

1. I dont understand the difference in practicing religion at one's home or within oneself and in a public display of one's religious inclination. Damn. whats the need.
You cant walk properly, there's security threat, and u cant stand inside the temple for morethan 3 sec.... for which u've travelled for 3 days,..... what the hell..

2. Why do we have to pull the other one down....[refer to the fig.]. Mathura janmbhoomi which is the third largest temple in India, has an adjacent wall to one of the biggest mosques in India. It can be seen from the temple itself. Now when my 4 yr young cousin innocently chirps to see the place, which is barren and looks haunted as compered to the crowd in the temple, my Mom tells her 'wahan nahi jaana , wahaan sirf musalmaan log jaate hain'. I hated it. With all due respect i confronted mom. Why do we have to sow these seeds.... Damn it. Grow up....

Evolve...!!

आरम्भ है प्रचंड..

One of the best motivational songs...


आरम्भ है प्रचंड बोले मस्तकों के झुंड
आज जंग की घडी , की तुम गुहार दो

आरम्भ है प्रचंड बोले मस्तकों के झुंड
आज जंग की घडी की तुम गुहार दो

आन बान शान या कि जान का हो दान
आज इक धनुष के बाण पे उतर दो

आरम्भ है प्रचंड

मन करे सो प्राण दे जो मन करे सो प्राण ले
वही तो एक सर्व शक्तिमान है

विश्व कि पुकार है ये
भागवत का सार है
कि युद्ध ही तो वीर का प्रमाण है

कौरवों की भीड़ हो या
पांडवों का नीड़ हो
जो लड़ सका है वो ही तो महान है

जीत की हवस नहीं किसी पे कोई वश नहीं
क्या ज़िन्दगी है ठोकरों पे मार दो

मौत अंत है नहीं तो मौत से भी क्यूँ दरें
ये जाके आसमान में दहाड़ दो

आरम्भ है प्रचंड बोले मस्तकों के झुंड
आज जंग कि घडी की तुम गुहार दो

आन बान शान या कि जान का हो दान
आज इक धनुष के बाण पे उतर दो

आरम्भ है प्रचंड …

हो दया का भावः या कि शौर्य का चुनाव
या कि हार का वो घाव तुम ये सोच लो
या कि पुरे भाल पे जला रहे
विजय का लाल लाल ये गुलाल तुम ये सोच लो

रंग केसरी हो या मृदंग केसरी हो
या कि केसरी हो ताल तुम ये सोच लो

जिस कवि की कल्पना में ज़िन्दगी हो प्रेम गीत
उस कवि को आज तुम नकार दो

भीगती नसों में आज
फूलती रगों में आज
आग की लपट का तुम बखार दो

आरम्भ है प्रचंड बोले मस्तकों के झुंड
आज जंग की घडी , की तुम गुहार दो

आन बान शान या कि जान का हो दान
आज इक धनुष के बाण पे उतर दो

आरम्भ है प्रचंड ....


- Gulaal 09

GULAAL

Expressive. Real. Mind boggling. If I have to define Passion, I'd refer you to K K Menon.Terrific work again. It seems I'm getting more and more drawn towards Anurag kashyap's works. His style is superb.

Gulaal deals with a rajasthani traditional backdrop where the underlying theme is Rajasthan for Rajputs. With all there gleam and glamour these guys display the true grit of Rajputana which is led by there able leader Dukki Banna. This movie shows you another part of India which is rather unscene and unknown till now and has a certain mystique charm about it.

The dialogues are really very strong and delivered equaly well. Folk music has never been so much in your face before.

It seems Anurag[like subhash ghai] also has moved on a talent hunt and produces a superb vamp in this story. Kalki koechlin, and now Ayesha Mohan comes up very strong in her just second flick.

No doubt, Anurag Kashyap is a master story teller. He’s perfect behind the camera and has got power to nurture all his characters according to his wish. As the story progresses promptly you are bound to stick to the chair waiting for another sensational shot by the director. The movie was written by Raj Singh Chaudhary, Aparna Chaturvedi and Anurag Kashyap itself. It’s a narration of an incident, as I said earlier that Anurag Kashyap is a master story teller, he never let break of the story apart from the end where it just ends abruptly. Leaves you asking....

However a good watch.