FLASHBACKS’08...The Memoirs of The Year That Was…

I wish to revisit the year 2008…in terms of all its milestones…in terms of all I’ve got, all I’ve lost, wishes that came true, miss-happenings which meandered and much more…lemme begin the month-wise journey then…without wasting any time…

Jan: Started Gymming…whoopiiieee…The most awaited dream of my life was to go to the Gym and start work-out…build some dolle-sholley…and January brought that opportunity to me. Being placed in December’08 from IMT Ghaziabad…life was a roll, no loads of the b-school classes, it was a reely a chilled out phase of life…n thts when I fulfilled my dream of going to the gym for the first time ever…continued this for almost half of the year...

Feb: Sold books…;)…Partied Hard…Oh yeah, it was the first time ever someone might have sold all the MBA books in a bulk deal and the money earned was utilized for a "noble cause" of partying hard like anything…Well, again those were the days in IMT, when every night used to be just another party night…and guess what…selling books was a rage in the college…N u have to be a part of it…n so I was. One fine day, me and all my friends packed all our MBA books in several bags and we were in Delhi for selling them, actually we had hardly opened them even during our 2 years of MBA ;)…1% of the money earned went to the God and the rest was used to get spoilt…badly :)…No pints for guessing...I miss those dayzzz…

March: Convocated…aaahaa…Can’t forget March’08; after all this was the month when I got the first convocation degree of my life (actually, engineering ki degree abhi tak mili nahi...). The emotions here were madly mixed. On one hand, we were getting our MBA degrees suggesting the completion of the days of education for this lifetime...(I Wish ;)) and on the other hand nostalgia surrounded the streets of IMT Ghaziabad…after all, two years of bonding were kinda coming to an end…friends were being parted…couples being separated…B-school masti was coming to an end…and on 18th November, from the kind hands of Mr. Narayanamurthy, I got my much coveted degree…signifying the end of padhaai ke din…

April: Feel at home…Oh yes, April came with another homely dose of my life courtesy Perot Systems, my new employer, as they had given me a date of joining which was 3 months and 12 days away from the last of day of college. While many of my friends were joining in the next 10 days, it was almost like a painful shock for me to wait for so long, the positive vibe was only being back to Jaipur, stay there with parents, relatives, friends, and family. But…having no option, I started my over long holidays eating great food at home…mom ke haath ka khana…too yummmmie mahn. But alaaaaaaaaas, I got bored too soon with meeting relatives @ Jaipur…after all I had visited all of them over n over in just 10 days and was left with nothingness…

May: Alternate Jobs…MIS consultant…Personality developer…and what not? Having been bored of life with nothingness…getting spoilt at home, and realizing that I couldn’t sit idle for so long, I had to ring a few bells, to spend my time constructively. And there begun...a flurry of amazing activities in Jaipur for me...

• First of them, the directors of a leading sunrise firm at Jaipur were happy to take me as a “Change Agent”; someone, who could convert their existing system into computerized format. The role of an MIS consultant...Well, I had a great time there, 11-4ish everyday…amazing, eye-opening changes for the firm…good fun overall...

• Secondly, I continued my gym stint here in Jaipur too and in the three months, had some visible improvements which still brings some smile to the face through the mirror…;)

• Thirdly, Internet can be great source of knowledge and 'moolah', the secrets will be revealed some other time, having applied for the broadband connection right at the outset of my holidays, I earned some 6-7k on the Internet, all in 1-2 hours for 2 weeks, with amazing learning for the self…

• Fourthly, arrey bi…MBA kiya hai…to gyaan baatna to seekh hi liya hai ;)…Got the opportunity to take some leadership and personality development classes in a few leaderships workshops. The highlight of these sessions was the mixed audience from college students to 40-45 aged businessmen, from doctors to housewives, from nice girls ;) to MBA aspirants and many more. Bringing change in their lives by talking and sharing experiences for 2 hours and forcing them to reely stretch themselves every moment if they wish to be someone in life was a very enriching experience for me too. I know that I am definitely not someone who has the potential to reely change some1’s life, but at the end of every session, getting their positive feedback and getting reviews like, “You have lit the fire in me today!”, gives some personal satisfaction to take home…

June: Viva la Salsa, Chaar Dhaam…The start of June came with a lucky surprise. A celebrity salsa workshop, happening for the first time in Jaipur, took me with an amazing enthusiasm. Salsa is one dance which is very close to my heart and the 11 day workshop not only taught me salsa but also gave me some fond memories of my Jaipur holidays. Was awarded the best Salsa dancer at the end of the workshop…I can't stop saying...”Viva La Salsa”...and I love this dance form.

Also, the fag end of my holidays got special when we had a 10 day family outing to the Chaar Dhaam Yatra…spending time with mom n dad, going to religious places Gangotri, Yamnotri, Badrinath & Kedarnath and definitely cleaning my “Paap ka full Ghada” at Gangaji was a pleasant holiday. With amazing scenic expeditions, life rattling trekkings, and solid photoshoots…I was all cleansed and content at the end of June…ready for my new stint in the corporate world…

July: Perot Systems, here I come…July 1 was the date of joining…awesome guest house…amazing induction under LEAPS (Lead effectively @ Perot Systems) program… a special attention…with 12 other management trainees……a new place Noida…this very important phase of my life started in 2008. This corporate leap was the only purpose of doing my MBA and I think the start is decent. The first month went by like anything, settling down in Noida…making new friends…shifting into a new 3 BHK with some of the Perot Systems friends…interfacing yet again to the typical 5 day IT life was all so much more welcoming with the “end of the month” Laughter…

August: Project Loyalty…The first project I got in Perot Systems as a management trainee was to design a Loyalty Product which Perot Systems could take to the market as a new offering. Pretty challenging one! This first project came with long hours of work and that too, grilling discussions, in-depth research, cost-benefit analysis, overseas calls, late night work and much more. Actually, there was a fire in the belly askin you to do more and more by every moment so that project comes out as the best. I enjoyed the work so much and the dedication was visible with the fact that there was not a single day when I had left the office before 8 PM. The final presentation was in front of our MD and it was again a nice experience in itself. Oh yeah…it went well…:)

September: Akash, the blogger…Another dream which had always been there in my heart was to own a blog in my name. Though it was not my first hand at blogging, but this was and is my best effort in the blogworld. "AkashSpeaks" got its birth when I had some free time after the completion of first project. The support of friends, every new comment, every new count on this blog used to bring a smile and used to keep me involved and it still does…though finding time is always a challenge…but after all life is all about finding time and managing it well…so the blog is alive and kicking…at least I could achieve the target I had set for myself of writing 1 blog every month. AkashSpeaks in the last three months of its start has got 13 posts…not highly commendable…but numbers still talk…:)

October: Strategy and… Well, on the official front I was indicted into the Perot Systems-Strategy for my second project. Have got a chance to work on some challenging and high priority projects being part of the strategy team. Works keeping me busy…n works keeping me happy. Diwali was nice as ever. But… October was bad…somehow…it was bad…a very bad month of my life…nothing more to say…after all...it’s all part of life…


November: Stint into the advertising world…O people, I didn’t change my job…told yaa works keeping me happy just a while back :). Perot Systems Strategy gave me the opportunity to work with an external ad agency on creating a set of 4 videos to capture the business unit’s capabilities. Writing scripts, collating information, showcasing content, arranging logistics for the video shoot, finding locations, narrating dialogues, Lights Camera Action and everything. It was all a nice learning experience in itself and believe me, advertising world is a helluva dynamic and creative industry…It keeps u kickin…!

All work and no play makes me a sad boy…and so went to the Lake City Udaipur too with colleagues to attend a friend’s wedding…good fun…nice city…but yeah, marriage continues to scare me at least at the moment…;)

December: Bulls and Bears…Always Rocking…Good time or bad time…I can’t say at the moment…but after a long wait I have started my stint in the risky stock market. Sensex, nifty, demat, closing bells, reds and greens…are all a part of my life now. I always wanted to invest some part of my kitty in stocks and so I got a start in 2008 only…right now, I m just devising my own rules of the game…so the journey seems to be long…fingers are always kept crossed in the D-Street…!


So that’s how the year 2008 has ended for me. Now, I request you all to share your highlights of the year 2008…I’m sure everyone wud love to hear and share at least the major milestones…so please feel free!
I wish all of you a very happy 2009.
Wish India comes out strong in the WAR against terror.
Wish there is more love and less hatred in the world.
Wish all of us sustain and keep smiling even during the financial crunch and the economies rebound back strong in 2009.
Wish the stock markets bloom ;).
And last but utmost, I wish 2009 brings joy, laughter, fun, excitement, peace and lots and lots and lots of happiness in your lives.

SHOW ME THAT CHARMING SMILE…:)!!!

Strengths Finder...!!!

Here I’m…yet again…after a long time…but this time I’m not talking abt my favorites Nikhil or Bhargavi, neither m I talking abt Terrorism, nor m I talking abt Bollywood. Guess what, for a change I am talking abt “me”. Now, this might sound like a narcissist trying to satisfy his ego…par kya kare, when its helping me get out of my writer’s block n time crunch…so be it…!!! :).



We all have come across various interviews during our lives and the most favorite question of the interviewees have been…”Talk about five strengths of yours?” Some people spend hours looking for their strengths, searching for them, copying them from friends, creating them from dictionary and much more…but today I’ve got to share what Gallop Uncle says my strengths are…

Recently, the HR team at Perot Systems conducted a special psychometric survey called Strengths Finder accessible only to the 13 management trainees christened as LEAPS (Lead Effectively @ Perot Systems). The half an hour online test sounded pretty bugging initially to me here at workplace I have everything but time…Anyways I had to take it…n so I did…!

To set a background, I must tell you that the test is created by the pioneers in human behavior Gallup and it brings out the 5 most suitable Strength themes out of a list of 34 strengths showcased in the book named Strengths Finder 2.0…all 13 of us got some glaring results and that’s made me share mine with ROW…I would recommend this test to everyone who is reading this blog, coz it might finally let you know ‘what makes you what you are…’

My 5 strengths, right from the Strengths Finder 2.0 result, in the order of their appearance are:
1. Competition: People who are especially talented in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.

2. Achiever: People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.


3. Strategic: People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

4. Relator: People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.


5. Command: People who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.

The idea behind letting people know their strengths from the book actually is to make individuals hone their strengths once they realize them…and the only key to job satisfaction as the book says is to work only on your strengths…to stay satisfied…

Now the challenge for me is to find out an area/field/job/profession which can provide me with an opportunity to hone my above mentioned strengths…well, I am looking for an answer…Can anyone help me...! Meanwhile if you get a chance to take this test or have taken it already, try sharing your results...Also, it wud be gr8 if you will mark your comments, share, or compare your own strengths in the process...:)

What Struggle is this???

So, This time its Mumbai, attacked again and we all have a topic to talk about with all the pangs and emotions, I was just wondering how long will this discussion last, my previous experience says 5 days…that’s the max, and then we will all again get back completely to our usual gossip and wait for yet another Breaking news…I know this might be hurting many of us but we all, including me, are like this and that’s what life has made us.

First it was Indian Mujahedeen and now its Deccan Mujahedeen, these things made me wonder what the hell this word Mujahedeen means and you all would be shocked in knowing what it actually means. Well, this is what Wiki says about this terror word:

“A Mujahid(Arabic مجاهد, muǧāhid, literally "struggler") is a Muslim involved in a jihad, who is fighting in a war or involved in any other struggle.[1] The plural is Mujahideen[2] (Arabic: مجاهدين‎, muǧāhidīn). The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad ("struggle"). In Islamic scripture, the mujahid contrasts with the qaid, one who does not join the jihad.
Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as Mujahedin, mujahedeen, mujahedīn, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn, and variants.”

If this is a struggle, then bloody hell, what kinda struggle is this? Can anyone think of any reason of this kind of terror trail which is being wrongly named under ‘struggle’? Struggle to me is something which is done for a cause which positively affects the lives of a large audience. Killing over 100 innocent people out of no reason, is that what these young spoilt minds call struggle. I think all the people behind this so called Mujahedeen gang are a coordinated group spoilt by some coordinators who instills in them a psyche of menace. These minds are so depraved and cracked up that they are driven by the immature feeling of killing innocent human beings. Their mind can be compared to a kid’s mind who enjoy killing terrorists while playing computer games like Counter Strike, Half Life etc. I don’t know but this is the most insane thing happened ever…

Also, the kind of jolt these attacks are have always given us are tremendously sad, first we lost our top cop in Delhi Shootout and now we lost other top ATS cops and many more. We all should definitely salute these Shaheed’s of nation, I salute you from the bottom of my heart…you walked the talk…you lead by example, but all I wanted was to see you alive. I wanted you to plan this in a such a way so that you act as a mastermind against their mastermind. You have an effective young and brave team of cops just like you who could swamp all the terrorists with the valor like yours and emerge out winners where the at least our country doesn’t lose the most efficient of its cops which may lead the misnomer Mujahedeen celebrate in their own way the death of peace…

I wish this is not a new different style of terror attacks where the targets are the top brass, foreign tourists and many others staying in luxury hotels being hostage, mercilessly shot down creating such an unanticipated chaos and spilling the sad and gory pictures everywhere…

I know I who is just writing a blog sitting on my comp can’t actually decide the way-out from all these chaotic situations which are happening every now and then in our country, but I can at least ask you all the solution to come out of this terror trail.

The first one comes from my side only. Firstly, we should start respecting and believing in the police force of the country and instill our confidence in them so that they are charged up and ready to fight any situations. The can become valiant and cautious at the same only with our appropriate support. We all are young and we have to have the eye and poise to trace out wrong or suspicious movements happening somewhere in very close proximities of some of us. We should take the initiative of being the informers of the nation. We might go wrong at one or two places, but I’m sure we will be right one day and that day we will surely be saving lot of lives and grace for the nation. We are the only ones who can catch them young and nip in the bud.

Another way of winning this war is to let the terrorists inane purpose of these attacks defeated by not showing and sensationalizing this chaos, but keep living and spreading happiness everywhere we can. Their purpose though no one knows about it but might be to spoil the regular peaceful lives of ours and we can deter their purpose only by continuing our daily peaceful lives as we always do, in fact spreading more happiness in the world we live in.

Was talking to one of my mumbaikar friend and she said eloquently that Mumbai never stops…everyone is back in action as if nothing had happened…Kudos to her…and all the mumbaikars…I am with you…the entire country should stand up together to fight this attack..Let us all be brave…Let us kill the terrorists purpose by showing the true spirit of being an Indian…Lets be unfazed…Lets be calm…Lets keep smiling…Lets keep winning…

PS: I was kinda disturbed, I don’t know why, may be coz of this entire mayhem in Mumbai…but I might be feeling better after writing this blog…I don’t know why that too? But, I am still waiting for some young ideas which we can contribute to the nation to stop these serial terror attacks being edged upon our wonderful nation…so think if you can…!

Diwali Greetings...:)

Though I have taken a lot of time to write this new post on my blog,
but believe me I had no time to write a full blog over this long period,
but finally I'm taking only a little time to copy paste these heartfelt diwali wishes to all the beings on the blog-o-world...

Hi thr…

Wish u all a very happy and a prosperous Diwali...














NJOY FULL ON…N DEFINITELY TRY GOING GREEN THIS DIWALI….:)

The Guy Named Nikhil: Part 1

Nikhil was brought up in a decent middle class family where he was being taken care of everything right from his childhood. He grew up as a naughty, shy and cute kid, having cheeks so fluffy, that every passerby definitely used to ‘poke-in’ on his cheeks elongating them some centimeters for sure. ‘Cheeekabo’ is what he used to call it and he knew he always hated it…

Well, this continued even when he grew up into an adult; only the audience to his cheeks changed with time. Though, the cheeks had a lean ‘cheekabo’ phase between 16-19 when his face got some signals of puberty, but that went off soon and he got spic and span to attract the new found ‘care’ mostly from the opposite sex.

Nikhil had his first crush when he was in the fourth class. The girl was almost six years elder to him but he had fallen in love with her, so much so that he had invented a stylish name for referencing her only to himself. She was Shruti and he used to reference her as ‘Trutsssss’. Definitely, he could never manage the courage to talk to her for the only seven days he had met her during an outstation wedding ceremony. But the feeling remained with him for a long time.

Good in studies and with nice communication skills, Nikhil had been a star among the friends. The shyness in approaching girls had remained inherent only till the time he managed to approach the first one. This had happened when he was in the eleventh class. And then, as they say, it was all history.

Playing volleyball had been the hobby even when it came on the cost of bunking some classes especially those which used to be the free classes of Nancy, the class ninth girl of his school.

He used to play volleyball, all in style, to show off while she used to style-off with her friends somewhere near the volleyball court. Lots of exchanged glances and one fine day, purposefully Nikhil’s threw up the volleyball into the destined bunch of ‘Nancied girls’.

“Can you pass on the ball?”…he reached upto them and asked Nancy, looking straight into her eyes.

Nancy along with the bunch of girls burst out in laughter and they were out of the scene in no time. Poor Nikhil was left aghast and all the more embarrassed.

And so, he could never gather the courage to talk to Nancy again until he met Priya. This happened during the annual school fair when he was in his last year of school. She was managing the class-stall in the fair making people play “Ring-O-Mania”. The same old game where one has to throw rings on articles and once you ring something, that becomes yours. Nikhil spent his entire day on her stall spending all his money and gifting all the articles kept on the stall to the host Priya only.

This definitely impressed upon the tall and beautiful Priya who, as his friends used to call, had ‘interestingly accentuated features’. And hence began his first friendship. It was the first lovey-dovey affair of his life. Spending time in coffee shops, school canteen, book fairs and eateries was an altogether different kind of fun element for him away from the sports ground and the volleyball fields. He never realized before that all these places had so much more in them.

This also gave him the opportunity to understand what was there in a girl’s mind because earlier while reading the text books stating “mind is present only in Human beings”, he had misread it as “mind is only present in Man beings”.

Though he realized he was not the best at reading a girl’s mind but the experience of knowing these all together different beings was very different for him and he was loving it all. He never used to have similar conversations with his friends in school. And he realized he never ever had a girl as a friend in any of his group of friends, before.

The aftermaths of this 'affair', as his friends used to call it, came with the teasing of friends, the eyeing of teachers in the class and the special attention of girls in school. All this was new found to him but he was finding it way different… interesting… enticing and all the more exciting…

The friendship with Priya lasted for a few months till the time Nikhil left school. On the last day of his school, Priya was crying but at that moment, he could never realize that he will also be missing her. But, seeing tears in her eyes made him feel for the first time how important he could be for someone. The distances between them grew with time and both of them soon drifted away from each other…leaving it as a sweet memory in Nikhil’s mind…

He just thought of it as a 'connect' which the two of them shared till the time they were connected and he moved on...realizing nothing...

The First Date...The Last Date?

She dials in the second last number on her last dialed entries…and says, “Poor fellow wants to meet me tomorrow…again… (a loud laughter followed…) don’t you worry…I am sure I’m not turning up...”..."Or..even if I turn up..I am sure he'll be in for a tough time...something hes given many girls..what does he say..'its cool mahn'...yes Nikhil..its gonna be very cool"...

And she drops the call soon...still thinking of her plan of action for tomorrow...dozing off after a while...
__________________________________________

Next Day:

It was 6PM and Nikhil was already waiting on the coveted hot-seat of the food court. Nikhil saw beautiful curly hair appear on the floor yet again right at 6:30PM, he was sure this time, it cannot be her...‘right on time’. But he was surprised to see her there. All charged up…walking up to him with the cutest smile he had seen.


She had a bouquet of flowers in her hand and she was walking up closer to him. She hugs him gently, hands over the bouquet to him and sits right in front of him. Nikhil was just about to gain his senses out of the mist of her splendid perfume and she said, “The bouquet is for the long wait which you did for me yesterday. I know I have been rude to you in the past but yesterday you made me realize that you are not the SOB which I was expecting you to be…" And she started approaching him closer to his left cheek……

And suddenly his phone started ringing which brought him out of his daydreaming. Aghast…he saw the screen flashing “Bhargavi calling…” Oh well, not again…she must not be ditching me yet again…

“Bhargavi…What the hell!! Its 7 already…how much more u want to me to wait??…I wished you wud have come…at least for some time…”... ‘Gosh!!! The desperate me…’ he grumbled…

She rattled back, “Look Nikhil, I don’t like malls; I am waiting right outside the mall. Quickly rush out or I will be leaving in another 5 minutes.” And before Nikhil could say anything, the call was dropped.

He rushed down the elevators almost stumbling down three times.

Right at the front gate of the mall, there was a Black Toyota Camry waiting. Nikhil saw her sitting at the back seat, the driver on the wheel. She was busy combing her shining black hair…her face was turned sideways. Nikhil could just gaze at her eyelashes through the strands of her curly hair...waiting to see her again...These 2 days had seemed like 2 decades...

As he reached close to the car, she asked the driver to open the front door. And she commented, “I think I should keep a safe distance from the Nikhils of the world….” With the sheepish smile on his face, he had no other option than to sit with Mr. Natthuram.

First her father and now the driver, why every male around her furnishes such a deadly huge moustache…Nikhil thought…

“Natthuram ji, ghar chaliye.”

“WHAT??? Are we going to your home Bhargavi. Don’t you think it would be too early for me to meet your parents…?”

She laughed aloud…“Nikhil…come on…I am not fool enough to take you home…That was just to scare the hell outta you...By the way…U look cute when u r scared…Chalo, lets walk…”,

‘SCARED n CUTE’, Nikhil didn’t know whether to take it as a compliment or plain insult.

Both of them got out of the car. Nikhil noticed, she was dressed in a white dress with a broad leather belt draping her skirt across her waist properly. Her transparent white sandals as she stepped out of the car made Nikhil think as if an angel was coming out. Her earrings were small, still very fashionable adding to her charisma. Nikhil thought again, "It’s a dream or a reality…I am finally meeting her…"

They started walking and Natthuram Ji followed in the car.

"CAN WE TALK?"…he stated his pick up line again..cursing himself for the lack of originality.

"Hmmmmmmmm? How many times and to how many girls you have said this before…?” She broke the silence created by the breeze which was crossing both of them.

“Not many Bhargavi. Seriously, you are different, way different than anyone else. I can’t express this in words, but believe me you are the one. All my lifetime I have liked only the girls who have been challenging, if any girl had come up to me on her own, my interests for her had gone down. In that sense you seem to be way different, really challenging. And definitely the most desired one too…”

“All you guys are the same, you definitely find every girl different in the beginning but soon you get familiar and again start looking for some THING different. Isn’t it true…Nikhil?”

“I won’t lie on this Bhargavi. It’s true that one looks for change in life but that change seeking proposition goes on till the moment you don’t find someone who is much more than all the changes you have ever seen in the life. Over and above that, it’s the connect, that makes life a worthwhile experience and when that connect goes missing, it’s better to look for change…isn’t it?”

“So, you mean to say that you would look for your own so called ‘connect’ and then you would part ways than even when you know that the girl whom you are with still shares the same connect.”

“I think a connect happens with the two - together, that’s my philosophy. And both should definitely realize, when is the moment when the connect breaks. I think there is no point to continue for the benefit of both after the connect is broken. Both can try a couple of times but that’s it…you have to make a move after a while…”

“So, that’s the reason you broke up with Swati and that’s the reason you never got along with Aruna.”, She asked him...

It came to him as a jolt. The floor from the bottom of his feet started quaking.

"So how many connections have you broken till date? Or let me put it the other way..how many connects did you feel did not connect to you Nikhil?"

Had it been someone else..Nikhil would have lied on her face..but to her..he didn't get the urge, "I won't lie to you..I have had relations in the past..I haven't been a nice guy Bhargavi..I have broken a lot of promises..and trusts..and have moved on...I am bad and I know I'm"...."I don't know why I am saying this to you..but I don't wanna lie to you..."

"Ahh..and you think you gonna impress me by stating some true facts…" she interrupted...

"I don't know what makes you dislike me so much..but I am finding my connect here...a connect for which I have waited all my lifetime...a connect which might last a lifetime...N this is coming straight from my heart...right for the first time...", Nikhil was being desperate..

"Lets cut this senti business Nikhil…I'am not in for it please..You have broken many hearts and I am here to teach you a lesson…something that you rightfully deserve...I gotta go now..I have other important things to do..."

"Will we meet next?"

"Why do you wanna meet me?"

"I don't know..."

"May be when you can give me some reason to meet you...as of now, I don't see any..."

With that she gestured to the driver...
________________________________________

A few MOMENTS later:

There was already a great distance between them by this moment…they were going in different directions...far away from each other, soon...




PS: With contributions from none other than Richa (aka Santa)

Rules from Men: Out for the First Time!

We always hear "the rules" from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side....our side:

Please note... these are all numbered "1"....ON PURPOSE!

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Breasts are for looking at and that is why we do it. Don't try to change that.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Saturday = sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:

• Subtle hints do not work!
• Strong hints do not work!
• Obvious hints do not work!

JUST SAY IT!

1. ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us!

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.

1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done…Not both, If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colours, like Windows default settings.
Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a colour. Pumpkin is also a fruit.
We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine, Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as:
Sex, Sport, or Cars.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round might be a shape.

1. Thank you for reading this; Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight, but did you know men really don't mind that, it's like camping.

Pass this post to as many men as you can - to give them a LAUGH.

Pass this post to as many women as you can - to give them an EDUCATION.

PS: Got this one as a forwarded mail, but cudn't resist putting it up on the blog :) Afterall, most of the mails WE receive are 'SOMEWHERE OR THE OTHER' related to females...very few mails come out where we get to read about male's pschology.

The Day After That Night...

Nikhil, the guy who used to live in every moment, one who used to create a great atmosphere wherever he used to go, who was the star among his friends...; was in a completely engrossed mood today, way different than his normal self.

To Arun and Vyomkesh’s surprise, Nikhil got up very early today and was the first to catch the office bus, the same bus which he either used to miss or used to come running to catch it at the very last moment. Usually the atmosphere at home also was full of music…loud music and lots of crazy hullabaloo, courtesy Nikhil; but today, there was pin drop silence coz the one who used to be the trouble and laughter creator was in a different world altogether…

Riya, the girl who sits next to him in office waved in the normal chirpy style, “HI NNikheeeel…wasssssssup dude?”, but Nikhil was staring his computer screen deeply engrossed in his own thoughts with three lines of tension clearly visible on his forehead. Having felt unnoticed, something which a beautiful girl can never stand. Riya puffed Nikhil hard on his shoulder…”Kya bi…where are you?” Khair leave all that. Tell me, “Kaisi lag ri hoon?” “Look! I have got this new shade on my hair…don’t u think it’s awesome…””Also, what about the new sexy pair of sandals…don’t u think they rockkk?”

Perturbed enough and moving his eyes wherever Riya was forcing them to, he just could say, “Wonderful Riya!” in the end and he got back to his screen again. By this time, chirpy Riya was already mad, she threw her dazzling bag and went straight to the canteen to fetch her daily dose of Sugar Free Black Coffee, and yes, she obviously didn’t ask Nikhil to tag along.

Nikhil realized he had committed a big mistake; this is not the way he should behave with his good friend, Riya. Though he didn’t want to engross his mind anywhere else but at the same time he even didn’t want to hurt Riya. He went to the cafeteria where Riya was sitting already facing the window sipping her hot cuppa coffee. Nikhil took a glass of water and sat in front of her, with the same long face.

“SORRRY RI…I’m sorry!” just those words and Riya burst out with laughter, “Baj gai naa! Aage se never behave like that with mighty RIYA!!! Chal bachhha Nik, now quickly tell me Mai kaisi lag rahi hoon? And then tell me your Love story.”

Nikhil was surprised and a thought again crossed his brainy neurons, “Why and how is it that true friends understand the entire situation so quickly without even your saying a single word. And when the friend is of the opposite sex, the understanding is always Bang On…!”

Before he could say, “How do you know?” Riya said, “I know mahn, don’t I know you?..Well, that’s the only reason I have spared you for your misbehavior today. And by the way, even I haven’t heard annnneeeeething interesting from a long time now”...She winked with a cheeky smile.

It took only a few moments for Nikhil to narrate the entire night’s happening to Riya and he ended the scene-by-scene account by just saying, “Riya!!! Dammit….I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I really..truly..madly..deeply have fallen in love with her.”

Listening to the entire account like a sweet small kid, Riya gave her typical big-time consultant look and popped out her suggestion, “Look my dear Nik, why are you so tensed???...DUDE!!! You have her number…right? Call her and ask her, how does she know you?”

Nikhil thought, “Goddamn! Riya is great as a friend but I hate her when she becomes a consultant friend…OH!” Grasping his emotions and controlling the same for that moment, Nikhil could only show a smile.

Whatever Riya would have suggested, Nikhil liked the idea of at least calling Bhargavi to meet her somewhere because at this time, He couldn’t concentrate on work; in fact he was not able to concentrate on anything. Wherever he was seeing, whatever he was doing, wherever he was going, he could see only those beautiful eyelashes and those curled hair...

Since, his thoughts were going nowhere, he picked up his phone and dialed in the number…

Hi Friends,

First of all I would like to thank my friends Richa (aka santasizing) and Priyanka (aka ChirpyParo) for contributing to my blog and continuing or I should say sensationalizing the story titled "The Stunning Beauty...That Sunday Night".

This is turning out to be very interesting for all of us. We are living the lives of Nikhil and Bhargavi and are adding small snippets, again our imaginary creations to build up a beautiful story...

You all can contribute, add, comment and definitely read and be a part of this small creation and effort from our end...we are really loving it!!! And we wish the same is happening for all of you...:)

Also, I am continuing this story in the next blog from where we have left it, all those of you who have missed the action till now, go through the complete blog "The Sunday Night...That stunning Beauty" on the following link... http://akashspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/09/stunning-beautythat-sunday-night.html Read everything, even the comments section coz that's the place where all the action is happening...

Keep following this story through comments, labels and posts and keep driving urself straight from the heart...!!! :)

The Stunning Beauty...That Sunday Night...

You all must have been to malls of today...hustling n bustling with a lot of people everywhere...shouting children, huge families, young eye-locked couples, spruced-up girls dressed-to-kill and wandering guys with opportunistic eyes...

Nikhil, 23, along with 2 of his close friends, Arun and Vyomkesh went to one of these malls on a really lifeless Sunday just to change the boring mood he was engulfed with due to the recent break-up he had with his girlfriend. The weather was pleasant, so they planned to take up a rickshaw rather than a regular 3-wheeler auto. The hell-bent Rs. 5 bargaining with one rickshaw-wallah made them walk almost half of the distance up to the mall to find another one, but instead of giving them a winner like feeling which can be seen on any Indian Housewife's face after getting a successful bargain deal, this episode had worsened their Sunday mood...

Being really pissed-off coz of the mundane dinner they used to have at home, their main motive was to have good food in this mall along with some raking to the eyes which definitely is the worthy by-product for anyone in a mall on any given Sunday.

So, they went to a restaurant full of so many people that even after somehow managing to get the self-served food, they had to wait for a long time to find a place where they could sit and eat. Vyomkesh really got heated up and the moment he decided to walk out of the place without having the dinner, an old couple from a far away corner got up from their seat, looking content after their dinner. This was the moment; the three of them had to run a lot of distance to get the recently emptied seat.

With filled plates in both of his hands, suddenly Nikhil started running at the top of his speed looking forward may be to break Bolt’s new olympic record, cutting from the middle of the crowd, crossing over the wild kids on the way, the slippery floor and the wary watchful eyes... While he was about to reach the much wanted table; the old couple came back on the seat crushing his hopes of the cherished award in the form of the table, right there, yet again.

But the couple had come only to collect the purse which the lady had left by mistake on the table. Nikhil and his friends gasped a pang of fresh air and grabbed the seat, to finally enjoy their dinner. Plenty of Indian delicacies like Chole Bhature, Raj Kachori, Paneer Tikka, mouth watering Bhelpuri and Sweet Lassi had filled the empty hollows of their craving stomachs.

But that was not enough for all but Arun, the guy with an unending appetite. He said, "I am not done, I want to eat some Chinese too." Hence, they had to go up to the food court, usually found on the terraces of these malls, providing plenty of food options to fill the foodie desires of the ever hungry Arun.

While Arun was exploring his Chinese eating desires..., Nikhil’s eyes suddenly met those beautiful eyes, those exquisite pair of red sandals, those long well-curled hair, that white bracelet, those Jolied lips, and that stunningly amazing face. He had not seen similar features from a long-long time. She was perfect..., a Diva, a beauty, a Goddess standing somewhere right in front of him. Their eyes met...once...twice and even thrice...but nothing happened. Nikhil thought, "It might just be a casual look...which keeps happening in the mall."

But, that beauty turned up to the same Chinese eatery zone right next to the place where Nikhil was standing. She grabbed her already prepared order and went up to the seating zone. Nikhil’s eyes followed, wishing that she does not at-least sit next to some guy coz that will crush his heart suggesting she already has a boyfriend. In fact, Nikhil wished that she would have come with some friends of hers so that the situation becomes easier to handle and somewhat approachable for him. But what he sees takes his breath away. To his dismay, the girl sat right next to a huge fat man, with bald head and white moustache, a definite colonel look...No points for guessing, he was surely her Father with a damn angry look on his face like the one which was typically last seen in Amrish Puri’s eyes in DDLJ, the Bollywood flick which inspires every young Indian heart.
While Nikhil was in his own world, suddenly Arun appeared, with his well garnished Chinese noodles along with Vyomkesh. He pinched Nikhil shouting, “Kaha hai dude…what the hell has happened to you, why are you sweating badly in this chilling air-conditioned space?” And Nikhil couldn't stop narrating his newfound love story right from his heart telling them that he has fallen in love, yet again, but this time it really seems for real.

When Arun and Vyomkesh saw the girl, her mystic beauty swept the floor away from their feet too. They soon decided to sit down at the most 'strategically' placed location, out of the few options available, on Nikhil’s suggestion. Generally, friends laugh things off in these situations which happen quite often in malls. But gauging Nikhil’s seriousness they coaxed Nikhil to do something, charged him up, saying things like you are the only one who can do something…it’s now or never types. Reassuring him that if something happens to him, they would be the first to run away at the top their speeds...

But Nikhil had lost all hopes by this time, seeing that when the girl has come with her Father, Mother and her sister, it’s naturally an impossible proposition to talk to her or for that matter, even approach her. The guy looking for love, decided that he would do nothing insane and sit quietly and cry on his bad luck, after all the girl is with that huge Godzilla sized Father. He couldn't do anything; already life had given him enough bruises, not any more…Nikhil just sat quietly in anticipation of an opportunity…

Suddenly, the beauty got up...turned...their eyes met again, she went up to one of the counters and bought a bottle of mineral water, fancied an amazing look at him again and got back to her seat. This eye-locking had a catastrophic effect on Nikhil’s heartbeat which was soaring a peak of a lifetime. Nikhil was about to get back to his normal self and guess what, she got up again, this time to fetch tissue papers and the stunning eyes met with the opportunistic ones, yet again, leaving Nikhil mesmerized...

But, since the situation was out of Nikhil’s control and since Arun had already gulped down his noodles and had ran away from the situation to save himself from the anticipated beating due to Nikhil’s intentions, Nikhil too decided to leave with Vyomkesh, crushing his lively emotions to a logical death.

The moment they got up from their seat...nothing happened; the moment they started walking...nothing happened; but the moment they crossed the pleasant smell of that amazing perfume of her's, another ray of hope came Nikhil’s way. She rose again from her seat and reached the same Chinese vendor again which was located a little far from the place where the moustached Devilish villain of Nikhil’s new found love-life was sitting. Gauging the moment and finally living his dream, Nikhil left Vyomkesh on the way; he headed the Chinese vendor...leaving Vyomkesh shocked.

He went up there, very close to the counter, right next to where the stunning beauty was standing. For a moment he couldn't breathe, words couldn’t come out of his mouth, he was not even able to blink his eyes. They were staring at each other, standing right next to each other, face to face. A set of three words, “Can we talk?”, Nikhil popped out the question. She blinked her eyes for a moment, a whiff of fear rolled down her throat and she whispered another set of three words, “Not right now!” and she quickly went back leaving Nikhil with an insanely questioned look...

Lot of thoughts went through Nikhil’s mind, “Not right now!”, it might mean..., “Yes!, but not right now!” or it might mean..., “No!!!, not right now and never ever after!”. Nikhil was confused, what he should do, his friends had already left downstairs without telling him whether they are waiting or not, and the girl for whom he was ready to go till the last mile was sitting back right next to her family. He was asking himself, “I should wait” or “I should approach her again” or “I should talk to the angry Colonel directly” or “I should at least pass down my contact number” or “I should wait and follow her”...so many questions...he was devastatingly confused...

What should Nikhil do? What should be his next step? Can you complete Nikhil’s story, if you would have been in his place what would you have done? What if the girl goes to a movie after the dinner with her family in the same mall? What if she moves back in her father's car back home? Did the girl had similar feelings for Nikhil? Can you help Nikhil decide his next move? Well, Nikhil is waiting…

Now, its your time to comment, post your suggestions, post your thoughts, post anything you wish to...the blog is waiting...So, start pouring in ur comments…



PS: The above story is based on imaginary thoughts. All characters in the story are fictitious, any resemblance to actual events in any mall or with any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The Great Delhi Times Tamasha...

Don’t you think that this blogging fever is hitting me badly these days…FINALLY? See, this is my third blog of the week, and this marks a reply to all my worthy critics who had asked me to remember my ‘one-blog-per-week’ principle. Thanks for the motivation guys…coz my blog’s on a roll…;)…courtesy U…

I reely don’t know why this blog that I am writing is again based on movies…I definitely didn’t intend to dedicate my blog to Hollywood, but please, consider this as just another coincidence…In fact, this came up just after I had a look at the Delhi Times ;) in the ‘office premises’ yesterday…

Now, why only office premises is a different story altogether, actually, I am living in a 4BHK with 5 of my flat-mate-frens in Noida; 2 of them r from Chennai. Just like any other chennaiite, both of them r hardcore ‘The Hindu’ (newspaper) freaks, while the rest of us find Hindu just like another textbook. And boy-o-boy, I have read enough of textbooks in the past 24 years of my life…not any more…:) Now, U all must be wondering why we don’t go for ‘The TOI’ also at home, it’s not so easy folks, coz for that someone will have to get up at 6:00 AM to convey this message to the newspaper hawker, n u all should know that 6:00 AM is nothing more than a midnight in this part of the world…hence, I don’t get the daily dose of my Delhi Times at home…mai bechara office me hi nazar maar leta hoon…;).

Coming back to the point that I was making, the front page of Delhi Times dated September 4, 2008 says it all with some pictures of this 40+ mahn, who’s been taking our country by storm from more than 10 odd years. While he had dawned his 6-pack abs in the last movie, I was amazed to see his all new look. Hence, introducing his new-look for the upcoming Yashraj movie “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi”…

While half of Bollywood is looking for ways to demean this superstar, he is featuring a very simple… calm and refreshingly realistic look…talking a lot from his actions which are saying out loud, ‘Beware, here I come again…’

To add to your filmy gyaan, SRK will be featuring another look too in the same movie, a young-hippie look with trendy-in-spiky-hairdo as they say, hence, we’ll get to see another twin-bug bitten role from him like his previous flicks OSO, Duplicate and Don. So, keep watching this space for more action ;)…

PS: For my flat-mate-frens...guys these are the important happenings in the country that we are missing becoz of Hindu...what say?

Socha Nahi To Socho Abhi...? ? ?

The youngsters of Hindustaan (aka Youngistaan) are rocking on the beats of the latest bollywood flick Rock On.

I found the movie pretty unconventional, young, sensible and brave. Why I used those words is because the director has taken a chance by using Farhan Akhtar, a debutant actor to do the vocals also for all the songs in the movie and it won’t be an overstatement when I say that he has done a commendable job with his hoarse yet catchy rocking voice.

Though the movie was too dramatic with a dying band member, a breaking family and a confused investment banker, I along with all of my friends have fallen in love with the lyrics of the opening song of the movie…Here it goes!

Aasma Hai Neela Kyun? Paani Geela Geela Kyun? Gol Kyun Hai Zameen?
Silk Mein Hai Narmi Kyun? Aag Mein Hai Garmi Kyun?, Do Aur Do Paanch Kyun Nahi?
Pedd Ho Gaye Kum Kyun?, Teen Hain Ye Mausam Kyun? Chaand Do Kyun Nahi?
Duniya Mein Hai Jung Kyun? Behta Laal Rang Kyun?, Sarhaden Hain Kyun Har Kahin?
Socha Hai... Yeh Tumne Kya Kabhi
Socha Hai... Ki Hain Yeh Kya Sabhi
Socha Hai... Socha Nahi To Socho Abhi...

Behti Kyun Hai Har Nadi?, Hoti Kya Hai Roshni? Barf Girti Hai Kyun?
Dost Kyun Hain Roothte? Taare Kyun Hain Toot te? Baadlon Mein Bijli Hai Kyun?
Socha Hai... Yeh Tumne Kya Kabhi
Socha Hai... Ki Hain Yeh Kya Sabhi
Socha Nahi To Socho Abhi...

Sannata Sunai Nahin Deta, Aur Hawayen Dikhayi Nahin Deti
Socha Hai Kya Kabhi, Hota Hai Yeh Kyun...?

Socha Hai... Yeh Tumne Kya Kabhi
Socha Hai... Ki Hain Yeh Kya Sabhi
Socha Nahi To Socho Abhi...

Well, these lyrics by ace Indian lyricist Mr. Javed Akhtar simply force you to think about the little nuances of life which are all apparent but still we remain so busy in our mundane lives that we don't ever give our brains to all these simple questions…give a thought and try answering some of the above questions in your free time and you would see yourself diving into a different and a new world altogether…so start questioning yourself…start enriching yourself...Socha Nahi To Socho Abhi…!!!

Your all of you in Delhi, I want to share a rocking news with you. "Rock On" concert is happening on this Saturday 06 Sept'08.
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Location: Select City Walk Mall, Saket, New Delhi

I'll be there...and what r u soching for? Live your dream...Rock On!

My Blogging Attempts...

Oh yeah, as it appears, this is another of my attempt at blogging...n as always, I wish this would be the most successful of all of my previous attempts :)

All of us have heard of something called as procrastination and we all keep the excuses always ready for our prostinated acts, the reasons why we were not able to do what we terribly wanted to do at some point of time in our lives...well, blogging has been something similar to that for me...n it remains something which I terribly want to do even today...the end result is "Akash Speaks", my new kid (read as blog) on the block...

My tryst to become an avid blogger began way back in 2006 when I had posted my first blog http://akashthematrix.blogspot.com a blog which is still close to my heart n yes, like the first crush, the first exam, the first salary, the first love etc. it would always occupy a very special place in my heart. This blog even helped me to begin this new stint at blogging...being the first blog of this series...definitely this would help me to establish some credibility, would help me to connect to my target audience...as the newly learnt management jargon tells...

While the first attempt at blogging was to display my emotions on one of the most cherished moments of my life...the second attempt was to earn some money ;)...Here how I restarted blogging 3 months back...

This came exactly 2 years after posting my first set of blogs. Done with my MBA, I had a 3 month and 12 days period at my disposal without work and anything on the cards...courtsey my new employer as they wanted me to join on July 1 while my convocation (or the last day in the B-School) was March 18, 2008. Hence, came my new found interest in blogging...the end result: two unsuccessful attempts http://worldofmarketing2008.blogspot.com and http://newsisbreaking.blogspot.com.

Like any of my new attempts, both of them kicked of well, but when the objective of the attempt was achieved somewhere else, why to invest on this refound interest...yes u've got it right, I had found other interesting ways to keep myself involved and earn money at the same time...don't think too much ppl, I joined a company as an IT consultant for 3 months and turn-around that organization and made enough money so that I could buy my laptop...8-)...will talk abt this stint at some other time...

Coming back to my blogging attempts, this is supposed to be the third one and hopefully the most promising one, where I have got into an agreement with myself where I should be able squeeze out time to write atleast something following the "one-blog-per-week" principle...

Wish that this time my resolve stays with me...leaving just the environmental factors, wish no one else would stop me from posting blogs this time and my quest of becoming an avid blogger which I have used in plenty of my interviews (with full regards to all the HRs), gets fair amount of success :)

Also, this interest would become prominent if I see my friends, the youngistanis as well as the oldistanis worldwide visting this small space of mine...coz this time the attempt is made only and only to fulfill my desire of creating a name in the world of blogging...so wish u all happy reading...n happy blogging... :)

Let us all now wait for my next blog ;)

My First Blog Ever... (Published on March 02, 2006)

Thursday, March 02, 2006

I met a gal...

The stage was set...n music was piercing the diaphragm of my ear...I wanted to move...I wanted to dance...coz the beats were rockin my nerves...but I was feelin lonely...too lonely...

I always live in the present...live in the moment that we call NOW...but that day...solitude had gripped me...I was seein ppl dancin...movin their body on the sound of music...I wanted to move...I wanted to rock the floor...but I was lonely...

In that lonelyness...my eyes were lukin 4 someone...my eyes were searching 4 someone...someone divine...someone beautiful...someone killin....

N then I saw her...I saw those curly hair...I saw that divine smile...But hey I'm shy...how can I approach her...I havn't ever done that...I can't do that...man...I haven't ever talked to her...but I want to talk to her...I wanna ask her for dance...but no...do I hav the guts...N then I said to myself...Comon...this is the time...its now or never...live in the present...just do it...be a man...

N then I jumped on my foot...I climbed the stairs...I saw her chattin with her frens...shouting infact so that she can be heard in the loud music...

I approached her...walkin through the crowd...cutting the different groups of ppl...guys n gals talkin n dancing...but the world stopped in front of my eyes...the air was silent...the music was loud...but I wasn't able to hear any of it...

N I was there...I saw the divine eyes in front of me...the words came out..."Why aren't u guys dancing???"She said "Its so crowdy out there...I dont know how to reach there..."I said "I'll show u the way..."N she followed me...we reached the floor...

N So it all began...the smiles are mine...all so divine...But I am afraid...will they b mine forever...I'm the world...I know I am...but I dont know why....I'm still afraid...