What was I doing?

My last visit home was meant only for a week but then my mum’s senti dialogues made me extend it by a week more. I had a mission for these days, capturing the best my city has to offer which I mostly did during the afternoons. However, evenings were not spared. My mum made me accompany her for almost all the daily soaps that she loved watching. 15 days and there I go……

• Pavithra Rista: Regular Saas Bahu story with loads of masalas. Saas’s character is my mum fav she keeps saying poor bahu I can certainly understand her situation. I did not bother to ask her what she understood.
• Uttaran: A triangular love story that is getting transformed in to square now. Such an idiotic tale.
• Baalika Vadhu: Nice concept but now no longer on the same track.
• Agle janam mohe….: Love story of a mistress, if I understood it correctly.
• Jyoti: Again a love story mixed with so many concepts that you fail to understand where its heading.
• Laagi tujse lagan: Pretty poor girl made to look ugly by her mum, escapes from a cop who hits on her. She falls in love with her employer who loves someone else unaware of her beauty, gosh..!
• Maan Uthal Varayacha – Marathi: Village girl married to a filthy rich boy in Mumbai. Plot is all about her struggle in getting accustomed to her new lifestyle and family. 

To my surprise after returning to Bangalore I started literally started tracking these dailies. Believe me its fun to watch and predict the next big thing. Its always someone dieing, escaping or some jerk hopping in from no where with those extra sound effects and multi dimensional angles. It turned out to be the ultimate end to my boredom in Bangalore when my assignment was getting over and I had minimal work to do.


Heights of my insanity was crossed when I and mum started discussing it over the phone. That’s when I said enough and thanked IPL for making the entry at the right time. Otherwise, god knows what would have had happened to me. 

Table Manners

How important it is for us to know what table or eating manners are?

I hardly know any and I feel it’s not really important unless you irritate someone sitting beside to such an extent that he leaves the table.

Like any normal person I like to keep the area where I eat, spotless so that no one feels dirty while having food with me or after I am done. Recently, while having lunch at S2 I seem to have scared a guy sitting beside my table.

I and friend decided to go to S2 after a long argument over which cafeteria to select that day. I hate going to S2 because it’s congested, there are no juices or fruits available and last but not least I need to walk a few extra blocks to go there. However, I agreed to go because I had no intention of eating alone.

I bought fruits from JJ and while my friend was buying his lunch at S2, I decided to find a place for both us to sit. After scanning a few tables, I found one which was clean and in center of two groups. On my left there were 4 ladies and on the right a group of 3, two men and one girl. I made myself comfortable and while waiting for my company to join me, I took a look around. Group on my left was busy with some office gossip. I tried eavesdropping but could not understand so gave up and on turning to right my interest got fixed on one of three persons sitting on that table.

They were thru with their meals and were chit chatting something, I believe, in Tamil. Gradually my gaze drifted to their plates, not to forget I was starving and I saw something that really made me feel disgusted. Out of the three, the guy who grabbed my attention, seemed to have eaten Veg. Biryani.

Now, its Biryani served at Wipro so please consider the generosity our Wipro caterers show. Apart from adding rice, vegetables and ground spices to Biryani they also add considerable amount of whole spices. Mostly commonly found are cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves and pepper and at times you literally think if it’s Veg Biryani or spice biryani you having.

This guy seems to have not liked the variety of spices added to his biryani, in fact, any one in his place would dislike it. However, what sickened me was the 2 inches tall mountain he made next to his plate on the table. Now, that really is irritating especially when you’re not done with your meal. I understand it’s waste and uneatable but let it be in your plate and if you are not comfortable having food while it is in then at least put it back in your plate, once you are thru.

I disliked it and decided to make it obvious to him. So I gave him a disgusted look. First, I looked at the waste for some 30 secs and then at him. His attention was on what his friend was talking so I decided to continue looking at him until he gets to know someone is staring him. He did realize that but seemed to have not understood. And before he could misunderstand my stare, I shifted my eyes at my JJ fruit box. After a gap of 30 odd secs, I again got back the same disgusted look on my face, looked at the waste next to his plate and then him. Bingo, he understood my intention but decided not to act. So I looked at the table to my left which was relatively clean and back to the waste and him with my face covering the same look. He still did not react which did increase my temper but before I could do some thing my friend called and asked where I was sitting.

My focus got distracted; I tracked my friend and waved him to come over. In a minute’s time he joined me at the table and I forgot what I was doing because as usual I got engulfed in office gossip.

After sometime I recalled my motto at S2 that day and told my friend about the guy and his spice mountain. The moment I finished telling him the way I displayed irritation, we both looked at the guy and his plate.

I was surprised to see the waste mountain back his plate. I was satisfied and had my lunch with immense pleasure and peace.

Later that day I wondered if I really had scared him or he realized my intention.

Gender Biasing

While submitting VOW survey in the end I was asked reason of my dissatisfaction with my organization. I had mentioned Gender Biasing with a hope that things might change. However, I forgot some plea always falls on deaf ears.

My aggravation increases every time I see Group Announcements on Women of XXXXX (org name is masked) and how good XXXXX is treating it’s female audience. May be good things are happening to the Women in XXXXX, however at certain level only.

I am with this team and unit from past year and half now and it is one of the most disappointing experience I ever had. I believe we the women are not inferior to men. I come from a background where my parents and teachers always told that women are no where less than men.

But after coming here I am forced to change my perception and belief. Not at one occasion but at many I have been told that men are superiors. Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi or Indra Noori any one would have done better if they would have been a MAN. When I argue back I see it’s not one person but whole bunch of gentlemen ready to tell me where all females fall back.

I have seen my manager chucking out females because they were either not performing good or were not good at communication or were introvert. Then I see few gentlemen around me from past many years, who have worse qualities then the above ones, but still not only manager but the management find them productive.

• They make you cry in front of the whole team but they are valuable resources.
• They shout at you even in front of your manager but they are outstanding performers.
• You see them being partial when it comes to giving opportunity to girls but they are best decision makers.
• They threat you by saying they will screw your appraisal if you try and raise your voice. You fall to silence.
• You work like a donkey make sure deliverables are made on time and then you see them taking away your glory. When you raise your voice they say, sorry, next time we will see what to do.

Question is, what initiative XXXXX would confirm to take to forbid such biasing? Or is that some automated emails comes with some stories saying how good Wipro is treating its female fraternity.

Awful killing of a Monster

He came in from the front door, looked at me and shamelessly entered my house without my permission.

First, he went to my computer then leisurely took a walk in my living room and again looked at me. It seemed as if he was waiting for my reaction. I was scared to death and to react. Also not to forget, I knew the consequences of my reaction, if I had one. I hated every site of his but was helpless and did nothing.

He stared at me for a while more and on getting no response, started exploring my house. After venturing the drawing room he tried getting in to kitchen. For a moment I thought of locking him in the kitchen but before my thought could become a reality he came back in to the living room.

He went on to my computer again and looked at the ceiling as if trying to find something up there. Then stepped back and again looked at the ceiling. But this time I was unable to understand what he was thinking or just studying every corner of my house. And just then it struck me, he wanted to get acquainted with my house, but that was something I would never let happen.

On the contrary, I did not have the guts to look at him and get him out, though it was my house. By now, I looked like a newly wedded girl sitting in a corner, scared,confused and freaked out and he was the boy of the house. It looked like he enjoyed every moment I passed in fear.

I called my father to tell him about his arrival. Daddy was in meeting and asked to me to clam down and before I could add anything more he disconnected the call.

I did not know he had such a power to make to feel so weak and vulnerable. The only thing I could think of was to ignore him and occupy my mind with something else so I switched on the TV. On doing that he came closer as if the program interested him and started leaping over the sofa. I was scared to death but decided to stay clam and ignore him.

After a while, on getting no reaction, he decided to see the veranda so he walked out of the house. I knew this was the only opportunity to close the door and never let him in ever. Somehow, I gathered the power and got on my feet to close the door. Each step of mine was still to make sure he does not know what I was doing, I closed the door halfway thru and before I could completely shut it, he jumped right in-front of me. I screamed and ran back to where I was sitting. I did scare him with my loud yell but he was back to normal in no time.

I again concentrated on TV to deceive him and he was. He started the same thing again, getting on to my computer, analyzing the ceiling, leaping over the sofa.

My last hope was bro, who was upstairs. After 30 mins, I heard some steps approaching towards the front door. I prayed to god for letting that person be my bro. He was the only one to rescue me from this monster and my prayers were heard. It was Richi, my bro.

I quickly demonstrated about his arrival and my trauma since then. Richi, quickly went into the store room, got a bamboo stick for himself, about 4 feet tall and handed over a groom stick to me.

"Dont worry, I’m here now we will kill him if he decides to stay here" bro assured me. His words eased me and I gained the confidence to either kill this monster or get him out of my house.

"Stay where you and if you see him running behind the TV or behind the couch just shoo with your groom stick, OK?" I agreed and nodded.

Bro moved the computer table made noises to scare him. Rather, he tried conveying it to him that his sister isn't alone anymore. It worked, in no time he jumped out and went behind the sofa where he was leaping and having fun a while ago.

"Be careful, I am sure now he will jump behind the TV and then it would be difficult for us to get him out." I agreed. Bro came towards the sofa but he wasn't there, instead he went behind the TV and now I was scared. I knew the next thing he will do is either jump on the couch where I was sitting or quickly by pass the couch and enter kitchen. However, bro seem to have handled such assholes before so he closed the kitchen door and the front door first and winked at me. "Its just the three of us in this rooms now, its do or die, do u understand. Do not be scared, we will kill him……"

And he jumped on me, scaring the shit out of me. I hopped and got on to the high chair which was in the middle of the room.

Bro attacked, his first hit was on his butts, however, no damage. Soft couch saved him. And on seeing the brutal attack he got prepared to fight back.

He jumped on the floor and ran towards me but I shooed him away with my groom stick. I did not realize, I was standing on the chair and screaming “You are dead”. My loud voice did scare him and forced him to move towards the open space between the front door and kitchen door, both closed.

That was the ill fated decision he took and while running to escape he did not see the blow following him and hitting him on this head. Bang..!!

His dieing eyes looked at me and bro gave another jolt. It was over and the monster died. Bro picked him up by his tail, he was black in color and hardly 3 cms long, and threw him out. I am sure it was a HE because of the way he looked at me and scared me.

He surely would have become a feast for someone out there....

Sneaky Peaky and cell phone..!

Have you ever picked and sneaked into someone else’s phone?? I know, its not an ethical thing to do and I am not proud of it at all. However, believe me it’s fun and full of thrill. I have done this a several times with my bro. My bro, he is 20, 6 feet tall, amazing jaw line, killing smile, and good physique so all in all he is handsome hunk and girls die to seek his attention.

Since childhood I always had loved to go thru his things. The moment he walks out of his room I get in and try to get my hands on something to blow a story of it. Then be it his cupboard or drawers, Cd and books rack nothing is safe when I am around. I did that many times while we were growing together which also made him cautious. However, cell phone is something that came in to existence when I moved out.

This time when I visited home, I was surprised to see him carrying not one but three cell phones. When I asked my mum she said "He does not listen and they all are old phones which I no longer use." On asking my dad he said “It seems either of the phone company offers some great deal every week so he keeps switching over when the deal is on.” Now, that’s a lame excuse my parents bought but not me so I decided to check his cell phones myself. Its risky because he hates if I touch any of his stuff but fun.

First time when I browsed his cell phone (Fly brand) he was taking a nap one after noon. During my investigation I found 3 numbers sending most of the romantic kind of texts. These numbers were not saved in his phone book which added fishiness to my intution so I embossed the last 4 digits of these three numbers in my mind. While I was doing my search, all of a sudden his phone rang and it was 5423 (last four digits) number.

I panicked and was sure to be dead. I had locked myself in his bathroom and before ring could woke him up I answered the call. Oh lord, it was a close call and I escaped. It was a girl on the line and the moment she realized it’s not my bro she went quite. Ah..! Thats when I said let me try something insane. I pretended as if my bro is there with me and said “There is some girl on the phone who is she? Why is she not talking? What is going on? Tell me?” and she hung up.

Damage done, I knew my bro would kill me if he gets to know what I have done so I deleted that call from the list and placed the phone where it was. I left his room thinking what I should do with the other two numbers.

Next time I got a chance with his Tata phone. It was late in the evening, he was sitting outside with his friends and this phone was at home getting charged. BTW, TATA offers 10 mins just in 1 rupee.

Coming back, the first thing I did was to turn his cell phone to silent mode. Next I browsed thru his inbox and found the same numbers here as well. I decided to select the number 1278 this time and sent a text saying “How are you swthrt, missin u??” Within 2 mins I got a reply “I am fine, u dnt seem to fne. Whts wrng wit u “swthrt, missing u”?R u OK”

I knew, I had done blunder and this girl is just a friend sending some forward texts to my bro. To save my ass, I deleted my msg from his out box and hers from the inbox. If she sends another text I would let my bro think, ponder and reply, I dont care. I have no idea what happened next but I am sure that girl would have taken him for a ride.

I got the third chance after two days when bro went to play cricket, he never carries cell phone if he is playing. Also at home, in my absence, his belongings are safe because my parents never barge into his space. However, poor thing forgot that I am at home. As usual I was only browsing thru his phone (Nokia) when a text beeped in.

First, I thought I won’t check, but believe me you cannot resist such a thing. Then in no time another one beeped and I gave up. First one said “Aap kya kar rahe ho?” sent from 5423. Second one said “Mein bore ho rahi hu. Can v meet for a coffi” sent from 6714

Unlike mailbox phone’s inbox does not have facility to make the text unread so I was left with no option but to delete these messages. In 5 mins I saw another text, they kept on coming for 2 hours and I kept on deleting them. It seemed to me that these girls did not know bro had plans to play cricket. My mum and dad also saw what I was doing, dad tried stopping me but mum as usual defended my action.

Finally, I decided to send one nasty text to both the girls and mess up things for my bro. Oh! I love doing that.

I text them “U R outta ur mind, akkal ghaas khane gai hai jo u sendin me such msg. Get lost and dont msg me or I will tell you dad” No beeps after this one. I waited for 5 mins, 10 mins, 15 mins but still phone was silent so I decided to send one more as a complimentary “Concentrate on studies and not me, I m sure ur dad wnt like this” Complete damage done...

After this incident I did not see my bro carrying his phones rather they all remained at home without any beeps or rings. I m sure he is still confused with them getting silent all of a sudden and I m wondering what he’ll do to me when he finds out.