But it rained..

Well does life get any better
More yesterday than today
How I thought the sun would shine tomorrow
But it rained . . .

Finally the rains arrived in Pune. Well not technically arrived yet as the weatherman says the monsoon is yet to hit Pune. But who cares about that really. When there is an India-Pakistan match, it is an India - Pakistan Match, who gives a damn if it is a warm up game with 12 men on each side and umpires deciding on the spot without the aid of the third umpire. Similar to the Bobby Deol Classic Kranti where Bobby believed in - NO FIR NO ARREST.. FAISLA ON THE SPOT. But anyway this post is not about India-Pakistan match (India really owned Pakistan that day though), neither about Kranti (If you haven't watched the movie you are missing something in life though) and certainly not about Bobby Deol . This post is actually about nothing in particular but I will pretend that it is about the rains that lashed Pune on Friday.

The first rains is something I always look forward to every year. It couldn't have happened on a better day this year. Friday was an very important day for me and a lot and I mean a LOT depended on the events of the day. So as I waited long and hard for the particular event to take its own course and unfold, it rained suddenly, with little warning. Suddenly there were strong winds everywhere. I knew I had to get out. I knew I had to hit the road...

So I switched off my cell, tossed it in a corner of my room, got hold of the bike keys and just headed out with only a single desire - to get as drenched as possible. I generally never ride without a helmet, but whats use a helmet when the only reason you are leaving home is to connect with nature. The nearest place to go when you are in such kinda mood from my home is the Tata Motors Colony, my previous residence. The place is beautiful and anyone who has ever been there even once will vouch for it.. So I just headed towards the place.. It was just a slight drizzle, but which definitely promised to pick up.

Since riding aimlessly was the agenda of the evening, just took some random turns, discovered small roads I had never seen before.. and then the rain picked up. A combination of strong winds and really heavy rains seemed tailor made for the day. The raindrops hitting furiously on the face.. felt as if somebody was pricking a million highly pointed needles on you face.. One needle at a time. I must have a traveled at least 40 kms that day, going through highway stretches, small city roads and small unknown lanes. At one point of time, on the NH4, while driving into the wind, the rain drops hitting smack in your eyes, the visibility was so low that you could hardly see a truck driving in front of you. People had lined up all along the roads, taking shelter below tress, near houses, near shops wherever they could.. Probably they had to reach someplace important, probably they were carrying some valuable they didn't want to get wet. But on that day I did not have an office to reach, a function to attend, an appointment to keep, a deal to be made. It was my time with myself. As the wind grew stronger as I rode right into it and as it started to hurt even more, I started deriving even more pleasure out of it. Wished midway that I had carried my little canon to take some pics.

At one point of time I wondered if I was punishing myself for something. I probably was.. I knew something already I guess.. Had thought that the sun would have shined..

But it rained..

PS: A little update to everyone who follows the blog ( yes this is for you, who reached here after googling for you know what) I will be joining SIBM Bangalore next week. Yes finally I bit the MBA bait. Blame it on recession! Thinking about starting a new blog from college and also updating this one for more random posts like these which make no sense except increasing the no of search results for "Booby Deol", "Kranti" and the likes. Whether it materializes or not, only time will tell.

The IT Induction

"Welcome to IT. Finally your induction into IT is complete"

Thus spoketh my PM (Project Manager for the lucky uninitiated fellows) at 2.20 AM in the rickety cab as we rushed home from office . It took me almost 18 months.. But yes I had my first night-out at office. Well ok, 2 am is not exactly a night-out but let me bask in this un-glory of mine. And as he rightly added "This must be giving you a lot of satisfaction." Yeah It did. So what if the work I was doing was not exactly rocket science! At least I have the badge of "I-work-till-late-at-night. A badge which is the only certification of hard work these days. As a friend commented as I complained about the late-night stay at office "Ek din kaam karna pada to itna ro raha hai" So its like you don't actually really work in office until you work late.

Ok so I can be found online all day in office and I do reply to all of your messages there, but that is solely due to my multi-tasking skills. I am very good with Alt-Tab! I really am! I actually do work in office hours. Too bad if you cannot believe that anyone could have such awesome multitasking skills! I could show you some of my appreciation mails but they are confidential and proprietary (If anyone from my office is reading this, they are so confidential that even you guys have no clue about it!) Anyway this is not what not this post was supposed to be all about. But how could I let go off such a golden opportunity to prove to some of my dear friends who no matter what cannot ever believe that I do some sort of work in office.

Coming back, Yes I am a real IT professional now. My mom can proudly tell everyone that I come late at home from office. I can tell my IT friends - what the hell even I have been at office till early morning at times. I can tell my non-IT friends - Hell do I even have any non - IT friends? Only a few that I can count on my fingers. Ok I can tell them yes there is actually some real work that goes on in IT and such critical work that demands me to be in office for 20 hours at a stretch.

So now officially I Mr Nikhil Kulkarni from Pune work till early morning at office too. So now please don't give me that what-do- you-know-about-working-late-looks again. I do now, and to be frank I didn't find it to be as ego-boosting as you guys made it out to be!

19 Facts nobody really wants to know

Ok found something to change the mood of the blog... First time I am picking off some tag.. Neel tagged me along here and so I decided to oblige the poor guy by replying to it :D

So here it goes:

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it.

No scars as such.. A few stitches mark on the middle finger of the left hand which I got when I was about 7-8 and I decided to check out if those pointed javelin like things they put on gates of apartments are really sharp or just there to frighten people. I assure you they are for real. A fresh but temporary one being the the mark I have on my right leg when my over-grown ego decided to check who was hotter? Me or the silencer on the bike.. The silencer won..


2. What does your phone look like?

It goes up and it goes down.. The slider W830i... And more than how it looks like the important thing is how it sounds.. Just awesome.. One of the few electronic items that I have not repented after buying.. Then again its been less than 4 months.. so maybe that's why..


3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?

Absolutely Nothing.. For someone as confused as me there's no point in putting up anything on the walls. Nothing manages to hold my attention for long. But there was a time some years ago when there were 3 Sachin Tendulkar posters in my room... And then my house got painted....


4. What is your current desktop picture?

A wonderful picture of the horizon where the blue sky seems to meet the green grass.. Mr Bill Gates likes it and so do I.. The number of times I screw up my machine and reformat it it is just pointless to have wall papers. Last wall paper I remember was my sis putting up her own pic.. Now even she has given up I think..


5. Do you believe in gay marriage?

Yes.. Jab miya-miya raazi to kya karega kaazi..


6. What do you want more than anything right now?

Old Answer: Someone!!!!!
Edit: This answer seems to be giving out the wrong connotations. Its not like I am looking out for just about anyone. But since the answer seems to suggest that, I think I would be changing it to ummm errr... how about "True Love" Wow how creative of me... Ok so the new answer is

New Answer: True Love


7 . What time were you born?

00.40 am 4th December 1983. It was a Sunday. And I took my time.. Almost one month more than what the doctor had expected..


8. Are your parents still together?

YES! Completing 30 glorious years this March


9. Last person who made you cry?

My parents - reason not asked so will not be given.. Other times have felt like crying a lot, but the tears just don't come out..


10. What is your favorite perfume / cologne?

None.. Have tried AXE a few times and it did not work and it was depressing..


11. What kind of hair/eye colour do you like in the opposite sex?

Bah! But since I have decided that I will answer every question, how about black hair and black eyes. I have beautiful different colour eyes and no-one even notices it. So what's the point of having beautiful eyes..

12. What are you listening to?

"Shine on you crazy diamond" - Pink Floyd


13. Do you get scared of the dark?

There was a time when I used to.. But no not now.. Some fear of dark I still have when I am outside is more due to stray dogs, buffaloes and cats. Yes, They have all chased me... Ok I know the chances of buffaloes chasing me in the night are as good as India winning the FIFA world cup.. But why take a chance!


14. Do you like pain killers?

A big emphatic No.. Have taken 7 stitches inside my mouth 5 years ago without a drop of anesthesia.. Beat that! Don't think a single pain-killer has ever made it inside my body..


15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?

Yes and No.. Have asked someone out only once and it was a disaster.. So probably I am cautious if not shy now.. So everyone who is reading this take a hint.. All my guy friends can safely ignore this point.


16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?

I always eat everything that I want. .So no special desires left as such.. Anything that is red, spicy and smells ok.. bring it on..


17. Who was the last person who made you mad?

Someone who jumped traffic lights just as it was my turn to cross the road..


18. Who was the last person who made you smile?

The same person who manages to take me to the almost-crying-but-no-tears stage. If I would have kept a balance-sheet of all this I am sure smiles would outnumber almost-tears by a huge margin


19. Is someone in love with you?
No. At least I don't know of anyone...
Oh ya I forgot.. I love myself if that counts. I rock \m/

Ok now I would like to pass this thing on to a few more people:
Sunila: Probabaly this will be the excuse she needs to get back to blogging.
Umang: Maybe this would stop her from taking stupid tests and putting up their results on the blog :P
Eka: His status message on gtalk reads "Idle" as I type this, and thats something pretty weird for him.. So here it goes...
May add more names if I remember later....

One final time

It was not what it seemed to be... I realised it 3 days after my last post. Expecting too much... Pushing things.. And what did it yield? Pain, anxiousness, misery, sufferings and much more for no fault of anyone - anyone except me of course. But its really fine now. I realised something and I am thankful I did it before it was too late- before I lost something that I care for so much and I think its the same other way round. Actually it does not matter if it is that way or not. At least I feel it is and that is what matters ;-)

Anyway I learned it the hard way - but if thats the way it was meant to be then so be it. But I am back now.. With no regrets, no grudges.. The post before this one stands null and void :-) Only if I could have waited for a few days I would have never written that post at all .Even now I go on and delete that post and not many would remember that it even existed. But I will let it stay.. To remind myself of all my mistakes. The most important being - trying to look for something at the wrong place at the wrong time. It has taught me a lot. I will be more careful next time :-)

So for one final time apologies to some, heart-felt thanks to some others. This chapter is over- believe me. And I have no regrets about it all. It made me stronger. Thats all I can say.

I am back to being normal, back to being the chirpy, non-sensical human being with a tiny little sense of humour.

And anyone who gives you the advice *Don't think about it too much* - don't believe them. Thinking helps.. It helped me.. More details about that in the next post ;-)

Sometimes....

Whatever I write here today will be totally biased. Whatever I write will be incomplete.. Something that I would not not like to be confined to a boundary of few hundred words.. So better not .. So why this post? Whats the "use" or "fayda"? Only if I was capable of doing things which always had some fayda.. Only If... Only If it could be alright.. But It's ok.. No regrets.. I will survive..

You come into this world alone.. You die alone.. Who says you can't live alone..


My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I walk alone