Darn, I'm getting old!

I don't end up coming home all that often, but whenever I do I make a pretty good excuse for it.
This time it was because we were supposed to meet a few seniors on Saturday and this might be the last time we would have gotten to meet them. And also there was Guto's birthday the day before.. but wait you don't know who Guto is.. so let us start from the top.

Just like with our seminar presentations we shall start with an introduction of the main points/people involved.
Just to remove any form of bias I'll go alphabetically..

• Anusha - The quiet one
  She's the goody goody girl who likes to help others, feels sleepy often and gets angry with us when we start talking in Bengali. A complete girl except that she doesn't like shopping.
• Gabriel - The funny one
  He'll manage to cheer you up unless his guide SS has given him some work, then he gets worried and keeps on murmuring about that. Whenever there is nothing of interest going on for him he'll quietly dig into one of his huge collection of e-books.
• Madhumita - The managing one
  Famous for managing others lives perfectly, not sure about her own. She's the most friendly person you will come across, also outgoing so it doesn't take her long to break the ice with someone. Although she isn't here at the moment she would have killed me had I not put her in the story.
• Sudipa - The crazy one
  The crazy girl with a tomboy attitude. From insane pranks to practical jokes, just name it. But she's wonderful in tackling all types of situations. Childish in ways yet mature in others, I doubt whether even she has a clue about her own self.
• Tathgato (Guto) - The tensed one
  He's the one who always keeps smiling.. born with celluloid looks and takes care so that they are maintained. But gets hyper about things no one should bother about.

Ok so now we can start off with the actual set of events..
It starts on the 13th.. but disappointingly there is no set of horror stories to follow.

13th June 2014

The plan was that me, Anusha and Gabriel would go to Kolkata on 13th since Guto's birthday was on the next day. Sudipa and Guto were already in Kolkata. While Sudipa was staying at her aunt's place during her internship, Guto was at his own house. The three of us would be staying at our my home for the weekend and Sudipa would join us the next day.. we weren't sure about Guto's plans.

Gabriel has teaching assistant-ship duty for till 5:30 pm so we had decided to take the 6:20 train from Kharagpur. But out of the blue his mentor assigned him to meet some people next day, meaning he couldn't go with us. We weren't even sure that he'll make it the next day.. with Gabriel unless you really urge him sometimes he gets so laid back that he doesn't feel like doing something even though he can.

So seeing no other option, me and Anusha headed towards Kolkata taking the earlier train at 4:35. We reached home within 4 hours and dozed off soon enough.. it had been a tiring day.

14th June 2014
Next morning the plan was to reach Guto's home as early as possible. We readied the gifts and then took a bus.. the road was clear so we reached within 11.

But Sudipa got stuck at a service center with her cell phone. By the time she reached it was around 2 in the afternoon, and it was all for nothing as found out that the replacement of parts would cost her more than a new phone with similar features.
In the meanwhile we played around with his little brother, who was a bit shy at first but we soon got along pretty well.

Sudipa managed to find her way to the house which kind of surprised all of us. After she got there we handed over the first gift, with Anusha doing the honours. A makeup kit is so apt for Guto.. you should watch his reaction.

                                       
Then we got ready for the 'ashirwad' proceedings and soon had lunch. Sadly for Anusha it was one of her veg days.. so she missed out on the biryani and we gladly helped ourselves to extras.
In the evening we lay around gossiping when it started getting dark.. there was a storm coming. The light drizzle made it even better and it was far too tempting to keep us inside. A windy photo-shoot had to be done. We all lined up.

After we came back inside it was time to cut the cake. Heart shaped strawberry it was.. we made sure we put up 23 candles.

But more than eating it it was all about the icing. The organised group turned into a violent mob. No one would escape with a clean face.

                                      

Soon there was a long queue outside the washroom, with everyone taking a long time to clean themselves up. After that we finally decided that it was time to give Guto his actual gift.. a card and a wallet.

He seemed to be more relieved than anything else. Here are all the gifts combined.

We gobbled down a handful of kakima's chicken pakoras (Anusha again had to be content with just biscuits) and left Guto's house soon after. It had been a wonderful day.. and it got better when Gabriel called to say that he was on his way and would come to our house.

But as always something had to go wrong somewhere. Gabriel's phone lost all charge and he called me up from a public booth to ask me where to go (thankfully he had noted down my number on a piece of paper beforehand).

On the way back we were worried whether he would be able to reach by himself. So just after reaching home me and Sudipa went out to the bus stand to fetch him.. but on the way we met Gabriel. And there we were.. all four of us. It had been a hectic day so we all fell asleep soon enough. But before going off to sleep we still had time for reruns of Tahir Shah's "Eye To Eye". The song is something I tell you.. it just gets into your head and refuses to leave!

I woke up for the England Italy WC match at 3:30 then slept again.

15th June 2014

This way the day for meeting the seniors. The plan was as follows.. we meet up at Hiland Park to watch How To Train Your Dragon 2. From there we would we heading towards Arsalan because of our long craving for a proper plate of biryani. And finally we would end the day with a walk through the Quest Mall.

We started off pretty early because we had an 11:30 show to catch. The four of us took a cab because we weren't getting buses on the route, and as a result we reached long before the seniors. This gave us time for a bit of shopping at Big Bazar.. Gabriel bought 3 Ts for everyday use. Once we met the seniors we went into the theatre grabbing our 3D glasses while entering. It was a wonderful movie.. we loved it.

We again went to Big Bazar for Anusha to get a kurti for herself. Also I met Ivanjan who lives in an apartment just behind this place. I called him and he came over to meet me.. it is always nice meeting old friends.

After that we grabbed a couple of smoothies from Swirls and took a pair of cabs to Park Circus. And soon we were there.. with the olfactory nerves going into full action mode.

We soon went inside while it started to pour down heavily outside. We took our time deciding the items while creating a few awkward situations for the waiters.

We started off with Tengri Kabab, had a plate of Biryani each and ended off with Firni for dessert. It had been a long time coming but it was worth the wait.

When we came out from there we found that puddles had formed on the street and we jumped into them splashing water onto each other. Soon we reached the mall. To be honest it looks amazing!

But being a luxury mall students like us can hardly anything from there. After doing a bit a window shopping we headed towards the floor just below the top one, where the food court was and there we sat around idling about and building a straw tower after we had finished our Krushers, Juices, Soda and what not.

Soon it was time to leave and bid them farewell. We don't know when we'll be meeting them again. After that we took a bus back home and again we hardly had any energy to stay up long hours. That didn't stop them from wishing me Happy Birthday at the stroke of midnight. I stayed up a little longer surfing the net and writing mails while the others went into deep slumber.

16th June 2014

 As usual I woke up pretty late and saw that Gabriel was still asleep. But the girls were up. They more or less forced us to get out. I checked my cell phone to find quite a few pending wishes, replied to them one by one. There wasn't much planned for the day, though we'd have lunch and then decide. Also the sad part was that Guto wouldn't be able to make it in the morning.
We freshened up and headed for lunch, mom had prepared 'Chingrir Malai Curry' a prawn dish which was one of my favourites along with other items. Thankfully for Anusha it was an all-access day for her as far as food was concerned. After quite a heavy meal we decided to rest a bit. Sudipa even took a small nap.. after which we decided to take visit out neighbourhood Mall which is Diamond Plaza. It may not compare with the southern Malls in terms of its size and variety but its quite nifty to be honest. You will find more or less everything you might to buy from a shopping area. And most importantly as Gabriel put together nicely, "You don't feel like a beggar in here unlike the place we visited yesterday".
We took the shortcut from our home to the mall and again as is always the case with us, something happened. Anusha's sandal strap 'unstrapped' itself right when we were midway between our home and the Mall. We managed to find a shop selling safety pins.. that managed the situation for the moment. Anusha wouldn't let anyone else touch her sandals.. she fixed them herself and somehow managed to hobble into the Mall. The AC was a welcome relief. We looked around for a while, visiting book and apparel stores. We decided to visit Tea Junction but it was too crowded. That is when we noticed a new cafe that had opened. Its seemed nice and ambient so we went in. The menu took us by surprise, there was a wide variety of beverages available. Me and Anusha stuck to Cappuccino.. being used to our CCD endeavours back in KGP. Gabriel wanted to try Irish Coffee, while Sudipa experimented with Moroccan Mint Tea. We spent time gossiping around and soon the ordered drinks arrived. Apparently CCD coffees aren't the only ones which have patterns.

But the best drink of the evening was the Mint Tea.. truly refreshes your mind.. yes we all took one sip each.
It was a nice time spent here and its because of Gabriel's coffee lust we discovered this nice place.. Coffee n Mood.

We were doing some daily item shopping from Big Bazar after that and that is when the best surprise of the day came. Madhumita called from Germany! I was kind of feeling down that she had called Guto but hadn't called me. But all that went out of the mind as soon as I got the call. Actually she had called even in the afternoon but my phone had been on charge then so I hadn't noticed. And since she had taken a new sim card that day I didn't even recognize the number. Anyway we talked for over ten minutes and then Sudipa took over from me. Madhumita did her best to convince her to stay back as Sudipa was talking about leaving that night. That did help as I lay the finishing touches to keeping her with us for the night.
After that we started getting back home as it was getting late and there was a cake left to be cut. And more importantly the Germany vs Portugal match would start from 9:30 pm IST!
I have said it before and I'll say it again.. nothing compares with mom's homemade cake.. they even managed to find a candle.

Soon it was the cake cutting ceremony.. this time it was much cleaner as there was no icing involved.
We dug into the Egg Rolls which had been brought over.. it had been a long time since we had any of good quality.

I had to meet a few friends in our building before leaving the next day. So I went to meet them and as it is with neighbours I wasn't allowed to leave without having sweets and chocolates at their place. When I came back I saw the four of them suspiciously seated on the bed.. discussing something. I joined them in parts, also watching the match in between. Soon I was called and its turned out that I was gonna get a gift.
After gifting Guto the makeup kit I knew that I wouldn't be let off that easily.. I could barely contain my excitement! I slowly unwrapped the pack and voila!
It was a ladies bag!

I mean come on.. just because I fiddled around with theirs' I didn't need one for myself. I could hardly stop myself from laughing my heart out! But I fell in love with it.. it was purple.. what other reason do you need!
But there was more to come.. I was more prepared for the next one.. which turned out to be a guitar shaped photo frame. WOW! I mean who even knew such a thing existed! I was floored..
                                      
It still wasn't over, I got a birthday card! And again seriously an awesome one.. seriously there were so many small parts in that and the message overall.. amazing!

It seems like guitars was the theme of the gifts.. loved it to the core.
We had dinner soon, which had been ordered from outside. Soon we were back to gossiping. Also with Germany having defeated Portugal I was feeling out of this world..
Here is a group pic with all the gifts..
                                     
We had a random photoshoot.. and since the "Eye To Eye" infection was still on we decided to do something in its honour.
                                     
The plan was to stay up all night. But that was never to be the case. Anusha fell victim first. She was followed by Guto. Me, Gabriel and Sudipa stayed up quite a while talking about random things.. and along the way I realized that once college gets over these are the things we will remember.. all the times spent together. Madhumita was badly missed.
As is the case with all good things.. the day ended and next morning all of us had to get back to KGP, while Sudipa had to go back to the office.

I can boastfully say that this was the best stretch of three days that I have ever had.
Now back to work!
Until next time.. goodbye.

Crossroads

Sometimes we find ourselves standing at the crossroads.. trying to figure out what to do next.. the fear of the decision not made continues to haunt us for as long as we don't bury the ghosts of the past. Reluctance to take the step forward.. to break out of the shackles we have set for ourselves tends to keep us wanting something.. yet never getting it.

Such time come when we least expect them to.. when small questions keep us occupied through our otherwise peaceful lives. Though not transparent to the world around us, these keep bothering us.. till it comes to that point where a decision has to be taken.

It comes to a point where even staying at the same point doesn't remain a valid option, as the darker side of our past tends to catch up and lure us back in. As we move forward it also becomes important to not sway away so much from the demons of one direction so as to fall into the gleeful arms of another.. its a thin line left to tread.

Perhaps the way out is to take the middle path as preached by Buddhism.. perhaps it is to take a decision and be confident about it.. perhaps its none and I'm just as confused as the world around me.. fear and expectation remain the eternal sins.

P.S. I've been a bit busy, and most importantly haven't felt like writing in a long long time.

Still Alive

Its not over it... its been a good break... but I will be back... ^_^

Reflections of a Cramped Mind

They say that good things don't last forever.

Maybe it’s better off this way...

It gives you moments to savour and cherish, distinguishing them from the mediocre affairs of a nonchalant life.

And only when it’s over do we realize what it was worth.

In spite of everything that is forced upon us, we still are largely responsible for the way our lives shape up.

We always choose what we think is best for us, if only they always worked that way.

Sometimes the past calls us back with alluring images of those unforgettable times.

And the fools that we are, we respond more often than not, never even asking ourselves why they became the past in the first place, and are not part of our present.

What we don't realize is that the very elements that once drove our senses may have morphed into mere shadows of themselves with time.

The clock never turns back, the world never waits... 

Then why shouldn't life follow suit?

Even an unfulfilling past is often greeted ahead of the more mysterious future.

A lifetime is too small a time span to look back and ponder upon things that might have happened.

But still we do, maybe because we are afraid of venturing into the unknown, having accustomed ourselves to our little caged lifestyles.

It takes a lot to completely break free and move on ahead.

Some do it easily; some learn it the hard way.

And as the saying goes

"New is always better."

The lives of strangers like us take the shape of an hourglass.

Like the parallel edges they seem far apart, unknown to each other... only to meet at the epicenter of life.

But as the sands of time drain away, we grow apart... as if it all wasn't meant to be.

Whether we want to move on or hold on... that choice remains with us.

Another long break... and maybe another will follow...

Well no excuses as such... I just haven't felt like blogging in all this while... actually I still don't.
I have been writing other stuff in the meantime though, and along with Facebook maybe I should post them here as well.
Either way its been an interesting period, this.
Learned a lot of things... some in an easy way... some not quite so.
And as another semester exam looms on the horizon, I try my best to make up for all the wasted time.
This post is just for showing that this blog isn't dead yet!
Looking forward to writing a lot more in the coming months... cheers...:)

The Plan

Having survived another one of those sinister attempts the university makes of failing us, I staggered out of the exam hall... weary-eyed, exhausted to say the least.
Dodging past a couple of fellow survivors, I suddenly stumbled upon a group of friends huddled together... by the looks, it seemed like a closed-door discussion... I silently zoomed in!
For the first few minutes it was a complete blur... after a few exchanges I gathered that a small tour was being planned... the idea of a beach was doing the rounds.
After another 10 minutes or so of arguments, 'Shankarpur' was fixed as the destination. I couldn't give a confirmation on the spot since I had to talk at home about it first, but as for my own self, I had more or less made up my mind.
Parents did agree (after some explanation and the time-tested method of emotional talk, that is)! ;)

Some days later I was informed that the place had been shifted to Mandarmani... since Manaar's dad had hotel contacts over there... sweet!

Okay before I go any further let me give you our names first...

Specimen 1) Indrajit - The fun-loving, short-tempered, sincere friend of ours, not to mention his studious side, clearly someone with the 'grey'est of matters.

Specimen 2) Manaar - The chirpy guy, our math genius, the one who can any day beat a bamboo stick in a waist size competition... and by the way his facial expressions are unique.

Specimen 3) Nilava - The ultimate emo-guy, easily gets upset, known for his erratic nature, and his jokes sure can keep you laughing all through the day.

Specimen 4) Ivanjan - The first thing you'll notice about him are those locks... sure to make any shampoo/hair-oil ad-campaigner drool, he is someone with a variety of interests.

Specimen 5) Anirban - The magician... has a lot of interest in illusions, tricks, cards games and music, he has sudden brain-waves from time to time.

Specimen 6) Me...duh!

Anyway, everything was okay till that... the real shocker came the next day, when I learnt that the train would leave from the Howrah Station at 6:40.
Moreover the day planned had been 23rd December, the morning after our exams got over!
Well... I must modestly concede that I'm not exactly an early-riser... I guess you won't call someone, who on an average wakes up at around 11 during the holidays, that! Even I though so...
Another fact to take into account was that it takes over an hour to reach the Railway Station from my house.
So the final equation came down to something like... I had to wake up at 4 am... a time when I had normally gone to sleep on a few days...

Life is brilliant, isn't it... :|

Anyway thats about it... we had a lot of funny incidents along the way and also in Mandarmani... and everything single happened by chance... from barely getting down from the train in time to finding the resort... nothing was planned.
The incidents would take a lot of time to write about... so lets save the effort and leave them for the memories to savour.

A Light Hearted Meaty Affair!

Life has been moving fast!
Really fast!

Its been a hectic ride ever since the Puja vacations got over!
I can't even reacall what all happened in between...
I'll try to jot down whatever comes to my mind... not necessarily in chronological order...

Our group of friends were chatting one evening when somehow or the other, up came the topic of having a Barbeque Party!
That too on the rooftop of our apartment!

Like aimless souls who jump upon the first idea that comes to their mind, we decided it then and there that it had to be done!
So began the preparations... buying grills, coal, saw-dust, setting them up with bricks.
And obviously next came the food items!
Sausages were bought... so was boneless chicken along with the required vegetables... sauses, chat masala etc...
It wasn't as easy as it sounds!
Some of us were really doubtful about the plan... ok... to be honest most of us were (And yeah... I too need raise my hand here!)... except one... the one who had planned all this!
Llama... our corporate friend... now please don't ask me the reason behind the name... lets just say someone found 'similarities'... and the others agreed!

Anyway doubts were aplenty!
Would the coal light up in the first place?!
Even if it did, would the meat be cooked enough??!
Or maybe we'll just burn the thing off into smoke... the experienced chefs that we all are!
Enough reasons to order 'Rumali Roti' and 'Chicken Bharta' as backup.
Cause none of us had retained enough attributes of our cave-dwelling ancestors to gorge on raw meat!
But the way the thing was pulled off was well beyond our expectations!
It was a hell of an experience!
The food was delicious... most importantly!

And the atmosphere elecrifying!
A function was going on nearby and the music floating across the air seemed to add to the ambience...
It was something worth trying out again... and we sure are going to do that!

Then came the other big festivals of the season... Kali Puja and Diwali... the festival of lights!

We were a bit dissapointed initially this time around because for the past three years we had been having Kali Puja in our Apartment, and it was decided that it would be skipped this year...
The dissapointment was short-lived though... what better way to set your mood right, than by firecrackers!
The specify the quantity... lets just state that... stating that we burnt 'many' would be an understatement! (If that made sense to you, you're a genius... cause even I didn't get what I wrote)

The shells exploding on a Diwali skyline is something worth savouring... throughout the evening... and through the night... coinciding with the nascent rays of dawn...
I got busy with my camera! Clicking away at each and everything!
And that more or less rounds off my Diwali.

Next to next day was 'Bhai Phota' a traditional event of brother-sister bonding.
I love this event... specially because I love my sister so much!
And this is one of those few days of the year when I step out of the house in a 'Panjabi'!
The affection we show for each other is the best part... and well... the exchange of gifts comes a close second! ;D
This year I went to two of my sister's houses... had lunch at Shila di's house... played around with my nephew, other cousins... we always have a wonderful time!

After that college reopened, and the days just flew by... and out of the blue today I find the semester exams a week away!
Some shock... I tell you!
I'm starting to envy those friends of mine who study in Jadavpur University... they all boycotted the semester exams... in protest of something that half of them don't even know of!
And now the new dates haven't even been finalized yet!
How I wish our college too had a students' union!

Anyway semester exams here I come... please let me return alive...