A Love Story

LOVE .. the word itself got a magical power behind it. Its not rare that we mistake a self-seeking false love for Unconditional Love. I still doubt which is the strongest love in this world. Between mother and kid?? Between lovers?? Between husband and wife?? Between siblings? Between friends??.... still a question if opened for a debate will continue till the world exists..

I was having a discussion about Love with my friends. Its funny how people think of love. Maybe its their experience that gives then those attitudes.. Some of them think love got colors and its their life. I don’t mean the love that’s between lovers.. it can be any love.. it was then that I heard a story about love from a friend of mine. I liked it and I agree with it. (and please friends, don’t take it that I am against love of anything. I am very much in love but somehow I felt there is some hidden truth in the story I heard. After all humans are those who still have the basic animal instinct.) Thought of sharing that Monkey Story with you…

A Story of love that existed between mother monkey and baby money. There happened to be a heavy flood and storm in the mountain where the monkey family lived. The water rose up, and it stormed continously. Even the wise monkeys were frightened by the flood and they decided to go to someother place when the waters covered everything except a tree at the mountain top. But how could the baby monkey who is too small to jump go with them. So the baby monkey and mommy monkey were let alone there. How could a mother ever leave its baby, however worse the case may be?

As the water level started rising, the mommy monkey had to keep the baby monkey on the shoulder. But then it didn’t stop there... I started raining more. The mommy monkey kept the baby monkey on the head, so that it will be safe. But after sometime, the level started rising and the mommy monkey couldn’t do anything to save her baby.. She cried , she struggled and at last she left the baby monkey there and she escaped.

What do u think is the best love in this world in Human relations?
Lets take a Vote…I vote for…umm... Will vote at the end. :)

Memories of Rain -1

Today its raining heavily.. I love the rain… I love walking in the rain without an umbrella. I love being drenched in it... the rain brings with it many memories...

The patter of the raindrops on my windowpane... the same patter I heard when I was in boarding ... years back.

June month had a peculiarity. School can get leave any day... heavy rain will block the road, Periyar will over flow.. and schools will get closed. One similar day... the rain is expected to get less, and the school to restart. But day-by-day it became worse. Almost all the kids in the boarding have gone home except few of us. The unlucky few were laid back in boarding.
“when will your daddy come to see you”? Boarding sister used to ask me every now and then
“ Sunday” I will say with an aching heart.. (It was no use convincing the sister about something I was unsure, and she never bothered either) though I was bold outside. I used to be scared .. unsure about the things at home. I wished everything is ok back at home. That was the only choice because we never had a telephone at home that time. Even if we had its not going to be of use as telephone is something, which is OUT OF SERIVICE all through the rainy season. Sundays were special for me, because every Sunday my father used to come and meet in the boarding. We will go outside, have lunch from Hotel Ambadi or Hotel Sreekumar. On the way back he will get me “eatables” (a term used more often by us kids in the boarding). While the eatables meant chocolates, chips, biscuits and all colorful snacks to my friends.. it confined to peanuts and dates for me. I used to wish he would get me the colorful biscuits and chocolates I see in the Jacobs bakery. “athokke verum vishamma.. nallathu kazhichu padi” (its all not good. Learn to eat healthy food) is all he will say. He is a great dad for not spoiling me in buying me whatever I want. But he still buys me things that I really need. On the way back to boarding he used to get me my favorite books to read, Bobanum Mollyum and Balarama, two books I never missed. (even now I am fond of the first one). It was an unsaid promise that he will be with me every Sunday if I am in the boarding. He never broke the promise.

“Sunday” though I said that I was very not sure if he will be able to come. There was no way to make sure if he will be able to come or not. No vehicles can pass the Periyar unless the water level went down.. and until then I am going to be in the hostel. 3 days have gone by.. rain haven’t stopped. Almost all have gone home. I hated the lonely evenings and nights, I hated the cold food served in the boarding, I hated waiting for somebody to come and take me, when I knew its just a dream.
The school had a wet look, all trees drenched in water, leaves all over the place because of the wind... strong enough to make me fall, if I don’t get hold on to something bigger than me. The Eucalyptus tree, which we used to play SAAT (or the so called hide and seek), been standing there looking handicapped with its main branch cut, a verisimilitude of the heavy rain and storm on the previous day.
It dint look like Sunday. Sundays used to be very fun with the “Vedapadam” class followed by the games. As the climate was bad, sisters dint take us to main kumily church for the Sunday mass. We attended the holy mass in the convent chapel.
I was sitting near the dormitory, which used to be very noisy on other Sundays, now owning a scary death like silence. The only sound that could be heard is patter of the raindrops on the glass window pane.. I saw somebody walking towards my school, fully drenched in rain. It was raining heavily, that I could see him only as a shadow..a familiar one, my heart started beating fast.. I wished its my dad. And believe me it was. I ran all the way through the stairs, the long verandah, and still the longer play ground with my colorful umbrella at hand.
He was fully wet, eyes red over the rain, he had a small packet in his hand, a familiar one.

“Daddy, give me two minutes I will pack my things and I will come” I said.

“No, you don’t have to. You cant walk all the way” .

“Then how did u come?” I was almost in tears.

“I walked all the way, almost swam through the Periyar, came to Valadi.. and I walked. You can’t do that”.

He walked all the way to see me. He never had those sugary words for me. He handed over the packet he had with him... the usual eatables he used to get me every week. I knew what it was.. it would be kadala and eenthapazham.
Another fifteen minutes, he said he needs to leave. I know crying is of no use. He is somebody who will decide once, and nagging won’t change his mind. And I know it’s impractical to walk all the way till home. I wished he stayed back some more time. But I know he won’t.
“Adutha aazhcha veendum varaam. Appazhekkum mazha kurayumaayirikkum.” (next week I will come again, hopefully the rain might be better then) Dad said. For a while, we were plunged into the sort of awkward silence that so often accompanies moments of great emotion. I knew he would come on next Sunday, because if said once, it is a word I can trust and he has proved it once more.

Even today he is the same... a man of few words. I see him sitting in the verandah, sipping his kattan kappi, reading the newspaper. It’s a usual if he is at home. He is a self-made person, and he never imposed anything on me. He is a father who always left me free, always showed me the utmost respect.

I see the rain. I love the rain… when I see the rain, I feel the sky is shedding tears. I love the storm.. its rumble.. I love the lightning splitting the sky into half with sword of light. I love the memories, my precious possession ... that I am taken to.

The pain of a lost childhood...

The kid I met in park yesterday selling ballons, one whose childhood is out of reach.

I wish all the kids had a carefree and inncocent chilhood… where they have dreams, which are not crushed by the bitter facts of life.
-bs-

I resigned... and I am my own Boss!!

My job as a Scientist in Jubilant Biosys has come to an end. However, you don’t just leave the team with a handshake and a wave. I got to share my views, my opinions. (after all no more appraisals for me he he). I have mixed feelings (like an avial*) when I think I am leaving my job.. My First job. It’s a surprise to know that I sticked to the same job more than three years. I think this is too much and I need to move on. The best word that describes me is “free spirit”, but I WAS caged by my own fears, fear of losing... fear of staying unemployed... fear what if my dreams doesn’t come true. Its time to go out of my cocoon... and to try experimenting my dreams and to live my life for what I am. I have had many funny, sad, strange, and crazy experiences in this three year life.
If you are working in Jubilant, continue reading only if you can bear the kadva truths along with the meetta facts, at your own risk. It might hurt you, it might make you happy.
More than three years back, when I got this job all I had in my mind was earning for my daily bread. I am not sure whether I did my interview well, but I convinced Parthi sir, that with time I can handle any tough situation (I promised myself to do my best if I am selected). My work was my God. Working 24/7 in 2004 never mattered coz that was the best team I could get. It was like an extension of my college life. Parthi sir, who selected me left the company (he was a very sweet person I should say), along with several others. Company started focusing on Drug Discovery (more dollars). They gave the worst and silliest excuses and terminated employees in masses. That silly were the reasons and rules they had. Indiscipline (even my convent school never had this strict rules), talking in the work place, not reaching the KRA (dunno when they had a real defined KRA), mobile phones were banned, internet banned, walking banned, eating banned... wait for some more time they will ban breathing in the work place. :)

I should say I was very lucky, to be selected to drug discovery team. My Boss, Dr. Raghib Hussain was the best boss, if I could vote for him. (May be he didn’t start learning the Jubilant Culture. I wish he stayed the same way).

It's all come to an end now and I have no regrets whatsoever. It's a time of my life that I will never forget. I will always think of it as the first company that gave me a job and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better team of people to start my work. (Of course, nothing comes all time good. People were there busy doing back stabling, back bitching, but that was their problem and I was not bothered about the ill-fitting people, who were there to fill the voids). But if I look back, I am happy and content.

So I just want to take this opportunity to say a big thanks to everyone who worked with me, who made me feel welcome during my time with them. In particular: Parthi Sir, the brilliant, Teena, Sudip Sahu, Dr. Selva, Vanitha (the one who was always there to help me), Dilawer, Manjunath, Sivaram, Pratima (the sweetest of all), Jaceena, Arunadevi, Gens, Bineesh Tamilkutty (all time favorite), Venkit ( the calmest), Suresh ponnaya,...(Just my team mates) my God its going to be a big list... far innumerable to mention all names here.

I remember the lunches we had, cracking jokes (best time in office), trying to learn each other’s languages, sharing the food. Thank you Suji, Pratima and Hema. (pratima, will try out ur moms recipes for sure).

For all my friends, I recruited-I am happy for those who are settled in life with a good job, but to those who are still in process, I regret what happened and call me if there is something I can do for you.
To all of those who helped me-You are the people who kept me going and make my job worth it. I’ll genuinely miss you all but I need to move on.

For every mean person out there (very few, but worth many)- Thank you for teaching me that world is not just a bed of roses. Continue doing all the mean stuff u used to do. Never change, never learn from your mistakes. (and you never will).

For the management- If anybody comes across my blog. A humble request!! Value others time. U might invest lakshs in DISHA (to get funny results), invest crores in Six Sigma but Nothing can make a change unless u change yourself. In this three years experience, I have attended more than 100 meetings, that’s for sure. And the there was only one meeting that was held on time ( and that was Dr. Veena Agarwal’s. keep up this good habit Dr. Veena). The higher the authority, the more late he/she will be. (y don’t you calculate the FDA, the loss, when so many scientists wait for you, doing nothing).

If I were asked what I would change about my experience in Jubilant Biosys, my answer would be, "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING." Thanks for everything!

Avial*: a Kerala dish, blend of all assorted vegetables cooked in a paste of grated coconut.

A Whisper from the Past

Yesterday I met my time twin.. After 12 looong years. We first met in school, and we were almost lost before we found ourselves in Orkut few months back. As I am leaving Bangalore in no time, we thought of catching up. I thought I will pen down my thoughts. A lot of it will only make sense to someone of my age, who have a similar experience, so I apologize to anyone who is still not my age and doesn't have the slightest inkling of what I am talking about.

Well! Who wouldn't be nostalgic when they see their friends whom they forgot they existed or not.. So here I go. Let me take you back in time! We were young kids, 13 years old or so when we met. The main fact that we noticed is we shared the same date of birth and year... though I don’t not know about the time (should be mid night 12 o clock :)). That was a time where my (may be everybody of my age) main interest was making friendship, having fun, clear through the exam.. not a thing to worry. Our friends who turned the sleepy class into a room full of life. Though we were not the very best friends, but we shared some common interests, and had a special feeling for each other. He was a calm, well behaved , well brought up boy (this is the testimony I wrote for him in Orkut :)).

Well, I must admit that I had no clue how wonderful an experience it would turn out to meet my twin again. I loved the tension, Waiting for him, who arrived on time. Once again we were taken back to the school days, recollecting our old friends, their where-abouts.. I read somewhere, time twins will have many things in common.. and amazingly I realized it yesterday. He shared my same interests... artistically talented :) we were ( u agree or not).
Yesterday was an extraordinary day where our friendship was celebrated, and some great memories immortalized. I realized some of the friends aren't just old friends anymore, but an extended family.
May be another 12 years we will meet again, and let the future unfold the co-incidences and characters we still share, coz I read somewhere, time twins will have many things in common?

Image from childactivities.umd.edu

PS: couldn’t find a good title for this post. Can somebody help me.. Person who suggests the best will get a dairy milk as a prize. How about that deal!!

Tick Tick Tick...

The constant ticking of my watch... reminding me things I got o do. Things I haven’t done.. reminding me that I am still alive, and I got time…time to live.
Most of the time, we take it for granted, not utilizing it the way it has to be. We do things which is wastage of time, we don’t do things which is again wastage of time...
They say Life and Death are not in anyone's hands. But as long as you are alive, why don’t we be like the watch, utilize the time we got between the birth and death. Be like the watch… never lazy. the seconds keep on ticking to make a minute with 60 ticks. A minutes to hours.. hours to day... and so on.. Pages of life flips... which never comes back…
Be like the watch, which never gives excuses… Live your life... if not for yourself, for others…

Smile Please..

Whether Angels exist or not has been a subject of controversy since the dawn of mankind. Is there any concrete evidence?
Of Course there is..
Captured this angelic smile in yesterdays party..
-bs-

Letter from an NRI Malayalee

I came across this email forwarding recently sent by my cousin chikku. Believe me I was crawling on the floor laughing my guts out and I almost had a heart attack when read this. .
No hard feelings pls. If you are a Malayalee, read it in the proper sense. Go ahead and have fun and laugh the way I did.

A family at Changanachery (Kerala) was puzzled when the coffin of their dead mother arrived from Philadelphia, USA. It was sent by one of the daughters. The dead body was so tightly squeezed into the coffin, with no space left in it! When they opened the lid they found a letter on top which read as follows:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am sending our mother's body to you, since it was her wish that she should be buried in the Parelpally cemetry. Sorry, I could not come along because nurses salary is going to increase from next month so I doubt whether I will get in case I am not here. You will find inside the coffin, under Amma's body, 12 cans of cheese, 10 packets of chocolates and 4 packets of Badam. Please divide these among all of you. On the sides of her head there is a tin of Nido and Tang. On Amma's feet you will find a new pair of Reebok shoe (size 10) for Biju.

Also, there are 2 pairs of shoes for Lijju's and Ammani's sons. Hope the sizes are correct. Amma is wearing 6 American T-Shirts. The large ssize is for Sujoy and the others are for Tomy and Suresh. Amma is also wearing 6 Wonder Bras and 12 Victoria's Secret panties. Just distribute them among yourselves. The 2 new Jeans Amma wearing are for the boys. The Swiss watch that Minju wanted is on Amma's left wrist. Tangamma Aunty, Amma is wearing the necklace, earrings and ring that you had asked for, Please take them. The 6 white cotton socks that Amma is wearing must be divided among Johnny and Nikhil. In Amma's pockets there are about 25 envelopes that are to be posted immediately. Some are drafts from the exchange company. Those marked "By Hand" are to be hand delivered (these are letters from my friends in the hostel, "pisukkikal thanne, enthu cheyyam").

There is also Rosamma's wedding album I brought here to show (off) my friends in Riggae hostel on my last visit. Also, you will find some syringes and two boxes of panadol and some other medicines which I don't know what for. But still I am sending them. Give it to the neighbours of Shantamma, OK? Johnny chettanu joli onnum ayilla, Prarthikkanam ketto.

Ellavareyum orthu kondu shesham nerittu kanumbol.

Laly Mol.
ThanX chikoos for forwarding this one.!!
-bs-