Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Story behind the Story

I have always wanted to write something from past few years. I write a diary, scribble nonsense on bits and pieces of paper, type something on a notepad in my laptop and compose blog posts via my Blog. These days, there is an author constantly running in my mind. Writing has given me so much of pleasure. Looking at my blogposts, my improvement in writing, reader's appreciation and wanting to write more, gives a new lead to my life.

Long back, after reading my blogposts, few of my friends had suggested me to write something real and big. At that point in time, I didn't know what 'real' and 'big' meant. Later, when I started my career, few of my colleagues advised me to write something real. They gave me an idea to write a story-series, which would enhance my writing abilities and my journey as an aspiring writer. 


I thought about it for a while, discussed few ideas but didn't start anything. I kept on postponing the plan. I was happy writing short articles, travelogues and petty posts. After a tiring and not-so-good day at office, I started writing a love story. I wasn't sure whether it was an article or a short story when I published the first episode.

Few comments:  "Shit!! Why do you want to write a lovestory?" "Nobody reads these romantic stuff, these days" "Is this your lovestory?" "Looks mediocre" "Interesting! Good start!!"

My thoughts of writing a triangular lovestory went on to become a quadrilateral. Sometimes it appears like a dirty mixture of few films and novels to me. 


I was amazed to see good response. Though I lost few of my readers due to my infrequent publishing of episodes. But I am happy that I could reach out to good number of readers.

Few complaints: "Dude, I forgot the whole story" "Its irritating to click on "Click Here" " " "Post episodes regularly. You know that few are waiting to read the next part of the story"

If I say, this is a fictional story, I would be lying. This is a combination of what I have seen in my close ones' lives (My friends and colleagues) and my imagination (Wild, eccentric, and cheap, at times). I have never been in a relationship but I know a lot about this experience through my dear ones. Not to forget, I watch a lot of movies and soaps, read a lot of books and write-ups in internet. It isn't anyone's story in particular. You needn't go through that experience to write about it. Nobody wants to tell his personal story to the world. It is a fictional story with a lot of real-life elements in it. I kept on improvising the story. This story had actually become a part of my life. During my loneliness, travelling and various other instants I was thinking about the next episode. After writing each part, my friend, Jagadeesh used to come up with few suggestions. He is responsible for few twists in this story. From nowhere, this story reached somewhere and made me go through a fine journey.

Few appreciations: " I think, you should take it to the next level. Make a proper draft and we will talk to a publisher" "I never read lovestories, except this one. You are quite good" "Man, you write so real. Your narration is mind blowing. It must be your story" (My reply: If you know its real, then you must be in a relationship. Pat on my back, I'm good as an author) "It makes a lot of sense. You are getting better" "Every episode, you surprise me and keep me hooked up for the next part" "Good job, dude!"

I was happy to hear all the appreciation as well as criticism. At times, I didn't like the thought of me writing some shitty love story with so many episodes. That isn't real writing. But I define Real for myself. This writing was a memorable saga. Thinking like 4 different people was amazing. To weave a story that's unseen, to explain the emotions not experienced and to narrate the incidents which i wasn't part of, was splendid.

Thank you, for making this journey more enjoyable.
I'll miss Rahul, Aditi, Shreya and Sid. 


Thanks for your time!!

A Journey To Remember - Episode 18

Here is the next episode of the story. To read the previous part Click Here

Prologue:

Its not about how long we wait, its about how well we understand why we are waiting. Sometimes our reasons seem trivial for others...but for us..those are reasons which makes us breathe one more time.

I kept staring at the clock, I tried to pack things, I imagined all the good things that had happened to me over the years but nothing seemed to make feel alive. 

Melancholy had deeply penetrated to each and every blood vessel. Will I be happy without Shreya? Will Shreya lead her life peacefully, without me? Is Aditi serious on me? Should I clear the way for Aditi and Sid? Rather than going abroad, shall i start my life brand new, with my parents? Going to US is the best thing thing for me? I was torn apart by all these thoughts. Well, human brain can come up with innumerable permutations and combinations. His enemy, human heart agrees with one option at a time and changes it's decision, the next moment. 

My mom called me and I picked the call after 5 rings, " Rahul, It's 4 am. Wake up and get ready. Give me a call, before the plane starts."
I replied, "Sure,mom"

I knew, my parents wouldn't have slept the whole night. My decision to fly abroad had disturbed them, a lot. Unlike other families, middle class parents want their kids to be with them. All they care about is relationships, not professional milestones. I informed them 2 days ago to avoid all the emotional hi-drama. I didn't want them to see me off at the airport.

I got Aditi's message, "I'm ready!"

I called her, "Taxi will be here in few minutes. I am all set. I'll pick you at your place."

She reminded me, "Get your headsets and don't forget to turn off the gas cylinder. One more thing, wash all the used utensils. I know, you would have had a lot of coffee last night"

She was damn right. My headsets were lying on bed,coffee-mug on the table and I hadn't turned off the cylinder. Aditi knew me and I knew her. We were perfect to be friends. I had no thoughts of seeing her in some other place. We were fine to be together as buddies.

Taxi arrived and I picked Aditi from her place. We were at airport in 20 minutes. 

Sid had been to his hometown. He called me to say Goodbye!!

After a few formalities at the reception, I came back to Aditi, "Aditi, I want to tell you something. If you think Sid is the best for you, stop not! You never know. There isn't any rule that first love is the best. Love is such horrible arena that there is no guarantee. You give it a shot. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But before you get into this relationship stuff, make sure you aren't fake. You are real. You stay in it only if you feel like. I'm not telling you hop on to too many guys and find  good pair. Don't beleive in people who say, "There is no perfect match. We have to perfect what we have". Life gives you soulmate. My father and mother make the best couple. Their's was an accidental pair. You make efforts and give it a try, but if it doesn't work you must be good enough to end the relationship and move on. You aren't married to him, you are just dating. If you want to keep correcting your relationship everytime; better go with your parent's choice and go with an arranged marriage. It will atleast make your parent's happy, if not you. If you take a risk, do it properly. You find the best one for you. Not finding the best one will cause a hell lot of problems to you, your guy and both the families. Love marriages just end up with a small world with only two of you; your parents aren't bothered anymore (not that much, really). When life gives you an opportunity make the best of it. Regrets and wrong choices won't help anyone"

Aditi replied, "Hmmm. I agree. But how do you realize that HE is the one? "

I replied, "You'll get to know, soon."

We had a cup of coffee. Aditi gave me a music CD of retro bollywood songs.
"This one is for you Rahul. To the witty, not-so-smart, hilarious, heartful, not-that-rich, sensitive, dramatic and caring person I have ever met in my life. Thanks for making my life what it is"

I controlled my tears,
"Aditi, you know how much you mean to me.Take care of yourself. Take care of Sid. Visit my place, once in a while. Then, what else?? I'll miss you!! "

I hugged her. There were tears. I took my boarding pass and made my way, towards the waiting bay.I had to wait for 30 more minutes to board the plane. Each second was so terrible to pass. 

After a few minutes, I got an announcement, "Mr.Rahul, please come to the reception. It's an emergency"

I had one more disaster waiting for me. I rushed towards the reception.

And There she was! Shreya !

I was shocked. Shreya came running towards me. We stood against each other.

There was a long silence!

Shreya went on her knees and said, "I know, this is very much unlike me. Uffff!! Me, Shreya, totally awkward, highly weird and extremely abnormal girl wants to spend my entire life with you. I have been always afraid of myself, my intentions, my parents, conventions, society,  and many other things. Today, I no longer care about you, myself, our parents, our future or anything, else. I like you and I can never get anybody better than you. You can take care of me better than I do. I've hurt you, dissappointed you, and given you so much of trouble. Probably, I'll continue doing the same in future. More than anything else, I have always seen a companion in you. With you, I can talk non-sense, sing, do rubbish, dance, be totally myself and still be loved by you. I know, I made few wrong decisions, but I'm eventually here. All I can say is, " I LOVE YOU and I'M ALL YOUR'S ".

Shreya finally got to know her Truth. She disrupted her wedding ceremony and was here.


Life comes down to a few moments, and these moments shape our lives. Well, I didn't say anything. We both hugged!

The whole airport was looking at us without blinking their eyes.

There are a few things which cannot be explained.  Sometimes we don't know the real worth of our dear ones. We make wrong choices and continue to live with them. But we don't want it that way. Without confronting the problem we can never resolve it. Accept the reality, acknowledge the love and make good choices. Quitting from the wrong thing at the right time is as important as Staying with the right thing till the end.

THE BEGINNING!!

Most of you have WhatsApped me, sent SMS, mails, talked over phone, talked in person or via others about this story. I would really appreciate if you comment your views (Good, Bad or Ugly). It feels great to know my reader. Its gonna make my day.

Whether you know me or not, if you have read this story please drop a comment !!

To know the story behind this story Click Here


Friday, July 18, 2014

Nonsense !!

This article goes out for all the insane people over there, to all the introverts who are shy to accept their absurdity, to all the "I'm-Mature" people who hide the anomalies in them and to all those who appreciate, celebrate and respect Nonsense.

Disclaimer: Read this blogpost at your own risk.

Prologue:

College life is a golden life. I truly agree ! It was my 3rd semester in B.E. and I was on a 2-day trip with my friends. We were traveling in a mini-bus towards Hogenakkal Falls from Kollegaal. There were too many talks,screams,songs and all that is considered to be happy, energetic and youthful. 

I was busy talking to my friend. It was a very long conversation when she said, "Nonsense is the only thing that has LIFE".

"Really?", I was awed.
"Ya. Nonsense keeps us alive",she replied and giggled.
"Hmmmm!!", I liked the thought.

For me, Nonsense has always made sense. Though it's kind of a paradox,i still believe that Nonsense makes too much of sense. The sense in Nonsense is more than the sense in Sensible. Nonsense is a forte of limited number of people.Not everyone can deal with nonsense. It needs enormous amount of talent, uniqueness, patience and a lot of craziness. Few may consider it as insignificant, but I regard it as the oxygen of our lives.

The charm in non-sense is it's lust for imagination, it's liking for the incorrectness and being totally absurd. To talk abnormally, to imagine beyond all the realities and sensing the craziness is an amazing feeling. Nonsense doesn't need facts, it doesn't require statistics, cheesy lines, logic and whatever that is considered to be conventional. Nonsense just requires 'The-Weird'-You, 'The-Child'-You, 'The-Crazy'-You , 'The-Innocent'-You and most importantly, "The-Real-You".

Nonsense is not an unconscious ignorance. It is a conscious behavior. May be, that is the reason why Nonsense is an eternal bliss. To discuss with a dear friend of your's (I have got few) about wage theories on life, to shed light on relationships, profession and everything that is too high is the beauty of Nonsense. To know the reality and the correctness of the context, but to continue being wrong, crazy, fun and soulful at the same instant is an unmatchable ability of Nonsense. 

Long back, I had a weird conversation with my friend (I call it Nonsense)
"Nonsense is holy! "
"Bullshit!!"
"That's what I meant. Bullshit is holy. So is Nonsense"
"Dude, that was a rotten joke"
"God is holy, because he is surreal (I call it unreal) and gives a way to escape from the reality. Same way, Nonsense is surreal (I agree) and gives you ultimate happiness. By prayers and believing in Almighty we hope for all the goodness. Similarly, Nonsense is a saga that's bound to create a joy. We aren't hoping for happiness through Nonsense but we are getting it at the same instant, unlike our prayers to God
"I feel like puking, listening to your conversation"
" There you go, Nonsense is giving you a salvation by helping you to throw away bad things from your body. You are loving this Nonsense. Aren't you?"

Nonsense is not always being wrong, crazy and being abnormal. Nonsense can be challenging the accepted truths, to laugh at the hard realities of life, accepting the weird part of the story, emphasizing the false in Truth or finding the truth in False. It is all about breaking all the boundaries and ignoring the norms. You don't agree? Well, that is not my problem. May be, Nonsense isn't your cup of tea.

Nonsense is an escape vehicle to get rid of sad things, heartbreaks, failures, dissatisfaction and all the earthly existence. You get into this vehicle and take a joy ride. Make sure you have got few like-minded (I mean, Nonsense) passengers with you, it's gonna be much more fun. No need to worry about the fuel or the destination (I mean, Sense). It's a trip that'll be short but enjoyable.

No matter what, you aren't going to stay alive forever. It's time to stimulate your brain cells with some Nonsense. Let the child in you do all the crazy stuffs he wants to do. Think beyond the conventions. Let go! Ignore all the inhibitions and enjoy the ride.

Long Live Nonsense!!

Thanks for your time. Drop a comment and let me know how you felt.
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Thursday, July 10, 2014

A Journey To Remember - Episode 17

Here is the next episode of the story. To read the previous part Click Here

Things were going fine at Office. Every single day was a challenge. I had to work smarter and harder to get things done. Though my schedule was too busy, there was Sid and Aditi for the relief.

One fine day, my Manager came to my cubicle and said, " Hi Rahul, I have nominated you as the Module Lead for our next project. You need to join our Onsite counterparts within few days."

I told him that I'm not willing to shift from Mumbai. Yes !! I didn't want to lessen my chances by moving abroad. I wanted Shreya at any cost. It may sound too silly for most of you, but I said "NO".

Manager: " Rahul, Its a great oppurtunity. USA is a land of opportunities. Your career will take a leap over there"

Rahul: "Thank you, so much for the opportunity. But I have my own priorities."

Manager: " I am not sure about your priorities, but you are a man of ultimate conviction. I know, you would have made the best decisions. Before I look for an alternative, I'll wait for your final decision till next monday."

I always make the best decisions. But it won't get executed in the same manner, because there is someone else who is a part of my decision.

All the colleagues got to know about this news. Few already started lobbying for this opportunity.

Aditi took me to the office cafeteria, one evening.

" Why did you say "NO" to that US offer? You are rejecting the onsite oppurtunity for the second time in a row. Are you crazy? "

"No, Aditi. I am fine. I don't want to go abroad. I like where I am and what I am doing."

"Don't tell me that shit again. You are waiting for that girl. You are hurting yourself and doing no good to anyone"

"I know, what I am doing. Everytime I ask myself, "Is it really worth it?" my heart has never said "NO" in these years. Going to US, professional achievements and exploring life isn't going to make me happy. That girl is what i want. Most of us don't know what makes us happy, but I'm damn sure. The only thing I wish is "Shreya", nothing else"

" That girl is stupid and you are crazy. I'm leaving. Catch you tomorrow."

Aditi was pissed off by what I said.She didn't speak to me for the next few days. She was disappointed by my actions. I liked Aditi for caring me and being always there. Aditi was a friend that everyone wishes for !

I was on an online meeting when I got a call from Shreya, " Hi Rahul, how are you?"

"I am fine. How are you?"

"I'm OK. I called you to say something...I mean, I don't know how to....(After a long pause) Well, my marriage is on 17th of this month. I am not even forcing you to come to my marriage, but I want you to forget me and lead a peaceful life ahead. I don't deserve you, by any means.You should always be happy."

"Hmmm..." I couldn't speak anything. I was cursing God and myself for what was happening. I was dumbstruck!

"Well, I knew you would be waiting for me. Accept the reality and live your life. Stop being too good for those who aren't worth it.Wish you all the goodness in this world. Bye! "

I had no reason to live anymore. My only wish was thrashed by the almighty. Just a phone call turned my life upside down. All my love, care and concern from past so many years had no meaning. My dreams went on a long walk to an unknown place, crying!

I went outside the office, ran harder and harder, for a long distance till I had lost all energy. My tears had dried. My wishes didn't work. My goodness didn't yield me anything. I was lost.

Next day, I went to my manager's room and expressed my acceptance to the onsite offer.

"You are leaving on 17th. For more information contact Admin Team. All the best, Rahul", My Manager said.

Life has few cruel coincidences and this one was ultimate. Shreya's marriage and my departure was on the same date. I made my mind, chose to dive into an unknown world. I knew, it wasn't the best thing but this option looked good.

Should I go to Shreya and convince her for the one last time? Should I choose Aditi over Shreya and live peacefully? Should I go away, far away from this world and forget everything for a while? 
Well, few questions have no answers!!

I dropped an sms to Aditi:
"I know you are angry on me. I'll be expecting you at the airport. I want to speak to you before I leave."

Aditi replied, 
"Will b at airport at sharp 6 o clock. Happy packing. GN."

To my suprise, I got a text from Shreya which read,
 "Happy journey. All the best. Thanks for everything. Good Bye!!"

With my laptop, old movie tickets, boring novels, unpacked clothes, "Ye Dooriyan" song on loop, untidy sneakers, air tickets...there I was sitting and watching the wallclock which showed 1:25AM.

Hard choices are hard because there is no best option.

Drop a comment and let me know your feedback!

Next and the final episode coming soon. Keep waiting !