Get a peek!

2010-09-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

A candid chat

2008-08-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

The following chat took place between my brother & I. The lazy ass that I am, I was never gonna put these thoughts into words, so I thought of publishing it for my own good. The idea being, to expose my ideas to a bigger audience, and take in their advice, there views, to build up my thoughts and find strength to make some key decisions in my life.

So please be patient, read through my lengthy monologues, and drop in ur two pence as a charity to my case.

--

ahmed: khul gya net aakhir

18 tqk yqhin rahoge ya kahin aur ka bhi plan hai?

itni lambi chuutti kaise mili?

Aatif: nahin boracay too

obon hols hain yahan

ahmed: koi dhang ki jagah nahin milti tumhen....yeh kya hai

Aatif: festival hai

ahmed: hindustaan aao... yahaan rakshabandahn hai....

independenc day hai..

Aatif: babu 2 chhan rukiye

tabiyat se baat karte hain phir

ahmed: tabiyat durust karo aur aaghe ke bare main serious ho jaao

Aatif: ha ha ha

serious ho jaao

ahmed: life main decisin lene padte hain

Aatif: bilkul boliye seriously

kya batayein aapko

ahmed: i htink take step in the direction keeping larger things in persoective

perspective

Aatif: ok

wht larger things

ahmed: matlab future

Aatif: wht perspectives .. give me ur perspectives

ahmed: dekho sab log safety zone main rehna chahte hain

Aatif: arey yaar

give me ur opinion in clear words

lemme understand ur perspective

ahmed: TAKE CHANCE

Aatif: u never knw it might help

humm take chance

ahmed: GO AHEAD

Aatif: hold on yaar

mom se baat ke saath aapse baat fight ahi

ahmed: THEEK HAI MUMMY SE BAAT KAR LO...

Aatif: haan

\ab boliye

ho gayii mom se baat

now tell me abt the chances tht u were saying so seriously

ahmed: par abhi tum young age ke ho....stand up and carve a niche for yourself...

stagnancy is killing

Aatif: hummm .. carve a niche .. its nice .. but u knw the risks right

am in a the biggest consumer goods company

am considered an expert in my field

ahmed: arrey kitna bada risk hai

Aatif: an expert in less than 3 yrs

am slated for a promotion in next 6 months

ahmed: so what is your future here

Aatif: one of the quickest in the company\

hold on lisyten to me first

ahmed: to your expectations?

Aatif: my future is unparallel growth with excellent pay package in any place i choose

a company which respects its employee .. a work culture like non other

a company with high work ethics and regard for work life balance

thts the risk

ahmed: so what is the excite ment for u on the other side?

why did u take the exam?

Aatif: the excitement on the other side is rapid growth .. an uncharted waters where sky is the limit .. if everythings works for my then excellent job prospects in a field i have no expertise in ..

a chance to know the future leaders of tomorrow

and maybe be one of them

a chance for doing things which very few get there hands on

good pay scale .. excellent network .. a truly new beginning

thts whts on other side

ahmed: ..and you are worried b'c of the uncertainity... right

Aatif: my chances this year are ok .. they are not super good or anything

i have 70% chance of making it big

but if i fall in the other 30% side

i may have to move out of my current job

or else my growth will be stagnated

will lose the respect / confident that i have build

and will surely for go the chance of making it ot the top niche univs

ahmed: on what basis have u made this calculation?

Aatif: am still on the strting level in my job .. i have a 2.5 yrs work ex when i apply ..

thre are tonnes of people who are lining up for a shot

and thre are tonnes of stats which are already available to judge ur chances

ahmed: you have given me the good and the worse scenario...

what is your calling.... dil aur dimaag kya kehta hai?

Aatif: i have .. and my calling is wht am taking this vacation for

the problem is not only my decision

the problem is wht comes after my decisions

getting into the colleges i wish for is not just difficult its very time demanding ..

and not only mine .. but many others

if decide to shoot for it .. my deadlines are far too close

which wd mean i'll have to get into hyper gear

and this hyper gear is just the beginning of a very long journey

ahmed: and before that .... ur chances at your company seems to be good... what is the drawback here

Aatif: no drawbacks .. just that its mundane ..

its not challenging enough

ahmed: what do you expect from life?

Aatif: enuff money never to say no to do anything i wish

enuff time to enjoy each and every moment of life

do to wht i wish to at each moment ..i swht i expect from life

i enjoy doing challenging things .. i enjoy keeping my self busy .. i enjoy travelling .. i enjoy high profile interactions ..

ahmed: hmmm..

Aatif: look in simple words: the first problem is : should i leave such a cushiony job in which i am so comfortable and at peace .. and which am sure will always try to keep me happy for something which will be always turbulent and fast moving

well .. if you ask me .. am ok to op for turbulence over calm .. no doubt .. but its easier said than done

the fact tht at this point in time of my life am gonna make a decision which will require a tremendous investement and whose repayment will keep me busy for life..

might too busy to even consider the little things in life..

i am sure i'll be happy and satisfied maybe .. but i need to be convinced myslef to be ok to miss other thinsg which u might not even consider now ..

things like a visit in family emergency ..

coming home on time ..

having dinner at home all seven days of week ..

having a home to begin with

and the thingsis once i get into it .. i don wanna turn back .. and thre will be no turning back ..

i'll be so much into it tht i might not want to turn back .. and whts at the end of it ..

whts the long and short of it ..

wht do you gain from all this running and keeping busy at the end of life ..

will i at that time realise tht i lost on a lot of things .. because i was busy

how imp are these lil things in life .. how do u define happiness

if thre is anything like this

shd i even consider these in making my decision now .. are these even worthy of consideration

or shd i just keep on doing things .. because someone else has done it .. and am smart .. i shd "carve a niche" for myself

u knw .. i think its time i shd stop and realise why am i doing wht i am doing .. and if i shd do it or not ..

its better to realise them now thn to realise them 10 - 20 - 40 yrs from now

boss .. i seldom get serious because thre are many things to be serious about .. there are far lesser things to be happy abt to be jovial abt

anyway .. tht has been a long monologue .. i hope u get the gist of it .. i hope u understand that i am confused as of now .. tht i am scared .. and i hope tht u will have faitht tht wht i decide is wht i have decided after very careful consideration

--
So thats that. Next 7 days in my life, I have decided to chill it out in Cebu & Boracay and maybe make up my mind to the goals I want to achieve.

Wish me all the best!
--

Business @ 22!

2005-10-30T06:25:00.000-08:00

Life is long and full of unexpected turns. Had u talked to the 10 yr old kid, he would have told you all about the nobel laureate of 2023 AD, though he migh not have been sure of the field you see. Had you talked to 15 yr teenager, he would have told you all about the next hunk in the making - maybe the next student of the year of DPS, RKP. The 20 yr old would have known tht the kid and the teenager were grossly wrong and would have had tough time telling where he would be ending up in next five years, leave alone 2023 AD! And now ask the 22 yr old almost TDH , and he might not be sure of 2023 AD, but he is sure that years don't matter no more. He is heading for big things.

I don't know if you would agree with me but sometimes nothing seems to be going right. The things you were most sure of, the people u trusted the most, the events that were a definite, they all go awry. Nothing seems to be right, no one seems to be trustful, nothing works and you start feeling that there is no hope. No hope for life, for friends, for family.... for future.

And then things change. You start getting hope, through unexpected things, unexpected friends and unexpected family. Maybe thats life. Maybe thats what makes life... life! I hope the turn of unexpecteds don't end just now. And i hope that they are for good! And I hope never quit hoping ..ever again!

An Introduction!!

2005-10-25T00:32:00.000-07:00

This goes for the uninitiated and also to those unfortunate souls who were not present during my profile at valfi. The words have been crafted by Akshay Saxena and inputs have been from all my enemies . Well to find that out simply keep on reading!!

Syed Ahmed Misbah Misbahuddin Aatif Yunus

Aatif’s life has been a story of almost been there almost done that. He is almost TDH. He is tall and dark afterall. He was almost Lit Secy and then almost Cult Co and almost DGSec. Considering he’s a Bihari, his political career at IIT has been shocking.

In his freshie year, Aafat as he likes to call himself had aspirations of being the stereotypical H2 Lit stud. He could be seen everywhere paining people and showing enthu. Sadly it was his painu-tendencies that were taken note of and he received his first break as an actor in the freshie dram. It goes without saying that the judges found his portrayal of the painu house guest extremely lifelike. Aatif was almost a dram stud now. Yet it remained another unfulfilled dream. Sadly, in his next role as the lead actor in H2’s socials, Aatif was asked to dance. Our man was so gifted at shaking his leg that poor Anshul Sharan was made to wear a mask and act as his dance double.

Aatif however did manage to do a few things right. Somewhere in his second year he came to the conclusion that he should start applying the one talent God had given him; his intelligence. He plunged into tech and academics. Techfest 2003 was his defining moment. Yantriki, Chemsplash and Last straw, the cash began to flow in. In a bout of insanity the Techfest team made him Chemsplash Manager and apna Aatif finally stud ban gayaa.

This boost to his self confidence caused him to embark on a series of misadventures, with women. He tried hard. First with the love of his Jamshedpur life, Aditi Roy Ghatak. So impressed was she with his fighting spirit that she gave him a shirt that says “Impossible means I’m Possible.” Aatif’s worn that shirt so long an so often, we were almost sure he’d wear it to his valfi. He then tried pataoing babes through Tech. Cheeka in Chemsplash, Maal Hai in yantiki, the list is endless. Once again a bad move, par Aatif ko kaun chamkaye. Yes, phir kuch bhi ho na sakaa.

Aatif soon realized that since his charms didn’t seem to be working on women, he should go for the next best thing. Unsuspecting inhabitants of his wing! He resorted to wearing a close up smile on his face and nothing else. Many an unsuspecting wingie found himself wriggling out of his clutches ad odd hours in the night. An inkling of his sheer obscenity can be gained from the ‘Miss Obscene’ title he won in his freshie year. In a fit of madness, a few of his friends took him along to Goa. Aatif was right at home. Since he ran no risk of getting tanned any further, he decided to have a ball. We would elaborate further but this profile would then have an R rating. Lets just leave it at.. We’ll never ever do that again. His HOMO-sapien tendencies have been proven photographically, when he tried to "take advantage" of an unsuspecting friend at Nariman Point.

This seemingly philanthropic person, would be more than happy to give you a lift when you catch him after the class, but the effort goes to waste when you realize that -

1. His bike is parked at the main gate.

2. It has no petrol.

3. He has no Money.

4. You HAVE money.

5. He is hungry.

Never approach Aatif with money. It will disappear. He took his batchmates for a "treat" to Elephanta, which ended up being dutch. He was found selling an extra ticket for a Movie in black, that too AFTER he had watched the movie! He went to fashion street and bought bright girls t-shirts because they were 10 rupees cheaper. The worst part is that he attempted to lure his wingies towards him by wearing those shirts.

Luckily Aatif managed some success in his love life in his fourth year. Though this does not mean that ANYONE around his is safe, it is still some respite. ‘A Virus’ entered his life and turned things topsy turvy. Aatif became dangerous to be around. His phone got glued to his ear and in order to impress ‘A Virus’ this violently anti alcoholic tea-totaller took to the booze, but not without spilling and diluting his peg 10 times over - if you don't believe us, ask DEAN, who was in a totally sober state when he observed this phenomenon (sic). His mounting phone bills and a sudden affinity to alcohol turned him into a threat to wallets everywhere. “Yaar paise udhaar de de, main Japan se bhej doonga.” Yeah right Aatif we believe you. When Aatif's outgoing calls were blocked, he resorted to cajoling wing mates to walk all the way to the main gate for a ‘glass of juice’ only so that miyaan could ditch them and walk out for a lovey dovey phone call.

Footnote: Aatif and ‘A Virus’ are only "good friends, I can't even think of anything else, I've always been good friends with girls, I don't think It will happen.".

So, drunken this man has become, in love and in liquor, but then again, success has also not been far behind - from being involved in hostel and IIT activities, this tech stud has held the prestigious position of Insti Tech Nominee, and was there to receive the trophy from our DOSA, who sadly missed the opportunity to shake hands with him, because he was busy showing off his trophy. This Techfest manager, has landed a wonderful job in P&G Japan, and would soon be flying all the way from here to the island nation - Aatif, we wish you all the best in all your future endeavors, and will miss you like hell.

A Kalinga Tale: Day 2 onwards - Kalinga Conquered!

2005-07-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry for such a late edition of the day 2. The problem was that bhai had read my accout of day one and he was not allowing me to release the sequel:). But now that he is out of my I am free again!.. so here it goes ...

Woke up at 7o'clock in the morning. We rushed to mom and dads room for a quick breakfast. The schedule for the day was tight and no slip in time could have been permitted. We had to visit few rels in Khurda road and from there take off to Chilka Lake. Had our lunch at Bushsho Khala's place. By noon we were heading towards the biggest inland lagoon in the world. It had drizzled when we started, making the climate just perfect for our rendezvous.

The road was awesome, going in and out of Mountains. The journey took us some 2 hours and we were in Panthaniwas, the Orissa Tourism Development Corporations guest house, by 5 o'clock. The plan was to check out the migratory birds at Chilka and then marvel at the Sunrise on the eastern coast of in India. Well, the migratory birds arrive at the birds sanctuary in winters and we woke up again at 7 o'clock. Anyways, we took a motor boat to Devi Kalijai's Temple, situted in a small island some 5 Kms off shore. We did see few Dolphins in the lagoon. The temple was really silent and serene. The dancing peacocks and the chanting priest added to the beauty of the temple. its a pity that I can't spend rest of my life in such tranquil places. Soon we were back on the shore and headed for Rambha Valley. On our way we saw some breath-taking scenes of the Chilka lake from a table top plateau.

After Rambha the next destination was Puri - The Holi city. After much begging I finally got the keys to car. The first thing to be done in my command was to put Dad in the back seat (refer Day 1). The problem with small family cars is that its difficult to adjust 3 people in the back seat, if you get what I mean! I could drive it for no more than 50 Kms before Bhai staged a coup and got me displaced from my postion of the driver. We took a bypass from Rameshwaran that was where Bhai took the wheels from me. But it seems fate is not without a touch of irony, the road from Rameshwaran to Puri was so hopeless that we covered the next 50 Kms in no less than 3 hrs.

We reached Puri in the evening, checked in the Panthaniwas in the quiet area of Puri. The beach resort was one of the best in Puri. We went out for a walk late in the evening. Well before I start giving in the details, I must impress upon you that Mom is a hydrophobiac, whereas I love water and Mom was with me for the walk. Do you really need any more details? To complete my description I must add that the people on the beach were ready to pay us for viewing the tussel between me and mom on the beach! I a grumpy mood for not touching the water even once we reached the chowpatti sort of bazaar on the beach few kms from our resort. I bought a kite there (THAT WAS FUN!!) It was an awsome kite, blimey! It was made of plastic, shaped as an aeroplane and it flew! Some 10 people asked me where to get it on our way back. Bhai shot a video too with me happily flyin the kite :-D!

Next day in the morning I made up for the last evening misfortune! Woke up early in the morning, slipped out of the room w/o waking up anybody and walked along the shore for some 5 kms enjoying the Dawn on the eastern shores. It was breathtaking. Soon Mom, Dad woke up too and there was an uproar that I am lost. Mom sent Dad immediately to look for me. He found me bathing in the water and take my word I have never seen him running any quicker! The crowd flocked again watching Dad pulling me out of the water and me tryin to free myself from his clutches. By the time I was out Dad was drenched too and I couldn't stop myself from rolling on the floor. The only problem was that in the tussel I lost my specs and the rest of the way had to see a spectacles less Aatif.

We left Puri at breakfast time for Konark. The Puri-Konark route is also called the Marine drive road. It goes along the shoreline and you cannot get a more beautiful road than that (FYI I was driving the car :-D). After several stop overs we atlast reached Konark. The magnificient sun temple tells the tales of age old riches. after spending some time in and out of the ruins we headed back for Bhubaneswar. There we made a night stop before leaving for home next day morning.

Our journey back was mostly uneventful. Dad drove most of the distance, I could get my hands on for some distance between Cuttack-Balasore Golden Quadrilateral highway and I enjoyed that bit :).. We all were too tired to enjoy anything else maybe, so by the time we reached home, all we could do was to pack ourselves for a really long sleep!

I don't know when we would head for such a trip again. With bhai's posting at different places all year round, me geeting only 14 days break every year, it would be great in itself if we can manage to even meet each other! I believe everything that happens in life teaches you something, and the lesson that I have picked here is that - Life is small and you don't get second chance. So get as much as you can from it!

Adios!!

A Kalinga Tale: Day 1 - The tell-tale trail!

2005-07-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well this odyssey was always on the cards only the destination was not. But as Bhai's hunt for his match got hot, the dream changed into reality. "Orissa - A dream destination" ... Don't youthink that I am using a hyperbole here. With mom rejecting my Darjeeling dream, Dad trashing our Uttaranchal sojourn, Bhai against a south India tour, and Nature spilling water on all other tourist spots, the plan of a trip to Orissa looked surreal to me. The fact that we would be hitting the road for this trip took me off, but the icing on the cake was that I was promised my share of driving on the way (which btw came after a lot of protest from me).

The route had been chalked out, the stopovers highlighted, car checked, route rechecked. And finally with all the prayers in place we left. The plan was to leave home at 6 o'clock in the morning. We left at 0700 hrs (with an army captain on our back, this was a great achievement). The route took us through pot holes ridden Ghatshila, the never ending truck queue at Jamsola, the "Baba-da-Dhaba" at Baripada, the "Guess-where-is-the-road" highway near Balasore, the "diversion ahead" Bhadrak, the four lane golden rectangle to Cuttack and finally to Bhubaneswar-the temple City!

I could lay my hands on the wheel for some 125 Kms between Baripada and Bhadrak. Mind you this was my first hands-on the four legged monster and I tamed it well!! The only problem was that my share of the road included finding my way through the under-construction bypass to Balasore city. May the fact that there was no road to drive on will give you a clear picture. They say its not easy to concentrate in a noisy envioronment. With Mom praying aloud (with her shrieks on every giving a particular tune to it); Bhai giving tips on when to change to which gear and to drive at what speed and to give what signal in which direction and to .........; dad on the font seat clutching the seat belt tight, constantly trying to take the steering from me, jumping before the bumps, and making faces which can even scare the sh*t out of people with a nerve of steel; You might just get a feel of my plight.

To cut the long story short, we reached Bbsr at 1700 hrs in the evening, checked in the Bubaneswar Hotel. Mom Dad went to visit the girl of Bhai's dream , we had our dinner, watched a rerun of evergreen "Hum Panch", got the news of the land and then closed the day.

Here I am!

2005-07-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Lifes been dull.

I think thats sums it up pretty good as to how I have been spending my last 3 months at home! I should, to be politically correct, take out the 17 day excursion that I went about in the month of June.

Mom and Bhai say that friends don't last forever. And when I refute their claim, they say that am too immature to understand it. And it makes me think - "Is it really going to happen?!". Will I forget my friends in next 2-3 years when I get busy with my life? Will people who count the most to me now, won't be there to share the ups and downs of life?

Some how I cannot convince myself that answer to any of these doubts can ever be yes. But then again I had great many friends till 10th and then again I had the best group in my plus 2 days. But none of them are around. Infact at some point of time I myslef have not taken the needfull steps to maintain the contact.

I don't know where the life would take me but I sure hope my friends would always be there in my thick and thin. With Sur there at every step of my life; Gajju on fone everyother day; Chhotu and Adi giving fundaes at the drop of the hat; Soni-Mayu to cheer me up 24x7; Bedi already gearing up for my baaraat [thats another story :-)]; Sudama and Zi as parents; GP n Varoon for support; Ghaza and Vardan for just being there [at Toto's that is :)]; I don't think it would be too difficult.

I hope I can prove my mom and bhai wrong for atleast this one time!!

8th Semester .. What the hell !

2005-03-29T00:47:00.000-08:00

They say "Empty mind is Devil's workshop", I say there isn't a better quote to describe 8th sem!

It all started on September 23rd. With GRE knocking on the door, and CAT mugging at full steam, life had reasons to move on, and move on fast. Then P&G happened, and with it came a vacuum of thoughts, activities and above all motivation. The first few months passed enjoying this new state. The idea of having infinite lukkha time, to do whatever you want, was elating. But come 8th sem, with few contact hours and a non-existant BTP, this lukkha time came back to bite me.

The sad part is that its not lack of work or opportunities, to do new and learn new things that is lacking. Its the motivation to do these thats simply missing from the life. First it was TF. I started strong, aiming to participate in not less than 5 events. And ended up participating in none. In the hindsight I can find 1001 reasong of why my particpation in each of the evnts failed, but the long and short of it is that there wasn't enough enthusiasm left.

Then came PAF. I won't call myself a real hostel enthu punter but with Ghaza on my back I would certainly have contributed towards PAf in my capacity. But I couldn't give myself reasons to work for it. The mind kept prompting whats the point of all this. And so PAF also passed with me doing nothing but doodling on the comp or maybe frustraing few people who care.

Then there was particpating in other inter college events. I won't say anything more for you know whts to come.

Now that this long semester has atlast passed, and am counting the last few days in the insti, things look a little upbeat with my BTP stuck up and none of the profiles written! I hope the last moment rush of things will atlast fire the spark thats been missing for so long.

One thing is clear though. Give me anything, but free time.

Its me .... AGAIN!

2005-03-28T00:44:00.000-08:00

5 months .... And life is not the same! ...

For one its a new year. The year which I decided would be an year of experimentation, an year of the "firsts", an year of expanding my horizons, an year of learning new skills, an year which I simply won't forget.

And boy! has it been such an year?!! I have seen, felt, experienced so many firsts already in this year, some of which I never even imagined while scripting my new year resolution!

One thing that I learnt time and again was its always easy to throw stones from the other side. It took me 2 liters of water and almost 3 days to say the 3 magic words. And you see it time and again in movies, and wonder why the hell that dumbo of a hero can't say something which both the lead know!! But now that I have a first hand experience and I can CONFIDENTLY say its not easy.

Now that am back on blogging, I hope it continues. Sometimes you have everything except a motivation to go ahead and do things. Many had asked me why I stopped writing and had urged me into writing again. This blog goes for them. I hope I can continue with this new found motivation.

More to come, so hang on!!

Chantings of an Unprejudiced Mind

2004-11-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

Today Vardan and I were discussing about the viles of Indian education system, as how it kills the innate talents of people and moulds them into a single cast. The discussion reminded me of the the scrap book I used to maintain as a kid and the poetries I used to write back then. He asked if he could have a look at them and after a little hunting in the stash I located the book I used to call "A Small Donation In Field of Poetry". I was in no mood of bringing the utterings into the light of world but Vardan forced me to do so. So people, bear with me! I must bring one thing to your notice that all the poems have been written during school years (class VII-IX) and the topics of the poems are all pertaining to what the kid used to hear from around. BTW my favorites are "On Friends" and "On Mother"!

The Zest
O Sun, going from east to west,
Please, Satisfy my zest.
Why people are fighting on the name of God?
Why is there riots between these bods?

Why is there so much bloodshed?
Why one craves for another's head?
Why is there Hindu-Muslim war?
Why are these brothers going so far?

Is it not in the state of mind,
What else difference can we find?
Tell me O' Sun going from east to west,
Can you satisfy my zest?

- A.M.Aatif (Class VII 'A')

On Friends
One who takes a person out of gloom,
And saves him from an impending doom,
Whose friendship never comes to an end,
Is as I think called a friend.

One who always gives a good idea to us,
And takes us out of the fuss,
Who always is their to defend,
I what I think is a true friend.

One who protects us from our foe,
And always keeps his vow,
One who wipes our rend,
Is I see a best Friend.

- A.M.Aatif (Class VII 'A')

On Money
What is money? Just some pieces of paper,
But can buy the most precious of Sapphire!
Money has incredible power,
For it can make brothers go far.

It can make son to kill father,
Can make a thief be released by copper!
Money has a great attraction,
For it can change saints to burgler by starvation.

It sure can change a simple man,
Into the most dangerous of Satans!

- A.M.Aatif (Class VII 'A')

Population
God created the, tells us the fiction,
But He would never have though of so much population!
His creatures dying out of starvation,
Making life with altercation!

There would be no food left, as the scientist say,
And the left food be worth more than we could pay!
It looks to me that there doesn't remain a way,
But to take a voe and stop the population fray!

- A.M.Aatif (Class VII 'A')

On Mother
"Mother!", Who is she?
A face of God, for her we should pray to thee.
Mother is name that cannot be defined,
She is the star that always shines.

Mothers face looks like a doll,
But not for her heart, as its not small.
Her smile makes us tension free,
She's like and evergreen tree.

On our mistakes, she always scolds,
And is always there to encourage us and make us bold.
Mother, the word which never can be forgotten,
Mother, a fruit which never can get rotten!

- A.M.Aatif (Class VIII 'B')

Our Class
My class is the sweetest class,
Music of the finest bass,
Always in purpose of grade,
Also ready for anyones aid!

Our class has a treasure of teachers,
Guiding us as the best Seers,
We greet with huge cheers,
Trying to vanquish our fears!

In our class there is no place for a stick,
For we are the model students, never a rustic.
Our class is the sweetest class,
Clear and spirited like soda in a glass!

- A.M.Aatif (Class VIII 'B')

Excuse the kid of some forceful rhymings! Few of the poems are written in hindi and am looking for some good hindi font for them. Reading through the poems, which maybe dumb for some, sure made me nostalgic. I was and am musing over the kind of thought process that used to go over in my mind back then. One would think that topics like population, money, communal harmony are all adults domain, but childrem sure have their opinions. We should try and look things from their perspective for its the least denatured and most unprejudiced.

I don't know what happened to me post IX class class, for I simply started hating english and arts. Was it my growing interest in science subjects? No it can't be for my interest in Maths and physics were at peak when I was in VIII and IX Yes, it has to be the screwed up education system. I always used to ace creative writing and essay competitions, back in schools but thanks to Mr. William Shakespear and the vapid lectures of arts classes, I performed miserably in the boards, and started hating arts! The hatred still continues forcing me not to opt for any electives in the institute pertaing to any form of arts. In the last attempt to rejuvenate the dying writer in me I have taken up writing blogs. I hope it would restore my liking for the language and maybe 10 years down the lane I would be getting nostalgic again reading my thought process at this point of time!!!

A Midsummer Night's dream!

2004-11-02T12:43:00.000-08:00

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."

- William Shakespere, As you like it, Act 2-Scene 7.

Coming back to my space after a long time does make me feel good. I see myself as a very planned person, trying to get things I aim to be set by pin point precision. But last 10 days have shown me the futility of planning ahead bringing contradictory thoughts! Last to last weekend Chhotuu informed me about his plans to Pune. And believe me, I was in no mood for the trip as I had no money and no enthusiam. But things simply fell into their places and I was in Pune on Sunday making a night's halt with Chhotuu. Well as I always say "Whatever happens, happens for good!", the trip was memorable. Awesome dinner at Richa's place, endless schmooze with Suravi with endless strings of Cappuccinos, cajoling Debs to set her in right mood (it costed me lot, but then thanks Chhotuu!), the boring Tom "Mangu Ram" Cruise movie in Vijay "pseude" Chitra Mandir and yes checking out the other side of a boy called "Chhotuu"! Describing the experience as fabulous maybe an understatement.

Back form the get away life got on a fast track. I think a BTP submition, 2 quizzes, 10 lab submitions, overdue assignments and lab endsem on the door may qualify my statement. Got into high gear and a week from then I am here writing this blog!

Already into November! Now that I think of it... Time Flies!! This semester, as I have titled the blog, has been a midsummer night's dream! Simply incredible. Last semester, I had made elaborate plans for this semester. None of them have materialised and I have no qualms. Doing things on whim, discussing about topics out form the blue, singing, dancing, treating and sometimes relaxing have their own kick. With not a penny in my pocket I have enjoyed my life way more than when I used to carry cash. Life has been just too beautiful and I hope it continues even though end seems nigh! Just 5 more months - 150 more days to go before we get into the hot seats uder the prying eyes of batchmates, listening to our exploits and boners, our imaginary/real love-lifes with lots of spice thrown around and then fencing the abashing questions from the clique who matter. Boy, it would be some time! I would be belying myself, if I say I am not waiting for the D-Day, but the fact that it would mark the end of my spell at IIT, makes me distance myself from it. But then life would move on. Some friends will stay, some would falter against the pace of life, but the memories made would stay for life. Looking forward to make more such memories.

CHEERS TO ALL MY FRIENDS!!!

"Keep thy friend
Under thy own life's key."

-William Shakespere, All's Well That Ends Well, Act 1-Scene1

Life or Something like it...

2004-10-22T04:39:00.000-07:00

"There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."

- Death Speaks from "To cut a long story short" by Jeffrey Archer

First love and then life! Think what you may, but its the fraility of life that has literally pushed me to write this blog. I did talk about the unexpectedness of life in my last blog as this thought had been brewing in my mind for quite sometime. Never would have I thought that I would be addressing the issue so soon. But then that is life!

Just a month back, on 24th September 2004, to be exact, I met with an accident. Coming back from my job treat my mind was restless on a trifling issue. I don't know what bit me but I decided to drive as fast as I could. It had drizzled and the roads were a little wet. But I was enjoying myself, playing hide and seek with the eternal truth. And suddenly it happened. On the tortuos flyover near Masjid, the bike slipped on the divider. I, in a frenzy, pushed the breaks, causing the wheels to get jammed. The bike got toppled and we (Ankush and I) were on the road skidding at speed close to 80 Kmph. Ankush pushed me off the bike and I rolled on the road for couple of feet while the bike came to rest. I don't know what had happened in those 15 secs, but one thing am very sure of is - I was closest to God then. I didn't even realise the gravity of the event, got up, checked my minor bruises, checked with Ankush, he too was not hurt. And I LAUGHED!!! I cannot believe how could I do that. Dasa, Harki, Chhotuu and other must have thought that I had got hit on my head and now that I ponder upon it, I couldn'thave agreed more with them! Ankush insisted on driving from there but I took the bike back from him near Dadar and drove it back to insti.

Now, exactly a month later, similar but much graver incident has brought all those memories back. In all of my interviews, I was asked what am I going to do 5 years hence. And I always had a fitting reply for such inquiries. Now that I think of it, I cannot but smile on such a farce question. How can you plan of 5 years down the lane when you don't know of things 5 sec from now! You may chalk out a foolproof plan to be the king of the world, but do you know whether you would survive till then!

Death .. Death is the ultimate truth. I see Death as God. Its in him we find solace, the eternal peace. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that is beyond its reach. Nothing has stood in its way since time began. Everyone is equal in his court, a rich is treated with same honour as a poor. It is everywhere. You may try and disprove its existence but it has its ways to mark his presence. It is with you, only just beyond your reach. Everyone is striving to touch him. Everyone knows one day he/she would reach him, yet is afraid of him. And above all, its when you need anyone the most that he would come and give his hands to give you rest from your pains! Who can have more powers than this but GOD?

I don't know whether there is life after death but then life and death are like two mates who just cannot be apart. So if one follows the other, I just won't be surprised. The only thing is I am not interested now to find it out! All I can say is I love life and I do it now even more!

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

-- Abraham Lincoln

2004-10-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Life can be "Qrio"us!

Life is full of unexpected turns! Sometime big, sometime small. In the evening, bogged down by 8 hours of excruciating lectures, I was having my tiffin in peace. When Chhotuu calls up and asks for bike. He informed me that Sony is showcasing there technology at Hotel Leela Palace and their humanoid "Qrio" would be the star attraction. Till that instant had never thought about checking out the humanoid but tagged along with Chhotuu thinking it would be a worthwhile experience. I was not to be proved wrong!

The ambience of the Banquet Hall, where the showcase took place, was awesome. The area was divided in 15 different zones and each zone had its own speaciality. From Wega Home theatre to Xplod Car music systems to Vaio Computer Systems. All the gadgets were absolutely fantastic. The place was a paradise for shopaholics! We had to wait a lot for the "Icing on the cake" as the compere preferred to call the corporate ambassador of Sony, but the show proved to be worth the wait. The humanoid was cute, his dance sexy, and antiques amazing. Sony has worked really hard for there humanoid project and there efforts are visible to one and all.The ride back to insti, though, was painful as all the streets were jammed. By the time we were back, our faces must have been covered by atleast an inch of soot!

The whole experience made me think about the unexpected nature of life! You never know whats going to happen the very next second. But then this is maybe the best part of Life, ain't it? So enjoy!!

The best things in life are unexpected - because there were no expectations.

Eli Khamarov

2004-10-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Dumb and Dumber

How much can a man be dumb? Is there any scale for dumbness? Well whatever it may be, today I met a chap on the chat who should be awarded full for his "Dumbness"! It is said "Its better to have wise foe than to have foolish friends" and I completely corroborate with that! So now without much ado I present to you the excerpt of my rendezvous with Mr. X (names and places have been changed to protect the identities of people)

ad_xyz2005 (8:12:44 PM): i am ad from ****** medical student
me (8:15:12 PM): ok .. and????
me (8:15:21 PM): as in, how do i know u?
ad_xyz2005 (8:15:47 PM): judge me
me (8:15:57 PM): why should I?!
ad_xyz2005 (8:16:10 PM): where r u
me (8:16:30 PM): click on my status msg and find it out!
me (8:17:03 PM): rather go to http://homepages.iitb.ac.in/~misbah_aatif
ad_xyz2005 (8:17:05 PM): what is your qualification
me (8:17:11 PM): click on it baba!..
ad_xyz2005 (8:17:12 PM): tell me about youself
me (8:17:24 PM): n if u r lookin for sum chick named misbah..
me (8:17:31 PM): u r in for a big surprise
ad_xyz2005 (8:17:57 PM): what is the meaning of misba
ad_xyz2005 (8:18:07 PM): a roshan moon
me (8:18:19 PM): gud ..
me (8:18:22 PM): and ??
ad_xyz2005 (8:18:23 PM):
ad_xyz2005 (8:18:44 PM): judge me, who am i
ad_xyz2005 (8:19:04 PM): are u in ******
me (8:19:14 PM): yes i am in ******
me (8:19:28 PM): just turn around and u'll see me!
ad_xyz2005 (8:19:35 PM): who is aatif
ad_xyz2005 (8:19:44 PM): is he your husband?
me (8:19:48 PM): aatif's my boyfriends name
me (8:19:59 PM): he's really sexy..
ad_xyz2005 (8:20:21 PM): do not use this type of words
me (8:20:27 PM): oh is it?
me (8:20:42 PM): but aatif uses it!
ad_xyz2005 (8:21:33 PM):
me (8:21:45 PM): u want to meet me?
ad_xyz2005 (8:22:24 PM): ok
ad_xyz2005 (8:22:38 PM): i am busy in my studies my exam start 22NOV lets see after the exam
ad_xyz2005 (8:22:56 PM): send me ur picture
me (8:23:01 PM): why after the exams!
me (8:23:07 PM): 22nd nov is too far!!
me (8:23:14 PM): lets meet tomorrow!
me (8:23:59 PM): why do u wanna spoil the fun by seeing my pic
ad_xyz2005 (8:27:29 PM): you are too slow to give reply
me (8:27:41 PM): aisaa kya!
me (8:27:59 PM): so r u coming tomorrow to meet me?
ad_xyz2005 (8:28:07 PM): where
me (8:28:22 PM): u tell me!
me (8:28:32 PM): sum movie?
ad_xyz2005 (8:28:44 PM): are you going to college
ad_xyz2005 (8:28:58 PM): tell me the name of the college
me (8:29:11 PM): college mein kya rakkha hai
me (8:29:17 PM): lets go to some movie!
ad_xyz2005 (8:29:24 PM): ok
me (8:29:31 PM): i love movies..
ad_xyz2005 (8:29:32 PM): where
ad_xyz2005 (8:30:32 PM): so meet me tomorrow at liberty market
me (8:30:38 PM): OK!
me (8:30:53 PM): i'll be in pink shalwaar kameez.
ad_xyz2005 (8:30:54 PM): u tell me
me (8:31:10 PM): with black hand purse!
ad_xyz2005 (8:31:13 PM): which movie
me (8:31:58 PM): wht movies are playin ther ?.. arey .. ne movie with u wd be gr8
me (8:32:41 PM): so what time wd u be coming tomorrow?
ad_xyz2005 (8:32:46 PM): reply
me (8:33:06 PM): so what time wd u be coming tomorrow?
me (8:33:59 PM): u dint tell me the time !
ad_xyz2005 (8:34:32 PM): after noon
me (8:34:45 PM): ok
ad_xyz2005 (8:34:59 PM): at 3oclock
me (8:35:04 PM): theek hai ..
ad_xyz2005 (8:35:19 PM): i am in blue t shire and black pant with cap
ad_xyz2005 (8:35:26 PM): ok
me (8:35:37 PM): aaahhh .. i loooveee blue t-shirts
ad_xyz2005 (8:35:59 PM): reely
me (8:36:03 PM): yesss....
ad_xyz2005 (8:39:22 PM): ok
ad_xyz2005 (8:39:50 PM): how many boyfriends you already have
ad_xyz2005 (8:40:02 PM): which is my number
me (8:40:03 PM): ..
ad_xyz2005 (8:40:09 PM): i am in *******
me (8:40:17 PM): ohh ..
ad_xyz2005 (8:40:29 PM): with me
me (8:40:40 PM): yessss..
ad_xyz2005 (8:44:39 PM): ok
ad_xyz2005 (8:44:59 PM): be brave if u want to become successful in the society
me (8:45:15 PM): hmm ..thats really true...
me (8:45:30 PM): tell me ur full name ad..
me (8:45:38 PM): i like ur ideas!..
me (8:45:54 PM): i love pple with such a sharp brain .. i really do!
ad_xyz2005 (8:46:05 PM): my full name is *****
ad_xyz2005 (8:46:12 PM): ok
me (8:46:41 PM): u r so brilliant *****!.. u must be topping in ur class!?
ad_xyz2005 (8:47:35 PM): your judgemnte is so good; i have always been top position holder in my acedamic career
ad_xyz2005 (8:48:46 PM): my three years are left to become doctor after this i want to go america to become specailized in the field of heart
me (8:49:25 PM): lovely .. really lovely..
ad_xyz2005 (8:50:14 PM): thanks
me (8:50:26 PM): chalo ... if u get time DO VISIT MY WEBSITE!
ad_xyz2005 (8:51:19 PM): ok
ad_xyz2005 (8:53:11 PM): how will i recognize u
me (8:53:20 PM): pink shalwar suit ..
me (8:53:25 PM): black hand bag ..
ad_xyz2005 (8:54:05 PM): i am in car corrolla *** ****
me (8:54:39 PM): ok dear!
me (8:54:45 PM): chalo phir bbye!
ad_xyz2005 (8:54:57 PM): ok

I am really sorry for using love in a general sense but I tried really hard to convince this fella that I am not the person he's looking for. He was simply not ready to listen!!

Wanna hear the most annoying noise in the world? AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

From: Dumb & Dumber

2004-10-19T02:38:00.000-07:00

Love is all around me ......

"Whenever I get gloomy with the stage of the world, I think about the arrival stage at the Heathrow airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed - but I don't see that - seems to me that love is everywhere. Often is not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughthers, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, oldfriends ....When the planes hit the twin towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board where messages of hate or revenge. They were all all messages of love. If you look for it, I have got a sneaky feeling, you will find that love actually!!"

- Opening lines in the Richard Curtis's masterpiece "Love Actually"

Last couple of days I had been meditating a lot on this topic and thought this was the right time to put it up for a discussion! So here it goes!

What is "LOVE"? .. To me its something holy. Something which is as great as life itself. Something which takes time to grow and you would never know that it has been there. Its not something that you can deny and not something that happens just overnight. They say, "People fall in love"! To me you can never fall in love as it is something that elevates you! They say "Love is blind", but how can it be for it opens your eyes! But they also say, "Love forgives all" and that "Love lasts"!

Is the taken-for-granted feeling with friends, the unending questions of girlfriends, the wheedles with mom and dad, the fights with bro, the tirades of granma, the pranks on my sis, the pampering of my aunts, love? If not love whats it? Affection, maybe! But how is affection different from love? -- I don't know!

People around me have been falling in and out of love, but is that love at the first place?! Or is it simply the attraction you feel for someone you are close to. How do you know you are in love? Or should you even care to know it? Is there anything like love-at-first-sight!? But how can there be such a thing for you need to know your love first! And should you try to fall in love? But how can you for "Love happens"! The whole funda is just too complex to its core, and they say "Love is simple!".. Haaaah! maybe I am too simple to get the complexity of this four lettered word! Maybe I should give time teach me the lessons of love, or maybe I should wait till "Love strikes"! I think I'll "Just sit back and relax. Love will just happen!".

I don't know what enthused me to write this blog! But it was something that was surging in me for quite sometime and I thought that blog was the best place to express them. The context of the blog have been people around me, some in my family, some in my close friend circle, and my life as I see it!

"Don't say you love somebody and then change your mind ... Love isn't like picking what movie you want to watch."

-------- Natalie, age 9. Love Quotes

2004-10-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

"THE" Weekend!

18 hours of drive and 27 hours of pure fun n frolick with 3 hrs of sleep!.. Boy! It was a weekend to remember!!

It all started when Chhotuu messaged me on friday night saying that he would be going for a bike ride to Lonavala and would I be interested. Now the hedonist that I am, was all eager for the ride. He asked me to be ready by 5 o clock in the morning. Sharp @ 5 he calls me and informs that a Qualis has been booked and 9 of us would be heading to Kashid and Murhud beach! What more could I ask for and with 50 bucks in my pocket any outing would have been fantastic.

We started for the excursion at 7 o'clock and reached our first destination 5 hrs later. Murhud fort was awsome! The engineering that would have been required to put up such a magnificient structure right in the middle of the sea must have been huge. After exploring the fort, it was surfing time! From Murhud we headed to Kashid beach. An excellent beach with low water hieght, ideal for swimming and water sports. Played football and dodgeball till we were totally wreck. We packed up from the beach at 6 and visited Vikram Vinayak Temple, constructed by the Aditya Birla Group. An elegant temple with very tranquil surroundings. It was already 11 by the time we were back in the institute.

Back in my room, I got a message from my friend and thus the plan for Pune was made! Left for pune early in the morning. The day was fun, connecting and chatting with Debs and Suravi. It was my first visit to Pune alone and I loved it. When I was in Crossword with Suravi, Gajju's threatening call came that I should be in his treat by 10 o'clock or else I would be responsible for the consequences! It was then that I figured out it was time to pack up from there.

At exact 10 o'clock I entered Tian banquet hall and the party never remained the same! It was dance dance and more dance. The dj was superb and the dancers too. Saw Samrat bhai dancing his breath out for the first time. I too was in the form and danced till I was down by nausea! Everyone was soo happy! The party ended up at 2 in the morning, and I was completely drained out. Snpaz of our freak outs would soon be uploaded on my webpage, keep visiting the site.

Next day was a long dream as I slept out half of it and am still dozing now. I hope the hangover would be out by tomorrow!

As I have always said. Time Flies! "THE" Weekend has passed but its memories will live!

2004-10-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Another Day In Paradise!

So now that I'm back in action, question is what should I write about. Now to help me out of this dilemma, someone suggested "exploits with fairer sex cud be a good start" ... Aah! Now thats one topic I like a lot, and why shouldn't I?;) .. But you'll have to wait a li'l for more on that. Right now am in the mood of telling you about my today's exploit.

Hmm.. On the whole today was one of the better days.. Vamsi got a job, Chhotuu nearly has finalised our plans of bike ride to Lonavala, I took 3 wickets and gave 6 runs in 3 overs, we won the match with 2 wickets and 3 balls in hand making 56 runs in 6 over:) !! The lopside is that today I got my midsem marks, but then even moon has scars. This li'l hitch of the day is forgiven.

Today I did a little something more. Actually it started yesterday when Ghazaa, Vardan and I were discussing about cryptography. I told them about a story I had read long back, called "The Gold Bug" written by the great American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe. Vardan and Ghazaa cracked the replacement cipher in the story and thus started our tryst with solving such ciphers. Today Ghazaa told me that there is an excellent cryptic code in Sir Arthur Conan Doyles "The Adventure of Dancing Men". I have just started reading the story and would recommend for one and all!

Enthused by such brain racking adventures, I landed up in one of the puzzles community on orkut. There I found this lovely cryptographic puzzle. You too try it out!
The Math teacher Leandro Cardish was found dead this afternoon in his classroom. With all he had of strenght, he drew this symbol on the board, before his death.

His students this morning were:
Skye Makua
Del Katterjohn
Rachell Credo
Juan Ratio
Madalyn Pakonen
Letty Civcci
One of them is the murderer, because of his low grades.

Discover: Who killed him and what was the weapon. The symbol is the tip for both.

2004-10-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Another attempt to wake up the sleeping writer in me! ...

The days in IIT are numbered now, and I get senti about it every now and then thinking about it. People say groups change, friends change, interests change and life moves on. But why should everything change?!
Can't things remain a li'l like they are now. I had the best gang in my school times. 4 year hence only few of them are in touch. But the thing is all of them have changed. I reckon that change is one that drives our life, but why change in good things?! I believe friends are forever and I hope this would reamain true with the friends that I have made in my 4 years of stay at IIT.

By the way, read through the two stories posted on Oct 7th and Oct 14th, on http://agarwaladitya.blogspot.com .. Real gems! ..

Till next .. Khudahafiz!

2004-04-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

End sems going on .. and I can't study even a wee bit :( ... The damned comp in my room is the root of all this x-( .. Funda is that I want to study but AOK, or age of kings as most people call it, takes me away from it!.. somebody help me!!

2004-04-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

My first posting and I don't know what to write!! I made this blog out of curiosity and seriously don't know its use :">
But then how does it matter!! I think its just a way of expressing yourself to world and I would do that.. So hey World, welcome to my blog :) I hope you'll enjoy the postings as much as enjoy my life :D..
BTW to know more about me do visit my homepage!
Gud Bye for now!!