Friday

I love fridays , ever since I've joined mera company strongesht.My manager has been working from his hometown for the past month and nothing could be more blissful than a cloudy Friday morning although I was actually getting to work.So there I was chugging and humming along and what do I see? The turning that leads to my campus is being blocked by the police.
Poleeceman: 'Munde Hogu' --Sail forth
Seren:'My company is on this road , what do you mean munde hogu'
P: 'Kannada balaralwa? Goings goings goooooings'
So I goed.

I goed a little more and the story repeated.And the next.And the next.

Oh goodie , I'm allowed to make a turn now ... ok ..no U turn? ....only right turn ?Now I'm inside the HAL airport? Err? EH?

We're made to stop inside the HAL airport where 3 gazillion cars and scooters are all lined up.With their ignition off , and that is a terrible sign.

The first person to respond was Mr.Goatie beard in an auto behind me.
Goatie Beard to Me: 'What's happening ?'
I tried to look my sarcastic best , rather unsuccessfully from behind a scarf and a helmet before turning away.
Goatie Beard to Bike guy next to mine: 'What's happening ?'
Bike Guy: *Politely* ' No idea , dude'
GB to BG:'Are you in the same campus as I am?'
Seren: *Rolling her eyes inside the baking scarf and helmet*
BG: 'Yes , come hop in , I'll drop ya!'
The scene that ensued was hilarious!
GB to auto driver: ' I will get down here'
AD: ' Saar , you are the reason why I'm stuck here saar , else I would have got better sawaari(auto rider) , and now you are the putting ditch'
GB:' I will give you 5Rs extra'
AD:' Saar beedi(a thin, often flavored, South Asian cigarette :D) also not comes saar for 5Rs'
GB:' Its 5 or nothing'

Cut to scene #2.
GB sitting behind BG
AD glaring at GB
GB pretending AD doesn't exist.

By this time , bike guy in front got hysterical.
'Seems there's a VIP coming because of which we're being cooped here!
Some more yells from bikers around
'We pay taxes , we're office goers , why can't the VIP come night $%$%$'

****************************************************************

I reached office around 11 only to find out that a team lunch was being organized to 'Jalsa'. I kept thinking the name sounded awfully familiar when I realised it happens to be the name of AB's house!Its a mughlai themed restaurant which resembles a set from Jodha Akbar! It even had a huge movie screen playing songs from Umrao jan and JA..



<----These are the couple seats!





Any guesses as to what this could be --> ??
The plate!







<---A cool looking goblet








Reached office by 3.30Pm , had coffee at 4:30 , set out homewards 5:30 PM!
Yesterday.
Blissful! :)

The Matrimony Chronicles - I

Oh yes , we are back at it. Our favorite topic.

Lets call him S.S with an Irish accent.Oh No.That was the other one.This one had a an Australian accent.Well Duh not because he lived in Australia , but because that breeze used to brush past him and ruffle his hair oh so gently whenever Australian ships docked at Frankfurt.

Anyway , after sending me a cryptic mail that read
"Wll cll at 19:56 tm nte, b prpd. Js kddin!" , I applied the Cryptology logic that Ramakrishna Sir taught me in my first job(Don't ask me why someone was teaching that in an IT company , it calls for more dignity than to be explained between curly braces).I deduced that S would call at 7:56 Pm , hopefully IST.

19:56:01:The Ming starts squealing ...
Disembodied Voice(DV):*Static* "Bellow"
Seren:*Saami , kaapathu* "Hi?" Translates to God Please Help
DV:*White Noise*"Ye"
Seren:*resisting an urge to say “Ee number chalanealli illa :This number dose not exist*: “ Hi! HI !! HIIII!!!”

DV: “Look , first up I’d like to clear a few things”

Seren: “ Uncle? Who I threw chalk at from the second floor?”

DV: “ I am an academician.”

Seren: “ Ooh! That suits me fine. I’m a caretaker at the neighborhood cemetery”

DV: “ We will meet.For coffee.Your treat? Snicker Snicker”

Seren: “ Eh” *I must wax my ears soon , hearing strange things*

Do din baad

1:55:01 Pm

Venue: Coffee Day

I balanced myself precariously on what looked like a barber’s stool to cut babies’ hair.Ok.The ground below seems scarily far away.What do I have in front of me ?A clump of orange-red hair… and something glittery .. Oooh .. hallelujah .. it’s the waiter.

Orange-red : “Mayigetyousomethingmam”

Seren: *Get yourself a razor first and some black hair dye* “Umm , in a while”

OR bows .. oooh his centre clump of hair is blue !

What do I see around me .. bunch of 18 year olds .. one has a swastika tattooed on his hand .. although it looks reversed ..hmm ..Eh .. someones waving at me from outside.And gesticulating that they’re coming inside.

Embodied Voice : “Ye”

Seren: “ S! Hi.Nice to meet you!”

EV: “Come , lets get away from this place”

Seren : “ But I thought you chose this place ‘cause you liked it”

EV : “Did I ? No matter! Lets walk along”

Ek minute baad

Outside a coffee shop

EV: “Two coffees…Hey! You said you would treat me!”

Seren: “ yyyes .. oh dear God”

Let me stop you right here. In case you think I belong to that class of women who do the chivalry jig and expect the men to pay all the time, you’re wrong. This, I thought had to be categorized under plain weird humor.

So we’re walking along talking about his academician family and my not-quite-so family … and there are exactly 28 stones on this pavement.. Hmm funny .. I never ever noticed .. Oh hellooo …S throws his coffee cup into a dustbin that’s 3 feet away. Needless to say , he’s no Jordon , this man. I couldn’t say if he was planning to pick the cup and try again because at precisely that moment a lady with a snake in her basket turned up.

EV: “ Please go away”

Rule of thumb : Never talk to brandishing snake ladies.Tip them.Or run for your life.

Brandishing snake lady: “ The lord will keep your jodi salamat , gimme money now”

EV:*Moves his hands frantically around*

By this time, charmer had advanced towards me while I looked on transfixed.

Charmer: “ Give me 10 bucks”

EV: “ I have no money on me!”

Seren: *Wondering if I should give him some as well* “Here you go!”

By the time I could mouth Jack Robinson; Charmer had flicked a 100 Rs note from my purse and had started sprinting. YES , in the middle of 4^th Blk Jayanagar and in broad daylight.

I didn’t know how to react. So, I did the only thing I could. I sipped some coffee.

Aade ghante aur some more academecia talk ke baad

S offered to drop me off to my bike.He also hands me half a bar of chocolate that has been mercilessly ripped apart from its parent.He also offers to pay me 50 Rs. I had not even an ounce of energy in me to ask why. “ I thought we could split the loss” he said.

That’s it … I have found my calling – Bird collecting

To Amma , with love!

Dhoop Mein Chaaya Jaise,
Pyaas Mein Dariya Jaise,
Tan Mein Jeevan Jaise,
Man Mein Darpan Jaise,

Haath Duaaon Waale Roshan Kare Ujaale,
Phool Pe Jaise Shabnam, Saans Mein Jaise Sargam,
Prem Ki Moorat Daya Ki Surat ,
Aise Aur Kahaan Hai ,Jaisi Meri Maa Hai...

Jab Bhi Andhera Cha Jaye
Woh Deepak Ban Jaaye ,
Jab Ik Akeli Raat Sataye,
Woh Sapna Ban Jaaye,
Andar Neer Bahaye ,
Baahar Se Muskaye,
Kaaya Woh Paavan Si,Mathura-Vrindavan Jaisi,
Jiske Darshan Mein Ho Bhagwan ,
Aisi Aur Kahaan Hai,Jaisi Meri Maa Hai....

-- Saagarika

To my worst critic
And my Best Friend :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Amma , you are irreplaceable and I don't think God could've given me a better you :)