Shoaib, Sachin and the Chepauk...

The atmosphere is tense... the crowd is agitated but silent... the last ball was a wide... the bowler waits for the batsman.. a slow murmur... gathers momentum... the bowler begins his looong run up... the cry begins... "SHOIAB SHOAIB..." becomes a high pitch as shoaib runs in at full pace and shoots the ball....... and... OUT!!!!! The crowd goes wild....!!!! Sehwag the danger guy is back in the pavillion.

I can hardly believe that hardly a year ago or somethin like that this same crowd was cheering every six of this very same Sehwag against this same Shoaib. The funnier part was when all the bowlers in the Kolkata team where calling Shoaib...-" Shoaib bhai is such a nice guy. A great honour playing with him." Shoaib bhai???? Ok I can even understand the cricketers' change in attitude, because, for them, it has always been about the game and well the money of course. And they do respect the commitments to their country and all that... Its the fans that shock me.

I gather from this that its all a matter of choice. And what with SRK playing 13th man it is alluring... Like I had to write this piece. Could have avoided it. It is all a matter of choice. But I have to tell you seeing a match live at the stadium is such an experience.Otherworldly. My first match was the one at Chepauk between our own Super kings and the Kings XI Punjab. AWESOME.. JUST AWESOME. And to top it off of course we won. The atmosphere is some other thing. The first few balls was jarring without the commentary but I soon cottoned to it and totally let my hair down shouting, dancing and all that jazz.. ( Forgive the Peter. GRE you know..) And the other great thing was to see the first hat trick of the ipl up close and personal. (I love Balaji). So whats the point?? The point is that it is a must see experience... And one you can very well do with. I have to thank Anirudh (my best friend) for this ultimate oppurtunity.

Well to finish: Tomorrow when Sachin goes to the Eden Gardens and gives the treatment to Shoaib will the crowd forget its assumed role and cheer. Or............????

I love to write with these dramatic endings and then spoil it all by doing this.... Chow guys, until next time....

LOVE LIFE AND THE GOOD TIMES...... ( A short story)

First of all my name is Arun. You know like Arun Shourie........ well I really can't think of any other famous persons named Arun. But its quite common. Anyways, I am Arun, I study in this so and so college. I like to think that I am handsome in my own way, (whatever that means) and yes most importantly I am a teenager in love. Well we'll get to that when I am good and ready. First things first.....

I guess every body now has a cell phone.. So you must be knowing what a missed call is... You know when somebody calls you, you are just about to pick the phone when they cut it. Or they just ring once and cut to annoy you. Or you call somebody and they are just about to pick it up and you cut the call.... and it goes on.. Well my life till today has been one big missed call. I am the king of missed calls.. Not just the phone, life too.... Missed call in all its forms......

Like the other day I was supposed to go to this God awesome movie with my friend and he suddenly calls me up and says, “ De they only had two tickets and You know......” The drawl.. God how I hated the drawl.. Not that I felt left out.. only that why dint it happen to me. To be honest my friend was an ass. As a friend well he was ok.. But you know otherwise.. How did he get to be so... Popular?? Well that about sums up my life.

Then why am I still talking?? I know you'd feel that way.. Just listen.. You are welcome to put your stinky nose somewhere else of course.. But while you are at it what difference doest it make where you put it?? Get me??

So anyways coming back, I am in love. Her name is Shanti. Oh!! peace!! Gave me an all new meaning.

Now I could say that I am a peace loving guy and I wouldn't even be lying... She was so beautiful.. And the way she smiled at me.. God...Is there heaven on earth?? Oh! Yes there is.. I don't know why she smiled at me but I know that she had a soft spot for me.. You see I read body language amazingly well.. Like the other day I knew I had crossed the limit with the teacher and chose the exact right moment to duck and the duster hit my friend ( the same theater fellow, Ha ha..) And then there was the time when I knew that it was the right time to ask for a grant of absence from baldy (our princi) Or the time I ran away from Anup and Karan ( A fight was brewing, no prizes for guessing who was responsible).. Well the point is I can read people.. Or so I thought. I found out that these girls are almost like alien creatures and can never be read.. the HARD way... Read on..

Well there was Shanti and things went on so well according to my calculations that I thought that “Arun” was ready to take this to the next level.. So I called her up.. ring ring... no answer.. sweat.. palms wet.. eyes glaring.. anxiety attack.. panic.. panic button.. call cut!!! Twenty minutes later.., after I had stopped shaking..., being bathed in sweat I decided to take a bath. Suddenly the phone rings.. ring ring.. towel.. run... slip.. get up.. run.. ring ring.. stops. ONE MISSED CALL. Shanti. God... This happened a lot of times. She sometimes would just hang up after one ring. God.. I felt so happy.. Finally something happening between us... And then there were times when I would be waiting with “a rose, a tied tongue and a dumb look” and she would just smile and walk past me and I would miss the chance. Or I would leave a note and she would take the other seat, Or she would not take the bus she usually takes only that day... All this seemed like a message to me... ONE DAY SHE IS GONNA BE YOURS....

And finally that one day came. I was sure. My shirt was for once wrinkle-free. Her favourite colour-violet. (She smiled most often when I wore violet). A rose in my hand. My hair brushed. And my face shining with passionate love. A song on my lips and a shake to my hips.. Hey I was rhyming. What else could a guy ask for. A spring in my walk I was literally jumping my way to the park near the toy shop that she frequented. Lover's Dale.. How apt... I was smiling and God knows I must have looked like an ass, smirking without reason. I didn't even notice. A beggar was upon me. I gave him a fiver. I really was an ass. His lucky day I guess.... I was nearing the X. The spot. To be recorded in the annals of history. One of the greatest success stories.. This is where it all happened. Shanti was there. God how lovely she looked. Green suited her. I was floating. Was I in heaven??? Yes!!! said a voice. I neared her. She turned back. She was looking at me. THE SMILE. It was quizzical now. Like she was asking me “What took you so long??” I stood next to her...

“ Hello Shanti.”

“Smile”

“ I am Arun.”

“Smile”

“ I study in your class...”

“ Smile” It was starting to bug me for the first time.....

“ You know I sit behind you”

“Smirk”

“ Ahem.. You smile at me all the time.. You called me last night.. Around 6...”

She hit herself on the forehead..

“ Now I get it. You are that missed call Arun. Prajoy here had some real fun with you. Sorry about it eh..”

“ Prajoy??”.. voice constricted..

“ Sorry forgot to introduce you. Prajoy. Say hello to anna.”

A small boy. Some of the breath coming back.

“ By the way Arun why are you wearing that violet shirt. Looks really funny.”

Funny???

“ Oh!! Look at the time Vijay must be waiting. Got to go Arun. By the way that orange shirt is really funny too. And the time you fell off your bike.. Couldn't stop laughing for a week.”

“ Smile" , "Shanti I think..”

" Ya???"

" I think I love you..."

" What?"

Who was this new voice??

"What?" -This was Shanti. Tinkling laughter..

"You are a laugh riot Arun."

“Hey go to go. Come Praj.. Bye Arun. Or should I say missed call Arun...????” Tinkling laughter..

Vijay glaring ..... and my body language skills kicked in.. finally.. I got out in a hurry..

Tinkling laughter... Somebody should put a danger sign on it.. Or maybe an alarm signal...So painful to the ear... Hell is on earth too.. MISSED CALL ARUN.... So I was the provider of comic relief eh..?? So much for thinking orange is her second fav. Color... Hmmm.. Girls!!! God!!! And I thought she saw the wheelie... not the FALL after that!!!. Hmmm... But I have to say I had enjoyed the past few months.. The eternal high, The smiles so promising, The laughter so appealing, The butterfly effect,( I mean those in the stomach)... Life itself looked fresh and new and beautiful. I thanked her for that. The good times while they were were wonderful... Hmmmmm....

Sudden brilliance.. I look up.. "SMILE!!!!!"... Its Priya....... Can Cupid strike true this time?? Or is it gonna be another great big MISSED CALL??? One can only hope.....

Here's to LOVE, LIFE AND THE GOOD TIMES.....

imagine

A green hill top..

A beautiful panaromic view.. of village rooftops and misty ponds,

Of distant mountains with snow covered tips, with pink slopes shining with the rising sun,

Eyes closed you can still feel the green around you,

Bare feet and warm grass do make a great combination,

Those dew drops make it all seem new born, Just created, like fresh baked cookies,

The scent of the morning is so heavenly, Sniffing at it gently, The greatest fragrance.....

The giant red ball rising ever so slowly,

The sky a light red, Like paint splashed on a canvas,

The gurgling sound of the stream nearby,

Fresh, Oh! so fresh, Sparkling, jumping water that you cannot see,

The cool morning breeze wafting on your face,

Made cooler by the warm water still on your face,

Dripping slowly, trickling down the contours,

A sudden chill, a sudden draft, A silent shiver,

But, wait, What's this?? Not cold anymore,

The blighting cold driven out by a warm hug,

You look down to see a pair of small hands,

Clinging tight, But reassuring and loving,

The hands of your love, your life......

Careworn and sagging,

Like a banyan tree a thousand years old,

But one that hasn't seen water,

Except by accident and that too cold...

We are thy slaves!! Oh! Master thee,

Into various shades beaten sore,

Most often black and blue,

Yet, We live on. Through your years and more,

Passing from hand to hand.

Cutting us mercilessly,

You call us by different names,

We adorn your beauty or rather vanity,

Saying yes to your dastardly games.

Among these million worries,

We remain amazingly wrinkle-free,

Yet you replace us by newer slaves,

When on your buying spree,

But they with shinier brows,

They too cry out....!!!!

Oh!! Sir and Madam too,

Give us a little rest,

Let our beaten colours be,

That is all our request,

For blue and not brown is as you say

"FUNKY”....