Today reminds me of a couple of anecdotes that two of my favorite professors narrated during one of their many awe inspiring lectures.

I will always cherish those college days when I used to literally wait for Nair Sir's lectures which used to be full of many such anecdotes on life, people and marketing among other things. His subtle sense of humour and his facial expressions while he was teaching us made me just love him so dearly. I still remember how he used to always tell us in our last year that after we passed our exams, even if somebody forced us, we were never going to sit for his class. I still will Sir.

***
After trying relentlessly to become the President of the United States, Aby Lincoln finally succeeded when he contested the elections for the 13th time. I wonder what took him so long to succeed with all the wit in the world that he had. Obviously, because of his unassuming ways, he had raised a lot of rivals in the political circle looking for just one reason to ridicule him and put him down.

During one such political gathering, one of the democrats tried to get better of him by poking fun at the President. Lincoln was a short man. The democrat sarcastically questioned Lincoln, "Mr President, according to you, what should be an ideal length of a man's legs?!" smiling inside expecting Lincoln to fret. He didn't do his homework well. With the kind of wit that Lincoln had, he turned around immediately looking at the democrat in the eye and said nonchalantly, "my dear friend, they should be long enough to reach the ground."

The man didn't bother to give answer to that!

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Prof. Rege in the MBA class was from a completely different league. His lectures were never hilarious like Nair sir's but were still astounding. He commanded a lot of respect by virtue of his doctorate qualification and his experience as an IES officer. I just hope he takes our subject of Business Ethics in the last semester.

***
Lord someone (gosh! how could I forget the name of that person?!) was one of the members in the elite panel of judges of the Supreme Court in Great Britain. One morning he was getting late to preside over an ongoing case. He hurriedly walked out of his house and took a cab to get to his destination. In the customary British courtesy he said to the cab driver, "gentleman, please take me to the court of justice"

The driver turned back and told the judge, "I am sorry sir, I have heard about the court of law but never about the court of justice."

The judge sat there bewildered in the back seat of a cab thinking that a semi-literate London cabbie was up to the task of telling him the difference between the court of law and the court of justice.

Well... Well... Well... The day we all had been LONGING for finally arrived. Albeit a bit late but as they say, patience pays, and so it did! The CEO, dressed to kill in black, was standing on the bridge connecting the two parallel mezzanine floors like some South American dictator waiting to make an announcement with the mike in hand. Yes, the much awaited day of salary restructuring had arrived.

I look around at the faces of the fellow employees and co-workers. They look dull, dry and over-worked. To an outsider, a quick look will make them feel they are exploited! (but they are not, may be they are just feeling down) I try to gauge what's going inside the person standing right next to me. I think there's a stark contrast in feelings. There's strong hope mixed with a bit of self-pity. In the meantime, I keep my fingers crossed!!

The CEO goes on her usual story telling routine indicating how we lost so many so called "good" employees to competition. Wait a minute, that's a very good word. Should I say poachers?? I question myself, would you switch loyalties for just a few thousands of rupees?? But a lot many did. I lost out on some very good colleagues in the office just because they put money before anything else. For long, everything remained unchanged. People left, making way for some fresh faces. Trinity was never known in the industry as a very good payer. But who knew, that was about to change in a few hours. The CEO went on to add that the loyalties of those who remained with the company even during difficult times will be rewarded and rewarded handsomely. We will put our company in the top bracket of payers. This statement resulted in a thunderous applause... initiated by me. Why was I the first person to clap?? I ask myself. May be because I had been loyal. May be because I belong to Trinity.

In the days that accompanied the announcement, we were told our new package. The moment I saw the letter in my hand, my eyes lit up. I fumbled with words. I doubted if reality was playing a mysterious game with me. I couldn't believe the letter that told me what my new position and salary is going to be. Overnight, it jumped 117% ( well, that was only for a few talented guys like me :P ). For once, random thoughts crossed my mind, what am I going to do with so much money?? What about the people who left, they would be sulking. Where does all this money come from?? Do we deserve all this?? I was going mad. Off I went to the men's room. Washed my face. Looked at myself in the mirror. I could see a rich man staring back at me!!

A week gone by, everything has subsided. A normal visit to the canteen that saw people talking big money is no more there. Over the weekend, I have realised the enormous importance that we attach to wealth. I am left feeling poor again.

But one thing is for sure, I absolutely love that blessed day when I joined Trinity.

All right, I agree that this time I am not at my poetic best but what the heck. I penned this one down in say, about half an hour for my long lost friend (believe me, this is all the time that he deserves)

The Girl Next Door...

I think I have fallen in love,
With this girl next door,
She has just moved in today,
At about quarter past four.

Never seen her before,
Don't know her well,
But her magic is for me,
My heart can tell.

Couple of weeks gone,
A great camaraderie has struck,
Will sure win her over,
With a little bit of luck.

One wet rainy day,
Her soft hand is in mine,
I pop the wonderous question,
Over a glass of red wine.

I tell her I love her,
Trying not to sound very naive,
Her response is instant,
Tell me which car do you drive?

How good are you?
Do you have style?
Do you flaunt a cigarette stick,
As you walk down the aisle?

Would you take me to party,
Every Saturday night?
With some strongest men around,
Can you put them down in a fight?

I want a diamond ring,
Can you afford to buy?
Move over honey,
Let others give a try.

A lonely walk back home,
Millions of thoughts in mind,
She can't be so cruel,
When I'd been so kind.

Later next day,
Couldn't have asked for more,
An unsuspecting old friend,
Knocking on the girl next door!

This is a real life incident which happened with a friend, a slight but bright young boy, who was put down because all he could call his own then was a one room dingy flat in suburban Mumbai. Well, a lot has changed since then. He is now abroad not only a proud owner of an amazing car but is also making a fortune (in dollars) for himself every week.

Although we are not in touch due to a lot of differences in opinion, he has never ceased to inspire me with his 'never say die' attitude. Not the one who gets put down very easily, I wish we still were the kind of friends we were not so long ago.

Good luck to you with all your girlfriends mate. I am sure you can do a lot better now!

IF...

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son! 
                                                            
                                                                  --Rudyard Kipling

Hi Dad,

A very happy birthday to you. I don't remember when was the last time I wished you on your birthday but let me start from today. How have all these years been without us? I never thought my life would change more than just going to a different school, having a new house and a new set of friends when you left but now I am beginning to feel the hollow a little more clearly. I am not sure if I am fulfilling my responsibility, along with yours, as a son and a brother but quite obviously nobody and nothing in this world can replace you. You are missed on a lot of occasions but the fact that you are not there has brought us more closer to each other than ever before.

Of course, I have nobody to look up to for seeking advise on a lot of important things in my life. Perhaps, at this time when I am standing as tall as you would have been, I am trying hard to step into your shoes. I know I would have shared a lot of things only with you that I couldn't or haven't with anybody else. However, until a year back, Bapuji was always around for everything. Mum has been as resolute as she has always been for all these years and now it's our turn to make her life as beautiful as she made ours, when we needed you the most.

I think the only disappointment for all these years has been my failure in taking up a career of both yours and my choice, architecture. Maybe I was not confident enough when I had to take that crucial decision of my life because you were not there to back me up and push me to go for it. But I am sure you wouldn't be any less proud of me with whatever I have achieved so far.

And yes, I am sure you would also be very proud to know that I am a reasonably good poet, painter and photographer. The three p's you mastered. After all, I am my papa's son, ain't I ?

I feel extremely glad when a lot of people tell me that I am quite like you. I hope I can keep up to it.

Take care and hope you had a good birthday... I am sure you are there, somewhere around!

Today I will be completing one full year of my secondment training to the UK, quite obviously prompting me to indulge in a bit of nostalgia. When I look at it as my first overseas visit, the experience has been quite amazing. Right from working for one of the three giant brokers in the world in a rather sleepish little town of Ipswich, Suffolk to ruling the streets and rails of London on weekends in terrible terrible cold (something you can never get to experience in the hot tropical climate of Bombay, or is it Mumbai??) Of course, I wasn't the first one to go there from the company, which took away a bit of shine from the whole episode, but while I was there, I lived like a KING. What's more, also got to wander in the thick snow a couple of times with some imposing (haunting in the nights) churches in the background, that finger-stinging breeze, those immaculately mannered Britishers, exceedingly warm colleagues, that mini-Gujarat in Wembly, taking hot shower in the hotel room, getting ready with infinite thick layers of clothing before getting out, shopping and buying gifts for the loved ones back home, speaking to mum and sis on the phone and feeling that glitter of joy in their voices for having called up, those picture perfect sites and streets of central London (typical Victorian era structures, some of them didn't fail to remind me of VT and Churchgate back in Bombay) and last and the best one... a perfect landing at the Bombay airport after a long time (or did it seem like a long time??) to the three waiting faces in the crowd.

Wow! it seemed I lived up the entire experience in just a couple of minutes. Wish the nostalgia would have lasted more.

Anyway, need to get back to work now. Have to achieve the monthly targets...

I see your pretty face every morning,
And the feel when you cross my way,
Is as soothing as cool wind gushing,
In the early hours of the day.

You seem like an angel coming down before me,
And as you get close, I delve into your eyes,
The impish spark and a shy shine that I see,
Is evidently brighter than the day's young sunrise.

I look for your sight impatiently,
On my way to the obscure place,
As I keep moving on the winding road gently,
Going against the city's popular pace.

You don't show up anymore, leaving me in parts,
Everyday I feel that bitter pain,
Piercing my soul and shrilling my heart,
Like a lightening in the stormy summer rain.

You are the most beautiful song I have ever seen,
And I regret that I can't get any close,
But feel I am as blessed as I have ever been,
Just to have admired the beautiful rose.