Good Evening Dad! I'm here!

March 2, 2011: I woke up from my bed hearing a question. “Have you booked the ticket to native? “, asked my wife. Countless times she had asked this question, for which every single time I had answered positively. But I have no complaints, owing to my careless attitude that had become glaring glitches on my every course of action. So this time a stamp of authority and assertiveness was imprinted over my partner’s question, as my failure to book the ticket will prevent her journey to native. So what is so special about this upcoming trip? Indeed it is very special for both of us who had started floating in a dream world. From a couple of months from now, the most beautiful bliss from the god is going to arrive. Yes, parenthood is beckoning! Even when you are floating on that dream world, your wings will get tired and will be forced to leave it, before you gain strength to grab it again. The journey to that divine destination may not necessarily be cozy. I had my share of painful moments during the journey so far with those erratic pregnancy related sickness push opens the door like an insensitive guest. I used to question almighty on giving me troublesome periods. But like that great tennis maestro rightly pointed out, we never complain to him when he is pouring in glory, only when he flips the side of the coin we will launch a scathing attack. For the time being he has offered the right side of the coin, as I was able to sweep away the concerns of my wife surrounding her journey, and I left to office.

It was post- lunch time and my I got a call from my wife. She told me that she is experiencing a mild stomach pain and asked me to return home if possible. She was experiencing it for the last couple of days and doctor had advised her to take test, terming it as normal during pregnancy days. So I took it casually and asked her to go to the hospital with my parents. She rang me up after sometime and told that she is going to the hospital, with pain not subsiding. In hindsight I repent on the decision to stay back at office with all these happening, which ensured I had to rush to the hospital at the final moment. Her pain had started to increase considerably, and on reaching hospital I was informed that delivery will happen within no time. But….I couldn’t complete my sentence as a shudder went down my spine.  All my energy fizzled out and I was muted for a while. The tension filled faces of my parents, shrilling noise of my beloved, was more than enough for me to take flight in the field of nervousness.

I tried to gather energy as I accompanied the bed trolley, till the door steps of the delivery room.  She was waving her hands on entering the room and I got locked in an anxious terrain. There was ample purchase for the napkins as my eyes turned watery. After a short while doctor called me to the delivery room, after taking an assurance from me that I’ll not faint over the scenes that are going to unfurl. I somehow wanted to be near my dear and with no second thoughts dashed into the room.  Doctor asked me to support and encourage my better half to ensure a safe and smooth delivery. As time started ticking, the scene which I felt over exaggerated in the movie 3idiots seemed to be devoid of any amplification.

The doctor turned out to be very supportive and I really felt sorry for her, when she had to inject strength to the guy who dashed in there to provide the same. I was completely drained out and somehow managed to do justice to the job I was supposed to accomplish. Finally after those nervous tension moments I heard that fine tuned melody, very much capable of cooling down the sweltering cauldron filled with tension.

It resonated in my ears for a while and catapulted me to the finest feeling of a lifetime, the feeling of becoming a father. Yes, my boy has arrived on the auspicious evening of Sivaratri. I just saw a glimpse of my son before he was moved to the neonatal intensive-care unit. He was so tiny, yet cute and wanted to embrace him close to my heart. But as he was a preterm baby, I was not allowed to touch him and had to do it virtually numerous times. My wife was very excited, tears of joy rushing out of her eyes, and the smile which eluded her was back in no time. The doctor congratulated me and gave a lecture on what were the risks involved in the delivery and factors which could have made it worse. But with the grace of lord, all those troublesome factors decided to stay away and we had a smooth sail.

My parents waiting outside offering silent prayers also entered a tension free and joyous zone on getting the glimpse of their grandson, and slowly got busy over the phone, sharing the happiness to world. After few hours my wife was shifted to the room, and she came out with a fresh smile on her face. It was a true reflection of the drama called life. In the space of her entering the room and returning back, the coin had flipped its side from pain to pleasure. She was shifted to a room in the 7^th floor and through the window a panoramic view of the city was visible. I have seen this view many a time recently from this room, but this time it looked really pleasant and beautiful. The surrounding world dresses up attractive or repulsive depending on our mindset. We both felt much relived as everything came out fine, as our son decided to join our world a bit early than expected. May be I was the more happiest of the lot, because if the delivery had happened as planned in my native, I might not have been there on time to hear that soothing music sung by my child as he arrived. With all those good thoughts emanating, I was just slipping into a nice sleep, a question from my wife greeted me. “What should we name our son? “. My day began with a question and ending with a question and in between I got the answer………….:)

You are in the radar of someone, every moment…..

It was a usual misty morning, and sunrays were drilling their way through the white blanket covering the beautiful city of Bangalore. It was a treat to the eyes, and even more joyous to watch it in the warmth of a woolen blanket. But I didn’t have the luxury of enjoying it for long, office was beckoning. Within no time I rushed through the formalities and was ready to push myself to office. I never expected such a wonderful morning will hand out some really embarrassing moments to me.

I was waiting in a junction, which used to have suffocating traffic. It will take quarter of an hour to jostle through the ocean of vehicles converged in that junction. There are lots of smart drivers who rule the Indian roads, who don’t even bother to follow basic road manners, not even caring for the counterparts, dictating their own rules. Courtesy of these goons, there is no scarcity of traffic bottlenecks in our cities. No points in digressing over this issue, as more and more smart drivers are churning out to keep it fertile. So, while waiting in that traffic signal, an unsought guest knocked my door window. I saw two hefty animated figures on top of a two wheeler roaring at me. I slide down the window and enquired the reason behind it. He was not ready to answer me and asked me to take the car to a byroad. I didn’t bother to lend my ears to him and got down from the car. Now the traffic policeman got angry on me for interrupting the traffic and I was forced to take the car to a byroad.  

It had no clue about some truly embarrassing moments which was in store for me when I stepped down from the car. The two gigantic, dark and fat honchos rushed at me and started uttering something in Kannada. I didn’t understood what they said, but definitely they were not singing something melodious.  I enquired the reason behind the drama in Hindi, and was amazed to learn from them that my car had hit their motorbike on the way and both fell down. I was pretty sure that such a thing had not happened and denied the argument. On this they became over animated and pretended to beat me. They showed me some age old scratches in their vehicle, that too at the top of the petrol tank. I sensed something suspicious and argued with them. But they became agitated on this and warned me of causing damage to me and my vehicle. I was really frightened and tried to invite attention of the neighborhood. But the place being a rural area and me being taken to a deserted area, the people remained motionless spectators.

Even though shudders going down my spine, I tried to gather all the strength in the world and counter attack the culprits. After some heated arguments and the drama of pretending to hit me enacted numerous times, the honchos took a new weapon out of their arsenal. They told me that the bike belonged to a local don and if I am not settling down the issue by paying 8k to them, the don himself will incarnate at the spot and set me and my car on fire. Now that the gathered strength also started fizzling out, I asked them to take the bike to a service station, and analyze the damage. Soon I realized that their intention is not to repair the bike, but to loot the money.Thankfuly it was a month end my wallet had only 500 bucks. On seeing this they got irritated and whispered something in Tamil which meant - “These mallus are always very astute and witty”. They had identified me as a mallu as my car carried Kerala registration.

The drama was not giving any signs of dropping the curtains, as they put forward an alternate way to procure money. They insisted me to take them to ATM and fetch money. Howzzaat! My mind dressed up like Sylvester Stallone and beat them up till their last breath. Unfortunately my body was unable to execute it and what will be the outcome then? We three are in front of an ATM, by walk and made sure that my car remains away from the crowd. I took this extreme step knowing that my account balance was a two digit number. The receipt was shown to the ‘Goondas’, who authenticated it from the security, whom I had to take with me inside ATM to show the account balance. I tried calling some of my friend’s, but no one was in the proximity. I was expecting some damage to me and my car after this incident, but believe me all these anti social elements will only pretend to harm us, will never have the courage to execute it. Of course there are lots of exceptions! May be, as this incident happened in daylight I am still in good shape, otherwise might have broken my bones or bid good bye forever. So as the curtain falls on this drama, the honchos gracefully accepted those 500 bucks and fled away. I know that I didn’t commit any mistake, but I was much relived, even if I had to flush out hard earned money.

I was completely exhausted and remained so for the next couple of days, until I got a mail from my employer circulated by the police department. It was an informatory message issued by the Karnataka police in the interest of civilian safety. On reading that story, I was extremely shocked - It was about this drama enacted on me, and 500 bucks loss seemed to be a very miniscule one. There were people who have lost up to 25k. The gang’s modus operandi is to identify the vehicles carrying non Karnataka number plates, pounce on them and corner them in a deserted area. Then only I realized that the same script was executed in several places to loot money and hand out injuries. After reading that mail, I felt extremely lucky to survive scot free without any physical damage.

But still I feel very much ashamed and humiliated whenever that picture flashes in my mind, unable to do anything and surrendering meekly to those hooligans. Now when I saw some honchos being beaten up in big screen, I substitute myself as the protagonist with the beneficiary faces resembling those dark hefty creatures who looted me. I still hope of giving it back to them someday……..

As and when I was about to post this, another informatory message landed on my inbox…..Read on and be very careful. There is someone behind you….every minute…every second……

“Hi Friend(s),

This is happening now in Bangalore or it can happen anywhere!
While driving on a rural end of the roadway on Thursday morning, one IT employee saw an infant car seat on the side of the road with a blanket draped over it.  For whatever reason, he did not stop, even though he had all kinds of thoughts running through his head.  But when he got to destination, he called the  Police and they were going to check it out. But, this is what the Police advised even before they went out there to check....
"There are several things to be aware of ... gangs and thieves are now plotting different ways to get a person (mostly women)to stop their vehicle and get out of the car.

"There is a gang initiation reported by the local Police  where  gangs are placing a car seat by the road...with a fake baby in
it...waiting for a woman, of course, to stop and check on the abandoned baby.
" Note that the location of this car seat is usually beside a wooded or grassy (field) area and the person  -- woman  -- will be dragged into the woods, beaten and raped, and usually left for dead.  If it's a man, they're usually beaten and robbed and maybe left for dead, too.

DO NOT STOP FOR ANY  REASON!!!
AND REPORT WHAT YOU SAW, BUT DON'T EVEN SLOW DOWN.

"IF YOU  ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND EGGS ARE THROWN AT YOUR WINDSCREEN, DO NOT STOP TO CHECK THE CAR ,   DO NOT OPERATE THE WIPER  AND DO NOT SPRAY ANY WATER BECAUSE EGGS MIXED WITH WATER BECOME MILKY AND BLOCK YOUR VISION UP TO 92.5%,  AND  YOU ARE THEN FORCED TO STOP BESIDE THE ROAD AND BECOME A VICTIM OF THESE CRIMINALS.
THIS IS A NEW TECHNIQUE USED BY GANGS, SO PLEASE INFORM YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.
THESE ARE DESPERATE TIMES AND THESE ARE UNSAVOURY INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL TAKE DESPERATE MEASURES TO GET WHAT THEY WANT."

Please talk to your loved ones about this. This is a new tactic used.  Please be safe.”

A road trip and some thoughts!

Last couple of days, I was thinking about my first script to hit the blog. Finally the spark came this morning while driving to office, when my vehicle fell in a pothole. Whenever I drive over bad roads, it feels like I have reached God’s own country. There people will always be driving their way out of potholes, and rarely get a chance to drive over well asphalted plane.

I used to drive back and forth in the Kochi – Bangalore route, in company of my friends or family. I hail from the queen of Arabian Sea, and work in the Garden city. I do remember travelling to Bangalore by bus during my schooldays. The journey used to take more than half a day, as it rolls down through the narrow roads of Kerala, Tamilnadu, and Bangalore. As a kid I felt sympathy for the driver who drove the vehicle through these narrow roads and flurry of vehicles.

 It was not a surprise when these imprinted thoughts regurgitated, years down the lane, when I decided to drive down to Bangalore. Of course I was not alone; there were friends to take turns behind the wheel. I was very dubious about the journey as my mind was fine tuned to that long and tiring journey I had through the narrow roads. But the thoughts about driving past those misty mornings to the office kept me going, and my vehicle started rolling towards Bangalore. The journey was not that great, as work had started to convert most of the single lane traffic to four lanes in Kovai – Bangalore stretch. So we had to drive past muddy roads full of potholes and numerous diversions. As I travelled past these roads, I became worried about my trip back to Kerala, simple because of my experience with Kerala road construction activities. I have witnessed many such never ending activities in my home state, and such a fate to these roads will make Kochi- Bangalore journey nightmarish.

Anyhow, the return trip didn’t happen soon, in fact happened a year after. So we started our journey back to Kochi for a long vacation, skeptical about the road condition. If the road construction have inherited Kerala model, definitely the ride is going to be bumpy. But we were in for a surprise, with lion share of the construction activity completed, culminating to a driver’s paradise. In Kerala even a single lane of road will take years for completion. So this time with memories of a good drive through the roads of our neighboring states, the journey back to Bangalore was much better.

Years passed by, it’s another trip back home, this time through really world class roads till our GOD’s OWN COUNTRY (I am afraid! God seems to have checked out of this place!) Such world class roads in our state can only be seen in the vicinity of a politicians or bureaucrat’s house. 

My intention of this blog is to draw a sorry picture of my home state, where all those development ideas unfurl first, but being realized around us, in neighboring states. Our state gives birth to lot of innovative ideas, but the corruption and political tonic used to nurture these ideas hinders the growth. In all our neighboring states in spite of corruption, cross party allegations, inner party fights and all those current political dramas enacted, some sort of development will also happen in parallel. Our counterparts don’t have the state’s development in their agenda, or are they incapacitate? Definitely they have the capacity, but to bulge their wallet and loot the people who voted them to power!

So coming back to the story- Once I started my journey from Bangalore, my brake and clutch pedal was squabbling with me for not touching them quite often, and instead being friendly with the accelerator pedal. But soon the issue was sorted out, as the vehicle hit the Kerala roads. I become very much friendly with them, and was on top of them till I reached home. My car’s suspension was tested to extreme levels, and even an ayurvedic massage is not going to save them. On the Kerala stretch, I saw many fly over’s and four lane stretches which were started even before my first trip to Bangalore by road, and begging for some fresh air of breath. Only those contactors and politicians who sprouted around those starving creatures have flourished and blossomed, have Merc’s at the parking lot replacing the legendary Hamara Bajaj.  Kicking out the horrible Kerala stretch, the only stretch now remains to be converted to a four lane is the Coimbatore – Avinashi stretch, for which the construction has kick started. Within no time it will be also be drivers delight. Infrastructure is being developed in a faster pace around our state, but  I don’t think even my grandson will be able to travel through such world class roads in Kerala, because even during that time, the grandson’s of the current nasty politicians will be enacting the anti-development drama, flooding up their bank account and looting the poor tax payer.

Having hit badly at my state, I still love her, for the serenity, greenery, backwaters, festivals, food and many more. And I realize that the greedy people out there - be it politicians, be it bureaucrat’s, be it the general public, is carving her out, making it a dry land, devoid of greenery, devoid of brotherhood. Till my land takes her last breath, I would love to be in this beautiful land, and no other place in this world can be god’s own country! Believe me, god can never check out from this dream land!

Cheers!

As we are putting up strikes against each and every development opportunity, pretending  to study and identify the needs and concerns of the communities affected by such developmental activities, also spens some time in realizing that there are lot of success stories unfurling around...Excerpt of an article published in the mathrubhumi daily...(Apologies to the non-mallu readers)

How the ball started rolling . . . .

I am not a passionate reader. My father, during my childhood days tried to inculcate reading habit in me, by gifting me novels written by famous authors. Sadly, those books served as an early invitation to sleep. But as I got into the software profession, non working hours at office diverted me to some interesting blogs and editorials. I enjoyed reading those and plans about writing my own scripts started budding, but was lazy as ever. It seems one need to get inspiration from someone or somewhere to get underway and it came after reading the blog of my friend Sujith (http://sujithes.blogspot.com/). His blogs are a mixture of good snaps and write-ups, which I found interesting. So after getting that much needed push, I have started rolling, trying to sprinkle life into my thoughts!

Now that I have decided to start blogging, need a nickname isn’t? Not necessarily, still will have one.

 My friends used to call me dk (deekay), which was my initial. That name sounded good to my ears and with no second thoughts will get into the same to accomplish the naming ceremony.

So there you go... Hope my blogs will not have the fate of the literal meaning of dk (decay). Hey this is my trait, always being pessimistic about everything I do…..Be optimistic…..on your mark, get set, go!

About my blog !

Pot-pourri, a mixture of dried petals of different flowers mixed with spices, kept in a jar for its perfume.  By extension, any collection of miscellaneous items. I’ll brief on how this definition relates to my blog, which exists because I decided to scribble my thoughts that has the color of diversity. As the intention is to have a collection of my miscellaneous thoughts, the French word seems to go well with the newbie. Right!