Aur Zyada Ka Irada

I think I have said this before - I used to wonder, the curious creature that I am, how the whole idea of love ended up being associated with the heart. It could have been your kidney, your lungs, even your small-intestine.

Then, a few years back, I sort of realized. If not at any other time, at least when you miss someone, or something, your heart actually hurts (or maybe it was just high cholesterol level in my case). And I also understood that 'heart missing a beat' is quite literal.

Anyway, this chain of thought entered my mind not because I am missing someone, but because I am missing something. I am missing Joka. My B-school.

It's not too late at night on a Friday evening. The loserly me is at home. And he just started watching the 1st episode of the 5th season of Entourage. If you haven't seen the series, watch it. One of the best TV series to have hit, well, TV in a long long time. The last episode I watched was in my room - Annexe 341 (aaahhh!!!) - in Joka. I did a marathon of all 4 seasons, thanks to His Holiness Sri Sri Aara Ji Maharaj (If you are not from the 2007-2008-2009 batches of IIM Calcutta, you won't get the reference. Unfortunately.) And after such a long time and so many pitch books and investor memorandums later, I get to watch a fresh, new episode. And once I am through the two episodes of Entourage, I'll also watch the 3rd season episodes of Heroes. And then, maybe I'll download Prison Break. Life's pretty good, eh?

Moving on, since I am writing right now I should get done with this too - my favorite ad on TV right now is the Max New York Life 'Karo Zyada Ka Irada' ad. I love circularity in movies, books, anything. And the ad does it in a really intelligent manner. Plus, it shows something I realized, maybe for the very first time, during my MBA. Everyone envies someone. And it actually does work out to be a circle probably.

There and Back Again

With the frequency at which I had been making posts here earlier, I had never imagined there would come a time when this blog would see a gap of one month. But one thing led to another, and none of those things included an opportunity to make a post here. Finally got some time at work to write this today.

It's been an eventful one month. But writing in detail about every notable thing would take too much effort.

I had fallen seriously ill a few days after my last post and was admitted in a hospital for some time. My mother was here for two weeks, and convinced me finally to get a full time cook/servant. It has actually been a very helpful development as it has left me with a lot more time for work, leisure and socialising.

Watched Rock On. Thought of writing a long post on it, but never got down to actually doing it. Really loved the film.

Catching up on the backlog at office after having missed work for about 2 weeks took a fair bit of time. Realized that at a job like this, I just can't afford to miss work for such a long time. If not the illness, the absence from work could have been fatal.

Went to the pub quiz at Opus Thursday night couple of weeks back. Some people I know had asked me a few times and something or the other would come up every time. Managed this time, and it was really good fun. Will try to be a bit more regular.

Re-established contact with some friends from engineering college. In the last 2-3 years, I have lost touch with most people I used to spend a lot of time with during undergrad. Spoke to a senior from those times on phone and it was a great feeling.

But the best part of the month was the last week. I got a chance to visit my B-school as well as my engineering college within a span of a week. Last weekend was spent visiting the production unit of a client and meeting the promoters. The flight to the place and back was through Kolkata. On the way back, I reached the city after a tiring 5-hour road journey at 9:30 pm. Had dinner with my colleague, left him to rest at the hotel and reached my campus by around 11:00 pm. Just sitting there in my hostel night canteen, drinking beer, speaking to a few juniors, catching up on latest news and yes, eating the fried maggi after such a long time, felt brilliant. Returned at 4:00am to the hotel and left almost immediately for our flight. Hectic, but worth it. I have to go back there with my batchmates soon.

And the absolutely best thing that has happened to me in recent times was an opportunity to do the open quiz at our college's cultural fest. Balancing work and making the quiz left me with no time for anything at all and I had almost turned into a zombie by the time I left for Delhi Saturday early morning. Was staying in a hotel right opposite the IITD main gate and being so close to the campus, taking rest seemed like a stupid thing to do. So Saturday was spent moving around the Hauz Khas - Green Park area in South Delhi, visiting some of our old haunts with friends from engineering.

Sunday was even better. The quiz went well. Standing near the projection screen in the Senate Room, darkened to get a better look at the question on the screen, asking questions to the teams sitting in front of me, has been one of my most cherished experiences at IITD. And reliving it brought goose-bumps. Difficult to describe.

But what made the trip most memorable was the fact that a number of my friends turned up from across NCR, and beyond, for the quiz. And some of them stayed back even after not qualifying, and the afternoon was spent talking to them and drinking and eating with them. Even though most of them had met, heard of or seen each other earlier, having been in the quizzing circuit, or moving in the same academic-professional circles, I was the only one who knew each of them well. But everyone got along very well, helped by generous doses of beer/vodka. Those few hours at Masala Junction at Safdarjung Development Area would be one of the best birthday gifts I could receive. Thanks guys.