Pune Watch. Who taught them

Pune. 25th November

11.40 am - 1. 40pm

A beggar boy about 7 years with a baby beggar  sister about 4 years walked across the road in front of my Group at the university road and smartly the boy lifted a water supply pipe tap (1 inch) and drank water. He also used his hands to give some water to his sister. Nice gesture, our group thought. But wait, there was more.

The boy went on to close the tap, he turned its head so no water is wasted.

Then a few moments later when offered a pack of biscuits, the biscuits were shared with the sister, and then the boy run across the road and offered some to his mother and other siblings.

The small boy - was sharing, conserving water and displaying ability to adapt. 

Who taught these guys. No idea.

    

O Kolkata (Poem)

The city is silent . The world quite.

And then at 4.30. comes the first light

by 6.30 its lit up and bright

Kolkata oh my what a sight


The streets are full, young old rich and poor.

Some beg, some share and some lure

And a nap-time in the afternoon

That one is for sure



Kolkata where people are poor, streets are dirty

and yet no one complains

where politicians run rallies and morchas

for personal gains

And yet without anything changing

Everything falls in place




Ideas and debates are not short here

This is the city of wise men

Some lead to great revolutions and some

just go in vain


Oh Kolkata - What you hold in your memory lane




The roads are neat here

But neater are its people

The food is sweet here

But sweeter are its people.

People who are helpful, who patiently wait

And certain things they leave to faith



Where tramps run side by side to metros

where ideals, history and sentiments run side by side

with achievements and innovation and dedication.

Where people live with pride

Oh - Kolkata it goes far and wide.

By Ninad Tatke

Test of the game

I feel glad to have watched a test match which unfolded today. It does wonders for the game. It lasted 5 days. One team batted more than 5 sessions and lost. The last man had to battle it out and it went to the wire.

Laxman was injured and still he was the one who won us the game with efforts from sachin, ishant, zaheer and a sacrifice runout by dhoni.

This game - test cricket is wonderful if played on sporting tracks .(not the flat ones where you get 600 runs and draw games). It tests out the stamina, the effort, the patience, the determination, the ability to respect your opponent and wait him out.

We should have more pitches like these and more games like these.

We should cherish something as wonderful as test cricket.

India vs Australia Mohali First test 2010.

Six Honest Serving Men

I had SIX HONEST SERVING MEN
They TAUGHT me all I knew.
Their names were : WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, HOW and WHO ! - Rudyard Kipling

Bring back the love - Poem

So you seem to know now.
So much more.
So you seem to say now
so much more

So you seem to inspire us now
to mutually help each other
So now you seem to share
so much love

Its all about mindset
Diversify it Transform it

Think of love.
Think of Purpose
Think of initiative everyone takes for you
And bring back the love.

Note: has 14 lines but not a sonnet.

Khusbu - The Short Story

She was new in the medical college. The college was new, the city was new and also the language. She was a Chandigarh born Punjabi girl and this was one particular medical college based on the outskirts of Pune. She smiled like a free bird as she entered. She was happy.

On day one she was ragged. Not for fun or for ice breaking but for pure sadistic pleasure by her seniors. On day two, she was ragged again. She cried, she complained but no one cared for a non localite, introvert and shy petite girl that she was. She used to spend her time everyday alone. Had rarely any company and then the most boring part was the lonely feeling one gets in the evening as the sun sets.

She remembered her didi. Didi was not actually her sister but a friend who was 4-5 years older than she was and would always spend time with her when she was in town in Chandigarh. Didi was full of hope for life and even Khusbu hoped that one day she would be like didi.

One day Khusbu was standing outside the canteen when Daya a senior boy from 3 rd year asked her to hang out with him. She said that she would do no such thing. But Daya said that he was her senior and he wanted to do timepass with her. Khusbu shot him back and said that she is a respecting person and is not a timepass for anyone.

Over time other such incidents continued and the first sem got over. By now Khusbu had become a very bitter and grumpy person who hated people all around her especially boys. She never thought she would respect a boy ever again.

It was a normal Friday and Khusbu had just attended the first lecture on anatomy for the day. She got a call from an unknown number on her cellphone. Very defensively she picked up the call.
"hello Khusbu"
"yeah who is this"
"Mita"
"who"
"aree mita didi!!!"

"ha dummy its me....!!! and guess what I am standing right outside your college"
"What, how and how did you get my number... we have been out of touch in last 2 years"


Just come to the main reception.

And so Khusbu met Mita her didi and Ravi (Mita's work collegue who was just tagging along)
And they started talking. Mita told all about her life in archaeology, how Ravi a history expert was helping her uncover certain elements from the past and how it actually felt to be like Indiana Jones.

Ravi shared his experiences too about life and trivia about history particularly Pune.

And then Khusbu told them about the life as it was for her. Mita didi suggested a her a few things and so did Ravi about making new friends, about opening out and creating your own space. Ravi said,"Remember that Guys say things based on the perception and not what they actually feel . Ignore them when its apt but forgive them when necessary".

And then as suddenly as they had come they also had to leave. But Khusbu did started enjoying her life after that. She knew by now who was good, bad ugly and she carefully approached people and started talking with them. Slowly she made friends, slowly she had a group and no one teased her anymore.

After a few days when she organised a college event and did a fantastic job doing so, Daya came to her and she as usual ignored him.

"Hey Khusbu, I am sorry"
no answer.

"What I said was cheap and offensive and I had no idea what I was doing. I did not actually mean it"
no answer.

"I cant even say that I was naive but ...I "

"Daya I will forgive you this time but if you ever..." - she said as Ravi's words echoed in her head ("Remember that Guys say things based on the perception and not what they actually feel . Ignore them when its apt but forgive them when necessary". )

"I would never do something like this again," he said and she saw that his eyes were dead serious.

And then she smiled like a bird . She was happy once again. A carefree happy smile.

Pune Watch - What I did not know last night

It is amazing to soak so much of the city in one single night. I speak as though I am a sponge but the experience last night was nothing short of it.

What I did not know last night was how it would unfold. 

We began in the second half of the night with finding each other, queuing up in crowds of thousands to see the glimpse of the murtis and the decorations of various Ganpati mandals . 

There were lathis used by police to control the people. And there were rivers of people flowing from one end of the street to the other. The crowds had filled streets right out of laxmi road and we floated from Shanivar peth, crossed linked across Shanivarwada, and finally reached our first intended place.  

 In all this me and my friends were finding out ways to not only transport ourselves in this  river of people but were also shopping, clicking pictures, understanding the history and the stories behind each place, eating some Prasad and finding  new areas, understanding the good and bad of the city and also appreciating some of the finest art and design display we could not even imagine on display.

Also visible was branding, marketing and social interactive communication by some corporates and enthusiast mandals. Like the play by a particular mandal about the need of re-establishing the sanity between the teacher- student bond and so on...

Like I said before - What I did not know last night was how it would unfold. 

To be fair I still dont know for sure. 

But one thing I am clear is that ...It was an humbling experience in the way society celebrates the vibrance, the social dialogue, connections and faith at the same time.