I AM LEGEND

CIRCA 2018 A.D.

As the Cargo Ship rumbled past me at the Ferry Wharf, my ham radio blared its message,
"My name is RKL. I am a survivor living in Mumbai. I am broadcasting on all AM frequencies. I will be at the Bhaucha Dhakka everyday at mid-day, when the sun is highest in the sky. If you are out there... if anyone is out there... I can provide Sambar that doesn't taste like Aamti,I can provide the last few forms for the MIB, I can provide security from the Masters of Maharashtra. If there's anybody out there... anybody... please. You are not alone. "

My 5 year-old kid pulled me to a nearby restaurant to show me the breaking news of the day on TV."The President of the State of Maharashtra,Shri BT, has just passed a bill for Radha-Krishna Day.Also in a recent development, the Ambassador of Bengal called upon the Prime Minister, Shri RT, for signing the deal for exports of Vada Pav to Kolkata." Well,these are the legendary protectors of the Marathi Manoos, the Masters of Maharashtra.The S&M government (you pervs!! its the Sena-Maharashtra Navnirman Aliance),that a decade ago,fought to protect the great culture of Maharashtra and drove away all those who didn't follow the "eat-tambaku-n-spit-everywhere" policy or work as efficiently as the BMC.The few survivors were given the MIB-MAHARASHTRA IDENTIFICATION BILLA which was to be tied to the neck at all times - even while you attend nature's call at public places.

So back to my son who comes up with his own breaking news.
"Baba, you know what?? That Pritamrao Patil chya Dhaba(Pritam da Dhaba), it has been banned for serving sarson da saag n makki di roti.And apna Just Parathas, they were lai shana, they changed to Fakta Puranpoli overnite."
"Son, I don't care. I m already confused where you would study - Jijamata Vidyalaya, Sambhaji MahaVidyalaya or the Shivaji Paathshala."
"But Baba, am I not going to the convent school that you did?"
"Na beta,we are supposed to go to Marathi schools only."
"But Shri RT's son goes to the same school that you went.".Annoyed and Angry.
And all of a sudden a mini-riot broke out between the CKPs and KOBRA for insulting each other's culture.
Thank god for these riots, It saved me from my son so far.

As we made our way to the hospital, I over-heard two cricket-crazy Sachin Bhakt speaking," Chya Mayla, those Madrasis they want to send a security delegation to see if the tour can go on...yeu de tyana, lungi kadhun takeen" Well, for the ill-informed, Karnataka were to tour Mumbai for a 3 tests 5 one-dayers & 10 T20s BalaT-DeveG Trophy.But these riots have put the tour in jeopardy.

Dodging my son's questions and the rioting public, I reach the hospital to find the nurse engrossed in the entertainment section of Mumbai-Aarsha and the headlines screamed "KC Bokadia che chingari, a tribute to RGV ki Aag,was the undisputed hit abroad, especially in Jharkhand."
And there my poor wife lay in the labour-room writhing in pain, having just delivered my cute li'l baby.
"Sorry honey, I can't be with you right now, I got to file for the MIB with the BMC before they get our newborn arrested for being an illegal resident!"
Run Bala Run, b-bye!!

Just another discussion...

...which involved an English Guy who was head of a certain department and an Indian who was just another team member.

Overheard a nice peaceful talk between them.

Accompanied by a damsel in distress, the English guy (EG) approaches the Indian guy (IG).

EG: Hey help the lady with her task and make sure the lady doesn't have any trouble, else... I will make your life not worth living here.

Indian guy smiles at him of which the lady assumes is the submissive attitude of people in my trade, the ones who accept every unreasonable demand of clients without batting an eyelid.Not that this one was.
Taking copies of some related documents, he approaches the English guy with the lady in tow.

IG (to the lady) : Here you go, this will help you in ur task.
IG (to the EG) : Here J, this will be useful in helping the lady in case she is in trouble.
EG : Why what happened to you??
IG : You can help her incase I m not available.
EG : What do you mean "not available"?
IG : I may be sick & may not come to office.
EG : Yes or maybe you might be hit by a cab and you won't come to office.
IG : Yep... so you can be my BACKUP then.
EG (a bit stunned) : BACKUP ?!?!?!?!
IG : yes, my BACKUP when I may be hit by a cab and i can't make it to office.

Wonder who had the last laugh but all I could see was the Indian guy smiling (as we always do in victory or defeat) and the apple-red colour on the white face of the English guy which was a stark contrast to his shining bald head.

The Hunter and A Free Bird

The first one are some amazing thoughts I came across,the attitude this cut-throat competition in today's lives demands.

Wrapped in silence
The forest looks still
Do not be fooled
Life lurks within

Everything that lives in it
Is a predator or a prey
Be the sly agile hunter
And you live another day

Eat or be eaten
The laws here say
Bloodshed isn’t uncommon
A small price to pay

Ravish the warm blood
Success has a sweet taste
No ethics or guilt here
It’s your survival at stake

So sharpen your senses
And live for the day
Have no regrets
Slay or be slayed.

_____________________________________

Even though I could agree with it no less, the free spirit in me thinks otherwise.
These are my personal thoughts.

The world I roam
It’s a crab culture,
For every prey,
There is a vulture.

Tough is the world
But I care not.
Live n let live…
Even if it’s hot

Spew some blood around
To win at any cost?
Nah!! Even if I lose
I have not lost

As sweet as the success,
Is the fun on the way,
Friends galore I meet,
With each I dance n sway.

Am I the strongest?
I care a damn
Happy-go-lucky,
Is what I am…

In this brutal war,
I may be slayed,
I would have no regrets,
For I lived my day!

The walk back home....

Tokyo is a very nice place.It has been the best place I have ever been to in my short life span.Its better than the place where I took my first breath,the same place where I hope to take my last.No doubt,Tokyo has been good to me so far.But my world is some place else.The world that I don't wanna share with anybody.
This is dedicated to my family and my buddies who mean the world to me.


The dawn of the dusk and I trudged to my place,
Bemused slow steps set the soul to race,
These steps looked so far and forlorn,
As far as my heart that stayed at home.

Each step it sounds familiar and heard,
even if they were unseen unspoken unheard,
These old steps that each day woke my sleep,
& stopped by me as each night would creep.

(Walking down this alien road...)
Lost in my thoughts, I had a fumble,
Hold me dear friend, before I crumble,
You were the one who was seldom harsh,
Trust you blind, you are never a farce.

(Walking down this alien road...)
Lost in thoughts,I bumped into Mr. John,
The look in his eyes were full of scorn,
In my land,they would care a damn,
even if you were run over by a tram.

(As I walked to my door...)
For the keys in the bag,my fingers slid,
The soul was lost in the chirp of a kid
The smile that took my gloom in its stride...
Sigh!! but a Dark silence awaits me inside.
The cold of the door knob, it sometimes killed,
The warmth had long died,my place served chilled.

The world here is aplenty and sauve,
But nothing for me to be in awe,
Not that was I born with a silver spoon,
(the one that fed this kid,)
It shines no less, though its a humble spoon.

When I hit the bed, the soul felt,
the ice could wait before it melt,
tears could freeze,even if its a crime,
for there is some more time till its time.


As an afterthought...

when friends say distance breaks many a heart,
And strains of time stretch the STRINGS apart,
these STRINGS that bind my heart as one,
the ones these strains could never sway,
are the ones that drive these strains away.

Stuck in a Jam

I am in a block.I have to write something.

I started atleast 5 things and they all have failed to reach termination-point. A river that flowed with energy, all of a sudden seems to have dried up before it could reach the seas.This could be frustrating.
To start things and then leave them in between because something holds you back and try as you might, it doesn't seem to end.Reason???.A place, a person, a thing, a situation, a conflict, a blank mind, a confused mind or a lazy mind that just refuses to think further.
This, from personal experiences I say, can happen in various facets of life.All the steps that you took seem to end just short of zenith.
You are in your job and suddenly you realise you are going nowhere, never mind if, from the fence, it seems you are on course, going with the flow. A wandering nomad who might just go all around the world just because its in his nature but everything appears same and he awaits a lifetime for his nirvana.A budding partenership may stall in the middle before it could grow fruitful.A relation might dry up before it could rest in bliss and peaceful harmony.
So what do you do then? Trace back your steps? Leave those unfinished business?Put down your shovel and decide "I will take a new path"? Or put down your foot and say, "No matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes, I am gonna complete it"?
I have decided to take the last option.It will give me a satisfaction that what I had started has reached its fruition. I would like to see my ideas grow and shape up the way I want them to.Just like parents see their babies grow into something that they could be proud of.It will also prove, not to the people I call my world, but to me, that I have taken some decisions that I am convinced about and I can never go wrong with them.That I have made some choices and I will stand by these choices to prove they were the best that was there.
Right now, I am in a block.It won't last for long.

A Tribute to the Best of My Generation

"Commit all your crimes when Sachin is batting. They will go unnoticed because even the Lord is watching."
A placard at the SCG when Sachin Tendulkar was on his way to a magnificent century

-- Courtesy Cricinfo