It happened a couple months ago, but still feels like yesterday. “Bhaiyya Ball” yelled out a colony kid as I got down from my bike. Just back from office, I bent down to get the rubber ball, my back ache showing signs of a man who travels seventy minutes a day in auto rickshaws. Determined … More “Bhaiyya Ball!” – How my colony kids taught me to forget myself
I love Bollywood. I am not one of those pretentious idiots who claim Bollywood is beyond saving and there’s not one movie in a year that can be watched. I genuinely feel such people have a gargantuan inferiority complex! But I digress. Just yesterday I read about the passing of the great Brigadier Kuldip Singh … More Border – How the story of Brigadier Chandpuri defined the Indian army for a generation
“Disrespectful”. In the last twenty five years, I have been called this more times than I can remember. To be frank, many a times it was an earned moniker. I am not really the most polite person you will meet. Respect is extremely important in India to the point that I’d deem it a currency. … More Respect – an Indian perspective
I still remember my first day at one of the world’s biggest FMCG companies. It was the beginning of a two month internship and the HR and company leadership were supposed to conduct an orientation for us. Telling us about the company, its vision, its current position and immediate plan of action to achieve their … More India’s complicated relationship with ‘Safety’
What is a hobby? Why do we have them in the first place!? Who was the first person with a hobby? “Hey Mark, what are you doing?” “Nothing, just collecting twigs.” “Why?” “Oh I have a collection. Back in the cave.” “Why?” “……” “……” “I like twigs. No two twigs are the same. Why are … More Hobbies – weirder than you think!
I got off the call with my boss – she wanted me to visit our Malad office on a Monday. I frantically rushed towards the calendar and pretended to know what I was searching for. After a couple of seconds I yelled out “Mummy!”. “What day is it on Monday? Which day?”. Mom stared at … More The Great Hindu Festival
After a long long time (one month) I’m proper drunk at home. No better time to write I feel. There have been friends and acquaintances who have urged me to write more often in the last one month. As usual, I’ve disappointed them. But it’s fine. At least another article is in progress. My dad … More Watching my parents grow old
I have always been a morning person. Through a combination of inability to stay awake a minute beyond 10 p.m. and a mortal fear of my father, I perfected my sleeping schedule. Sunrise, birds singing, Pol rise. But the only time I absolutely LOVED waking up way before sunrise was during Diwali. At Five a.m., … More The ghost of Diwali past
I have just 12 months of professional experience in one of the oldest and most successful companies in our country. One of the first lessons I learnt as a fresher in the company was to learn to accept that I must asphyxiate my social life. I took it in my stride as I convinced myself it is what … More Living to work or Working to Live
Pol Ke Bol! 