The secret of walking over water is in knowing where stones are.

You remember that old story wherein 4 blind men goes to the zoo and visit an elephant. One man touches his body and says it is huge, like a big wall. Second man touches his leg and says its strong like a column. The third man touches his trunk and says- its slippery like a pipe or snake. Wherein the fourth man touches elephant's tail and call it a bush. Each of them touched the same animal but different part of the same animal and came with different observation on each. They tried and understood only the parts that they touched but none of them understood the whole.

Substance is not about having a name or form. Substance is about being absolute This whole world is like those 4 blind men, arguing among themselves basis the pasrt they felt, while none of them understood the whole. Substance is about understanding the whole, it is understanding ourselves. When we understand the whole, we are more in peace with each other and attain absolute. And that my dear friend is- ZEN.

Zen is understanding yourself!

In my brief or say fairly long lifetime [thus far] I have been to different places, seen different kind of people, undergone different experiences, different emotions and have learnt tremendously with each and every rendezvous- Personal or public. I am still in process of understanding myself but clearly there are times when I feel to begin knowing myself and still exploring. This exploration or this interrogation is for nothing but a tryst to find peace with self. So am I at peace with self? Well some days yes, some days no.

While a lot could be written on this subject matter. Let us keep it Short and Simple. I have been writing lot of poems on the spot. then why suddenly writing about Zen? Well Zen for me is not mere a word from Z at the end of April A to Z Blogging challenge. But Zen is kind of summation that I am trying to gather from this exercise. My fellow participants and non participating readers, can you please sum up your experience from this whole A to Z blogging challenge and comment on your experience on the same? Can you evaluate if this whole exercise, whether deliberately or non deliberately brought you closer to understanding yourself? Well I am waiting for your responses. And yes, your responses can help me too while attaining my own Zen. It is a process they say. So feel free to share.

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Yesterday, on my way back from #CourtyardWeddingFair I out of blue decided to stop by a new restaurant and have my dinner there. My budgets were tight and my knowledge about the area was limited. So the very first name that rang in my mind is this Pure Veg restaurant near Kandivali Station where I once ordered my lunch at home. The food was decent and above all, not very expensive. 

With the help of my auto wallah and the restaurant admin over phone, I reached this place. I was quite taken back by the restaurant appearance but ventured inside on my mom's insistence. She insisted that now since we have come, rather let's have a quick grub from there and leave. 

Halfheartedly, we entered the place and for some strange reason, chose to sit at the normal lobby instead of the AC hall downstairs. Selecting a table wasn't easy as the ones below ceiling fans were few and already taken. I wonder why I chose to sit there and in meantime ordered the food, promising myself to not come there again.

During my meal I had some interesting observations that I thought I should share. There was a group of three men on our next table, sitting and discussing about a dirty canal cum river at a certain place near New Mumbai. One of them was insisting that it is a "Naala" a drain like canal wherein the other argued that as per Govt ecords it is a river. The discussion between the two went on for some time wherein they decided that their association is not a one time saga but a lifelong relationship etc and then in sometime they left the table. Did I smell a rat? Well cannot say.

What touched my heart, was the motley at another table, quite adjacent to mine wherein a young girl and a guy came and perched upon. They must be the quintessential teeny weeny lovers, I thought as I saw the guy showing the girl his cheeks n face. May be he just had a shave and showing off to the little girl. They were soon joined by two more, big, hefty looking guys and were having an animated conversation. It is then I realized that they are a group of people with speech and hearing disability who inspite of their short coming, were quite cheerful and continuing their conversation in sign language.

I was very much touched by their gesture. I thought of taking their picture but that invited their attention. I managed the scene by signalling that I was actually trying to click my mother;s picture and it worked. They continued their conversation with each other in their special language and I couldn't help but keep observing their faces and symbols.

I murmured to self that how people should learn a lesson from these people who in spite of their challenges, managed to live their lives. Indeed they were "extraordinary" men or X-Men as I would call it. It is that time that little girl took out her mobile to may be see a message or something. That moment of time, it dawned upon me how Telecom as a technology touches the life of various people. How the need of communication and the mode too has been shaped off late and the ultimate benefits given by cellular devices and their potential that could be tapped for not just communication but social transformation as well.

That moment I felt so proud of my industry and than ked all it's front runners to having lead this revolution. Today my perspective has changed a bit. I would rather say, something new has been added to my perspective as marketer, product manager or telecom employee. I have learnt a new lesson on being "inclusive" via tech.

Here's three cheers to this Extraordinary technology and the Xtra ordinary men and women who lives their life beyond any barrier. Long live goodness in this world.

In a serious unfold of events, the nation awakes to witness the rise of female alias women empowerment in form of a young female leading the nation as the country's next Prime Minister . 0123 Years old,  Sakhi Rawant who has lead her life in service of others will be appointed as next PM of the country. This first time candidate from Notional Kaam Party AKA NKP has achieved in her first ever political venture that even the usual 80years old politician could not.

The "swearing" ceremony will take place on 20th May at the "Hariyali Farmhouse" of the legendary item girl who took to a bigger cause for her life, to commemorate her victory and celebrate the same with inspiration behind her election symbol- Hari Mirch aka Green Chilies. 

Sakhi gives all te credit of her success to sheer hardwork. She reiterates how she has soiled in the sun by doing door to door campaign, giving her sweat and blood to the cause. She gives the entire credit to all the prospective mother in laws who actively participated in her Swayamvar on national TV. In her words- Thank you Mujhe Bahu-mat banane ke liye magar bahumat se jitaane ke liye.  To reinforce her belief in fostering change to this society, she plans to throw a tea party for all her party members, sponsored by Taaj-aa tea. Jago ree. 

Precisely, my point. I wonder how easily and conveniently people use the cuss words. For some, it has become a way of life. Life yeah. Life is "bitch" for them. Life ki M.. B..ho gayi types. I often get to meet serious offenders or let me rather say serial offenders who thinks that cuss words is truly a way of life. From A, B to CHU, there is no stopping. Some are of the types whose morning will start with a cuss word- B..CT, subah ho gayi...Untill they don't brush their teeth with a dozen full of expletives, their day will not progress. These are the varieties who speak foul language like sugar in buttermilk. Some of them would not stop even post sleeping. Even in their dreams, they will be often heard conversing in gully gallis. 

There is an idiom in Hindi that says- "Kharboje ko dekh Kharbooja rang badalta hai", loosely translated as- seeing a melon, another melon changes it's color or rather- bird of same feather, flock together. Such is the spell of cuss word that often it hypnotizes the peer group aka near group in it's magical caste who carry forward the legacy of illegitimacy AKA Slang words.

Being in product management and marketing, I wasn't left untouched with this syndrome. Oh no..no..I did not used the cuss words ever [loudly at least] but was exposed to a larger followers of this foul language tyranny.  I was often surrounded by the Sales teams and distribution managers who would use the cuss words like it came as bonus with their breaths, mind you every single breath. 

If you recall, years back a movie featuring a different legend of his league- Shatrughan Sinha and Amol Palekar starring in a film where the former would often start and end his sentences with "Saala, Ghochu", a cuss word that the effervescent actor had glorified with sheer power of his acting and super on screen presence.

Well he was Shatrughan Sinha then and the common man now, who uses slang n cuss words as mellifluously as second skin or second nature as if those words are some sacred chanting that will solve all problems and set things right. The point is when few years back, a la Shahid kapoor confessed in Vishal's Kamine that he calls F ko F, an entire nation bow to the chocolaty hero's Tarantino alike machination and adopted his F ko F with great F for fervor and F for Frenzy. 

What the F if you say "F ko F", asked the besotted crowd.  While some silently murmured few more, new more cuss words under their breath, some laughed it off. And then came Gangs of Wasseypur who gave the WTF Frenzy nation few more laurels to show off. "Keh ke Lunga" became a rage till the public got a new reason, a new meaning or a whole together a new "slang". 

Do I use a slang? Well no. That is not the point. The point however is, Can I use a slang or do I know slangs words? Answer is "bhar-bhar ke" Yes. Probably my range would be little higher than a lot of veterans in this arena. The fact remains is that I chose not to use them unless provoked really badly post watching a slang-legendary film :D

Do you use a slang? If yes, what is your favorite one. Not that I am promoting the foul language here. I am just trying to understand or rather see if there are more like minded people who despite of knowing this arts, like me, still do not care to use. it. Also what was your moment of weakness wherein in spite of your hard desire, you could not have controlled the slang-sober self and displayed public demo of Annihilation.  Or whatever is your opinion about the same. Do share.

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Theme "TumkoDekha" and objective- to express angst/opinion on politicians who thinks 100% rapes are women's fault and hence, do nothing to prevent the crime but adds fuel to the fire. The fire of agony, trauma, shame and mutilated desire. The desire to live one' own life in a so called #Free Nation. Where shopkeepers gives a commodity "one pe one" free but a right to live is not freely available. Shame on you society! Shame on you people. Also, shame on you so called women who fake the rape and make it a stock of laughter. A handful of you so called "free spirit", false case registering women, makes the plight of all other genuine victims even more traumatic. Shame on the doctors and law makers who make mockery of genuine cases and weaken the roots of justice and law. O India, wake up and fight against! #TimeToChange!

Mr. Chappantikli AKA Suraag Kapish is one of the management graduate who worked in my company. He was such an adorable character that everyone who came in contact, loved to hate him. And Hate Bole toh, ekdum Solid platonic wala hate. Yeah, He was the eponymous male version of Bette Noire.

The good, remarkable display of habits that gained him, his immense popularity with colleagues, team and other office members alike, including seniors like us, included- sycophancy, extreme sycophancy and even more blunt sycophancy. The other prominent constituents were-

1) Greedy/ Slimy behavior

2) Free-loading mentality

3) Sheer Incompetence backed by pseudo sense of authority

4) Human Velcro Polymers - Ek baar chipak jaaye toh haathi bhi natod paaye

5) Some Random undiscovered properties in freaky @#$%$## languages
6) High language proficiency with words succeeded by universal Ch...an infinite element of slang-u-gage

courtesy

And Men! not to forget mentioning with context to Racold contest, he smelled bad too...full of sweat. Sweat sliding from his half bald head, sweat dripping from the dirty noodles like sparse smelly hair of his to forehead to neck. Sweat that he cool-ly wiped with his hands while having the "paratha" lunch with us and dipped in ball of yogurt [second helping off course]. He was the breed that has probably never heard about deodorant or bathing soap or tissue papers or even washing your hands before eating but yes definitely about sizzling brownie and butter chicken. Especially, if they came free of cost for Mr. Freeloader, awful breath  heavy talker, tall bear like human and sheer incompetent snooty head.

Call me Ass Ke

Suraag Kapish aka Chappantikli's sole mantra to succeed in corporate world was doing "boss-management", above and below and what lies in middle, if need be. After all, for some people there seems no difference between a piece of Ass and a piece of S. For hard work is a virtue of old school and new management has a lot about ivory towers, corporate jargon's and some diligent followers of Henry Fayol like him who believed only in- Manage-Men- tactfully. Our Chappantikli took that adage a little head with his open fund on "Boss Management".

What is "boss management"?  Boss management is the form of new age-old school- forever green body of management where your most important skill in the role and organization is not your knowledge of business, market, team leadership or other soft/technical/functional skills. But it is that unique skill set aims at combining different aspects of shamelessness, shrewdness  and over the top behavior that any individual can possess to the power infinity and do all that it takes to please the boss, makes him be in their good book of "chamchas" barring the good work performance.

Mr. Kapish was the master of the game. He was a skilled Chef with all kind of "Chamcha, spoon and variety". A proficiency that he would honestly, read flamboyantly announce the same in front of his boss himself. "Yes, My lord..working in this company is all about- managing your boss. And I, yours truly follow this to heart".

If your boss like crappy Vanilla brownies, men, it becomes your most favorite dish ever since you were toddler and did not knew your Vanilla from your brownie. Take two- When boss changes and New boss do not like sizzling brownies but he is a butter chicken loving Punjabi. Men! You were born with a leg of butter chicken in your hand and had been eating ever since. "Har haath Shakti, Har haath butter chicken" becomes your next job KRA with approx weight-age of 25%

My Close Encounter with Smelly Mr. Boss-manager

"He is a nice boy" were my first thoughts when I met him. I failed to understand why my circle team is so averse to share the business data with him or do not allow him to be part of circle's revenue discussion meeting, with him being the only SPOC for same function. Well all such self misconceptions took no less than 48 hours that I spent with him around, to vanish. He was actually kind of guy to where I felt imperative to mention myself as CEO's Office hoping that reinforce some sanity in behavior, however temporary. If not with arrogance or sense of authority but with a ceiling of being pardoned off his shenanigans. May be that introduction was a mistake that I committed and paid the price by having my two days lunch, dinner with Mr. Obnoxious who has sent a very authoritative mail to me, a couple of weeks ago asking to include his name in my mails marked to all people at his circle. Point noted "BOSS". So what if you have no role there. I hope such mails empower you to learn spreadsheet better that we do not add cost plus revenue to derive Earnings for the month!

Its all fair in love, war and team dinners!

I still remember that evening [with a deo in hand] when Mr. Freeloader accompanied us to dinner while on our way back to Mumbai from Nashik and chose to sit next to me. I took out my phone and made note- Birthday gift idea for Mr. Kapish- Soap, Deodrant, talc and all thing cleaning/ grooming.

Yo Mr. Chappantikli is so stinky that even a man eating plant will die with lack of Oxygen

#WhatsThatSmellBoss I kept wondering through out the dinner duration.  "Oh may be it is the mixed smell of all food around this place" Mr. Kapish replied while few team mates chose to be quiet. Dinner was sidey affair that I thanked profusely when it got over.  Seems my woes did not end there. Much to my horror, Mr. Kapish was on a hugging spree as a departing gesture. I saw him approaching me and I prayed SOS! Thank God the telephone call that come to my immediate rescue and saved me, costing only a handshake. I could not wait to wash it and really prayed that he doesn't decides to travel back with us in same vehicle. Thank God,  he didn't.


Back in Mumbai, after over coming the horrible dinner experiences, I almost forgot Mr. Kapish aka Chappantikli until one day when I got a mail from him marking to the entire universe including all atoms and particles, seeking an answer on why a certain KPI has gone down at his circle, in a tone that even my CEO would not use. Well the mail was not marked to me for explanation and I could have simbly ignored but NO! Justice Miss Khetan was all in shock when she saw those figures being questioned in the mail. Probably that was another mistake as MR. Chappantikli traveled to Mumbai office to explain the goof up that he had done. "What's your plan for lunch" he asked.
"Oh, carry on. I am fasting today [thank God]" I replied.

He made a long face and left my office only to return back with his laptop, asking if could use a little space in my "big cabin not assigned to lesser mortals read non CEO office" like him. Halfheartedly I relented but could not stop suffering #WhatsThatSmellBoss all the time I decided to sit at my work station.

It was half past 8 when my office staff came looking for me. He asked why am I not sitting at my desk but that small corner in visitor's area. I asked him Mr. Kapish left my workstation or is still there. On a proper assurance from the staff that Mr. Chapantikli has left, Men I took my laptop and moved to my desk that was smelling like that dried canal ear the slum. #WhatsThatSmellBoss I asked the office boy. I was appalled when he told me Mr. Kapish ordered some cafeteria food in my name and had it there. Food, burp, silent killers..oops my head was in spin and so much that I packed my bags and left for home.

Mr Kapish, beware...high time you change yourself. Otherwise it would be too late. Using your boss mgt skills, chamcha giri, sycophancy at its best, you may gain some growth in organization but you will end up [gaining some weight too] being someone like this-

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#My Mantra to Cope up with Smelly, Stinky kind is simple. I choose to ignore them and breath out that anger back in to my mission or sense of well being. I may not give him "Babaji ka Thullu" or send "aashirvaad" from "Sanskari Alok Nath Bauji". My best vengeance is the one that I serve "HOT". Yes I pamper myself with a hot water bath. I simply switch on my "Racold water heater" and wash off the negativity with a good, soothing, relieving hot water bath. 

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In case if you were wondering why I called him "Chappantikli" in abstinence of a better name..well I can conveniently call it gift of TOMA- Top of mind Awareness/ recall that hit my senses when I thought of writing about him or the fact that I had 56 kinds of negative incidences/ analogies about our chap that I heard about. And as I said, in absence of better name or in defense of offending any other creatures including dandruff, cockroaches and eeeks pigs. oInk oInk! I thought Chappantikli will suffice. It will catch your fancy too. If you do not wish it to, and want to cleanse off yourself with such stinky, smelly people and their bad odor memory, then suggest you go for a hot water bath as well. Bring hold Racold. To knw more, visit their Facebook page.

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I just returned home from a long day at work. It was tiring and sapping day. As I stepped inside my house, my warm and sultry, rented house in Mumbai Suburbia, my mother looked at the sweaty me and with great concern asked- Shall I switch on the AC so you feel better?

It was indeed hot and a cool breeze would be most yearned possession then. That moment I longed for opening all the windows in my house, all the walls of my house and ceilings open to let some natural breeze flow by. I wanted to open my windows to a strong branch of a tall green tree which is filled with green leaves, juicy -ripened fruits, a sparrow singing songs in her nest made of twigs. No AC, no Fan, No cooler no artificial cool air, nothing. I wanted some pure natural wind to flow by and sooth my soul, my dry senses, my weary skin that is devoid of greenery, fresh air and all that glory that nature bestows on humans. Alas! Is it a price that I am paying for growing old and educated?

I ached for a cool rain shower but with all my education I knew, that no matter what I become, I cannot make skies to thunder and create drizzle on my window pane. I missed the tintinnabulations of rain against my window like Ustad Amjad Ali khan playing Santor. I turned on my radio for some music. It was playing this famous song by legendary Jagjit Singh-

Courtesy: nadhahassen.com

Childhood is the "golden era" of a person's life. It was the perfect "age of innocence" when we were making new friends, discovering nature, learning new games, indulging in pure adventure. The time where summers did not mean harsh sun but that giant green mango tree that enticed us with it's fruits. Summers spelled the days when there were no schools but just bunch of friends and lot of adventure to do, full day. Vacations were as exotic as climbing trees, running across fields, breathing a repository of crisp fresh air, getting drenched in rain and eating a corn on cob while cycling with one hand in monsoon. 

Childhood when monsoons were not about mush and traffic jams but lots of rain shower, rain football and all. When we would make a round of friends and play "ring-a-ring-roses" in water or do simple rain dance, play football, get soiled in post rain aromatic water filled mud and feel great sense of achievement about it. Ah! That golden era of childhood. It's natural vigor and freshness. When can I go there next? When can I experience nature again. Not in the hustle bustle of this city though. But where?

Welcome to Kissanpur

And then somebody told me about Kissanpur. The land where sun smiles seeing a kid's play. A place where nature, nurture and fun is the way of life. Such land of Utopia is my Kissanpur.

So when Indiblogger and India's leading natural produce FMCG brand- Kissan asked to share a story about a child enjoying nature's company, I could not help but got myself transported back to my childhood [again] and reminisce all the lovely days I had when I was less of gadget driven but totally a #NaturesFriend

My Love with Mother Nature

I was born introvert. May be because I was always busy looking around and marveling at the beauty, the mystery of nature, exploring it, discovering simple joys through it like a child who plays in a mother's lap. Happy, curious, amused, content, well fed and secure.

My upbringing was done largely at my maternal grand father's house in Madhya Pradesh [Hindustan ka dil] Surguja district that was surrounded with vast lands, dense forests, mountains, rivers, crop fields, mines[even that is nature], valleys and much more. My grandpa was trader and a landlord, who migrated from Haryana to Lucknow and now to this beautiful place that his elder described and endorsed as "Ambikapur- blessed by the holy Goddess". He too fell in love with that place and started his business there, brought the family down, settled, made a huge house and invested in huge greenlands lands in areas nearby.

We had a huge house with a sprawling garden, a middle porch studded with potted plants and Grape vine, and a huge back house fruit/flower/vegetation field AKA Baadi. [a La Kitchen garden albeit huge in size].

I so much loved going around and hated stillness. As a kid, one would never find me inside the house but on the exteriors doing dare devils like walking the parapet walls, looking for hidden bunch of grapes in the vines, climbing the mango tree, entering the forbidden flower tree area of temple guard, climbing up the hibiscus tree and plucking flowers, chasing a butterfly, waking up in late night to spot fireflies, adopting a duo of rabbit only to see them grow manifold and much more. Needless to say, I would have left everyone in the household including our laborers in oil mill in haste breaths and worry. I did not enjoying doing that but i really enjoyed hanging out with nature.

Affairs to Remember
My childhood romance with nature is an affair to remember. It was full of activities ranging from fun to freak to vagabond to extremely weird to The legendary of all would be climbing from 4 story under construction building, into a pile of sand, standing up, stepping back and jumping again....all through out the noon. All at the harsh, warm sun of 3:00 pm in an afternoon. As if that was not enough, playing hopscotch on sand. Make as many laps as you can before the sea water washes it away. If it does, the next game is to collect as many sea conch shells and make sand castles- as punishment. For real fun was to swim on tides or hanging from house roof to factory shed to the big giant mango tree, peeping for a new fruit to grow.

Those were the days!

It was half past midnight and seems my radio station was close for the day. I got up to pull off the plug from that jarring noise of radio. I looked out at the still, dark skies. It invited me again. Wish I can go there. Wish I can ask Rain Gods to send some rains next morning. I so much ached to see a rainbow.

Today, I have that rain again but I really long for those two feet, using which I can stomp back on that puddle of water, splash it around, make paper boats and sail them on it. I miss my childhood. I miss being with nature. I miss that friendship I had with Mother Nature.

There is a child in all of us. Let us awake that child again and rejoice. Let us make friends with nature again. After all nature is our own, true nature. Let us nurture ourselves back in it's pristine lap.

Before I retired to my bed, I could not help but kept humming these lines from the song-

To relive some of fun, to relish that 100% real taste of nature again, do visit Kissan's website- www.kissan.in

 Freedom

Sky draws no limits

for flying birds, flowing breeze

why borders on land?

Friday

That day in the week

Decides fate of every film

Zero ya hero

[Main Tera Hero] 

Fever

when rivers dry, blue
from sky, green from leaves fades
nature needs your help

photo.net

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These Haiku are written for-

A to Z Challenge 2014

Alphabet of the day- F

Yes, a bank..you heard me right. Indiblogger in association with Kotak Mahindra hosted an exclusive launch party of banking in the age of #WiFi i.e. #JIFI. and #JiFiIsHere

Well you need a bank account but cannot maintain a minimum balance...#JiFiIsHere

You are a zero account balance customer yet you want some benefits of banking at the doorstep? #JiFiIsHere

You have many friends on Facebook

So you want to open an account at the ease of your home in 3 single clicks? #JiFiIsHere

So you are on Facebook with 300+ friends and an active Twitter account? #JiFiIsHere

#JiFiIsHere if you wanna do simplified banking at the ease of your mouse click or tablet.

Believe in no Tantra, Just know this Mantra- #JiFiIsHere

#JiFi is an abridged version of a jiffy. The very word that sums up what the product is all about.

Target Group- Mostly youngsters and first-time salaried youth, housewives [who love to shop], social networking Dudes and Dudettes...yeah after all- Har Ek friend zaroori hota hai!

So on 23rd March, all the tables were set at Cafe Zoe- Lower Parel. The agenda read-

 Item- Time

1.Registration / Cocktail hour 12:00 PM

2.In the beginning 13:00 PM

3.Guess the guest 13:20 PM

4.#JifiIsHere 13:30 PM

5.Q/A 14:05 PM

6. IndiNetworking 14:30 PM

7. Lunch 14:45 PM

8.Head home & keep blogging15:45 PM

The venue a little cafe, tucked away at the corner of Mathuradas mills compound, was bustling with enthusiast bloggers and "cocktail" lovers, all alike. Oops "Housefull", the cafe was. It took us a while to reach and locate, traveling from one part of Mumbai to the other. 

I entered with my friend and thankfully the cafe offered us Valet parking [that probably saved our 2 minutes and which in turn helped us grab the last 2 vacant seats visible/available to us]

Damn, I missed the cocktail portion! I said as I took my seat just near the bar ;)

Along came the ever spirited emcee and our friend host for all IB events- Anup! Who sailed the souls high and post some yay-yay-ing we all settled back to our seats. I could see a lot of blog groups being formed and sitting likewise. Thankfully none of them expected me to show my loyalties to them and we all got along well, and alike.

In short, the event was one of the very different ones that I had witnessed with IB. My first IB- Free Booze type [as if I cared to separate my juice from my drink...lolz I like them on the rocks! Neat...yay yay I meant juices :)]

#Bar Bar Dekho

Apart from the product, of course, the biggest hit was the "bar" at Cafe Joe where rarest of rare I get to meet a "Jain Bartender" who happily served the "non-drinking" me a nice guava concoction and a tumbler of diet coke [which was later whisked away from the table as I went to fix an unknown blogger girl with another unknown blogger guy- strictly on their request ;)]

Bloggers flooded the bar and went around looking for Veg food. It was the time when Anup introduced "Surprise Guest" who was none other than "Chetan Bhagat" the man highly responsible for inspiring and uplifting Indian writers in India [off course]. Yeah, I still have his "Bodyshop" write up hangover on me and I have also blogged about him long back here-

Post Q&A wherein we get questions flooded in from Twitter and live audience, we break for lunch. Aha! Finally, I will get something to eat now, I quipped under my breath, of course overriding with my jealousy over people who were enjoying their drink..Gulp!

Aah! the non-veg looked tempting and I was more than happy when my secret wish for not getting "mashed potatoes" in name of veg food was answered in form of delicious beetroot risotto which, sigh again was whisked away from my table as I went to click the author's picture with my friend.

Find the glimpses from the event on my Facebook Page: Numerounity

And yes before I depart, here's one [it has got the message- the social one you see]

NumeroUnity Trivia post #JiFiIsHere...

Santa- Yaar my tailor ran away with my precious suit material

Banta- Yaar ..same here... He ran away with my measurements.

Little Diana was playing at beach. She was trying to build her own sand castle. Her little hands were soiled with sand and water. It was her first ride to a sea beach and she was more than excited, inquisitive and uproar. A look around her and you will see a tiny mount of sand, trying to rise in shape of a small conical castle, her plastic tools that she was gifted this morning and a small pail of water lying nearby the plastic shovel. She had bought some colored papers, ribbons etc from home to decorate her sand castle but somehow she was not able to pull it up. Nevertheless, she did not give up and continued building the mount by sand.

She loved the beach and the vast sea around. The blue color of the sea, fading into pale blue, red color of sky fascinated her. She was studying in a kindergarten and barely know much about the colors and shades.  All she knew was- Blue, white, pink, red and green. She was inquisitive. She was learning.

Suddenly a big splash of tide came and washed away her little-in the offing sand castle. This broke her little heart. Only till she spotted few conch shells that the tide left back on shore and began to wonder.

Curiously, she asked her mother what are they? and from where did they come from? her mother amused at her innocent query, made the little one sit on her lap and explained her about sea, shells and life within, in the best possible manner the child could understand. Diana rose up from her mother's lap and started drawing on the sand. Seeing a canvas as big as this, got her excited. She asked her papa if she can draw anywhere she wants. Pat came reply- anywhere, she wants.

Intrigued by her mother's explanation, little Diana wanted to go underwater and see the fishes swimming. She has seen sun setting down in the sea and thought that it goes down under the water. She wanted to know where the sun goes and if she can go and meet him there. How big it would be mumma? She would ask. Her questions were interesting and signified the immense curiosity that the child has marvel through her two little twinkling eyes to her small mind inside. The more she learnt, the more she was mesmerized.

Seeing her new found knowledge about the sea and curiosity to know more about it, her father immediately booked a small boat and they went sailing in the sea. He took her to the part where there was clear water and she can spot fishes, crabs et all. She saw a seagull flying and clapped her hands with joy. She cannot wait to go back to beach and build a new castle. This time with conch shells and more. 

By the end of her brief picnic to beach, she was so fascinated by the deep, blue sea that she insisted to take the sea and beach to her home. "Somewhere near the garden window" she quipped when her mother asked as in where would she keep the huge sea within their little house. They did not wanted to break her heart. Her father went out for few minutes and bought a glass fish bowl from the nearby market. He took the bowl and dipped it inside water, collected enough water in it and brought it to Diana. "Here we go. Now we can carry this sea at home" he smiled. Little Diana, too excited with the prospect, dropped few of the sea shells in the bowl and a handful of sand inside it and chirrped- It looks like a sea. But where are the fish? mumma. Her mumma promised her that the fish would soon come around, swimming in her sea too. She then took a visibly happy yet impatient Diana to her car and drove home.

On her way to home, Diana spotted different color fishes on the hoardings and kept on asking if that color fish will come to her home sea. Her amused parents assured her that it is a mystery and best unfolded when she wakes up next morning

Next morning, when little Diana got up, she rushed to her fish bowl to see if that has attracted any fish so far. Her joy found no bound when she saw two fishes- a golden and a blue colored fish, swimming in the bowl. She called out for her mother to show her the fishes. Mumma was delighted. Her mother smiled at her daughter's innocence and hid away the plastic bag in which she bought the two tiny fish from the nearby pet store early that morning, while Diana was sleeping.

Diana soon vanished i her room and came back with sea shells that she collected from the sea last evening. She immersed those sea shells in the fish bowl to have those fish play with them. She also fed them with Fish food that her mother gave to her. While feeding the food, Diana was amused by their small mouths and the bubbles they create in the water.

My daughter is exploring the best thing about this world- The natural beauty and resources. Let her soak in that revelation, let her learn, let her be friends with nature. She thought.

"Where are we going next weekend" she asked her husband.

"May be the crocodile park or bird sanctuary. whatever you suggest" he said.

"Oh no, I am not ready yet to pet a crocodile. Let us rather go to bird sanctuary". The mother retorted and found herself bursting in laughter with her husband.

"What is bird San..san..ry mamma" Diana asked innocently. Mamma released a wink and said.. "I will tell you but before that, here's is your favorite sandwich with yummy Kissan Ketchup that you need to finish eating first.

"wow Kissan catch-up. I really love it" quipped the little Diana as she jumped on dining table biting her favorite open sandwich with loads of sauce, yummlicious 100% real sauce straightway from Kissanpur.

The little Diana grew up to a fine young woman- yours truly and this was a true account with off course small aberration. 

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Little Diana loved ketchup and jams. Her favorite brand is Kissan. Her mother told her that Kissan means- a farmer. To know more about this 100% real famer of Diana's delicacy, pl do visit www.kissan.in