‘Vampire’ Venkatakrishnan

 I can't dance

Hmm... Well, I could always make you.

I'm not scared of you.

Well you really shouldn't have said that........

“Stella, do you mind talking with us. If you are going to watch this stupid movie for the 356^th time, you could have very well stayed in your hostel”, Roshni was yelling on top of her voice.

Stella was unperturbed and turned towards Roshni with a giggle and replied, “Ok Dear, I will switch it off. I will see it in my hostel. I am all yours”.

“Don’t you ever get bored of this movie?  Is this the first part“, Durga joined the conversation.

“Vampires are so cute dear. Just look at Edward’s eyes, his skin and his complexion. He is probably the smartest person alive”, Stella replied with a smile.

“He is cute alright, but in the movie he is a Vampire”, Roshni retorted.

“That’s the whole point dear. He is cute because he is a Vampire. Vampires are so very adorable”, Stella.

“Yuck, they are blood sucking monsters”, Roshni.

“But the Cullens don’t have human blood and moreover they are cute”, Stella persisted.

“Ok dear, cool down. But are these vampires for real?” Durga has always been the doubting Thomas in the bunch.

“I wish they are. They are so very cute and charming”, Stella.

“Go and marry a vampire”, Roshni got into her sarcastic best.

“I wish I could”

“Jesus Christ!!! Are you serious Stella?”

“I am damn serious. Marrying a Vampire is my goal, for the time being, I can date one”, Stella replied with a chuckle.

“You are sick. Cut the crap, when are you vacating the hostel and joining us”

“I believe the hostel is more comfortable dear. When I have plans to vacate, I will surely let you know” Stella was noncommittal as always.

“It is your wish madam. I believe it will be fun, if you stay with me and Durga” Roshni was not impressed.

“That’s Ok dear. It is getting late, I will leave now”

“Have dinner and leave Snowy”

“Thanks. But, I have yesterday’s leftover. I need to finish them”

Stella left the house and took the lonely walk back to her hostel. It was a 5 minute walk and all along the way, she was thinking of Bella and Edward from Twilight.

                                    ****************************

“Girls, I have breaking news. Guess who is back in town”, Roshni was talking on the top of her voice.

Stella joined them with her Mayo sandwich and was detached from the other girls as usual. The other girls were trying to guess the person but failed.

“Let me give a clue. He is 6 foot 2 inches tall, fair and handsome”, Roshni looked at the other girls and continued. “He was the winner of Mr. Indian Technologies for 3 consecutive years and is back in India after 2 years”

“You girls are dumb. Krish is back in town. He waved at me near the elevator” Roshni could not stop her enthusiasm and was all smiles.

Krish, originally named Mylapore Venkatakrishnan Seshadri was the smartest person in the company. He was a model and took great care of his looks. He was the dream-boy for most of the girls in the company. He was a Casanova and the darling of the masses. He was back from London and the girls who joined the company before 2 years were going gaga over his return.

There was commotion near their table when Krish walked up to meet Roshni.  Two girls were giggling and were signaling to Roshni to introduce them. Durga was ogling at Krish and the other girls were talking to him. Stella returned after placing her plates and saw Krish’s back from a distance. She had an unassuming look and walked towards the table. Roshni, who was smiling from ear to ear, looked at Stella and gestured to come quickly.

“Krish, this is our new friend, we call her Snow White but she prefers Stella”, she giggled.

“Hi Stella, Krish”, he said with a coarse voice and shook her hands. He looked deep into her eyes and smiled. Stella smiled back and looked away. Over the next 5 minutes, Stella looked at Krish secretly every now and then, but never uttered a word.

God, he is so damn cute, she thought but never told it out.

Krish was having a great time with the girls and the girls enjoyed every bit of the conversation.

“Girls, I am really running out of time. I want to go to the claims desk. Can someone help me?”

“I will take you Mr.Handsome”, Roshni replied and got up from her desk.

“I had a wonderful time girls, See you sometime later, Bye”, Krish left the table but turned back abruptly. He looked at Stella into her eyes, smiled and wore his Ray-Ban and left the place.

Stella was feeling nice, something about Krish was impressive. He was smart, witty and sparkly. She had never seen a guy like Krish and was looking forward to befriend him.

                                    ****************************

As days passed on, Krish got friendly with the girls and started to accompany them after having his breakfast at his desk. He would spend the time listening to all the gossips. Stella would look at him but would always limit her conversations. The girls would tease Stella and her love for Vampires but Krish would silently listen. Stella firmly believed there was a secret chemistry building between her and Krish. But, she would always ignore Krish and talk with the other girls. Krish was doing the same thing. He would not talk with Stella but the girls sitting beside her. He would secretly look at Stella and see if she was laughing for his jokes.

It was a Friday evening, when it all began.  Roshni was walking between Krish and Stella as they were planning to leave the office. Roshni was in her light blue jean with a red t-shirt. Stella was wearing a black Anarkali with prints all over it. Krish was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Stella was happy to see that both of them were in black. Stella got a call and continued to walk outside the office when she realized Roshni and Krish were not with her. She turned back and saw, Krish having an animated discussion with her. Stella was 100 meters away from them, when the unthinkable happened. A black color VW Polo was speeding towards Stella and was just a couple of meters away. She yelled at the top of her voice and closed her ears with her hands when someone pulled her by the waist. It took her a couple of minutes to get back to her senses and realize what had happened. Krish was behind her, holding her left hand with his left and had his right hand around her stomach. He had pulled her in the nick of time to save her life. He smiled and asked her to relax.

“We’ll get back to the Office and leave in 10 minutes”, he looked at her with a quizzical expression.

Stella was dumbstruck to react and listened to him and walked back to the office. What she could not understand was how Krish could cover 100 or 150 meters within seconds. He has miraculously appeared out of nowhere to save her life. She did not want to ask him and make a fool of herself but that question started to trouble her every now and then.

                                    ****************************

The company organized for a grand dinner at the Residency after a record breaking quarter. The senior officials were boozing and having fun. The younger lot was trying to reduce the company profits by having as much food as possible. Krish was sitting with the girls when he realized that Stella was missing. He looked around and found her near the lobby. He excused himself from the other girls and walked towards her.

“Hello Snow White”, he called into her ears.

“Hey… Why are you here? I thought you will be having the chicken legs and mutton kheema, but you are here? “

“I am fasting today. I will not have lunch and dinner on Fridays. What about you?”

“I am not well Krish; I get sick when I see so much food”

“We are pretty much similar”, he smiled at her and winked.

He gets a call from the VP and takes leave. Stella was surprised to see someone so religious. He must be a man of conviction to avoid food at such a big gathering she told herself.

Roshni came running towards Stella along with Durga. She was panting and took a couple of seconds to become normal and looked at Stella.

“Stella have you ever seen Krish have food?”

Stella was stunned by the question. Krish has always told them that he would have his breakfast at his desk and never had it with them. He goes home for lunch and today when they are out for dinner, he skips it. Stella was shocked but did not respond.

She was thinking about the Car incident and Krish’s eating habit or the lack of it. Something was missing here and she decided to solve this mystery.

                                    ****************************

Like all IT projects, Stella’s project was running out of time and money and she had to slog for long hours to complete her task. Her manager, a strict taskmaster was very particular about working long hours.

Stella was tired and bored to the core. The other members in the team were busy with their work while Stella had completed her initial task and was waiting for her teammates. She looked at her watch, 03:12.

She wanted to talk with someone to come out of this boredom. She had not met Roshni, Durga and Krish for the past 3 days. The long hours was taking a toll on her morale. She remembered something Krish had told her long back. “Your best friend is the one, who will pick your call at 2 am”. Let me try this on these girls. She called the girls and they did not pick her call. After a lot of hesitation, she decided to call Krish. She wanted to call him but was feeling uncomfortable for some strange reason. But, she decided to take the plunge and dialed his number. Even before the first ring was completed, he picked the call. Stella was surprised, happy and puzzled at one go. He gave a pep talk and shared some funny incidents which spurred her up. She was feeling blessed to find a friend like Krish but again these night calls increased her doubts. He works for 12 hours in the morning and is wide awake in the night. The night calls became a regular activity and Stella was looking forward for the night shift to call him. She was all by herself when she spoke with him. He was knowledgeable friend who was there for her always. She felt that she had found her perfect match. He was obviously not human and he isn’t accepting it.

Stella’s mind was full of questions. Her suspicion started to grow right from the Car incident. Over the past 6 months, she has never seen Krish eat or drink. He never sleeps and is always available. Her knowledge about Vampires tells that he is one. But, she doesn’t have the audacity to ask it straight on his face. But again, what is the need to ask, when she knows the answer?

                                    ****************************

Stella wants to tell it out but is scared of the outcome. She knows that he is also in love, but neither of them is ready to confess. Stella was confused as ever when her mobile rang. It was Krish.

“Hi Krish”

“Hey Snowy... I have good news and a bad news. Which one should I tell first?”

“You decide…” Stella knew what was coming.

“Ok. I will start with the bad news. I am travelling to the US in a week and will come back only after a year”

“That isn’t a bad thing. You always loved US. What is the good news?

“You sound very gloomy girl. The good news is that we are going out tonight. We are going to a wonderful place, which you will love. We are going alone and it is going to be legendary” he laughed like Barney.

“Hmmm. But, why are we going out suddenly?”

“There are certain things that I should tell you. I have been waiting for the right place and time.”

Stella was both happy and sad. She was happy because he has got the courage to tell it out and sad because he is going to leave her soon.

She called up the parlor and booked an appointment. She bunked office and picked her best outfit. She decided to wear black. The car incident was the one which incited this relationship and so, she wanted to wear the same color. She took her Avirate Black Pleated Fit & Flare Dress which fit her perfectly. It was slightly above her knees. She removed all her rings and wore a single black bracelet. She took her Steve Madden black wallet in her right hand. Her fair complexion and the black dress made her look absolutely stunning. She stood in front of the mirror and made every possible adjustment to make her look gorgeous.

At 7.00, black colored VW Polo, stopped in front of her hostel and Krish got out of the Car. He was wearing a black Armani suit and was looking equally impressive. She got into the car after exchanging pleasantries. The black color VW Polo was making her uncomfortable. He drove to Fisherman’s Cove and opened the door for her. He took her left hand in his right and directed her to the beach. She was stunned by the initial sight. There was a private table set near the beach and a bunch of musicians were playing the violin. They greeted her with a smile and were playing her favorite number. She was overwhelmed by the setup and leaned on his shoulder. He smiled at her and helped her with the chair. They sat very close to each other and she looked into his eyes. Those deep black eyes were full of love. He is the person of her dreams. He is now sitting right next to her and looking at her face with love.

He looked into her eyes and lifted her chin with his right hand. He took his face close to hers. She closed her eyes and moved towards him. He paused for a bit and said,

“I want to tell you something“

She whispered quietly, “Do you really want to tell it right now?” with her eyes still shut.

“Yes Honey that would make me feel nice”, he continued.

“Can we send the Orchestra then”, her eyes were still closed.

He gestured at them to leave and continued.

“I fell in love with you, when I saw you in the food court for the first time. You were stunningly beautiful but pretty hard to approach. I spent some time to learn about your likes and dislikes and Roshni told about your obsession towards twilight and vampires. I decided to take advantage of it and planned everything meticulously. The Car which was about to hit you was my friends car and I had purchased 2 black hooded sweatshirts in advance. I made a friend wear that and talk with Roshni when I moved near you and asked another friend to scare you with the Car. The party in Residency, the late night calls was all pre-planned. I just wanted to make you fall in love with me and stooped to such levels. I am not a Vampire but a mere mortal. I faked everything to make you love me, but my love is true. Forgive me, my dear. His tone was apologetic and his eyes were moist as he finished his confession.

He paused for a bit and looked at her face. Her eyes were still closed and he moved towards her. She opened her eyes, looked deep into his eyes and smiled gently. She took a deep breath and put her left hand around his shoulder and moved closer. She took her right hand and gently closed his eyes and lifted his chin. She moved closer and placed herself on his lap. Her face turned pale. Her eyes turned red and her teeth were protruding. She put her right hand on his hair and pulled it down. She placed her teeth on his neck and tasted his blood and said, “You are not a mere mortal anymore”.

The moral of the story is ………………

This entry is for the http://www.myhealthyspeak.co.in/ contest

“Dude, you look tired man. It is just 11.00 and you already look jaded”, Rahul quipped. Rahul was famous with his colleagues because of his friendly banter. He had many fans for his looks as well.

“I worked out in the gym today man” , replied Sanjay. Sanjay was a perfect Software Engineer. He was coy and lazy, loved watching movies and hated anything taxing.

“Ahh..Thats the reason for today’s drizzle. By the way, 10 minutes in the treadmill doesn’t fall under workout. It is called warm-up”, Rahul shot back.

“Chalo, Lets go for a smoke”, Rahul pushed Sanjay from his chair.

“This is the second break in 3 hours man. Certainly not something that we expect of a Casanova”, Sanjay frowned and left his cubicle.

-----------------------------

Rahul coughed instantly when he placed the third cigarette in his lips.

“It is high time that you quit smoking Rahul. It is more of an addiction than relaxation, I believe”, Sanjay.

“Stop your boring lectures, Mr. Saint. Let us talk about something interesting”, Rahul replied.

 Sanjay nodded in disagreement and started to tell something but Rahul stopped him and started to talk about the team-building activity in Ooty.

Super Computers Pvt Ltd, was taking its employees for a two day activity in the Sterling resorts, Ooty. All the employees were super excited with the trip which was scheduled in a couple of days.

----------------------------- 

“Living in Ooty is bliss, Isn’t it” Sanjay was talking to Rahul as he looked out of the window. Rahul was brushing his teeth and Sanjay was just out of bed.

“Hmmm” , Rahul replied in mono-syllables with his mouth full of foam. Sanjay started to brush and instantly held his jaw. Aah he shouted in pain.

Rahul gargled and rushed near Sanjay.

“What happened man”, Rahul was worried.

“I have some pain, whenever I brush”, Sanjay replied and looked at Rahul’s teeth.

“Rahul, you are bleeding from your gums man”, Sanjay.

“That happens every now and then, if I gargle again, it goes away”, Rahul went to gargle again.

“Rahul, I am planning to visit a dentist as soon as we reach Chennai. Why don’t you come with me?”, Sanjay was concerned.

“Dude, Behave like a grown-up man. If you run to the dentist every now and then, you will have to pay your whole salary to the dentist”, Rahul joked.

“No Rahul, I believe both of us have some problem with our teeth, so it is better to get it checked. Don’t you know, Prevention is better than cure”, Sanjay replied.

“Abhey… Just leave it there man. I brush twice a day and am a body-builder too. My body is strong and so is my tooth. Bleeding is just part of growing up. If you are concerned about your teeth, you get it checked and pay the dentist, I am not going to come with you”, Rahul replied in a rude tone.

“Chill Dude, I was just trying to help you. Anyway, it is getting late, I will get ready in a jiffy”, Sanjay disappeared into the washroom.

They spent the next couple of days in the resort and had a great time.

-----------------------------

Sanjay visits a Dentist in Chennai and finds out that these were symptoms of Gingivitis [A mild gum disease]. He goes for regular treatment and also urges Rahul to join him. Rahul shunned the thought of meeting a Dentist despite Sanjay’s persistence. In a few weeks, Sanjay was cured of his Gingivitis.

“Dude, I need not rush to the dentist from today”, Sanjay was excited when he broke the news to Rahul.

“Congratulation School Boy, for making the dentist rich by a few grand” Rahul replied in a sarcastic tone.

Even if something goes wrong, I can get it corrected like Sanjay, Rahul told himself without realizing what was supposed to unfold in the future.

-----------------------------

Sanjay goes to Mumbai for a couple of months and comes back to the office. He is shocked to see Rahul. Rahul was talking with a colleague, but Sanjay was able to see that his teeth looked longer and his gums were shrunk.

After exchanging pleasantries, Sanjay felt a bit uncomfortable. He started to tell it out to Rahul.

“Rahul, I am sorry to tell this, but the bad breath from your mouth is disturbing”

“Hmmm. Yes Sanjay, I started to brush thrice a day and am using a mouthwash but this isn’t leaving me man”, Rahul told in a sad tone.

“I guess there is pus in your gums and your teeth looks bigger now” Sanjay was emptying all his thoughts.

“Yes man, I have to do something about this. I have a fashion-show selection next week. Once I am done with that, I want to meet your dentist”

“Finally, you have decided to do something. Congrats”, Sanjay replied and started to speak about Cricket as their manager came near Rahul’s desk.

-----------------------------

Sanjay approaches a visibly distressed Rahul.

“What happened man, How was the FS prelims?”

“This bad breath wouldn’t go away from me, I guess. This is killing me man. I was rejected because of that” Rahul was irked.

                                                                                                                                                                                  “Forget it man, we will see the dentist and do something about it. How about tomorrow?”

“Why tomorrow, why not today?”, replied Rahul.

“Ok buddy, I will check with the Dentist”, Sanjay picked his mobile and walked away.

-----------------------------

The Dentist finds out that Rahul has Periodontitis [A gum disease that spreads below the gums to damage the tissues and bone that support the teeth]. He was late by a couple of months. Rahul lost a couple of tooth, which were badly damaged. Rahul was stunned to hear the direct link between the heart diseases and the bacteria that cause gum disease.

Rahul feels really bad for ignoring the warning signs and thanked Sanjay for helping him. Rahul is now a happy man and wants to publicize the importance of warning signs. He is writing a story about this and participating in this contest. Wish him good luck!!!  Thanks for reading.. :-P

Reference :

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/tc/gum-disease-topic-overview

Tea for two and a piece of cake by Preeti Shenoy [Book review]

I picked up this book only to make myself eligible for free-shipping. I resist myself from books written by women (Indian) mainly to avoid soap operas. The last fiction that I read from a lady author was “Dollar Bahu” which reinstated my belief. So, this book lied in my library for a couple of months. After reading the book, I did curse myself for being judgmental, but my premonition was almost right.

Tea for two and a cup of cake is a breezy practical story. It explores the life of a plump middle aged woman and the people who influence her life. Nisha is lovable character whose characteristics make you love her instantly. You cannot stop yourself from loving her and being on her side during adversities. She is just one of us, who goes through the emotions in life and decides instantly. Her life has a big void because of her childhood and those thoughts come again and again to taunt her. Her first date is so vividly explained that you find yourself in the Magellan party along with her and Samir. The international trip and intense romance elevates the story and takes it to the much awaited wedding. The way in which Nisha collects herself after the break-up and carries herself in the society is laudable. Nisha’s characterization is neat, bold and refreshing. It gives a sneak-peak into the upper-middle class society. The high-end parties, the get-togethers and the food are explained elaborately.

However, I found Nisha very vulnerable and wanting. I assume that her bad childhood serves as a catalyst that makes her fall on every possible occasion. The author has tried to portray Nisha as someone who does not want to depend on others, but her proximity to Akash and her expectations from Chetana clearly rebukes her claim. Also, the way in which Chetana’s character ended, left a bad taste. The author tries to reemphasize that Nisha was right and drags the other characters.

The 2 characters that I loved the most are Mrs.B and Samir Sharma. Mrs. B had a very brief role but was likable from the start. Her cakes added flavor to the story. Mrs. B is the kind of neighbor, which everyone would love to have. Samir Sharma, Nisha’s husband was high-society personified. Right from the beginning [the phone call] his character travels in a single plane. He is a go-getter who does not wish to sacrifice his needs for others. He can be lenient with his preferences but only to a certain extent. He runs behind success and gets it. He is the typical business man who wins in business but fails in life. His email is one of the best chapters in the book. He explains his thoughts in an uncomplicated, uncluttered way. He blames Nisha for everything but makes sure that he does his part. His character, though it is shown in grey (or black) is certainly adorable.

The picturesque locations of Pondicherry and ECR add more fun towards the end. The new characters were just add-ons who come just to give a happy-ending. The story ends in an all is well position, where the author makes Nisha and the readers happy.

As a book, this is wonderful. The writing is precise and picturesque. The vocabulary used is rich but not daunting. It is breezy and easy-going unlike many other novels which leave a lump in the throat. It is a story to be read in an hour or two, if you have to kill time. You don’t get anything interesting out of this book but for some predictable twists and interesting choice of words.

Just another feel-good novel

Tea-20 by Vinod Kumar S [Book review]

Getting into an unknown city and getting impressed by its beauty is a pleasant experience. But, walking into a city, after doing a lot of research about it and seeing a lot of pictures of the city and yet getting lost at its pretty sight is even more enjoyable. Reading Tea-20 was such an experience. Having read some of Vinod’s short stories I already knew what to expect from Tea-20. But, what impressed me the most was the way in which those little roses were packaged as a bouquet and presented in front of me.

Almost half the stories in the book talk about good practices and ideal philosophies. Some of these stories can be directly put into the moral instruction school books and some of these stories are so good that they can form a part of the Chicken soup series. One story talks about a young girl’s action which melts a frosted heart and another story talks about another young girl, who teaches the people around her the real value of the money. There are a couple of stories which gives advices to the urban youth. The conversation between a beggar and the protagonist on the New Year’s Eve is an eye opener.

But, my favorite story is the one in which the protagonist learns the most important lesson about life from his dog. I have read it 5 times till now and would not mind reading it again and again.

Right from the first story, I was expecting to read about Sachin and voila there was a full story about the Master. Knowing the author personally, I feel that if the book didn’t have a story on Sachin it would have been an aberration. JJ

There are a couple of stories which are entirely deceptive. I found them to be childish. The story about beauty and the beast did not have any impact on me. There was a thriller towards the end of the book which was a good read, but was certainly a misfit in this wonderful light hearted collection.

I enjoyed the stories related to the IT industry. They provided an insider view and I was able feel the author’s emotions. The fight between an auto driver and the IT employee was cinematic but nevertheless amusing. I loved the funny story “Nowhere to run”. But, the pick among the lot was the story in which the guy goes to see his bride. It was a complete laughter riot and I enjoyed every bit of it.

The biggest selling point of the book is the simplicity of the language used. You need not run to the dictionary once in a while to understand certain words. It is just a collection of pragmatic examples from the author’s daily life. After completing the book, I was able to understand the author’s writing style. He thinks of a message and weaves a story around it and takes it to his audience. We love stories and so we enjoy the story and accept the message along with it. It is more like giving a small dose of medicine along with sugar. The Author has achieved this with silken grace. Hats off!!!

Is this book so very good that there are no negatives about it? Absolutely not, the simple text used in the book makes people take the author too lightly. The message may not reach a bigger set of audience because of the quality of the prose. The grammatical mistakes which pop up here and there did divert my attention from the book. I would blame the publisher/editor for not reviewing the text clearly.

But, having said this, the message shared in the book is very noble and should reach more people. The feel good stories are ever green and make you feel better when you feel down and out. It is aptly named Tea-20 and is certainly the perfect companion for your tea time, if you don’t have a wife or a girlfriend. If you do have a GF, gift it to her too…

Thanks for this wonderful collection Vinod.

http://www.flipkart.com/tea-20-9381576991/p/itmd68phhuvnpjk7?pid=9789381576991&ref=4f786edc-a5a8-4b49-8158-aff23ed08396

Kyra’s vacation

Here comes another contest blog.

This fictious entry is written for the Lakme sun expert contest held by Indiblogger.

www.facebook.com/ilovelakme

I am very happy today. I need not work for the next 2 weeks. I have not received such a long vacation since I joined St. Stephens. This time, I am planning to spend my vacation with Kyra. I need to get permission from her mom before I plan for something. She is a mommy’s girl and would not like to go against her wish.

When I was in Anna University, I used to spend a lot of time with Kyra. But , as I had to move to Delhi, I do not get to spend much time with her. I call her and see her on the webcam pretty often but I have never taken her out. In fact, I never had the time to take her out. I have all the time in the world now and I want to make Kyra happy. I still remember her sad face, when I told her that I have to move to Delhi. She cried and shouted, “I hate you”, but then my career was my first love.

Kyra loves the beaches. She loves to play beach volleyball and also loves to swim. She also loves to hang out with her friends. So, I need to plan something which will make her and her friends happy. Something to do with the outdoors. She isn’t the kind of girl who loves shopping and board games. But, she is always worried about getting sun burns. The same is the case with her friends. These beauty conscious girls are scared to go out in the sun because of this. But, then I need not worry about it now. I know about Lakme sun expert. It would save her from those sun burns. It comes with SPF 50 which will safe guard her against the scorching Chennai heat. The cucumber and lemon grass sunscreen which comes with SPF 24 can help her with the limited time that we roam around. I have heard some of the girls in St. Stephens talking about the texture and fragrance of this sunscreen and I bet that it must be good. The girls who spoke good things about the sunscreen aren’t the girls who accept things blindly. They are geeks and hence it must be absolutely true. I will get this for Kyra and she would be happy. The Lakme sun expert comes in an yellow bottle and yellow is Kyra’s favorite color. Now I know the perfect gift for Kyra for this summer.

I need to plan for the outdoor activities now. I can take her to the Elliots beach and she can play in the water with her friends. I would also drive her in my Santro to Mahaballipuram and see those wonderful sculptures. In the blazing Chennai heat, the sun screen can be her only savior. I would get loads of cool drinks which will prevent her from getting dehydrated. I would also take her to Pondichery, the city with wonderful French architecture. I need to make sure that she brings her friends along with her. She can play beach volleyball with them. She can have a lot of fun with her friends and stay in the sun for a longer period now. I also need to book a resort with a pool. She can stay in the pool all day long. If I can, I will make sure that Kyra who is crazy about beaches stays in the beach the whole day. But oops, I have a problem. I need to convince Kyra’s mother and let her accept my plans. She is a very strict teacher and may not encourage her daughter staying the sun the whole day. I hope that I can make her understand the power of sun experts in this modern world. I have to do this and make her accept that playing in the beach the whole day isn’t such a bad thing.

I hope I can do this, after all the husband is the best person to convince his wife and I will try to get this done for my teenage daughter Kyra.

This fictious entry is written for the Lakme sun expert contest held by Indiblogger.

www.facebook.com/ilovelakme

PS : I image in the blog was clicked by me.

Internet is fun

This is an entry for the contest, "internet is fun"

 www.vodafone.in/fun

12^th May, 2012..

9.00 a.m, Delhi, India

“Dude, wassup man? When are you flying?”

“Having a H1B visa is one thing and flying to the US in another thing, Ritesh”, John replied unenthusiastically.

“I know that it is a long wait, but your parents will be happy. They get more time to look out for a bride”

“Huh..That is another tragedy. They find girls who dumb, dull and not socially active man”

“Socially active? What does that mean?” Ritesh was curious.

“Girls without facebook profiles and the ones without twitter handles”

“Come on, Dude..You must be joking. I don’t know anyone without a facebook id for a long time”

“What is the point in having a login in facebook when you don’t login often? I am a social networking freak and I need a girl who would match my taste..I don’t want some outdated girl, even if she is a super model..”

“Haha, that’s interesting… Hope you find the girl of your dreams”

“I seriously wish that I find someone soon. My manager told that I will be back to India only after 3 years and mom and dad want to find a girl for me ASAP”

“Tough days ahead, dude” , Ritesh smirked.

“Where is aunty and uncle? I can’t see them in the house? “ Ritesh continued.

“They left to Bangalore yesterday. Dad’s friend’s daughter is getting married.Chalo, we’ll go for a drive”, John walked out of the house with his car keys.

9.30 a.m, Bangalore, India

“Jessy, please put down that damn mobile phone”, Mrs. Kuriakose yelled at the top of her voice.

“Oh, come on ma..I am 25 and I know what to do”, Jessy was equally agitated.

“I don’t understand what you find so very interesting in that damn mobile phone?”

“Oh, come on ma, I can even live without your food but I can’t live without my mobile. It has anything and everything that a girl needs”

“I know that you girls are addicted to SMS, Facebook and twitter, but can you pause your online activities for the next 2 hours”

“Ahh.. That delhi guy’s parents are coming and you want me to act dumb before them Huh!!.. I can’t understand how you people call someone whom you met just yesterday for lunch. And even worse, you are trying to get me married into that family”

“They are no strangers Jessy, they are our family friends. We were neighbours in Kollam. Don’t you remember that cute guy John? You always used to play with him”

“Mom, I was 4 then.. I don’t remember John nor his parents. By the way, what is that uncle’s name?”

“He is Richards, he worked for a Bank in our place. Get ready, they told that they will be here by 11.00 or so”  Mrs. Kuriakose hurried her daughter.

Jessy smiled when she heard Richard uncle’s name. She recollected the games which she had played with John.

“It is such a pain to take bath on a Saturday morning”, Jesse murmured and walked away.

10.30 a.m

“Hello Dad, How is it going? How was the wedding?”

“We are fine John, you are asking as if we haven’t met for months together”  Mr. Richards was at his satirical best.

“We just left delhi yesterday and will be back on Sunday night”, he continued.

“Come on , Dad, stop pulling my legs”

“We have a surprise for you son” Mrs. Richards yelled at the phone.

“Surprise, don’t make a fool of yourself, Mom… By the way, what is it? Where are you people now?”

“We are going to look for a girl for our smart son” , Mr. Richards laughed aloud.

“Oh!! dad, I have seen enough girls and am quite bored”

“You will like this one dear”, Mrs. Richards.

“Mom..I called for an important update. I have to travel on the 3^rd of June”

“Oh my God, so we have just 20 days to find a girl for you” Richards laughed again.

“Come on Dad.. Who is the girl, You don’t know anyone from Bangalore, right?”

“This is a girl know to us son. Do you remember Jessy from Kollam??” Mrs.Richards was all excited.

“Jessy..Jessy..” John smiled shyly.

Jessy was his first love. He was 7 and she was 4 when his dad got a transfer to Chennai. He is hearing about Jessy after 21 years and he just couldn’t control his excitement.

“Which Jessy are you talking about mom”

“Son, I am your father and I still remember how you used to tell stories about your friendship with Jessy after we reached Chennai. I still remember you crying for 4-5 days. Do you thing you can fool me”, Richards replied.

“Oh Dad, you mean to say that Kuriakose uncle’s daughter?”

“Finally the cat is out of the bag.. She is the one my boy. She has completed her BDS and is a dentist in JayaNagar ”, Richards laughed.

“Hmmm.. She was very pretty when she was young but now my priorities and interests have changed Dad. I am not sure if I will like her now”

“Oh..you and your interests.. I am done with those things”

“We will reach their house in 30-40 minutes and when we come we will get her photograph. You can check it and tell your decision,son” Mrs. Richards was concerned.

“Ok Dad.. Take care and don’t have much hopes. Have a nice day” John disconnected the call.

John touched the facebook symbol on his smart phone and searched for “Jessy Kuriakose”.

30 search results and he patiently looked at each one of them and rejected those based on the likes interests and maps. His eyes stood still when he saw that one of those profiles was in Bangalore.

He checked the likes and found “Indian dental association”. He gave a victorious smile to Ritesh who was driving the car.

He sent a message in facebook, “Hey, is this the same Jessy from Kollam who sings in the choir? The girl who used to ask me to catch the butterflies behind our house? Do you remember me?”

“Oh, dude..You got her in facebook , is it” Ritesh teased him.

John was blushing but was skeptical about the response and had his fingers crossed.

“Come on Dude, don’t blush” Ritesh continued with his teasing.

“Is this the same guy who was not even able to catch a single butterfly for me? The guy who told that the moon is a dosa made by his mother :P” , John jumped out of his seat in joy when he saw the reply in facebook.

YEAH..he yelled in joy…

“Jessy Richards wants to be friend with you”

John was literally out of the world when he saw these words in his mobile.

He accepted the friend request and checked her friends list. He was very happy when he found that she had 655 friends. Just 245 less than him.

He saw her online and started to chat with her.

“Hey, I could not believe my eyes.”

A smiley came as a reply.

“Here I am driving with a friend in the dry lands outside delhi, but I am chatting with a childhood friend”

“Smiley. Power of internet”

“Do you have a twitter handle?”

“jesssysparkles”

“Awesome.”

The chat went on and on and on…..

In the meantime, the Richards family had come to Kuriakose’s house and there were a lot of happy moments.

“We will get Jessy’s picture and mobile number, and then ask John to decide”, Mrs. Richards said while leaving.

Jessy was secretly grinning as her fingers replied to John’s chat message.

04.00 pm

“Jessy do you blog?”, John was curious.

“Yes, I do blog a lot. Mostly about the things that happen around me”

“Oh my God.. We are almost similar. I do the same, but with video blogs..”

“Great.. I will SMS you the video blogs that I have made”

The next 2 hours was spent in talking about the blogosphere and how John records a lot of stuff in his mobile and creates video blogs. Jessy was thoroughly impressed but Ritesh wasn’t. Ritesh had to do all the driving while John was busy with his future fiancé….

“Jessy, I have seen you pictures, but haven’t spoken to you. Let me call you now”

“Hmm..yeah sure” replied Jessy.

“But do you have a phone with front camera?”

“Of course, I do” replied Jessy enthusiastically”

The vide call lasted for the next 4 hours.

10.00 pm

“John, had a great day with you… A virtual date”  said Jessy.

“It isn’t over yet, Jessy” replied John and moved the phone from his face.

He had come to a cozy restaurant and decorated the table with roses and just candle light . There was a bottle of wine and a diamond ring nearby.

He kneeled before the camera and asked, “Will you marry me??”

Jessy smiled and replied, “The best proposal ever”

John smiled and continued the talks…

“Fine honey, when my parents come tomorrow, let me tell them to fix the wedding date” John smiled…

“I would update my parents now itself, Jessy smiled and disconnected the call.

A love story which would have taken months, was possible in a days. Thanks to video calls, facebook, twitter and vide blogs. In other words, Thanks to the Internet.

Internet is fun, indeed..

This is an entry for the contest, "internet is fun"

 www.vodafone.in/fun

The Day I quit International Cricket…

The title may be deceptive and one may think that this is written by an ageing Indian Cricketer, but that isn’t the case. The post is written by just another ardent cricket fan who belongs to the most cricket frenzy nation in the world.

I was never a believer of the adage that cricket is a religion in India. You don’t talk about your religion to anyone and everyone just like that. Do you? You pause a bit, think twice and then talk about any religion so that the sentiments are not hurt. But the case is exactly the reverse when it comes to cricket. You comment about the players and their techniques and even families to complete strangers. Cricket in India is much more that a religion and for many it has been important than their career. [Ask the people who have failed/got bad grades in their board / university exams because of the Cricket World Cups]. Cricket is the best conversation starter in the nation and makes one feel comfortable with the other person within minutes. But, for a sport to become an integral part of the billion people in Nation there must be something spectacular about the sport. Is there something really special about this sport that makes us eat, sleep and pray Cricket?

On deeper introspection, I find that more than anything else Cricket is associated with our psychology. I may not be able to speak for the people who used to watch cricket even before India’s premier world cup victory or the test match era but I can certainly vouch for the guys born in the 80s. I still remember the BOOST Ad which made me a mad fan of Sachin Tendulkar. As a 6 or 7 year old, you get inspired when a 16 year old smashes the world deadliest bowlers. You get attracted towards a person when you hear stories about him batting with a shirt full of blood. You get goose bumps when a diminutive baby-faced teenager looks into the eyes of Merv Hughes and Craig Mcdermott. We started to create an alter ego of ourselves of what we saw from the little champion. It was a story of courage, a story of hope that gave us a cushion to think that we are not what we are.

Cricket instilled a lot of patriotism in us and gave us a big mountain, to hide our problems. We had something to look forward even in our turbulent times. We suddenly had something with which we are not directly associated but felt as a part of. The 1996 World cup quarter finals victory against Pakistan gave us more joy and pride than Pokhran II. We were a nation obsessed by Cricket by then. Thanks to the jam-packed schedule and the introduction of a bunch of talented new players in the side.

From a single super star who was driving the nation behind him with his bat, we suddenly had Fab-3. Even the regionalists were forced to follow the game and come along as the Fab 3 were from the different zones of the country. We were suddenly watching India 2.0. We were with the Indian cricket team throughout the year. We celebrated when they won, we cried when they lost and we stood with them during the darkest times like the match fixing.

The reason for such unbridled love and affection towards the team is not a one off affair. It is the result of the joy and happiness which the team has provided us over the years. They have helped us to forget our personal problems and have made us cheer for them wherever they go. People who live far away from home for ages also have a sense of belonging when the Indian team plays cricket. Such love and affection is way ahead of the restricted love which we exhibit amongst friends or relatives. It is an unexplainable and uncontrollable kind of feeling which can never be penned. But, they say, Success has a lot of fathers and failure is an orphan.

In love, you never see the imperfections. It is because you are blind when you are in love. When you come out of it and look back, you start to analyze the black spots with a magnifying glass. You try to extrapolate based on your assumptions and try to demean them. The more you think, the more you hate the other person. You think that you have been deceived for all these years and you start to question the wonderful years that you’ve had together. The parting made by such a loss is much more difficult than a real break-up. So, I have taken a bold yet cowardice decision to call it quits.

When we have our own problems, it doesn’t make sense to carry the other party’s problem along with us. We had a wonderful relationship, where we enjoyed every moment together. But, now the load is too much for me share it. This isn’t like the 2007 WC loss, where a single bad day turned the tables around us. These are matches where we have our best resources. But, the weakness of the best has been brutally exposed. The great mental image created in the past decade and a half now looks like a mirage. A little more thought may bring out something else or may even prove that I am completely wrong, but dissecting into the problem brings out a lot of pain than answers.

The reason for mentioning International Cricket in the subject does make a lot of sense. When Tamil Nadu lost the Ranji trophy finals even before batting, I was disappointed but not sad. When Chennai Super Kings were shunted out of the Champions League, I did feel sad for my city but I never cried. But, when the Indian cricket team loses in such a fashion, it takes days to come out of the trauma. It makes all the things in the vicinity ugly, it makes me harsh, it makes me absolutely worthless. Hence, this break-up which may atleast help me gain more time on the personal front.

I took this decision on the first day of the Perth test, when I saw the cookie crumble yet again. I may not see the 100th ton for which I have been wishing and praying for a long period, but again I know that it will come sooner than later. By that time, I will be happy to watch somewhere in the news channels and secretly cherish and feel happy for the Master once again.

PS : The image was taken from google when I searched for images which can be reused. No copyright violations here :-)