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Uttarakhand: An Odyssey

We were here! Even on that rock. On a beautiful Saturday morning, it was time to board that flight to Delhi which would mark the start of a nine day full of a breath-taking experience. For me, there were many things on this trip that would be my debut; travelling through the clouds * , walking on the ice clad mountains,  trekking to heights as huge as 15000 feet,  seeing my own breath coming out as vapours in those cold nights and walking close to a 100 km in a 5 day span. * travelling through the clouds is an over-excited first timer’s representation of boarding a plane. Day 1: Potholes In The Air ! On the 18 th   of July, 2015, at the Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport’s Domestic terminal in Mumbai, the most happy and excited soul was probably mine. I was enjoying it all; collecting the boarding pass, security checks, and specially the boarding. When the plane left the ground; I could see the jam packed roads, the bandra-worli sea link, the birds sit
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Work From Home and The Boss

It would not be wrong to say that Work from home is the new buzzword in the town. Most of us in the IT sector are doing this and yes, it's quite comfortable. Especially for people who travel hours and hours in crowded public transport systems smelling fish and co-passengers' armpits. No, It's not hyperbole - its a fact. Ok! At least in Mumbai, IT IS A FACT. The local train travel in summer becomes pathetic. The workplace is all heavenly but the travel is hell. By the time you reach office, the shirt tucked in is out in the open. The nicely ironed trousers look no more like they used to, two hours ago. Nicely polished black leather shoes are full of dust. You look at them pathetically and rub behind your trousers. Messed up and not ready to work is the mental state when you swipe into the office. And all this trouble just to reach a place which you don't like. Haha! That's life buddy. But the same life fills your pockets on the last day of every month. Work
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Madhya Pradesh: A Hearty Affair

This post might be the happiest thing in the world today because this post was in draft mode for more than an year now. But I didn’t give up on it because of the sole reason that the trip to the heart of India was a very special one and the one to remember for life. Travelling lets you experience the unpredictable. You know everyday when you wake up that you have to catch that 9.32 train and reach office at 10.15 and start the donkey work, run the rat race – the same race everyday, which fetches you nothing.  Travelling helps you break a little free and breathe a little easy – connect with the people and the things outside the routine; see new faces; listen to new languages; understand new accents; talk to people you have never talked to; ask them for help irrespective of whether you get it or not. February 2016 brought to me, an opportunity to visit Madhya Pradesh. The occasion was our friend’s marriage but we decided to make the most out of it and make the journey even more
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Stories by the Tracks

Story 1: 11.25 Ki Last Local I came early to catch the train. I also had to get something to eat. Not that I was extremely hungry. I already had a good bread butter toast and corn cheese sandwich in the evening. But I needed someone or something to accompany me, so what if it was just a vada pav or another sandwich stuffed with fresh cut veggies and topped with salt, pepper, oregano and cheese.    I saw the cleaner giving finishing touches to the takeaway counter. Still I proceeded to approach the man at the coupon counter who was busy counting his collections for the day. The man, still counting the notes shook his head with a crooked smile to tell me that I was destined to go alone today. When I got into the train, there was only one guy in the coach with a poker face. I had to recheck the indicator which was shining bright and bold - 11.25 pm - Thane  - Slow - 12 coach - will halt at all stations .   I eagerly waited for vendors to make an entry as they do wh
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Wine I Was In Nashik

Chapter 1: Hum Kis Galli Jaa Rahe Hain Find the grape! I boarded the 9.15 am LTT-Lucknow Pushpak Express from platform number 4 of Kalyan station on a cold Friday morning. My day ahead was highly unplanned. The only thing confirmed was my seat and that my train would reach Nashik 10 minutes before 12 pm. It didn't though- I alighted at 12.15 pm at the Nashik R oad railway station. I almost had an entire day before I could meet my friend who would be coming from Pune. After having a heavy but not exactly fantastic lunch nearby, I caught a local bus to Nashik CBS. I had decided to go to Sula vineyards first. The rest of the things will be planned later. I started hunting for cabs which could drop me to Sula but I only got some super high quotes in return. The Nashik district court is just adjacent to the CBS. A rally in progress was approaching towards the court. Policemen were clearing off the road for the rally to march ahead peacefully. I crossed on to
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Lost (Haiku)

Everything is so calm. Where are you? Come and whisper, Tell me where am I. All is normal but still she feels like she is lost without him in sight. She knows that he is somewhere near but she still needs an assurance. She wants him to come close to her; tell her that she will always be in his heart and they will be together forever and she will never again be LOST alone. P.S This is my first attempt at Haiku for the #RhymeIndia Haiku Contest by The Times Of India. 
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Kerala Diaries - Moonu

It has been around eight months here back in Mumbai and Mumbai keeps you busy; so busy that I didn't even care to write more on the Kerala Diaries.  A few weeks back, I was going through the notes in my phone and I found a note named Moonu. This note contained pointers to all the things that I wanted to include in the concluding part of my diaries. So, that got me started. I can never get the picture of the Cochin International airport out of my mind – it’s vintage. I did not pay any attention to it at first. When I boarded my pre booked taxi to the hotel and the taxi was on its way out, I just happened to turn back and I saw this. Isn’t it retro? The Cochn International Airport The airport was way out of the main city. It took almost 90 -100 minutes to reach Ernakulam. On the way, there were Mammoottys, Mohanlals and Vijays on huge hoardings, advertising gold, exotic sarees, scooters and also their movies. Mohanlal’s movie Loham was due that week and at a theatre ne
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The Lost Love

Image Source THE LAST DAY It was dark outside. I could see only the dim lights in the makeshift houses lined along the railway tracks. I looked at my phone; the notification light was continuously blinking because the phone battery was down. Cold breeze flew in through the windows as the train ran past the stations. I was not in a hurry; I wished that the train kept running and never stopped. I wished the night would never end, just as I wished that we shouldn’t have broke up. I was going back home after the college farewell. It was the last day in more than a way for me and I was filled with distress and anguish. I wanted to talk to her. Stations passed, people got down and the train stopped too but I did not want to go anywhere. I sat there numb and looked at my phone; the phone that she had gifted me. It was still blinking. It pleaded me to charge; it pleaded me to call her. I finally decided to call her once again.  I pressed the unlock button. “The train will leave
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