Fight Till The End...............

I always like to write about my past experiences some good some bad long gone I always wanted to write about one of my most memorable badminton tournaments I have ever played. For the most of you who don’t know I use to play professional badminton until a few years ago when I had an injury and I quit. Not that I could not play anymore but I was contented with whatever I had achieved so it was the right time I took academics seriously after all we stay in a country where whatever you do at the end of the day people ask you how well are you educated. I have inherited the sport from my father it’s the greatest gift I have ever got from him.

I remember during my graduation days we had been to Gwalior for a west zone tournament. Since we were previous year’s winners we were to play from the quarter finals as a result of which we reached late we were the last team to arrive at the tournament. We were around 11 players 7 boys 4 girls 2 managers and 1 coach this was my first year at a university tournament. We arrived in Gwalior at 3 AM early morning after an 18 hours journey which was as it is frustrating because as usual the tickets were not booked on time and we had to travel in the general compartment. Pune University was a team which has never received a warm welcome at any tournament and Gwalior was no different. Once we arrived in the early hours there was no one to give us directions or take us to the venue which was mandatory for the organizers to make travel arrangements. Never the less we hired a few rikshaws and reached the venue on our own and made a friend too our first friend in the city of Gwalior his name was Ashok the rikshaw driver. He even gave us a telephone booth no which was closest to the rikshaw stand and assure us even in the weirdest of hours he would be available and was just a phone call away. Well after his kind words what was about to come was way to worse then what we expected we were given a small bungalow to stay which had no beds no mattresses no blankets nothing at all and the lame excuse the people in charge came up with was that the other teams had occupied all the beddings and there no more beddings available. To add to all this chaos the temperature was close to 2 degrees we gathered whatever we had somehow covered the floor and us and tried to nap a few hours of sleep. Those few hours seemed like days and even months every min that was passing by we had sigh of relief that soon it would be morning. As I was trying to sleep just to give my num fingers some relief I put them in my pant pockets and I came across this small chit of paper that my father had handed over to me when I was leaving. It had a number of my cousin sister her husband was in the army and were posted in Gwalior a few months back.

I decided to call them first thing in the morning just to let them know I was in town a courtesy call and it is very true that help arrives when you least expect it. It turns out that my Brother in law was a Commandant in the army and controlled the entire army supply in the whole of Gwalior. As soon I spoke to him on the phone within a few mins there was an army jeep at the bungalow to pick me up I went to his residence and narrated him the entire incident. Before I could finish my breakfast which I took at least an hour to finish as I was dead hungry for almost a day my teammates at the venue were given a new accommodation with new beds nice clean bed sheets and unimaginable pillow covers. When I reached the venue I was shocked to see things change so fast all I could see all my teammates on top of the world and everyone was thanking me it turned out that while I was having my breakfast my brother in law came to the venue fired a few people and things swung into actions the organizers after that gave us the best treatment. Gwalior was a small city and a very big army base most of the government office were controlled by the army the army officers had an upper voice everywhere.

After everything was settled down we played well all our matches were going good and amongst all this there was a small space for a love story too my team captain was hitting on a girl from the Mumbai university team and since we were all from the same circuit their love story was in full swing. Finally there were four teams Pune University, Mumbai University, Nanded University and the strongest team that season Indore University and we had to play a league match in order to decide the top position team. We were strong enough to beat the rest of the teams besides Indore as this time they had come with their MP state team but unfortunately we lost to Mumbai too and there were allegations made by one of our team managers that the Mumbai girls team asked us to throw a match and so the Pune team lost. After such speculations we were in no mood to play our last match against Indore which we were bound to loose and the previous day Indore had thrashed Mumbai so we didn’t even stand a chance against them. All the team members we were upset about the allegations made against us and all of us actually decided to throw the match. Our tail ender’s who all this while were just sitting and warming the benches we decided to make them play the first two singles and the doubles too so that once we loose 3- 0 we wont even have to play the rest. So at the end of the day we would stand in the third position and we were very much contended with it. Just then there was a chaos amongst the coaches our team coach was fighting with the Indore team coach, it started with the badminton court first and then came down to personal reasons the indore coach passed a comment that the Pune players as it stand no chance and the guys had already thrown away the match so they should just pack their bags and head home that way they would not be humiliated. And we didn’t even bother we too were convinced that it would be a good option and we would save time to go around Gwalior. But out coach Mr. BaBa Meher had different plans a small description about baba as we always use to call him he was in his late 50s although he was appointed as our coach he never played professional badminton in his entire career. He was a professional volleyball player and he use to use those terms in badminton too. A total gentleman as he was always use to lead from the front I remember we all use to hate to go for jog in the morning and once to convince us he ran an entire tar ground bare feet which was very motivating. Funny part was he had a remedy for every pain and that was a Banana be it headache, stomach ache loose motions all he use to suggest was banana. Although we all had given up and everyone was least interested as most of us were lying around and not bothered about what was happening he was the only one who didn’t want to return without a fight.

After that what happened I have never seen in my entire badminton career he went to the Indore team coach and challenged him right in front of everyone. And that was not it he put an open challenge he wrote the entire draw the name of the players even the sequence (order) we were gong to play against indore right in front of everyone. Then he challenged the Indore coach that Pune University will defeat them no matter what even if no one trust them he does. A lot of other coaches called him a fool some thought he was stupid and had lost it but there was broad smile on his face and he just went and sat on a chair to watch us play. Everything happened right in front of our eyes we were too shocked as everyone else on the court each player was looking at the each other. For the next ten mins no one spoke to each other but there was just one thought running through every ones mind that when the coach has so much trust on us why we can’t believe in ourselves. Then the captain got up and said lets do it once and for all within a few mins the entire team was ready for a fight. This tie was going to be best of 5 single singles then a doubles again a singles and the last doubles again. I played the first singles although it was no match cause the player I was playing against was 6 years elder to me he was a more seasoned player then I was and the names were also inter changed before the match once the indore coach had seen our draw he defeated me in straight games but the entire match lasted 1 hr and 45 mins. The next singles was more entertaining our player lost the first game 15 – 3 but in the second game while playing the Indore player pulled a ham string and our player beat him the second game and even won the deciding game. So now we were leveled with Indore in terms of match points it was again my turn to play doubles we were playing against Indore best doubles pair but right from the start me and my partner never gave them a chance to think and before they could get their thoughts together the match was over. We beat them in an unbelievable 12 and half mins which is the shortest time for any match. Now we were leading 2 -1 the next singles was played by my captain he put hi heart and soul in the game there were at times when we thought he won’t last anymore and we had lost his singles but he proved us wrong and we won that singles too. As soon as we won that singles all of us ran to the court and were jumping with joy cause we had won the match we beat Indore 3 -1 just then baba walked on the court and said I dint make a fool out of myself for this there is one more match left we have to win that too. The last doubles was again played by our captain all exhausted and tired he managed to pull that doubles too. The entire Indore just sunk in silence they didn’t know what had struck them our joys knew no bounds we were on top of the world and had created the major upset of the day.

Now there was a tie between Pune Indore and Mumbai as each had lost one match and it came down to match points where we had out done everyone else and from no where Pune University won the gold medal. After the match the Indore team coach came to our coach and gifted him a pen and said you are the only one who knows how to use this well. That day I understood the real importance of a team and even saw a team standing up for one cause. I will never forget that night nor the people that witnessed that match that day.

In the midst there was one more incident that happened which I cannot miss on one night prior to this match I wanted to go to my sisters place to stay and the coach won’t allow me and he even warned me that if I was not with the team in the morning he won’t let me play and that all of us had to get up early at 6 for a training session. I went to my captain for advice he asked me not to worry and that I should go to my sister’s place he even assured me that the coach won’t come to know about my absence and the training won’t start without me. I had the least idea what he was up to after my night stay at my sister’s place when I reached the venue everyone was fast asleep and the even the coach was not to be seen around. The reason was that my captain had had locked the coaches room from outside at night and it was opened only once I came back and the coach didn’t even notice I was out all night.

Well I will carry all these memories the rest of my life. Now that I have stopped playing professional badminton memories still remain and badminton still runs through my blood.

FlashBack ..........

From the past few weeks I was planning to write again it’s just that at times I use to forget sometimes I used to be caught up with work and the very common excuse I used to be very tired (LAZY) to again sit in front of the computer and put my thoughts in although I love doing that. It’s just that once you get in the habit of skipping a few things you get use to it and find ten thousand reasons not to do it.

If I sum everything the ultimate reason I used to feel lazy is my ever increasing weight which I didn’t realize until I saw a year old picture in which I wore clothes which I cannot even attempt to try on now. Plus my cheeks have gone up so bad even if I just smile not even a broad smile I have to shut my eyes a bit I know that is funny but you have to compromise somewhere. I even found the reason why? I eat a lot till my stomach says “I have a limit too” don’t exercise AT ALL even if I have to cut my nails I think twice cause there is a considerable amount of strength that has to applied to use the nail cutter. Believe me even as I am writing this post I am looking for a possible position where I have to put my body through less effort. And I always look forward to a brighter tomorrow when I would start my workout but somehow it is not working out for me all I do is pushing myself for another day .So now I have made up mind three times a week I would hit the gym and other days swimming or running or a game of badminton and I am dead serious this time as I have very few clothes left that fit me now.

Just the other day I went back to my graduation college as I had to collect a few documents and as the supervisor was not at his chair I decided to pay a visit to the canteen. Just next table were a group of young lads gulping some wada sambar as fast as they could. To me they seem to be in their first year of college neatly dressed and all of them had different notebooks for each subject which are traits of freshly school pass outs. And all they were discussing were lectures teachers and notes and within a few minutes they all vanished and where else could they head but their classrooms. Looking at them I remembered my days in college although I didn’t spend much time in their but I have my own memories. Life was so good then all you had to think about is clearing your final exams and yes submitting your practical too I always had to think of new reasons for late submissions. Then life revolved around a few things like movies, cell phones, clothes badminton and friends that’s it. I remember ever day morning we use gather at one meeting point and then head one place for breakfast once that is done then either a movie or a game of pool and if you fall short of ideas the road side time pass was always and option. I don’t even remember If I completed even one book in my entire graduation.

All of us have phases in life one where we in school where there was nothing worse then getting a remark in your calendar and even more worse was getting it signed by your parents. Hiding your report card when you know you haven scored well or for that matter your books when the teacher was coming to check the homework. Then life was very simple and short even if you could bunk one day from school and say home it was somewhere close to haven. The other is when we finish out of school loose the old habit of wearing a uniform everyday. It is like breaking out of a cocoon where we were pampered by our teachers we are always told what to do and what not to do rules were set down which had to be strictly followed. The other is college where whatever you were taught in school you do just the opposite there. In school you were instructed not to be out of class for more than 10 minutes and in college you spend only 10 minutes in class. College is a place where you make new set of friends some good some bad here there is no one to tell you what is good and what is bad. Clothes you wear whatever you like or whatever is up on fashion. College is also place where most of us come face to face with the realities of life because there is no one there to watch your back. We also intend to learn a lot here its one step closer to being independent people don’t take you for granted and a lot of things are expected out of you.

And ultimately here where you done with your books the next time you would be opening those books you would be teaching your own kids. You not only have to plan for the next day but for the coming days and even for the years to come. Life takes sudden turns at every step and at every step something new awaits you. And the things you have done in the past remain as memories which you at times share with others or times you yourself laugh upon.

One thing you always think of is if you could pull back the hands of time and live those moments one more…….

Monday Morning ..........

Its almost quarter to 4 and i am just a little behind of work but the kind of start i had today morning it seemed as if i would have been a endless day. As i had anticipated a hectic day nothing really happened that way in fact it was a total chaos today morning. All the planning we had everything went in vain things were just not moving according to plan seemed like everything was to happen today.

Name it and it happened today out of the blue the mail server was not working today due to some congestion it was stuck the work that had to be distributed was taking time to reach peoples inbox . i really cant count how many people i spoke to today morning everything was coming my way at the fastest way it could and all i was doing was trying to duck without any guards on.For the first few hours all i was doing was locating who is sitting where i just didn't sit in my seat at all i had to convince a few people to sit somewhere around me so that me and my team could help them in the work. And the tantrums they have thrown back at me i felt like just moving out from there and head straight home switch off my cell phone and go off to sleep. Not to forget one of my colleague called up and said she was still out of station and would not make it on time and it would be good if someone could cover up for her work. And then i had another task to look for someone who can work on her behalf believe me that is not easy even if Paris Hilton was here at the most she would get a stare and the end result is NO. Some how i convinced someone but that was not easy and the carrot that i gave him to do the job i really cant write it here. Some how i thought i was done with all the troubles when i was informed that one of the researchers was given a wrong project and i had to spend time explaining her again what was her new assignment. Just then two of my friends came to my rescue they took up a few things and i was really happy to get burden off my shoulder.

Never the less in between when i was working i was hindered a number of times and i have this special case in my team she is unique she was in uk for 1 year and she is back here in India for the past 4 years and Guess what ???? she still carries a Brit accent. English i can somehow understand but her Hindi also has a accent Unreal. Whenever i use to get up from my seat to assist someone from the corner of my eye i could see her staring at me because of her i had to go to the wash room twice to check if my fly is open or is there something wrong with my clothes which she can see but i cant. Somehow i feel she had a alarm clock which the moment rings after every one hour she would ask me questions " Who is working on XYZ account " or "Has XYZ left" and she was not helping all she was doing was instigating and i was controlling myself not to say anything to her when my TL is not there or else she would think i took an undue advantage of that. In between i even asked her if she could spend sometime on a particular account where she said NO NO she has two much of work besides gossiping staring at the trees out side and smiling to her own self she had other things to take care of too.
ONE unique quality she has which i think i should should mention is every morning she would sit in her seat and before she can even check her inbox she would open her Vaseline barrel ( me and my friends call it a barrel cause i have never seen a container bigger than that.) and apply it on her hands and legs and then she would start working be it summer winter or rainy season the cream has to be applied first and god forbid if someone touches that barrel i am sure he/she would get scratch marks with her pointed nails.

Anyways i have lost my strength now and and all i can do now is head home have my dinner and sleep.

"............................. Life in General"

Hello Everyone

I think i am loosing the excitement i had the first day when i started writing this blog. These days i am getting really moody my mood swings in every possible direction at times my friends really get scared talking to me.

Very Soon you going to see a re vamped blog, one of my very good friends is helping me out she has been blogging for quite sometime now so she plans to help me out usually her schedule is very busy but i think she will spare sometime for me. And Laziness also plays a major role there.

Anyways these days nothing much is happening at my end work is going on as usual there is not much happening socially too same old friends same lame life i need a break a big break. The coming week is again going to he hectic with a few people on leave the burden has to be shared by the others and plus i already have taken my share of leaves so i don't see any way out. Like i have mentioned earlier there are a few senior people in the team but they hardly care and when it comes to saying NO i really cant utter it out. But i am sure there is a bright side to it too.

Its been ages i have been out of Poona besides a few places close to the area i haven been elsewhere i don't even remember how a train looks like. One of my cousin sister she is married and her husband being in the army has been posted to Mumbai almost 3 years back and since the time she is here she has been asking me to come down. Darn i couldn't even travel 4 hrs to meet her every time she asks me to come to Mumbai i make big time plans and assure her that i would be there, the entire week i am very enthusiastic but some how the day i have to leave something or the other pops up and i cant make it. And it has come to this that her husband has been posted out of Mumbai but i still assured her that i would make it to the new place.

Just a few days back a friend asked me to come to Hyderabad it would be a good change for me as in people climate just about everything. And i could not help laughing, here i could not make it to Mumbai Hyderabad is really faaaaaaaaaaaaar. She even said that she would book my tickets and send them or else i would never make an effort to do so. And all i could do id assure her that i woud be there after say उम्मीद पे दुनिया कायम हैं !

And i really dont know if i am moody or Simply lazy !

So that it for now !

Rains Are Here !!!!!!!!!

HELLO

Yes i am back in my pleasant mood and i owe it to the rains as well as the past weekend i had.To start with as i had updated in my earlier post i had been for River Rafting to this place close to Pune called Kundalika (Mulshi) well the place itself is adorable and full of lush green trees that seem so fresh they enrich you from within.

For the first time in my entire life i have ever seen everyone coming on time. We had hired a bus to be there and after picking up everyone from various points we left Pune at around 6ish. The road to Mulshi was amazing it was drizzling nice weather the scenery was breath taking fog surrounding the mountains and small creeks making their way out of the rocks was sight i could not miss. It was a perfect getaway the air that you breath was so different then what you breath in the city you could easily feel the difference and feel how miserably bad and polluted the air is in the city is. At times when everything else is right you just don't have the right company but here we had a bunch of enthusiastic's and the moment we boarded the bus we all started gelling up well. The entire journey to Kundalika i was standing near the door enjoying the rains and admiring Gods creation that he is best at. And its sad that during the journey i noticed a lot of cottages small bungalows built in the midst of the dense trees somehow i felt that few selfish people have built structures destroying the most precious natural beauty. I think these people are under the influence that they can build something more beautiful and precious than mother nature sad ...........

Anyways i was dying to get in the water and once we reached the destination we got our rafting gear and some tips from the experts about the safety measures. We even practiced a few commands given by our guide who was going to accompany us throughout. Towards the start it was all good we were just getting accustomed to row in a particular pattern the flow of water was steady and moving. But all of a sudden everyone could see the main stream that we were going to join in a few moments and it was hair raising as the flow of water was fast and gushing from everywhere most of us didn't know what to expect. As soon we joined in all of a sudden our raft started moving at a rapid speed our guide was directing us to keep the raft straight we had put in all of our efforts the raft moved in every possible direction but after a while we got in full control. The rest of the journey was a experience of a lifetime the ups and down bumps we manged to get through everything there were a few moments i enjoyed throughly when the water came in from all the sides at times i was about to fall but the rope kept handy.

Towards the end of the 14 Km stretch which took us about 3 hrs to complete we were allowed to jump in the water and before our guide could give us the green signal i was already in happily swimming my way with the raft. After a while when everyone was contented we got back in the raft with one last stunt left and we toppled the entire raft it was fun. At last we all came to the shore and gave three cheers to our guide.
The entire episode was a complete package there was thrill excitement fun chaos fear just about everything, in those three hours i experience something which would have taken me years to do so. And its a once in a lifetime fun which i recommend everyone to go through once. We spend hours together in theaters to see something that is unreal and here is opportunity you should not miss.

On Sunday i just could not help myself telling people what i had experienced every person i met i was on with my tales.

Now i am really looking forward to a trek with more adventure (valley crossing, rappelling) because that it is next on my checklist " Thing i want to do before i get married"

See you soon

INFLATION !!!!!!!!

Hey Everyone

Well blogging is all new to me and i am very much excited about it so you would find a post from me almost everyday till i get fed up.

Anyways today morning when i got up and was up at my window looking at the sky to predict if its going to rain. I saw this man carrying his young son on his shoulders he seem to be in a hurry i think he was in a hurry to catch a bus or some other transport . And one thought came to my mind all the while i was driving to office and even at work i thought to myself all these days one thing that is stuck on every news channel is the rising Petrol prices . When for people like us that withdraw a considerable amount of paycheck and still crib about the rising oil prices.What do we expect of the under payed workers that find it difficult to make ends meet. Even they have some dreams when would they full fill them? And with rising prices i think for them dreams would be something that they could only think off and wait for miracle.

But that is not all is the rising oil price the reason for inflation i really don't believe what the government has to say. Facts figures business journals gurus whatever all have to say i think WE are the reason for the inflation. Just last week when the news was out that the government is going to hike petrol prices one of friend was cribbing of how difficult life is going to be in the near future, and what his kids would do how much they would have to struggle to see a better tomorrow. And i asked him a simple question does he crib when the multiplex hikes the rate of a blockbuster movie? does he avoid going out for a movie even when the rates are sky high and sometimes when his children demand he even buys tickets in black. And he was speechless without a though he picked up a notepad and started to write his daily expenses he could cut on.
Most of us including me go out to lavish restaurants to have food which hardly cost one fourth of the bill amount but we really don't give it a second thought all we do is reach out to the pocket pull out a flashing card slid it over and the rest is taken care off. Ultimately we are happy, a meal in a fancy restaurant no need to carry cash just a signature does it all friends thank you for such a lovely meal. You go home with a big broad smile and even if you didn't like the food you still should feel light at heart after all the money you have shelled out its Priceless.....

So who is to be blamed even if we want to buy luxurious apartments with empty bedrooms because there are few people in house. Its surely not me i am paying a big fat amount for it and i can afford it plus my parents get to boost in front of other relatives too.What wrong even if i buy a luxury sedan and i always travel alone the looks that i get from passersby priceless .....

Too hell with inflation its the entire nations problem i alone cannot do anything. Its the Governments Job to deal with it.

Here But Nowhere To Go

Hey Everyone

This is my first post and i think the first time i am ever ever in my life writing on public platform.So please pardon me for my mistakes and i would appreciate feedbacks, posts ,comments anything you feel about the posts.

Today morning i was just sitting in office with headphones on listening to music that i cherish and all of sudden i just got fed up of what was playing (which never happens cause i live for music).And i sat to think i need to do something creative something exciting that takes my time and gives me pleasure too.

A few days back my director read a article i wrote on the intra net and a few other posts and he urged me to write another article that he would like to post on his blog. So i came up with this idea of creating my own blog and HERE i am.

Somehow today morning i felt bored with what i was doing i just noticed that past few days i was throwing tantrums and as well as my anger on my friends at work. Not that i hate my job or i am sick of it but i think i need a break and something very soon before i loose it out. Especially after last week when my team leader was on a vacation and the load had to be shed by me and few others responsible. It seems as if all of a sudden things were hitting me with lightning speed
and with a few seniors that were not willing to take responsibility work had seriously piled on. Anyways now that my TL is back things are back to normal but i need a break. So i am going for River Rafting this Saturday with a few office friends not that a day would make a huge difference but should take the stress out a bit and subject to approval i have take the coming Monday off to just rest at home.


Anyways Thats It For Now

Pie Pie