Friday, March 26, 2010

Farewell...

[This is a sarcastic post. I have no intentions of hurting personal/organizational sentiments. Incase it does, my sincere apologies]

Our office has been seeing series of farewells in the recent past. The same old formalities every time . A "All-Hands"meeting (since our company doesn't have much employees, it has the luxury to gather all the employees at a common forum).

Every one gathers to bid farewell. The truth is, very few people cares. People have to be called and invited to shed their esteemed presence to mark the occasion of the departing soul. After a brief introduction about the reason of this gathering, people rock the stage with words of praise.

Sometimes its a prepared speech , other times it's a spontaneous one. They talk about all the good things you've done. As if, life would be so difficult without you in the organization. As if, you had been the Hercules of the organization, without whom the organization would have perished. Unforgettable contributions, technical expertise, team player, hardworking, passionate, sincere and what not. (I always fail to understand, why aren't these said during your appraisal? Why???).

Some of the most common ways of starting these speeches are.. "I have know ABC for the past X year. He is a great person to work with. I have worked in such n such project with him......." and blah blah blah.

If the speech is by one of your close colleague, you can be sure that some funny incident would be publicized with much spice and exaggeration.Incident when you were drunk and sat in the middle of the road at 2am, first meeting which involved a weird conversation, habits that you have if you happened to be roommates/flatmates.

The spontaneous ones are rather funny. Mostly having double meanings (You are smart, you can interpret!!!) "I have shared good professional and personal life with him" ...("Even boxers?" in came a giggling comment from someone standing behind me)..."I have learned a lot of thing from him both professionally and personally"...."We had spent excellent time together"...."He is one of the few guys, whom I look up to"....

Every time it's exactly three speeches. After all these, people still stand there to hear from you. As if, last words from a guru (one who has gained enlightenment). Some people become emotional ("how can this happen to me?" type emotion), others are unable to hide their clandestine happiness of leaving the organization to follow the divine path of enlightenment. But there are some typical sentences that all remembers to include in their speech. "I have learned a lot here"..."I would cherish this experience throughout my life"(Really?!!)..."I have had very good colleagues"..."This is the perfect place to start one's career"(We are so lucky, aren't we?!!)...."Thanks to A, B,C, and also D. I'll miss you all".

After your speech, people gather to have gleams of you. Shake hands with you as if you were are celebrity. Mobbed all around."Best of luck!!"... "All the best for your future"..."Keep in touch"... showering around you.

Wow !!! it's only on the last day that you know that you were so special and valuable. And you thought no one gives a damn about you all these days.....Wrong isn't it??

Farewell... Huh !!!!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Bengalis in Bangalore

I'm a Bengali. Bengalis are those unique creatures from the "Mamata fighting CIPM" land, who possess some typical characteristics which distinguish them from the rest of the crowd. Not the typical red bordered white saree clad women as shown on the television, nor the jostling at the fish shops.  Bengalis have certain certain cells in their grey matter, that dictates their behaviour in the crowd.

I've been in Bangalore for almost 2 years. My daily commutation by bus to my workplace has made me experience something about the Bengalis in Bangalore. Would definitely not extrapolate to all the bengalis in Bangalore, but is applicable to lot of them, including me at time.

Being in a different state(Karnataka) where one would not hear "Dada(elder brother)" , "Didi(elder sister)" and "Boudi(sister-in-law, elder brother's wife)" around, Bengalis tend to think that they are the only one among the crowd, whose cryptic language would enable them to express their thoughts and gossips aloud.


Unaware of another Bengali's presence, Bengalis tend to speak aloud. The other day, a young lady sitting just behind me was speaking over the phone. I couldn't avoid eve's dropping to her interesting talks.

"Ki hoyechhe go?(What happened dear?)"........."Tumi shara din kothai boloni (You didn't talk to me the whole day)"(passionately)........."Tumi personal life aar professional life ke alada rakho (keep your personal life and professional life separate)"(tone becoming harsh).........."Na na na, aamio chakri kori, tumi ekai shob korona( No no no, I too work, you doesn't do everyting alone)" (this time much harsher, I knew a verbal combat has commenced....a short pause..."tomar ma khali aamar dosh dekhe(Your mother always finds fault in me)" (typical grudge against her mother-in-law like a typical wife)......"Aami office theke beriye porechhi, aashchhi bari(I've started from my office, coming home").

The lady rose and got down at her destined bus stop.

I was sort of enjoying it. It gave me peculiar sense of self-esteem of  "I am the only one whose could decrypt her encoded words among the fellow passengers".

I spotted a rugged looking man the other day. "Is he a Bengali?", I thought. Soon he proved me right. He received a phone call and started his conversation, as expected, in Bengali. "kemon haagu hochhe?(How was your stool?)"......"Shokto na norom?(Hard or soft?)"....."Koto baar hoyechhe?(How many times?")"...."Ki ronger? Holud na kalo kalo?(What was the colour?Yellow or blackish?)"....He kept on enquiring.

Talks on various issues have penetrated my ear drum on several occasions. Lectures on cooking, discussion about in-laws, generalr talks about daily life, second hand bike for sale, instructions of  taking regular medicines, availability of good maachh (fishes), colloquial chatter about hot babes, and even colour, texture and frequency of stool.

One common thing about all these conversations is that they are all monologues. Bengalis discussion all of them over their hand held devices.

If you are a Bengali staying in Bangalore, beware!!! The next time it might be your conversation published on my blog. Always remember that you'r not the only one.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

How I met "Him" - Final Post

Warning: Keep expectations low from this post.


Wanted to go to the temple this morning but postponed tentatively till..............Today is Ugadi, local festival in Karnataka. We've got a holiday and have lots of outdoor plans for the day, so thought of scribbling the post in the morning.


So.....what happened next.................

We went in Sahib Sind Sultan. Friends and colleagues who have managed to get to Sahib Sind Sultan by then have told me that it's an expensive restaurant. It's advisable to cut your manager's pocket in this restaurant than our own. Baapre !!!!! 


Ohh... I forgot to mention this particular incident during his first call. As he suggested Sahib Sind Sultan for lunch, I was like OMG. The "paise bachao" activist in me protested and soon could be heard. I repeatedly tried to convince him that it's too expensive and should be avoided. He still remembers and mimics my clamour. He told me that it's a good restaurant and is not that expensive. I had to agree, but it gave me impression about him. "This guy is spendthrift. Which means if we get married, I would have to witness the heart ripping scene of cash flowing out of our account". Let's see....


Indeed Sahib Sind Sultan was good.
 The dimly lit ambiance with soft instrumental music of old hindi movie songs made it a perfect place for two of us to talk.

[Picture Courtesy - www.ownersperspective.com]

Guess the first thing he asked???

"Do you know how to cook?" he asked with a grin. "Yes" I said trying to be shy. He later disclosed though that he expected a "No", expecting me to be a good-for-nothing, over pampered IIT professor's daughter. 

We settled down in the cozy seats (as seen in the image) facing each other. My eyes avoiding his. My heart pounding. A smile stuck to my lips. Once or twice I tried to have a look at the surrounding to inspect the crowd around. He started the conversation hesitantly. I joined in. One thing that I thought I would make clear was the fact that I talk too much. I'm too talkative. The initial couple of minutes of shyness that I tried to project was soon abated by the burst of talking that I did.


We talked about a lot of things. Being from the same alma mater gives us lots of topic to talk about.
We talked about IIT , khadus Profs, depressing departments, bunking lectures (though I've only 1 class), hostel life.
We talked about Kharagpur, Durgapur(his hometown and my native place), Kolkata(I was suprised to know that I've never been to Kolkata and have not seen the famous places), Bangalore.
We talked about cricket, music, my tv serials and movies.
We talked about our hobbies, interests, jobs, life, friends, roommates.
We talked about our achievements, successes and victory.

Our conversation was occasionally disrupted by the waiter serving our mouthwatering meals. Boneless chicken tikka in the starter added to my delight. Fragrance of steaming chicken biryani cooked in ceramic pots and spicy chicken curry led me to forget the expense. Regular sips of "Sahib ka panna" (a cooling mint flavoured pineapple juice) rejuvenated us to talk more.

Now that we have talked so much and was feeling less awkward than before, I thought of asking that great question which I've thought of asking any prospective groom. The question that could lead to the guy to be rejected.

Me: "May I ask you something?"
Him: "Yes sure"
Me: "Do you drink and smoke?"
Him: No (nodding)
Me: Really!!! (surprised)


I felt relieved, as if a heavy stone have been remove.

We talked and laughed. It was a great meeting. It seemed as if I've known him for years. So very much good and impressive was he that I have to admit I liked him. He looked simple, honest (atleast to me at that time), smart and responsible. I liked his smile. I liked his thoughts and way of handling issues. I liked his respect and care for family. Wanted him to marry me.

In came the dessert, cooling "Litchi ki teheri" (deseeded litchi simmered in milk, similar to kheer). Our meeting was coming to an end. "I'm your senior from IIT. This is a treat from me" he said. "Wow!! good for me"  I thought.

We started to leave. We paused. It was time to say goodbye. "So....what are you going to say to your parents? Shall we go ahead with this relationship?" he asked. It didn't take me time to say "Yes". I asked him the same and "Yes" came the answer. We promised to meet again. We waved goodbye. I wished we could talk for some more time (I always feel that though).

The clock read 3pm. On my way back, I called back home. "Ma, I liked him, he's good , looks way better than his photos......................." I informed them excitedly. They sounded happy. I had just crossed the first hurdles of an arranged marriage.

So that's my story. That was "How I met him".

Sunday, March 14, 2010

How I met "Him" - 2

I'm in mixed mood today. Pissed off because I've charred my mushroom curry and struggled for 2 hours to solidify a batter to call it pudding. On the other hand , happy and exhilarated as Kolkata Knight Riders have won their second match in IPL 3. With Dada (Saurav Ganguly) hitting a eyecandy sixer over long on has added to my elation.

Well readers... let's continue what happened next from the previous post.

On the very day (the day of the lunch)I woke up quite early. Finished all my regular stuff quickly. Bathed in and rinsed my hair with shampoo way early than other days, so as to let my hair dry and look fluffy instead of sticking to my scalp as they normally do. Though it was not pearly glossy and silky as the shampoo advertisement claims to make the users hair, but made my hair presentable. Never mind...I got dressed up in a mauve coloured salwar kameez as my mom has said and rubbed some cream and powder on my face to look better than I'm on any other day.

The most deprived thing of all my belongings is my purse. Though I earn a descent salary, my purse never has more than hundred bucks, sometimes even less than that. The first thing I thought off was to withdraw some cash to avoid any awkward situation at the very first meeting.

Since I reached Forum early, I thought of diving in to stationaries in Landmark (the famous book store in Forum Mall). My vibrating purse notified of an incoming phone call. It was his, I knew.

I was nervous. Would have whispered "AAll izz well" to my heart if only Aamir Khan had sung the song a year back.With quivering heart, I came out of Landmark and my legs proceeded towards Sahib Sind Sultan.

I saw a guy coming towards me. I knew it should be him. Wow, he looks much different than his photo that his father has sent. Looks much younger and hmmmmmmmmm............ not bad at all. But his dressing sense was not as I had thought, but ok. Wasn't much tall, neither am I, so good.


The first round was cleared. He cleared the first round "Looks and Appearence".

We went and had our sit in the restaurant.

Ohhhh............. This has already become a long post. You must have got bored of reading, but I have more to tell. I'll continue it in the next post. Till then happy cheering for your IPL teams.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

How I met "Him"

It has been more than a year. To be precise, 1 year and 8 days since we've met for the first time. We refers to me and my husband (the then prospective groom.

Couldn't disclose my experiences then, since our marriage bells could not be heard. But now after year, let me recall how it all happened...

Pardon my poor memory which acts as villain in most occasions when I am to dust my memories.

It was a late Wednesday evening when he called for the first time. It was 25th of Feb, around 10pm in the night. I had already gobbled my dinner and was preparing to go to bed. My mobile rang displaying an unknown number. It was "HIM". I knew he would call, but didn't expect it at the very moment.He wanted to meet me, as expected. I agreed.

We were supposed to meet for lunch at Sahib Sind Sultan (a restaurant in Forum Mall, Bangalore) in the forthcoming weekend. I was nervous. Repeated instructions from my mother added to the palpitation.

"Don't laugh loudly. Just smile...."
"Don't talk much, be shy..."
"Wear descent salwar kameez..."
"Sleep properly or you'll get dark circle..."

Were some of dos and don'ts which I was suppose to follow to present myself as a good and eligible bride.

Then came the very day. I was supposed to meet a boy whom I've never met and who perhaps would be my life partner. I would have to spend my life with him, a stranger.

What should I ask him and try to know about him to decide whether to proceed with the relationship? What are the qualities a person should have to be compatible with me for rest of my life. I had no idea because I had never thought about it.

I hope you are able to understand the weird and pathetic situation I was in. With eager parents, discouraging sister and confused me, my poor little mind was at a toss.

What happened next??? Well, the next post would tell you.