Moments

Mohd. Sheikh was getting ready to go to school. Even on a cold winter day, he had got up early. Spring. Summer. Rain. Autumn. Winter. Whatever the season be, he used to follow the same schedule. He gets up at 5 o'clock and jogs 5 kilometers. He goes to the railway station and meets the newspaper boy sorting the dailies to be circulated in the town. Sheikh likes to get the newspaper at the railway station, to be the first person in the town to get the morning news. On the way back, he stops at the milk depot to collect two packets of milk. Today was the coldest day of the season. He had not bothered it. As usual, he handed the packets of milk to his mother and started getting ready. Now he was fully dressed in the white school uniform and black shoes. He was sitting at the breakfast table. Outside the sun had risen. But the thick fog cover had kept it hidden. It did not snow in this part of the world, but the blanket of mist enveloping the town brought with it the same kind of chill...

This is how my house looks like when seen from sky. You can also see the adjoining areas.

Today is the second anniversary of blogging. Here is the annual report of my blog. The number of posts on my blog site doubled in comparison with 2005. I had written about a few get-togethers, my first flight trip and a couple of incidents at IIT Delhi. During May, I finished my trilogy on evolution of marriages and went on to write the most controversial post in my archive about Love marriages. The post invited a lot of heated discussions and flame messages on my inbox and chat windows. When there was nothing much to write, I started a series called "Vaidya and his friends", the title being inspired from Malgudi days by RK Lakshman. I managed to write 3 episodes, but soon lost interest in it (though i had a few more episodes in my mind). As usual, the year was filled with trips to various places and a couple of travelogues found space in my blog archive. In my Kedarnath travelogue, I tried imbedding photos in my post. The past year saw a new dimension added to my blog posts....

Alone when I recline in my room, And see a rose in my garden bloom, I solace myself that there must be, Someone, somewhere waiting for me. Through the window I see the full moon, Waiting for slumber to take me soon. For in my dreams, I would surely see, Someone, somewhere waiting for me. As I wake up with the sun outside, I wish she was there beside. Blushing gingerly, i do agree, Someone, somewhere is waiting for me. I am sure this happens to her, But I would say to my dear. Our time is just to be, As I am here looking for thee.

After the research plan submission I and Anoop went to the famous 'Gali Parathe wali' in Chandini Chowk. Though the name would suggest that the place would be full of shops selling Parathas, the street is crowded with a lot of other shops. There are hardly 4 or 5 shops selling hot and fresh Parathas. We got into one such shop. The first impression that I got about the place was that of a shabby little dhabha that you come across while travelling on the highways. But the crowd there made me rethink. The place was buzzing with people, all cramped in the little space, with the waiters yelling to the cook as they took orders. Crawling through the narrow gaps between tables, we managed to get a table in a corner. With the aroma of pure ghee in the air and the hunger in our stomachs, we started our orders with some exotic parathas that they serve. Kaju Paratha, Gajar Paratha, Matar Paratha, Khurchan Paratha, Papad Paratha. And a lot more. One after the other, we tasted almost all kin...

Yet another new year! I know you would be saying, "Is this the time to talk about new year, a good 15 days into it. Where were you all these days". Well, I was busy deciding on my new year resolution and then busy getting it done. Very unusual of me, this year I had a new year resolution. "Decide on my future of PhD." There were a few critical decisions to be made. First and foremost was whether to continue with my PhD or to quit it. There were lot of reasons for that but writing about them will be long enough for another blog post. So let me defer it to some other time. When the new year started with a review of my research draft by JD, one of my guides, I was sure that this new year shall surely be eventful. With lots of concern about my research plan, he criticized the presentation, somewhat constructively. Constructive in the sense that it helped me clear my mind of entangled thoughts and showed me a glimpse of my future. After a lot of tussle with my inner self...

If I had fought And not got caught I would have taught My little tot Rather than rot In a prison so hot. I resolved that I ought To find a slot For an escape plot When the gaurds would not Fire a gunshot. Help, I sought From the General's daught Whom I thought Was a sexpot. Either she forgot Or did boycott But I waited a lot at the fixed spot. Tired, I got Ready for a bloodshot When I bethought That I was on a cot And my mom had brought Tea in a teapot.