Beer Philosophy !!

There is only one fool proof method of not being "picked" on, in this "big fish-eats-small fish world" that we swim in daily. That is to be the "Picker".
To be a picker, one needs to be some sort of a rebel. To be a rebel, one needs to be very transparent about his emotions, or rather to put it straight, i would say "public display of emotions".

Some people are comfortable with public displays of emotions. I am not. In fact, strange as it might sound from someone who’s dangled from a balcony, got up on a restaurant table to fix the bulb, danced like a maniac in the middle of a crowded street in the name of flash mob (actually even after rest all stopped dancing), banged a perfectly innocent door open in front of a loungeful of people, kept starring at a non existent corner for long even as the people behind me in the queue were yelling at me to move ahead and conducted other attention-seeking public displays that I now wince at.

Well that is all history now. Now , as each person wears a different mask, i wear one that requires being very discreet. And in this role, only one emotion is acceptable. That is to smile wide with your eyes. .......... " What is a man without the mask he wears" (thinks the right side of my brain at this point in time)
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I dont drink. But i just dont miss any opportunity to accompany my friends when they breed the fantasy that they should get drunk and be high. I, even though dont fit into this characteristic of theirs, am always invited by them for 2 main reasons.

1) When a person is drunk, s/he gets philosophical or insecure or both and speak of things which a rational brain would otherwise not let your mouth to spell out. And such people expect someone (usually someone in full sense) to listen to their figment of knowledge being delivered. Hence me.
2) Offcourse the main reason is that they need someone to drive them back home :I

And for me, the real motivation to accompany my friends is to gather the real sense of various things.About any rumours.About yourself.About anything under the sun (when drunk you loose your mask) Yes one may look down at me for this reason, but then just read the above two points in the previous paragraphs and you will start feeling proud of me again.
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I met my friend , lets call him, "Pepper" along with his wife. "Pepper" though not really from our close team, had drifted along with the team the previous evening for a "philosophical" get together to celebrate, some non-event.

After the initial hi, hellos....

Mrs Pepper: Hey, Pepper came all drowned yesterday and that too very late

Rax (thats me): Oh !! .... (blinking at 2x the usual speed)

Mrs Pepper: Rax, were you also part of this?

Rax: Oh cmon, you know me, I never drink..

Mrs Pepper: Ya i know you. Teach your friend some lesson. I keep telling him to learn something from you

Rax: (blush blush blush) ... But why dont you yourself talk him out of this?

Mrs Pepper: I did Rax,,, yesterday night after he reached home I asked him "am i troubling you so much that you like to loose your sense"? (huh too much aint it :) )

Rax: and....?

Mrs Pepper: He blabbered in a dunk state something which said ... pretty...burqa,,,women,,,,beer, i could not understand anything, seriously.

Rax: Oh that must be what he was preaching yesterday after the first bottle..

Mrs Pepper: Whats that? (she asked very curious to learn about it)

Rax: "There are only two things in the world that make not-so-pretty women appear pretty: beer and burqas"


Somehow, Pepper stopped drinking ever after that . (Well even meeting us, for that matter) {{So much for Mrs Pepper not wearing Burqa :D:D:D}}

Chillar Party

Weirdly though, people have this obsession to move. Some may call it a Change or whatever, and then argue that its unavoidable, Change is the only constant and stuff like that. Let me cut all that crap and jump to the point of writing this specific blog.

As history and economics state,in normal conditions, "average" things have this tendency to move towards "Great" things. And ya, offcourse "poor" things towards becoming average before finally migrating to "Great".



@ Hotel Apna Dhaba -Andheri 17th June 2011 - 07pm.


" Shit man Sandy would really leave us !! "


" The best part is we would not have to wait forever for someone to join us from now on, if we plan to go out "

"And hey you forgot Dolly.........She would be too lonely .......yesterday i even heard her howling till midnight " (If you have been following my blog Dolly is Sandy's neighbor's dog)

Laughter!!

"That was not Dolly.........that was actually Sandy, singing for Dolly"

More Laughter!!


" @###% .............&^&* %$% ...................!!@###$#$ " (Offcourse too censored for my blog)


" Shut up guys, the owner of this hotel happens to be a distant relative of mine."


Even More Laughter!!


" Ok now the Worst Part - hmmmmmmmmmmmm" started CJ,


"hmmmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmmm - oh ya.... so the dinner bill will be divided by one person less"

Laughter.

"Hey you missed the free tech support we received for our computers"

Laughter.

Sarath interrupted " Guys, from now on even i am going to imitate all what Sandy Did..... like I am going to act all high-handed and arrogant . Will Make you guys wait for me whenever we plan to go out, become a dog lover,,,,Sing out loudly and badly whenever the occasion arises.........."

"Hey Sarath if singing badly was really the criteria, you would be owning google by now "

All the more laughter

After 3 hours of this laughter filled treat, we parted with the closing note from Sandy, possibly the best parting note ever (or is it....)

" Guys, I am falling short of words actually, when i think of you guys.......hmmmm..... actually i feel a bit ashamed as well, that i may even drop a tear or two if i speak more or am forced to think of the life here with you guys around...........hmmmmmm.......am quiet sure you all would feel the same for me................(he said as his tone changed slightly indicating he may really cry) ......... and hey, i want all of you guys to come along with my parents to the airport to bid me wishes and luck tomorrow...... Thanks guys really........And To all of you,,,,incase i hurt you....in past, now, or in future if you find out of any of my past things which hurt you...better forget it...as i wont appologize !! (He ended with a smile though)

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Nariman Point: My Office desk 3rd June 2011 - 03pm.

My cellphone beeps.

Given my usual reluctance to read the messages as soon as i receive it, i continue working .
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My phone beeps again. Then again. In a span of 2 mins, i get 3 messages.

Sensing something offtrack, i pick my phone with least attention to it, still continuing to stare at my computers screen, while simultaneously unlocking the cellphone.

After about 10 seconds, i force my eyes to read the message......i open the first message. It is from Sandy. Offcourse are the other 2.


Given this attitude to cling for better things in life, in a way some say, uplifts the humanity and hence , ultimately the country. So with this premise, what does an employed - salaried individual expect? Offcourse a better job, a better pay, better & larger learning,better benefits and it can go on bettering. The "best" in each industry or sector is known to almost everyone associated in that space and There is a general tendency for most of the people in a specific "space" to move towards that "Best".

Message 1
" Dude.....Got an offer from Google USA !!! :D :D :D" Read the first message.
It took almost 15 seconds for me to get the feeling sinked into myself. When a good friend gets a role he has been desiring and dying for, you offcourse feel happy. And when it is Google, you feel double happy (for obvious reasons that, who knows Google would one day want to open an investment bank :D)

Message 2
" Messaging 4 of you guys at the same time..... "pick a venue for the treat" - The venue is the place which the first guy chooses". Read the second message
Damn!!!! Now i felt like i just missed something.

Message 3
"ok ...so the venue is "Hotel Apna Dhabha- Andheri - C U guys "

This is it. You see, many of my friends do not actually know where to ask for a treat. I mean it is no small matter that one is getting into Google. Apart from their name, they are known to handover a "Google" paycheques. I am sure i would not have settled for anything less than Trident or Hyatt for this occasion, but Alas!!
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@ Mumbai Airport 18th June 2011 - 11:50pm

Actually the send off was great. Everyone behaved the best class possible with Sandy's parents being around. Their parents dint feel much emotional as they were very much used to Sandy living far away from them. We all boarded Sarath's car and were all set to cruise through the empty raods with heavy hearts, when.....

Uncle said " Sandy will be fine and should do great in Google"

"ya uncle, ya uncle....he will" We echoed as Sarath, CJ and i exchanged smiles and glances.

" Just that people get a bit too flashy as they go to cities or say US, and spend till the last buck......but Sandy was never like this"

"Ya uncle , ya uncle......he is" We echoed as Sarath, CJ and i again exchanged smiles and glances.

"Just a simple example, he said he wanted to throw a party to a few friends, who he was sure would ask him treat at the 5 Star Hotels of Mumbai, but he somehow convinced them to be treated at my cousins hotel in Andheri"



"..................................................................." No reply......just empty glances and unheard curses.


Well the theory of Poor, Average and Great is not always true :P

7 Questions maaf !!

"When you are pressed for time, 2 things happen for sure.

1) There will be some new work which will pop up to add pressure to you
2) There will be some crackpot who will always ensure you waste the available precious time.

So as i say, you cannot always converse with such kind of people. They have this bad habit of speaking in "circles". By Speaking in circles i mean this "If you ask them a question, they will come back with another question to your question. And you know how it feels when , when you seek an answer and are questioned on your question. And yes, if the questions lead to an answer, then there wont be much regret. However in most cases the question will lead to a different conversation altogether - guess i am clear here."
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Rax: Hey JC, Can you update me on the Project "Opfin", i just joined back today and i need to make a note on it.... (I said as i joined back after a 5 day break).
JC: Why me? (He shooted from the corner of his lips with least attention to my question)

Rax: Cmon JC, its not that you have no time, or details on the project. Tell me now!
JC: What makes you think i have time?

Rax: As is see your computer screen , 1) You have forgot to refresh your email 2) I am wondering which financial analysis requires Pakistan vs Canada match updates (this window was open in his monitor) 3) You are listening to music on your ipod 4) Your eyes are half asleep 5) You are a jerk
JC: So if i am a half asleep jerk, it logically means i am a half awake doing some work, Dont you think so? (JC can really irritate at times)

Rax: I dont want to really get into "your" definition of " work " JC, now be a good guy, wake up 100% and give me the details.
JC: How is my definition of " work " different from "Your" definition Rax, please explain?

I inhaled my breath slowly yet gently and exhaled it even more slowly and even more gently and continued.

Rax: My definition of " work " will always ensure i give the project details to my colleagues first and then take match updates and then go to sleep , with my ipod on. Your is exactly the reverse JC, can i now?
JC: So you mean the ipod will still be on as the project details are being shared, according to your definition of "work", don't you?
( Sometimes the word "Irritates" gets irritated when used for JC )

Rax: Yes i mean that. Even your ipod is on, Now give the details JC, i am pressed for time.
JC: But from when did "Apple's product - ipod" mingle itself with the English definition of "work"? Apple is American not English Rax. Dont you think so?.


(Let me introduce JC here. JC is a dear friend, a colleague and a rock music enthusiast. He is an IITian who is never tired of arbit talk, never. Let what may come, he will ensure to make you feel small with his i-dont-give-a-shit attitude)

Rax: Goddam JC Now give the details..i am pressed for time. I did not eat anything, nor did i visit the washroom, nor drank water since morning!!! I cant bear you anymore.
JC: So what happens when you are pressed for time?

My imaginary hand slammed itself on my forehead

No the conversation did not stop here. I gave a hearty reply post which i managed to get the details.

I even found a solution to manage such pests who eat away your brains and time at the same moment. Well before anything, to know my reply -read the first two paragraphs again.









That was my reply. And that's the solution. Answer their question in such a length that they wake up and really answer you.

But JC being JC, after giving the project details, messaged me " If what you said about speaking in circles is true, how do people speak in squares?"

Speechless....Shameless....Shoe-less..

Life, as they say, without friends , is usually boring. The best example would be imagining yourself standing alone in a railway station (when the trains are delayed by more than an hour ) and then imagining yourself with your buddy group for the same duration, there .

Especially if you have friends like i have, believe me, they will make each second of your living worth the effort you may take to live.

Since most of my friends are young and habitually non committed , we have all the time over the weekends to meet up and laugh to the hearts content. The root to the laughter session usually would be someone within the group. Not necessarily one has to do something silly to be laughed at. Believe me, when everyone is acting silly and you act sane, chances are very high, you would be the one laughed at.

There has been times when each one of us may have thought and rethought the sanity levels of the group. But as they say, the birds of same feather, you know, always flocks together.

I have taken my own time to understand the dynamics of my buddy-group to understand when you would end up being the topic of group laughter or expense bearer for others fun. Post understanding these, i devised strategies as well. I have also used these strategies successfully with my other peer groups. Yes, Successfully!!!

For example, if you feel the table is turning upon you and you may have to bear the burnt,
1) Change the topic.
2) Involve the opposing leader (there always is one) into the topic.
3) Kill your dignity and make fun of yourself.(This is easy, trust me).
Yet you need real guts and smooth talent to do any of these. And to know when to use what, is a mission in itself.

Shopkeeper: " Kya naukri karte ho sir? " (After 25 mins spent into befriending him and negotiating a super discount this is what he came up with)

Me: " Investment Banking "

Shopkeeper: " Bank me ho? Kaunsa bank?"

Me: " Bank nahi.........." Investment bank"!!! "

Shopkeeper: " Acha!! yeh Investment bank kya kaam karta hai? Bank se alag hai kya??"

Me: Well, they are into a host of activities including M & A advisory, Raising public money (IPO) , overseas borrowing FCCBs, ADR , GDR, Complex financial transactions,financial restructuring, management takeover, spinoffs and also advising institutions on their investment strategies.
This is what i should have told,but thanks to my lazy attitude, i replied to him,

"Humlog Share bazar me kaam karte hain ( "Share bazar" i told as if Gujarati blood is what i am filled of)"

Shopkeeper: " ooh acha...Dalal ho !! "..( with a smile he said this as if he had decoded a complex derivative equation)

This was reason enough for Vinay and Sarath and CJ who were along with me for purchasing shoes, to laugh their wits out. All the three were creating a ruckus laughing very loudly leaving the shopkeeper with a killing guilt. And me?.... Offcourse my guilt was buried the same day i made friendship with these creatures. I was thinking really hard as to which expression would make me look sane, and not make the shopkeeper loose his cool and take back the discount he showered a few minutes before.

Just to conclude , there are times when the above three strategies wont work . One has to be dynamic and at the same time shameless to face these situations bravely. Huh!!!

Namaste and welcome to India ,President Obama !!

To President Obama,

Your excellency, I read today in one of our morning dailies , that you would be coming to India in the month of November.

I smiled immediately. Really

Sir, it would be just great if this is really going to happen. You see, Our country is in its highest growth trajectory. Atleast, Sir, that's what i have read in the same morning daily. This is when i became skeptical about the authenticity of the news. I mean , the news that you are going to come to our country. Hence i thought to mail you directly.

Sir you see, our's is a very different country with diverse population. But one thing is common with us. It is that our memory is short lived. But that's good actually. Else people would start wearing masks again , fearing swine flu has not gone completely.

Sir, thanks to your country's economists, we too have been deriving growth numbers by the expenses we make. After all savings are so yesterday .
And we have been posting great growth numbers.

However Sir don't jump off your seat at the point that you are blessed enough to see our country on official visit during your term as the President of USA. Almost all the ex-Presidents of your country have done it. Sir , even Shakira once came here. But that's different. You can ask your immediate predecessor Mr Bush or his predecessor Mr Clinton who have paid visits to India during their terms, about India. They will vouch that "India was in its highest growth trajectory "even then. And yes you will also be garlanded when you arrive here in your Air force One flight. (Sir , we have grown enough now, to have our own Air force one. Even our President flies in one. I know the definition of "President" is different in each of our countries in terms of responsibilities. But Sir!! definition of Charter Aeroplane is the same , after all)

Sir just to keep you updated on what i have researched about US President's visiting India. Sir , i feel they get tainted post their visit to our country. I mean, Mr Bush was pushed back and forth with the Afghanistan issue and Mr Clinton, Sir , that you know . So be careful Sir. I have high regard for you. It feels nice to see you play with your kids on the humongous lawn of your house. White house.

Sir, even we have our version of White house. It is actually better than yours. It is called the Taj Mahal. But we dont allow individuals to enter the place. Atleast thats what is told to us Sir.

Well Sir, i can suggest some places where you should visit when you come here sir. I am a good guide you see.

I understand you would come only post Diwali festival here. Sir, Diwali is the festival wherein we celebrate the victory of good over evil by bursting crackers.
There is a lot of noise and fire everywhere. Dont worry sir. You will not miss any action even though you are late. Sir i suggest you take a look at Andhra Pradesh or Orissa or Jammu and Cashmir (oh I misspelled) . These places have been showing some fire and some cracking. Afterall it is about deciding who is good....... no i mean who is winning over whom.

Our Prime Minister might suggest you to take the Nature Cure massage in the state of Kerala. God's own country, it is sir. Oh !! No Sir, it has been renamed "Keralam". I know you would be wondering what is the point in renaming a state. That too one which is God's own. But Sir, We have renamed cities, states, towns and even villages quiet easily. Sir we even rename ourselves numerologically.We are the inventors of Zero , you see (I mean the number ,Sir) . We love anything that is number.

Well Sir, Coming back to the massage theme. I suggest it would be boring and a waste of your expensive time to go all the way to Keralam for a massage. Instead i suggest sir, you take a local suburban train ride from Virar station to Dadar Stations in Mumbai . You will experience a new form of body massage.And for that too for Free. (You are our guest . And we treat guests with respect.)

Again you would be asked to see Bangalore, Mysore ,Chennai and other such places. No need Sir. These are the places which virtually run your country now. You would not feel very distant from your homeland there.

Sir, No !! Dont even think about going to Taj Mahal . No i dont mean the Hotel. They say, Its safe now. I mean India's White House. Sir Everyone goes there. Even Prince Charles went there. You have to be different Sir. Moreover everyone will be seeing you. Just you. I know that is very awefull to be the center of attraction.

So, Sir I suggest you wait at Dadar Station. Dadar station is the only railway station common to both the Central and the Western lines of the local railway network in Mumbai. Sir , Trust me, No one would give a damn about you standing there. Some may even bump into you and swear you for standing there, but wont identify you. ( Sometimes it feels so good when someone does not know who we are. People become so original then)

Our Prime Minister, i am sure, would have been happy if you could have come in before October to see the development work going around in Delhi, his state, for the Commonwealth Games which we are hosting. Dont worry Sir. You wont miss much. You can see the same underconstruction roads, pavements, bannerholdings, till you go back. Yes that is well post the commonwealth games conclusion.Infact you can comeover next year at the same time and yes....you guessed it right ......it will be the same. After all this exercise was just for the Commonwealth games. Once the games are done we dont waste our time and energy into it.

There is one more place in India which i suggest strongly that you visit. It is Bhopal. Yes you got it right sir. This is exactly the place where your countryman worked and leaked gas two decades ago for which our judicial system found him guilty now. No Sir !! dont feel bad about the episode. You should feel proud about being in America . Sir, You know what....... the total compensation that was awarded to those affected by the tragedy is not even a fraction of the compensation which you sought from the Oil companies who spilled oil in your waterzone and affected the marine life.
Yes i know you will be smiling now. You should. And you got it right sir. The value of a fish in America is much much more than the cost of a life in India. You are brilliant sir.

Just a small suggestion as they say in some countries. Like in China you should not give anyone a lantern to anyone . In Brazil people dont give gifts that are purple or black etc. We dont mind any gift Sir, but please ensure you dont use non parliamentary words. No i dont mean bad words. I mean words like "Inflation", "Poverty", " Declining Agricultural output " "Fodder hoarding" , Or anything related to games. It is a trend here to associate scamsters with games.

Otherwise we are shining.

Once again, Namaste and welcome to India ,President Obama.

How to rule a country

" How to rule a country "

Well i have had serious considerations for alternate employment. Not that i hate my present occupation. I really love it ........ i mean really really more than the new pair of socks which i purchased last week. ....... But then there are times when you open your eyes to happenings around your mortal body and find everything is controlled. (In simple English it means beyond - your - control)

Yes we are an In-dependent country . I have no Doubts about that. No doubts that we took the option to be controlled by uneducated and insensitive crooks rather than being controlled by white skinned dummies. But almost every nation in the world map has been ruled by some foreigner, sometime.
For what History states, only three nations have never let themselves be ruled by foreigners. They are China, Afghanistan, and Abyssinia. These are the only three nations I admire. But that's different.

The point i was trying to make is this. For sometime now i have been studying how India works. I mean how is it being operated by people who have Italian Pasta or Punjabi rotis for lunch ( Whom do they have for lunch? no i mean what do they have for lunch??). It seemed a bit tough and expensive to crack that. So over the weekend i decided to write down my own principles to run a country. Yes offcourse they are just some Noble thoughts i gathered from existing politicians and their ideas.

How to start? Say you are given a country to run then these are some basics you should adhere to.

1) Honor: Create a false sense of Honor for the place they live in. Give it a fancy emotional adjective - say Motherland ( i know except Germany all nations have used this trick already..............and for those who dont know Germany is called Fatherland and never Motherland)
Offcourse those who dont find honor in the nation once we declare it as "Honorable" , they are terrorists. Simple. Now they can be excluded or executed.

2) Subdivision : We have taken a slice of this idea from foreigners "Divide and rule policy" . Hey but this is for commonman's good. We are creating different states for effective administration (read: a Series of bosses). And what more.... the common man will appoint your area head, who will appoint a regional head who will appoint a divisional head. See your choice of appointment is so important. ( just ensure the divisional head always chooses to lick your shoes)
So any great thing happening in your town, you can always praise the Government for its ideas and policies.

3) Security: Now that, except the above three countries all have been ruled atleast once by foreigners, we can always sell this as a concept. We can keep telling the commoners that "We" the government protect you from being slaved and told to do what someone else wants you to do. So simply listen to what "We" say and ask you to do.

Inspite of this , If someone strikes a bomb at anypart of your country, you can do two things. 1) The culprit is the country which you had immediate enmity with and 2) point the Divisional heads for this mishap and mismanagement. So any un-great thing happening in your town, you can always put it on the divisional head who will put it on the regional head who will put it on the area head who will say, the head of some other division was responsible. And this keeps going on.
Make it such a mess that the common man feels its better to be forgot than fought.

4) Media: This is the most important piece. Be it any form, the government controls it. So if there is a major law and order problem which might put the government to shame, ensure it is covered properly and put in the most un-important section in the media where no one would ever notice. And remember, the wordings have to be soft and short. Afterall, as a commonman one is supposed to have short memory of happenings. Again you have the liberty to create un important issues and make it the headlines.

5) Corporates and Inflation: These are the two key words to ensure your son studies at Harvard or Oxford and joins politics once he is done with his studies. Well this is a tricky one as well. You have to ensure there is a constant rise in price of the basic ingredients ( so that the corporates can make unreasonable profits ) and you have to see to it that there are no Satyagraha type protest for them.The increase in price has to be reasonably shared between the corporate and you. If there is any hue or cry about it. Just ensure you have a Oxford educated Economist in your panel, having a sober image and simple face who says " Inflation will come down in the coming quarter." Also after a few lines ensure you say this "Inflation is a by-product of growth. If you want your Nation to grow, Inflation is inevitable".

There is one more idea. If the price of salt is Rs 10/kg today, increase it to Rs100/kg in the next week. People will shout that this is injustice the inflation (rise in price ) is 900%. Let this go on..... Next week increase the price by Rs 1/kg (ie a price of Rs 101/kg) . Now declare the inflation has come down to 1% compared to 900% last week. Common man will say, see the government cares...... they brought the inflation down. But use this tool rationally when you want support. If not needed support server yourself first. (See i told you, you need honest looking Oxford educated guys with you)

6) Scams: These are tools to be used when your companion gets idea of withdrawing support to you. Help him without evidence, when he commits the scam. And then use that to your benefit. There are many avenues, like telecom Spectrum, Cricket matches, train derailments etc. Take an appropriate pick.
(Quiet rational - if someone has to be your companion, ensure he has a criminal background or atleast a criminal mindset, so that you can ensure you are safe always)

7) Dressing: This is the most important one. You may roam around in German cars, might have a home made of Italian marble (see this country comes again), might be hawking for chinese food, your children may be at US universities or whatever..... but you should ensure your dress code is "traditional".
You will definitely have umpteen choices as different regions based on thier climatic conditions would be using different clothing style. So dont worry.

8) Discussions: Ensure personally important matters are cleared by your team at a faster pace. For example if you want a three fold hike, clear it immediately. Floods , rural suicides , power shortage, creeping inflation and all can wait.


Well actually the list can just go on and i have just infinite ideas. But these eight points will ensure a fool proof life as a ruler.

Well there is one more point which i was a bit sceptical if i should write. As soon as you get the rules for survival from a person, destroy him. He is dangerous.

May Your Soul Rest in Piece(s).

"Dude you indeed have guts !!! "

I had sighed right on our second meeting. He was standing bang outside the auditoruim of my college and ...yeah...smoking!!! . Back then he dint care much, and replied back." What man Rax, why should one bother at all?" till unexpectedly a couple of our professors gave him dirty glances as they were passing by.
And indeed like a super training to his reflex or something, in less than a jiffy that ciggarrate was below his feet and he was smiling back at them and had the marketing case open in his hand as well !!!. ( I still wonder how he digested all the smoke !!)

Otherwise Vinay has been very gutsy and brave. (Again, except once when he was shit scared as i took his car out for a drive with him seated on the backseat .It was reasonable , as back then, I did not know how to drive a car - or even to stop a running car.)

Opinions about him used to vary widely among us friends – he was very responsible to some, utterly irresponsible to many- many other , a chain smoker, a wonderful dancer, had a tongue for Japnese food, in-your-face sense of humor. And, oh boy, he was as smart as the devil himself.

On a lighter note heads used to turn (away) when he used to sing. It is even, roumoured, that dogs used to run helter-skelter to cover their ears, and residents in the raidus of 5 kilometers used to shut their windows and doors as if some alien invasion was unleashed.

Right from his school days he was a good friend, philosopher and guide for most of the girls , and then this continued right till his education was completed. He renewed this ability to a professional level, even as he entered his corporate life. But he never pursued anyone further (or is it the other way round?).
I explain it away that girls don’t like their boyfriends to be as smart. Of course, the antithesis would be that smart guys are rarely interested or find time in lesser things like girls.
Whatever it was, the effect was that , we both were usually free during college days (and post that too) and used to continue our discussion on unimportant things in life like "the demand supply curve, Case discussions, financial analysis etc to vital life changing discussions on which hotel to have dinner at or how to improve the bad and falling class attendance or the movie to be seen over the weekend, or strategy to continue with our pending badminton game.

Vinay, as he constantly said, lived to enjoy each moment in his life and would do anything to retain his independence and happiness.

Come this 28th this quintessential bachelor will be no more. And he will be missed. Happy wedding my dear friend and have a wonderful married life.
(Hope your future wife never reads this blog, as she will understand that you were a bloody chain smoker once , with an unshaved face most of the time, who later quit smoking when someone funnily told, you would go bald if you continued smoking - i know you are brave otherwise)

Most of us, especially myself, will miss you a lot when it is time to pay the dinner bill and we realize, the bill is to be shared with one person less now on.