Nostalgia - Jungle Road

Jungle Road

I rode the cities, I rode the towns

I rode the streets, the ups and downs

As I reached the edge of the human abode

I drove my wheels to the Jungle road

Jungle road the magical road

my heart kept beatin’ as a whirlwind blowed

Jungle road the magical road

the ground kept thumpin’ as the elephants strode

The song of the birds, the whistle of a train

the dance of the trees to the tune of the rain

the kiss of the breeze, the mist in the sky

caressed my soul as I whizzed past by

the Jungle road the magical road

my soul kept dancin’ as the wheels just rolled

Jungle road the magical road

the mystical abode of stories untold

Nostalgia - My siver jubilee b'day

30th of May, 2006 (It was my birthday btw) - at 12 late night, my friend Massi gives me a call to wish me Happy B'day and then says, "The weather is beautiful tonight. Why don't you open your door and come outside". The Sherlock Holmes in me started deducing something out of this and I realised that this guy might be waiting outside to wish me happy b'day. My guess turned out to be true and Massi and Nelson were waiting outside my door with a b'day cake and a gift wrapped up nicely. I was happy but was surprised bcos none of my friends ever treated me this way. I cut the cake and started opening the gift. I saw a nice grey bag and asked him how he knew I wanted to buy a bag. Then there was a nice shirt inside absolutely of my liking. Then, I saw a Temptations chocolate. I felt there was something fishy. I looked at him and he asked me to open and read the card. I read the card and was totally amazed when I found that it was signed...

Deepthi

She had asked her colleague visiting Bangalore to pass on the gift to Massi who would drop in at my home by 12 to surprise me... It was truly the happiest birthday I ever had...

Nostalgia - Yeh hai meri kahaani...

Hi,

You must be aware of the movie - 'Zinda' in which the hero Sanju baba sings this song 'Yeh hai meri kahaani' during his stay in the tight-walled jail for 14 years for no obvious reason. Same is my state now. When I had come to Bangalore I had chosen to become the flat mate of Kallu mama, as I saw nothing wrong in that decision. Now I will describe my weekly routine as a flatmate of this die hard Sanju baba's fan:

yeh hai meri kahaani
khamosh zindgaani
sannaata keh raha hai
kyun zulm seh raha hai...

The monday starts with the same song yet again. I get the feeling that I have been destined to hear this song at least some crore times, before knocking on the doors of heaven or hell.

ek dastaan puraani
tanhai ki zubani
har zakhm khil raha hai
kuch mujhse keh raha hai...

It is Tuesday.. or is it? It looks like Monday yet again.. sorry sorry.. looks like nahin.. sounds like Monday..

chubtay kaantay yaadon ke
daaman se chunta hoon
girti deewaaron ke
aanchal main zinda hoon

Wednesday.. had a tough day at work.. Came home to relax.. and yeah sweet song.. let it be the same song.. I don't care.. I don't know if this is a punishment and if it is, I probably deserve it.. like Sanju baba thinks in the movie..

bus yeh meri kahaani
be nishan nishaani
aik dar beh raha hai
kuch mujh se keh raha hai

Thursday has been a good day at work.. The client seemed to be impressed by my work.. wow days have changed, now I find work interesting once in a while.. but has the time really changed.. nope nope..

chubtay kaantay yaadon ke
daaman se chunta hoon
girti deewaron ke
aanchal main zinda hoon

Friday.. the weekend is approaching.. am enthusiastic about finishing off my pending work at office so that I can remain free over the weekend.. mission accomplished, lemme go back home to see if things have changed...

Ab na koi paas hai
phir bhi ehsaas hai
sihaaiyon main uljhi pari
jeenay ki aik aas hai

Well.. the weekend has approached. Well, now that I know this particular aspect cannot be changed in my life, lemme as well start enjoying it... woww.. what a song...

yaadon ka jangul yeh dil
kaanton se jalthal yeh dil

Sunday.. where is the song.. Kallu mama.. wake up and turn the bloody song on.. Lemme hear it.. hear it again and again.. the way Sanju baba gets addicted to fried wantons.. but all said and done.. this is definitely a very good song.. hats off to Strings... am your fan..

chubtay kaantay yaadon ke
daaman se chunta hoon
girti deewaron ke
aanchal main zinda hoon

Yeh hai meri kahaani...........................

River on the Rise

Hi,

I was standing on the banks of Godavari in between two of the longest river bridges in Asia. It was a beautiful sight. To my left was the oldest bridge connecting Rajahmundry and Kovvuru, which was built by the Britishers, standing rock solid in spite of the wear and tear it has accumulated over 70 odd years. To my right was the newest bridge constructed 10 years ago, made of concrete, with beautiful arches adding aesthetic appeal to it. Both the bridges were separated by not more than 15-20 metres. I was standing in the middle and I had a look at Godavari water which had calmed down after showing its fierceful side 3-4 days ago hitting lots of villages in Konaseema with floods. The water had the calmness and serenity marked by the cool breeze blowing over it, but it still looked ugly because of the lives it had ruined. I looked up and saw the converging parallel lines (quite paradoxical), the two bridges (more than 3 Kms in length, that is how wide Godavari is at my place) running parallel but giving you a view as though they are converging at the other end near Kovvuru. There, at the other end of the bridge a dim light showed as a train was getting onto the new bridge, at the same time a lightning flashed in the sky and I so badly wanted to capture that moment in a photograph. But they say a picture is worth 1000 words. Let me see if a 1000 words can give you the experience the picture had given me. Below is an attempt at poetry (bricks n bats welcome)

Stood I with my feet sunk in the godavari river
froze I as the breeze touched me as cool as ever

To my left stood an old bridge solid like a rock
to my right was the newer bridge that carried the track

As I looked towards the horizon where both of them kissed
the dim light of a train showed, as the river below hissed

Beauty filled my eyes as lightning filled the skies
and I sang a song in praise of the river on the rise