40 Days

It really was a very very long and hot day today. Now temperature constantly remains more than 40 degree Celsius for long hours in the morning and noon. And now summer is here and so I am. I am in Ahmedabad since 1st of this month and busy studying for my exams but what I miss the most here is burning hot furnace like room of phursatgunj.

India was famous for its hot ‘summer and spices’ to the world for centuries before technological growth started ruining here beauty in mid of the 19th century. As I am in Ahmedabad I can enjoy both home made hot spicy food and even hotter summer sun. This is not the right time to visit India but if you want to feel and know and understand real India this is the only time when you should visit. April and May and June are ultimate torture, just like pain before nirvana and July rain is enlightenment. I am waiting for July to come and shower love on mother earth.

April is one third gone and I am here after forty days of gap. What happened with me and my life during those days is a usual story of hopelessness and laziness. I am a very lazy, tired and boring man, just like my 300 year old friends. Nothing of much importance happens to me very often, and I also don’t happen to many things in general. Either I remain aloof and silent or I remain aloof and silent when I talk. I don’t even talk much these days as I don’t have to. My conversations are limited to very few effective, intelligent and useful words. With my mother: where is pickle? ; I don’t feel like it, etc. With my father: how was your day today? (We meet in the evening only); Market was 300 points up today. With my brother: how (well) Bangladesh is doing in super8? ; You look like Bobby-Darling in your new hairstyle.

Nothing is happening in my life for so long long time that now I can only be good for nothing guy. What I did in last few days? Hum, few movies at our home theaters like Natraj and Raj-shree and few books and novels I finished while everyone around was busy with their final submissions. Nikhil has left phursatgunj and so I also left the room there. You can now find me either at bodhi-baba’s place or at the hostels. Of course I still enjoy masi’s food with chach in the afternoon if I am in phursatgunj. I simply love that place and people around there who do things at their own pace. Nothing changes and no one seems to be in any kind of hurry there.


After three four years gap movies again have become integrated part of my daily schedule in phursatgunj. My visits to cinema halls are now a common occurrence. I don’t give it another though to visit my home theaters in the morning and for matinee shows even if they show movies like ‘parvati ka pati kaun?’ and low budget Hollywood remakes. Very movies with aesthetic appeal and sense of art are released in post-liberal India. Quality of moving making has improved a lot in last decade but still movies are not up to the mark. I still love light weight comedies and they are now vanished from the big screens of Bollywood. But I still enjoy and celebrate third class love stories and forth class action movies.

Few movies I recently watched are nishabd, 300, hat-trick, hanuman, water, one night at museum, the ghost rider, transporter, hum hain rahi pyar ke, and few others. I don’t remember their names as I watch it for time pass only. The best I think was nishabd. Most of them, they say that they are pretty impressed with the concept and theme of the movie but I am much more impressed by Amitabh’s acting. Khan is just above average but not excellent in any sense or way. Historical facts in movie 300 are manipulated and I don’t think there is much truth in the story left. Animation was good. Hat-trick was worst among them all. The ghost rider was a regular Hollywood shit. All other 10-15 new movies I watched in the month of March were on an average one out of five movies.

On the other hand I really enjoyed and celebrated reading books and novels. Shantaram is worth a double read. It is even more gripping and interesting than the Da Vinci code and it took me only a week to finish that off. War and Peace is still going strong and it seems as if it is a never ending novel. I also read biography of Abraham Lincoln in Gujarati by M. Desai and few of Shakespeare and Tolstoy stories and plays. Lincoln’s life was full of senseless struggle and fight against slavery. I don’t like particularly this kind of books. Shantaram was book of the month for me though. Characters like Quasim Ali and Johnny Cigar gave the story more realistic and earthy feel while Lord Abdul khader khan made it a roller coaster ride for the author. Senseless Karla and ruthless Nazeer were partners in crime. Abdullah made the story passionate and Madame Zhou gave it thrill. But the tourist guide cum taxi driver Prabhakar was the juiciest character of them all. I again am going to read this book after sometime.

After all this March celebrations April began with study books and still I am very busy with them all. I have to prepare for three and a half subject in 20 days and it is not a very big task but I still have to work hard for it. I don’t blog or log on to this computer very often even if I read just few meters away from it. Sometimes I play chess online for couple of hours for refreshment. Yesterday afternoon I talked to Gauravbhai on gmail. He told me that it was his last day in front of ‘The Electrical Monitor’ and was going to join jasubhai media group from tomorrow. He even told me about the latest ‘Mr. Jose without josh incident’. I think we don’t have an instrument yet, and science and technology are not so much developed that we can measure the josh effect on any Richter scale. But effects are always more devastating than the deadliest hurricane.

India and Pakistan’s performance in the world cup cricket forced me to stay away from TV even though I can access it any time I want as far as I am in Ahmedabad. This world cup is full of spicy events and shitty stories and hilarious matches but my exams don’t allow me to stick to the TV for long hours. I am not much interested in the matches involving teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Indies. South Africa even is not as reliable as it was before 5-7 years. England is almost out of the World Cup. Australia New Zealand is a very probable final and I think New Zealand was my favourite from very beginning and I think they will make it big this time. I hope they win the world cup and can give Australia a break.

I am very tired now and don’t feel like writing any more though I have so many other tales to tell. I won’t be able to write again in the near future but I want to write more and more. My laziness and exams are preventing me to do so. I also want to write about Osho and his friends. I was planning this for long and recent comments on our blog forced me to think about that again. I must now have to write about them. I shall try. Amen.

Haiku by kojo

Night, and the moon!
My neighbor, playing on his flute -
out of tune!

Shattered my winter dreams

Dim consciousness that I had done something wrong yesterday suddenly woke me up from my shattering winter dreams. After sometime, when I came back into my body, I realized that it is power-cut that disturbed my sleep and not my consciousness is the culprit. Indeed, my winter dreams are over now and it is summer here. To have power-cuts in summer in India is like to be in hell with thousand devils dancing over your head. Early summer sun is invading my winter palace dancing through windowpane bouncing back and forth and crushing all resistance with cajoled rays that are trying to glitter the corner wall with the shades of dark yellow quartz of topaz. My room is as dim as my consciousness and dark yellow shades, of coy morning sun, are unable to glow it. The light green walls always provoking me to sleep more and more, they have made the matter worse. Power supply is back now but my windows are still closed. Nikhil is not yet back into his body and usually never go for his lectures if arranged early in the morning. It is 10:00 am and yet he is fast asleep. Phursatgunj is the only place on earth with so many aristocrats at the same place. London’s legacy may be. Lords, dukes, counts and kings this place is all full of them. You can find them everywhere just walking through the streets of phursatgunj, they are omni present here. In modern times they have to engage themselves in different kinds of work but with full dignity. Some of them run laaris and others drive auto rickshaws and few among them the greatest of them all, king among kings don't do anything at all but to sit at masi's laari and read all the local newspapers available for hours enjoying masi's super sweet tea and Lord Bhau's cigarettes. I have few pictures of my new palace and surroundings and will paste them here next time to just give the glimpse of phursatgunj to this blog's foreign visitors. I am also shifting from my winter palace to my summer palace. One room summer palace is on the ground-floor and more comfortable during summer times. Feel like smoke. Sayonara.

My Winter Dreams

It is 8:30 in the morning, very clumsy and cloudy outside. Nothing is happening. I went to sadali lari in search of gulshan baba but my search gone into vain as may be either gulshan baba was not there or he left early. Early in the morning suddenly clouds showed up out of the blue. A coconut seller is cracking just outside my balcony. He doesn't know that coconut water is a good antioxidant and can neutralize the bad effects of my all night nonstop smoking. But he surely knows that I am not going to buy his coconuts in either case. Smoking or no smoking, they are as good as nectar. My mosquito repellent coils are effective if and only if I keep door and windows closed. Last soldiers of rebellious mosquito army are trying hard to suck my blood. I just switched off 'the great fan' which swipes under the same speed at all available regulating options on so small and not so user friendly regulator. Uncanny odour of rotten vegetables inside my tiffin-box is still there in my room. My room is a total mess filled with the cigarette smoke.

Wake up kharchoo wake up !! So much pending work to be done. All those oscar wilde stories. Who is going to read it if not you? We know that you are done with the Picture of Dorian gray but other great stories are still there unread. O! the great one please wake up and fill all the empty spaces left behind by the sun-god who is not there today. It is not Sunday today, the great one why you are still fast asleep. Please wake up and let there be light ! It is almost 9 now and still it is dark outside as may be sun-god is afraid of not very dark winter clouds and hid himself behind them. And being a lazy man O! the great is seems as if you are not in any kind of hurry to step into his footsteps so early in the morning. Though sudden change of atmosphere is not going to affect the lazy lifestyle of phursatgunj a lot. But some kind of uneasiness in the air is shattering all my winter dreams. The worse I fear is a humid day and even the worst is the rain. oh, rain god I pray you not to appear on the phursatgunj skies today. With the noise of your raindrops, oh rain god, not you shatter my winter dreams. oh the rain god, this season you have showered enough of love on the lands of phursatgunj. O the gods of the upper skies, please don't shatter my winter dreams. Amen Amen Amen.

Where is the Great One ??

world is same as it was before 24 hours when i wrote about my picture hunt of gulshan baba. evolution is a long process and it is even slower in our beloved phursatgunj. though i have not done any physical labour, in my lazy life today was really a busy day. still i am not tired and can go atleast to sadali laari for an hour or so. i should not repeat the same nonsense again and again that it is very cold outside and winter is here now and kharchoo is fast asleep as usual. but as i cann't think anything beyond that i have to write it again here. unlearning is more difficult than learning new things. by repeating same thing again and again i sound raucous and rowdy to many who visit this blog more frequently now but that can not stop my nonstop nonsense. just like all my lazy friends i also have very poor memory and don't remember things which i have said. both learning and unlearning has taken its toll. the other day as my usual time-pass i was giving all kind of psychometric tests on few self-procalimed testing sites and the results were really funny. when i finished the test there was a note along with my score on it. even though my score was not bad but there were funny remarks that erupted volcanoes of laughter inside me. (though i can't laugh that loud because i don't want to conform my landlord's doubt that i am a madman.) they said that if i improve my memory powers my analytical capablities (which i think are not there) could be compared with that of the western philosopher plato. ha ha ha ha. but i don't take their advice seriously because i know that at this old age now my memory cann't cope with the fast changing techno-savvy knowledge based world around me. the only thing i like about the results is that they say i can be a good chess player as my visual analysis ablities are above average. whether i will be a good chess player or not that is going to be my favourite time-pass for rest of my life. i can not deny the offer to play that divine time killing game. the most active lazy man nikunj was here today and i played chess with him for 3 full hours. i know his limitations as a chess player but can not deny his love for this great game. our boodhi samarpan baba was also here and he visits my phursatgunj kholi more often now as his exams are over. nowadays he regularly goes for the evening kundalini meditations and also wants me to join him there in the evening. i am not only lazy but also an old man now. i can not support the ideas like going to dynamic meditations early in the morning but can go for kundalini at least. if he will be here i shall try to go to the meditation center at karelibaug in the evening.

enjoy of typing and now it is time for some tea. let's pray that gulshan baba is there. no more gulshan baba avatars as no graphics can catch his aura. 'Gulshan Baba ki kripa'

black and white pieces

there are zillions of possible variations in chess and it keeps me busy for the whole night. nowadays i play chess on the FICS servers, they support my pathetic internet connection with lag of 25secs. it is really a great timepass and the best way to kill time. only the ancient indians can invent such a beautiful game. time is the only thing we have in abundance in india, and as the dr.ranjit saheb says that it is really very difficult to timepass, we have invented such a black-&-white game. we are not producing any grand masters but that was not the aim behind our ancestors invention of this great game. and they knew that in the future india is not going to change a lot. undercurrent is the same 5000 years old. chess should be played not to become a grand master but to kill the excess of time you have. dr. ranjit saheb says that in mumbai people dont even have time for themselves, but in a small town like mine i always see people around me doing nothing much. may be that is why dr. saheb never wanted to leave a slow-motion city like phursatgunj. phursatgunj is a place where no one cares whether pendulum swings or not and even if it swings by 360 degree they dont much care about it. when i watch people around me at laaris, at panhouse and joints watching cricket match on 14" TVs, sipping tea without driving any attention, sitting on broken benches smoking bidis endlessly, gossiping for hours as if they understand that they are never going to die, i feel like home. i feel as if i am arrived. chess developed such a patience in me that i can sit for hours and days without doing anything. internet is really a boon for lazy people like us, mitra. you can sit at one place for hours without doing anything just clicking your mouse and stroking keys in between. playing on-line chess is not as entertaining as playing chess on a board with a friend. there is a club named mirzapur footpath chess club in ahmedabad where rickshaw drivers and attarwallahs play chess for endless hours. one should never doubt their patience or ability to play chess as even the best rated players in gujarat visit this club to improve their game and learn new weird supernatural openings. i dont want to discuss chess theory here and dont want to bore you people but i know it is a 'mind-blowing' game.

i am very tired now and dont want to overstress this age old keyboard. i will try to login to gtalk if possible right now so that i can chat with you anando but i think this pathetic connection is not going to allow me to do so.

enjoy your lazyness (MTV Enjoy !!!) and also let me enjoy my lazyness by playing chess. good game sir.

MTV Enjoy!!!

I love MTV. It’s my new passion. Listening to non-stop desi albums till the wee hours. Just now, the channel played, “Chandni rate… chandni rate…” It reminded me of my golden days. In those days, I used to sing, “Chandni rate… chandni rate… Sub jag soye… hum jage, station ki aur bhage. Chandni rate… chandni rate…”
Those were the beautiful nights. Hanging out with friends in the night at station. Sitting silently and smoking. Having tea and samosa at Samrat. Going to railway station and checking weight. Playing cards and eating Santosh’s dalvadas. Bhurabhai and Ambika pan shop. Reading newspaper and discussion. Watching hopeless youngsters. The moments when you become alive. The moments when you are utterly dejected. The moments when you are frustrated. The moments when you want the night to continue forever. The moments when you don’t want to see sunrise. Darkness all around. Within and without.

Nothing in this world can replace those beautiful moments. It reminds me another song, “Main kanhi bhi rahun har kadam har ghadi, mere dil main basi teri yaad hain. Meri aankho ki duniya hain suni padi, dil ki duniya magar tujhse aabad hain. Main kanhi bhi rahun har kadam har ghadi…”

Lovely nights

All nights are lovely. But, these days they are even more special. At the moment I am alone in the "Virgin House". Liquor is flowing like water. At my feet are two half filled bottels of Smirnoff vodka and Bacardi Rum. MTV is playing non-stop indi pop songs. I am feeling sleepy. Time is moving slowly. Everything is serene. Just a little noise here and there of passing vehicles. Getting up to fetch my ciggarette packet. Lovely night and ciggarette in my hand!!! Can't ask for more. Empty Kingfisher premium can is my astray. Dilipp hasn't arrived yet. No need to go outside the room and smoke. Blogging and orkuting. Friends in phursatgunj haven't come online. They are strange creatures. Words can't describe them.

I wanted to write something about my roommates. But, thanks to Anup, I can't. He is a dangerous guy. My secret blog is no more secret. Now, I have to remain extra careful while writing something on 20box. This is curbing my freedom of expression. Feeling extremely sleepy. Good night!!!

Main Zindgi ka sath nibhata chala gaya...

It's a beautiful Saturday night. It's 1:25 and I am writing from my friend's laptop. This is the first time I am typing something on a laptop. As you know, I am suffering from technophobia and it takes a lot of courage from my side to try out any new gizmo. Nevertheless, my friend is sleeping and will wake him up if I am not able to shut down the computer. Also, my fear is less today as I am drunk. Winter is here in Bangalore and nights are cool.

Tomorrow, at 8:00 in the morning I am playing a cricket match. This time my friend, who is also a captain of the team, has assured me that I will be in the final eleven. Anyway, he doesn't have much choice. I know that he hasn't been able to get 11 quality players. Last time when our department took part in the tournament I was the 12th man and a scorer. At my current age, it will be really difficult for me to play a cricket match and I have made it clear to my friend. I can do a bit of spin bowling. I can't run fast and may drop a catch. I can't face fast bowlers and genuine spinners. Let's see what happens!!!

I am going to Baroda on Dec. 2. And as you all know, Baroda in December is better than Switzerland. Now, don't ask me, how can I comment anything on Switzerland, when I have never visited that country. Guys, I have watched a lot of Hindi movies and that country looks beautiful on the 70mm screen. I am feeling homesick as winter reminds of my beloved phursatgunj. If you want to visit Baroda, come during the months of November, December and January. I love the city at all times but during these three months the climate in Baroda is fantastic.

The ICC champions trophy is on and tomorrow India is going to play its first match against England. I have put 500 bucks on India winning the game. So far, I have been very lucky in all my bets. I have lost only one bet in the last 3 months.

These days I drink and smoke a lot. Now, in Bangalore I only drink Signature. A quarter costs me 120 bucks. I know it's not a cheap habbit, but I want to continue it till the good time lasts. The one thing I like about my present condition is that I can do whatever I want to do after my office hours. I am like a free bird. That's the most important thing for me. No worries, no responsibilities. Anyway, I can't take any responsibility. The work is good. It doesn't require much intelligence. I am about to complete one year, the longest I have worked anywhere, and I am still not bored. That doesn't mean I like to work. I and my friends are cheap aristocrats. And aristocrats don't work. They wine, dine and enjoy. I am working to collect some money for my cheap aristocracy. God is kind and I know he will make sure I don't need to work for long.

I think I written quite alot. May be because I am drunk. But my fingers are paining. Will have to stop now. Long live lazyness, long live brotherhood. Bye...Bye...

Back 2 Business

my hot and humid room in ahmedabad
5:23 in the morning.

today i again changed the template for our blog because no one liked the previous one i glued. how things are going there baba? now my phone is dead so i won't be able to call you and also won't be able to receive any call from anybody. how this happened is a big story and my room partner nikhil is also involved so i don't want to reveal the comedy secrets here. for last three days i am in amdavad and i tell you amdavad is hot for most of the year. i think except the months of dec. and jan. amdavad is like a big boiler. i am very tired now and have to go to sleep but before that i want to tell you people that i have uploaded all the photos on the internet and now they are available at this address: http://sindhrout.blogspot.com

i have been reading holy quran for last one month now and still it is not finished and now i think i have to stop reading other stuff and should first finish the holy quran. i also am preparing for CCNA. so now my days in baroda will be full of work and reading. navratri is on in gujarat and i am off for few nights now. i will not prefer to go out in the dark when the whole world is out there dancing like fools in the darkness. for 10 days i feel like i am still a 'Gulam' trying to force whitemen to leave this country. quit india non-movement. i feel like that coz i can not go out of my room during the night time and i can not live without tea at the mid night and than at 3 and than at 5 in the morning. anyway two days have passed and i am still in amdavad and will be here till evening and than will leave for baroda. so i think now i have to live a life of a slave for 7 days only. i dont know why but i hate navratri a lot. i think night should be reserved for people like us and why these fools are around during the night when they are all together. why they dont roam around alone in the darkness of the night during the month of january. i dont understand what they want to prove, or even if they dont want to prove anything than why do they exercise so much. (they call if raas-garba, dancing. but i think it is nothing more than pehalwani.) only fools can dance whole night.

Oh god give us strength so that we can resist this natak of navratri and be at peace.
amen.

long live laziness. long live brotherhood.

i was here.

ranjit singh was online here. so i am. and we talked a lot now i have to move as it is closing time at computer center and i dont have anything to edit now on the blog. i have again changed few features and colors of our blog but it is little bit bright i think. once again i will try to change it again if possible i think it is now my timepass. josh needs to learn a lot from me, how to really kill time and have fun. i will talk to you people later in the night if possible as i have to move now.

long live brotherhood. long live laziness.