I Dream of Amhaerikha......

• 21 is the no. of results you'll get when you google "Adarsh Shekhar"

• 1210 is the total no. of results when daroga speaks is googled.

• 76 is the no. of companies that visited IIT Kharagpur before the one that took me.

• 23 is the no. of students of the same department and batch as myself.
  

• 7 is the no. of times I have been on stage.

• 53 is the no. of posts that I have published till now.

• 3 is the total no. of institutions that I have studied in till now.

• 12 is the no. of US universities that I have applied to.

If my getting a scholarship doesn't harm you in any which way then you may wish me luck. Results are expected in March.

And oh.... I just forgot..... Happy Valentine's Day :)

C ya on V-day (hopefully)

It's the first time I am on "Official leave". My supervisor is taking me to Indo-US Workshop on Advances in Computational Optimization and Analysis of Systems {Kuchh samajh mein aaya ???? ................ me neither :D } to be held in I.I.T. Kanpur during 6-9 February,2007.

I knew you will take me otherwise. So let me make myself clear..... for me its nothing more than a paid trip to IITK.... jab 4 saal apne IIT mein nahin padha to baajuwaale IIT mein 4 din mein kya padhenge :P
Will go to home sweet home while returning.
----------------------------------------------------

• Rickshaw fare from Patel Hall of Residence to Kharagpur Junction : Rs 30

• Passenger train ticket from KGP to LAYABAD ( The railways don't give ticket for Sijua, where I disembark) : Rs 34

• Lehar Kurkure and Brittania Good Day Cake ( which make my lunch) : Rs 20

• Jhaal Murhi ( those who haven't heard of it.... I can't explain... you have to taste it to know it) :

Rs 4 (if given in local Bengali newspaper)
Rs 5 (if given in National English Daily, properly garnished with 1mm thick , 1cm wide, quarter of a ring of coconut)

• Jhaal waala Lozenge ( again ... you have to experience it to know it) : Rs 2 (for a pack of 4... I buy 5 such packs)
• Chana-ghugni : Rs 3
• Boiled eggs : Rs 5 a pair ( in Summers) ....... Rs 6 a pair ( in winters)
• Chiniya Badaam ( roasted groundnuts) : Rs 5 per 100 gms
• The very sweet, green and fresh guavas that I take home for my sister : Rs 20 per kg
• The smile on my parents' face when they see their son coming home with a job : Priceless.
  

c ya soon.....

Pehchaan Kaun ?

Good Morning.

I know its early but you know when you enter professional life, the instantaneous positions of the hands of the clock really doesn't matter. Your job takes the utmost priority and everything else is pushed back, knowingly or unknowingly, by none other than you. Such is the demand and such should be the dedication. Anyways, lets get back to our morning. For some people, it may be the morning after they had experienced the best day in their life. For some others, it may be the beginning of the best day in their life. Some will awake today having a good, tight sleep after winning a kind of battle. For me and most of others, it is yet another morning. Time to get ready for the job. Sometimes I envy those having 9-5 jobs... but only sometimes. The rest of the times I relish the absence of constraints, the absence of dress code, the absence of extra mental burden that they carry home and above all.....the absence of a BOSS !!!

Oh.... I think you are still wondering about my job profile. OK.... let me try to explain. Actually, the job i simple but it becomes kind of hard to explain. Nevertheless, I'll try.
I am a self-emplyed serviceman in the SMV division of the transportation sector. As I said... I have no boss. I have no juniors either. I have colleagues but they all are independent. My vehicle runs with the energy produced when glucose and its cousins are decomposed by chemical reagents during a bio-chemical process. Like all other jobs, my job requires enormous will power. My customers range from new born babies to one-strong-hichki-and-i-am-dead elders, the fairer sex and the old being the niche domain. It is not customary in our job to use any artificial means such as print or screen media to publicise and attract customers. We have to rely on our PR skills, which has less than 50% probability of success. So the more veteran you are, the more customers you attract.

Though there is no fixed retirement age a la govt. jobs, my colleagues retire by the age of 55 due to physiological constraints but exceptions are always there. The rigours of my job requires usage of additional chemical stimulants which the so-called corporate world terms as 'alcohol'. Ours is a 24 hour service and I get to sleep in my office only. To compensate for this, I take a few days off in a month(one of the advantages of not having a boss). Every passerby without any artificial means of transport is a prospective customer and I respect each and every of them.
And Oh yes..... good pricing and negotiation skills are very important to excel in my field.
All those who still haven't figured out who I am... lemme tell you.... I am your local Rickshaw-waala.

P.S.---> SMV = Slow Moving Vehicle.

A dream

One day you and I
Were walking thro' the wood
Everything was great
As fresh as they could.

Infinite as the skies,
Smooth as the cream,
White as the snow,
Just like a dream.

Suddenly the sky shrunk
And the snow was gone
It was a wind of faces
Leaving no time to run.

Everyone was rushing
No one would halt
It left me wonder
If it was my fault.

I was holding you
With no room to see
The next thing I knew
You were not with me.

'Was standing alone
Knowing not what to do
With all my senses
Straining to find you.

With maelstrom inside
I closed my eyes
And entrusting His ways
Prayed to the skies.

I saw countless faces
And then I saw You
Shining like an Angel
As fresh as dew.

The Making of VanBhoj-IV

A: Who’s he?

Av: Bhoot.

As: May be just a passer-by.

A: He is carrying something in his hand.... dekh to.... its looking like a knife !!!

An: I think he is the owner of this land.... and someone must have told him about the simultaneous existence of us and his land at the same point of time and space.

J: About what ????????

S: Oye…. He’s my Dad !!!

J: What’s he doing here??? Come on Uncle…… we can manage. Why can’t these dads leave us alone??

Uncle: Is everything alright?

All: Absolutely fine.

Uncle: Did you start cooking??

S: Rice is on….meat is queued.

Uncle: Where’s the oil ?

S: (after an intensive search in all the bags) ummm……. Errrr…… we had put it in the….in the….. abe kahan rakha tha ???

Uncle: Here it is. You left it at home. I knew you’ll forget something.

S: Papa.... err..... did we leave nething else???

Uncle: I did not see anything else. Chalo….enjoy.

All: Thank you Uncle :D

1 P.M.

Av: Abe kya @%@%#^ hai ye !! (the F-word hadn’t entered their dictionaries yet) Where’s this wind coming from…. And more importantly…. WHY???

A: It would take forever to cook if this wind continues.

J: Abe…. Look at the chulha…..the heat’s going down!!!!

As: Abe do something. Everyone get dry leaves from wherever and put them in here. That’s the only way to maintain the heat. HURRY!!!!!!!!

After 15 minutes of pandemonium, the wind calmed, the chulha held its fort, the field was sans dry leaves and the ‘men’ were victorious.

2 hours later, they were having their lunch. The rice was overcooked. The meat was almost cooked. The gravy was thicker than water. Salt was slightly on the negative side, duely compensated by chilly on the positive side. The remains of dry leaves garnished the rice and salad. But the spirit, the fun, the innocence, the adventure, the pride, the sheer feeling of ‘Yes, we have done it’…. all confluenced to make that lunch the tastiest lunch they had ever had and the day….memorable forever.

As: What to do with the left rice??

An: Give it to Vanbudhi (the Goddess of fields and forests)

As: All of them!!!

S: Naah re…. give a little bit. I’ll take the rest home. Why waste it.

As: You’ll carry it all the way to your home!!!

S: Err…….. I think so. Anybody here to help me?? (everybody was walking)

They returned by 6 pm…. After living a day on their own terms…. The first such day in their lives .

One year later.

S: Abe…. Picnic karega??

--------X---------

The Making of VanBhoj-III

The D-DAY…. 7:30 A.M.

S: Everybody present??? Where’s A ??

A: (entering) Here I am. Everybody present???

Av: Who’s he???

Earlier……..

Maa: Take R with you naa…. He’ll like it.

A: Maa, we haven’t planned for him. Besides, he’ll feel like a stranger.

Maa: Arre….. he’ll make friends with everyone.

A: ummmm…..err……. What about the 10 Rs???

Maa: I’ll make bread rolls for everyone….that’ll take care of the 10Rs. Get ready R… you are going with Bhaiya.

…………..

A: He’s my cousin. Came yesterday night.

S: Come on…..we’re getting late.

After 20 minutes of something equivalent to trekking, thanks to all the stuff they were carrying, albeit on plane fields with thin, serpentine pathways, they reached the spot.

Av: Is this the water stream that you were talking about??? Where does it come from??

S: Doesn’t matter. The top layer of flowing water is safe. Don’t worry.

Av: Are you sure??

S: Abe saale….. I am very sure. Besides… we have brought drinking water….idiot. You’ll not die. Now keep quiet.

Av: I’ll appreciate if and only if I reach home…alive.

As: Chalo chalo… let’s get to work. I am setting up the chulha. S…..come over here. Rest…place the bed sheets etc.

10 A.M.

J: Why hasn’t the chulha all fired up till now.

As: Dunno

An: Hurry yaar….I am getting hungry and restless.

Av: Let’s have everything else and will have the tea when this damn thing gets ready.

After another 30 minutes, the breakfast was over. The rampant mice in each stomach was calmed down but not for long.

Av: How many days before the water boils…. he he

S: Shut up. Days nahin….. minutes…..30 minutes.

Av: And another 30 minutes for cooking. Then another 1.5 hours for the meat. I hope we get to eat before night….. he he

A: Abe….. what if someone comes and drives us away or snatches our belongings??

An: (hoping things won't go THAT bad) We’ll thrash him.

S: Bhak….. No-one will come here.

J: I don't quite agree with you....... look there….. Someone’s coming !!!.

All eyes and heads turned.

............... to be concluded.........pakka se..... :D

The Making of VanBhoj-II

The Planning Committee meets………..

A: What all will we have?

S: Bread-butter, tea, eggs, mixture, biscuits for breakfast and…………

A: Oye….. are we going to hotel or what ??? Such an extended breakfast will take all the time. When will we cook the lunch?

An: Shut up…. Only tea has to be made.

A: Err………. Okay. But remove bread-butter. Where would we toast them? The Chulha(stove) will take time to get ready and it would be too late for breakfast then.

All: Okay

S: Now to lunch. We’ll have rice, meat and salad. Simple.

A: Why salad?? I mean…. What’s the use??

All: Shut up !! Don’t you have salad???

A: No.

All: Whatever….salad will be there.

A: Maa said 200 gms of rice per head will be enough.

S: 7 of us….. that makes 1.4 kgs. Let’s take 2 kgs to be safe.

An: What !!! 2 kgs !!! Abe dukaan kholega kya ??? 1.5 kgs is more than enough.

J: What’s the need to buy rice? Let everyone bring in raw rice for himself. There won’t be any wastage either.

Av: Everyone of us don’t eat the same rice. The Biharis have Arwa…and the Bengalis…Usna.

S: So…which rice to buy…..Arwa or Usna???

All: Arwa…Usna…..Arwa….Arwa….Usna….Usna….Usna

A: Decide karo yaar….what is this?

The Bengalis: Abe have Usna naa….it’s matter of a day only!!!

Av: Same thing applies to you.

The Bengalis: Pleeeeaaaaasssssseeeeeeeee

Av: Okay… we’ll have Usna. Just tell us how much time will we be having after the dose of Usna…he he

A: 10 Rs. Per head. Lets market.

S: What about Utensils? Let’s distribute. Chulha…???

As: Me. Also the coal, kerosene, woods, etc.
………………..
……………….
S: Masala…. Me.

J: Should we boil the eggs there ??

A: No….. It’ll get late…I’ll bring them boiled.

Av: The BIG question??? Where are we going ??

An: Mahuda bridge.

A: Permission denied. I am not allowed to go out of 2 km radius.

J: The Project ground.

A: 50-50

S’s Mom: Do it in the fields up there.

All: Okay.

Next evening….the local market.

S: Tomorrow 7 am….. in my house. We’ll proceed from there.

They were unsure but raring to go.

........... to be continued..........

The Making of VanBhoj-I

Abe….picnic karega ??

I am sure this must have rung some bells. I suppose everyone has gone for picnics. As children, it was one of the primary reasons we waited for the New Year.

Picnic…. A day away from the constraints of home. A day away from the watchful eyes of Maa. A day meant for wild partying. A day when we had the right to go haphazard. A day when mistakes were fun. A day to show Maa that we can cook. A day to show Papa that we can cope up with anything and everything. A day to be……. Our very own selves. A day of complete freedom. Welcome New Year….. let’s party together!!!

When was the first time you went for a picnic?

Let’s go through such a debut………..

-----------------------------------------------------------

December 1995
Class VI (A)

S: Abe picnic karega ?

A: Picnic !!! bhak….. won’t get permission.

S: Abe I’ll get it for you.

A: Who else are there?

S: You, me, A,B,C,D, Pappu,Chunnu,Gajodhar, Sankat, Tanki, Sadiya, Teli, Billi, RamSingh, Poodi, Puna, Jaga......

A: Did you talk to them ???

After roaming around the class for some 15 minutes, having similar conversations, S comes up with the list.

S: See…You, me , Av, An, J, Su, As are ready. Some else may join. You ask your parents.

A: You ask uncle to convince Papa.

Next day………..

A: Abe….. got the permission !!!!

S: Sahi !!!!!!! so when should we go???

After lots of yes’ and nos….

S: 1^st ???

A: 1^st will be too crowded…. Won’t get permission.

S: 31^st??

Av: I am going with my colony friends.

S: 2^nd ??

J: Which day is it ??

An: Thursday

J: Not on Thursday…. It’s the day of Goddess Lakshmi !!! No non-veg !!!

S: Bhak.

A: 25^th December

All: 5 days before New year !!!

A: We won’t be able to go after new year…we have our classes from 3^rd. 25^th is a good day. Problem kya hai ??

All: (slowly)Theeeeekkkkk haaaaiiiiiii.

S: 25^th done. A, An, J….lets meet this evening at my home to plan things out.

All: Okay.

No one knew how to start. They all left with a silent question….. Can we pull it off ???

............. to be continued.........

The Arrival.

First School: TATA D.A.V. School, Sijua, Dhanbad, Jharkhand,INDIA
First prize: Consolation prize, Speech Competition,24th January,1992,Class II.
First Bicycle: Hero jet,ladies (it was bought for my sister),1995.
First Crush: Maa says she was the daughter of the principal of our school [:P], Class: U.K.G., 1989.
First Election: For the post of Dramatics Secretary, Patel Hall of Residence,IIT Kharagpur,August 2004, Lost.
First Street Play: For the theatre group BANJARA, 12th November,2004.
First Stage play: 14th January, 2005.
First time on camera: Self made short film--> 'Tedhi Baat', August,2006
First Industrial Experience: Research & Development,TATA STEEL, Jamshedpur, May-June,2006.
First Job: COVANSYS INDIA PVT. LTD., 15th January,2007, 7:45 pm IST (GMT +5:30)
----------------
Finally the good news arrived. I have got a Job and 'I am relieved' would be an understatement.
The New Year is now officially Happy.
And BTW did I tell you that since they were like 'No Formals Required'.... I gave my interview in a Light Pink and White checked Shirt over a Blue High-neck inner.... and light brown Trousers (I decided against going in wearing Floaters at the last moment).
The year has begun great.... lets see what more is in store.
Take care all you fabulous people...and Thanks for all your support and wishes. :)
c ya soon

Why?

There were questions,
And the answers.
There were destinations,
And the paths.

There were labyrinths,
And the escape.
There were waves,
And the calm.

There were many more,
For sure.
But all I remember is Love,
Simple and pure.

It was deep,
And infinite as the skies.
O dear,
Why couldn't you understand my eyes.

------------------------------------
Feel free to crticize..... I know it's a very bad consequence of poetic induction.
Nevermind.