Miss You Grandpa

God's finger touched him, and he slept.
--Alfred Lord Tennyson

On the 28th of October 2006, God looked around Heavens and sensed something missing. His garden felt the need of a fragrant flower – a flower that would radiate out sufficient warmth, love and compassion.

He looked upon Mother Earth and found your loving face.

God was Jealous; He wanted you to grace the heavens.
God wanted you in His Kingdom; He wanted you to share your love up there.

Henceforth his angel rode to earth: to pick you and place you in your rightful place – God’s heavenly abode.

You might physically be no more with us, but then you will remain in our memories forever and ever.

I will Miss you Grandpa.

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The Void created by your absence will be hard to fill. But your teachings and love will carry me throughout. I just want to let it be known what a fabulous Grandpa you had been!!! Thank you Grandpa for the many things you taught me in life, for caring for me, for listening to me.

P.S : I do not know if it is right or wrong to express my sincere sentiments – esp. during my grief – in a forum as open and public as this. But since I couldn’t be beside the person I so very loved during his last moments has gotten me so forlorn. I do not even know how he would feel reading this from the heavens up above. I desperately feel like talking to him – The fact that he is no more only is intensifying the feeling. Such an irony.

Am getting so damn nostalgic as well. Thoughts don’t cease. Time seems like it has come to a standstill. Just can’t wait till I get home.

KFC, DON 'n' BAD LUCK

These 3 words aptly sum up our Friday’s Kolkata trip. What happened the last time ten of us embarked on a Kolkata journey – presumably for some shopping and watching RDB – ended up as a total disaster. An Understatement, I know. So with a lot of apprehension and doubt as to how the trip would turn out, we started off -- Sivakin, Rampage n ME. Even Mom kept cautioning me the whole time I was with her on the phone, the day before we set out, and that only added to the perplexity of my psyche.


After a night out and catching the Howrah Mail at 3’O clock in the morning, we reached Kolkata in the wee hours early on Friday. After a brief snack at the station, we rushed off to the passport office to find ourselves right at the head of a queue that gradually grew till 10, which was when the office opened itself.
Four hours of standing in the queue wasn’t actually as agonizing as I had expected it to be. Gossip and petty talk carried us through the 4 hours and it was quick work at the office.




Next stop : City Center, Kolkata – The most happening place in the city. First thing we did on reaching the City Centre was book tickets for DON. I was actually astounded that we could manage tickets for an SRK movie – that too first day and that too the last rows.



KFC
With growling stomachs (the effect of spending almost 6 hours in a queue), the next thing on our minds was to fill our stomachs and there was always just one hang out on my mind – KFC. Having heard so much about KFC and its’ lovely burgers, I just couldn’t resist not being there. One KFC coupled with a Zinger Burger washed down with a Pepsi was all it took to fill my stomach. It was absolutely delicious – heavenly and appetizing. The Zinger Burger was a feast to the gastronomic senses as was the chicken. I can just go on yapping and raving about the burger. But I prefer to keep it short. If you are a non veggie and you do love chicken, do try out the combo I mentioned in KFC. Just recalling the experience is enough to cause salivation and wanting to have that heavenly bite once again. KFC – I will be coming back soon.

Later some heavy duty shopping for Formals, Tees and Greetings and it was time to face the DON.

DON
Less said about the movie, the better.
Dubious Screenplay. Unnecessary Twists and that too a plethora of unwarranted such, the last of which truly stretches the limits and tests your nerves. SRK’s hamming. Half Baked Characters. Illogical Plot. One can just go on……….
Result : I dozed off in the theatre. Sounds weird but True. I felt so sick and miserable for having spent 200 big bucks on such a SISSY of a movie trying to pass off as a STUD. A complete DUD.
The only reprise was the cinematography. Take a peek at DON if you are planning a trip to Malaysia in the future. You will surely get a wonderful preview of the fabulous locales there. Otherwise stay home and enjoy. Just don’t kill your senses for some non-sense.

Rampage and Siva at City Center

BAD LUCK
So when we purchased a passenger ticket only to find the last passenger leave (We were stuck in a traffic jam), we had to board the Howrah-Chennai Mail. With not enough money to pay for the Sleeper Class, we adjusted ourselves and boarded the General Compartment. It was almost 12 in the night when we alighted at Kharagpur. We were very happy as the whole trip went off without any glitches. But then Kolkata, Bad Luck and Myself seem synonymous… Here’s what happened the last time we went to Kolkata. I lost my mobile and Siva fell off a running a train and it was raining disasters that day.
Generally something untoward had to happen and it did. The Ticket Inspector at the station was quick enough to pounce on us and caught us for boarding the wrong train. He threatened us with words like charge sheet, magistrate, police and stuff – stuff that could send jitters through any civilized civilian aware of the weight of the words. Send Shivers through the spine… It did. After a lot of pleading and coaxing and apologizing, we were let off with a fine of Rs.200 per person (We had to use the ATM). How nice would it have been had we shelled out the Rs.80 per person for a sleeper class seat which the TTE politely told us was the actual fare. We were running short on cash and had to ditch that for a General Class Travel and found our way to a fine. But then Ifs and Buts don’t accomplish much other than compound the misery and instigate the pain.
Though we had a satisfying trip all along, the BAD LUCK in the end made us trudge back with a lump in the throat – a sense of déjà vu.

Which reminds me, the day Putta’s cycle went missing my status message in Gtalk read “I seem to be a BAD LUCK mascot” and I was only prophesizing the future.

An Eventful Week

Thursday Night
Ready to leave for Kolkata early in the morning to get my passport done. An obstacle crops up – Rampage has no warden seal on his residence certificate. So forced to stay back.

Friday
Get to know that Inter Hall Technology Quiz is to be held the next day. And then that I have to appear for the selections. Luckily am selected.

Saturday
Inter Hall Tech Quiz.
GOLD
Kiran was on fire. Katoch and Bharat were their usual self. Me as usual was the sober, efficient supporting cast.

Sunday
Started searching for AUTOCAD 3D models on the net in a sincere effort to submit my ITPR assignment. Quite Successful infact. Managed to Google some decent stuff.

Monday
Open IIT Basketball Tournament – Semi Finals
MMM, the first year hall gives RK a run for its money. We sweat and fret to reach the finals. Luck seems to be smiling so far.

Tuesday
Open IIT Basketball Tournament – Finals
RK run KGP Kings quite close in the finals. Final Score: 65-64 in favour of Kgp Kings.
It’s awesome just having given the veterans such a tough fight and it would have been even better had we won, instead of just losing by a whisker.

Tuesday Night
It’s Raghu’s Birthday. After having a sumptuous treat in LS, we head back to find the cycle I’d borrowed from PUTTA stolen!!! Was a rude shock and even right now as I type this stuff out, it looks ridiculous as well as hard to digest.

I’m sorry dude. But not much was in my hands. I’d locked the bicycle properly if I am not mistaken. Hopefully we can trace it back.

I know this ain’t a diary but then I just wanted to make a record of this weird week.

Eventful with a mix of different emotions!!!

Ups….. Downs…. Successes….Disasters…. Who knows what lies in store for us ahead??? Was quite an ODD and DIVERSE week. So I just wanted to make a note of it.

That too with the sentimental stuff I have been upto lately, this would be quite a deviation from the morose stuff.

Happy Birthday, My Friend.

Dear Friend,

It’s been ages since we met…. but you as a person have always remained close to my heart.
It seems like an eternity since we spoke…. but you remain my constant source of encouragement and inspiration.

I never knew what hit me. But I rendered it was the right thing to do. Maybe I was being harebrained. Maybe I was acting sensibly. But at that time I felt it was the right thing to do -- FOR US TO GROW APART.

The distance between us might never melt. I know I hurt your emotions a lot. But then I am not here to give any excuses. The moments we shared haunt me time and again. I can still feel the impact you had on me and you still have on me. Nobody has gotten close to knowing and understanding me as you did. I thank you with all my heart for the lovely moments we shared. Just wanted to say, “It would be nice to have you back as my friend”.

Haan, before I forget to wish you, Happy Birthday. So on the day that trumpets and echoes and celebrates the moment of your arrival into this world, I thank the heavens for your lovely presence and guidance in my life. Miss you in many ways, in ways words can never express.

Yours truly.

P.S : This was something I wrote yesterday, but was largely skeptical about posting. But then certain things are better not hidden. So I am posting this, a day later, after a lot of deliberation and thought.
Skepticism – for I believe my friend is never going to see this.
Deliberation and Thought lead me to summoning all courage and doing the right thing.

Photos Courtesy of Yahoo! Greetings and a little messy work in MS Paint.