Strangers.......not anymore

Lately, or I should say since my moving to KL, I have met a lot of interesting strangers. Will try and write about the experiences:

Tea Time Stranger

I was sitting in the bukit bintang area and sipping hot tea. I was occupying a table meant for six, the restaurant other than my table was packed. I was candidly watching the crowd  pass by just when my eyes were fixed on a lady. She was in her gym gear, her earphones plugged to her ears. Probably she had just come back from her exercise routine. She walked straight to the counter and asked for revive [an energy drink here]. I went back to enjoying my tea and looking at the road:

"Hi, can I sit here"
I turn towards the sound, it was her.
Me: Ya...sure, I mean please!!
Lady: I hope it is fine if I sit here, there is no other vacant table?
Me: That's perfectly fine with me.
Lady: Thanks!!

She takes a chair on the opposite side at the other end of the table.
I couldn't help taking a look at her often while having tea, she was and arabic beauty, big eyes, spotless face, slightly curled hair but neatly tied and a nice figure. But, her beauty could not conceal the hint of worry on her face. She would look into space and switch off for seconds and then suddenly realize that and take a sip from her can. That was a little un-natural and bothered me.

Me:  Hi, you all right? You look like..
Lady: Hi, ya m fine, Thanks!!
Me: Great!! Where are you from? Visiting KL?
Lady: I am from Iran, I was working in KL for 3 years, then I went away. I came back yesterday.
Me: Oh great!! nice to know that you love it here, so much that you are back.
Lady: I didn't want to but ...forget it.
Me: Okay!!
A long moment of silence.
Lady: My name is Hxxxxxx, I came back from jail yesterday.
Me: [my eyes slightly wide open, the tea cup stopped just before my lips and stayed like that] Ohk!!
Lady: For quite sometime I was drug peddling and the very same people got me caught and then I was sent behind bars.
Me: Ohkay!! [that was a little stretched than earlier]
Lady: I was in jail for 6 months and I did tauba never to do anything like that. But, I want to teach the other ones a lesson who sent me there. Now that I am back, I want them to see me that I am back so I am going at all the places where these guys are.
Me: You mean to say....they are around this areas as well? I mean just curious?
Lady: Ya...but don't worry.
Me: [instantly i blurted] Noooo..not at all, why should I? {I am kind of thinking if those guys are watching me and somebody might just think that I am an accomplice, even the  police..darn..I am like I hope the other party or the police are not watching I am a dead man..why the hell did I sit and have this ....stupid tea, it doesn't even taste nice!!}
Lady: So what do you do here?
Me: Nothing, just working for a company. I think I will make a move..I mean the tea is cold..I don't like it this way. Anyways, it was nice meeting you.
Lady: Oh great!! even I am done.
Me: Great!! I will excuse myself need to use the washroom you go ahead [I didn't want to be noticed chit-chatting and walking out with her].
Lady: Okay!! Bye.
Me: Bye!! 

The 2 o' clock call

Imagine.....

You wake up one fine Sunday morning rubbing your eyes. You look for your glasses and then your phone to check what time it is, you see a notification that you have an unread message in your inbox a message sent sometime in the night. You check it and the first thing you notice is that it is from a very near and dear friend and you become concerned when you read something like:
"Slightest opportunity if you are awake" sent at about 2 o 'clock his/her time.

You are little confused and you want to know why the question? why not just call up and ask? Is everything like fine? So you instantly reply "I am here now, tell me".
Pat comes the response " Nothing, wasn't sleepy so thought of bugging you, but wasn't sure if you are awake"
You reply back "Call karna tha na...agli baar ke liye note kar lo"

Believe me it is pleasant to get that call than reading that message early morning.

Hypothetically, lets assume you did make that call, what all can happen:

Your friend, say that's me, picks up the phone. I am asleep but when I see your call the next thing is to fetch my glasses to see what time it is. 2 o' clock. My first reaction will be of concern.
Me: "Hi, all okay, is everything fine?"
X: Yup, just aise hi call kiya, wasn't feeling sleepy so thought of bugging you.
Me: [to a female friend]: Hmm.....bolo!!
Me: [to a male friend]: Behenchod!! kya gaandupanti hai..tujhe hum hi chutiya nazar aa rahe hai...bhains ki aankh saale daaru pee rakhi hai kya? pee hi rakhi hogi warna aise chutiyaape nahin karta..kuch kaam ki baat hai toh bol nahin toh ..bhag bhonsdi ke ..sone de!!
X: Hahahahaahahahaa...ohohohoho.....pata thaa saale aise hi karega....ahahahahaaah.!! [That's all I would hear from the other side.]

Now looking at the above and a bit of analysis:

If something was wrong genuinely, it would be nice to know right at that moment than being the late comer.
If nothing was wrong, just time pass, you still would hear a lot of things which would make you laugh on the cuss words you hear or at least you will get somebody who will be happy to listen to you no matter what fucking time it is..it never did matter.

I have the right to both!! To know, to be called at the moment when the thought strikes the first time, to listen...just plainly listen...and shower cuss words if I feel the need to..anything actually...just about anything from the other side. It would be fun!!

So, Forget what the hands of the watch show a moment that creates a sense of distance, that moment or time [or anything to do with it] is not worth my time!!

Make that call!!

WTF: What Tasty Food

Yes!!

That is the name of the restaurant "WTF"

The good thing about meeting people in a pub is the randomness. You just can't imagine what is the story that you are about to hear.
Jayesh, a malay-gujju (yes in that order!!) beer belly, foodie and a womanizer. Once he is tipsy he has the most interesting stories to tell you with that typical gujju humor, thankfully despite being malay before being a gujju. WTF recommendation came from him.

The next day I went to Bangsar and was happily surprised that most people that I met and asked for directions to WTF knew it. So, my expectations were set that this would be worth the effort.

Somethings about WTF other than food.


Marketing is awesome!! Every person, malay, Indian, chinese every body knew about it moreover everyone  had good things to say about their food. One of the many things that I can attribute to the Gujrati background, they are good at marketing their products and the community as a whole helps out each other to market to the outside world. Their use of superlatives: both good and bad.
For eg. A simple marketing statement made by the owner
 "Gaurav bhaiya, yahan par saari mithai india se better hai"

Good thing: That was tempting and I made up my mind to give it a shot.
Bad thing: Expectations!! The bar is set up higher and you can only disappoint your customer if you don't get it right.

People:

Owners are Ujjwal, Preeti and Jigna. Awesome people, friendly and sweet to talk to. They took out time to sit and have a chat with me. I walked into the place at about 3.30pm,odd hours for lunch. They are closed from 3-6pm but Ujjwal was kind enough to invite me. they were renovating their kitchen but he made sure that the cook prepares well for me. He invited me for Sunday cricket and introduced me to family. Really!! it is always a pleasure to meet good people.

Ambiance or Food?? That is "THE" question a restaurant should be able to answer to its customer.
They promote food as their USP so I wasn't really expecting a great ambiance. But, to my surprise the place was decently done, thanks to Preeti (owner) she is an interior designer and has done a decent job. The bulbs on the ceilings are an eyesore though, but will discount it for gujju liking for dhinchak ambiance.

Now about Food!!


Food is best compared to a woman!!

Tempting when you see her first

Smells good when you are closer

Fine-smooth texture when you first touch her (I am pretty sure no one likes women with hair all over their body like Savanna grasslands)

There should be that "something" about her that keeps you guessing

And when you have her it should end in an orgasm.


Lets get back to the food now :)

Ujjwal recommended veg hariyali, a tawa naan and parantha and jaljeera.

Veg hariyali, of course "green" to the core with a cut tomato decoration on the top. Some ghee/butter floating on in the bowl. First reaction, bland, oily/unhealthy not visually appealing.

Aroma: it makes up 80% of flavor. The dish lacked it completely. This made it difficult to expect too much.

Texture: As expected from the ghee/butter floating on top, it was greasy. Which is actually conflicting with the notion of veg "hariyali" where in I expect the freshness, crispness quotient to be higher.

Nothing to guess: it was gravy all the way, beans and beans.

Nothing to say that it ended in a memorable experience worth sharing. Ghee, gravy that was the only taste my pallet could recognize. It looked for some spices, flavors and they were completely missing. The cook needs to know that beans "are either sweet or tasteless". The whole preparation was at best a greasy mix of beans, spinach and butter.

Very basic, honestly I have had better vegetarian in KL if that is their "good" preparation.

Lets get back to the interesting one "woman". Each stage is equally important from visual to the end, any "unwanted surprises" are a put off.

I am not a chef, but If I had to think of veg hariyali at WTF. I would expect the following:
Green...yes keep it green. Avoid the white/yellows (butter) they don't fit in well. The veg hariyali  should be either a saag or a mix of veggies. Currently it is struggling to find its space between the two.

Still,  if you prefer to keep the "mix of raw materials" as it is. These would be my recommendations.
1) Cut the beans smaller, they just are too big and a put off
2) Do not use ghee/butter that gives a layer of "white" on the dish. Try using "very little olive oil" for the tadka on top. It should not float on the surface
3) Use some spices.
          Firstly for the aroma: try heeng it tastes good with such green vegetables
          For the taste: "Give it a flavor" find your own mix of spices. Currently it is bland.
4) Texture: Do away with the greasy stuff. Try something that gels with the texture of the gravy, ajwain. "It is like the mole on her arm that slight unevenness adds to the beauty"

5) Remember, it should end with ...............(w)aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!



Experiment my friend, there is lot more to food than marketing. Good luck!!

Pebble

How is a pebble in a heap different from the one on the street or so to say even different from the one that is part of some interior designer’s creation?

Their destinies!!

They were born equal; their destinies decided their paths and their end.

“I” am just another pebble on the street

I was born as a rock, but that doesn’t make any difference now

All loosers have a glorious past, winners have their present to talk about

My destiny brought me here on the street; streets layered with muck

I like muck!! Muck makes me feel safe it covers my shame of being “nothing”

It is easier to handle shit in your face than shame in your eyes

Although, I looked/pretended to be like the one in the designer's creation, worthy of  living in luxury

But, destiny, the slick bitch, she can never go wrong,
She made no mistakes, she judged me rightly,I shouldn't say this but she was fair
She passed the verdict....

“I” was the “Insignificant” one

Chai

Subah uthna chai banaana , wahi roz marra ka kaam..yeh daalo woh daalo..ubaalo aur gatak lo.

Par achaanak ek din, chai ki pehle chuski lete hi laga..waah!!! aaj chai achi bani hai. Shayad...adrak ki wajah se… par thoda sa, kisi kone main se, khayaal aaya ki bhai apni jeet ko adrak ke naam kyu kare, adrak toh roz hi daalte hain, kam- zyaada chalta hai. Apni is choti si kamyaabi se badi khushi mili, dil garden garden ho gaya aur saath hi yaad aaya ki aise chai kisi ko bahut pasand hai…mere kisi apne ko….bahut pasand hai.

Chai  banane se, chai samagree, tareeka, kya cheez kitni daalni hai, kitna naap- kitni bhaap, sab jhagde ka sabab rahe hai…Shayad chai kabhi shaanti se bani hi nahi. Aur agar tapri par chai peene gaye toh samjho tapree waala ki khair nahin, tippdiyaan diye bina paise dene hi nahin. Aur agar achi lag gayi, toh aisi haalat ke bhai tapri waale ko ghar le chale ya duniya ko kheench ke zabardasti la ke tapri par chai pilaani.

Aise choti naunk jhonk ek-dum se yaad aa gayi bas uthaaya phone aur sms kar daala.. “aaj chai bahut achi bani hai toh kisi ko bataana zaroori thaa”. Fataak se reply aaya “J “.  Aur jiski umeed thee woh uske peeche peeche..ji haan ek sawaal “tumne banaayi hai” Mujhe pata tha ki aisa hi kuch poocha jaayega, but “J” se laga chalo is baar doubt nahin hai, par meri galatfehemi agle hi second duur ho gayi.

Phir idhar se jawaab udhar se sawaal, sawaal-jawaab, jawaab-sawaal ka silsilaa chalta raha. Pata hi nahin chala ke is sms ki adlaa badli main kya kya aur kab tak baat hui. Aur jaane kab naunk-jhonk main badal gayi.....

Chai ab aur bhi achi lagne lagi, 

Shayad chai main isi "naunk-jhonk" ki kami reh gayi thi.

Kindle main woh baat nahin!!

Zubaan par zaayka aata tha jo safhe palatne ka
ab ungli click karne se bas ek jhapki guzarti hai
kitaabon se jo zaati raabta tha, kat gaya
kabi seene pe rakh ke let jaate the
                                   

It is actually a composition by Gulzar "kitaabein" which talks about how the experience of reading a book has changed. People nowadays read e-books on kindle/tablets there was a time when reading a book was an experience.Reader and a book were like a lover and beloved to each other and reading was like sharing intimate moments in that relationship.

As her lover I admired her, I touched her, I made her feel comfortable in my arms before she opened up to me. Reading each chapter was like getting to know a new secret from the life of my beloved. Turning each page was like giving a small peck on the forehead of my beloved, it left behind a lingering taste in my mouth. Before retiring folding the corner of a page was like making a commitment of coming back to her the very next day or even sooner if I could squeeze in time from my materialistic pursuits. When I returned to her, I would always find her eagerly waiting the way I left her last night, at times when I was late I could even hear her whisper a complaint "you are late today." I picked her up in my arms again looked for that folded corner and softly unfolded it, that left behind a mark on her, like a love bite, that would stay there for a few days. Although, she didn't want it yet she never resisted, for the fear that I might lose my way in this journey with her. Engrossed in a conversation with her time just flew. I never realized when I used to fall asleep, she would rest on my chest with my arms wrapped around her. And, she would wait in anticipation all night that I might wake up again and would want to know more about her.

A "click" can not fill this void...EVER!!

I Wished....

Just a year back, she was just another stranger on the street. One of those many people who just happen to pass by when you are busy with something, lost in your thoughts, waiting for a bus or travelling in a train and numerous such places.
A couple of phone calls, a meeting and some time on chat. She was somebody I could talk about anything and everything. She was confident, logical, tolerant (of my weirdness) and caring.
I wanted things to work but then the world in not so ideal. In India marriage doesn’t mean just two people, it is two families. Ya families, that’s where it went a little out of hands.
I guess I was weak, too weak to stand up for something for myself. And I guess the first thing in this relationship is the ability to stand up for oneself, yourself. She was right to make a choice to walk with somebody who would walk by her side than with the guy who was afraid to take the first step.
Or,
I guess I was too strong. Too strong to just follow what makes everyone happy, people who matter to you. “I” just ceases to exist. Even these types are difficult to handle hence, people usually prefer somebody who walks the middle path.
Strong-weak, stupid-weird no matter what categorization would justify the whole event. I did try behind the scenes .I knew that you wished and waited long for us to come together, I didn’t need to hear it from you, I just knew it. Coz, So did I.
I just expected the time to be right, things worked out, ideal as they should be (I don’t have a short term memory loss but I do have good theatre experience to make it look like it is). Good luck!!

Kuch kehana tha

Kuch kehana tha…
Paani main rakhe daddu ke daanto se
Khoonti par latke daadi ke baalon se
Baba ke kurte main lage khonte se
Ammi ke zung lage supari ke sarote se
Chutki ki nayi hari-peele chudiyon se
Badki ki puraani kaali jutiyon se
Tai ke pehle safed baal se
Guddu ke us stupid se sawaal se

Kuch kehana tha…

Chachu ki satrangi kameez se
Guddi ki gol gullak ki khereez se
Munshi mama ki kalaave main bandhi kalam se
Tauji ki gud-gud-aati hukke ki chillum se
Kaaka ki mooch main chipki malaai se
Chaachi ki charmaraati chaarpai se
Naani ki nayi paayal ke bade waale ghungroo se
Chuttan ke, gaye saal ramleela main khareede, chotu damroo se

Kuch kehana tha…

Naanu ke, safed dhaage se jode, bhoore ainak se
Mausi ke banaaye mitti ke saanwre sainik se
Andar aangan ke kone main rakhi tulsi se
Bahaar chaukhat ke beech lagi nazariye ki kalsi se
Ghar ke saamne waali gali ke pehle modh se
Gaon ki aakhri baaodi ke doosre chhor se

Kuch kehana tha…
Kehana tha kuch apno se kuch apne aap se
Kuch shabdon main kuch bhaav se
Ke kuch paane ki chaahat main jo choot gaya uski koshish main aaya hoon
Tab Musaafir ho chala tha, par ab ghar laut aaya hoon, ab ghar laut aaaya hoon

Random

It has been a long time when I last wrote/shared something on this space. Probably the breaks are an indicator of the status of your mind.
Or to put it another way, you share when you are full to the brim and just can’t hold it anymore.
Could be when you realize although a particular situation looks clear, but still you don't have the guts to announce a decision to yourself and you need to hear it from SOMEBODY.

Lately, its been like an information overload. Lots of random thoughts; bits and pieces of information floating around, still am not able to figure out if they are answers to the questions that people have asked me sometime, I have asked myself or questions that were never voiced but have always existed.
Or it could be they are questions, questions that I have asked myself over and over again but could never find and ans. or the ones which I had been afraid/reluctant/lazy to ask anyone even myself.
Random it might seem, but do I CARE …….not sure about this like many other things
What hurts more; bruised ego or bid-adieu
Why when it comes to people “Good” and “acceptable” are different? Should we just start looking at people as commodities, at least that’s where they both converge mostly.
Why when it comes to making choices we end up using our heart s where we ought to have used our brains and vice-versa.
Who is responsible for widening the gap between “my want to list” and “my need to list”; society, or am I so weak/gullible that people can just walk into my life and take control of it.

Is individualism a quality or a medical term;

Why what we like is not “how it should be”

If speaking out means hurting someone and keeping silent means slowly killing yourself; would making a choice in your favor mean you are selfish, does a moment define character;

God-> society-> community->family->You-> friends; why is the order this way? I haven’t seen the first; and the last were always there for me, despite their preferences/commitments in the same order. What role does the society/community play in your life,; Creating Barriers. Who gave them that privilege /right so that “they” decide for “you”?

Why when it comes to “decisions” families expect “to return favors” than “to be free”, does respect deserve to be categorized as the “reason/Point”; trump card to be precise for families.

Rains, Age and Perceptions

Age 4-12: Dehradun, Col Brown School
Loved Rains
•Coz, I didn’t have to wake up early for Physical Training sessions, that meant another 1 hr of early morning sleep
• Enjoyed hot steaming Tea (sugar water in hostels) for breakfast, Hot rajma-chawal for dinner…slrrp!!
•Coz played football in the wet fields while it was drizzling
•Didn’t have to waste time on bathing ritual
•The fields were flooded with hail, the greens turned white looked picturesque
•Didn’t pay attention to anything in class, either gazed outside or simply snuggled and dozed off
Hated Rains
•Coz I had to wear those heavy gum boots for the whole day
•Coz I had to sit in the lobby all through the 1.5 hrs of evening sports sessions hoping that it stops raining and instructor allows us to play
•Coz I misplaced my raincoat couple of times amongst the heap outside the mess and had to run to the hostel
•Coz I couldn’t tolerate the sight of hundreds of slimy creatures (earthworms) wriggling in the field
Age 13-18, Delhi, KHRMS
Loved rains
•Played basketball
•No assembly
•Made sure to get punished so that we three (mausam, pari and me) get to stand out of the class
•Watching the z-black eyes on the other side of the corridor in class
Hated rains
•The uniform was all white, even the trousers and definitely not the best body
•Home was not to far so had to walk back and cars splashed all the water on pedestrians, delhites don’t have basic road manners I say
Age 19-28 Delhi, Assam,hydbd, Mumbai…nsit, job, isb, job
Loved rains
•NSIT is the most beautiful of the places I have been in delhi and it is simply AWESOME during the monsoons
•Soccer, basketball and volleyball….loved it all
•Bird-watching while getting drenched in the rain
•Never ever gave a thought that umbrellas or raincoats existed, trusted a couple of things depending on the situation
oMy ability to run if I wanted to reach almost dry which I never did
oThe rationale that it is just water what differnce does it make when I wanted to walk
•Loved passing comments on love birds in college, simplllllllllly loved it and lot of them were coochicooing in the rain sitting on the pavements or some remote corners. Sadistic it might seem but our gang actually did that.
•The life in job was wonderful I enjoyed the adventure of getting stuck and stranded on the road for hours waiting for rescue
•Looking back it was fun going to the site on a rainy day, working in the beaaaaautiful tea gardens, driving in the assam valley during the rain, taking pictures simply awesome
•Mumbai if I keep aside the water logging everything else is simply awesome during the rains, the city comes to life.
Never hated rains after that, just that my expenses increased by a couple of times. I had to invest in a lot of spare “clothes” … 