Friday, October 21, 2011

'Are you a MBA student?' test


You know you are an MBA student when:
  • You groan every time you hear ‘case’ and ‘study’ being uttered in the same breath
  • You start working an hour before the submission deadline but still manage to complete it
  • You stay up studying late at least thrice a week – the rest of the days, you are still up late, but on Facebook
  • Your social interaction is limited to Gtalk, Yahoo, Facebook, MSN...
  • You play NFS Most Wanted in the classroom during lectures, occasionally giving ‘insightful’ comments in the class, about another subject
  • You find out the topic of your presentation moments before being ushered onto the dais and still manage to speak utter nonsense without anyone noticing
  • You inadvertently add words like ‘strategic’, ‘estimate’ and ‘careful research’ in every conversation and test
  • You message your class “So sleepy...Zzzzzz....*yawn*” and they never reply back, because they are already Zzzzzing
  • Being disturbed in class is when the professor asks you a question
  • You are online on BBM, WhatsApp and Gtalk at the same time, but still manage to give equal attention to each – especially during a lecture
  • Your messages mostly consist of “Started the ppt? Do mine too.” “Did the assignment? Get me a copy.” “Are you sitting for the lecture? Proxy maar.”
  • You have a Facebook tab open with your balance sheet reports
  • Your marketing strategy reports have been ‘researched’ from google.com
  • You are earnestly nodding after reading each statement

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Without you!


Across the window, I saw a face
As she kept with her friends apace
Talking, laughing, not smiling nay
I wished I could see her everyday

Best of friends were supposed to be
All said so, her and me
In common we had lots, it’s true
Deep trusting eyes, mantled blue

Glinted my eyes when she uttered my name
As did hers, when I did the same
We looked great together, so I was told
After a while though, that news got pretty old

As it’s with all tales, composed by a pen
The cock fell in love with the lovely hen
She baulked as I professed my love
 In a letter, sent with a dove

We are different people, you and me
Heavens would know, I am older than thee
You are a friend and nothing more, said she
Together, we are meant not to be

Being heartbroken, I had just heard before
Until, that moment shook me to the core
Ringing my ears, I heard her words repeat
While I stood at the edge of a peak

The rushing air, the adrenaline pump
I felt bare, as I made my jump
Close to the ground, as fear spawned
To my end and blackness beyond

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Office party version0.1

Last night was my first ever office party.

'It will be awesome', I was told - booze, food, booze, dancing, chilling, more booze and so on.

Reached late, was welcomed by drunken friends and a sea of dancing, flickering lights.
"Ahh...the usual", I said to myself.

That's until I saw her. Clad completely in black, she entered the lounge minutes after I did, in the arms of someone else. Something just stirred inside me. Go get her, cried every bone inside me.

I made my way across the room, treading on now-dancing floaters and flip-flops. Some barely noticed; a few others glared. I continued, nonchalant.

She stood right at the bar, full of grace, unmoving. I went and stood beside her. Then suddenly, without thinking, I slid my hand across her waist, pulled her towards me and my lips crushed hers with a passion so intense that I had never felt before.

My fiery throat felt cold as waves of satisfaction washed over it. We didn’t separate until we were both gasping for air. The world swirled around us as we looked at each other with spent passion.

She looked drained. It wasn't over for me yet. I still burned with ravenous thirst. Gathering up the last reserves of my strength, I said to the barman, "Boss, ek aur Coke dena!"

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Encounters of the 3rd kind!

As the thunder rolled and lightning struck, I looked out of the window and watched as the rain poured in unrelenting torrents. Sitting comfortably in the semi-enclosed balcony, it reminded me of a night just like this one. It was when I had of one of the most curious incidents of my life.

I was travelling home. It was late that night, and lonely. As were most nights at that time. Work being pretty heavy that evening and a firm diktat “I want this completed by tonight” issued by the ‘Creative’ Director, I had nowhere to go until the work was completed.

Rain had lashed across the city all evening and the monsoon forecast wasn’t too encouraging. Buses were stranded, trains running late by hours. It was going to be a nightmare travelling back home.

It was way past midnight when I finally left office. With the rain pouring unabashedly through the heavily darkened sky which was an azure palette with lightly swept opaque clouds in the afternoon, I was left cursing my luck, sitting alone in the empty train compartment. The train crawling like a snail on steroids, giving me false hopes every few minutes by accelerating, wasn’t helping either.

My tired mind barely registered the name of the stop as the train slowly chugged down at the next station. Moments before it came to an absolute standstill, I had a fleeting look at someone on the platform.

A girl? At this time of the night?

Clad in a floral white T-shirt and blue, worn out jeans, she was someone directly lifted off from a fairytale, someone who would stand out even in a crowd. Simple, yet alluring. An enigmatic, yet masklike visage. As I strained my neck to have a better look, she disappeared from my view.

Was that real?, I thought. Damn…If only…

My cell phone screen suddenly sprang to life and emitted a single low buzz. A message.

The stars favour you tonight. The day will bring unexpected surprises on the work and love front. For daily predictions, SMS ASTRO to 645…

Ya, work is already up ten-fold. What’s surprising in that? And love…bah!

A soft, yet clear voice interrupted my cynical chain of thoughts.

“Hey, you mind if I..”, she said pointing at the empty seat in front of me and then to my legs, sprawled across the train floor .

My head snapped up. My heart skipped a beat. It was her, the same girl from the platform. I straightened my back and pulled my legs together. She adjusted herself into the seat. Looking at me she wondered aloud in her sweet musical soprano

“Studying late?”

“I work. Am coming back from office.” I replied, affronted.

“Do I look like I am in a college?”

“Look at you.” She replied nonchalantly, a trace of a smile forming on her face.

Hmmm….a green T-shirt, a torn-at-the-knees-because-its-in Levi’s and my faithful college backpack. I do look like one of those college kids.

“Possibly, but I work at an ad firm. Formals aren’t exactly a prerequisite out there. So, which college are you from?” I commented, looking at her khaki coloured sling bag.

She laughed.

“Do I look like I am in a college?” she added, imitating my annoyed retort earlier. She continued without waiting for my answer.

“Heard of the Bryan Adams concert at BKC held tonight? I organised that.”

“Wow. That’s something.”

“You listen to music?” she asked and began humming

You're the silent type
And you caught my eye….

Somehow, without any prompting, I joined in

I would let my feelings go
And that I'd be yours before the night was through


One night love affair


That night, we sang, we talked, and sang again. Two complete strangers, after midnight, in an empty compartment of the train. Time ceased to exist. The outside world lay forgotten.

It wasn’t until wee hours of the morning that I awoke to a slight jerk as the train reached its final stop. This was where I had to get off. A delicate weight on my shoulder moved too.

“Are we there yet?”

I looked up from my hazy gaze, nodded and offered her my best morning smile. She smiled back.

“Let’s go.”

We grabbed our bags and got onto the station.

“Where do we go from here?” I enquired, the immediate future not in question.

“Home, for now.” she answered.

“But it was fun last night. Thanks.”

As she said those final words, her face came closer to mine, close enough that I could smell the last remnants of her perfume, and kissed me on the cheek. A short, but lingering kiss.

“Goodbye.”

When she turned and left I somehow knew one thing for certain. I would never see her again.

How I completed my first Business Communication Assignment!

Last night : 9 p.m.
I finally decided to write the assignment. Started, fumbled with my pen, glanced around, stared at the ceiling, back at the blank sheet of paper. Groaned. "Chuck it", I said and picked up my freshly purchased copy of 'The Secret of the Nagas'.

3 hours later.
I kept down the book, breathless. It was amazing, fast paced, full of breathtaking swordplay interwoven with a rushing, yet exciting storyline. Messaged my friends gushing endlessly about the book.

Today - 12:18 a.m
A friend replied back.
"Done with the assignment?"
"No."
"Dude, you are screwed....*evil laugh*". I realised that I actually am gonna be if I didn't start soon. Powered on my ancient desktop, ever faithful. Muttered a quick prayer, started typing furiously. The keyboard squealed and complained but I paid no heed.

Sharp 1:15 a.m
I collapsed backwards on the chair. Drained. Decided to give it a once over in the morning. Zzzz...

Today - 8:00 a.m
I edited my 3 page printout in the train, standing between two pairs of smelly armpits reeking of cheap perfume. Finally reached Nerul at 8:30 with a decent (that's what i think) essay in hand.

Minutes before 11:15
I scribbled furiously. My hand pained as I wrote as much I hadn't in months.10 lines to go....My hand dropped dead as the pen screeched to a halt with the last full stop. Maam entered. Whoosh! A sigh of deep relief.

First assignment done and delivered!