Weekend, Rains, not again.

Last few weeks have been extremely tense and anxious for us Hyderabadis (just a generic term used for everyone who is living in Hyderabad, no regionalism/groupism please).

Initially it was the snarling traffic that worried us. Because of the numerous flyover constructions, road widening and other government department (water board, telephone office or some other) work going on, there was hardly any place for commuters. Going to office and going home in the evenings was a hair-raising experience. This was the story about the main roads and major business areas in the city, can’t imagine how the situation would be in the far-flung areas. Then with the heavy rains, it became extremely difficult to walk/drive on whatever little was left of the road.

I very clearly remember one Saturday evening last month when I was returning home. It had rained heavily. I was walking on a partially dug-up road, very close to a busy shopping mall. In spite of all that commercial activity buzzing in the vicinity, the road was dark, there were no street lights, there were rain water puddles everywhere and the four wheelers and motorbikes which zoomed past made sure that the poor pedestrians didn’t get home dry. And to top it, none of the autos were ready to go where I wanted to and they were rude! Because it was short distance, the pay-by-meter didn’t appeal them. So there I was, feeling miserable, angry and irritated with the state of affairs, not just in Hyderabad, but in India as a whole. Worse was yet to come.

When I reached home and switched on the TV, we heard about the blasts that had hit the city. The two places where the cowards had hit were such popular places that visiting them was more like a habit to people in Hyderabad. We, for example, had been to Gokul chaat and the laser show at least half a dozen times. The incident left us all numb. The newspapers and the TV channels urged people to stay away from crowded places and be alert to anything unusual, to stay safe. Okay, safe from what, who, for how long and where’s there to hide?

And then within a fortnight, Hyderabad plunged into mourning again. Again on a rainy weekend. This time we are mourning the loss of life and innocence at the hands of corrupt, power-hungry politicians and the equally culprit profit- hungry construction companies. The world saw an under-construction flyover collapse along with iron scaffolding crushing the people under its weight; Hyderabad is seeing everyone involved, the people in position of authority, shamelessly point fingers to the other over the mangled bodies and debris.

India shining, isn’t it?

PS: Sorry, I just could not bring myself to write optimistic. When I deeply feel that as a people we deserve much better deal, my conscience asks if we are doing anything to better things, if we have learnt anything from the mistakes we have done so far, or at least if we have helped our people in the hour of need. Then this is probably what we deserve for our apathy and indifference, insensitivity and sloth, I sadly conclude.

Happy birthday “I Me Myself!”

I always loved writing and had fair amount of opportunity to write essays, stories and articles for our school magazine.
When I decided to blog I had great ambitions about making my posts sharp, witty, hilariously funny, intelligent (at the same time!) and sometimes romantic too just like some of my blogger friends write. I don’t know why but sometimes I just no longer think realistically. When I actually started to blog my posts did not even come close to my friends’ blogs which I so admire. So in the hope of improving my writing style I decided to go ahead. Now, there’s no marked improvement, probably because I don’t blog that often.
Must say blogging allowed me to vent all my emotions (most of them) and by the end of it I would be a much calmer and saner self. This is a boon to A and other people around me.

It would be great to see my friends to end their blogger-exile. Anybody listening?

Come September

I am a little disappointed with my blogging frequency. The blog is approaching its 2nd birthday in a couple of days (yuhoo!) and I had thought of achieving the milestone with at least 50 posts. Yeah, I know 50 sounds such a pathetically small number given that it’s been 2 years. Come to think of it I have been writing a quite respectable 2 posts every month.

Last 4 weeks or more I have been down every weekend with something or the other. It started in July when I missed a Marathi play I was so looking forward to due to a bad stomach condition. That nasty thing took away my precious leaves at office, I had to cancel my Pune trip, I could not celebrate my exam results and all the shopping that I had planned to do. When the stomach realized that I have completely given up on it, it kindly came back in shape. But before I had planned on the things I should binge on after a month of semi-solid food, there was cold. Aarrrgh! Then my hand, then my wisdom tooth and still my wisdom tooth. God! The rant doesn’t help my condition but nevertheless.

Apart from my blog, my stay at my current employer turns 2 too which really surprises me. I had no great expectations when I joined this place and looking back I am pleasantly amazed at all the learning, the great friends and the wonderful time I have enjoyed here. No! My managers don’t read my blog. :D