Rayarannu kandaaga!! - Memorable day... (28th May 2010)

Rao actually means "Someone who is in an esteemed position... Someone called with dignity... who commands respect..." I am not saying this because my surname is Rao... Unfortunately my surname was lost when my Dad wrote his name in SSLC exam nomination forms and he became Muralidhar ever since... and my fate was sealed without the surname which I dutifully kept it myself... In-fact 'Raya' meant King... 'Rayaru'(plural form) was what they used to call people who were mostly zamindars or of higher caste!! This was 100-200 years back... now it has become Rao!! and mostly used in South India and Maharastra. For that matter an exception is... Rao Iftikar you can call him South Indian although he is a paki fast bowler... sorry for that poor joke!!

Anyways... this surname thing meant a lot when I talked to a person who was an inspiration to my Dad!! Most of you would have seen him on TV years back... He was mostly playing roles of a politician... or a villainous role mostly.. U might ask whats the difference... anyways... He is elder brother to Dattatreya ('Mayamruga' fame!!) I have never seen a person who can command that kind of respect other than my grandfather... gentle yet very much in control of what he is saying and doing... Suddenly the surname factor hit me...

My Dad used to always talk about his writings which was one of his first few works... "SomaNNana Stockninda" novel (articles) used to be published by "Karmaveera" magazine long back... my Dad being an avid reader that he is... usually would look forward for these articles... This had so much of influence on my Dad that he used to relate/read out certain instances from those articles to me... I was surprised how he could remember... Well.. last month... it was my Dad's Bday on April 23rd... I wanted to gift him something special... unusual... no flowers... no cakes... no celebration at home... nothing that would make him forget that it happened after some time... but something to cherish for a long time...

I started searching for this person back in march this year... worst part was that the publisher of the book had passed away and there was no stock at all... phew... My weekends would always be going around Bangalore searching for this book...then came facebook to the rescue... I somehow got in touch with many people who started my search again... Finally I got his residence number from a friend in facebook Beesu... one of premiere theater and film actor... now co-producer... I started talking to the one and only H G Somashekar Rao!! Such a humble person... at first he asked me many questions but I requested to meet him in person and then answer all his queries...

So on May 29th, I took my Dad who had absolutely no idea where he was going and met SomaNNa in person... Wat a feeling!! I have never seen my Dad so excited and happy... SomaNNa read out some of his newspaper columns for us... My Dad in turn stated some verses from his novel... very impressive indeed considering he never read the novel and all he read were excerpts from the magazine... SomaNNa asked me how did I come to know where he lived and I had to tell him the whole story right from the very beginning... He was over-joyed... When I told him that at one instant I went to a book store I forgot his name as well as the book's name... he couldn't stop laughing... It was an hour long meeting with many many experiences shared...

My Dad got all SomaNNa sir's works personally autographed!! Prob dated as the best gift I could ever think of giving it to him... Now Dad also has SomaNNa sir's residence number as well so that he can call him up anytime he wishes...

I would like to thank Dharmashree, Abhishek SN, Mrs. Indira Sundar (Sundara Prakashana) and finally Beesu Suresh for their help provided... invaluable indeed!!

Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!!

"The King is back!! Ajeya... You are the King of this gang!!... The way he carries himself... The way he makes his decisions... He definetely is the King!!" These were the words told by someone close to me... Prahlad uncle. I didnt know what to say really... I repeated... I am the King??!!... then it gives me the power... power to decide... power to be responsible for others... Have I been running away from them... Have I been ignoring them... may be yes... more than i actually know...

This past week... a decision I had taken 2 years before... came back to haunt me... and haunt it did for 3 days... One thing I couldn't understand is that people whom I called friends... who left me high and dry came back and started apologizing for things they dont even remember what they did or why it went so wrong between us... The toughest part was to think what they wanted from me now... what next... why now... why me?! This time I gave it a thought... and boy am I happy with the result or what...

It took a lot out of me in thinking on how to get back... because even this time I had given a mouthful to everyone and I still had the same kind of anger I did 2 years ago... but then Ani came to the rescue... She started simply by stating the experiences we have shared with the group and the happiness... She assured me that she would stand beside me with whatever decision I took... When I had a chat with my mother... she explained me how difficult it had been for her for the past two years talking to people she loved so much and telling them not to visit her at our home just because she feared for me... I lost my hunger listening to my mother... Never had I thought that my decision would hurt so many people... I still had loads of love for them in a corner which I failed to recognize because I was so blinded by anger... I decided to leave my ego out of this and to get back to the people I loved so much...

I called Shatta the day before Nidhi's marriage and I apologized to him... He answered one of my question when he said "You are still hanging on to the reason for our separation while people are thinking beyond it..."

The marriage was a huge success and I finally met all of them... Everyone had one thing on their lips... Glad you are back!! Dhara said... "You are my husband's friend... and mostly people would just be a hi-bye types and mind their own business... even though we have just met just a handful of times... I really like you so much and you have a place in my heart... This again might be because of the way you are!!"

All my life I have thought and practised one thing... All or Nothing... Yes or No... all boolean but it works for me... Very complicated for many but I minus the emotional content from the decision I take on anything... I may be right or wrong... but then its only a perception... This was my thinking and will be... but I shall have to make certain amendments to this rule of mine... I always believed that its easier to gain and very hard to lose friends... because its as if you are tearing your heart out... In taking this decision to leave my friends alone... I left people who really cared for me and loved me... and whom even I missed and loved too... I have never seen so many happy faces...

A special mention of my sister ani... in this entire episode... who was instrumental in making me take the right steps towards this re-union... She is all grown up now and lot more mature than what people think she is!! And ofcourse hemibu and rajibu who are always present next to me all the time...

Le Roi Est Mort Vive Le Roi means... The King is Dead... Long live the King!!

The Wait!!... a Decision...

HE was struggling at his office because he had to leave in another 10 mins to go meet his girl whom he used to drop every day from her office to a nearby bus stop... Not that SHE couldn't manage that but this was their only time to discuss... plan... rather just talk about their day and peace out... They used to be on phone for almost 2 hrs a day but still this meeting was very much needed for both.

It was raining... and November rain that was... he left his office at 5:30 PM... only to reach her office at 6:20 PM... she expected him to be there by 6 PM... damn... as always he wanted an excuse... well... rain it was!! He had the fastest road bike... still couldn't be on time when she needed him... well most of the cases... but he used to make the effort!!. She used to tell him... for every mistake that he committed he would be forgiven but the incident would not be forgotten!!

He started dialing her number and there was just ringtone at the other end... she did not pick the call... Has she already gone to the bus stop... can't be!!... He dialed again... no luck... well... he couldn't go inside her office as she had strictly told him not to go there... Lets try this one more time... She picked up the call eventually and could only muster three words... In a meeting!! before she hung up on him...

In every relationship you come across a time where you have to make a decision that would eventually mould your relationship based on it. He decided to wait for her... in the rain.. shivering... The decision was that he had taken the responsibility to wait for her no matter what... this, in long term, even meant that he shouldn't complain when he waited for her later... he wouldn't complain even if she didn't come... He thought over all these things in a matter of minutes and decided to WAIT... She eventually came out of her office at 8:15 PM... hugged him... sorry I couldn't come out of the dreaded meeting soon enough... why didn't u go home?!!?... he didn't reply nor did he complain... I love you so much he said and as usual dropped her to the bus stop...

After several years... HE has now realized that SHE loved him more that evening... She loves him even today but things are way different now... She is a mother of two and happy with her family... They still keep in touch and talk... only HE didn't realize that the WAIT was a DECISION of a LIFETIME!!

Friday night fever...

Enthralling was the word that came to my head when it finished...

Well for starters, we got the passes for a concert that held in Palace grounds on 27th Oct friday night... It had my favorite singer Raghu Dixit, Parikrama and Farhan Akthar singing!

The show must have started 45 mins earlier... thanks to da rain... it was late... but the wait was worth it and more...

In any concert, I really love the start when the artists are getting ready... usually the guitarist, drummers, violinists... will have a go... and what they do is something totally out of the book... and those innovations will make the atmosphere ready for more... and this was the same on friday evening as well... lead guitarist of raghu dixit's band and the violinist were out of the world in displaying what they can do!!

Raghu began the show with amazing number "Hey Bhagwan!"... (I am checking my videos to see what next!!) "Mysore se aayi!"... and then came a number I hadnt heard before... beautiful... "Gudu Gudiya seedhi nodo..." and the introduction to this song was hilarious... but in the middle of the song there was a commotion and the organizers (and the police who graced the occasion for a while!!) had to reduce the volume since there was another performance going on next to where we had this rock concert... Raghu took on them displaying great courage and sang for the crowd... involving everyone of us in his songs... He sang many more numbers like ambar, khidki and a kannada track "Ee Thanuvu ninnade" from "Psycho" fame.... Awesome... The best part was the combo of guitar (base, rhythm and electric) along with the violin!! The extension provided to all the songs in the end was fabulous... fantastic music... Raghu thanked the audience and thanked parikrama for lending their guitar... nice gesture indeed...

Next on the scene was Parikrama... Now for those who haven't heard rock music and parikrama in particular might feel that Nitin Malik screams a lot and stuff... but then he is brilliant in doing that... I have loved all his shows that I have been to and this dude can sing... His opening song was a blast but I bet more than half of the crowd were waiting for Farhan rather than wanting to watch Parikrama sing... until parikrama's violinist took center stage!! and people had to momentarily forget Farhan for a while there... The one thing I would like to add is that one of parikrama's guitarist didnt look that he belonged to the stage at all... that was kinda sad part but then these guys had been testing sound since morning and it showered in the evening taking away precious time for their concert... need to give them credit for hangin in there...

Farhan Akhtar is a brilliant artist if I say so... because there are very few people in the industry who can sing as well as he can and act as well as he can... even direct movies like him... He is a perfect package. He had the same kind of clothes which he wore in "Luck by chance" simple but trendy... But then... all these promotions has made his voice tire a bit... cos he couldnt hit the highs on the song "Where the streets have no name - U2" which he sang well though... To very much crowd's displeasure, he sang only one song from "Rock on" and that was just the title track from the movie... people really wanted more hindi songs... but then he had already prepared certain songs and... well any ways it was a good show...

After the concert, the food at chung wa was awesome... thus ending an eventful day at a high note!!

Meet the bu's!!

Sometimes feel that I should write about a subject.... but then... I don't usually find time to think on a subject as much as I have time to write about the days I have been through... Many may feel that I usually hand out lavish praises to my near and dear ones but I feel that this is not true as these praises come straight from the heart... no pretensions...

Coming back to the topic... saturday... I happened to meet two of my closest friends... I lovingly call them the bu's!!... perfect couple...

My friendship with rajibu (jibu) goes back... way back... to just 5 years... hehehe... but then it seems longer... I happened to be in US for the first time... and I knew he would be coming to US and to the same hotel after 9 days... Actually I didnt even know him then... but when we met eventually I was overjoyed since I was almost down and out in that place... Rajiv sensed this and gave me much needed advise to keep my positive energy. I will never forget that. Jibu became a close friend when we got a friend's place for rent. Here we had a deal every morning without even talking that I would make the breakfast and he would do the dishes... served us well... I learnt that behind that sense of humor there was a very methodical, practical, decisive... man if ever I had seen one. I have learnt many many precious things from him that has made me be the person I am today!

Hemibu... well we were friends even before we met!! and when we met, I was too shy to talk... (The day she came for Agile Interview!!) we were not at all introduced but then we both knew each other!! Hemibu was jibu's fiancee when jibu and I were in USA... I had sacrificed my room to jibu and used to sleep in the hall since he would be busy with hemi and her calls most of the night and I didnt intend to be kabab mein haddi!! May be when jibu used to talk about the day he has been thru... my name would have slipped more often than not because I was such an idiot at that time!! Well... with jibu's training!! (:-p), I was a changed man by the end of that trip!! and I pledged to be excessively happy hence forward!! May be all this were in detail posted to hemi!! So we kinda knew eachother before we actually met...
The best part about a friend's wedding is that all the other friends who happen to know eachother casually will become closer... This is what happened when Joshi bhai got married... Hemi, Jibu and myself became fast friends thanks to tat!!. Hemi is funny, articulate, and most tolerant creature. She can be hurt very easily but wid jibu and me around can come out of it as well and she will be her chirpy self in not more than 10 mins!!

I strongly feel that both bu's and me have a I love the bu's for the simple reason that they love me more!! They know everything about me and its viceversa... even with our busy schedule, we keep in touch and make sure we meet up atleast once in two weeks!! depends more often than not how much of work jibu has!! :-p

Simba's Day Out...

I can't generalize this very much... I hope it is the same way across the world... The word "relaxation" applies to any living thing... when we relax... we progress... we think... and stop worrying... There is a huge difference in anything we do when we relax!! This little word was acknowledged even by my buddy Simba (my Dog! in case you are reading for the first time!!) when I took him for a short trip to a farm house this past weekend...

Vivi and I planned adhoc(best way to do things!) that we needed a break from the city and hence we hit the road on sunday morning! and we took simba along with us as well... We already had kitty waiting for us at the farm house... He had a nightmare of a travel story to tell us how he got there because of traffic on the NH-04!!

When we reached the destination, simba was left alone to have fun... and fun he had...

After a sumptuous (exaggerate please... if you feel!!) breakfast, we walked around the farm to check out a new artificial fountain that was being built... very nice indeed...

Simba was too excited and had the expression like... "You are supposed to tie me up... aren't u??!!... are you sure..." all the time... We managed to even see what hunting instinct a dog has... The care-taker had left all the chickens out... when we asked him to put them all inside since simba was outside... thankfully he obliged... but then there was one chicken which was missing... Simba was playing around until we saw him crouching and slouching carefully and very close to the ground... waiting for an onslaught... and when it came... we were almost too late... The chicken was shrieking in fear... it was very funny in the end since simba didn't know what to do with it... may be even he was kinda taken aback at a thing which made strange noises when held... Apart from this one incident, he behaved himself through out... One other incident where he came searching for us while Vivek and I were exploring was very nice...

The best part about this farm is that people are so hospitable and they treat you like family... It shows in the way they take care of us... well... after another super lunch, we took simba to the nearby lake... hesitant at first, he then took on water and was doing underwater stunts before we leave... very nice indeed... We had time to visit kitty's farm where he grows ragi and beans... and take loads of pictures... The funniest pic being kitty and his farm's caretaker both smiling...

We came home by 7:30 PM with some funny incidents with strangers (can't state them here!) who were bugged by kitty on the way back... memorable day for simba indeed!!

My Quest for a better life... Thanks to Dr JP!

At the end of the Quest the major finding about the entire episode is that PEACE can be found from with in and no where else... we should just go ahead and find it... FAITH is something we need to have that we can find that peace from with in! Deep isn't it... but true

This past year I was suffering from various issues... firstly I had joined a company where I didn't wish to be in... with that I had started developing symptoms and eventually got gastroenteritis. I happened to try many ways to heal this but none successful...

I met Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan (shortly as Dr. JP) in march 2008 and mainly because I had lost hope in all other forms of medication and had lost hope that I would get better thanks to many people who said that the gastroenteritis problem was permanent... only Dr JP thought otherwise... He not only helped me get rid of my issues in a matter of very short time... he gave me counselling that has made me what I am today... Dr. JP told me that I had to reduce my weight and that is the major cause of all the issues I had... He is the start of the Quest that I was after... actually that I am still after... and the goals keep on increasing...

By then I had joined the company that I am in now... AOL... where I found some very nice people who shared the same feeling about fitness... My gym trainer Naveen in AOL is such a motivator who not only keeps fit himself but gave some nice advice... Good company really helped me to keep it going... and that was present in AOL where I found my friends (Vivi, G5, to some extent Vinance!! ) being fitness freaks!!

For any building... the foundation needs to be good... I guess I had read that somewhere so un-knowingly I started building the foundation!! I ran for 40 minutes everyday on a treadmill and did reps of smaller weights... crunches and elliptical... for 2 hrs everyday for 2 months... when I lost over 10 kgs... Big thanks to Naveen...

The next phase was interesting as it included loads of convincing myself!! I met a friend Vinay who told that he learnt swimming and had lost lot of weight... Hydrophobic that I was... it was really tough to convince myself that I could do this... Somehow I joined and completed the course of 21days in may this year... and I have been swimming ever since from 5 AM to 6 AM in the morning... regardless of the weather and conditions... The result is amazing... I lost the fear of water and lost lot of weight too... The whole routine that I have managed to keep alive has definitely given me rich dividends... I have not only lost close to 28 kgs... I have made some very nice friends along the way... The end result is the personality and positive attitude that I have developed in the past year is a byproduct of the efforts that have gone in towards it.

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan:

I have to thank Dr. JP for his faith in me. There are many other things that make him a great man... His Ayurvedic treatment and counselling has solved many complex cases where the patients have been left to nothing by other medications... When I met him yesterday, I was talking to a person whose brother had an accident 3 months ago... Her brother, all of 26 yrs, had lost speech and couldn't walk... The orthopedic specialist who used to come to their home couldn't help him... and the case was almost closed when they came to Dr. JP. By and large most doctors usually give up or give reference for another specialist... but Dr. JP took this challenge and the results are there to see... This guy came walking to his clinic for a consultation and answered many questions that was asked.

Another case was of a central govt employee whose gross motor skills was solved... He had to literally convince the patient's family so that he can treat. Dr. JP has solved many cases which can be called miracles yet he is modest and has the humility to take GOD's name in whatever he does. He is the 4th generation of Ayurvedic specialists in his family and has practiced ayurveda for over 30 yrs now.

In the end all I have to say is that treatment can be given by any doctor but Peace, Faith that the issues can be resolved is given by some. Dr. JP is one such man! and I am happy to be his friend.