Veni,Vidi,Vetti

A review of the BPCL quiz we hosted (IQL team)

2009-11-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Statutory Warning: If you have busy schedules or don’t appreciate humour of any form, I request you not to proceed. For rest, here is the review of the BPCL quiz that KN and me hosted(and backed up by Murthy).

Questions-Simple	8 * 5 rounds
Audience	132 + technicians
Host	2
Finalists	16
Fun	101%
Mistakes	Occasionally
Satisfaction	101%

The ingredients for a perfect quiz. Sometimes it is just not the questions.

Venue: Bharat Petroleum Corp Limited, Anna Nagar.

Occasion: Vigilance Awareness week.

The climate was gloomy but the enthusiastic level inside the auditorium wasn’t. At 10, KN and I were honoured and we clumsily accepted the bouquet offered. The speeches made by the imminent guests were short and sweet (or we dozed off). After all the formalities were done, the stage was set for prelims.

The chairs in the auditorium were arranged in sets of four (members per team) and everyone started discussing from the very first question. I conducted the prelims and made my usual mistake of giving away too many clues. The prelims round of 30 questions (that included 10 hard core BPCL questions) was done within the estimated time of 40 minutes. We had to put up a fight to get the answer sheets back from the participants.

There was a long gap of 2 hours between prelims and finals which gave us enough time for correction.

While correcting a particular question “….Instead,the street was named after Lord _______?” , everyone had written ridicule answers like Warren and Mountbatten . We laughed over it and it took us few minutes to realize that they understood the “Lord” to be the English designation rather than God. We had to appreciate their “out of box” thinking or make a mockery of our inability to think like the participants.

The correction was done in 45 minutes and we went to have our lunch. The menu was set for a king and they called it their “regular” lunch menu. We kept talking to participants to keep ourselves awake.

The finalists were cheered when their names were called out and the quiz began.

There was commotion and excitement from the word go. The audience was as thrilled as the finalists and displayed it by calling out KN’s name for every audience question. The rounds were quick and KN carried himself as professional as he could. There was a huge applause for the connect round making him proud and blush.

There was a close tie between two teams and the team-A who answered the last question correctly emerged as winners.

Winners:

I place : Mr.A .A . Prabhu Roy,Mr.V.S.Raghavan, Mr.Kani Amudhan,Mr.Nagarajan

II Place: Mr.Koshy Vargese, Mr.G.Ravichandran, Mr.Amit Kumar,Mr.L.Chandrasekaran

III Place:Mr.A.C.Iyer, Mr.Sethuraman,Mrs.Hema Malini, Mr.C.Joseph

IV Place: M/s Lakshmi, Mr.Mukesh .K. Singh, Mr.K.Sethuramalingam,Mr.M.Mohan

Yes, according to them, everyone is a winner.

After the prize distribution and thank you speeches, the entire auditorium was silent letting both of us to savour the experience of quizzing.

P.S.; Special thanks to Mr.Saieeji for leeting us conduct this Quiz.

What? Is it me?

2009-10-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

I quite often read my own blog posts. I realised one unusual thing.

I have lost the sense of humour.

What? Is it me??

Blessing and bawling

2009-10-18T00:02:00.000-07:00

I fell at my mother's feet.

"Hope you get a good husband", she blessed.

I got up, glared and snapped "Cant you bless me with something like an MBA?"

"I couldn't think of anything at the moment" , she replied trying to look innocent. "Bull!", I growled and shook my head.

"Any way it is not wrong to bless you that way", She justified.

"But it is not what I want at the moment!", I growled again.

"You have been writing CAT year after year. And we have been patient enough", she said.

Very true. Apparently I am one of the very few lucky ones whose parents have let their daughters write CAT again. No, it is not about the exam ; it is about the time period. Two years after college is way too long according to Indian standards. And doing an MBA would take another toll of two years.

It is not pressure. It is irritating to keep in my mind that we don't have time.I don't blame my mother for this. It is the general trend and I have seen her being compelled by other mothers who have married off their daughters early or "at the budding age" to US mapallais.

Once at a jewellery house when we went to get gold coins for Lakshmi puja, a similar incident occurred.

She looked at all the gold stuff and said "Haan! I have to get you that and this..." and again the growling and cribbing started.

"Don't you ever think of anything else in life?", i asked her once.

"You two girls are my most precious things on earth. Don't I have the right to say and do good things for you?", she asked.

"But amma, 24 * 7 it is the same. Are you by any chance brain washing? It is only brain damaging!"

"You don't understand. You will when you cross my age", she said meekly.

Ah!another standard dialogue. It is not like I am hardly romantic or I am against marriages but our own ambitions can be given a thought.

On occasions like this I look upon my father for rescue.

On this particular day of blessing, he intervened too. "What is happening now?, he asked.

"Look at her, dad, again marriage talks", I tried to sound helpless.

"There is nothing wrong blessing her with good husband", my mom justified her point.

Dad looked at both of us and sighed. "Hmmmm...I wonder what the guy's mother is blessing him with. It is not a blessing but a curse for him only", he said and grinned.

I laughed and moved to him leaving behind mom to sulk to herself.

Sigh!

2009-10-17T23:50:00.000-07:00

I look at my blog. Nothing new and nothing useful.Just like my life.

Is it worth pushing yourself beyond capability and trusting the instinct every time?Is it necessary to tolerate things happening to you when the truth is slashed across your face and let you know that you cant do it?

On the whole, is it mandatory to do things that you hate just because your ego does not let you accept that you are incapable?

I rather not do a thing I hate but do hundred things I love. Maybe, the thing I hate is going to give me everything-secure future, happiness, pride and even make others happy. But at the end of the day, I just realize I have been cheating myself.

Is it of any use?

P.S.; Sorry for the dysfunctional post. Looks like I am turning pessimist now.

My tarot reading

2009-09-21T09:55:00.001-07:00

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Retrospection when you have committed a mistake

2009-09-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

I look back and see the evil me. I smile at my follies. I know I have committed things that were so unknown to others. The satan arose. I hurt and it hurt me. I hate the hatred that existed.I loved the love that was given.In the times that lie ahead, the darker side of life and me.I wish time flew and I erased the naked truth. I wish I knew what was I doing at the moment. I envisaged life as a destination not a path.A path with hurdles.I wish I fell again and again so that the pain would take away the pain.

Lessons of life taught the hard way. And it does hurt.

I ask..

2009-09-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

I ask for time to fly past,

I ask for forgiveness,

I ask for pain where it hurts the most,

I ask for words that were uttered,

I ask for people who cared,

I ask for love so rare,

I ask for reasons for stupidity,

I ask for destiny to take toll,

I ask for peace,

I ask for fruits for deeds,

I ask for decisions to be rectified,

I ask for another chance in life..

Time pass

2009-09-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

It was early in the morning and I was walking towards the bus stop. Lost in my own world, I came to a halt. I was little confused what stirred me; then I saw sparks from the transformer below which I stood.I trotted forward to a safe area and looked up. There was smoke coming from a particular spot of the transformer.Within seconds, something black whirled and fell on the ground.On closer look, I recognised a crow.Fried.

Namma Ooru T.Nagar

2009-08-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Caution: If you know the place T.Nagar at Chennai, you will enjoy this. If not, you will get to know the place .

The symbol "P" of Pothys is like a light house.Yes, you can see it from all four corners of T.Nagar. So, in which direction will you head to when your friend says Pothys ?? That is T.Nagar for you.

The word to describe the place- confusion.

Your Rs.2500 leather bag is provoked by Rs.25 bag on street and it will be so identical that you would have forgotten in which hand you held the original. The roads are made into networks wherever possible that beats Japan roads hands down and in every nook and corner, you find shops that sell anything and everything and rates one-fourth the original.

A fly over was opened recently to reduce traffic but is far from it. The traffic still exists, now on the bridge itself.Underneath the fly over, you see human traffic(not trafficking, mind you) along with cows and dogs and you are not sure on whose foot(or paw) you stepped on. Vehicles are parked under the bridge such that you are perplexed whether the bridge stands due to the boulders or the vehicles.

People stop at every place and you suddenly find yourself not being able to move forward-why?because a couple have entangled not leaving each other and holding on to like crisis is nearing. The idea of romanticism in such place is something that leaves me in awe.

Everyone bargains at their loudest decibel so that it is heard by everyone. Probably, an idea of marketing. Here you find an amalgam of languages in one go; each shopkeeper addressing you guessing that you are from so an so place.

Most families in Chennai plan to go this place for a picnic. Good bargain I would say; complete package-you get what you need, get to window shop with no trouble, buy other things in cheaper rate and things to eat at every corner of the street.

Shopping in this place has its own pleasure.Couple of girls giggling at the earrings at a small roadside shop and boys hoping that the girls would finish with the shopping soon.At the end of the day, the experience would leave you amused and contented.

T.Nagar is a city in itself . Chennaites love this place and others who come here will learn to love it.

Bad hair day..

2009-08-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

There are times when you want to run away from the world. When you want to get invisible and slap some people. Wished that time flew faster. Hoped that you could predict the future.

Worst- when you are feeling all of that at one go :(.

I am. Now.

Hear ..hear..

2009-07-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

What do you expect to hear from others? My opinions on it.

Father : The exact opposite of what you claim. Whatever you say doesn't matter and it is absolute nonsense.

Mother: What father says but refined so that it favours you too. You are confused on whose side she is.

Sibling : Listens to your argument. Tries to make sense of it or shuts up. Mostly tries not to involve.

Friend : Says what you want to hear. Whether it is right or wrong doesn't matter.

Boy friend / Girl friend : Digs, asks more and listens patiently. Doesn't give opinion on the spot. Usually silent but makes a mental note of everything.

Cousin : Polished speech. You have no clue whether it is mockery or advice. You sense ignorance every time.

The so called 'Demi Gods' *

2009-07-23T07:47:00.001-07:00

* I removed the cobwebs. Both from the blog and my head :)

I sipped hard through the straw till the last contents of the glass made noise.

"Heard of Sarath Babu?", asked Bharath.My eyebrows shot up. Not again.

It was one of the Pagal guys meet at CCD and we were discussing arbit topics when one mentioned about the slum-dog-almost-millionaire.Sarath Babu, the guy from the slums who went on to study at BITS and even made through the most coveted IIM A. I have made him my icon and praised him enough at competitions and debates.But, I found restlessness discussing him again.It is true that you don't see someone like him everyday but what happens to people who achieve something similar or even more but are not spoken about at all.

I have a thought lingering in my mind. Does hard work become less when you are comparatively better off ? Does one get things easily if give they are given better opportunities?

To ask a simple question- would Sarath have made it to IIM or opened the food king catering if he was from a middle class family? The answer is dicey- could be a yes or a no.

The point I am trying to imply is that it is not one's status that pushes individual to do extra-ordinary things. It could be many factors- ambitions, need to prove or something else. I remember when my friend said that he was going to start his own business, others shooed it off saying his parents could compensate his losses and he has nothing to risk. I beg to differ here. I believe that everyone has a dream and while achieving it, they put in the same amount of effort and are willing to take risks.

The so called Demi Gods; they too deserve some praise because it is not their fault that they are better off.

Om Namo Narayanaya Namaha..

2009-05-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

First of all, titles can be abrupt , bad or even make you wonder what it has to do with the text. I have known to set up strange lines but it happens because I am clueless on how to start .

Forgive the dimwit.

Yesterday, after a long long long time, I happened to go to a temple with my family(to temple-weekly, with mom-occasionally, with family-hardly). So, it was kind of nice feeling yet strange and funny occasion.

Why strange and funny?- read on.

"Take the lamp on the right", my mom ushered while i was still scanning at the numerous lamps that were laid over a large steel table with newspaper on.I couldn't decide and so picked something in random.I walked slowly into the temple such that it gave an illusion there was going to be a nuclear holocaust nearby.

"There is a big lamp. Lit yours there. Do not lit from other people's lamp".I could hear my mothers commanding voice from behind. I was shocked to see the big lamp. Technically, it was not a lamp but blazing fire that grew an inch every minute. Probably,I am still immature to divinity that can burn my fingers.I gave my mother my most innocent and helpless look.

"Useless!!Can sit at home and eat well only!!cant do....". Okies, you got it. And rest you know.I just made sure that no one was around to hear this.

I wiped off the oil slyly in my dupatta(the obvious reason that there were no rags nearby) and bent down to the floor to worship when...drat!!..all the contents in my bag promptly fell out making the loudest possible noise.Mom did her eye exercise again while i did my own of looking somewhere else other than at her.

We moved inside the temple.Temples are always fascinating. They give you an aura of something powerful which goes beyond my capability of explanation.I made two wishes and hoped someone would ring the bell after the two wishes. The place was crowded that people rang the bell every 30 seconds and I began to do the vice -versa of making wishes when the bell rang(Sometimes human beings can be desperate).Suddenly the lights went off. Bad luck i thought:(. But it wasn't. God looked magnificent among the lamps.I have never seen a spectacular view before.The priest was doing the pooja and the granny next to me was cribbing about everything around. Eventually, I was smiling, concentrating and listening to the priest.

When the darshan was done, we began to move slowly outside the temple.I often wonder how it happens to me. Like Mr.Bean jokes where you know what is going to happen next, I tripped over the floor and landed smoothly on the granny.

"Aiyooooooooooooo.......narayana......aiyooooooooooooo...pathu po matiya??"(Cant you see while walking?). I looked sheepishly. I could have done that "Pathu"(see) part if there were lights. I said hundred sorrys, bent down to see if she was hurt. When I realised that she was fussing over nothing, I side stepped and moved out of the place.

I was glad when I moved outside in the cool air. My sister came out with her big grin stuck onto her face. I didnt look at mom and my dad gave no reaction. The floor was burning hot when we walked around the temple and so, sister and me were dancing all over the place.

We settled in a cool place in the veranda like thing when I saw the granny again. I tried to hide myself behind my sister. "Shall we buy muruku?", sis asked. I was glad to escape the granny and ran to the prasad stand.

The dark knight...

2009-03-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

I took a sly look in his direction. He was still there. The same place and stood waiting.I made no sudden movements.

I took a step forward like I was checking out hot coal-cautious .I could hear my heart pumping. He stood still and relished the fact that his victim was intimidated.I tried showing no emotions but every time he tilted his head, sweat trickled from my brow. I took a long breathe and moved forward very slowly.

I clutched my bag so tight that it drew new lines on my palm.The pain went unnoticed. It wasnt as bothersome as him. I took another look, this time, a full view.

I wondered how I didnt see him in the first place. I took notice only when i felt the leaves rustle behind me. I felt foolish. I felt lost. I moved slowly again. Even though I didnt face him, I still could feel his sight behind me. I made a silent prayer. My mouth waiting to cry out loud any time.

My vision of the path in front seemed dazed. I was not concentrating. I just followed my heels. I didnt know where I was escaping to.

Life is not fair. God is biased. Why give some the powers to cause fear while others to just run.Was he was made to frighten me? Why me? He took his chance when I was alone. Did he dare when I was with others? He dare not. He knew his limits. There was no time to think rubbish, no time to lament, no time to wish. I needed to move out from the place-somehow and safe.

When every strategy I tried failed, I had no choice but to wish. Wish that someone came by or something happened to just frighten him off. But the morning was as silent as ever and this added to my fears. Why was he that cheap to choose the same girl over and over again? But then, it was him. It was in him to seek the weakest prey.

My eyes went watery but I didnt stop. Held my bag so tight. Now, I waited for him to do something. I was ready. I was brave.Or at least acted brave.

He tilt his dark head one more time. Spread out his wings and cried out loud.

The raven flew down the tree in my direction and I ran out of the place. Ran for my life.A great escape again from the bird,the dark knight.

Shatabdhi express..

2009-01-04T02:21:00.000-08:00

I cursed everything.The pavement I walked on, the large number of turns, the security at the gate, the lady who checked my bag, the gate outside which was small, the auto driver, the station and everything. Yes, everything except myself.

I had to catch a train at 2:20 and I was still in the campus at 1:35.I was late and blame it again on Amir Khan and his Ghajini movie.The auto driver was a superman in disguise; I reached the station at 2:10.

I took a look at my watch (and also my mobile) and tried to open the door of the train.

"Eh eh eh..".It didn't open. After giving a stern look at the door ,I turned around. There were couple of foreigners and a small guy looked at me amused. My first reaction was to frown but I remembered all the ethical stuff done for three weeks at my work place that made me smile at him.

"We have are here for more than an hour.They open the door only at 2 : 20". He explained or that is what I understood from his accented English.

"Oh okies,thank you",I replied feeling very foolish and moved on acting like I wanted to buy a water bottle.There were no bottles available near by, but I loitered around.

The train door opened exactly at 2:20 and I was the first one in the train. It was a window seat and after settling, I just looked at the crowd passing by.In another few minutes, all seats beside me were filled. The train started and I started messaging .

An hour passed and when I had absolutely nothing to do, I opened my book to study.

"Are you a student?"

Suddenly waking up from immerse scrutinizing of numbers, I looked at my neighbour.

"No no,I am working.I am taking up an exam for higher studies", I replied.

"What exam and course?Is it for....", asked the lady next to him.

"Wow.How did you know?", I asked

"My husband is from that college", she pointed at a guy who was asleep in the next seat."He told me that you might be studying for the exam".

I closed the book. This was becoming a big issue and I was doing nothing worth it.The next thing I wanted was a take on my scores which was beyond predictability.

Food arrived.Juice, biscuits and also a water bottle. I tried opening the bottle and spilt water.

Then all of us started talking. Everything in general-about travel, food, culture,general perspective and so on.

The second round of food arrived and it excited me :D . If you are a foodie,you would know. Now, it was some samosa and sandwiches.Plate clean again.

I felt a little drowsy and slept with the ear phones still plugged into my ears. Typical Indian. Food, sleep and chat.

"What do you want to become?" ,the lady asked.

Huh?

Ok, Here I am calling myself a "software" engineer and she is asking me what I want to become?

"Thin" was the response that ran in my head but if blurted then, the whole train would have rocked laughing.

"I don't know. Probably an HR."I knew the next question.

"Why?"

"Why" is the hardest question ever. Easy to ask but difficult to answer.Why ask why every time?

I smiled sheepishly and said "I think it suits me."

"Oh, technically.Did you do a research on it??"

Eh..now whats that?? "No, I havent looked into it. I am just fascinated. A blind passion is what you can call it. I think I would suit better. In simple terms, after all confusions and mix, this is something I have decided by myself", I replied without breathe.

"That is very pleasant to hear. You think you will not stagnate anytime?", she asked again.

Where is this leading.Grr...

The dinner arrived and I was grateful. I think I thanked Laloo Prasad Yadav also.

She didnt stop.She was waiting for an answer.

"I will not. Probably will make it exciting.Please dont ask how.I haven't found out how".

She smiled and we ate in silence.

Silence is mystery. It occasionally leads to introspection. I began one too. Why is that I am stubborn on something? Is it passion? Is it for dignity purposes?

Then we began to speak on general topic. The guy next to me was a doctor. He gave insights on the medical field. The husband gave tips for the exam. We reached destination at 10 p.m.

I pulled out my bag and like every typical Indian stood up to rush out first.

Out of curiosity, I asked her, "What are you doing?"

She smiled and replied " I am an HR".

I was startled and said "Oh!Thats great!!"

"Subhashree, you will make a good HR"

I was speechless. I was glad. I was shocked. I was nervous. I stood frozen.

A compliment. A hope. A word that made difference.

I smiled,didn't thank her(or forgot you can say) and got down the train. "Hopefully, someday, hopefully", I whispered.

"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.........." , my sister greeted and I grinned. Took a last look at her, waved and left the place.

Why is that a compliment from someone unknown makes me so happy ?Is it the compliment? I didnt undersatnd.I dont think I ever will.

The week that was..(infy experience)

2008-12-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

This is just my first week experience at Infosys training centre Mysore. There is no criticism or comparison. Simple incidents that followed during the week.

I ran my hand into the cover frantically. Bull!Where is my offer letter? My mother frowned at my carelessness and the security guard showed signs of restlessness.

Day 1, 7 p.m. at Infosys gate

Shivers ran down my spine- fear or anticipation or just the weather, I couldn't find out.Ah!my offer letter,photo proof were identified and only I was allowed through the gate due to security measures. My sister was disappointed. I dragged the suitcase by the wheel.The sound echoed through the whole campus. “Okies!”, I looked at the suitcase “this is not working”. I ended up carrying it to the vehicle. I took a glance before I got into the vehicle and fell in love with the place in an instant. Inside the cab, I realized I was the only one in salwar and only one from south. In two minutes, we landed in front of the reception (which gave a 3 star effect) where I had to open all my bags for inspection and get keys to the room. I,being number crazy, looked at the building and room number first .”Good sign”. All our bags were again loaded into another vehicle and we were driven to our blocks.My room was in the ground floor.

Knock ! knock!.No reply. Knock knock!No reply.Little irritated and was about to knock again when I noticed the switch for bell.Argh!

As soon as the door opened, I gave the blank look that I was famous for. So did the person in the room. My roommate!!I have never stayed outside (excluding camps,friends place et al) and she was my first ever roomie. I said a hi,shook hands, placed my luggage and left the room in two minutes (probably shocked her).

I called up one of my best friends who has been there for several months.

"Come to FC 1",he said.

Here I am-a poor soul who has no sense of direction and he expects me to come to some place that sounded like a Morse code.

"What is that? More important, Where is that?"

He handed over the phone to his friend which proved to be of no effect too. So, I walked to the place asking directions in every ten steps.

Oh!!FC 1 meant food court one!!

The place was amazing and even more delighting was the menu. I have never seen so much variety in my life. While eating, besti tried to explain every building which I tried even harder to grasp.

After looking at my monotonous nod,he decided to show the place rather.

We first went to the GEC (global education centre) which beat White house hands down (not that I have seen the white house but you do get the point ,right?)

I gaped at the ceiling design. "id cardu............................%$^&&*%%&*&%?" (the words are censored because I didnt understand a word of what the security said.It was their native language). I realized I didnt have a ID card and tried in my best of tamil + hindi + english words to explain that I had checked in only then.The security was courteous enough to let me in.

I was gaping even at the classrooms and also made mental note of the last row hoping I would land there someday.I was introduced to some students who were very busy studying.It kind of scared me.

View of my building

We left to the respective rooms(again I did my ten step asking thing) and I got to know more of my roomie and also the room. My roomie was (and is ) very sweet and patient enough to put up with me.The room had excellent facilities which promised to make me more lazy.I partially unpacked and hit bed.

Day 2

After experimenting things at the bathroom(which was equally big like the room), I ran to meet my college mates the very next day.We went in search of something called the "Mutliplex". It took me fifteen minutes to realise what I was seeing-a theatre!! I think I had the most innovative and craziest opinion about the place.I found it delicious!!After submitting some documents and collecting coloured tags(some tried exchanging tag colours but when "ethical issues " were discussed,everyone returned them).The interiors reminded me of my favourite theatre here and I did a twenty minutes scanning of the crowd. It was colourful and diversified.If you consider yourself young and in the right mind,you would know what I mean. The induction programme was exciting because every time volunteers were called for,some twenty hands shot up. I ,typical observer (or thats what I call myself), just enjoyed listening and watching the whole thing.

It was during the lunch time that I discovered what harm an ID card could do. The card had tasted the sambar and rasam.Some formal checking and filling forms were done and we left for the day.

At dinner time, my besti suggested cycling back to the rooms. It was only after that did I realise the number of muscles I had in my legs.The whole place has slopes and cycling along these proved the most difficult part.My heart beat faster and I grasped for air every now and then (thanks to six months of sitting at home and lazing).

The delicious multiplex

Day 3

The longest day of the week where all formalities started only after 6 p.m. We filled forms of bank account,service agreement and so on. By the time it ended,I could sign a paper even in my sleep.The class was half exciting and half boring. I almost slept through the second half of the session.

The most happening thing of the day was the DJ night.I couldnt find company to the dinner and went alone when I heard loud music. The place was flashy and adrenaline pumping(ok, I made it sound like car racing but that is how it was).The ambience was full of energy and people dancing their heads off. Around 150 people crowded in 150 metre space. Here, I found all my classmates and we didnt risk dancing and spoiling the amphi theatre (that is what it is called though it didnt resemble anything to that of roman architecture). i stayed there for a long time and decided to shake a leg some day.

The DJ night

Day 4

The induction this day was awesome. Handled by two ladies, I enjoyed every bit of it. A large number of role plays and total entertainment.

In the evening we went to Laundromat (or simply Laundry) and waited for whole one and half hours for the clothes to get washed.

After this, we went roaming about the place and were still excited about everything.

The campus had every sport you could think of- basket ball,hockey, cricket,football, race track,volley ball, tennis, badminton, table tennis. You name it ,they have it.

Basket Ball

The Origami building with the race track

Day 5

We wrote some English test and the classes got over in few hours. I tried my hand at TT (was decent I guess). The whole of my college gang went to FC5 which was another architectural amazement and food was excellent too.

Food court 5

We had the weekend off and I returned home.

The things that I noticed during the week:

1) Being in the campus tames you. They dont compel rules on you but you tend to listen because of the peer group.

2) In the evening or free hours,you are allowed to try out any weird combination of dressing.Nobody bothers, nobody cares.

3) There are too many opportunities but no time.

4) The nights are the busiest time of the day (esp at GEC)

5) You eat a lot yet manage to lose weight ;)

6) The facilities make you even lazier than what you were at home

All in all, Mysore campus is one brilliant place with lot to learn and enjoy.

P.S.; My friends challenged me-if I say the same after two months of stay;there could be two possibilities. Either I got admissions for higher studies and have planned to leave in between the training or I am simply insane.

Brick Bats

2008-12-11T22:16:00.000-08:00

I am in love with the smileys :) They are adorable and convey a lot if you analyse them closely.When someone sends across a smiley,you always imagine the "expression" the person gives.It is like "a picture conveys thousand words". It is also an indication for ending a conversation.A couple of straight smileys means that the other person is bugged or bored and it ends right there. Adding to all that facts, smileys are even cuter than the real facial expressions :D!! *grin grin*

The reason I use lot of smileys . It is simple. I exploited , I used them in every text message and most of my mails,chats and blogs.

All was well until I read a mail in which some researchers from some country in some lab decided to make a research on the smileys:(.Are people that jobless? According to them,people who use smileys frequently are considered flirtatious and want attention all the time.

I may not know who I am but at least to some extent, whom I am not (confusing? that is the whole point).I ignored the research as baseless and useless.

The problem started.It was like this;every time I used a smiley,I had second thoughts.However I tried to ignore,the mailed flashed before my eyes. To add to my woes, my sister also mentioned reading something on the same lines somewhere. That is when I started using lot of *cough cough*,*grin grin* and *ahem ahem* s.

In spite of all this,I simply couldn't stop using smileys but I often wonder if all this is what is called human psychology. Why ponder into things that are unnecessary and followed by large mass. Consider people start researching about eating habits and claim if a person gulps food in a go ,he is considered intelligent??!!

Sigh!!However hard we try to ignore all the "research based " issues,it lingers in our minds whenever we perform the act.

Curses curses!! :( :( :(

P.S. ; I named the post as "brick bats" because I liked it.Hope some researcher in Iceland hasn't got any problems with it.Hello!!Haven't they got their "entire country devolving" problem to solve??

Missing Musing

2008-12-05T05:54:00.000-08:00

"Something was missing", I said, poking the slice of pizza for the hundredth time which could have thrown a couple of swear words provided it had a mouth. "Hmmm..something..."

"Whats the problem with the movie?It was good!!" , said my friend without even glancing at me.

It was late afternoon and my friend,sister and I were just back from watching the latest tamil flick "Vaarnam Aiyaram".The movie portrayed the role of a father in the life of a son-deliberately sentimental and over dosage of romance and after sympathising with each other and by tradition we were at the hotel(Incase you are wondering what the tradition is-it is always hotel after movie).

The actor surya was fabulous(err..i am not praising his looks or his physique).He brought out the difference between different roles-school boy,youth,army guy and old father.The entire credit to him.In spite of all this,I felt something was missing in the movie.Something that was blocked in my head and was stubborn to show up.

"I think there was no chemistry between Sameera and surya",my sister offered.

"Hmmm..No..not that.Something was wrong in the father son relationship and I cant find out what", I replied grabbing the pizza with my hands abandoning the manners of eating it with knife and fork.The knife simply didn't cut the pizza.

"Nah!!You are tasteless!!The relationship seemed perfect.He did the two roles very well", my friend opposed."Maybe...

She stopped when the waiter placed a huge bowl of block forest ice cream on the table. All of us reached out for the ice cream.

"Some parts seemed missing.Guess initially it was a long movie.", sister claimed as she placed the tips for the waiter.

"Maybe,in the movie,dad smoked too much while son didn't?" ,I said suddenly when we were in the bus. Both of them gave such a look that i took to my heels and wandered to buy the ticket from the conductor.

"Will you stop giving that "I-am-thinking" look??Its scary!!", yelled my sister when we got down.

"You dont understand.It is like a jig saw puzzle-everything in place expect a single piece and I have no clue where or how to place it"

"Dialogue!!", yapped my friend and both of them clapped.

Even all that insult didnt stop me from wondering and thinking about it again and again.Both of them didn't understand that my head would split into two if I didnt find it. Was the father role too much??-no.Was the son too good?-no. Was the daughter given no role?-apparently yes but that wasnt the missing part.Something was missing..missing..missing..

"Will you forget it??Please!!",my sister pleaded as we were outside our place.

"Hmmmm..."

Dad opened the door.

"Appa,you are here?We thought you were in the office.",I said, quite shocked.

"Oh!!Where did you girls go?!? !Movie?!?! What time was the show?!?Why are you both so late?? Cant you call if you knew you were going to be late",he yelled at top pf his voice,took a deep breathe "Listen, you still havent gone to the bank!!It closes by 5!!Was the movie so important??Cant you both prioritize things in life??

My sister looked at him with her best "I-am-sorry" expression. I smiled.Now I knew what was missing in the movie.

Understanding inflation the historic way;)

2008-11-16T05:05:00.000-08:00

THE PLAN

The map of Kurukshetra lay open on the table. The only source of light in the room was from the zero watt bulb that was swinging slightly over the five heads that were pondering over the map.

“This”, Arjuna moved forward “is going to be the venue for the war”. He circled the place with his fingers.

“Hmmm..That is Harayana. Is the place affordable?” asked Bhima scratching his chin. “The price of land is high”.

“That is very true, but Nakulan and Sahadev have agreed to part their money for this purpose”.

“Why only them? Why not all of us?” asked Draupadi with an accusation tone. She was clad in simple salwar kameez .Draupadi was the only wife of the Pandavas or “Kissi Se Kam Nahi Hum Paanch(KKNHP)” as they call themselves which is an adaptation and an idea inspired from the Ekta Kapoor serials. It was not meant to be Polyandry but done out of desperate measures as the Shaadi.com showed Draupadi to be highly paid in an IT industry and each of them could not afford to waste money on the marriage halls and food individually.

But all the excellent planning backfired as IT industry was not doing good leaving the entire family to worry on the basic necessity.

“Because they are the only ones in the medical field and it is the only profession that seems to be least affected by the recession”, explained Arjuna. Nakulan and Sahadev nodded in agreement.

“Is this war really necessary?” asked the wise Yudhistra.

“Of course!! If we do well, that is slap well, Lait Modi has agreed to take us for the next IPL with Deepika Padukone as our promoter and Cheerleaders from France.” said Bhima.

“Really??”,asked Yudhistra innocently.

“Duh no!!I was just kidding. The war is just for dignity purposes and I am very sure that the Kauravas are in same dilemma as us. We are just 5 in number but them?!! Even the 99 couldn’t afford an eye operation for their father. It’s a national crisis.”

“Let’s quit this Kurukshetra place and call for a war at the beach”, put forth Draupadi.

“Brilliant idea!!” exclaimed Yudhistra ,It is almost priceless and we can buy Bhajjis for lunch and dinner.”

“Lunch and dinner??” Sahadev moved forward to get a better look at Yudhistra, “How long is this war? Not just a day?”

“Hmmm..true.Lets not have it for 18 days. Let us make it just one day. Ok, finally the place is at the beach and the war is for a day. That is decided then.”

“Will they agree on all that?” offered Sahadev

“They would definitely agree with all the terms. The understanding is mutual. I am hungry. What is for lunch now? I smell Biriyani”

“Biriyani?? Are you out of your mind? Do you have any clue about the prices of vegetables and cereals?! , yelled Draupadi and the Pandavas acted like they were busy looking at the map.

“These men have no clue about what is happening around…..” Draupadi left the room grumbling to herself.

“Now for the arms and facilities needed. How many swords do we need? Do we need to recruit any more people or manage the whole thing ourselves?”, asked Arjuna as he jotted down everything that was being discussed.

“Oh oh..swords of steel?? Highly impossible”,said Yudhihstra. “And don’t worry about their strength. I heard that 50% of them have shifted to UK for work. Another 20% are very desperate to do their higher in some foreign country. 10 % are under fed and cannot fight and another 10% have gone to negotiate the nuke deal. That is only 10% who are left or just 10 people and I think we can very well manage them.”

“Drat!! Karna is with them”,said Bhima.

“So what?”

“Don’t you realize he has the Kavacha Kundala of gold? Just imagine the amount of gold he has!! And considering the gold prices now, it is a bumper prize.”,moaned Bhima.

“Is it possible to drag him to our side? We can lure him.Tell him that we have quotas for positions in the war and make him chief of army”, offered Nakulan.

“Chief of army with just 5 of us here?! I don’t think that is necessary. He is a generous guy, so, would have parted away money for everyone’s education. His gold won’t be a great threat to us”.

“High prices and low income is getting on our nerves. There must be some way to fight this war, otherwise we wont go down in history as the great Pandavas but as the people who fought the inflation.”

Everyone agreed with Arjuna.

“Arjuna,I think it is high time you dismissed your chauffeur Krishna.We cant afford to have him anymore.We cant afford the car in the first place. The amount I paid for the petrol and Krishna for last two years is four times the value of the car.” explained Sakadhev.

“Oh!!I will miss my sarathy . If I sell my car,how do we go to the war? It would be pathetic if we walked.”

“No worries.I am planning to get the Nano car.”, assured Nakula.

The occupants of the room smiled at each other.The room was silent again.

Everyone was startled when Yudishtra suddenly stood from his chair.

“Hey!!I have an idea.An idea how this war can be fought.And here it is………………’

“Great idea Yudhi!!Well done!!Somebody pass on your mobile please.I will tell this to Kauravas.They are bound to agree”,said Arjuna excitedly.

Each looked away.

“No balance” said Nakulan.“Validity over” said Sahadev.”I left it in my room” said Yudhistra.

“Chill Chill!!I have Virgin mobile.You can have mine”.Bhima passed on his mobile and Arjuna explained the plan to Duryodhana.

D DAY

14,410!! Come on Arjuna!!You can do better than that!!

“Oh my god!! Karna is on 15,820!!”

“Arjuna!!the left key.. the left key!!ahhhh…fast fast”

The war happened.Yes,it happened.Not on real ground but on Orkut online games.

The price of the war –internet charges were to be paid by the losing team.

Extravagance

2008-11-05T01:15:00.000-08:00

Our colony never missed out an occasion.Be it children's day or Independence day (aree..valentine's day bhi..) and Diwali was no exception. There were huge surprises like game stalls,chaat, dinner, crackers and so on.

The game stalls were put up by the members and very innovative. After food,we hit the lawns where the Tambola event took place.(Drat!!I hate these luck based games.But that didn't stop my sister and me buying couple of tickets.).After having a miserable time watching other people get huge amounts right under our noses,we waited for the cracker show which was supposed to be the highlight of the evening.

Whhhhhhhhoooossshhhh..flew rockets in different directions and displayed the finest scenes.Many crackers and rockets were let to burst that I began to realise that the Chinese Olympics' opening ceremony was far less spectacular than this.At first,it was exciting and couple of guys shouted for every cracker that went up.After half an hour so,they were drained out but continued to watch.

We thought the show was over when they unfurled something that seemed like a thousand wala but was styled as rockets.Only when it was lit did we realise that it was a hundred rockets which were to burst simultaneously one after the other. The cracker went on and on like never ending shallow seas(ok,I exhibit poetic skills to show how irritating it was). After waiting for ages, I realised I couldnt see my neighbour as the whole lawn was covered with smoke.

The nation is in financial crisis but there are people who seemed least affected.The thousand wala thing cost around 3 lakhs (more than my expected annual income :( ) and the result was smoke,pollution and wastage of money for the 30 minutes pleasure of audience.

It would have better if some under privileged children were allowed to spectate this or the money was used for something else.

It would have been wise if people knew and cared for the environment.

It would have been worthy if sweets or clothes were distributed among the poor.

It would have been considerate if only games and less crackers were used.

It would have been better if I had voiced my opinion there rather than writing a blog like this :( .

Meow meow

2008-10-16T00:27:00.000-07:00

"See,3 lakh applicants for CAT this year".

She turned towards me and gave a lazy look.

"But as the probabilty goes,only 50% would be serious which brings the count down to 1,50,000", I said and looked if she was still interested.There were no signs of irritation and I continued.

"In that,first attempt and beginners who don't know how to go about it are 50%.So,its 75,000 of competitors."

"Mock takers are even less-35,000 in TIME,20,000 in IMS and 10,000 in CL and other institutes.Moreover people doing dual mocks are to be counted.Eventually,around 40,000 are mock takers."

"In that 10,000 would be employed full time or with heavy work load which means they cant cope up and this leaves us with 30,000 people"

"Lets say around 10,000 of them are GRE and GMAT takers.Yes,there are people who do that and place foreign degree as their first priority which now brings the CAT people to 20,000."

"In that 20,000,I could be better than say, 25% of them which now makes my competition as 15,000."

"A 98 percentile which might get me an IIM call or SP jain or MDI means I need to be in top 300.I know atleast 10 people personally who will make it to the IIMs,another 20 through forums.So,say roughly around 40 people.So,260 left are my real competition."

Considering the skills or even language or luck,lets say 80 are behind me.Now its just 180.Hmmm..possible na??" I asked with earnest.

She took a deep breathe. "What was your Data Interpretation mark in last mock??Did you manage to clear the cut off atleast ?",she asked.

I looked at the book that lay in front of me.Some things are better untold.

How to write answers in AU exam?

2008-09-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

Very often I wonder what have I gained in 4 years of my college life (apart from the kgs) ?

Technical knowledge? Hmmmm..

Practical? Huh?

Ah!To write effectively.Yup.Bingo!!

Now,I am a very creative writer.

So,in this post,I am to explain "How to write well in AU exam".

Lets take an example:

Question: What are logic gates?

Answer: A circuit that uses binary inputs to perform a logical function.

Before you start,chew on this.

Rules:

1) Never stop an answer in a single or double line.

2)Let adjectives and adverbs be your strong point.Master them before your first semester.

3)Implement longer sentences.

4)The most vital point.Carry colour pens-the more you use them,better the scores.

Remember to sit for a longer time in the hall.Not that you are going to score more but it will definitely scare the peers.

To proceed with the writing part:

Answer: A circuit that uses binary inputs to perform a logical function.

1) When you have no clue at all

(or asked for 2 marks)

Logic gate,as the name suggests,is a gate of logic.Since it is logical to use it,it is also known as logic gates.The gate or electronic circuit (as we are electronics engineers we tend to use more of electronics) that has the ability to perform the logic using the logical functions on the electronic circuits is widely known as (also known as ) logic gates.

2) When you have partial idea:

(or asked for 4 or 6 marks)

2) (a) ..Oh yeah!Forgot to mention.If possible ,try to write in points and use all Roman numerals and alphabets available.Stick on to Indian alphabets ,otherwise they could be mistaken for formulae.

so,here it goes again.

2) (a) Logic gates (double underline)

Draw diagram

*It is the basic element.The most fundamental element that make the electronic circuits.The vital part of all digital system.

*It is a gate.

*It uses logical functions

*It uses and implements logical functions on gates

*It can be used in electronics.

*It is used to perform a logical function.

2 (b) Another way of creative writing

(or asked for 16 marks)

*What are logic gates :(double underline and double space)

Draw diagram

They are gates used in circuits.

They are logical gates using logic.

* What are gates?(double underline and double space)

Draw diagram (same but horizontal view)

They allow inputs.

They provide output.

*What is logic(double underline and double space)

Draw diagram(same but vertical view)

The circuit that uses logical functions.

They are used in electronics.

*Why are they used?(double underline and double space)

no idea

Staff did not teach

I did not listen

I am stupid

I am subs

* When are they used(double underline and double space)

Whenever anyone wants to use it.

When people are bored.

*Advantages of logic gates(double underline ans space)

It is relatively simple

It is compact

It is compatible

It is easy

It can be used with everything

* Disadvantages:(double underline and space)

It is not relatively simple

It is not compact

It is not compatible

It is not easy

It cannot be used with everything.

Conclusion (Double underline and space)

They are gates used in circuits.

They are logical gates using logic.

3) When you know the answer

This situation never arises.If it does,it does not appear in the paper or it is considered out of syllabus.

Now you know what to write.

Write legibly.

Use as much as words as possible.

Drag sentences.

Colour the paper.

People benefited from above post can leave comments below.

The comments will be used in the book to be published.

This and that(2)-Theatre musings

2008-09-23T01:56:00.000-07:00

1) Four of us went to a movie called "Exorcism of Emily Rose".We didnt intend to go to any particular movie and so the choice was random.The movies with the exorcism tag has always scared us which thrilled even more.As soon as the movie started,my friend Indu shut her ears(a natural response when the horror movie starts).The first half was only some stunts performed by the protagonist or the ghost or the lead role(all same) .In the interval we had a discussion of what had happened so far.The Hindu review had claimed the second half to be very scary esp the part where the ghost reveals itself.The lights were switched off and the movie started again.

This time, all of us shut our ears and looked..looked ..looked..waited..waited..till..

"This story is based on true life story.

"The End"

2)After watching dasavatharam for the the second time,five of us came out of the theatre battling the crowd.Two of the policemen outside were doing their job of directing people.One of them turned his head somewhere near our direction and shouted

"Arivu irruka?Thalu..ada chi thalu..%$^&%*^&%^%(&(^&*"

He was getting heated up.

"Who is the idiot blocking the way?" ,I asked my friend.Both of us turned around and scanned.There was no one in sight.We looked in front,realized our folly and moved out of the place.

3)First day ,First show- very rare, but we accomplished this and the movie was "shock" which was a remake of Ram Gopal Verma's hindi flick. The theatre was full and it gave us the immense satisfaction.The sound effects were so great that the calling bell rung in the movie sounded even horrendous than the intended noises.When the movie got over,we realised the guys who sat in the front provided more entertainment than the movie itself.

4)Movies with college friends are fun ,provided you go to the right movie.We bought couple of tickets at Rohini for the Movie mayavi.The first shock was that the theatre itself was empty except for you-know-whos.We were in the last seat trying to make the maximum noise and annoy others in the theatre.It was kind of ok in the first half.When the second half started,we tried the same.It went on for few minutes and after that...

"Subha..subha..hey.."

I got up suddenly ,looked around and realized where I was.

Looked at the screen-it was blank.

Occasionally,I am that pathetic.

5)My first movie at my most favourite theatre sathyam was Ayutha Ezhathu.I went with couple of school friends after the boards.I was fascinated with everything-the ambience,the stall and even the big dhabba of pop corn.I got the pop corn.It was very huge and could be generously shared.I passed it on and started talking to my friend on right.After few minutes,the box came back as expected.It was empty.

The gesture

2008-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

My courtesy starts with a 'hi' and ends abruptly with a 'bye'.The rest is just curiosity.

One fine morning,or almost afternoon,I was looking at my hopeless hairstyle when the phone rang.It was my friend from banglore -my classmate in school.I was pretty surprised because we occasionally spoke and shared news for not more than five minutes.

"You home? You free?",she yapped.

I was wondering why she was so excited.

Looked at my watch like a big shot and said "Absolutely free".

"Come to waves then".

I was again surprised.Took me time to even realise what she was saying.Waves,the apparel stores,was like ten minutes drive from my place and a person from Banglore cant be there.

Wait!!..

"You here in Chennai? When? Why?What?How?"

Ok,Only a fool can ask more than what wise can answer.

"You come here na.Will explain everything."

Excitement can do wonders.I was outside in another ten minutes.

While on road,memories flashed.I remembered her only in uniform.By the time,I could even visualize my school days,I was inside the shop.

I scanned the entire women's section.hey!!that could be her.nah!!This??Too tall.Must be the one in red shirt...

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii subhaaaaaaaaa" came a voice from behind.

I turned.Same enthusiasm.Simple.Sweet.Same.

I stood like Zombie.I dont know why I do that .

Suddenly even before I could realise it,she hugged me.I didnt expect that.

What did I do?

Stood like zombie.

"So,how are you??How is life?'

"Everything good.And you?"

Even spoke like Zombie .

The story part is over.Nothing funny or memorable.An incident to show how nice some people can be and how stupid one can be.It is all about gesture.

Why am i writing this?

Because I dont know what I should do first when I meet my 'good old days' friends.Should I give them a hug?

I really havent found out.

Hidden n not able to seek

2008-09-05T05:37:00.000-07:00

Childhood is all about innocence and energy .The enthusiasm never dies out.The colony where I live carries my fondling memories and I can relate each and every tree or building to an incident.People moved out and in ;I even made good friends but when I think of what I did as a kid,it makes me smile.I am surprised at my own vulnerability.Here is an experience from my good old days.

We (or rather a huge gang of guys and girls) had unique game every season.Once it was hide and seek.Once you start playing a game;you find out the tricks and gradually the interest fades out.Innovative we were;we always framed different rules to make it exciting everyday.The rule of that day was -the girls were called "seekers or catchers" and the guys "hidders or sneakers"(i don't know how we came about names.Now you ask me think of a name for something or someone,my mind freezes.We even named a game "Greaxe") .The game began around 6 p.m.

The girls (as far as I can remember-Gifta,Prathyusha,Amrutha,Ramya,Monisha,my sister and me) started counting.We count till 100.how??1 2 3..8 9 10 and that ten times.he he he..we were math geniuses.By the time we counted,we also cheated.Open our eyes and find out which direction the guys run and even make strategies like which girl has to seek in which direction.

We never went alone when seeking.Not because we were scared or anything but the guys run so fast that it's impossible for 'a girl' to catch 'a guy'(pun unintended and a call for quotas).Gifta and me were the accomplice for the day and we were to seek the darkest and creepiest places as we were the eldest in the gang!!

At this point,I have to atleast describe the colony.It's huge and a paradise on earth.Now and not then.It was under construction or say, not very well built.This gave additional opportunities for guys to hide themselves in every nastiest corners.Some even climbed buildings on the rope that were used for construction that it takes 4 girls(two on the terrace and two down) to catch him.The colony was a complete amaze and a maze.

Gifta and me first went to a place near the car shed.Very dark and spooky.

"Will he be here?"

"I saw him run this direction"

"He must have seen us and taken another"

"Lets anyway try na".

We always spoke.Speaking was like soothing.It made the place seem less scary.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh.....

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttt?? I screamed while both of us took to our heels in some direction.

"snakeuuuuuuu"

where?where?(like the snake awaited my presence)

Dont know .green de, green.that plant snake.(yup,even our colony snakes had their own names.)

We looked at each other and slowly went in the same direction.there was something worse than snake.Ranahexadactyla..err..thats the scientific name for frog..huge one..green ..slimy..ok,stop.

Frogs are even scary than snakes.Dont ask how but to us they were.Snakes crawl on seeing us frog jump on us.See- the difference.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh...

Out of that place.

Next,we went on to search every building's terrace.Terrace is a lovely place.Breezy and scary; still lovely.Our favourite hideout due to which it was taken out of "the hidding" places in some games.

We spotted no one and heard shrills all over the place.When we looked down some4 girls were chasing a single chottu guy and he was running for his life(exaggeration but thats how he ran)."prasanth out,prasanth out!!",the chorus was sung to defame and dethrone the guy.

In another hour,a very sweet long hour,all the guys were caught except one-Jobin.Jobin ,Gifta's brother was the athlete of our colony.Unmatched and unsaid king.7 girls and the guys met and discussed strategy yet again.The boys would join our team when they are caught.You might think it's sweet.No,it was annoying.They would keep screaming"Jobin!!run!!Girls on terrace","Jobin run!!Girls in the library".This way, the undisputed king would run to different places.

Each of us went in a different direction talking,discussing and even analysing.30 mins passed..60 minutes passed..90 mins passed..120..ok,stop right there.It was late night.

"where is this fellow hiding?"

"Aswin sollu da"(aswin tell us)

"I dont know".

"nee sonna nallaiku,neeyum naanum MAD gamela partners"(If you tell me,we will be teammates in the game called MAD).

"I honestly don't know"

We were drained out.Completely.Defeated..oh..that we never agree upon.We were tired "of" the game.

After quite sometime,it was getting panicky.All of us started shouting his name aloud(at the same time annoying all the dhaadhi maa's who were gossiping in the park).We even made the younger guys to check in the gents restroom in the club premises.

"What if he had gone into that Atreya basement?",asked Monisha

Atreya Basement was considered haunted(Not by ghosts,come on, we are practical) by generation of mice.They squeak and we scream.Thats what happens.

"I checked there",said Aswin and we looked at him like he was the God.

We searched frantically and everywhere.So the guy has got a place that no one knew before.

"This is getting scary.What if he suffocated?",I asked.

Everyone glared.This is what happens when you ask sensible questions.

Now everyone began to give an idea like this.

"Stop it!!!!Let's go home",Gifta said.

"Go home?What about Jobin?",Prathyusha asked

"He will come back when he is tired or bored",Gifta said.Jobin and Gifta were siblings and when a sibling says that,all of us had to agree.After 10 minutes of gossip ,we vacated the place.

Sister and I were dead tired.We were half scared and half worried about Jobin.If he told our parents,they would come up with their own theories.Some things better untold. We went to our rooms,acted like studying while discussing where Jobin would have gone.

The phone rang.

"hello subha!!"

"oh Gifta,tell me"

"Jobin has been home since 7!!"

"what??!Oh!!never mind,bye"

"Bye".

I didnt know whether to cry or laugh.Slumped on the sofa and fell asleep.