Recently came across a book review of "The myth and reality of office life". Must check it out one of these days....

'How much is it?' I asked as I checked the reading on the cab's electronic meter. 'दो सौ पैतालीस' said the cabbie. ' दो सौ पैतालीस? मतलब कितना'. I said in a puzzled tone. The driver looked at me as if I am from another planet. 'Is it two hundred fourty five or two hundred thirty five?' I asked again. Now it was his turn to get puzzled. Oh dear, 3 years of Hindi in school wasn't helping me here. ' दो सौ पैतालीस मतलब दो सौ पचास में पांच कम या पंधरा?' I asked in desperation. 'पांच मेडम' he said. I handed over the money and got down wondering if he was the illiterate one or I was.

It is not often that you come across a cab driver who is philosophical about life. Last week I ran into one. We were stuck in a traffic jam where I get stuck every day. He muttered something under his breath and then turned to me 'If everyone drives in straight line then there will be no jams'. I nodded. 'But who will tell them? If you try to, they will only shout at you and curse. Even educated people don't know how to behave with others'.

I folded the newspaper that I was reading. 'I don't think civility has anything to do with education. They don't teach you that in school or college. Now-a-days the kids spend more time away from the family so there's no teaching of basic values anywhere during their developing years.' Now it was his turn to nod. 'You are right. People don't know how to talk to their elders. They don't even know how to talk to their younger ones. It used to be so different in my time'. He said sadly.

I looked at him and wondered if I will say the same a few years down the lane.

जिंदगीसे आप जो भी बेहतरसे बेहतर ले सको ले लो
क्योंकी जिंदगी जब लेना शुरू करती है तो साँसेभी नहीं छोड़ती

(Forwarded)

It was the last signal before the office. I had almost finished reading the newspaper. That's why I was looking out of the window. A PUC van was parked at the curb and its door was ajar. The lone attendance inside was feeding a street dog some biscuits. I remembered my brother telling me that the digestive system of the animals gets disturbed if they are fed the biscuits that are meant for human consumption. But looking at the skinny dog, I rather doubted that he was getting much to eat otherwise. As I looked at him, an article from yesterday's newspaper came to mind. It was about the perennial issue of what to do with the stray dogs. When I read how a small child on his way to school was attacked by 3 stray dogs, I could think of no other solution other than putting down the dogs. But the dog near that PUC van looked very tame and harmless, rather forlorn. It would be cruel to put him to death. But then who knows? He might turn vicious and attack someone some day. It's a difficult choice like in many of the problems that continue to plague our nation :-(

A guy driving a scooter stopped near the PUC van – most probably to ask for directions, I thought. But as I kept watching, the PUC guy got down from his vehicle, went to the back and got a thin pipe out. Just then the signal changed to green and my cab pulled away so I could not see the rest of the process.

Must say that this is the very first time I have seen anyone use the service of the PUC van.

"The Supreme Court has upheld Kasab's death penalty" read my friend's SMS. I looked at the message and wondered whether to be happy or not. It's not that I have completely lost faith in the country's judicial system. But who knows what appeals and pleas – not to mention appeal for presidential clemency - his lawyers may come up with to keep him safe behind the bars for years to come. Come to think of it, I wouldn't even have rejoiced if the SMS had read 'Kasab to be hanged tomorrow'. The only message that can ever bring satisfaction and some sense that the justice has been served to those who died in the 26/11 attack and their relatives is 'Kasab was hanged today'.

Just wonder what happened to the old-fashioned Hindi movie tactic of the cops taking the criminal out of the prison on the pretext of transferring him somewhere and then shooting him in cold-blood because 'he was trying to escape'. I wish the real life would imitate reel life just this one time.

अर्ज किया है

दिलमे चाहत का होनाभी लाझमी है
वरना याद तो  दुश्मनभी रोज किया करते है

(Forwarded)