Another chapter in my Squash Appreciation class

So today, an Indian champion from Kolkata, arguably the best the country has produced will pick up his  racquet to play a tournament final against a fan favorite and the best ever in his sport produced by the paradise country - Switzerland. Before people start scratching their head wondering where on earth is Leander Paes playing Roger Federer in a singles finals today, allow me to submit that the matchup being referred to here is the next best thing possible, and definitely one that's a lot more evenly matched contest ! :)

Squash is back to its new swanky home in India -the lush green lawns at the CCI, Mumbai. For a city that's woefully deprived of high quality sports action , this annual stop by the stars of the squash world is a breath of real fresh air! And this, the 2nd edition of the tourney has added lot more cheer to the Indian public when compared to the inaugural edition. After a flurry of great contests and joyful upsets on the way, the grand finale is set up with Saurav Ghosal locking horns with the Swiss charmer Nicolas Mueller later in the day today. The semis yesterday saw plenty of skills, technique & tenacity on display with all 4 semi finalists giving it their best.

Mueller got the better of the tournament giant killer - Ramit Tandon. This young indian had given it his all to upset the top seed Spainiard Borja Golan in the quarters and was unfortunate to be carrying a hip niggle into the semis. Injury breaks and multiple stretches though did not dampen the fight in the young man who gave it his all and gritted through the match, despite the experience and skills of the Swiss man being an obvious bridge too far for the Indian to handle on the day.

The 2nd semis was the marquee matchup of the day ( probably of the tournament). The indian No.1 Saurav Ghosal, in a rich vein of form off late up against  Mr.'Hammer Of Thor' - the towering Egyptian - Omar Mosaad.
Did hear atleast a couple of remarks from the regular 'squashers' around me on the height difference and the imposing challenge that the Egyptian posed. And true to the thoughts, game 1 went by the looks,- the tall guy steamrolling the Indian. The little BIG guy from Kolkata though, showed the power of the blue patch that he's experiencing for the past couple of months, rattling of the next 3 games to win the match. It was a contest that was a test of mental toughness as much as one of skills. With plenty of ref calls being contested, the Egyptian brought out a number of gasps from the audience courtesy his raw power ! The power incredibly going up few more notches in the rally immediately after a heated argument with the refs. The marker, meanwhile was playing with fire going absent minded on atleast 2 occasions and incorrectly calling out the score further fuelling the egyptian's fury! Amidst all this, Ghosal's game was a testament to his experience and focus as he continued to do what he can do best to ensure his path to the finals.

Few points though struck a clear chord through the day while watching the matches. One being the undoubtable brotherhood that exists between the players. A game that by design demands playing it tough, contesting calls and flaring tempers is bound by guys who have genuine respect for one another. Right from the toss upto each point during the game theres a clear trust between the players to take calls that is fair. Plenty of moments stand out - Both the semi victors gushing in praise of the vanquished quoting the past wins and achievements, the loser conceeding a point won even at match point and the winner specifically calling that out later asking for the crowd to cheer the spirit shown by the loser then, the no airs bonhomie shown by the Indians - Saurav & Harinder to guide their younger mate through the semis even when saurav had his own tough contest to prepare for.

Final point though will be on the sport itself. To the casual eye, this is a sport that looks a bit of a drudgery at times, a little low on variation perhaps and a test largely of stamina. That was honestly my impression till probably a year and half back. Once you live the game though and watch a few high profile contests from close quarters, one realises that this is a game of infinite possibilities - a genuine contest that thrives on skills, precision, patience, power, mental fortitude and of course superior fitness being an unalterable must-have in order to succeed!

With Indians doing so well in the sport and the buzz among the young kids being an obvious one to see, wishing that we see the emergence of many more young champs in the sport and also plenty more such avenues like the CCI Open for the champs to display their skills to an audience willing to lap 'em all up ! 👍👍

Welcome onboard Bops!

8th June 2017 proved to be a happy day for Indian sports. A day when a name was added into the exclusive, now 4 member, list of Indian grand slam winners in Lawn Tennis.

It was a case of 2nd time lucky for the  man hailing from the blissfully quaint hill station of Coorg. Rohan Bopanna had a successful run of results with his Pakistani partner Aisam Qureshi, which included a shot at the Mens Doubles title at the US open in 2010. But the crown eluded him then. Grand slam glory was destined for him on 8th June 2017 partnering Gabriela Dabrowski at the clay courts in Roland Garros. Mixed Doubles may well be considered a lesser sport, but this by no means reduces the sheen of his achievement. By winning the French Open Grand Slam at 37 years, an age that could easily be considered old in the physically demanding sport that tennis is, Rohan has given a fine example of the merits of never losing hope and keeping it going till success is attained. Moreover, by some quirk coincidence, this win almost serves as a worthy commemoration of the day that started it all for Indian wins at the sport's highest level. It was 7th of June 1997 when Mahesh Bhupathi, widely regarded as Rohan's mentor and now India's Davis cup captain/coach, won the French Open Mixed Doubles title partnering Japan's Rika Hiraki, gifting India its first grand slam title ever. 20 years to the day his protégé repeated the feat winning the title in a closely fought contest to lend a cheer to scores of Indian sports aficionados.

While we revel in this success, diehard tennis fans in India continue to await the day when the hitherto unheard of  is achieved by an Indian in  world tennis i.e success in singles at the top level. A taste of which came 21 years back on a shiny day in Atlanta when a young man brought individual Olympic glory for India. That 'young' man continues to delight us today with his awe inspiring control at the net and fitness at an age when top level sport is out of bounds for most, if not all, ordinary souls.  

Here's wishing that successes such as these and the presence of such 'young men' inspire our Gen Next to strive and forge ahead at the topmost level of this fascinating sport.

Going Gulzar on Badminton .....

Ek Akela iss shehar mein ...... Raat mein aur dopahar mein.....

Thus go the words of a timeless classic made immortal by the redoubtable pristine brilliance of an amazing poet and sung by d legendary voice of Bhupendra Singh. Over the decades, these lines have soothed many a lonely heart and helped them wade through the streets while trying to find their true calling.

The song gains relevance in an article meant to be a write-up on sports because of the feeling one goes through traditionally while tracking a non cricket sport in this 1 sport religion country of ours. Though maybe entirely unintended, it is the brilliance of these lines so beautifully written by Mr.Sampooran Singh Kalra that probably helped define the feelings of an Indian badminton fan to the fullest. Lonely pursuit all day and night to keep track of scores, watch the matches, When obliged with coverage / working live stream links i.e, trying to analyse and make a meaningful assessment, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the game - All of this largely ...Akela !

The advent and popularity of social media, ushered in a new dawn of sports viewing and living the passion. Geography, timezone, coverage , all are a lot more immaterial now. Irrespective of the time of the day, there is someone out there following the sport with equal vigour and analysing the game threadbare to help give one the joy of company! Probably the great man that he is, Gulzar knew this well ahead, and hence wrote a modified version of the same song to match this as well .....Do Deewaane Sheher Mein ... :)

Viewer aside, another reason this song becomes relevant is the main characters in this saga of our sport's love, the ones right in the thick of action, Our heroes - The members of the national badminton team.

For long, very long in fact, the badminton crazy fan in India was resigned to the fact of being happy with the odd solo success. Hunting in packs on a sports field, least of all a badminton court,  was something that Indians for sure never managed well. A brilliant win by 1 of our champs would necessarily be negated by a logic defying loss by another. A win against best in the world on day 1 could easily be followed by a loss against someone who wouldn't hold a chance given another day.  Similarly, our quota of success in doubles was more than taken up by our friends playing the outdoor court racquet sport. The poor cousins playing doubles in the indoor court racquet sport would be left to win d lower rung events at best.

The winds of change are blowing thick and fast now and its quite evident to witness. The difference in the viewer perception to the matches makes the changes very apparent. Loads of positivity in the air about player performances irrespective of the result. People actually sit up today to take notice of the talent on display with a strong inner belief that results will come tomorrow, if not today. And for sure the results are coming as well, some beyond expectations of even the ardent optimist among the fans. With the talent in display the average Indian sports fan has begun to enjoy the game beyond the pressures of winning / losing and the same is also rubbing off on the players.

Strategically as well, there's been a lot that's fit in perfectly for India. New coaches, existing mentors ably supported by past players have built an ecosystem of excellence that's largely unheard of in Indian sport. If one were to one go through the annals of Indian sport, it would be a tough challenge to come up with instances where kids as young as 16 are thrown into the cauldron and made to compete against the best in the world. While it's tough recognising a kid with a world beater talent and its tougher being able to be develop it at the right time under the tutelage of the right people, But the toughest is to give the kid the highest level exposure at this young an age and yet supported to make him thrive. Indian sports are replete with examples where whizkids have been lost due to one or all of the above not happening. This is changing in Indian badminton today. We appear to have successfully done a 'Çhodd aaye hum woh galiyaan' on those days of self-doubt and low expectations.

The badminton ecosystem today represents a cooker. Not one filled with pressure, but one that's simmering with array of talents made up of the multiple ingredients waiting to explode onto the global scene. It has already blown multiple whistles thanks to the people on the top, but the real story of our dominance would be when the cooker bursts and fills the sport at all if its levels and disciplines with its colour and aroma. The world sure is starting to get the taste off late, more so this week, but the real taste of the pudding will come when the highest levels of the sport are bagged. For this to happen, the efforts to stay on the long winding road to success needs to be constantly maintained ! To borrow from the great man again  -

In umr se lambi sadako ko, Manzil tak pahunchte dekha nahin

Bas daudte phirte rehete hain, Humne to theherte dekha nahin .......

This SHUTTLE is set for take off .....

When one reads many of the popular cricket autobiographies a striking feature among them is the description about growth of the game and the popularity among the masses. Reams have been written  about the nurseries of cricket like the ones in Mumbai - the gardens in Dadar have been witness to countless precocious talents taking their first steps and creating lasting impressions among the passionate eyes that spend evenings aplenty poring through the numerous matches on in the maidans. The goal for those eyes being, catching  a glimpse of the latest whiz kid who's been creating a buzz among the folks who track the game at the grassroot levels ever so closely and to back with stories to be quoted in the future on how - 'I was there when ......... ' 

In many respects this is the core strength of the sport of cricket in India. Whether you have a talent with respect to playing the game or not, there most certainly exists the eye as well as the want to soak in the sport, to identify and judge young talents who'd be tomorrow's big names. When one goes to a 'maidan' on a lazy Sunday morning, there is always an unmistakable buzz in the air when that kid, who's been the subject of many chai time conversations, starts to show off his wares.  It's that want of people, young and old, to spend their leisure time with the game and their keenness to witness the baby steps at the grassroots that sets this sport apart and defines its 'religious' identity in the country.

When it comes to non cricket sports, we may be miles away from reaching that superhighway of sporting devotion. However, slowly but surely there are tiny foundations being laid down with respect to the same in today's times. Badminton today in India is at the cusp of breaking through and achieving universal acceptance across the length and breadth of the country not just as a recreational activity but also one of life's passion and goal in the minds of many a young and old. As is popularly said - there's perhaps nothing that breeds success better than success itself. For the young kid growing up in the country today with a keen eye on the game, to start with, there is of course the legendary status of a Prakash Padukone or a Pullela Gopichand to look up to. Besides these overarching gurus of Indian badminton, there are many heroes who can be seen in action on a very frequent basis either on telly or up close at the nearest tournament happening in the city. The success stories across the various disciplines within badminton today transcends social, economic and ethnic backgrounds, thereby increasing its universal appeal.

Given the traditional sports psyche in India , think it's safe to declare that never before have we witnessed such emphasis being laid on building the foundation for a sport and creating an army of talent. Indian sporting success has largely been defined by those outlier geniuses who took it upon themselves to strive and succeed despite the systemic challenges. In case of Badminton though, it is the focus being laid on building the system and a mass culture within the sport that is defining the unique character that the sport is achieving in India. The number of young kids taking up the sport and achieving successes at a national / global level is an easy barometer to define this stature.

It is a bit difficult to do justice to the young names creating buzz in the badminton scene in the country, given the sheer quantity of talents swarming the sport. There is also the caveat, and a critical one at that, of junior talent not converting at the world stage for a whole host of reasons, as witnessed countless times in the past. However a name that come to mind upfront when talking about the badminton scene in the country deserves a mention here, though this may betray a bias I have for the belief that this kid is one heck of a talent. The boy in question here is the lanky live wire from Andhra - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. A kid with surely a long winding name, but someone who forces you to etch the same in minds once his talent is witnessed. A little under 2 years still to go for the kid to be eligible to obtain a driving licence, however that has not stopped him from driving his career ahead in the fast track. He powers his game with some hard hitting smashes, probably among the hardest smashers in the country, an uncluttered raw pace and some delightful jaw dropping defence executed through a distinct self defined style. After hitting national stage in the past couple of years by sweeping junior level titles, the kid has started the transition towards International senior level events and the results have been encouraging to say the least so far. His 1st season at the senior level which has yielded 2 International Series titles each in mixed doubles as well as men's doubles and 1 International championship level title each in Mixed n Men's doubles proves that the kid is on the right path with many more to come. A recognition of his talent is demonstrated by the fact that this 16 year old was also catapulted into the senior team for the prestigious Thomas Cup earlier in the year, thereby bypassing many senior contenders in the pecking order. A change of partners has brought about no blips in his galloping moves up the ranking charts and in practically no time the young kid is knocking on the doors  of Top 100 in the world - arguably among the youngest of all time to make the cut. The striking feature of meeting and interacting with him is the honesty that shines through. His off court demeanour which makes him come across as a shy and reserved kid proves to be just the apt veil to hide the on-court aggression and exuberance of youth that's a marked feature of his game. 

Having said this, as with any career, more so infact with sports, every incremental jump at the top level is a disproportionate quantum leap. This is a challenge that many a talent have failed miserably in, despite all efforts, in surpassing. Variety of factors namely coaching methods, physical ability, superior competition levels, own drive to succeed and a liberal dose of luck amongst others would play a critical role in making 'tomorrow's champions' become 'today's legends' one day. This is in no way a simple task else we'd never have had that exclusivity associated with the true legends of sports. Talents like Satwik and the scores of others who are breaking through in Indian badminton will do well to constantly remind themselves that the ride's just beginning to warm up and there's many a twist and turn in the path ahead. They may have the basic tools to steer through the course for now but every turn will demand something new of them and they'd need to stay ahead of the road to ensure success justifies their abilities. What works in their favour probably is the timing of their forward strides. This sport in India today has all the heroes that any young budding talent needs to look up to, the basic infrastructure to hone the talents, the ever increasing interest level of the masses and reasonable if not sufficient monetary support to egg on the players. It's time that these talents buckle up for the ride of their lives as this shuttle takes to orbit. There are and will be plenty of eager eyes watching and cheering on at every step.

A new and exciting entrant into a crowded mindspace

One of the few things that can never really run out of being in vogue is the joy and excitement associated with learning and living the intricacies of a new sport. Not quite a surprise then that a sports mad person like yours truly gets to experience this high during an Olympic year! In a daily calendar that mandatorily begins and ends with checking out the latest scores of events happening across the world and dissecting the same with plenty of armchair expert comments through the day, it was inevitable that a new sport would join in the tracking list. The surprise though was the fact that a non-olympic sport actually crept up the mind share charts for me during the year and got me to experience the unparalleled thrill of learning to appreciate a sport. This is a short expression of my thoughts on the beauty of the sport of squash.

My earliest memory of squash as a sport has to do with the childhood days sitting at home alone after school and during vacations with a rubber ball in hand and the wall in front. Most simplistic way to stay occupied playing a sport with self to compete against! No racquests needed, no courts and no nets - Just a deaf ear required to ignore parent's reprimand for spoiling the wall. Obviously rules were self defined and executed, sole objective being to have fun making use of the permanent childhood companion - a ball! As years passed the wall squash ended up as a passing fad and got upstaged in my  sports pecking list by table tennis, volleyball, badminton and the rest. 2016 has resulted in a fair bit of change in that though. Following the ElShorbagys, Gawad, Mathew and Gaultiers of the world on telly has brought the sport quite close to me. Ofcourse nothing beats the experience of watching a sport live right amongst connoisseurs of the game, breathing the same air as the players and feeling the pulse of the moments and this has been the real change in this year. 

Indian Squash Circuit has taken off brilliantly and to have two events close to each other in Mumbai, where honestly for all that we boast of, high quality sports live action is a rarity, has been a revelation. The Otters international couple of months back in Bandra gave an opportunity to witness Joshna Chinnappa's game and the masterclass from the veteran Annie Au. The tenacity of Tesni Evans in her fight given to Joshna as well as the lazy elegance of Abdullah Al-Mezayan who delighted the small gathering with some magical wristy shots remain etched in the minds. Ofcourse Otters was a curtain raiser for the real deal in November at the CCI. A glass court put up at the club with a sizeable capacity crowd witnessing some high quality squash was just what the doctor ordered for the sport to be driven up the popularity expressway in the country. 

Talented people from squash capital of the world - Egypt along with gritty challengers have resulted in some fabulous action lapped up by an excited crowd spanning across age groups 2 years to 75+. Watching the class of Mohammad Abouelghar and Fares Desouky and the never say die determination shown by the Swiss Nicolas Mueller surely ranks among the best squash action that Indian audiences have witnessed live. Personally, given that watching such top class squash action courtside was a first, the nuances and efforts put in the sport are an eye opener! 

A word to appreciate the efforts of the organisers. Ritwik Bhattcharya has been brilliant, constantly on the run through the matches meeting players, officials and working with the technical guys to address issues with the streaming coverage. Despite all the running around, the minute a familiar face is met or even a stranger approaches him for a word, the man is all smiles and courteousness personified! The passion and love for the game that brought him to the top in the country is evident in his efforts to popularise the sport and take the game to the masses further. Ditto for Raj Arora as well. Infectiously passionate about the game and willing to talk about it at lengths. A particularly heartening sight through the course of the tournament at CCI has been the number of young kids present and their unbridled excitement in watching the match and rushing over to meet the players and get an autograph / selfie. The players ofcourse have been more than willing to shrug off the game fatigue and give the kids a moment to cherish. 

Wishing the best to the group in the efforts to build the sport in the country and with myself getting bitten by the bug, can't wait to hit the courts to experience the thrill of this magic ball sport far more regularly. 

Epidemic after the terror

Just days after the terrorists created havoc in our dear ol mumbai ,.... its really unfortunate that the whole of country has been hit by such a terrible epidemic .... ofcourse its nbot at all a surprise to note that its majorly only a particlular class of the society that is falling prey to the same ....

The class being referred to is ofcourse our very own dear flagbearers of our democratic system -- the politicians ..... and the epidemic they've started to suffer from is the 'foot in the mouth' disease. These poor souls have been making such fools out of themselves that one just cant even begin to guess what golden words can come out from which bigshot's mouth next !!!!!

It may be expecting too much to hope that these guys who represent us, have to be suave ... smart and awe inspiring ... Leaders atleast in the indian context, bringing out these kind emotions today exist unfortunately only in a small tiny corner called 'utopia ' !!! There are sure the odd exception here and there .. but definately its jus that ... an exception ... no longer a norm.

Given all this, though there is a certain bit of acceptance about the intel level ( or the lack of it ) of these guys still the fact that has been most shocking has been the casualness and the lack of sensitivity in many of them that have really left most of us i guess fuming !!! .... Dont think its expecting too much if we expect a head of a state to be sensitive to the feelings of a family that has just lost their brave son for the cause of the country ..... IF People who are peacefully expressing their thoughts and making the world know of the fact that for all the right that is India ... there are so many things goin wrong in this country .... THEN they are definately not goin against the tenets of democracy ... now whether the people are doin these wearing lipsticks or wearing wigs ... its not a point of any relevance here !!!!

If not for intelligent remarks the leastest ( for want of a better word) we can expect is them to be atleast politically smart!!! and understand the impact of their remarks on their vote bank ... herein even that has not happened ..... all these statements made by the members of this clan make us feel that the ones that are actually quite conspicous by their unusually long silence are actually doing themselves and their image a BIG favour ...

All this gets us to the pertinent question ... that we say that we should be held responsible for all this in some way cause we r the ones who got those cronies up there .... by either exercising our right or by chosing not to ... BUT as can be inferred from the above .... where do we the 'laxman's bunnies' have a choice ....... There's not much of a point in having ruler of the state be decided upon the anti- incumbency factor .... people with supposedly diffferent ideologies will just alternate .... but the net result would remain the same ....

do we see a third front coming in ??? can these kind of ultra awareness days ... and mass movement by the common men of the country lead to the formation of an independant front ... not ruled by parochialism .. or religion ... corruption ..... Is this possible ?? difficult i guess .... more so in a nation as diverse and radically vibrant as ours .... mayb such a movement can start off as a pilot proj at a smaller area .... build the momentum and them move forward .... tho difficult wouldnt say impossible coz at the end of the day ... every human, including u n me, is selfish .... selfish about himself ... about his family .... and if he is convinced that here is a front / grp of individuals that believe in the resurrection of a society that will foster the development of each and every particapant within the same ... thereby leading to the development of the society as a whole .... wouldnt a selfish person believe that here is my oppurtunity to side with a party that will grow ... let each one of its members grow and i also wont have to have the guilt of stunting the nations growth ... now that is a win-win situation there ... let me join this group of youngsters ...

hmmm .... all easy to think ... but WHO WILL GET HIS HANDS DIRTY IN THIS MUCK FIRST !!! ??

Mumbai Back to BAU ??

Mumbai got up to a new week today !! guys n gals back to their ol'routine ... taking the same trains ... same roads gettin down at the very same stn ... that witnessed bloddy madness few days back .....

call it the spirit of the city or the mental makeup of mumbaikars .... but at the end of the day ... no matter how much or where we protest ... the average mumbaikar unfortunately understands that he has to get back and live the same ol routine .... he cannot afford to cool his heels ... whether u move or not ... this citi no matter what happnes can never really be pulled back and put to sleep ....

Maybe couple of things different today was ... ( not sure how that'l last tho ) was
1) the public areas atleast bore a more secured look ... atleast there were a few ppl here n there .. bullet proof jackets in place and armed with service rifles ....
2) the people of mumbai while walking aroung ... going past each other ... i got the sense that there were lots of us who were tryin to look deeper into one another ... tryin to understand ... Who this guy mite b ?? ... can he cause some harm to me ?? ..... am i secured with him aroud ??
Ofcourse mayb not thots to such a great details ... but surely something on those lines ....


Its one thing that the average mumbaikar knows that whatever be tghe day .. to survive in this megapolis .... he has to keep running ... he has to reinvent and push himself .... and this will keep him goin on for sure .... I will not attribute this to the spirit asw much as to the inevitability of the common mumbaiite's life here .... In this respect the city will always bounce back ..... But a fallout i do see of these kind of events is the doubt that keeps creeping into one another about the person sitting on the '4th seat' next to u .... the person standing behind u in the 'Q' .... do fear that the spontaneity and the Zinda dilli of the average mumbaikar is bouind to get eroded ... He would start living and goin about his life here because he has to ... not beacause he wants to !!!:(
could lead to more of burnouts and breakdowns faster !!!

hmmm ... is this where the great city is headed ..... is mumbai goin on the path to being only 'Business As Usual' .... or can v also hope for a chillaxed life wherein love for city would set in and people would again want to give back the charm that she once enjoyed amongst indian cities ... !!!

hmmmm ..... no more thotss !!!

Sandeep Unnikrishnan

never got a chance to meet and know this great person ..... but somehow felt like wording this down ... ..

guess just another guy from a decent school with parents in service .... simple home .... with all the dreams and aspirations for the future - all this just like u n me ... But the last few mins of his life ... and his 'life' as is stands today gives a new meaning to 'life' ......

He's gone far away ... never to return ...a definate irreplaceable personal loss for his family..... but northwithstanding that ,... wat we as average Individual can look at is that ... ' here is an Indian ... with more or less a similar background like u n me .... ' but has achieved so much in life by entering this new phase of his life .....
Obviously the 1 Bio of us cannot one fine day decide to join the forces and make a difference by paying the ultimate sacrifice .... thats not the point !!! but surely ... if we do look around ,.... there's a lotsa wrongs within our reach wherein corrections can be initiated by our own very actions ....Be aware of the surroundings .... of how YOU n ME can make a differenece ... ( no matter however small it is !!) .... our dear elected reps ( whether the honest ones or the dishonest ) seriously have lotsa 'issues' to think about ( issues can be anythin depending on wich is the tribe they owe their allegiance to!!! ) .... and hence quite likely that something that WE can change upon will be easily missed for the want of an initiator!!! Lets not do that ..... Lets become the change agents for the change that we want to see ....

Guess by doing this ... if nothin else ... atleast Sandeep in his new life can look back at us here and feel that his sacrifice has been worth it ... !!! WE owe this to him .. dont we ?? :) ... after all he's jumped in to answer the call of duty to save people he hardly knew .... bore the bullets from the someone whom also he hardly had a personal problem with ....and showed the way for a new generation of people that would be, in the times to come, the strongest pillars forming unbreakable edifice called I-N-D-I-A !!!!

sandeep has completed a job really well done !!!! its upto us to follow the route shown by him and 'his like ' .... as their roles our over now ... its us in the line of fire ... and WE all know that if we really do get down to it .... WE can make the difference !!!

Where does MUMBAI go from here?..

Come monday and the day will start once again..
would we hav forgotten all the pain….
once life gets back to the all too familiar lane
Where we lose all of life’s morals.. for nothing but a bit of monetary gain !!!

The 8.20 local would become life’s supreme goal
And we would go back to the place ready to pay the toll
Life will return to the mechanical melancholic mode
And the lessons from the 26th would be discarded just like all other things old!!!

Much as nobody likes to be proven wrong
I hope we all get together by the throngs
And be united in our action and thought
So that the above words of inertia never leads to our minds getting clot!!!

All this with forever a single minded aim
To believe that to win in this bloody game
We have to be willing to take upon ourselves the blame
And action our words so as to put the challengers of peace to shame !!

The Un-invited Guest

This is the story of an omnipresent soul
Someone who enters when you lose ur control
He’s always a guest be it joy or sorrow
We all want to lend him even if nobody wants to borrow

He’s alive in everyone of us – be it young or old
He affects the weak as much as the bold
Be it the bright sunny day or cold chilly night
This visitor always troubles you till no end in sight

All of us try our level best to avoid him
But he invariable succeeds in getting our joys trim
At times he also pays a visit during happiness and success
Thus he is always present when emotions are in excess.

This guest never comes in one at a time
Once he enters he is like a sprinter in his prime
One after the other he and his friends keep coming and going
Your neighbours fear – will there ever be an end to this flowing

He is never a quiet or easy person to host.
“I never let him affect me” a lot of u may boast
but no matter how many raises to happiness and luck u may toast
None of us can really escape a visit from this visible ghost

All said & done, no matter how much he puts u into trouble
Life’d not b d same without this tiny water bubble
Experiences have shown that if treated with respect and if well cared
He can be the sole agent to get all ur problems repaired

Even though I have cursed him a lot in this account
Please remember that when troubles r on d mount
And when u r all alone shivering with all kind of fears
The only person who’ll stop by 2 b wit u will b ur poor old

"TEARS"



- Arun Menon

Relations...

RELATIONS

This one’s about a mystery called relations
Something that’s stumped many for generations
Some look at it as nothing but stops during a journey
Where u take a pause only to move on in search of more money.

Some others look at it as the roots of the tree
Which one cannot, no matter where u reach, bury.
Some use it as cards to be played
When life’s problems are to be fade.

Some others look at it as life, none less
Always working out a way to clear each other’s mess.
Some use it as a thrash can to fill the dirt
From the dangers with which man always likes to flirt.

Some others look at it as a partner in life’s trip
To ensure that ups and downs are firmly held in grip.
Some use it as a trial room to try out ever changing taste
Forgetting the fact that such a practice is none but a colossal waste.

Some others look at it as a two-way pact
With the concept of giving, as well as taking, a firm fact.
Some look at it as none but a mechanical device
To be switched on during times of greed and malice.

The problem for today’s generation is there to see
And once this fact is realized, life’d be all glee
It is that while the sum of some are aplenty
The sum of some others hardly make up a twenty

Relations are the covers that binds the book of life
Not the chapters that are to read and recollected only during strife.
A new one only complements an existing one
Understand this, and life would forever be fun.

- Arun Menon

beautiful thot!!!!

hey... this is smthg i came across on d net....jus loved d thot.....


" I'm not very good
at this game called life

For i've not learned to see children crying
without feeling pain...

For i've not learned to watch animals destroyed
without wondering why...

for i've not yet met a king or celebrity
that i would bow down to...

or a man so insignificant
that i would use a stepping stone..

for i've not learned to be a "yes man"
to narrow minded bosses,
who quote rules without reason...

and i've not learned to manipulate
the feelings of othersto be used for my own advantage
then cast aside as i see fit...

NO!! i am not very good
at this game called life...

and if everything goes well

maybe i never will be!!!"

A poetic take on 2 yrs of MBA

DAYS OF OUR LIVES

T’was our first foray into the real world
Nothing was ever going to be like the old
Life’s cruel, party’s over we were told
We’d all have had to change to fit the mould

The initial days went as we had heard
“Am I ever going to like this” one often wondered
“will I never make a close friend” another feared
Nothing truly was like how it appeared

Sitting here today looking back at those days
I look at all of us stuck in a maze
Slogging and slogging to master the phase
But come what may always putting up a brave face.

As days flew by the mist started to clear
Slowly but surely everybody moved up a gear
Some started to move away while some came near
Thus, we all learned to co-exist as interdependent peers

Twas always an eternal race against time
Not just what and when but how, too was prime
All felt troubled at times for no reason or rhyme
But we lived on dreaming about the future dimes

Life has moved on for each and everyone of us today
Newer experiences and people have entered the fray
But one thought should for sure always stay
No matter where we reach and what we say,

The days of our lives absolutely shone
In the two years that our skills and traits were honed
No matter which role our future makes us adorn

All of us will forever hold fond memories of the days long gone.

Roberto Benigni influence !!!

Life is Beautiful

Life is beautiful, so people say
Tis a real joy be it night or day
There is a lot of darkness as well as light
Neither comes in without a real fight

The circle of life is filled with troubles
Worries and tensions make them double
This journey is bestowed with milestones and blocks
Each day a mightier challenge sometimes it clocks.

Every second counts in this mighty watch
Keeps a track of everything you do and don’t notch
There is but a thin line between success and failure
Both being firmly in the fray here.

This is the secret of this joyride
A lot of rules to follow, laws to abide
The situation the same whichever route you take
The problems getting thicker every move you make

This grim fact nevertheless I’ll say, if u may,
That life is beautiful so some people say
And till the earth sees night and day
The bigger fact is that this say will stay.


Arun Menon

The Hand of GOD
The day has well and truly begun
People are running around to catch the fun
Tis day for some, night for some others
Early to bed , Early to rise who bothers

We’ve reached a phase in our lives
Where we listen to nothing but our own cries
Jobs, Careers family and the buzzword pressure
Have made satisfaction smthg impossible to measure

Looking at the future and servicing self is the core
Ideas of serving the nation and mankind - a big bore
Money Money Money and more
Is the only thing man brings to the fore.

In between all this reaches out that hand
That makes life look all grand
Life get’s a new meaning a new zeal
Tis simply a real reassuring feel

With a smile so warm and a look so calm
Life goes on as if there never were any qualm
There are, but many ways for life’s problems to mendBut none can beat the joy of having a true friend.

Gandhigiri .... poetry ishtyle!!!!

1. The SECRET OF SUCCESS

Life’s got a sure shot way giving u your due
It offers a lot of chances for the honest few
But is equally ruthless on the larger crew
Who oft make the folly of being untrue.

The virtue of truth is a real blessing
Some have it while in others tis missing
The benefits may not always be evident
But it always provides joy 2 d provident

At times solutions 2 some issues appear too easy
T is then that within you u hv 2 be quite queasy
A fair bit of grind and struggle is truly essential
To discover d man for all seasons, be it sunny or torrential.

There r no shortcuts in this long and winding voyage
U mite fall a lot more than others during a lean passage
But at the end of the day result is there for all to see
It is this grind tht gets all of life’s problems a free.

It is rightly said honesty is the best policy
To think otherwise would be a huge fallacy
This policy coupled with patience and perseverance
Can truly create the man to be held in high reverence

Whatever the situation, the ensuing benefits or the greed
One must never step away from one’s own creed
If life has to go on as smooth as a stroll on the meadow
It has to be led by a character embalmed with high credo.

Some times u find people winning all the mighty praise
U r made to believe that success is a synonym for their face
But the real secret of success in this marathon race
Is to becum the winner despite never losing ones grace
And to have a value system too profound for anyone to erase.


---Arun Menon

26th July 2005 revisited....

WHEN THE NATURE STRIKES

Sitting here in the middle of the night,
Can do nothing but sigh at man’s plight.
Man’s suddenly looking weak against HIS might
Troubles!! Just compounding with no respite in sight.

Man’s running helter skelter to find a path,
With no idea about loved ones very much his part,
Having none a clue on how to cope with this aftermath,
Puzzled on what did he do to incur such a wrath.

Man’s supremacy is being challenged to the core
Quakes, blasts, blizzards and floods galore
All these sights making his eye all the more sore
Wondering whether he truly could counter such a roar.

Finding the same faces everywhere, ones of utter dispair
The events leaving scars on some beyond repair
While others having to face with fact of being forever impaired
Left querying how could he have been better prepared

However man need’nt perceive it as troubles he cannot fend
Blessed with a mind that can make mighty peaks bend
No matter how horrible the situation, he can make it amend
After all, for everything in life, be it bad, there does come an….

END.

My experiments wit Rhymes....

THE ENIGMATIC YOUTH

Let me tell you about an enigma called youth
A little of brash, a little of brute
To live life kingsize is the goal
V all go thu it with heart and soul

The days give its highs and lows
With a burst of energy it really flows
To work hard and party harder are the goals
Thru which this roller coaster rolls.

Success and Failure, Enemies and Friends
Are all places where this road bends
The straights are few, curves aplenty
That’s how life is after twenty.

Today v r all stuck in this maze
Slogging and slogging to master this phase
Energy and opportunity are the steroids
That gets each and every person’s life buoyed.

Youth’s experiences and lessons r really vast
It teaches u that success and fame never comes fast
The events in life r in such a way cast
Tht it is YOU who decides how long u last.

- Arun Menon

THE ENIGMATIC YOUTH

Let me tell you about an enigma called youth
A little of brash, a little of brute
To live life kingsize is the goal
V all go thu it with heart and soul

The days give its highs and lows
With a burst of energy it really flows
To work hard and party harder are the goals
Thru which this roller coaster rolls.

Success and Failure, Enemies and Friends
Are all places where this road bends
The straights are few, curves aplenty
That’s how life is after twenty.

Today v r all stuck in this maze
Slogging and slogging to master this phase
Energy and opportunity are the steroids
That gets each and every person’s life buoyed.

Youth’s experiences and lessons r really vast
It teaches u that success and fame never comes fast
The events in life r in such a way cast
Tht it is YOU who decides how long u last.

- Arun Menon

strike 1....

okey/....


This is my post... never taken writin seriously ....lets c how far this goes....


watch ths space fr sm poems... n few writeups on music n sports............