Saga of Idling ZEN

One fine morning my childhood friend calls me and says

"Amber yaar, the ZEN D is up for grabs. As you have asked to be the first person to know this. here you are"

"Wah Wah, Vibhor. Its good. By the way I am in Bathinda and I will take it for a good spin"

"Aye sure" says Vibhor and hangs up.

This is the conversation regarding a car that was known to no abuse, and low miles registered, full service history and a know bang on the front fender.

Being from Panjab you may be able to afford whatever you want to buy, but you still want a ZEN, ZEN D or Di is even better because we don't care if it has a speed of a snail but it should be a ZEN that looks good. Wide alloys with wide tyres and Dinchak Dinchak car entertainment system is a must or should be on the menu.

I ask my Mrs. to be ready to run some errands around the town before we have to head back to Delhi the next day. We drive down to Vibhor's place exchange usual greetings, have tea and leave the car and take the ZEN.

After driving for a few miles I realised something is wrong, may not be serious but wrong. We stopped at a market, I have never been to this market but it was opposite to my friend Siddharth Goel's house. My wife who has been well trained by me to spot small things in cars and bikes said "It seems something with the engine". Then I realised that the car is not Revving. We have been driving it around but the sound signature of the engine has been the same! no increasing revs!, just the typical Diesel Clatter Idling sound.

Now as I knew what the problem was I tried a few things to correct it, then drove it to a ramp somehow. and here is what happened. I woke up.

What! it was just a dream. It was not real. The car has been gone for last 2 years and I was not even the first person to know that it is being sold.

Wondering about all this I still hear the diesel clatter idling sound, then I realised that it was coming from the a FAN in the hospital ward that I was sharing with another LAD who had his Knee operated. The diesel clatter idling sound that I would have loved to own now became a pain in the bottom, it was like Delhi belly song "I love you like I hate you". for next few hours I had to constantly hear it even after my ears muffled with cotton.

I wish I was really hearing a diesel engine. again they say if wishes were horses.....

"Please don't minds the grammers mistakes"

Responsible, and shit

In my day to day life. In my daily routine I do things that may not be different to what you may be doing in yours. Just some days back doing my daily boring thing I noticed something. I know, I know you may be wondering if an absent case like me can really notice things.

On my way to the office, I noticed a Traffic warden (Not the police man). When I reached office I noticed the Security guard on each and every floor. On my Tea break in the lawn of the building I noticed a cleaner.

If we were sensible enough to drive and take care of the rules I may not have noticed that Traffic Warden. If we were responsible enough I would not have noticed that Security guard on every floor of the office checking for objectionable things that are not allowed in the office which we try to carry in with us. If we were Considerate and mannered enough to throw the Waste cup and the wrappers of the munchies that I had in the Dustbin that is purposefully in the corner of the lawn, I would not have noticed that cleaner.

India is a country with not too many jobs for the unskilled people. about 4 and half years back when I had moved to Gurgaon I noticed that it was not just the engineers and the graduates who were in abundance got the jobs because of the IT and BPO revolution. But it was also the Uneducated or the undereducated people that took up the jobs.

I really thank God who made us not so sensible, not so responsible, not so considerate, not so Mannered. cause otherwise there may not have been a need for so many people that we see around who have jobs and who take care of their families with what so ever money that they make.

Thank God for making me (Us) like the way we are.

Dream and Travel

Almost after 9 years of being out of the home. Traveling is what I have done a lot, can’t really compare myself to many people I know who have really done a lot, but still I never expected to travel as much.

Some factors made an impact in my life when I thought of taking motor biking as a mode of traveling. It has is still in a transitioning mode. Even though I have not traveled as much on the bike but still dream of big. Big is real big here. I think it’s rather massive. I will have to start working all the way from ground level. Planning of the trip, time it would take for the trip, feasibility of the trip, agreement of the family for the trip, finances and above all leaves from the job if not then a new job after returning back.

Being an Indian it is hard to find ways to ride from various countries.

I don’t think that this trip is happening in the near future I have to think about it a lot, make sure that really I want to do this. And then start planning. What bike. Oh is there a question about it. What’s better than a 1977 Bullet?

Here I am With a Dream

Bathinda to Birmingham. Via the Dhaba’s of Asia and Europe.

My.. Hmm my country

I remember a trip long time back in the year 1997. We were enroute so called Madras. The train was running with a delay of 24 hours because of a major breakdown on the normal route. That was the time that I first faced the State called Bihar.

This is in context to a Train journey that seems to have changed my view about the State of Bihar, from where we get the majority of the high rank officials in the Indian services. A state which has one of the world’s first and the greatest universities (NALANDA).

Why are the people so furious, out of the form in that land. My experience was a horrifying on. The AC coach which was reserved for seating was over taken by the locals and they were traveling without the tickets in the coach forcing the occupants to get off the seat and in some cases if I remember correctly they were also manhandling people who were trying to revolt.

The recent incident of students burning a train on being asked for a ticket when they were onboard a reserved AC coach, has again made my personal opinion about the people more strong and gross. I have known so Bihari’s for some time they are decent when they are out of the state.

What would it take for the people living there to be more civilized and formal. I remember talking to some of the friends who have been tortured when they were on trips and passing through the state. They were asked for money and also some were beaten.

I really want to go to the other side of the country but passing through this state would be a real put off. Is there another way to go, is there a need for another route or another passage. I feel the need should not be there at the end of the day we are a part of the same motherland we are what we call our self INDIANS. Please my brothers from the Land of Knowledge please let me come and visit you without fear of being hassled

Living the dreams.

Now this is some thing not new that I am going to talk about here. From decades, centuries and don’t know from when since the existence of the mankind. There has been something called dreams. Dreams got the man what he wanted. It helped him achieve where he is now. It’s just a name for vision.

How many times do you realize that your dreams have been fulfilled? How many times do we realize that yes what we dreamt of is what I really wanted or did I really dream of the same?

There are ways to dream, dreaming while you are asleep, day dreaming and the one that’s my favorite is dreaming with someone. Dreaming with someone who you love is just amazing. Now some people call it planning. So people call it future. But people like me would like to call it dreaming when you are no where near it but you just want it.

Have you ever had a dream with some one? Have you ever shared a dream with some one, where it’s the same thing that you dreamt of?

Fulfilling a dream that’s been dreamt of with someone gives you the feeling that you would never get fulfilling your own dream.

Some times the person may not be there with you. You may have forgot of their being. But incautiously you fulfill a dream not realizing that it was dream and then you remember what the importance was. That’s when you get that out of the world feeling.

Have you ever had that feeling? Do you ever expect that feeling?
Keep on dreaming, dream with someone, with someone special.
Live a dream that was ones the best dream.

A Smile

As a biker when I am on road, I see stuff, I feel the feelings that flow, some are mine and some are of the people around. Frustration, love, hatred, competition, aggressiveness, anger and a lot of other gestures are to be seen. I like it cause when on road I do have the courage to see what is coming and what’s on the other side of the road. Because if I would not have been ready to see so there was no point of me being on the road.

I am not really good at writing, let me put it in this way that I have never written. Tried a few times but always failed at it. Today when I was on my way to get stupid things sorted for myself. Met a bunch of kids who one of us generally meet on our way to places who would try to clean your bike or car or try to sell you a flower or balloons.

How many times do we see then and think how under privileged they have been. How many times do we see them, and think that how privileged we have been. I think there is a difference in both of the sentences here or the questions.Today even though I had nothing to offer to them like always or nothing did they have that I could have bought. But a stupid act of mine did make them happy and smile and that what made my day and made me smile all day long.I bought this t shirt that has some white sheep and a black sheep on it. That’s what made them laugh and they touched it again and again. I did not want to refrain them from touching me cause at the end of the day it’s a dumb t shirt which is letting them kids enjoy the moment. To add to it I did a BAA BAA sound and that made them laugh. I was just thinking at that time that is that all that makes some one smile, is that all that would help me contribute to some one’s life. The kids went on with a little touching on the t shirt and asking question why is only one of them black. I did not have a answer but i just made a BAA BAA sound again and it made them happy.

See it’s not them who were happy it’s me as well. I think that we can do small things to make people happy and this would just be another step towards making this world a better place to live in.Most of us have been real privileged to always see the riches of the life. let’s do everything that is possible to contribute to someone else’s life that may bring richness if not in terms of money then why not just a SMILE.