WISE AND OTHERWISE?

The title represents many things apart from the fact that it is a blatant copy of a book’s by Sudha Murty. The book is not a great literary masterpiece, not by a long shot. But the title seems apt to describe what has been seen during the last few days.

There is no better way to see the wide sociological and regional variety of India than by having sojourns on trains. Mrs. Murty so rightly points out in one prose: The chance of a conversation ensuing between fellow passengers is inversely proportional to the price of the journey ticket.

So, on one hand where you can find people discussing issues ranging from the “good old” politics to (comparatively new) laptop models whilst you observe them standing in the aisle, you can be pretty sure that while you are travelling four hours on a flight, you might go the distance without uttering as much a common courtesy to your fellow traveller.

It was during one of my recent train excursions that I had a chance to meet a “shayar”. One talk led to another and he quipped how being a shayar had lost its old charm in front of the recent generation of head bangers and hip-hoppers. (A hidden dig at me seeing that I was wearing my Linkin Park tee that time.) I countered saying you can’t blame the young generation per se, some things happen in a flow. Everything has a cycle and so on…. (not mind throbbing explanations, I know).  The fellow seemed to be amicable and politely recounted some of his experiences to me in addition to treating me with some of his verses. I made a mental note to get some of the ghazal cd’s and casettes that are biting the dust at home since dad stopped listening to them.

Fast forward to yesterday and me and fellow Morons were at the Ravindra canteen (our own version of the Maclaren’s) gorging on paneer (a heavenly abode considering Wednesdays see our messes providing food even Scooby Doo might not like). As you  know the talk among a bunch of male grads goes like this: Girls- Grades- Girls- Softwares- Girls…..(Anatomy at work, Freud must have said!). My thoughts drifted to and fro from my recent experiences out of R-land.

Dawning on me was the thought that the three days out of the insti had hardly changed my opinions a lot and sure enough when I found myself trashing Mohit for listening to “some dumb senti song”, I had found a physical proof!

 

p.s.: Seems poetic justice then that Holland with all its flair lost to the gritty Russians!

p.p.s: The blog is probably my crappiest ever, I know…..to vent out your frustration contact Piyush Gulati!

p.p.p.s (Only for Piyush Gulati): Are you really this jobless?

p.p.p.p.s: This “p.p.p.p….s” has really become an “in” thing!