Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Eye of the Tiger - 1

Most of the times in life we tend to ask this question. What next? After a moment of pondering we go out for an unknown way. The choice is more by compulsion than by motivation. And people who do that and come up with an ace are known as winners. While others who wallow in their past are losers and that too big time ones. So we should focus our attentions towards the future and still should go on even if it seems dark in the first evaluation. It might be that there is light at the end of the very dark tunnel called life. Whenever they are at a life-twisting, idea-shattering bend of life, each human being behaves very differently and like finger prints, or retina-scans, the reactions themselves always become a hallmark of that human being. A very interesting incident regarding this kind of a person who actually almost lost every thing and then came up the winner just crosses my mind. Please put up with me and my writings so that I can elaborate the point made above thru the narration of this incident.
It was the spring of 2003 and the streets of Pune wore a very glazy look. It is almost like all of a sudden you have come to a city which had shed its smoky and black clothes and have wore a very sober and attractive prom dress. In all love was in the air. I used to take my dinner at a small but good restaurant near the Rajneesh Ashram near Koregaon Park. It is here I met Deep. Deep Prakash who was just then taken as software engineer trainee at the most coveted Indian software company, Infinite Technologies. Deep was a diminutive figure, about 5 and half feet tall, fair and was from Bihar. We actually were sitting in the same table and forgetfully he took some curry from my curry dish using his spoon. He apologized profusely, and later on while we talked I came to know that he is staying along with his distant relatives and was looking for a PG accommodation. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and in the bargain got a roomie for my costly flat at Koregaon.
Things went on smoothly, with us really enjoying our time with watching movies, surfing malls, smoking together. He was also a compulsive smoker like me and hence we really mixed up well. I was a bit elder to him and hence helped him out with his professional and personal problems. A month or so passed away quite blissfully. The company I was working with used to send me on client meets and most of the time within the week I used to be away. But we made it up on my return by splashing out as much as we could by spending on a freewheeling gala time. One Saturday I came back from a tour to find that Deep was not there. Calling up on his cell, I found that it was switched off. I was a bit surprised to find that, as Deep will never switch off his newly bought mobile set, as a bevy of people starting from his parents to his girl friend might just give a call at any time of the day. Feeling nothing I got refreshed and went on for my afternoon siesta after lunch.
When I woke up to find that the shadows were lengthening, I noted that Deep was not still back at all. I was a bit crestfallen as we were to watch a movie that day at E-Square. Anyways, I got myself engrossed in a Ken Follet for the time being. It was around 9 PM when Deep finally came back with his office folder in his hand. A very serious gloom on his face, his shoulders hunched, something was seriously wrong. What’s wrong and since when did you start switching off your cell? I asked half in jest. My sentences just seem to hang in the air without any reply from him. Please go and have your dinner, as I have already taken mine. His sudden mood swing made me a bit iffy. But then, it must be some scuffle with his parents or girlfriend. I went away and had a dinner all alone. We did not have any usual after dinner chit chat and I went to bed with a disturbed mind. (To be Continued...)

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