When Ola forces Digital India on you forcefully.

Don’t you hate it from the bottom of your heart when you have a company pushing its payment system forcefully to you?? Same is the case with Ola who have taken these “Digital India” narratives so close to the heart that they push the online payment system so much into your ride, you have no way to back out even if you want to. The same thing as been happening to me for numerous many rides now . 

All these things are happening with me for the ola outstation rides, I don’t know whether the same is been happening with you for the same or other rides too. Although I have the online payment mode also with me but Ola is not enabling me to pay in cash for the outstation rides. Even if I select cash payment as the mode, I would need to keep open the app for the whole journey otherwise it would automatically switch to either the Ola wallet for the Ola postpaid system on its own. If I either close the app, use any other app in the meantime switching to Ola afterwards would mean that my payment system has changed from cash to online. Even if I want to change the mode, there is this timer which goes in the background telling you to pay before the timer runs out, online to avoid paying in cash. Well the catch here is that the timer never reaches zero and enables you to pay in cash. 

The Ola server sets the timer in such a way that your ride would end sooner than the time goes zero . If the guys in Counter Strike get such a timer, they would be overjoyed. As usual I have complained about the same to Ola that when I’m ready to pay in cash who the hell are you to change my payment mode according to your own whims and fancies but they state the standard stupid excuse that the feedback has been noted, part they have no clue or are not willing to look into this matter. I have had various instances when the cab driver was happy that he would be getting cash for the ride which would enable him to take care of the running expenses for the trip but imagine his disappointment when he sees that the payment was online and he has no real cash left for the way back and in case of any eventuality if it may arise. 

On Diwali another driver was happy that he will get Laxmiji when he reaches the destination but imagine his emotion when the message flashed on his phone that the payment was made online and all he got from me was just 75/- as toll tax via the fast tag. For those who think online is helpful for the drivers may be somewhat mistaken as drivers I’ve spoken to have told me that although they have no problems taking payment online but there are instances when they really need the cash and at that time this mode doesn’t help. Ola doesn’t clear the online payments to the drivers on a daily basis thats why majority of them avoid rides which have online mode and probably this is one of the reason why you know now that drivers ask you the payment mode and cancel rides when you book a ride and enquire about their whereabouts. 

Another new headache for us commuters in the post corona times is that now you can’t get through to the customer care at Ola if you want to. Earlier when you wanted to speak to an Ola representative the app used to dial a Delhi NCR landline number and you could easily speak to someone. Now the app dials Bangalore and the system auto disconnects the call even before you can press any option. Another issue with this whole secrecy factor is that if you want to call your driver his number would be masked via a landline number first and his direct number would be visible only the second time if you quickly disconnect the first call. 

This whole new system is a real pain and even more frustrating is the drama that goes on with the payment mode and all things attached. In order to push the digital Indian narrative too far and earn brownie points from the authorities they have created inconvenience and as usual with the companies, are not ready to listen/have a clue about what’s going on... All they have with them is that standard cut, copy, paste responses which are helpful to no one. 

So the next time you take an Ola, keep these things in mind because these could land you in your driver with a lot of inconvenient issues. 

When art brings 2 strangers together for the lifetime

I have always wondered and thought that the world is a really small and unexpected things can happen at any point of time. Two  very different yet similar strangers, who live thousands of kms away, who have never known the existence of each other, never met can hit off so suddenly that it amazes you. It’s also testimony to the fact that art can really bring people together. 

Case in point here is two of my friends who came together via me just on a random hunch and have hit together so well that they both seem like sisters from another mother or real sisters from past life. One of them, Preetilata, my awesome friend is a Delhi resident, an ex-blogger, and insta fanatic, quiling queen, a drawing artist… Well that comes from me, someone who doesn’t even know how to draw a straight line. 

The other partner in crime here is Anupama, a crazy biker girl , my colleague, more than that a very very good friend, somebody you find rarely these days. When this adventurous Lara Croft is not riding bikes, polishing helmets she turns into an amazing artist. Her every sketch, painting comes to life instantaneously. It’s like she has drawn something and then casted a spell to bring it to life. 

They both came together one random day when I suggested Preeti to follow Anupama on Insta and see whether she might like her sketches. I was already in awe of what she made. Well it was a landmine move on my part…Self-destruct I must say. Both of them went bonkers over each other and their respective creations. I have never seen 2 introvert girls talk so much with each other. The common thing which brought them together was just art and nothing else. Within a week of being introduced to each other via online medium they were so thick in their bond that it felt 2 long-lost sisters meeting after a few decades. I jokingly call them sisters from past life and they truly behave like one. Majority of times I feel the other end of the gun when both of them gang up against me with lines, mischiefs and a lot more. I don’t know what will happen on the cracker of the day when these two actually meet in person. Even though they share quite an interest in majority of things, cuisine is where things get interesting. Anu being from the south has developed quite a love for some north Indian dishes while Preeti is looking to experiment with the more unknown south Indian ones. When it comes to food it becomes an interesting topic between the three of us. 

I’m always sceptical about introducing different people to each other from the different spheres of my life as I don’t know how the other person would react. A friend cum colleague meeting a blogger friend was not something I was sure of except for the fact that both of them are artists. Somewhere down the line I might have hit the jackpot for both of them. 

This post is one of the very few personalised ones I’ve written over the years but I’m sure that it would mean a lot to both of them who never thought that they would meet each other by chance and their art would bring them together. The world is really small. 

Dedicated to these two crazy friends I have in my life.

Uma ji : Discovery from a tweet to great art

How often it is that a simple tweet about someone puts into motion a chain of events which lead to something and further to 2 totally unknown persons discovering each other. 

It all started with a tweet by a twitter user (@rons1212) who shared a pic about an artist from pune and her collection whom she visited on her home visit. There was something simple about the designs, something which appealed to me when I observed closely. The lady was Uma and her husband Amiya. A stated fact about them had me thinking how to start talking to them- they both are hearing and speech impaired so the whatsapp number shared had the condition that it was only for texts. A bit into the night I texted her awaiting her reply from a supposedly unknown caller. When she confirmed that it was her number, I showed her the tweet screenshot to absolve her of any fears she may have about her number been in public domain. I asked her about her art collection and she sent me a whole pdf of her collection. I had something planned for a friend of mine. 

I selected a few things from that collection, all of them being related to art as the friend is very much into that. It took Uma ji less than two days to put together my whole order and make it ready to be couriered. I was told the full cost after the items had been shipped and an instant money transfer was made. The most funniest thing for me was that I shared the tracking number with my friend but did not tell her that what was coming or who was sending that. Within a week of the order placing the package was received and she was delighted by what had come. 

In the meantime all this was happening, I also placed another order for another friend but this was bit different. It was a cute quilling painting/drawing or whatever you may call it. It was something perfect for friendship. In between all of this whenever Uma ji had some clarification to seek she would ask her son to call and confirm, I would tell him what I wanted and then used to also write her an email detailing what I wanted. Some other engagements on her part meant that this second order took a bit more time than the first but as they say it was worth the wait. The day my friend received the drawing and she called to tell me that , she was way way way more chirpier than an early-morning sparrow. It was as if you had left a child in his favourite candy store. Her excitement was contagious and I wish I could somehow make Uma ji hear the response to her beautiful efforts. 

Uma ji deals in a variety of products but the starting point for me was arts through which I surprised two of my friends and also knew that in case you have a talent no handicap can stop you. It was just a simple tweet in the beginning and nothing else by a user, I was lucky that it was about art where two of my best friends connected with each other over it and I also was introduced to an amazing artist. 

Just in case you want to connect with Uma ji and her collection, contact her on via whatsapp texts only (hearing and speech impaired)- 9890679443. She would co-ordinate with you over email and would also ask her son to call and clarify in case something more is needed. While writing emails to her please make sure not to use too much of perfect English, its best if you use Hinglish , the everyday language which makes it easier to understand. 

A single tweet lead to discovery of great art. Thanks to twitter for this. Reminds me of the famous dialogue from the movie Haasil , "I like artists" 😊 "

As Sergio Perez says goodbye..I also say that to F 1 viewing.

As Sergio Perez says Goodbye to Racing Point at the end of 2020 season...

Its goodbye F 1 this time for me too.... for ever it seems. My very 1st F1 viewing stoppage was when Michael Schumacher retired the first time, I was so so heartbroken. Words would fail me if I ever start putting down my thoughts on paper from so many years back. He was the 1st driver in whom I saw the aggression I wanted to see in a sport where miliseconds mattered down to the absolute microseconds. 

Later on my joy was so much short lived as Narain Kartikeyan took the grid and he couldnt take that podium even in the 6 car race in that infamous US grand prix. Things changed when Force India came into existence and along came Perez. My expectations grew multifold as I started expecting a podium finish in every race now. Technical advancements, R n D didnt matter to me. I still have the newspaper cutting when force india secured its 1st P2 in F 1. I missed the race somehow. Later on I saw the fighting spirit and consistency of Perez as he used to be a strong finisher and later on started to finish in the top 10 on a regular basis. I remember screaming on top of my lungs while I watched TV, in the night, full volume (both me and the tv) in the 2015 Russian Grand prix as I saw a collision in the last few corners of the final lap and Perez going from P 5 to P 3 on very old tyres. I had screamed so much loud and so much that my family members thought that something untowed had happened with me... that was the case. Since then I had celebrated Perez`s every top 5 final qualifyings, hoped him to finish in the top 10 in every race...bare minimum.... screamed my heart out on his every podium finish. 

That doesnt mean it was all well every time...I remember cursing both drivers when they crashed with each other in baku few years later when a force india P 1 was a very very high possibility. In all these years Perez has been a constant, a fighter who has fought for every place every point every podium ...for 6 years. It was his initiative which saved the jobs when the team went into administration. It meant that either the team ceases to exist permanently or they can be saved any which way. I was relieved when he signed a 3 year extension but worry again began to beset me ever since the talks of Vettel moving into the team started doing the rounds. Stroll has always been the boss`s son who would not leave if any changes were made in the driver lineup as both Seb`s performance and his relations with Ferrari went downhill. 

With the erstwhile Force India aka Racing point goes reabranded as Aston Martin the next season onwards too, there remains little to look forward to watching F1 anymore after Perez leaves. The incentive to watch the sport has faded, for me for the time being. There is no Schumi now, no Checo either.. the fighter midfield team has gone lost in all this rebranding and stuff. I might return when Checo returns...untill then its goodbye F1 and thank you Checo for giving me so many memories of happiness on nights when I have screamed slept peacefully knowing you fought for every well deserved point and podium you earned. 

F 1 would never be the same without you for me.. 

Love from a fan from India.. 

दिल की कलम से : Charity begins at home ?

कुछ हफ्ते पहले किसी काम से एक दुकान पे गया था . बाहर निकलते वक़्त देखा कि एक माँगने वाली एक reverse होती गाड़ी के पीछे चलते जा रही थी हाथ में कुछ कागज़ लिए हुए जैसा होता है न यह लोग अपने साथ इलाज वगैराह के पर्चे ले कर चलते हैं दिखाने के लिए . दूसरी तरफ कोई 10-11 साल का लड़का भी किसी गाड़ी का शीशा साफ़ करते वक़्त कुछ कह रहा था. 

जब मैंने अपने स्कूटर में चाभी लगायी तो मैं खुद किसी सोच में डूबा हुआ था . अचानक से किसी ने मुझे भैया बुलाया तो ध्यान टूटा , देखा तो वही लड़का कह रहा था “ भैया चप्पल दिला दो”... उसको टरकाने की कोशिश की तो खुद ही बोला , “ भैया पैसे नहीं मांग रहा हूँ, पैर जल रहे हैं, चप्पल दिला दो “ खैर था तो वो नंगे पैर. अब उस वक़्त मेरे दिमाग में एक साथ सौ बातें चल रही थी. घर पे बोल के आया था कि 20 मिनट का काम है अभी आया, यहाँ तो अचानक से एक और बीच में पड़ गया, बटुए में पहले अपने काम के लिए पूरे पड़ जाएँ वही बहुत है. एक bata की दुकान के इलावा कोई जूता चप्पल दुकान नहीं है और वो भी 100 मीटर दूर है . 

कोई भरोसा नहीं कि वो औरत इसकी कुछ लगती हो, इसको चप्पल दिलाने ले गया और वो पीछे से हंगामा मचा दे तो क्या पता चप्पल दिलाने की दया कहीं भारी पड़ जाए, पैसे तो इसको दूंगा नहीं उसके लिए....मगर इन सबसे ज्यादा ज़रूरी तो यह ख्याल था कि मंदी का समय है, खुद के future का सोच के पैसे बचाओ पहले, यह सब सेवा वाले काम बाद में होते रहेंगे. 

“भई जा किसी और से मांग ले , परेशान न कर “, कह कर वहाँ से चल तो दिया मगर यही सोचता रहा कि इस मुश्किल वक़्त में Charity begins at home सच में पहले अपने घर के हालात देखकर करना पड़ता है, दूसरों के मदद के किस्से तो हम लोग पढ़ लेते हैं मगर जब खुद को करना पड़ता है तो इतना आसान नहीं होता... और तो और trains से मैं इतना सफ़र कर चुका हूँ वो भीख माँगने वाले गैंग देख देख कर कि नहीं पता कौन सच में ज़रूरतमंद है और कौन धोखेबाज़ ? 

सच में नहीं पता मदद के मामले में क्या सही है क्या गलत ..... 

Computer tech becomes outdated in max 2.5 years

We all have faced a situation where the not so tech savy friends and relatives of ours have called us and asked us to suggest them a laptop or pc configuration. Some of them have an idea about their budget, some don’t. The cash majority of times doesn’t match their work usage. This is a very short post on how this and the ever so changing and obsolete computer technology also puts us in a quandry over the same. 

In the nov of 2017, I paid a total of 30,000/- for a pc configuration of a Core I 5 7th gen processor, Gigabyte motherboard capable of holding a Nvidia GTX 1030 graphics card and a 64 bit Windows 10. The ram was a 4 gb from corsair and also came a ATX cabinet and SMPS by iball. The ram could be expanded later on . I already had a monitor, a seagate internal hdd and a sony dvd writer. Graphics card was due to the future use of processing DSLR photos on lightroom ( which already took 4 gb ram as standard use). In late 2019, when I finally decided to use lightroom I had to upgrade the ram to 8 gb (which costed me some money via exchange) so that I don’t face any type of stutter. So you see that the configuration is more than enough and powerful for simple use and wont require any major upgrades for many years to come unless either of the processor or the motherboard conks out. 

Compare this to June 2020 when I had to go to the computer market to get the price for an assembled pc unit for someone. His configuration includes a Core I 5 9th gen processor, gigabyte motherboard, Nvidia GTX 1030, 8 GB ram, I ball cabinet and SMPS, a 22” Samsung monitor, 1 TB hdd , DVD writer. All this is costing him under 40,000/- . 

So you can see how fast technology has become obsolete in just 2.5 years where in almost the same price you are getting much technologically advanced configuration, discounting the fact that these are the prices when the computer and its parts have become expensive after budget. 

This post is a wake up call to all those who contact us to suggest them a configuration of pc or a laptop model. My laptop is a I 5 8th gen with 16 GB ram, graphics card. In 2018 it costed me 68000/- . Now a days for less than 50,000/- you can get a laptop with a hdd + ssd but without graphics card. For us, suggesting models / configuration is not easy as things are changing really fast and we can never suggest you a configuration which is always value for money as the budget would always be less than the hardware which is perfect for you. After every 30 months, tech changes by generations and if you are not careful, you might be fooled in buying outdated gadgets. 

Captivating: The Mighty Mirages

Indian Air force : The mighty Mirages

Why this ad ? - Its only in the recent years that the Indian Air Force has been aggressive on social media, in ads ... bringing the force closer to ordinary citizens. Probably overshadowed by the poster boys , the Sukhoi -30 MKI all these years ... the flyby wire nimble multirole fighters come into a league of its own in this ad. These fighters made their presence known in the summer of 99- Kargill War and probably made a name for itself in the avenging strikes in POK.

They worked hard to make a name for themselves all these years...and they have ..

Video copyrights held by Indian Air Force

पूछ लेना कभी....

Pic by @Nawaaban (Twitter)

पूछ लेना कभी..... 

यह अभी के लम्हें, फुर्सत के पलों में कभी 

इसी ठहरी ज़िन्दगी में जब कभी रोज़मर्रा की भागदौड़ थी 

कि अब तुम्हें वही घर पिंजरा सा लगता है, छठपटाहट बेइंतेहा है 

उसी दौड़ में वापस जाने की 

अब जब मिल गया वो जो पाने की चाहत थी 

पूछ लेना कभी 

कि कहीं अब तुम तो पिंजरे में बंद नहीं और वो चिड़िया और जानवर 

आज़ाद है 

कहती रही प्रकृति सदियों से की विनाश के खाते बंद कर दो मगर तुम

 न माने 

अनसुना होने के बाद उसी ने अपने हिसाब से बही खाते सही कराये 

तब आसमान काला था, सांस ज़हर थी, बस कंक्रीट के जंगल ही

जंगल थे 

अब आसमान नीला हो गया है और तुम्हारे घर से देखो वो पहाड़ भी 

साफ़ दिखाई देते हैं 

अब कोई और आज़ादी महसूस कर रहा है 

वो सड़क पे गाडी नहीं,देखो एक मस्त हाथी जा रहा है 

वो पार्क में तुम्हारे जॉगिंग ट्रैक पे वो गिलहरी फर्राटा भर रही है 

बालकनी पे तुम्हारी जगह एक चिड़िया बैठी अपनी भाषा में ख़ुशी

इज़हार कर रही है 

सड़कों पे गाड़ियों के चिल्लाते हॉर्न की जगह अब उन्ही की आवाज़ 

सुनाई देती है 

जंगलों में वो सब अपना वर्चस्व कायम कर रहे हैं जो शुरू से ही

उनका था 

पूछ लेना… हर बार 

जब जब नेता वोट मांगने आये दरवाज़े पे 

मज़हब के नाम पे बांटने 

अपने राजनीतिक चूल्हे को जलाये रख , उस पर सियासी मुद्दों की 

रोटियां सेंकने 

कि ज़रुरत के वक़्त वो सफ़ेद कोट वालों का सामन कहाँ था ? 

क्यों सरकारी कुम्भकर्ण देर तक सोया था 

पैसे वाले तो जहाज़ से आ गए , गरीब पैदल ही अपने घर की राह चल 

निकला 

दिया तो जला दोगे अभी ,बेरोज़गारी का अँधेरा किस दिए की रौशनी

से भगाओगे 

खाली हाथ बीमारी मारे न मारे, बेरोज़गारी ज़रूर मार डालेगी 

जो रस्ते में ही गुज़र गए, उनके घर पे अब क्या चूल्हा जलेगा जब चूल्हा

जलाने वाला ही न रहा 

मदद के लिए बढ़े सरकारी हाथों पे भी किसी मंत्री के नाम का 

विज्ञापन क्यों है 

पूछ लेना कभी… कि तुम क्या कर रहे थे अभी तक 

जिस वक़्त के न होने की शिकायत कर रहे थे वो तो शुरू से ही पास

था 

                         Pic by @manjulika5 (Twitter)

 वो शाम को swiggy और zomato का नंबर मिलाने को बेताब हाथ 

अब घर के किचन में नया कुछ सीख रहे हैं , कभी मजबूरी में, कभी यूँ

ही 

अब बच्चों की ज़िन्दगी में रंग youtube की जगह crayons और water 

colour बिखेर रहे हैं 

धूल खाती उस अधूरी अनपढ़ी किताब को अब एक किताबी कीड़ा 

खा रहा है – तुम 

सफ़ेद कागज़ रंगीन होते जा रहे हैं 

कोरी कल्पना अब आकार लेने लग गयी है

सूरज के सारे रंग अब मालूम पड़ने लग गए हैं

वो गुलाबी सूरज चाहत है या वो हल्का पीला वाला ?

पूछना ज़रूर …अपने आप से 

क्या अब चिड़ियाघर में बंद उस जानवर की तकलीफ महसूस होती है 

अनजाने चेहरे जब दूसरों की मदद के लिए अपने दिल खोल देते हैं ,

तब इंसानियत भी शुक्रगुज़ार होती है 

वो सफ़ेद कोट वाला अब इज़्ज़त का हक़दार महसूस होता है न ? 

रोज़ की ज़रूरी दिखने वाले काम भी फालतू हो गए हैं न ? 

खाम्खा घूमना अब ज़रूरी नहीं न ? 

पूछ लेना खुद से .. जो वक़्त तब से ढूंढ रहे थे … अब मिल गया न ? 

ज़िन्दगी शायद वो नीलेश मिश्रा के उस स्लो इंटरव्यू की तरह आकर

थोड़ी धीमी हो गयी है 

तुम्हारे ही पहलू में …..

Pic by @Nawaaban (Twitter)

Thought behind this- In this lockdown people are complaining about having too much time now... These lines ask people to stop and think about the various things now in the free time that they have.

Corona: Its not a party after the 21 days lockdown and we all are responsible

I don’t know whether you would term it as a negative post, critical post but one thing is clear that it’s a angry post nevertheless. It’s angry because the whole country lockdown is due to the government and the public. Both of them are equally responsible that means each and everyone of us is responsible for what has happened in the country. 

Before I proceed any further please bear in mind in a shouting or a screaming tone that the BLOODY 21 DAYS LOCKDOWN DOES NOT MEAN IT WOULD BE ALRIGHT AFTER THAT. This 21 days is a period where concerned medical personnel will gauge and see whether any progress has been made in the cases being reported or not. Do not, do not go out and start celebrating like a bunch of Looney Toons as you had in various cities on the curfew day. There is so much anger and despair in me that I might not be able to form any sequence of events but just saying as they keep coming into my mind. 

I started reading tweets on Twitter where people started the idiotic “Boycott Chinese products” again. Tell me one thing that until and unless China really makes some drastic changes to its food habits, it won’t work. What if in the near future somebody else eats some other animal, develops disease and goes on to a world tour and starts Corona part 2 then how come your Boycott Chinese products would save you? On the government side, in international circles the fault of WHO also is slowly unraveling at a fast pace where its also guilty. Coming to India I think nobody took the threat seriously except in the south where it all started. Even when the spread had increased, there were chants of “Go Corona Go” instead of doing something practical. 

Lockdowns were imposed really really really late and only in those cities first where they were confirmed cases. With neighbouring cities open, people went to those for their daily needs. Kanpur was lockdown but Unnao just 20 km away was fully operational. People diverted, mingling continued, no social distancing and you lost the whole plot. Those who probably ordered lockdowns as spread controlling measures did not take the geographical realities into consideration it seems. You had Rahul Gandhi tweeting from Feb onwards that this is dangerous but nobody gave a damn. 

Contrary to what political/government handles say the real traveler accounts speak that very selective screening started into March.  Lockdown now is a desperate and last ditch attempt rather being a proactive one. Implementing curfew in Maharashtra, cm commented, "You people left me with no choice".

Coming to the stupidity of the general public all across India there are many instances. The biggest one most probably would be the one where people in various cities started celebrating after 5 PM by meeting in large numbers as if India had won the World Cup. 0 in commonsense and with total disregard to health they forgot that this defeated the very purpose of the curfew, its not as if it’s some sort of a Armageddon meteor or comet strike that if it passes away, we will live safely. It looks like the public is waiting for the 21 days lockdown with the same mentality and the seriousness that even if it passes away well to the expectations of doctors, it’s still a wait and watch period after that. The same thought was echoed by my good friend Roshan who is a doctor in South India.

Two of my friends are in Punjab- he is a bank manager and she is India’s only book tuber. Both have said that the people there haven’t taken this threat seriously at all. Asking the general public to not come to the bank unnecessarily keeping in mind the threat, people dismissed his fears. She kept shouting weeks back to the people known to her to start stocking essentials and maintain social distancing, nobody paid any heed to her. The net result? Police has to use force to force people to not roam in punjab now. 

Saw a video of a policemen in chennai crying and urging people with folded hands to be at home. With one of my friend in Chennai- lunch invite. 

People in other cities are no better, no. You will find a few pics of an overcrowded vegetable market in Calcutta. What happened to social distancing??? Seems like business as usual. I have personally experienced few instances in Kanpur. On the main road police was deployed so nothing but in the society lanes you have people playing cricket, elders chatting among themselves as if there is a panchayat going on. A person I know was roaming on his bike just to see, “ ज़रा माहौल देख कर आते हैं।“ 

अबे साले इस माहौल देखने के चक्कर में ही तो सारे देश के माहौल का यह काम हो गया. 

Celebrities are no better. Just one day back the so-called superstar Amitabh Bachchan was trolled for his tweet promoting an auspicious time to beat the virus. Come on, at a time when medical science is struggling to find a breakthrough of any sense we have people like these and others too who do all sort of things. All sort of wrong, fake information is spread on whatsapp and people take it to be true on face value. Case in point? The so-called cow urine drinking party to ward off the virus, forwarded message say that the virus will go away in extreme heat of India in the coming months (where something has come from the European research side that the hot weather of India might make no difference the virus and it may turn seasonal)….. There are so many instances that I literally have lost track. 

People take every news on whatsapp to be true as if Lord Brahma had himself written that. They don’t bother to go for a authenticity check of the same and with the various fake treatments/messages roaming around on social media it would be not long enough before somebody actually loses life following what they say. 

I would again say that everybody in this country responsible for the current state and please do use your head in following instructions strictly if you want to live coz there is no cure. 

भारत में जब तक किसी बीमारी का इलाज सिर्फ मौत न हो तब तक उसको seriously कौन लेता है? 

A huge thank you to all the doctors, medical personnel and people of allied services for doing the best in this situation.

Its a mental war in a hospital for families

Hospitals are a place where no one wants to go . In the whole crowd of doctors, patient, operation and subsequent related things it all takes a huge toll on the mental state of the attendant/ family. This is my real story and how my father`s operation pushed me to the very edge of my mental state and even beyond- saved only by a anti suicide net. So this is the good, bad and the ugly in those 12 days- 

My father had been experiencing a small swelling in the abdomen and it took various tests over months and a chance diagnosis by a doctor at the Lohia hospital , lucknow to pinpoint the said swelling was a tumour with a very rare cancer. The good thing was that it was in the very very initial stage when it was detected so surgery was the best option. The doctor who was treating father is termed to be a good, capable one to deal with it..his past references spoke highly of him. I had already conditioned my mind to fight this war but even weeks of preparation did not help me out. 

The initial rush started on the day when he was supposed to be admitted. After meeting with the doctor in the OPD in the morning, we were told that the pvt ward would be alloted to us in the evening. Just a few hours before the time, we reached the hospital and completed the formalities. In the meantime I had rushed to the pharmacy shops outside for all the pre operative medical supplies item list I was handed over. The inhouse pharmacy didnt have all. The only support for me and my mother was my maternal uncle who had come down to help because there would be logistical issue to manage both home and hospital. He stayed with my father in the night and I rushed in the morning to relive him for a few hours. Ours was the 1st surgery of the morning and papa`s few colleagues had also come in, lest we need any help with the errands. It went chaos in the next 25 mins after papa was shifted to the pre operative room. The guard outside the room came out saying that the balance has exhausted and more needs to be deposited. My uncle went for that and I was on tenterhooks while any request for supplies should come. During the whole operation I made rounds of the outside pharmacies 4 times only because the inhouse had huge line and I was confident that I could rush 27 stairs to the ground floor and run a distance of some 200 m back and forth outside for the supplies. 

Once I had rushed to the shop all dripping with sweat and panting like I had run an army onstacle course..Handed the requisition slip to the shopkeeper saying," भैया, जल्दी सर्जरी चल रही है ". The other customers saw me and told the person, " हमारा सामान बाद में देना, पहले भाई का करो ". It was a latest anesthisia pump, even the shopkeeper told me, "आप लेकर निकलो, बिल बाद में होता रहेगा". There was so much requisition slips that day that the moment I came back with something, another demand used to come up in the next 10 mins. The test of my patience and anger reached the boiling point when I saw one relative sitting in the gallery whom I do not wish to see even in the city, leave alone hospital. He is that level of a लीचड़  relative. Controlling my anger and not wanting to create a scene, I told my mother to tell them to get lost asap lest I have my bp shoot up. He didnt go and I somehow managed to be quiet. 

Afraid to all things medical in general, I did not go and see my father in the post operative ward once the surgery was over. I saw him in the evening in the ward finally when hospital staff shifted him. Surrounded by tubes of the drip bottle, excess blood bottle , anesthesia bottle and unconscious due to medicine effect I nearly fainted. An old colleague of father saw that something was wrong and when I told him he understood that this sight was too much for me to take in. Opening the eyes, father complained of thirst but the doctors had said no liquid. I had to make sure that he wouldnt talk much. That night I didnt have much of sleep. In the morning I knew all people would start coming knowing that the surgery was over. As I was dealing with the various calls I saw Mr. लीचड़ come with another relative . Had it been another hospital I would have had them thrown out there and then. I waited for them to come near and when his wife attempted to enter the room, I told her " You wont go inside". Stunned by my sharp tone that family did a drama of turning back saying, "हम अपनी बेईज्ज़ती कराने थोड़े न आये हैं " and I replied , "इज्ज़त है भी ?" 

Deeply deeply fragile in the mental state and seeing all that which happened to me since the few days I had made up my mind to jump off the floor (wont go into the various incidents here, they are too personal) but there were safety nets. I was so screwed up. Forever grateful to my college friend who gave me company for one day in the night after few days. That really helped me manage all the running around. 

It took the whole day when there was time to discharge. Running around to return meds, obtaining no dues certificate, completing formalities was all a chaos in itself. After sometime I truly felt like a zombie running around, the mind automatically shut itself off as to what was happening. The post operative was equally hard with utmost care having being taken due to one pipe still being attached. Typed the med instructions in hindi and handed it over so that everyone can read it and follow. I heaved a sigh of relief the day the stiches were cut. 

I went through it all during those days- just before the operation, there was a family whose member was admitted in the CCU(critical care). Suddenly when there was crying I glanced towards them and undestood the bad news. Likewise, one day when I was going to get some medicine did I notice a poor young lady exiting from another building but all smiling with tears of joy. A close scrutiny showed her little bundle of joy all decked up in a warm blanket. I went through all extreme emotions in those days. 

Those 12 days were total ordeal for me and my mental health..The ship is not yet out of the storm..chemo and radio is next and I have no clue how I would handle that in the coming time? 

Whenever we read about some hospitalisation, we care about the patient and the treating doctor we rarely think about the rest of the family members and how even a simple hospitalisation affects them? It might break them, just like it happened with me.... 

The last goodbye

The last goodbye 

The 1st last bell that rang in the morning 

Each subsequent bell a countdown timer in the sands of time 

No one knew the casual talks that day would be the last 

That morning assembly would be the last when we all would be together 

Those subject classes would be the last 

That lunch time would be the last when no one realised that the morsel of food from each other`s tiffin which we took for granted would be special in a unique way 

That last bell signalled the last step out of a place which was special for friends rather than studies 

We didnt have the money but had the time 

The last goodbye 

When the future drifted all apart... for money, job & life beyond. 

Grinding into the axles of life when what we took for granted in school, seemed special 

When meeting the same pals later on or by chance felt like a festival 

We meet again after decades 

We have the money now but not the peace of mind of those days 

Running a rat race to make something out of lives, trying to prove our worth to the outside world 

Now a simple hi, hello feels super cherished after decades. 

Whatsapp maybe the normal thing but nothing beats meeting in person 

Even now we turn to pals with bigger problems of life 

In the 2 hurdles of boards, we became too robotic to care about the time with each other wondering to focus on studies and losing the focus elsewhere 

We wonder again whether this would be our last goodbye before we drift apart again forever 

Story behind this: Just random thoughts strung together on meeting school friends after a gap as long as 18 years on the occasion of the lawyer amongst us losing his first case in his personal life .

राजिंदर दा ढाबा or self service swiggy for birds ?

This post is kind of  a follow-up post to 

http://www.shwetabhmathur.in/2016/06/blog-post.html

Going by the amount of birds it involves and the amount of food I’m tempted to call it "राजिंदर दा ढाबा "

In the post which I have mentioned above when I had written it 4 years back, it was all about birds and how they would come to drink water after much apprehension till it became a norm. A few months back all of a sudden my mom got an idea and she kept an empty plastic holder of some sort near the water bowl. When I questioned the purpose she said that it would be a place where birds would get their food. The original piece was an igloo for them with a cut large enough for one bird to peek into it. Going by the management funda I had studied way back in college, "जो दिखता है वही बिकता है" I knew that the birds won’t investigate and then eat their food even if I managed to get it and I had no clue in the first place that what the birds eat and where I would get the so-called birdseed? So I discarded whole of the plastic and kept only the plastic case which resembled a plastic plate for them. My next dilemma as to what is birdseed and from where would get it was solved by a famous shop which had opened near to my house. Those guys stocked birdseed and I grabbed one kg packets of each – Bajra (Millet) and Kakun (Foxtail Millet). From a drinking/bathing bar to a dhaba to a swiggy/Zomato self delivery service, it was going really fast and all within just 24 hours. 

I took an empty 2 kg distemper box, made it into a food corporation of India godown with equal mixture of both. It was not half packet of one and half of another. It was manual labour wherein first handful of bajra was put in the box and then a fist of kakun. This carried on till three levels and then the full mixture was thoroughly mixed in the box by hand and this went on until the whole box was filled. Just like the initial days of water wherein I was anxious that no bird was coming, same happened in this case also where the birds used to come for water and bath but did not touch the seeds. This went on for around a week and I became so desperate that I began mulling the childish idea of advertising this in pamphlets, written in bird language and keeping it near the water bowl and hoping that some birds would read it who actually knew how to read and write in their bird language. 

The breakthrough was by those little houses sparrows who came one day and after investigating the seeds went after it. In the starting days there were not much customers but I kept the dhaba up and running. It costed me a meagre 95/- for the two packs so it did not burn any sort of hole in the pocket. After the sparrows came some sort of big bird who makes a lot of noise and also came the doves. In the approx 1.5 months of the food service, the most regular ones are the houses sparrows and the doves. Both have different eating styles, sparrows don’t litter much but are kind of afraid eating freely when the dove is also there. The dove being a fast eater does litter the seeds from the plate but can clean up each and every tiny seed from the floor so fast and efficiently that you won’t even notice that it had spilled there. I also have had quite a few enjoyable experiences with those birds. Many a times I just sit at the stairs and watch them eat, a few times I am working in my room and the platter of the plastic with the beak outside gives me an indication that the plate is almost empty and its time for a refill. There are times when I’ve noticed that the seeds were scattered everywhere around the plate and did not refill it deliberately until the dove cleaned it up for me. Food wastage of any type is hated, be it the food we consume or the birds themselves. If it’s the birds who were making a mess, I make sure I don’t give them a single seed until they have finished up the existing serving. The maximum amount of birds I had one evening was 18. They were coming and going in batches from the trees of the park in front of my house and seriously speaking I had never heard so much chirping in a very long time, that day I had to refill the plate 3 times in just an hour. 

I call it राजिंदर दा ढाबा while my parents term it as the self-service swiggy but all things apart it gives me happiness to finally see the house sparrows and the chirping of the birds which are very difficult to hear in today’s times. I just hope that the birds learn to read so that I can find some human who knows bird language, can get pamphlets printed in that and I can advertise this food service to a much greater reach of birds :) .