Chugging Along

I had spent the last two days pestering and harassing those unfortunate friends of mine who were working on the Parsi New Year. Having effectively spent half a day gloating over not having to go to work, I was returning from Juhu when I met Sandeep.

He's The Guy

Now Sandeep is an auto driver but he is not by any stretch of your imagination the same species that is rude, disgruntled, ready to take you for a ride (literally) that is quintessential a Mumbai auto driver .

The first thing that caught my attention were the acoustics in the erstwhile humble auto. Well after what Sandeep had done the vehicle had lost all its humility.

The add ons in the three wheeler included

• A TV( to play important matches),
• A first aid kit
• An ashtray
• A magazine holder.

Apart from that he had messages written all over the interiors:

• Social message to have Safe sex
• A declaration that a 25% discount would be given to handicap (he takes the blind for free)
• An apology for not having a toilet

And best of all an offer to help with anything which spoke volumes of the man himself.

I could not resist anymore and started a conversation with Sandeep. I tried to act sober but my glee kind of tumbled out and I told him he had the most interesting auto I had ever seen. He said that he was thinking of improving it further coming Diwali it was in for a complete overhaul after 8 years. He intended to add a DVD player which the customers could use to play CDs/DVDs of their choice for a nominal extra charge. He stated matter of factly that ‘Mumbai mein bahut competition hai, kuch extra tho karma padta hai madam’. Well that is value addition for you in real life.

I guess I was not the only one to be impressed by this guy .He has received recognition in many of the leading newspapers, acted in movies (in Veer Zaara he had a ten minute role cause of which he has seen it 27 times, Mumbai Meri Jaan), been part of MTV bakra.

But the reason why I asked Robin to let me write about him is not just because of the passion he has for his work. This guy is consciously doing his bit to make a difference he spends time in a school for the mentally challenged and proudly claims that the kids there filled his hands with rakhi this Saturday. Rs. 200 every month goes to an old age home where he says that a 108 year old resident inspires him with her spirit to live. He has made friends and gained respect amongst the elite doctors of Leelavati Hospital cause of the victims he helped in the Mumbai bomb blast.

I had almost reached home when I told Sandeep that I would write about him on the Internet. He wanted to know what internet was, I explained and his response was ‘Madam agar isse Mumbai ka naam hoga tho zaroor likhna’. I got off an told him that I hoped that I meet him post Diwali……till then Sandeep becomes for me another embodiment of the spirit of the city that never fails to surprise me.

Remember this 1966 movie based on a book written by Joy Adamson on herself,her forest game husband and the adorable Elsa: A lioness. Yes you read it right: A lioness who was adopted as a cub by the couple. The story sees through Elsa’s growing up and finally her release into the forests of Kenya and how she copes up.

There is another similar story about a Lion called “Christian”. The story goes as follows:

“In 1969, two Australians living in London purchased a 35-pound lion cub from the exotic animal division of Harrod’s department store. For a full year, John Rendall and Anthony Bourke raised the cub as their pet, permitting him to lounge freely in the furniture shop they co-owned and even join them for an occasional meal at a local restaurant. In 1972, after the lion had grown too large to properly be cared for, he was taken to Kenya and–rather remarkably–reintroduced to the wild. Two years later, Rendall and Bourke paid a visit to Kenya to see their old friend. They were told the lion would never remember them.”

This is what happened next:

And you thought Animals operated only on instincts!!!

Saturday, 2nd August,2008: We woke up to another overcast, wet morning in Mumbai. It was early morning and we were still pretty much sleepy. After our mandatory chores we waited expectantly for our hired Chevrolet Tavera with the driver, supposed to report at 5:00 am. Timeliness is a virtue rarely found in the Indian subcontinent and so when the driver called us at around 5:10 am we were pleasantly surprised. However, soon to our dismay, we realized that the driver was not very direction savvy. It is after 45 minutes that we finally managed to spot him wandering around our society.

And when we saw him we were not quite sure if he was of an eligible age as well. So much so for a good start to the day.

The previous evening my office team(my boss Deepak,Aparna and me) had the spent the evening buying accessories and food. Shorts,shoes,jackets,chocolates,chips,bread,juices and bread spreads formed part of our travel basket. All the food along with the rain gear now formed part of our backpacks.

We had to pick up Aparna from Borivilli. After some struggles with the routes,the accelerator and the gears, we somehow managed to help her aboard.

It was already close to 7′0clock and we had a long drive of atleast 200 kms ahead of us. Telling the driver to speed up seemed futile as the consequences could be fatal. Neither did we know the route,so in essence we were left at the mercy of the driver and the ever helpful Maharashtrian Public.

The driver was an interesting personality in himself.He seemed new to the wheel and the city but would not bend to ask directions from us or the public. This trait of his soon found us racing towards Mumbai on Nashik Road from Thane instead of going the other way towards Kalyan and Igatpuri. If not for the signboards on the highway we would have soon found ourselves outside Victoria Terminus.

After a dose of anger and frustration, our driver seemed meeker and ready to move in a direction which we decided on. And so we were back on the highway,this time racing in the right direction.

One stopover for breakfast and we were back but soon were stuck in a traffic jam that seemed to stretch for miles. The location however was scenic with streams on one side and the railway track on the other. 1 hour and 2 chocolates later the traffic jam seemed to be thawing away.The culprit: an oversized iron part resting on a puny Volvo truck.

We finally reached Igatpuri at around 1:00 pm and took the first detour towards Bhandardhara at a village called Ghoti. A densely populated village, the thick iron spoked umbrellas with spear like extensions were showcased throughout the marketplace.

The route beyond Ghoti remains one of the most enchanting sights. We stopped at multiple points enroute simply to gaze and take some snapshots of the beauty around.

Our destination was Bhari, a village at the base of the majestic Mt Kalsubai. With lots of school children around, our spirits were a bit dampened as the trek seemed to be an easy one. It is later that we realized that generally,people walk till a temple midway to the top.

At 1696m or 5400 feet,Mt Kalsubai has the distinction of being the tallest peak of the Sahyadris. The first few steps involved passing through the slush of mud and goat dung to reach a furiously flowing stream.

After crossing the stream began our trek with each step increasing in complexity and requiring more movement of the muscles.

We moved our way up with the rain slowly gaining momentum. With increasing gradient,the views also just became better.

A look above would reveal some gushing waterfalls and the imposing head of the mountain. “would we manage to reach the summit? and that too before night?” was a thought that started to bother me. However, we kept on moving till Aparna’s muscles said no. Tired and too fatigued to move after some slips and a long tedious walk, Aparna told us to carry on . Two village kids who had been accompanying us stayed back with her while we pressed on.

The incline became steeper and at times it was tough to find a firm footing. We soon reached the base of the stairs that were leading to the summit of the mountain. Climbing was slowly taking its toll on me as well. I was dragging myself with constant breaks in between. Gasping for breath I would at times sit in the mud itself. Deepak,with his regularly exercising frame moved on with me following a few minutes behind.

The stairs gave way to metal ladders where there were straight rock faces.These metal ladders had bars so thin and slippery(owing to the rain) that one wrong step and you could fall into the depths.

It was after a while that we could finally spot the summit. A fresh surge of adrenalin ensured that I climb the final few steps and be amidst the white mist which were known as clouds to the people in the valley. We had finally made it to the summit and the view was well worth it. The waterfalls we had seen in the distance were now flowing besides us and the clouds covered us in a white blanket. We could soon see nothing beneath us but a cloud cover that seemed to extend for miles.

The climb down was another story altogether..We had to hold ourselves from looking down at the valley.The ladder bars made my legs shiver and the slippery terrain made me miss a beat quite a few times.

But we made it and soon we were back with Aparna,happily munching away at sandwiches and wafers.

Another 15-20 minutes and we were back in the village and in our car,hoping that our driver would be safely able to reach us home to Mumbai.

Need some more dope on our trek and the place.Heres Aparna’s post on the same

The sky was overcast and the day had an unexplained gloominess to it.Having digressed from my atleast 7-8 hr of sleep this week, I was looking forward to a good night’s sleep in the cosy warmth of my home. However,at the insistence of my room mates and friends, I agreed to a 11:15 pm show of “Singh is Kinng” at Fun Cinemas,Lokhandwala. After a lazy yet tiring day of work, the rains towards the late evening seemed to be the harbinger of impending doom.

As we entered the hall, I noticed some indiviuals talking amongst each other ” Bhai yeh toh hamaari movie hai,hit honi hai hai”, “yaar 30% occupancy lag raha hai is show ke liye..kya baat hai?” “nahi bhai, aane toh do logon ko…70% toh hai hi…baarish ke vajah se bhi kaafi log late ho gaye honge”…seemed to be some individuals associated with the film fraternity and they were right. Soon the hall was almost full.

The movie started and in anticipation of some authentic slap stick humor, I was able to laugh at some of the stupidest jokes known to mankind. The anticipation extended through the first half and my optimism forgave the multiple songs which crept up.

The second half started.I was now a bit apprehensive…Apart from a couple of good dialogues and okayish humour scenes, the film wasnt helping me much in staying awake. As my eyes drooped, I could hear the individuals from the film fraternity laugh away to glory…”were they the dialogue writers?” was the one final thought that flashed through my head.

Sleeping through a movie is one behavior that I frequently exhibit. Its the respect I accord to a dumb,unwitty,boring movie. As for the cast, Kathrina Kaif looked nice and Akshay Kumar looked as if he needed a bath. Amongst the lot of Singhs, I felt the best Singh awards should go to Javed Jaffrey and Yashpal Sharma. Good acting in the midst of a sinking ship

Some Banking Trivia

Citibank was the first bank to introduce Credit card services in India!!

HSBC(Hong Kong and Shanghai banking Corporation) was the first bank to introduce the concept of Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) in India, way back in 1987!!

The State Bank of India (SBI) has the largest branch and ATM network with 10000 branches and over 5600 ATMs!!

If you thought ICICI Bank has the second largest branch network in India…you’re mistaken…it’s PNB with about 4500 branches!!

I thought India was the only country where trains were jam packed with unruly crowds. The Mumbai local has long been used to showcase India’s growing population issues. However, Japan seems to have its share of overcrowded but air conditioned trains. What’s more the authorities ensure that people are shoved and pushed inside so that the always punctual japanese train system remains punctual!!

It seems that Indians are more self driven than the Japanese.How else can you explain the daily deluge of people that manage to get on and off the train without the assistance of any official!!

Jai Hind!! but hope we go easy on the current population explosion

While I was in office, sitting and pondering on how one of my clients can use social media effectively, an anti social element was rummaging through my house, getting his hands on anything valuable.

Except…there wasn’t anything valuable in the house to steal.

8:30 pm My room mate calls me up to inform me of the break in. Excited..yes its a very unexpected reaction but thats the way I felt after all not everybody has a planned burglary happening at home.He informs me that the safes have been forced upon and the contents have been spilled over to make the room resemble a laundry room

9:00pm…Panic strikes!!! The only valuables that I possess are my certificates of education..and I am not so sure if they haven’t been stolen.Frantically I call one of my room mates and a short swift search is called. five seconds and I am relieved to hear ” Is it a black folder with your Imt Placement Committee Card on it?”…”Yes..Yes that’s mine” I reply in glee.

Relieved, I make my way home from office, all the while wondering if there was anything else valuable enough to steal. I could think of none.

9:15 pm : At home I am welcomed by an open door being skillfully repaired by a locksmith and curious glances of the two police officials who had come to investigate.
The first look of my room was enough to convince anyone that the burglars were desperate. Clothes were lying strewn everywhere. Two of the safes( belonging to the landlord) had been forced open and evidence of raw brute force was evident on the safe handles and doors.

One of the police officials was the lady SHO (station house officer). Being in the police gives you confidence and gives you power and both were evident in her gait and talk. Even more impressive,however was her command over spoken English and it is with ease that she managed to give us assurance and write a report in Hindi after questioning us in English.

Well that was it…The burglars broke in but just couldn’t find anything valuable. No jewelery, no cash, no precious artifacts. The break in, however did add to their frustration. A near empty bottle of Smirnoff Vodka was found on our drawing room bed bearing testimony to a hard but useless day’s work for them.

Here’s a view of the door bolt, jacked open

The safe pried open

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A closer view of the safe

I lie close to the ground on a bedding minus the bed and close to the door and so through the night, i could hear the pitter patter of rain coupled with the water gushing through an open pipe from above our house.

Thanks to the constant noise, i woke up late after a night’s disturbed sleep. This morning was like any of the past 3 mornings. Dull,cold and wet with an overcast sky and slight drizzling.

As soon as I stepped out of the house for office, the rain gods threw a tantrum and the ensuing rage ensured that my shoulders were drenched partly owing to a flimsy umbrella that just couldnt stand the wind.

And so after a wet,very wet train and auto journey, i managed to reach office,just about in time. The rains however, had no plans for abating and the constant wind and pouring was a sight to behold.

By the afternoon, the effects of the constant pouring were slowly making themselves visible. The 5th floor of our office,on the terrace had borne the brunt and the the ceiling and the wall seepages ensured that water’s presence didnt go unnoticed.

Soon enough, the internet itself,the lifeline of our existence went down and we were left doing nothing!!

That is when I got a chance to take some pics of the rain from my office on the 2nd floor and how it rendered us useless

A view from the Top

Another view from the top

Water makes its way to the world wide web

This one’s for the boss…We still try

The Following incident happened more than a year back in 2007.

An unusual ting happened on the 2441 Bilaspur Rajdhani on Mar 10. I, along with my friends from college had boarded the train from Nagpur for one final journey to Delhi after two long years of studying. The train was on time and reached Bhopal on time as well.It was headed by a WAP4E from Vadodara and had nice,neat coaches with an equally nice and clean looking(both from inside and outside) PC.Clean toilets added to the experience.The train started at around 3:50 pm and arrived at Bhopal at around 9:30,although we were in the outskirts at 9:05 pm itself.
Between Bhopal and Jhansi the train came to a sudden halt in the middle of nowhere.The manner in which the train stopped got me to suspect that something was amiss.After halting for around an hour,the train inched slowly for another hour or so before it came to a final halt in the outskirts of some non decrepit station.We had been put on the loop line.Around 4 trains towards Delhi passed us in the meanwhile.It was a bit amusing to think that the mighty Rajdhani had been halted to let the others pass by.Saw some express train with a Wap5/7 and had 5 AC coaches as well.Any ideas on which one this could be?.Also saw the Ap express passing us.
My curiosity got the better of me and I made my way to the pantry where I asked the cooks as o what had happened? “engine failure” replied one of the cooks ” There’s a body that has been caught up in the engine” he added.Shocked to the core, I opened one of the doors and tried to look towards the engine,around 8 coaches ahead with my weak eyes.I could only make out the silhouettes of  around  5-6 rpf  and GRP  personnel with large torches.
Sleepy,tired,shocked and disappointed: An unusual mix of feelings,nevertheless ones that I felt at that moment.I made my way to my berth,apprised my friends on the issue and went off to sleep. Tired as I was, my deep slumber could not have been broken if it had not been for the attendant, who insisted on having the Blanket at 6am in the morning,the scheduled arrival for the train at NDLS.Disoriented, I was getting a grip on my spinning head and thought that New Delhi was near.I handed my blanket over to the attendant.It was only then that one of my friends started quarreling and arguing that New Delhi was still a good 3 hours away!!!!!! He told him to come when NDLS was near,but the attendant insisted that on Bilaspur Rajdhani,blankets needed to be and have always been collected at 6am.Somehow we managed to shoo him away,at the same time wondering as to how tough it is on the customers when the Rajdhani gets delayed.No tea and Breakfast as well.At around 8am,the people in the next cabin started discussing the issue at night.These guys seemed to be railway officials.I couldnt help being a Peeping Tom and this is the story I could fathom.
It seems as if between Nagpur and Bhopal someone either jumped from above in front of the train.The body got wedged in the ‘tracer??’(Cudnt get the word properly) of the engine.The loco pilots didn’t get to know this and the body was carried along for more than  5 hours before the first 1 hour stop.Here the RPF guys tried pulling the body out but were unsuccessful.The train then moved towards the second stop,where it seems the RPF guys had to do some cutting to get the body out. A gory story but a sad reminder of Prakash Tendulkar’s stories on how Loco pilots are affected both emotionally and psychologically by deaths on tracks.The 2441 Rajdhani Express arrived at New Delhi, a full 2 and a half hours late at 8:35 am.

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