Skies on wintry mornings

Dusk

hues of clouds

scattered clouds

camel in the cloud

add your own

mountains or clouds

                                                              Dusk to dawn

  Mellowing ball of orange swallowed by the waters

Celebrations of crackers lighting up the night sky cover

Another number on the calendar counter flips over

Heralding a brand new dawn of dreams and desires

                                                                                         

Shower of yellow mistletoes and glittering confetti

Gifts, goodies, myriad festoons balloons galore

Revelry merry making and wingding that we adore

Hymns, melody, jazz, rock and roll medley

                                                                                  

Ecstatic bundles of bambino joys, blessed in New Year

Twelve months of gurgling babbling innocence

 Crawling, nibbling Playing piggy back in cadence

Cherubic and childlike, baby’s first steps, bringing cheer

Departure of near and dear ones leaving memories

Eternal sorrow amidst chants requiems and eulogy

Our hearts anguish and lament in melancholy

They pass into a great beyond and time freezes

                                

Period of looking within and introspection

Hindsight to set things in perspective

Resolutions broken and framed inactive

A flashback recollected in contemplation

Promising ambitions with a future bright and rosy

Yearning for a sanguine morrow with aspiration

Beliefs of optimism and thoughts no cessation

A year of hope for fondness, mirth and all that is cosy!

                                             
                                    Thinking beyond boundaries.....

                
              As I see this prize winning Google Doodle image, I feel proud that a young girl has risen above animosity and chauvinism on the basis of those fictitious boorish lines that demarcates the boundaries of the various states of India .Full credit to the girl Vaidehi Reddy, who with her awesome painting has united the country by crossing the barriers and borders of Andhra/Telengana and Maharashtra(I understand she’s domiciled in the city of Pune) to reach one of the seven sisters, showcasing the rich flora and fauna of Assam aptly titled as ‘natural and cultural paradise.’

                      The preconceived attitude and notions that exist in our minds to discriminate people based on their birth or habitat in a particular geographical territory is prejudice of the worst kind. Starting from the subtle dirty stares to gross condemnation of people and their cities prevail and flourish in our country despite the modern outlook and exposure to alien lands and foreigners. People despise one another for their nationality or statehood, religion, language, caste, gender, culture, colour...and this list is endless. Be it at work or at college or in a club or a pub or while in a public place or transport, the obvious tendency is to get attracted to one of a ‘kind’, a chikni Dillite chootiya, a jhakkas and bindaas amchi Mumbaiker, a Punjabi kudi, a lollufying machhi, adipoli mallu, a kaam sarsey Bongo or a kaaaho Bihari babu! Our relationships are therefore defined strongly by figmental contours of expanses, neither familiarity breeds contempt nor there is unity in diversity.

                 Racism of this kind lurks in every nook and cranny, from the mighty politicians, who never believe in sharing the God given resources with neighbouring states and hasten to “dam(n)” it and annexation of lands, a la Moghul style even when they cannot rule their own existing state or further dividing the country into more states, to the bollywood actors who, in order to hard sell their movies wear lungis to impress the ‘down south’ and vice versa.

                 Zooming in further let me narrate couple of experiences and I apologize sincerely to my readers for using nativity prefixes in these cases – this was done only to emphasize the gravity of discrimination. My fellow residents are akin to an India with unfriendly neighbours and with whom the maxim ‘love thy neighbour as thy yourself’ hardly works. There is this recluse Punjabi who has never said hello but easily copies whatever I do, right from drawing kolams to decorating the house on festive occasions – a typical made in China stamp! Then there is the Telugu speaking clan who look the other way whenever we cross each others’ paths – like Sri Lanka do with Tamils! Of course, how can I forget to mention the Talwade family, so very annoying similar to pesky Pakistan!  Friendly neighbourhood....bah...who said so...only state prejudices!!!

                 I was a witness to a conversation taking place between a Gujarati mother and her five year old son, who was pestering her to let him swim. The mother could have refused by saying “No beta you will catch a cold or the water is dirty” but she said “beta, look at the boy in the pool, see how Kaala he is, you will also become black if you get in.”- Wonder how Dhoklas give fairer complexion than idlis! The seeds of discrimination are sown then and there and the boy will decide who his friend is going to be, ONLY by the colour! I am saddened to add that my own kith and kin owe their allegiance to the domiciled city and swear by the alien language to “belong” or to “adapt” and conveniently forget their mother tongue. Adding insult to injury is the utmost contempt for other cities and its folks – is it because they do not eat vada pav or gol gappas or bisi bele bath! Truly agonizing to say the least! Hoisting of the state flags are celebrated with more fervour than even our tricolour!

                        Can we rise above this narrow minded sectarian and parochial mindset of intolerance on which our society rests and lay a foundation to think beyond state provinces and prejudices and feel ‘Indian’? No doubt, it is an uphill and daunting task, but I am sure my intellectual friends and family will start thinking of the nation as a whole and not in piece and parcel, ruled by crude lines! There are indeed do-gooders too who respect and regard you for what you are and not for where you are from and may their tribe increase – “Abou Ben Adhem!”

 Janagaṇamana-adhināẏaka jaẏa hē bhāratabhāgyabidhātā!
Pañjāba sindhu gujarāṭa marāṭhā drābiṛa uṯkala baṅga
bindhya himācala yamunā gaṅgā ucchalajaladhitaraṅga
taba śubha nāmē jāgē, taba śubha āśiṣa māgē,
gāhē taba jaẏagāthā.
Janagaṇamaṅgaladāẏaka jaẏa hē bhāratabhāgyabidhātā!
Jaẏa hē, jaẏa hē, jaẏa hē, jaẏa jaẏa jaẏa jaẏa hē..

        Each time I sing our National anthem, an unique and indescribable sense of patriotism swells my heart and I dream of Jambudweepa Bharatavarsha that is one single mass of land devoid of confines that rule and divide the nation- no lines, no zones and no states to distinguish the lands and their settlers and the associated discrimination, prejudices and xenophobia!

          Let us add this noble dimension to our personality and think beyond boundaries.                        

Sumadhura Infracon Pvt.Ltd. , the 3D approach- Dedication, determination and deliverance.
               


A decade and a half ago, this diminutive unassuming man started his building sojourn from Hyderabad , giving to the city beautiful and affordable dwellings . With nerves of steel, Mr. Madhusudhan. G has grown from strength to strength and overcome all odds and conquered the twin city of Secunderabad. He then moved to Bangalore , a city that was growing by leaps and bounds , a burgeoning real estate market  welcoming him with open arms. The corner stones of the successful growth story of Sumadhura Infracon Pvt. Ltd. , a company that is nurtured by this dynamic builder , are quality, pricing and punctuality of deliverance. Emphasis on after sale , a very rare commodity even with the top reputed builders these days, Sumadhura’s hallmark has been customer satisfaction.
 Quality is personified in each and every minute detail starting from the super structure which is RCC Framed structure with Seismic compliance as per IS code, and using autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC} block masonry walls. There is a stamp of quality in doors, windows, flooring tiles, kitchen sinks, granite tops, plumbing and electrical accessories and pipelines . The main door stands out unique with imported wooden frames and designer shutters which commands an air of luxury. The balconies are airy and the flooring is vitrified and the common areas boast of many open to sky courtyards which lets the gleaming sun in adding beauty to the remarkable landscapes. A rationalized cost structure has enabled the company to give houses at affordable prices and is indeed a good value of money. But what is remarkable is the prompt delivery of the finished product with all amenities and this punctuality is commendable. Normally projects are delayed way beyond the grace period with the builders citing dime a dozen reasons for the inordinate delay which causes a indirect hike in the final cost on the customer. On this front there has never been a lacunae and all completed projects bear testimony to that fact.

The skyline in Bangalore’s Whitefield/ Marthahalli/Hoodi/Mahadevapura  belt is dominated by Sumadhura and with the prestigious CREDAI rating under their belt they have grown in stature and size, but all the same remain committed to the ethics of building business. They have also been featured in the NDTV news channel in their prime property programme. The best compliments one can receive is undoubtedly from the satisfied purchasers but to be showered encomiums by competitors speaks volumes of their work. I had the opportunity to talk to Mr.Tony, who heads Aratt homes and one who is in similar stature. He was liberal in praises for his counterpart for his 3 Ds - dedication, determination and deliverance. However, he hastened to add that Mr. Madhusudhan was stereotyped and not experimenting with new and innovative ideas and high rises. Maybe to prove him wrong, Sumadhura has veered off the beaten track and ventured into sleek and tall buildings with newer structural designs and even into commercial spaces.

Survival in this highly competitive market is driven by various forces such as Government byelaws, mandatory approvals from umpteen authorities, finance from institutions, purchasing power of people, acquisition of lands , the rule of the land mafia, intense competition and above all the ever rising factors of production especially land , labour and capital. Also the finished product needs to be packaged and positioned well to lure the purchaser. Marketing plays a very important role, right from the attractive glossy brochures to the actual finished structure which turns many a dream into “reality”! Good structural engineers, design architects, landscape architects, varied floor plans, useful and attractive amenities, location and accessibility to easy finance are some of the building blocks on which Sumadhura has built its empire on. Customers nowadays, are demanding and much more knowledgeable in the world of documents and legal processes involved. They are well versed in important aspects of owning such as Commencement certificate, Occupancy certificate and the like and stress on these with a vengeance. The builder has to be on his toes and never take chances with the documents and approvals. On this front Sumadhura Infracon pvt. Ltd.has learnt the lesson the hard way and has emerged stronger with better values. The transition from BDA to BBMP in the early years of the turn of this century was a trying period for the real estate sector with newer and stringent regulations and some of the optional approvals becoming mandatory.

Some of the noteworthy projects needing a mention here are Sumadhura Anandam, Sawan, Mathushree, Sandoval, Serene, Akash which have all been well received in terms of the values and traditions they stand for. The projects in the pipeline are Silver ripples, Madhuram, Sankalpam, Shikharam, Srinivasam, Vasantham and Anantham . The soon to be launched Essenza off Hosur road is an architectural marvel in itself.
As Albert Einstein said on success
‘Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value’ and this is precisely what Sumadhura stands for and any purchaser or prospective customer can directly talk to the man at the helm Mr. Madhusudhan himself and nothing in life becomes real until is experienced!

     

 A feature by Sunita Ramaswamy.

(This is an entry for Nissan safety driving forum and you can know more about it at https://www.nissan.in/innovation/NSDF.html)

             Driving.......there’s more to life than increasing its speed!

                                  @#^!<.>$%^&*()Free  flowing and fulsome  expletives and interjections  as we mindlessly cut lanes, honk incessantly, jump signals, drink and drive, make vicious u-turns or enter one-ways,  when not allowed ,seat belts hardly matter- throwing caution to winds and having scant regard for fellow drivers with headlights on high beam, is indeed  the prevailing maddening order of the day on Indian roads!

                                I drove past a luminescent billboard featuring an advertisement with an interesting tag line “I love traffic”  - ah..I rejoiced at the thought that I was not one of a kind who enjoyed driving even with all the mayhem on the roads, there are others as insane as me to be so passionate to spin, turn and whirl! But the next line broke that joy of exclusive company as it read ”stay close to your workplace so that you do not have to commute!” I realized the ad was for an apartment with close proximity to everything so that we do not have to hit the roads!!

Prelude...

Learning the nuances of driving in the pre Maruti era, in the sprawling gated township community  was easily child’s play even with  an over protective dad doing back seat driving , however  the real test of one’s skills and adroitness was put to test on the main roads of Kochi  and this was nothing short but  dare devilry and adventure. No hand breaks, seatbelts, side view mirrors, bucket seats or airbags to give one a cosy comfort of safety nor there was a coolant to keep the whirring engines cool and composed, it was just plain water that quenched the thirst of the bye gone engines. Yes, I hasten to add the vehicle population twenty five years ago was scanty but the red devils(Kochiites would know what I mean and for the un initiated folks who live outside the crude imaginary lines of boundaries, they are the private buses painted in bright red ) were already present in full magnificence, honking to their ears ‘glory, breathing down our necks, revving the engines for all its worth and pressing the gas pedal to their feet content much to the jittery and sweating new driver’s discomfort and agony! So I learnt putting pedal to metal the hard way and this has stood the test of time, graduating fearlessly from a lesser known metro with an out modelled car, to a burgeoning metro –Bengaluru. Moving up from a geared four wheeler to an improvised automatic version to an all powerful sports utility vehicle with all the safety accessories in place,  was indeed a quantum leap as I continue the happy hours on the road, despite gridlocks and logjams, cranky and cantankerous cows, 

 jaunty and prankish kids, zippy zesty road hogs, flying cabbies, roaring roadsters, unscrupulous lurking cops, abysmal craters,

harassing vagabonds, engrossed prattling phone users

 and exasperating expletives and curses. The use of the prefix “happy” connotes the will to drive safe without the sound of screeching rubber or blowing the car’s trumpet, obeying the traffic rules and not putting anyone in jeopardy for I believe in Gandhiji’s words of wisdom....

Increasing motorists with rampant issue of licenses, collapsing infra structure with roads that are hardly 10 feet wide, automobile manufacturers growing like mushrooms, lopsided growth of cities owing to availability of livelihood, haphazard town planning that is ever expanding vertically, horizontally, arterially and peripherally are undoubtedly reasons for incapacitating and crippling our freedom of movement on the roads , but do we keep cribbing on the shortcomings or  be the change we wish to see in the world .

It must begin with me and I must be the catalyst to bring about harmony on roads and convert distress into pleasure.

So here goes the mitzvah, some of which I have faithfully followed, few of them intentionally ignored, conveniently forgotten, tried and failed miserably while the rest I am  determined to adopt in the New Year....

v Never lay rubber - normal speed meets all needs!

v Stop for signals – never be colour blind and get fined!

v Never cut lanes – criss cross, zig zag, a strict no no!

v No jaunty rides - Alcohol and accidents go hand in hand!

v Wear seat belts - Always strap and buckle

v Drive on low beam – headlights are not beacons!

v    Abide by the law and follow the rules – flout and land up in a bout!

v No texting or talking on mobile - Got the message?

v Let pathways be walkways and not roadways!

v Care for the habitat – toxin is venom!

v Documents are a must - Possess and preserve papers!

Come, join me in embarking on a lovely sojourn to pursue a safe drive with conviction and perseverance and let us all together make our journey a joie de vivre!!!

                               JUVENILE JOY

Rubber trees testimony to the etched annals of herald
Staying lost in flight, looking back at 
Souvenirs saved, unleashed at free will
Turning pages of memories captured in mind

Endless giggles, games and gossip
Tucked away, the tricks, teases and truants
Tomfoolery complementing pedantic times
Chronicles from epic pages of book lore

A panoramic view of poems, prose and plays
Kindling adventure, glee and rhapsody
Sprints to arts class with hot pursuits
A regatta of patterns riot by young Picassos

Resonating sounds with sticks of hockey
Reverberating in tandem with bugles and drums
Solutions, dilute and concentrated in test tubes and beakers
Sophomores trembling at master with properties of substance

Living organisms in petri dishes with a genius guru
Dates with Mughals, Cholas and Colonial Raj
History brought alive by luminaries
Mapping the world, exploring Stalagtites and Aurora Borealis

Meter rules, energy and motion thrust upon stupid blocks of wood
Instilling Civic sense and a method in madness
Figures, lines, tangents ,solids and planes
Numbers and symbols, precise and accurate with our Pythagoras

Alter ego, buddy, sidekick, all with sobriquets and epithets
Outstanding companions of fun and frolic romping with mirth
Clowning and merry making in sheer nonsense
Pals and cronies dancing and singing to hearts content....

Oh....Take me there again , I do reminisce the juvenile joy!

                                Dedicated to the class of '85 of Udyogamandal school,FACT township 
                                                                                       Kochi, Kerala

                                               Ad nauseum

It was a lazy day that came my way , on a Sunday- the twitterati, facebookers and whatsappers had shut themselves out after the nocturnal ‘carniball’ over the Rio cup and my word feud friends had also vanished without a trace. Adding insult to injury was the lacklustre lunch , the monotony of the mundane was simply unbearable. And to make matters worse, I hit the button on the remote and the LCD crackled to life. After several inglorious minutes of channel hunting akin to scavengers rummaging the garbage, I settled on the match highlights – after all I had to keep up with the Joneses on the greatest show on the planet , at least to engage myself in conversation with the rest of the football frenzy household.
But the deluge of commercials before the Latin wizardry and tiki taka,  took the wind out of my sails. What perfect timing to air the advertisement on toilet cleaning agents, here I was looking for some masala to pep up the food on the platter, but what I got was the nauseating looming visuals of the lady in white coat bending down to the deplorable level of touching the toilet basin to prove her point and do justice to the crores she was earning for endorsing the product. All I could do was take my eyes away and say “yuck” aloud which was grossly misunderstood for the food , by my loving critics!
I have seen shoes being hurled at prominent politicians, and this celebrated list includes our very own Chiddu saar, by frustrated citizens but it was sickening to see a man throwing his shoe at the hapless yet formidable insect , the cockroach ! The well aimed throw, putting many an Olympian to shame did find the target and creature flipped over. The people for ethical treatment to insects would have gone for the thrower’s throat for this dastardly act but for the humane act of the husband and wife duo who were trying to revive the creature by sprinkling drops of water on it. But the insect activists’ joy was short lived as the voice over in the commercial says “now how can the dead cockroach which had eaten the poison product kill other scores of its friends when they come in contact with it?” Genocide” cried the people , anyway the product is living upto its name ‘hit’!!

I am still trying to figure out the connection between a chewing gum and the sequence of slides showing a ugly man transforming into a toothless blond with a Lasith Malinga hairdo. If only my eyes were “zip locked” instead of the mouth .....to avoid the trauma of watching such a ludicrous ad!

Next in the line of repulsive ones, is the plethora of commercials for  deodorant sprays , well this goes on to prove that the skunks pervading our planet is only directly proportional! Scantily clad models heading towards the water hole to party all night are enticed by the odour and they swarm, slither and self indulge much to the discomfort of the custodians of moral rights who squirm in their couches and are left “axed”!

The obsession with us Indians, on the fair skin will never wane and so will the ads on fair skin creams, each one of them guaranteeing whitest shades of skin colour! The obvious choice of prefix for these bleaching agents is “fair” and only the suffix changes to suit the gender – ‘lovely’ for women and ‘handsome’ for men. These are gentle reminders of the dark ages of apartheid that we still live in!

My grocery purchases have never been influenced by these oft repeated and reinforced repulsive ads but always held a standard – a hurriedly prepared list with half the requirements given a glorious miss, I head towards the supermarket ( oops! it is the hypermarket store , these days)and end up buying the “most wanted” along with the “unwanted”  the latter  far out numbering the former ! The end result would be the bazaar running out on printing stationery due to the ultra long bill and a gaping hole in the wallet!!!

ASIDE.....But all the same I do stand and gape at the huge billboards of amul ads on busy traffic junctions oblivious of honking and polluting vehicles, to admire the creative caricature and the wonderful play of words...then it is “AD”diction and not “AD” nauseum!!!
          

  YENNES INFOTECH – A bestseller in the making.

When I stepped into the posh interiors of # 1 , Gokul arcade, a smart front officer warmly welcomed me assuming to be a prospective client. I stammered, stuttered and mumbled “Bharati”. She was a little taken aback at a stranger addressing her boss by the first name and that too without the customary prefix. Soon, I realised and said a little bit more boldly “I want to meet your director”.
    “Do you  have an appointment ma’am?” she asked me, gently flipping through the appointment ledger and scanning her eyes over the system
   I said – “She’s expecting me, tell her it’s Sunita.”
   In a jiffy, the tall vivacious director of Yennes Infotec (P) ltd , Bharati Saravanan strode into the reception lobby and I was mesmerized for a moment – here she was, my childhood buddy, in flesh and blood, reunited after so many years... ‘tomboy’ lass of yesteryears with whom I have spent the maximum time of my growing up years.
  I stifled a shout of excitement as scores of employees were neck deep in work. We hugged and she escorted me to her well kept, neat cubicle and I sat snugly admiring her directorial skills – orders flying, crisp and clear to her well groomed staff keeping a tab on the updates, pleasantly answering her clients for support, sales and service. I felt immensely proud of her and watched the lady in action as my mind traversed to the years of struggle she might have encountered on her way to stardom. Working shoulder to shoulder with her enterprising husband Mr.N.Saravanan, putting her resources of commerce, communication and class to excellent use, they toiled night and day. I am reminded of Sir Winston Churchill’s famous words “ Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm” and the Yennes family never waned in their devotion and passion.
   As Yennes Infotec (P) Ltd celebrates two decades of business in Tally, I deem it a proud privilege to bask in their glory. Overcoming hurdles, barriers, obstacles are indeed part and parcel of growing up for an enterprise and patience, persistence and perseverance is an unbeatable combination for success.
  There are many yardsticks for measuring success, the prosperous termination of objectives and desires and undoubtedly topping the indices is a rosy balance sheet. The availability and quality of products and services, years of putting in valuable service, the number of employees on the roll call, their satisfaction and rewards, and so on, but prime among them is customer goodwill and appeasement! Yennes , over the years has committed itself to this motto and scaled every peak to make their customers “kings”! Innovation is the modern day mantra for success while at the same time retaining its originality and purpose . To prosper and flourish , in a highly competitive environment , one has to keep repositioning and reorienting itself to the ever changing world and its demands. Success is therefore an offshoot of adaptability and customising by conforming to set standards leading to change and metamorphosis! The key to staying alive and keeping the head well above the water is without doubt “customising solutions” in accordance with the clientele requirements and Yennes has done just that and each time raised its bar to unmatched levels.

      As Yennes Infotec (P) ltd strives towards excellence, moving from one milestone to another, achieving more laurels and accolades and expanding their business territory, I extend my hearty good wishes to the enterprising couple Saravanan and Bharati and the entire cast and crew to thrive and triumph and become a “bestseller”!

                                         Sunita Ramaswamy

                     
This is an entry for 

 "WINNING for India Today Conclave 2014" please see the full details at 

http://conclave.intoday.in/


                  Veni, vidi, vici

The conqueror and the vanquished

                                   Powerful and meek

                                      Master and subordinate

                                             Leader and follower

Yes, a winner and a loser!

Winning is awe inspiring, a way of life for others to emulate, overtake and become numero uno . Testimony to this theory are the numerous triumphant achievers in every walk of life, across a huge spectrum giving joy to themselves as well as pride to a nation.

The Indian Army ‘capturing’ the Drass peak

-    A moment of glory for the proud patriotic soul

The Indian cricket team ‘holding aloft’ the world cup

-    A dream come true for the cricket crazy nation

The brilliant odyssey to the red planet

-    Scientists at ISRO attain eminence

The World’s richest man  is an Indian ‘earning’ a net worth of over...

-    An Indian businessman at the very top makes us go gaga

The sensex breaching the ........ index mark

-    It’s a bull run and ‘sweeping the boards’’ are the investors

Sir C.V. Raman having a Noble ‘effect’

-    An accomplishment that is unparalleled

Mozart of Madras treating us at the Grammy’s

           -it is indeed music to the ears!

Oscar nights dominated by Bollywood

          -‘accomplishing’ the impossible are our actors

Mary Kom’s knock out punch

-    An Olympic medal ‘catch’

Arundhati Roy , the Booker prize awardee

-    ‘coming away’ with top honours

And so the list goes on and on.....umpteen instances of heroes and heroines who emerged victorious with sheer grit, determination and perseverance.“Winning” , undoubtedly is a conquest , an accomplishment of the best in any field  , a first in this mad race for supremacy , so how about  venturing into another dimension with a human touch, a competition where there are only winners and no losers?

          Love, friendship and relationship that bonds us eternally with no greed, avarice or heartburn, a triumph that does not pip anyone at the post or beat anyone hollow ,but on the contrary makes us, the mortal beings richer ,satisfied and contented.

      Ours was an arranged marriage , the traditional one routed through horoscopes and boy meeting girl sequence . A heart to heart talk followed in the midst of anxious and peering parents . In a matter of few palpable minutes, we had “won” each other’s hearts and the candid conversation led to the opening of a profound partnership , in progress , for life, accompanied by joys and sorrows like in an orchestra! Days and nights of sharing, giving and taking was a game on a level playing field with no vendetta or vengeance , supremacy or one upmanship. When my mother in law to be, patted my hand, I had “conquered” a sense of belongingness in the new family and she had “earned” another daughter! Along with this, came a plethora of relatives in the form of sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas, each one of them unique in their own sweet way, the package was one heaven of a deal and worth every magical moment. Functions within the extended family were filled with gaiety and exuberance unmatched in any field or activity!

    My colleague at the work place was an epitome of composure, timidity and sensitivity , paradoxical to the bold, flamboyant and extrovert me , proving beyond doubt the postulate that opposite poles attract! We were in perfect harmony , never crossing swords, working in tandem , helpful and appreciative of each other’s successes. A rapport that grew by leaps and bounds ,fetching enormous levels of profitability and productivity that no blue chip can boast of!

    A sea of humanity as I entered the portals of the University, in a flash, breaking the ice ,were two birds but of different feathers  flocking together  as if they knew each other for ages. Only that they were total strangers a couple of minutes ago, yes , strangers are indeed  friends whom we are yet to meet!  We became ruthless friends for life and the adhesive of bonhomie brought us joy, happiness and a host of other emotions that energized our college days. Together, we voyaged across unchartered seas, saw new horizons , nurtured new hopes and explored the labyrinths of the education maze emerging victorious . The time spent in the corridors of knowledge was sacred and sacrosanct and more valuable than the graduation degree , was the friendship which is a prized possession!

  School , our second home, frothing with bubbles of innocence , days of fun and frolic, learning the first lessons of life , fresh and presumptuous among the affable lot, is a bosom buddy with whom I learnt to pedal, to swim, to sing, to dance, to play and to treasure hunt. A sidekick who is akin to a thrilling trophy adorning and embellishing the showcase of camaraderie.

These are classic examples of  a win-win situation  for all, there are no losers and hence no regrets or heartburns. A connect that breaks all shackles of greed, desire for power and insatiability. Vendetta, hatred , disappointments, voids, challenges have no place in this spectacular win. It leaves the players contented ,gratified and appeased. The delightful years of donning different roles of spouse, friend, peer is a master catch that prevails over all trophies, medals, cups, scrolls, badges, awards and accolades! All of us are winners, always first in the race of life , reaping rich rewards and dividends.