52 weeks of Gratitude .. Week 5 Says the title is “The city you live in”
I am not very sure with the topic here, because to me the current city I live in will never be as beautiful as to the CITY I am From, yes I have made my home in the city I live in currently but they do say home is where the heart is and my heart has always been in CHANDIGARH (the city beautiful), the moment I think of it I go on this nostalgic trip and why not almost all my youth was spent on the roads and by lanes of the beautiful city.
The first planned city to have been built-in india after independence, when i close my eyes all i can see are the beautiful roads covered with golden leaves especially as summer is coming. My heart jumps in excitement each time someone talks about this city, I have some beautiful memories. I did my schooling from a different city and in my 11th class I came back to Chandigarh, Took admission in Govt college for men and rest as they say is History. College .. The word itself is so nostalgic.. we have so many memories attached with it .. I sometimes think of the time and seem to get lost in the huge ocean of memories , makes we want to go back in time to those days, Its been ages since I have left college but the stuff we did , the memories, the history we made .. each time I remember one such episode it lightens me up.. I have that twinkle in the eye, that energy , rush of blood which goes missing otherwise in the normal day-to-day routine that we call LIFE.
I have now left college and the CITY in search of new adventures, new roads, new ambitions.. but I still remember those days.. the 5 year of my life that I spent in college. The friends I made , the way we became friends , the silly things we did , the attitude, The no-nonsense way , giving two hoots to life as if we were unbeatable.. nothing could touch us .. Not even KARNAIL SINGH the SHO of sector 11 police station.. 🙂
Chandigarh in those days was the “THE CITY” to be in, because of proper shopping centres , cafe’s, cinema halls, People from everywhere in the country would come to see the city, The gardens it had, Every now and then some sort of concert would be organised in the open places. The first ever Rock concert I went in my life was in the Chandigarh, I remember it was an english Concert and a Group had come from Bangalore, That was the first time I had heard the song “Tarzan Boy” 🙂 .. I know I have taken many of the readers long time backwards, we danced to that song all night long. Being nearer to Punjab it was quite common to have one of the Punjabi singers every now and then performing in the city.
Rose festival was the much awaited festival that was held in Rose garden all the beautiful girls of the city would come and we boys as usual behind them trying to impress them little did we know than that , That was not a way to impress a girl.
The rock garden another attraction that would attract so many in those days I am not sure how it is doing now, but then it was a meeting point for everyone, Sukhna lake was one place that I have a lot of memories , I use to go running early morning every-day, Sadly now I hear due to silting the water is not that deep anymore.
My best friends , the people who would smilingly stand shoulder to shoulder with me were introduced to me in this city, Babbar, Cherry,Ravi,vikram,Sood All of us became such good friends, I am so full of gratitude to the City Chandigarh because it was a stepping stone for me to come to where I am, Maybe if I had not come to this city after my 10th class I would not be here where I am now, but then who knows..
The famous Gedi route the road between the College for men and Girls, so much time was spent on that particular stretch of road. The beautiful girls who also obviously wanted to look at the boys walking up and down, and us on our vehicles trying to impress some, sadly the only things that happened was the wasting of petrol.
I am sure I can go on and on with so many memories , Experiences I have had in MY CITY, I can definitely say that I am who i am because of the city Chandigarh too.
I have some photographs of the city that I would love to share with everyone ..
My best friend Babbar’s dad passed away yesterday. He was suffering from cancer. I feel saddened as I know how it feels to lose the person who stands as a pillar in your life.
I remember Uncle as a very soft-spoken person. I have never seen him raise his voice.
Uncle was a gazetted officer and worked as a civilian officer with the Air Force. I can recall one of the pranks that Babbar and I played, when we had to counter-sign some forms. Babbar and I stole his stamps and signed the forms ourselves. I have no idea if he ever came to know about this.
There was an open ground behind Babbar’s home, where we used to play cricket often. And Uncle would be doing gardening in his little field, where he sowed vegetables. Our ball would always fall in the field and irritate him.
The usual memories, when Babbar and I would go to each others’ homes as buddies.. Uncle was such a soft person.
It is a loss that can never be filled, and we all have to learn to live with it. May he rest in Peace and wish his family and near and dear ones strength to face this loss bravely. Makes me sad I am not there for my friend in this hour of need.
The post on My friend Babbar .. well He finally replied back and I am chuffed at what he had to say .. So I thought I would put it here as most of you who had emailed me and commented how he will feel , came out true..
Yaar you really made me weep today. And at the same timemade my day. I love you darling. I really miss you and you are always in myheart, but these emails FB, phone calls are really not my cup of tea. But I amimproving (ha ha ha). Sorry I got late in reading the mail, but it is all myloss. I have always treasured you and our friendship. The world (Our small one)knows about it. Thanks a lot for writing such a nice account of me and ourfriendship. No one has ever made me feel so important, big and rich. I am luckyto have Yaar Anmule like you. You were always my “Jaan”
and will remain so forever. Love you yaar te tu bus aaja.We will relive our good old days. Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers!
– For young men, it’s a picture of a lady with a nice arse but only the most observant will notice that she is crossing a street.
– The really observant will notice that she is wearing a thong.
– For older men, she appears to be a respectable woman – with a nice butt on her way to work.
– Wiser men will ponder the presence of mind of the photographer to take the shot in the face of such beauty and be grateful that they shared it with humanity.
– For half of the women, this is an ordinary woman who should not have left home dressed that way.
– The other half will think and wonder where she bought that blouse.
-Older women will imagine the misery that the woman’s BUTT will cause by the time she reaches 50.
– But only children, the extremely intelligent and the celibate will notice that the taxi is being driven by a dog.
(SO you want to go back and check your replies he he he he he ) 🙂
Leave you with a Song.. doing a Musical Monday after Ages 🙂
A golden Punjabi by none other but the best Shiv Kumar Batalvi.. Hope you all like it .. I would request all those who don’t understand panjabi to do a search and find the meaning .. I can assure it is worth the hassle doing it.. One of India’s best poets although as usual when he was alive not many knew of him, sung by another of India’s best the King of Ghazals Late Jagjit singh..
I can put the lyrics but I can’t do justice to the words so don’t know how to do any translation .. If anyone out there knows Punjabi well then Please do so for all of us to enjoy it better ..
I have got a translation hope it helps … but please anyone else out there who can do more justice Please do so …
Maye Ni Maye, Main Ek Shikra Yaar Banaya,mother hey mother I befriended a hawk (shikra =Hawk)
ohde Sir De Kalgi, Te pairi Jhanjhar, te O Chog Chuginda Aaya, plume on his head, n bells on his feet, he came pecking 4 grain (kalgi=plume, Chog=grain , chuginda = pecking)
Ek ohde Roop Dee Dhup Teekheri, te Dooja Mehka Da Tirhaya, one his beauty was as sharp as sun and 2nd was thirsty fragrance
Teeja ohda Rang Gulabi, ho Kise Gori Maa Da Jaya,3rd his color was the color of rose , He was born from a fair mother
Ishqe Da Ek Palang Nawari, ve Assan Channania vich daya, Tann Di Chaaddar Ho Gayi Maili, Os Pair Ja Palgi Paya, i laid a bed of love , in the moonlight, my body sheet was stained the instant he laid his foot on my bed!
Ni ohde chet di aathan, ate zulfee saavan chaaya ,hothaa de vich kahte da koi dihoon chadne te aayahis eyes were an evenning in spring, his hair a dark cloud, his lips, a rising autumn dawn
Dukkhan mere Naina De Koye, Te vich Harh Hanjua Da Aaya, Sari Raat gayi vich socha, Us A Ki zulm Kamaaya, corners of my eyes hurt and a flood of tears engulfed me , all night went thinking what he did this to me
Bolla de vich paun pure di ni o koilaan da hamsaaya ,chitte dand jyon dhaano bagla tori maar udaayahis words had eastern breeze blowing like the sound of a nightingale , his smile was the whiteness of a crane in the rice field , taking flight at the clap of a hand
Subha Savere Laini Vattna, ve Assa Mal Mal os Navaya, Dehi de vicho Niklan Chin gaa, te saada Haath Gaya kumlaya, early in the morning, with vattna (a paste used to cleansing skin), I scrubbed n bathed my body but embers kept bursting out and my hands flagged
Choori Kuttta Ta O Khanda Naahi, ve Assa Dil Da Maas Khwaya, Ek Udaari Aisi Maari, O Mud Vatnee Na Aaya, prepared choori but he doesnt eat ,I gave him the flesh of my heart , he took such a takeoff, never came back home
PS:- I had requested everyone to give me a honest Criticism of the blog that i have. I dont mind anything maybe it will help me in writing better. Not many have done So I will request again Please do so..
PSS:- Recently I have been thinking what happens to my posts just in case wordpress goes down, I dont want to loose the articles and comments .. is it any way I can back them up somewhere or make a copy 🙂 any help will be very thankful.
Hello Everyone .. I realised that the last post was the 300th post once I pressed the publish button.. I usually have done tags and published the awards that have come my way over the time on such occassions, So this is one of those posts.
She had condition to getting this “award” (though no compulsion) – an honest criticism of Her blog, So I have one request for all the readers PLEASE when you comment Do give me a honest Criticism of the blog that i have. I dont mind anything maybe it will help me in writing better .. Thank you.
What this is about: To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.
Rules:
1) Blogger is nominated to take part
2) Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category. The links are:
– Your most beautiful post
I love all my posts, I know everyone says the same , but then I cant decide which one is more beautiul than the other, Since when I am writing at that precise moment that is most beautiful. I will cheat from Smitha and ask a question here.. When you are commenting DO tell me Which one you think is the best Article I have written.. Go on give it a try?
– Your most popular post
It seems one of the recents posts on my birthday has been most popular.. 11-11-11 It’s got the most comments
– Your most controversial post
I think I get into trouble in a lot of posts I write especially about the nation, and on NRI’s who are settled here abroad., But I liked writing the one on Slut walk and the comments that came after that were good too , it was fun replying to them all too , Another was the One where I asked the Terrorists to kill the parasites of our great nation rather than killing the innocent hard working people, that brought a lot of lovely comments too .. to the fact that I was said to have written to it just to get a few comments 🙂 .. To the Terrorist.
– Your most helpful post
Well Again how do I know, I have found that sometimes the post that we write to say something rarely get read or commented upon, while some stupid posts which are either put for the sake of putting one or just a picture gets a lot of Comments, Maybe its sign people telling me how bad a writer I am 🙂 … I think since christmas is round the corner Would like people to read this one on Drink and Drive.
– A post whose success surprised you
Now that is a Good question, Frankly each and every post that I have written brings a surprise, For I think I am still learning and have got a long way to go. Lot of my friends have given me advices, Some have shown surprise with eyebrows raised thinking have I written or HOW did I manage to write that post.
– A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved
Some of the posts that I have written on problems faced and how the Govt is taking us for granted probably needed more attention by fellow bloggers. Farmers of our nation.. They are the backbone of our country
– The post that you are most proud of
I am proud of a lot of posts. I am a emotional person and I live a lot with memories missing a lot of people , my posts on my Father, my Friends , My village are very close to me. I usually write what i feel irrespective of what others think :). I have a few to mention here .. Fathers Day , Anupinder , Ravjote, Babbar
3) Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part.
Now the Fun time in who to Tag, 5 for me is too less but I will try to keep it to 5.
Disclaimer :- Long post .. But people who love their friends and miss them will understand it all
This post has taken a long time to be published, has been sitting in my drafts for so long. been editing it so often..
Here I am trying to revisit the good old days as they say , college times .. I am sure a lot of people by now know how we both met, it was an astonishing moment , One day Ravi (my first friend in college) came up to me, I was tall and big had big huge moustaches gave the impression that I was wickedddddddd (no one knew the secret, it was the other way round actually) .. saying he has had an argument with someone , set up a time and we have to go to beat up this guy.. So we went to the ground behind the campus.. Me and Ravi… in a few minutes another guy came with a Short, stocky, Smart Sardar..who had an immaculate turban on..
Till today I have no idea why it happened or how it happened instead of a FIGHT it ended up by making a deal that instead of a big fight why not let Ravi and the guy settle their differences one to one.. Brilliant , me and the sardar shook hands and That day I met my best, my darling my sweety pie my cutie pie he he he he Sukhvir Singh (AKA babbar).. till date he is my best mate.. Thus started the days of glory, through him I met so many people rather all my mates now I met through him, oh boy but was he angry, he was short but his temper oh my god, no matter who was in front, he went for it..
So that’s how we met, College time was wow time for me because of friends I had, we did a lot of things together movies, roaming around, NCC etc etc.. A few points I wanted to share here reminiscing the good old days..
Each time I have called him up from UK, it brings that COOL sense of happiness to hear him say hello and when you speak he recognises the voice in millionth of a second and then the voice changes to “OYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE MANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN”.. now that is the best feeling one can have, especially for those who have left friends-family behind and come to foreign shores.. Then during the conversations he will always say “TUN AAJAA YAAR MANN” (you just come).. That is the moment where you feel like dropping everything and Just go.
We both have argued with each other but I don’t remember any occasion where we have fallen out on any thing, almost every evening after college was spent with him , a couple of others ( I will write about them too).. I use to live the furthest so I would go to his house in evening and then from there we went wherever we had to go , to spend the rest of the evening.
A few incidents come to mind each time I think of Babbar, I remember during NCC Days we had a camp for 15 days in a village in Punjab , it was Diwali day and we planned to go to the gurudwara Sahib , on way back there was a brick Kiln.. and you know how big-hearted Punjabi’s are.. the owner called us in and invited us to a glass or two of MILK , special milk , this was full of Bhang and a couple of KILO of Jalebi’s .. NCC camps hardly get stomach full of food so we drank and ATE..
Then moved to the camp only to find we were getting high and The Commanding officer too saw us , Not a good idea , by the time we reached the camp he had everything ready .. WE were to Fall in within 5 minutes and Our dear Sukhi was to lead us in parade , The punishment was for us to march while for him was to go over to the other side of the POND and shout commands .. I on other hand was saved as I was representing Chandigarh in Skeet shooting so I was sent to air force station to do that .. The day off it was to be we ended up working the whole of chandigarh group. I was so drunk and high that I shot 9 out of 10 clay pigeons BRING THEM ON.. sukhi was not happy when I came back as they were made to go up and down the ground a few times …
I have somehow felt that Babbar has always been my savior for some reason each time I was in trouble he would be there, In one wedding a few guys had a tiff with me and I found my self alone, as a guy asked me to dare come out of the marriage hall.. I being a scary cat which i am was still thinking of what to do .. In comes Babbar and he gave them guys such a blasting they will remember all their life..
Also a few coincidences have so happened that It is really a miracle that we have not got into serious trouble , Once I went up to his house to find that he was getting ready on asking , he just said good i turned up and asked me to accompany him , it was later I found out that a guy we knew , had some sort of fight with guys , there We were together going to beat up the guys …
I am not sure how my life would have been had it not been for him, he has been always there through thick and thin always .. He was the one who rode my scooter which i had just spend thousand to get repainted and all .. and drove it right into an oncoming car.. my heart broke into pieces to see the scooter again mangled , who cares about the bruises suffered by him, he is a man he will Live 🙂
He got married when I came to UK , I missed his wedding and i will never forgive myself I so wanted to attend his wedding , he has a beautiful wife who is again a gem of a person .. Each time I have gone to india they have not let me go to my own house as my home was all locked up , I end up spending my time with them, I jsut have to phone him up and tell him arriving on such and such date and he makes sure that he takes time off work and all ..
I am truly blessed to have him, I know we hardly speak on phone so much time goes by , but the moment i book my tickets he is the first one to know and when i tell him THAT voice haunts me MANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN COMEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and that excitement .. We have done some weird things during our college times some good some bad but now we sit down thinking they all bring smiles to the face.
He is such a person , he has not got a FB account, he hardly uses email, I email him but he doesn’t reply , I hope he reads this article where I want to shout at top of my voice I HATE YOU BABBAR 🙂 .. Oh man I miss him so much. If you are reading this do you remember the days my friend , Going to Patiala for Ashwani’s wedding on way back , we almost got Shot by Punjab police thinking we were some sort of Terrorists ..
Do you remember the uphill trips, the going up by the back route , the fountain …
Do you remember the camps NCC lucknow, Patiala, Ludhiana, The clearing of the PABT written test in hisar .. The SSB interviews at various places .. especially the one in Dehradun 🙂 that was hilarious we had fun brother .. Still cant understand how we could not get through.. the ones who everyone said should get into army. How the Sikh guy who refused to go inside a Temple because it was a HINDU temple got selected.. and how another one who hated muslims got through.
But I guess we are better off now, Had we got through I am sure we would both be Dead by now, trying to get over an enemy tank to our side of the land 🙂 All that happen’s .. happens for good.
And best of all This is hilarious (if you have reached till here everyone listen to this), I got a job as a manager-instructor all in one in a computer institute which had just opened , it had no students as it was still being renovated, Babbar was un employed at that time, I would get up in morning as I headed to work his house would be on way.. I would pick him up and go to this institute to open it .. waiting for potential students to come etc.. around 11ish the Whisky shop would open and we would buy half a bottle from there ordering some samose or something from katani sweets.. Pour half each in Big steel glasses and have it .. eat the samosa’s .. THEN close the shutters down of the institute.. and head for Punjab University for a GEDI he he he he By the time we reached UNI we use to be up in the seven sky ..
Each day we met , each day there was some funny thing that happened If I start to write all of them It will turn out to be a book.. I long to get back to maybe repeat a few of these events..
The going to weddings, we had a pact that anyone who had a wedding in family, all friends will goto that wedding.. one I remember is a party I got an invite to , it was a very private. I had not clue about, as was promised all of us reached .. it so happened that in that party there were more of us then the actual invitees.. it was embarrassing but WHO CARES we had fun ate stomach full and drinks too 🙂
The late night Pinjore garden trips, The various arguments over girls.
The trekking expeditions, getting lost in jungle, almost getting one of our big huge friend killed ..
The sundays of Playing cards, the whole days spent on a RS. 10. BET it was war, me and him always the partner winning losing.
Another Hilarious episode was Three of us on Two scooters, Babbar & vikram on one and me alone of another one.. It was Babbar’s Elder brothers scooter.. we are going nicely , a roundabout came.. I went straight shouting come this way , come this way .. Babbar went left looking at me shouting no no this way .. They failed to see the curb on the road and BAM.. both of them on the Road.. Poor Scooter.. the tension was not of the bruises again it was how to get the Scooter sorted before big brother found out.. We had a mechanic who did all this jobs for us he he he he ..
I was doing some classes for something, One of our mates JOHAR came from hisar to meet , he and Babbar came to where I was .. I sneaked out .. now again Babbar & johar on one scooter , me on another we are going .. me following them and Mr. Babbar suddenly decided to turn Right .. BAM I went into them and they both went flying.. Again forget the bruises the scooter needs to be checked ..
The festival celebrations, the arguments whose house we would end of celebrating .. The first EVER dance party organised .. Was by him in his house on the roof .. so many girls came, luckily I was invited to it too..
The Holi times, we would all get together and make sure we went to EVERY girls house we knew, the look on their faces was PRICELESS.. the OH look boys have come to this girls house..
A couple of weddings we got done of the Lovers , whose parents would not agree..
Some things in life one can never forget.. I have had such a beautiful life that I just long to od it all over again , wish there was a roll back switch to do it .. I would not want to do anything ever differently. All that happened when it happened AS it happened I would love to repeat it all over again ..
Those were the good old days .. and Then LIFE Happened and we all separated ..
Me and My Random Thoughts 