You're not my girl anymore ;-)

I was very sceptical about the day I had to end my relationship with someone I liked and proposed. This meeting somehow never went the way I had imagined it. Infact the feeling that my girl's going to be with someone she likes and adores and someone who can take care of her better than me, was a soother and made me part this girl with a smile. Here's how I recollect my events of the day it actually happened.

It was a morning amidst the most mentally disturbing last few days. On one side, was a girl I've been liking for almost 4 years now, whom I proposed few months back, but who wasn't positive on taking this relationship forward. She is Nithu. On the other side was family pressure on me, on going the arranged marriage way. In case you haven't guessed it yet, Yes I am an average middle class Indian whose family thinks that when a guy turns 29, the next bend on the road is an arranged marriage.

Nithu agreed to meet me at lunch today. I was surprised when she okayed my luncheon idea, but I was more determined to end this mental turmoil, It's either Nithu's way or the highway (yes, the highway here is the arranged marriage way, incase you haven't guessed it already). Morning was time to groom myself, get my hair aligned well, choose the right shirt, a matching round neck T inside, well Ironed dark trousers, shiny shoes. I had to make an impression today, even if it were to be my last rendezvous with her !

Felt like lunch was around the corner from the moment I entered my office at 9 in the morning. Even before I realised, the clock struck 12.30, and it was time I depart to meet my luncheon date today. A solid 10 kms travel from Guindy DLF IT Park to Tidel Park. My 20 minute 10 Km travel was much faster than Nithu's 7 floors elevator descent. Had to wait a few minutes before the girl finally arrived. At Tidel, she's the most professionally pretty girl, to my eyes atleast ! Formally shook hands and guided me to a newly opened "Kabab Joint" restaurant. I chose the best coupé table available.

We exchanged formalities just like old friends do, catching up on work, family, our interests and ambitions. There was a bit of catching up considering this is the first time I'm properly meeting her after my return from New Jersey last December. She was prompt in handing over my "Belated Birthday gift". It was only on 1 occasion in the last 4 years that it wasn't a belated gift.

It was now that I popped up the question, "So tell me Nithu, what's happening on your marriage front?". Nithu replied "hmm, uh, hmm, there is something but I can't tell you right now. Give me sometime, I'll be able to tell you after sometime".

Karthik: (With a heart pumping hard and fast, one would have seen it popping out of his shirt) "Ok take your 2 seconds. Now tell me what's happening on your marraige front?"

Nithu: Well, you know my best friend...

Karthik: Prasad ??

Nithu: (Eyes wide and surprised) You know him?

Karthik: Of course, your best friend for 8 years now, how can I not remember him. You just haven't mentioned his name in the last 2 years. Saw him last at your sister's wedding reception.

Nithu: Yeah, well he proposed me 2 years back. I didn't take it too seriously and wasn't sure if I should end this friendship to start something new with Prasad.

Karthik: (Talking within himself "Dammit! he's much ahead in this queue, he's 2 years and i'm 7 months"). So what have you decided Nithu?

Nithu: Well, his parents spoke to my mom too, and they all seem fine. Things happened much easier and faster. He didn't even tell me the day his parents came home asking for my hand.

Karthik: Well he always swept you off your feet uh !

Nithu: Not actually , but in a way yeah (blushing for the first time)

Karthik: (On a serious note): Nithu, if there was one person who could take care of you the way I wanted to, it is Prasad. I wouldn't have given up on you if it was for someone else. I know how good a guy he is. So here you are, I let you go. By the way, you still havent answered my proposal.

Nithu: Hmmm , uh, hmmmm......

Karthik: It's ok, you don't have to answer it anymore. Thanks for all the memories over the last 4 years, I'll miss you. Oh by the way, I've decided to go ahead the arranged marriage way.

Nithu: (Wide eyed again and laughing loudly) Karthik, I can't believe you're going the arranged marriage way, you're not that material.

Karthik: Well, what to do, my loss is Prasad's gain. I guess i'm not left with much of a choice.

By now our 2 Rotis and Pulao just got over and the clock struck 2:30 pm.

Waiter: Sir, here's your check.

Nithu: Karthik, let me pay this time... please !.

(I've never let Nithu pay a check over the last 4 years !)

Karthik: Hmmmm, go ahead, pay the bill. Well, You're not my girl anymore ! (winks)

The five people you meet in heaven

Would you know my name

If I saw you in heaven?

Would it be the same

If I saw you in heaven? .....

Hypothetically, if you were asked to name the five people you would like to meet in heaven, would you be able to list them down? i.e. assuming you make it to Heaven. Again, in my world, everyone gets to step into Heaven. So try to answer this simple question and I would appreciate if you explain why you chose the 5 people you named here.

I have tried to list down the names of 5 people I would like to meet in Heaven.

1. My Paternal Grandpa:

My dad and mom are the obvious choices, so I'm not including them. My Paternal Grandpa passed away in his late 40's when my dad was 12 yrs old. My dad has told me a lot about his respect for his father. I would really like to know this old man and how he saw my dad as a child.

2. My Maternal Grandpa:
He passed away a few months after I was born. Again I wasn't fortunate enough to spend enough time with him. My mom always had moist eyes when she tried to recollect her times with her favourite parent. He was a good "nadeswaram" player. He even fled a number of times to Karnataka everytime he and my grandma fought. I want to see his humility and compassion as always told by my mom.

3. My Maternal Aunt "Ranganayaki" :
She was second among 6 daughters and my mom was the last. She passed away when my mom was around 10. Considered as a very witty and outgoing lady, she was the tallest among the sisters and the fairest of them all. She was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the kitchen one fine day. She was even pregnant with an 8 month old baby when she left this world. I would like to spend time with this most outgoing aunt of mine !

4. Mahatma Gandhi:
Enough has been said and written about the "Bappu" of India, and I think like every Indian living today, I am unfortunate not to have been born in the era of the Mahatma, but just fortunate enough to live his vision. I would like to take a walk with him, and understand the untold and unheard side of him and the true reason that drove him into his principles. Isn't it a pity that the true messiah of peace has not been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize yet !

5. Jesse Owens:
He was my hero right from when I was 8 years old. After I realised my passion for sprint racing in my school days coupled by the fact that Jesse Owens had died a couple of months before I was born, I thought I was the re-incarnation of the legend himself. Well you can pardon a little boy for his dream. He set high standards for the world athletics and was active during the white-black controversial era. I would just like to take a race with him !

Now it's your turn to write who according to you will be the 5 people you'd like to meet in Heaven. Trust me it's not that easy.

(Inspired by the Novel "Five People You Meet In Heaven" by Mitch Albom)

ARUMUGAM "ONI"

6 April, 2009
Oni - "Shelter" in Sanskrit

I'm living my dad's dream, his 7 year dream to construct a big house at Mogappair for our little family and live in it. But fate had other plans. What was started by him, was completed by me. There were no dearth of challenges trying to complete this house. Infact, according to many, the design of the house ensured the "Vaasthu" was messed up in every possible way. During the course of renovation, I even considered changing the layout of the house, but with limited resources and time against me, I decided to go with my dad's layout.

When I took over the reigns of this house from my dad in 1997, it was nothing but merely four walls covered by a concrete ceiling. With no source of funding, I had to lock the house in this state for atleast 2 years. It was later that money started trickling in and thanks to suggestions of some "wise" relatives (read with sarcasm), I took up the daunting task of bringing this house to shape. The thought of regular rental income enticed me into it. Looking back, I'm still unsure if it was the best thing to do.

I knew that me with my 18 years of so-called life experience would be unfit to try to handle it all by myself, and I gladly obliged giving the house work to my maternal uncle. Little did I know until few months later, that my uncle during the course of this construction had eaten his pie too, by showing me inflated bills. Well, I didn't find it courteous to question him, atleast the money was within the family. But I made up my mind that the next time I take up any house work, it would be all by myself.

I still remember those days in 1999, it was about the same month 10 years back when we begun the work. I would travel from my college to Mogappair house every other day, look at the progress, nod my head to every word my uncle or workers say, and head back home. After 3 months of work, we managed to bring the house to shape. This included Plastering, Plumbing, Electrical connections, Flooring and a few lakhs of my dad's saving in expediture. We rented this house to a couple of tenants since then.

It's been 10 years since and last year, I felt the need to change from my 429 sq ft duplex house in MMDA Colony, Chennai to a better house in the city. There were valid reasons to it, no space to park my car, neighbours surrounding weren't very hospitable, the place was getting too noisy and of course, I wanted to break the shackles of the little house and start living in a larger space with all amenities.

26 January, 2009: This is when Part-2 begins.
This time I had to balance between my work and the construction. Like I vowed before, I took up the entire work by myself. This time I had to take care of Construction, Carpentry, Flooring, Electricals, Painting, Plumbing and Interiors. This time it was a labour contract, which meant I had to make sure all materials were in place everyday before the workers arrived. This arrangement took its toll on me. Looking back, I would be lying if I didn't appreciate myself for doing it all alone.

The next 2 months my day would begin at 7, get ready to office, visit Mogappair, instruct tasks for the day, start to office, take care of my office tasks, start back from office at 6, buy materials, travel back to Mogappair house to check the progress and then reach back home around 9. Weekends was no respite as I would travel with my sister, planning for interiors and checking the furnitures.

Steadily over the next 2 months amidst many challenges, I got them all done. Challenges included, laying road outside my house for the first time, when I had the bricks and sand parked outside! carrying crates of electrical items on my bike to the site balancing my bike and the Chennai traffic ! making countless calls to ensure material supply was never in short! the recession and lay-offs at Syntel! Job insecurity was something I did not plan for !

I would be dishonest if I do not thank the people around me without whom this journey would have been mighty tough. Firstly my sister Deepika who was my mental strength, and who took care of the aesthetics [certainly the tougher decision to make], my mason Ravi who made sure the right people were present at the right time and for giving me some valuable tips all along, Sharma who took care of all my electrical supplies and lastly my boy Pulsar which did not give up on me and made sure I was at the right places ontime always.

As I pen this down, I'm filled with a sense of fulfillment, the kind of fulfillment that belongs to my dad. It was today that I placed the name of the house imprinted on a red granite at the main entrance of the house. This house is named the ARUMUGAM "Oni", my little tribute to my dad.

Was it worth it !

October 26th Friday, 06.00 am, inside a bus near the borders of Chennai:
(Anees and Karthik are cramped inside a government bus near Chennai. They both are really tired, eyes hollow because of the sleepless last 2 nights)

Karthik: Was it worth it!
Anees: I don't know but it was fun wasn't it ?
Karthik: I don't know if we should have gone there. We don't even know what happened to the other 4 guys.
Anees: Hope they make it to office today, otherwise we're all screwed up.

9 hours before, at Kempegowda bus stand, Bangalore. [October 25th, Thursday]
(Saran is running all over, and we 5 friends waiting for him. He comes after a while)

Saran: There are just 2 seats in that bus and that too close to the driver. We need to decide which 2 make it first.
Anees: Guys, I have to go, my mom will come back tomorrow, and you guys know the consequences if I'm not at home.
Karthik: I have to go as well, you guys know why.
Saran: Alright, the first 2 is decided, you guys carry on, we 4 will make it to Chennai somehow. Just take care.

3 hours ago at Lalbagh, Bangalore.
(All the 6 of us are gathered at the park, all faces exhausted, frustrated and gloomy. )

Saran: Ok guys, this isn't fun anymore and I think we did a mistake coming here in the first place. It's getting late now, we need to catchup some dinner and try to find a way to get back to Chennai.
Rest of us: Nod our head in agreement and take an auto to Kempegowda bus stand.

1 hour ago at Lalbagh, Bangalore:
(Karthik weeping, on a bench and rest 5 of them around him comforting and pouring water on his head. Sanju had just landed a huge log of wood on Karthik's head. It was an accident. )

Anees: Dude, c'mon don't weep, the hurt will go off.
Karthik: It's not the pain I'm weeping for. It's the fact that Sanju is so frustrated and unhappy about the shopping we all did. It's spoiling the entire trip and I'm feeling bad for it.
Anees: Sanju, you shouldn't have shown your anger on him. It was our collective mistake we went to that shop. Whatever you did is still very wrong.
Sanju: His head down in apology, feeling a little guilty may be.


15 minutes ago, Lalbagh, Bangalore:
(Sanju and Saran and throwing pieces of wood and pebbles all over the park aiming at targets. One such log of wood lands hard on Karthik's head. )

Raj & Selvam: Macha, are you alright.
Karthik: No, this is hurting too much.
(He begins weeping as others gather around, Saran runs around to get some water. )

3.00 p.m., Show Off, Jai Nagar, Bangalore

Karthik: This is amazing man. I mean, I can get an Armani T-Shirt for 300 bucks. I'm gonna collect all the best brands here.
(He ends up with No Fear, Armani, Versace and a scullers tshirt. Others are no better, Anees with his load, Saran with a bunch and so is Raj. We all queue up in the billing counter. )
Billing guy: The total is Rs. 11,000/-.
We look at ourselves, Anees puts up his bargaining cap, but in vain. Then decide to strip down on our purchases.
Billing guy: So it's a total of 5,500/-
Anees: [After persuasive bargaining the settlement is at Rs.5000/-], Sanju macha, can we have your debit card. I'll pay you back once in Chennai.
Sanju: I'll pay you da, but to be frank, I am not happy with blowing up our cash at this purchase [but his card is swiped clean].

2 hours earlier , 1:00 p.m. KFC, Brigade Road, Bangalore

Anees: Finally all are here. So guys place your orders.
Sanju: French fries and coke
Karthik: Chicken burger and coke
Selvam: Chicken burger and coke [actually it's whatever Karthik orders].
Saran: Chicken burger
Raj: Some veggie
(All the guys have a sumptous lunch at KFC after missing for couple of hours. )

2 hours earlier, 11:00 a.m., Brigade Road, Bangalore

Anees: Where are these guys da, suddenly all vanished !
Karthik: No idea macha, I remember Sanju went out with Atheeq, no news since then.
Anees: Well now that everyone's gone, there's a thrill ride in some mall here, lets go there.
Karthik: Why not..
Anees: Hope they all make it to Brigade Road for lunch at 1:00.

2 hours earlier, 09:00 a.m a restaurant in Brigade Road

Sanju: Finally our breakfast is over. What a hectic morning
Selvam: Yes what a hectic morning.
Karthik: So what's plan guys?
Anees: Let's walk around the Brigade and MG Road, plenty of shops and crowd to look around.
Saran /Raj: Yeah sounds good.
Atheeq: Hey Sanju, why dont you come with me, have some place to show you.

2 hours earlier, 7:00 a.m, Curzon Court, Brigade Road, Bangalore.

Karthik: Macha, my credit card's blown up, 0.00 credit remaining. But here sir try swiping it.
Hotel Receptionist: It works sir, your transaction's through. Your room's in the first floor:
Anees: That's great, your credit card's magic man, it works even with 0 credit.
Karthik: Must be the overdraft facility
Anees: [To hotel guy] Sir, we have some friends visiting us. Guide them to our room please
Hotel guy: This is awful lot of luggage for the 2 of you.
Anees and Karthik: [Wink at each other]

15 minutes ago, Brigade Road, Bangalore:

Saran: Macha, Anees and Karthik go to the hotel, try to get a 2 bed room and Freshen up. We'll visit the hotel as your friends and once into the room, will freshen up asap. The hotel guys will not know a thing.
Anees: Good idea, but what are you guys gonna do till we settle down, it'll take a while.
Raj: We'll probably take a walk around the MG Road, it's cold and pleasant anyway.
Saran: Fine, here take all our baggages and move on.
Anees: Curzon court looks fine. Karthik, come let's go, hope everything works out fine.

45 minutes before, Cantonement Stationm Bangalore:
(All guys land up in the Bangalore Cantonement Station to a cold morning )

Selvam: Guys, it's damn cold out here !

12 hours before, 6:00 p.m., Temple Towers, Chennai , CGI Conference room
(Sitting around a round table)

Anees: So tomorrow's a holiday and we have to go out somewhere.
Karthik: How about Pondicherry?
Anees: Can we fly to there, or atleast train journey till there?
Saran: No, only bus services.
Anees: How about Bangalore then?
All guys: Look at each other, the silence here meant a yes !
Saran: Selvam, Raj, you both go to the Central station and get us all tickets to Bangalore.
Anees: Rest of us will go home and pack our dresses for tomorrow. Meet you guys at Central by 9:00 p.m.

3 hours before, 3:00 p.m., Temple Towers balcony

Anees, Karthik, Sanju: Isn't it a wonderful weather today, feels like we should go for a drive !

Trip to the Government Home

Sunday, 29 June 2008, Chennai.

This Sunday started like any normal Sunday, with just a simple plan of making it to Dasavatharam (a Tamil movie) with Deep (my sister), my aunt (my mom's sister), Arun (my cousin) and his wife. Lazed around this morning, and made it on time for the 11 am show which unfortunately was delayed by an hour. Used this time to grab a Pepsi and a game at the gaming zone at the Abirami mall. We then watched the Dasavatharam extravaganza (even though it was my second time, I enjoyed it like any first timer). It was after this movie, that I took an unexpected walk.

It was my aunt's suggestion to park my car in her office premises (Goverment Home for Girls) right next to the Abirami theatre. My aunt wanted to show us her office and the premises she and my mom grew up in. As I walked into the gate, I realised it wasn't my first entry to this gate, and the last time I walked in was the fateful day of Feb 17th, 1997, the day that changed my life. I had come here from the hospital to pick my aunt but it was little too late, as she had already left for home. That instant just flashed and here I was walking into the same gate 11 years later. But as I walked in, I realised that in a few minutes I would be traversing 40 years back.

This "Government Home for Girls" is a wing of the "Center for Social Defence" a State Government entity. It is meant for girls who fall into the categories of Orphans, Economically Backward or Minor girls serving some kind of law offence. My grandma admitted my mom and my aunt to this Home under the category of Economically Backward kids. Understandably so, since these girls were the younger ones among a family of 6 girls and a boy.

As I walked into the gate, I felt an unusual aura, more of an emotional one. I was actually seeing the buildings and spaces my mom lived the 10 + years of her life. My aunt first showed me the room where they lived when they initially joined the home. This campus actually hasn't changed much in the last 40 years except that a pond has been covered by rubbles, a dormitory demolished and a new Computer Science block been installed. The door creak still remains the same, the windows are still the same and the walls haven't changed much either expect for a few coats of paint on them. I remember my mom telling me about the rigorous routine in the campus, where their day started at 5 in the morning and went on till 9 in the night. The toughest part was to carry water in huge vessels every morning to water the plants about 50 meters away. The kitchen was shabby, well, what more can we expect from a poorly maintained government home. I saw the present day little girls running around very ordinarily dressed. My mom wouldn't have been much different those days, a shabbily dressed little girl. My mom was average in her studies, and it seems she and my aunt used to go across the pond and study under a tree not to get disturbed by their peers. As we walked further, we saw play areas with volley ball poles erected which have always been existing here. I also noticed an overflowing tank because of a faulty tap. Thought to myself, if such taps existed 40 years back, my mom's mornings would have been much better eliminating the need to carry the water this far. Aunt showed us the rooms where my mom and her spent the latter part of their schooling. This is where I thought my mom spent the most time of her grown-up childhood days. 

Living in this home, I know what part of childhood she missed out on. My eyes were wet from the time I walked into the campus until I walked out of it. I could actually correlate now, why she was a mom who never got tired of her daily chores and always had something to do for us. This was probably the reason she gave my sister and me wonderful memories. She was always devoid of it herself and I felt she re-lived her childhood days through us. Well, the second most time she spent outside her married life was at this home.

Real Life Quotes !

In the following post, I have tried to compile a list of quotes or phrases that I have personally encountered and which were quoted by real life characters that I know. These quotes are serious, witty or even meaningless. In some cases they have become a trademark of that person itself. Do feel free to include such quotes encountered by you too, you might never find it published elsewhere !
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"Enjoy your school life as much as possible."
Quoted by: Sathy Achen ma'am in 1995
Location: Xth classroom.
Occassion: It was another of our English classes, when Sathy ma'am said this. Going by her words, I made it a point to make the most of the next 2 years and still consider those 2 years at school the best part of my life so far.

"If Anees was in my place, would you have avoided him? "
Quoted by: T. Senthil in 1996
Location: Our way back from Johnson's tuition
Occasion: Me, Sanju and T.Senthil were cycling back home after the 7.30-8.30 p.m. Johnson tuition classes. Me and Sanju wanted to discuss about some common issues and gave Senthil a lame reason and asked him to take a different route. He replied back with the above question and neither Sanju nor me had an answer to this, as we would not have avoided Anees in this circumstance. We both felt guilt struck, and eventually ended up as best friends with Senthil. This was an incident that paved way for a life-long friendship, unless Senthil screws up in future :-p.

"Talak Talak Bussss ! "
Quoted by: Venkatesh Athreya in 1996
Location: Bangalore, Coorg and Mysore
Occasion: This was a slogan created by Venkatesh Athreya, the front-runner of the best brat award of Kola Perumal's 1997 batch. Only the guys of that batch know it's true inner meaning ;-)

"What's that popular movie of MGR ? "
Quoted by: Pillai sir in 1996
Location: 1st floor, Physics Tuition Class, Anna Nagar, Chennai.
Occasion: Well, this was a question quoted by Mr. Neelakandan Pillai (a.k.a Pillai Sir) in one of his Physics tuition class where I was an attendee in the morning 6-7 batch. For a moment the class wondered what connection did this question have with 12th grade Physics. Oh by the way, MGR is a Tamil movie superstar turned politician who ruled the Tamil Cinema till about early 70's. When asked the question, few classmates prompted some names they knew including "Ayirathil Oruvan", "Ali Baba" and "Enga Veetu Pillai" before someone prompted "Anbe Vaa". "Anbe Vaa" happened to be the name Pillai sir was looking for. And then with no correlation he went on to derive the Formula for Induced EMF in an AC Generator. The derived formula for Induced EMF goes this way:
Induced Emf = N B A ω sinωt
- omega (ω) can also be pronounced as "va". Now if we read this formula again, it'll sound like this:
Induced EMF = "Anbe Vaa Sine Va dee". [Makes no sense but so damn easy to remember !]
Such is the power of creative teaching, I remember this formula till this day 12 years later. Hats off to you Pillai sir!

"I WILL BROKE THE GLASS"
Quoted By: T Senthil in 1997
Location: Anees house, Arumbakkam, Chennai:
Occasion: It was like any other casual evening meeting for we friends (Anees, Me, Senthil, Jagdish) and was sometime after our board exam results. Senthil was on a high after scoring 92% in English and equalled Rajesh Krishnan in English who was also the topper of that batch. For some reason, when Anees pissed him off, Senthil ended up quoting "I WILL BROKE THE GLASS" in a very serious tone. Me, Jagdish and Anees were quick to pounce on Senthil for having said this and scoring 92% in English with such bad English, something which has embarrased Senthil till this day.

"I don't have any siblings now, but you may get it in some shop here !"
Quoted By: Sanju in 2000
Location: Spencers Plaza, Chennai
Occasion: Sanju was out on an official outing with Julie an official from Clicktickets.com, Dubai. They were shopping at Spencers Plaza when Julie asked Sanju, how many siblings he had. Not knowing what siblings meant, Sanju ended up quoting this !

"It's a nice weather, I think we should go for a drive."
Quoted By: Anees in 2001
Location: CGi, Temple Towers, Nandanam, Chennai
Occasion: It was indeed a very pleasant day this September. Anees prompted this comment and the next day being a holiday, we were tempted to implement this idea of Anees. We ended up packing our bags to Bangalore the same evening. That Bangalore trip was a truly wild experience and deserves a separate blog!

"Actually, there is a problem."
Quoted By: Me in 2001
Location: Planet-Yumm, Koyambedu, Chennai
Occasion: My first meeting with Neena. This was more of a meeting that went horribly wrong. Neena was a very good friend of mine, and I hadn't met her in person till then. That day, our office was declared holiday due to power failure. Sanju and me took my TVS Champ and rode it till Raja-Rajeshwari college to meet her. All I knew was her bike was a Bajaj and number ends in "66". I was lucky enough to meet her at the college parking lot, and we 3 went to Planet Yumm, Koyambedu. Sanju and me together had 60 bucks on us, so we had to be consious about our order without Neena knowing it. We ordered carefully, Neena a Chicken Burger (30/-), Sanju a Fanta (10/-) and me a Lime juice (15/-). But when the bill came the amount was 65/- and we guys were short by 5 bucks. My lime juice was the culprit as the menu had a wrong price printed. Neena saw the expression on my face and asked whats wrong and I said "Actually there's a problem". She actually paid the entire bill then. This certainly wasn't the way I wanted our first meeting to go.

"TIME INCREASE, GAP INCREASE !"
Quoted by: Raj in 2003
Location: Tea Shop outside Dignity Center, Saidapet, Chennai.
Occasion: All we friends (Sanju, Anees, Senthil, Saran, Selvam, Raj and me) were having our usual bajji's outside our then office CGI, when Raj out of nowhere uttered this line. It didn't make any sense to us then and were all bullying him for saying this. Infact, he wasn't sure why he said it in the first place. But now, we all realise how very true this line is. At this point this is how we friends are scattered, Sanju in New Jersey, Senthil in Arizona, Anees shuffling between Mumbai-Chennai, Raj in Bangalore, Me in Chennai, Selvam in Chennai, Saran in Mumbai. Gap did increase as time increased.

"I EVEN LIKED THE WAY SHE REJECTED ME !"
Quoted by: Arun Kumar Sekar in 2008
Location: Syntel State Street Area, DLF IT Park, Chennai.
Occasion: Rajesh Chopra, Arun and me were taking a post-lunch stroll at the lawns outside our DLF office building and our topic drifted to early day crushes. Arun began mentioning about his school day crush and how much he liked everything about her. In passing he mentioned the following: "She was an amazing girl, and I liked everything about her, infact I even liked the way she rejected my proposal". Rajesh and me glanced at each other and bursted out laughing. This will definitely be a one-liner to bully the "Deewana" Arun anytime.

Deccan Chronicle Article

Date of Picture: 12th Feb, 2006.
Date of Publishing: 14th Feb, 2006 - The Valentine's day.

HOW IT HAPPENED...

It was the official Bachelor's treat for Senthil's marriage, which was to follow exactly a week later. Our itenary for the evening, meet up at Mocha and then decide on the rest of th evening. Only constraint for the evening was that our host Senthil, had to board the 9.30 pm bus.

Senthil, Sanju, Karthikeyan, Selvam, Raj and myself reached around 7.30 pm, followed by Anees. Unfortunately, Senthil had to leave before Saran arrived. It was in this time gap that a photographer approached our table and requested a picture of us, and we were more than glad to pose for him. We had no clue that we would be featured in the Valentine's Day edition about single guys not fretting even if they don't have girlfriends on the Valentine's day.

IRONY:
The host of the treat was absent when the picture was taken.
COINCIDENCE:
All of us were ... REALLY "pair-less" this Valentine's day and were ideal models for the article, even without ours and the editor's knowledge.

Characters from Left to Right :
Anees , Selvam, Karthikeyan, Sanju, Raj and Myself (Karthik)