The Flower Girl

It was the day we all got dressed up
It was the day, when it was all messed up
I was playing the near perfect host
But somehow I was not all charged up

There she stood in all black attire
Her burgundy hair were flowing like rivers of fire
A sparkle in her eyes made me smile
Her sweet scent of divinity spread across miles

She held a pack of roses, crimson and gold
It was a love story in my eyes, unheard and untold
Days like this rarely happen
When the petals of the precious edelweiss unfold

Her finesse was cherubic yet mystically divine
I was surely in love and this was god’s sign
I wonder what to do now
Her eyes were engulfing my heart like pools of wine

Angel Eyes

I have never been so silent and lost
Her eyes have taken my soul at all costs
I am trapped in her mystical brown eyes
Away from the whole world, I got my much awaited prize

Her eyes are like a magic potion
Spells move around in the ocean
I am unable to do anything but see
And her cherubic smile finally got me

Who says that heaven is beyond death
I found my heaven, before my last breath
She is the angel I was looking for all this time
She is the one for whom my words begin to rhyme

Her chocolate hair and her pristine scent
Has taken over my heart, soul and mind to full extent
She is my ruler and I am her slave
There is nothing more in this life for which I crave

The Dream

As IIM Shillongs Class of 2010 graduates today, I want to dedicate this to those who stood against all odds to see this day.

We saw a dream, a dream of flying away to the rainbow
It was a long, cold and dark night, we did not know where to go
The sunrise was awaited with great hopes, but the clouds stood in the way
Few lost hope of the sun, it’s a lost battled they used to say

But the brave ones, stood firm and faced the dark sky
With each passing hour of the night, some hopes lived while some died
It was more than a battle against the all odds
We fought against all hell, against the entire army of gods

The hours of darkness continued in full might
But we never lost hope of seeing the first light
Today as we witness the sun rise above those distant heights
The distant dream becomes a reality with the sun shining bright

I want to go back to the mountains

I want to go back to the mountains
Where the air is crisp and the nights are clear
Where the breeze is crisp and cold
And pine trees stand with secrets untold

I surely miss those days of carefree long walks
I miss the chirpy hostel nights and dinner talks
As I sit in a metropolis thousands of miles away
I miss those pine cones along the misty way

I may not come back today to the misty mountains
I may not come back today to the incessant rains
I may not walk down those twisted pathways
But the misty town will stay forever with me no matter what anyone says

I will come back one day for sure
Tomorrow might not be my day anymore
Till then I stand looking at the future through the windows of the past
I Hope that the memories we shared are strong enough to last

To A New Life; To A New Destination

Few years back, a boy sat at the back seat of a car in early morning hours as the car zoomed by the Ring Road to the New Delhi ISBT. The boy was to board the bus for Jalandhar where he was to join NIT and study for four years. Four years later when he came back a man, he never knew that within a month he will embark on a new journey, a journey to the “Scotland of the East”. That journey ended yesterday as that man sat in the back seat of a taxi (incidentally the same car model) and zoomed past the highway to Guwahati.
Last two days have been nostalgic, memorable and emotional. I have never felt so bad about leaving friends since the day I left Bombay in the monsoon of 2007 after completing TIFR- VSRP. I still remember the day I left, how my angels (MJ, PK and KD) along with SRV and DS were all emotional and on the verge of crying before the train left for Delhi.
Somehow I missed that feeling of leaving when I left NIT. Perhaps the time was not right then as few of us got our joining delayed and a job search was on for us. And I thought that I would never be able to feel that way from then. But I was wrong; two years at IIM changed it all. Ever since I decided to stay back for a few more days than most of my classmates who left one by one each day, I did feel the emotions coming in. After an emotional farewell and the following party where for the first time the party didn’t stop even after the lights went off at 1AM, I realized that I am going to badly miss this place.
The next day many people left, including ACD, AB and MA. Though we were not on the best of terms, I still had a few of the greatest days spent along with them. As I opened my eyes that day, the voice of John Denver filled my ears. So ACD was leaving and I had to get up. As these guys left, I turned back with a heavy heart knowing that the next day AG will also leave. On Holi, AG left too making me without a ‘friend’ for a considerable amount of time. I used to go around the campus and sit down at the Idea Spawn reliving the days me and AG spent talking there about everything in life.
I knew that soon I would leave too missing people who already left, who will leave and those who will stay back. Not only people from my batch but also a few of the juniors with whom I spent a lot of quality time. In the last days of my stay, I wished that I could make a time dilator which could lengthen every moment I spent at Shillong.
Meanwhile god played his part well. I was to leave on 5th of March but somehow I wasn’t able to get the much needed ticket to Delhi. I failed twice in getting the ticket which made me smile for a few more moments. I finally got a ticket on the 6th for the train on 8th. The moment I was handed that piece of paper, I felt like tearing it out to pieces as I didn’t want to go. But life has to move on, so with a heavy heart and a fake smile on my face I came back to campus.
That evening in a smaller version of the ‘High Tea’, I hosted DA & AJ with peanuts, chikki, revdi, icecream, aloo chop, Aliva and Tea offcourse prepared by me at my room. Few more moments to be remembered, few more memories to relive, I thought. The next few hours were spent among friends especially (SK who has been in love with chickens so much that he got Chicken Pox). I was to host a High Tea that day for some of my juniors and SK would not have been able to make it, so I wanted to compensate for it. In that ground floor room of the new hostel we spent an hour chatting about all random stuff (from his love for NT :P to selecting electives for the second year).
Later that evening, some of us took a taxi to a café in Central Shillong for the last ‘high tea’ hosted by me. I was joined by EA, AU, AJ, SC, RG and NM, all juniors of mine. After all it was the last ‘High Tea’, so it had to be special. We spent a great evening together with Pasta, pastries and coffee (well Ice tea was the only Tea thing there). Clicking pictures and cracking jokes while Bob Marley played on in the background and I really felt that the clock should stop then and there. But it didn’t, and we did came back but that day AJ pulled one of the most ‘KODAK’ moments in my life. I was overwhelming with emotions that night and was feeling miserable as I was to leave Shillong the next day.
Next day was spent in packing, meeting people (read professors), eating one of the most sumptuous meals of my life in Shillong (Thanks to Prof. MD) and clicking pictures of the campus. The day ended as the sun went down and I was all set to leave post dinner. I was going alone that night and it was supposed to be an adventure (Night Out at a railway station) but that was now the last thing on my mind. Just as I finished packing AU & RG came in to bid adieu with a note that reminded me of my maritime days ahead and I once again lost a bet to AU (Typical Me).
A night before I was to leave, DA was talking to me and I in my usually flamboyant way reiterated “Jaayenge to style se jaayenge” as she laughed away. Anyways the moment was there, I must say it was a beautiful night, with not a single speck of cloud in the horizon. Stars were all twinkling their way and a mild breeze was on. SK, CJ and BVM helped me out with my bags into the taxi. The moment for saying goodbye was there now. But I was still waiting for the ‘Navratnas’ (:P) and suddenly I got a call from EA asking me to meet at the baddy court. As I went back from the taxi to the baddy court I remembered a favor AG asked me on the chat a few hours before and I was to do him a favor. EA & DA got one of most amazing gifts I could ask for and I reciprocated by a Jadoo ki Jhappi to both of them (One from me and one from AG). The sequence of Jadoo Ki Jhappi continued with people coming in from my year (MK, DSG, SVC, TP, BP, SB). SC & AJ (The NITA gang) did me favors by “two khikhs in my b***”. Finally AU, RG and NS came too completing the “Jadoo ki Jhappi Day” for me.
Sweet Goodbyes were uttered out and I finally sat down in that taxi, to go down the road for one final time. As I looked back from the window at the people standing behind smiling, I finally felt that the journey was worth the effort. In the silhouette of a stary night stood majestically the “MayurBhanj Palace” wishing “Zill-e-Illahi” a final goodbye.
And slowly the car moved along the winding roads of West Khasi Hills towards another journey and another destination.
(This piece was written while I sat in the Guwahati – New Delhi Rajdhani as it moved from Kishanganj to Barsoi (Both in North Bihar, India) on 8th March 2010.)
Luv U Guys
GodSpeed
Zilli/ACB

Walk into the sunset

Dedicated to the Class of 2010 - IIM Shillong

Walk into the sunset, O wanderlust

Walk down the snowy mountains, walk down the paths laid with dust

Life is a journey with beginning or end

No one knows where the road will go after the next bend

Forget all the pains, forget all the sorrows

Spread the cheer as you walk down, let others borrow

There will be gardens of Eden and there will be empty quarters

But the song you sing should not die down as you walk farther

Walk into the lonely nights with a smile

Make your journey, one to remember and worthwhile

There will be dawn after the dark night before you realize

Do not give in to the darkness; the dawn will be a cherished prize

Walk into the sunset, O wanderlust

Pack those bags and don’t let your dreams gather dust

Life will be a happy song only if you sing with a smile

Steer your boat to the elusive emerald isle

Godspeed

ACB

Alvida

On Saturday 27th of February, I had one of the most wonderful days of my life. It was a farewell given to us (Class of 2010) by our dear juniors (Class of 2011). On a parting note AJ from the junior batch said something which touched my heart and I wanted to reply to

AJ said:

“kahan aansuon ki yeh saugaat hogi

naye log honge nayi baat hogi

main har haal mein muskurata rahoonga

tumhari mohabbat agar saath hogi

charagon ko aankhon mein mehfuj rakh lo

badi door tak raat hi raat hogi

musafir hain hum bhi musafir ho tum bhi.

na jaane kis mod par fir mulakat hogi”


All I wanted to say is :

“Aansu to sookh jaayenge aaj nahi to kal

Muskurate hue yaad karoge tum jab yeh pal

Naye logon main jab tum dhoondhoge kahin

Hum to hamesha khade milenge tumko wahin

Yeh dostana itna aasan nahi hoga bhulana

Badalta hai to sirf musafiron ka thikana

Aaj nahin to kal hum fir zaroor milenge

Abhi ke liye alvida dost, hum bas hi itna kahenge”

Thank you to all my juniors for the wonderful one year we shared, few have impacted me strongly in these times and I will surely miss them in my days to come. But life is really very short to forget people and I am sure we will cross paths again, once you reach the corporate world.

Best Wishes

ACB

Life is a Song !!!

Living my last few days at IIM, chatting with friends, reading a book with no deadlines, enjoying the February breeze, listening to vintage jazz....and off course taking an 8 hour nap.....This is what bliss is all about....

Anyways some random thoughts are wandering in my mind....so here they are

You are the singer and life is a song
It can be a solo or a duet
It can be either short or long
No orchestra needed and no high pitched clarinet

You start with a few notes and build upon time
You can sing as bad or good you want 'coz no one should care a dime
You can have a few backup singers
To help you out when you voice lingers

You need'nt have people for singing to
You may have an occasional audience, you will always have a few
You can sing an opera or whine your blues
You are the centerstage singer wearing classy suede shoes

You can sing a duet with the one you desire
You can sing in the moonlight, you can sing by the winter bonfire
You are the singer and life is a song
Sing as loud you want, sing as much as you long

10 days to Live !!!

Beginning tomorrow I will be in IIM for the last 10 days. I guess now that I am free from any academic burden, I can think more.....think about life, friends, career, love and much more.....In my ethics exam this week, we were given the Steve Jobs speech to Stanford's graduating students....He talked about living each day as if it was your last....looking at it in a different way.....none of us ( I mean people I know have ever been able to do that...atleast for long)....Today as I sit down in my bed with boxes and bags to be packed....I have taken a silent pledge....To live these 10 days to the most....To make these 10 days memorable so that when I grow old and think about these days... I think of a blissful state which might not come back....

I want to smile when I think about these days to come...I want to feel the cold February breeze on my face...the sun playing hide and seek in the clouds...the pine trees....the church carol being sung in a distance....

I am an emotional person...a few friends often say....and I say yes I know...but I am emotional for people not places where I lived....But I guess living alone for the last 6 years has had an effect on me...I may not love this far flung remote town but I will surely miss it when I will not be here....

In a few days many people who shared these 20 months at IIM will be gone....few will be left in the days to come...I do not know if we all will be ever able to meet again...But I guess when ever we meet we will all remember the small rainy town of Shillong where we shared bitter sweet memories...memories of all sort....birthdays to farewells...dance sequences to case presentations....class discussions to bakar sessions...

In the following 10 days I would like to recapture those moments through my blog...

"10 days to waste....10 days to learn... 10 days in a far off hilly town... 10 days as a grad student... let me make these 10 days the most memorable 10 days..."

The Beginning of The End

Dedicated to The Class of 2010.

Day before yesterday was special, for some it was very special. Yes I know Valentines day is still a week away and I agree that this day I am talking about is special for a very few people on the Earth. It was the last core course class for Class of 2010 at IIM Shillong. Its been nearly 20 months for all of us here at Shillong who came here to be a part of history (The glory of being the first batch of an IIM). Anyways I still remember the first class at IIM, that of statistics last July. I am still pretty messed up with statistics, I have always been and will always be like that. Anyways this class was of Business Ethics, and our prof. wanted us to do a small skit. That day, many of our performances simply reflected the way we lived in this small remote hill station in corner of the country.

It was an evening session with several groups getting all ready for the skit and suddenly someone pointed out that this would be our last class together as a class. Within the next few minutes the last 20 months at IIM were moving like a movie in front of our eyes. Within the next few weeks (2-4) classes will get over and exams would be done with. Many of us would leave by the end of the next fortnight. To their cities and towns first, then their jobs. probably most of us would not be meeting each other for a long long time. It is about time that we go back to the grind of life and learn to live with it.

I am usually the kind of people who don't get nostalgic, but still a strange feeling did engulf me and many more that day. I guess the end has started, the curtains have begun to fall. The act is about to get over with another act about to start very soon the coming summer. One batch moving in and one batch going out. I just hope that as we go back on that curvy GS road back to our place, there is a smile on our face and every passing breeze brings back those fond twenty months we spent in the "Scotland of The East".

5 Things I will miss when I go back.
1. Sitting besides the parking and thinking about everything around.
2. The perpetual chilly weather, which I love ( highly non-conducive for studies)
3. Some of my classmates here, with whom I had some great moments.
4. French Fries in lunch.
5. The bakar sessions that we had in C Wing top floor.

The Impossible Dream

This song has been written by Joe Darion.

Since the last few days I have not been in my highest spirits. Then a friend suddenly reminded me of the song sung before us some 20 months back and so I am posting it here. This is dedicated to the first batch of IIM Shillong - The Class of 2010.

The credit for the image goes to Tripurari and Sarvesh (Creaons).

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

The Prisoner of The Mist!!!

As maple leaves fall down the street and the monsoon bids goodbye

As the mornings become late as the dark clouds fly by

It is time for the mist to come down the slope once again

A mist of hope, of laughter and a mist that makes some cry

As I sit down by the window and look at the hills far away

My soul is lost in thoughts and my mind is swayed

I wish I lose myself in this mist of the fall

I wish I lose myself among the oak trees, ohh so majestic and tall

The mist takes me away to another universe

Where no one is dying or bonded and where life is not a curse

The life I want everyone to live and cherish for long

The life which is not a eulogy but a joyous song

I wonder if the mist will take me away to that place

The land of happiness and solace

I sit by my window and gaze at the mist of the fall

The winds blow by and announce the arrival of the fall.

It happens only at IIM Shillong

Statutary Warning: This post is having resemblance to all living and dead and those who are in between present in Shillong. The author has no responsibility of any sort for the mental, physical or emotional trauma that the reader may have undergone before or after reading this post. It is suggested that you should close this page immediately in case you are a resident of the state of Alabama or California or Uttar Pradesh.


It has been over 15 months since I landed in the so called Scotland of the East which is nothing more than a remote hill station (often mistaken as a town in Sri Lanka or Nepal) with no snowfall, excessive rains, bad cooking habits and some very shy locals. There have several new innovative models that have been put up at Ei Ei Emm Silllaaang.
Today on a lighter note I would like to put forward some stuff which happens only at IIM Shillong. Lets start with my favorite category : Food

Delicacies you wont find anywhere else in this ever expanding universe.

Dal Makhaani: Parboiled Black lentils with Fox Nuts instead of Butter ( Yes, on questioning the cook I was told that you dont know fine cuisine of Punjab, despite my bachelors degree from the Punjabi heartland and my love for the above mentioned Punjabi delicacy)

Paw Bhaji: Round buns stuffed with half boiled french beans ( Again when asked, we were told that it is a marathi speciality that is cooked in the traditional way which we werent aware of anyways.)

Jam Sandwich: Sandwiches made with jam as the spread and vegetables as the in between dressing. ( Though it is non existant circa 2009, class of 2010 has vivid memories of the gala breakfast)

Moving on from some of the elaborate delicacies to some lingo that happens at IIMS class discussions. These phrases are now an integral part of emails, presentations and sometimes even reports originating from IIM Shillong.

From Class of 2010

Blanket Statement: Kambal Vaktavya - Any statement which covers all data and facts presented in the last 15 minutes as well as which has embedded inside it the solution of the case being discussed in a very subtle manner.

Devil's Advocate: Shaitaan Ka Vakil - The most coveted profession of most of us. Highly envied by those who have never claimed to the position. This shows that societal position is often more important than the money involved.

Respaact: Izzat - If you did something like a rockstar you get the sign from fellow followers.

Jabarjang: Incrrrredible - If some thing is awesome beyond all thinking, it must be jabarjang.

Kuchh Bhi: Anything - The most heard response to something a fellow participant has contributed during a case discussion.

Offline: Not in class - Response to most presentations when they extend beyond the scheduled time.

DP: Desperate Participation - When in class, one believes speaking your mind is the best policy, then the fellow class thinks that it is fit for being tagged as DP.

From Class of 2011
(From what I Know)
Bring it On: Aan De - Though I am not an authority on this, but I believe this is the way to challenge an authority.

Take it and Go : isse lo aur jao - Response to any involuntary transaction from one party to the other (of any sorts) that takes place within the Mayurbhanj Complex. Though now gaining popularity beyond Nongthymmai and is considered to be the most popular viral phrase in Shillong.

CFDP: Carry Forward Deperate Participation - When one member of the desperados helps in carrying forward the mission of spreading DP for the other non civilized bretheren.

SDP: Sustainable Desperate Participation : Desperate Participation which follows the Kyoto Protocol, The Geneva Convention and all other norms prescribed by the United Nations including CTBT, NPT, The Kimberley Process, and are approved of the SEC and the SEBI.

India & World

Let us have some fun today !!!!
I was talking to a friend of mine who is in France for an exchange program from IIMB. As we talked we drew an analogy between the french and the bongs from India. I would now try to do a similar stunt. This is for pure fun and I have no intention of hurting any sentiments.

The French - The Bengalis
Reason : Culturally rich but lazy when it comes to work.

The Spanish - The Jats
Reason : Good Fighters, and eat a lot.

The British - The Tamils
Reason: Don't know why they consider themselves the most superior. Prefer to remain among themselves or aloof.

The Italians - The Punjabis
Reason : Food lovers, lavish spenders and too gaudy. :P

The Germans - The malayalis
Reason : Too hardworking and too much educated.

The Portuguese - The Biharis
Reason : No matter how far, we will reach there somehow

The Swiss - The Gujaratis
Reason : When everyone is at war, we mint money and stay rich.

The Greeks - The Kannads
Reason : Too rich culturally in ancient times, now too much bent upon one line of business.

The Sweds - The Paharis
Reason: Too happy already in their own snow bound world, no one else pays attention to them.

The Balkans - The Kashmiris
Reason: Too many systems, too many fights. No one knows who is fighting for what.

The Oriyas - The Pols
Reason: No one knows why they are poor.

The Americans - The Hindi Belt
Reason: We overpower everyone with our sheer size.

The Dutch - The Parsis
Reason: Too rich and too few.

The Orientals - The Telegus
Reason: Hardwork keeps up a hand up than your coworker.

The Arabs - The Marathis
Reason: Go away from our holy land.

The Africans - The North Eastern Residents
Reason : Too far and too ignored.

The Luxembourgers - The Delhites
Reason: Too small, too mixedup and every one has some connections.

High Tea !!!

Nongthymmai, Shillong, Reuters: Today a high tea was organized by Zill-e-illahi ACB in honor of the HM Maharaja of Kumaun AJ, HM Maharaja of Kalinga SK and HRH Nawab of Awadh NS at the Mayurbhanj Palace in Shillong. The tea was organized by Zill-e-illahi to honor the presence of the visiting kings in the Rock Capital of India.

The high tea was an informal meet for the royals and they discussed the ongoing local crisis in IIM and other matters concerning the future of the empires. Several other feudal lords were depressed by the fact that the invitation for the high was not extended to them. However Zill-e-illahi clarified that it was a completely informal meet and invitations would be extended to other commoners in the near future. Our correspondent was able to catch a few glimpses of the high tea which was kept a private affair for HMs the kings and HSH the emperor.

Glossary : For those who are unaware of the royal lingo
HRH- His Royal Highness
HM- His Majesty
HSH- His Supreme Highness
Zill-e-illahi- The Shadow of God (Used for addressing the supreme ruler of all lands)

EPMII !!!!

Well, the past week has been one Chinese typhoon with a load of subjects falling upon my head...even as I write this post I have two pending end terms for the relatively chilled out 4th term here at IIM Shillong. Since the day I joined, we have occasionally felt the tremors of the mother earth as the state of Meghalaya lies in a highly seismic zone. But ever since the new batch has come in, there has been a sudden rise in the number of quakes. I am a big sleepyhead and rarely do I wake up when these quakes come and make most tremble. Still unofficially I know that there have been some 4-5 termors of reasonable strength.



Some of my intelligent juniors who have been relaxing in the hill station since their inception have suddenly realized that along with the heavy cases they encounter now a days, there is another threat to their existance in this remote hilly town. AJ who is one hell of a dramebaaz in the class of 2011 has to my surprise coined a new acronym for the place. Just like people call Ahmedabad as WIMWI or Well Known Institute of Management of Western India, Shillong has been termed as EPMII or Earthquake Prone Management Institute of India !!!

Seriously what a catch, and when I asked why not North eastern India, AJ burts out with panache of not being a regionalist unlike the western India people. Meanwhile ACD suddenly remembered that when we joined we also coined a term which never took off....

Its sad that our idea never caught fire but still EPMII sounds cool.....Well a lot of rambling has already been done..I have a "How to sell soap in a village" exam tommorow followed by some more strategic intent in the operational domain on monday. Will surely put in some more thoughts poems and blah blah as and when I get relieved.

Urs Truly

यारों !!!

यारों चलो झूम ले, मस्ती के दिन है चलो घूम ले
दिल की सभी तमन्ना आओ आज पूरी कर ले
यह तो वक्त ख़ुद नही जानता की कल साथ हो ना हो
तो कल की फ़िक्र छोड़ के आज झूम ले

कल जब यह दिन याद करेंगे तो दिल में एक खुशी होगी
इन मस्ती के दिनों की याद और होठों पर एक हँसी होगी
फ़िर एक दिन ऐसा भी होगा जब हम फ़िर मिलेंगे
जब ग़म तलब होगा और दिल फ़िर से खिलेंगे

इन मस्त दिनों में जो हाल हमारे दिल का है
वोह आज हमारी खुशियों में शामिल है
यह लम्हे आज यूँही थम जाए
वोह जो दिल के करीब है वोह दोस्त बस आज इस महफिल में रह जाए
कल को रास्ते नए होंगे, मंजिलें नई होगी
मगर दिल येही होगा और दोस्ती भी वही होगी

यारों

No Sense at All - MBA !!!

I have no idea what to say today
I have been running in a rat race, a crazy fray
With my senses not in place in the middle of the night
I continue the race while my mind is at play

Life is such a big circle to go around
It’s a maze, where we play the game of lost and found
I am too lazy and dumb to find my way
Looks like I am going round and round

Time takes toll on all playing the game
Some even die in this mad race for fame
It is like an open lion in the great colosseum
Too difficult to escape but nearly impossible to tame

I survived 14 months in this golden cage
Few more and I am sure to become a sage
But well it is one hell of an experience
Living a dead man’s life and turning a burnt book’s page

I wish to draw attention to those who seek the way inside
Life in the open is much better like a free ride
Still this land is for the brave
Who can live to fight, learn and abide