shyam

In the ongoing debate surrounding which gender is stronger, the answer remains elusive, and it's crucial to recognize that strength comes in various forms, transcending physical attributes. As a male adolescent, I grew up with the stereotype that men were inherently more assertive and that physical strength defined what it meant to be strong. However, I soon realized the fallacy of this belief and the significance of strength in the face of adversity, exemplified by the women in my life. My mother, a symbol of resilience, shared her childhood stories of overcoming numerous obstacles and defying societal norms at a time when women faced significant challenges. She was one of seven girls among sixty students in her college class, defying gender stereotypes with her pursuit of education. As a young boy, I failed to comprehend the magnitude of her achievements and the struggles she had to endure. It was a privilege I didn't fully grasp until later in life. Meanwhile, my father,...

“Will you be able to manage by yourself in Delhi?” My mother’s concern echoed in my mind as I made the decision to move to my new job in 2014. Excitement mingled with uncertainty as thoughts of a new place, a new job, and new people filled my head. My earliest memories of Delhi were etched in my heart, dating back to the winter of 2000 when my family and I ventured there from our hometown in Hyderabad, South India. The cold weather at Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station took us by surprise, but we found solace in a tiny yet cosy room in Karol Bagh. Exploring the city’s diverse cuisine became a cherished adventure for us, indulging in every local dish we could find. Amidst these culinary adventures, we also explored the historical gems and vibrant markets of the city, each moment etching a lasting impression in our hearts. During a trip to Agra, I was mesmerized by the fog that enveloped the highway, making it feel as though we were passing through clouds. While journeying through ano...

 "...you should write more", was what my wife said after reading my blogs. She had no idea I could write when she first read my blog four years ago. The content of my blog brought amusement to her, and it sparked a desire in me to write sooner. However, I was indecisive about the right topic. I wrote my last blog in my first workplace during a quiet ' Tuesday '  afternoon   (those who know, know) about seeing myself in the future . I wonder if the old man is still around? The past ten years have been filled with countless memories—a whirlwind of change. I got married, became a father to a daughter, survived Covid twice, and changed jobs multiple times. I relocated to Chennai, Delhi, and Bangalore, and finally returned to where it all began, Hyderabad. In an age dominated by vlogs and podcasts, I never thought I would find myself drawn back to writing blogs. Yet, there is something about writing that continues to entice me. In my upcoming blogs, I plan to share the...

...........or atleast that's what I thought it was. It was again a dull Tuesday Morning and I was waiting to get X-rayed, I was getting a few tests done and one of the tests included this one. Just a few minutes ago I just had my blood samples collected in three different tubes at which time I asked the lady "Will it hurt a lot?" and I am very sure she laughed behind her surgical mask. After the blood samples, she pushed a small plastic container on the wooden desk towards me and asked me to get it filled with my watery waste and I promise there is nothing more humiliating than carrying the filled container all the way towards the end of hallway with people on either side. As I sat waiting to be called inside the X-ray Room, I heard a low dry cough and when I looked to my left there was an old man about 70 years or more, his skin was drooping, especially his cheeks. The drooping and the skin of his colour reminded me of a South Indian sweet dish. He was o...

What the doctor said: In this test, there will be a tube inserted inside ur anal region,you might feel some discomfort and u will be cured What I heard: In this test, a tube will be shoved up ur arse, the pain in the ass will be unbearable & u'll be screwed

"Dude...did u watch the video of iPhone 4S...they have come out with something called Siri......it reads ur messages, u can speak back to it and it answers ur query....I can't explain watch it in YouTube"....Gokul then played the video and we just sat there amazed at the new phone. My tryst with phones went as back as 2002,when mobiles were just coming into the country and only few could afford it. Few people bought for real reasons and few just bought it....and my dad was among the latter. He purchased a Motorola which had a blue backlight and it was one of the best phones i had seen at that time. The blue backlight mobile stood out amongst the black & whites. The incoming call rates per minute could easily buy a common man his breakfast. Still my dad said "It's convenient & i don't know I just like it".....and that was the i fell in love with them. Me and my brother would take turns to see it, the Blue Led would flicker once few seco...

“Dude…you quit smoking? Have you lost your mind? We are Victors…we always smoke…” This is how the reaction is when someone from my group says he quit smoking, it’s typical but that’s what made us Victors….Ravi Teja a.k.a King Teja, Arun a.k.a Juli, Hemanth a.k.a “thapraaa…” Chala & me (we had different names for different reasons)…occasionally Tapan would join us. The victors were born because of one same habit everyone had…and you must have guessed it by now. Except juli, the rest four of us were from the same college…anyways this blog isn’t about the college fun we had, this is about the no-sense talks we had at NR, the bashing up of a guy, etc. Our usual day together would start either at NR, Necklace Road or Sherton Cafe in Paradise. The hangout place at NR was a MMTS Station; it had a large entrance at one end at the station at the other end, two partitions in between with grass patch on it, the usual sight was some kids playing cricket, a lorry sprinkling water on t...

"....while you are going to Pune take all your luggage in three bags, we have one bag, buy one more and the big green suitcase can hold most of your luggage", my dad told me this a week ago before i was going to pune to do my MBA. All this striked me one day in the third semester during the mid-terms as i was staring the green suitcase remembering about my parents, my brother, Hyderabad and how much i missed all of them. We purchased the suitcase while i was in my 9th grade may be January 2001 while my dad and mom planned for a vacation in Delhi and surroundings. My parents got their LTC and were very enthusiastic about the vacation. So a week before our travel, dad got the green suitcase, a big spacious one with wheels below and clips on the top and a locking system (which we never used till now). We were all geared up, when suddenly there was a major autorikshaw strike in Hyderabad and we had to catch the train early in the morning at 5:30. Finally on the day we got o...

My interests kept on changing at different phases of my life, As a kid i wanted to be a scientist, then as i grew up i wanted to be vet, an archaeologist, a bill gates (software programmer not "the richest man on the earth") ,then i even wanted to start a metal band and become the lead guitarist, till date i never settled down for a particular interest. But one interest that always lives with me is Music; there were different music all through my life. The early music influence was from my grandfather who used to wake up the house at 5 am with   carnatic   music on tape-recorder, every time any song played on the Television he used to relate it with some   carnatic ragas, slowly I developed a little interest in   carnatic   music but could never connect with it, then the A.R.Rahman craze in the late 90s, then I drifted to few English songs like Jon   Bon   Jovi , Backstreet boys,   Westside , The five, in early millennium. By then...

"Some people are born great, some become great, some have greatness thrust upon them." Some noble person said these lines, then what about the rest, are they not humans? don't they deserve some respect?. If only Einsteins and Newtons walked on this planet, they would not be as famous as they are. "I" am not great, not intelligent but am myself. Constantly being compared with some "intellectual" group of people, not recognizing my ability and perpetually being degraded is what i have experienced throughout my life. "See how well he scores in exams", " He is the top of your class, why can't you be?", "Why don't you get good marks like her?". Sometimes i ask myself "Why am i still alive?". I have my own interests and abilities "why don't you understand that?" I ask you all "Why didn't you let me study what i wanted?". I may not a genius or an intellect, but I am what I am. T...

.."Dad were there any blasts in Mumbai yesterday??" i asked unaware of the recent terrorist attacks going on in Mumbai, as i started reading the article in the newspaper i could not believe what i was reading, Terrorists openly firing at railway platforms and taking hostages in the Taj. More than 125 innocents killed and the Taj on fire, Victims of the firing unable to digest that their dear ones were not anymore. A man happily  boarding the train till the previous minute, lost all his six family members to the gun firing while he went to purchase a water bottle, someone lost his aged mother while some lost their kids.The entire Mumbai was pathetic to watch on televisions, everyone watching the burning Mumbai helplessly with tears in their eyes. I still could not believe my eyes, bloodshed everywhere and people were so scared and were stammering on televisions with fear in their eyes. Three police officials risking their lives to save the lives of a hu...

"...guys lets get going its already late we might not get any cabs" saying this we left for the cabs and moved towards the cafeteria, i had a glass of juice and went out for the cab, the day was bright and sunny and little sweating. Waiting for the cab i was lost in thoughts about the embarrassing scene in the cafeteria with a girl early in the morning that day. Then i got into the cab along with my friend at 9:45 am or so. As soon as the cab moved a little further i was fast asleep and woke up near my house, i reached home and had a refreshing bath and was eating when I remembered my friend(Bhanu) was leaving for the USA for his MS that day. I finished my meal quickly and called Ravi about the gift which we had to buy for him(we already zeroed on a gift 2 weeks ago). Then I called up hemanth and asked him about the pickup time from his house. Initially, we planned to leave at 12 noon, but I had no sleep the previous night and so decided to sleep for at least 2 hours. T...

" . ....i like reading books hmm....as they provide an excellent company ...and also books are man's best friend.But these days e-books have replaced books hmm......thats it sir...thats it ".This was on the day when Wipro conducted an oncampus in our college and i was literally stammering on the jam(just a minute) session.I hardly spoke for 30 seconds and had no nerves to speak in front of all and was sweating from head to toe.I was sure i wasn't going to be selected but my friends santosh,vijay,chala and niranjan(ninju) were impeccable.But to my surprise the HR called me again to speak and this time i was little confident(...even though my legs were trembleming like anything).Luck favored me and this time i was lucky enough to get through the first round,me and few of my friends cleared the jam session and rest had to leave.Almost immediately the next sessions began and we were lucky enough to clear upto the final session,the HR guys went for breaks quite of...

"Many consider Tuesdays very unauspicious but to me, they were the most wonderful days in a week"- This was three years ago in my Engineering first year. Want to know why? coz i had my EDC Lab and someone very cute and pretty would sit next to me as my lab partner(..can't reveal her name). Hmm...as soon as Sunday would start three words would go round in my mind "day after tomorrow".After a long Monday(..i hate Mondays), Tuesdays would seem very short. Getting ready for college on the big day(every Tuesdays),I would start thinking about how to talk to her and make her smile. That day i wouldn't miss the college at any cost. Sitting in the bus i would be lost in thoughts, recollecting some funny quotes i would scribble in my lab notes trying to impress her. Entering into the class i would look for her and just her glance would make my day(..in fact, the whole week) with a big smile on my face i would go to the last bench and keep looking at her. ...