Do we change?.....

Everything changes with time...Everyone too... Don't we?...Or Do we?... Hmmm....lets think about it after a while...

Brosted ( will some one teach me how to spell it?.) chickens had been my usual snack at that favorite or the one and only shopping mall. It doesn't give me the satisfaction i get, after having an "AALU PAPDI CHAAT". Nor it satisfies my belly like a banana roast from Hotel "UDUPPI". Still, after spending a good amount in this food court with these worthless snacks, i don't usually moan like some of my friends. I always found its cost worth deserving as it would lend me sometime to take a look at people around me...Well, everyone does. Some of my pals spend time staring deep inside the minis and micros, and looking beyond the sunless mountains. I'm almost the same, but a bit different. The first thing i always look for is my friends, usually old ones. I even look to the eyes of waiters, cleaners, shopkeepers, kids, grown ups, and even the dummies in front of show rooms. They all have a story to tell. I have seen many friend's right here many times. Each time in a different appearance. Even the dummies do. But one thing doesn't change - eyes. And they don't lie, they don't deceive...All it takes is a little bit of courage to look into the eyes. You haven't had an experience?...Well, then try once soon....

Today, while i stepped into this food court, i didn't know that i would meet him and her. Well, both are my old friends. One is a boy, the other one- girl. Mr.Boy was busy, engaging a crowd of girls, around his table. Of course that was supposed to be a treat. Cameras flashed, smiles burst into laughs as the shutter closed and the treat came to an end soon... While moving out, he followed the girls. As he walked beside my table, i extended my hand, and pulled him towards me.

"Oh! no way maaannnn!...." He let out his surprise....Me too....we had a talk, a short one and then i let him free. Even though it was a small chat, we had the intimacy as in those good old days...i chuckled and said to myself "We haven't changed...This bloody years of separation seldom brought any change....."

I got my order, and while coming back to my table, i noticed a lady with a half curled hair sitting straight on another one. There were chances that it was my friend Ms. Girl, but i was not sure. This girl was totally different from my friend. she was fat, with a specs mounted on her broad nose, and her body esd endomorphic. While this girl on the other side had a beautiful half curled hair, good body shapes, and no specs. "Then why the hell did i wait there?..." I thought, as i dipped the French fries one by one in the garlic paste. I just looked at her eyes once more...I looked at it carefully......Yes its her. Ms. Girl....Oh! my god,....what the hell? I stretched back and looked at the ceiling as i let out my surprise. But Ms. Girl was not like Mr. Boy. There were few times we had fights, she had many personal problems so and so....So, i always looked her from a safe distance. I used to watch her, for i always wanted to see her happy. I was about to make my move to her table, but then i noticed a guy sitting near to her. His hair was fully curled, and longer than Ms. Girl's hair.... Oh! shit.....May be thats her boyfriend. I dropped my plan, as i didn't want to ruin their mood. I looked to her eyes many times to confirm her identity, and never came with a mismatch. She finished her food, and moved towards the snack bar. i had to go by that snack bar, to wash my hands. Well....i was a bit afraid that whether my presence will embarrass her. I kept looking downwards as i passed the counter to the hand wash.

What are you doing man?...After all, she is ur friend. Go and talk to her...Someone was telling me from inside...I don't know why i had a hesitation to talk with her...My heart began to beat loud, my throat went dry, and my voice was chocking, as i gathered some courage to look into her eyes her......As i raised my head, and looked into her eyes, her eyebrows raised which said-"how r u?..." We looked at each other for a while, and exchanged a sweet smile when she recognized me. I grew bald, and anyone would have been in trouble like Ms Girl. We talked, a bit, a bit more, then a lot. Everything felt like the same before.  She has not changed!..... I was happy for her refreshing change. She felt sorry for me being like a grown up. As i walked out, i felt those good old days coming alive... "We haven't changed...This bloody years of separation seldom brought any change....." It just cost me the courage to look into her eyes...


As i stepped out of the food court, i saw Mr Boy, busy with two girls of the same gang. I just gave a pat on his shoulder and said " i'm leaving."

"Ok" he said and have me a weired look...A look, as if i committed a serious mistake....May be i should have asked for an Excuse...Well there was no word in our dictionary called "formality"..May be its time to have some practice....."That  bloody got changed a lot....", I thought as i stepped onto the escalator..........

I Met Kalam...

I had a tough job, trying to reach my college in time. Till 1.30 pm, i was attending my friend's marriage function. The streets were busy with police officials and i even had a glance at Bomb Detection and Diffusal Squad heading towards my college. This won't happen unless a Very Important Person was supposed to arrive. I was on my way to meet him. I was driving fast, so that i won't be late. So u would be wondering about the VIP......It was Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of Republic of India....

I always wanted to meet him. My first book, since i decided to inculcate the habit of reading was "Ignited minds" , written by Him. I did regret for being so late to start reading. He was here to talk about "Power of youth" , for "VISION 2020". I gathered my friends and headed towards the hall. We were screened and admitted to the hall. It was an indoor stadium. We waited for a long time...

He arrived at 5.10 pm. In his beige Safari suit, with hands folded and addressing the crowd with a namasthe. The meeting began with our National Anthem, and we all sang together. I felt proud, while singing each line along with Mr. Kalam. All the facilitations remained unnoticed as we were looking towards Mr. Kalam's speech. He addressed the crowd in malayalam, and conveyed his greetings. As every word echoed twice or thrice, I found it difficult to note down his points. In fact anyone seeing me for the first time would have taken me for a journalist. He began his speech, with a prelude on his topic. He believes that India will become a developed country in 2020. With an expected GDP above 10 %, India needed to be a role model by that time. So something else should be propagated by this country. What was it?..."PEACE"...Just like every engineer, he had an equation which had an implicit solution, and here it goes:

"When there is righteousness in heart, there is beauty in character.
 When there is beauty in character, there is harmony in house.
 When there is harmony in home, there is order in Nation.
 When there is order in nation, there peace in the world"....

His dreams included free and compulsory education for all, a country where agriculture and industry goes hand in hand, a corruption free country, crime free, and a prosperous country to live without fear. I was happy that we had a dream in common - Corruption free country. I have my own reasons for hating corruptions. As it sounds, its quite impossible to eradicate corruption. So how can we dream about such a situation?...One among the crowd asked it during the Q & A session . He replied:

"We just need to have one thing - Faith.
 Believe that I can do it.
 Believe that we can do it.
 Believe that India can do it.
 Believe...That we can eradicate corruption". Yes! he want the youth to believe. And its a difficult task to believe the impossible. Thats why he chose the youth to make the impossible- possible.

There are much more of His thoughts i would like to share with you. But he was emphasizing on two things to fulfill Vision 2020- " Righteousness in heart, and the courage to believe"..........

Let us believe......