Guns n` Roses

Hey Friends,


News ! News ! News ! I have been transferred to Corporate Strategy and Planning Deptt., courtesy this blog . Sounds Strange haan . Here`s the story : Our CSPD had notified vacancies for editorial team of IDBI Bank`s esteemed House Journal Shree Vayam . They were looking for creative people preferably those who write their own blogs . I decided to give it a shot and fortunately I was shortlisted for interview . Then I pondered deeply over the proposed profile and I decided against it . Though I was desperately looking for a different profile but I wanted more exposure in Banking . My heart can wait for creative jobs  . So, I regretfully refused to appear for interview saying that there is so much I have to learn about banking that I may decline, rather postpone, my desire for creative works . Then I got a call suggesting me to appear for interview and that I may be offered a profile in Banking only . I appeared and luckily got through . Most of the questions were about my present profile and some on Banking . Fortunately and thankfully , the interview panel had read this little blog of mine so it was also the topic of some part of the discussion . Mr. Edwin Fernandes, General Manager , IDBI Bank, also the Chief Editor of Shree Vayam and Chairperson of the Interview Panel asked me why don`t I take up societal issues . I said I have titled my blog as " Me, Myself & My Life " so I am usually writing about myself but I will surely take up other issues in my upcoming posts . Yes I should indeed .  I was later detailed about the proposed profile . It sounded challenging, I gladly gave my consent and orders folowed later . So, time now to move on to IDBI Tower at Cuffe Parade . I am doubly exxcited about this new assignment . First and the most important , I get  to work with a team of policy makers of IDBI Bank . Second, at IDBI Tower we get Breakfast, 3 Course Lunch and Snacks in the evening, further there is a library, a gym , sports and so many other facilities .  I had never imagined that my this hobby will be a boon for me .  Thanks to Blogspot ,I got it  .


But yesterday`s terror attacks in Mumbai have ruined all the thrill and excitement . I really fail to understand if the fight of the terrorists is with the Govt. then why are they targetting innocent people in the name of God  ????? What wrong have they done to you ???? Why don`t you shoot these f***** ministers who are playing with the motherland ??? What are your demands exactly ????? Come out you motherf****** !!!  I have some questions to the lame duck Prime Minister : Why was Kasab not shot in the encounter or later ????  Why are we still feeding him while he is mocking at our system ????? How do you justify the cost in maintaining him ??? Why did you attack harmless Ramdev and his supporters in the night ???? Why is our security mechanism so weak ??? What is your PoA to prevent such terror attacks ???? When will you speak up and justify your position as PM ???? People are now doubting that you are a Sardar . Come`on , Mr. Manmohan Singh, get out of the lap of Sonia and do something to protect this beautiful country you are heading .


There is no song in my heart today . Just these lines, in Red :


Laa raha hai laash koi lahoo mein bhar ke saamne,
Kis kadar khaufnaak manzar hai nazar ke saamne,


Kya tamaasha bana rakha hai Kasab ne adaalat ko,
Kuchh nahi hai aur sab kuchh hai nazar ke saamne


Ramdev desh ko kya se kya bana deta magar,
Kiski chalti hai Sonia ke hunar ke saamne,


Kyun Naadano par chhup ke vaar karte ho buzdilon,
Haunsla hai kuchh toh aa jao nazar ke saamne


Iss nazar ko aur nazaron ki tamanna nahi " Munish"
Kya kya na dekha hai tumne is nazar ke saamne .




Munish.

Meet The Bhardwajs

People are usually more interested in Masala. They may not find goody-goody things about anyone interesting but this is my blog and I will use this space in any manner I may think fit . I have captioned my blog as “ Me, Myself and My Life ” . Meet the Bhardwajs without whom me, myself and my life is incomplete .

My Parents : My Father, Shri Anil Bhardwaj, is in a senior position in a Bank in Shimla . Apparently he is a strict boss in office with 60 odd BHs reporting to him, cheuffer driven car ..but his colleagues and subordinates might be surprised to know that Papa is indeed a thorough Gentleman and a very humble person at home . Unlike others he is too family oriented who loves to spend most of his time with his family . Papa follows just one rule at Home - no rules . So we would just go mad when we used to be with Papa . He never put any restrictions at all on playing , on gossiping and on watching TV .  Papa has always been my childhood Hero . Papa always played with us during our childhood and we loved some of his self-invented games and pranks , I still use some of them on Manya ( Like aate-baate, main toh…) He used to attend all our Parent Teacher meetings invariably . He would always encourage me to excel in studies and also pursue my passions for sports and music  . I always thought that Papa had a special affection for me which is why he had kept so many nicknames for me ( at least 7 ) and I loved all of them . Papa is very fond of cooking so on Sundays he would always cook something special for all of us . Ohh I miss his Kadi and Rajmah soo much ! Papa has always been more like a friend than a father to us . Ever since I can remember , Papa has slapped me only once and that too because I had slapped my sister . So like a filmy scene there was Thaad - Thaad back to back and I was stunned for 5 minutes or so and I realised that you may portray yourself as angry young man but never forget tumahara bhi  Baap Hai . All said n done Papa remains the most humble and loving person I have ever known. Papa you are the Best !! Coming now to Mummy, my Mummy, Smt Bhuvneshwari Bhardwaj,  is a Gazetted Officer in The High Court of Himachal Pradesh and we feel priviledged to be her family . I regret to note ( and against my wish ) we have misused her position quite often like not paying at Toll Plazas, breaking the lines at important places where names matter, breaking traffic rules and not paying any fine/challan !!! At Home , she is soooo sweet and caring like all Mummys are . People tell me that I resemble my mother a lot . I think my character also resembles that of her. My way of talking is much the same like Mummy. I fall short of words sometimes and most of the times I would use "ye" and " wo" confusing the listener to the core ! I am also of forgetful nature like she is . Many times she has done blunders with Papa`s important documents and our certificates/offer letters/officail correspondence but according to her she had kept them "sambhaal ke " . So while handing over our certificates we used to politely request Mummy : Mummy "  Inn certificates ko sambhal ke mat rakhna please !!! " As I said she is very caring about all of us like all other Mummys usually are but there is one distinctive trait about her that I would like to highlight . I don`t know how this happens or what sixth sense or what amount of love Mummy holds for me in her heart but Whenever I am sick or in trouble I get a call from Mummy immediately asking me whether I am fine as she had sensed that something`s wrong with me ! This is magical ! More than that this is her love and care for me . Mummy is so sweet that she breaks to tears at the drop of a hat . She would cry while watching any emotional scene in TV or Films . Strangely she started crying at the Vidai of Bhabhi and Nidhi as well (whether she was crying for Bahus` or Dulha`s remains a mystery ) I know Mummy will be crying all through reading this post .

 My Brother and Bhabhi : Er. Amit Bhardwaj , Anu , is heading HP circle of Videocon Telecom and most of us in the family are quite surprised at his achievement because he was never serious in studies to achieve this feat but we all are very happy for him .  Anu-Manu were the famous duo brothers in the neighbourhood, another one comprising of Three Arora brothers  and our parents were strictly against all of us grouping together . When together we played a lot outdoors be it the famous gully cricket, pitthu, badminton, kanche ( glass marbles ), table tennis and later video games apart from running and jumping all around the hills, pelting stones on fruits hanging with the trees and all the stupid activities that made absolutely no sense .  All this madness continued till we entered our teens .  Gradually as we grew our distance grew as well with both of us joining different group of friends as also the schools of thought .  Through all these years we have never expressed how much we love each other but deep down we know we do have affection for each other as brothers . It would be very cheap of me to highlight our sacrifices but yes we have risked our lives and careers for each other. We have this silent care and concern for each other in our hearts and this will continue in future as well. Anu has also kept a nickname for me which of course I will not disclose here. My Bhabhi is a science teacher in a school where I have studied right from Nursery till 12th Standard , Dayanand Public School, Shimla . With the advent of Bhabhi in our family there`s one thing that changed the most. We became disciplined ! We know we are not well cultured and sophisticated but we can act . So we started having dinner on the dinner table, no more fights for a particular seat in the car, teasy nick names reduced to standard nick names, no rush for the toilet and bathroom, deciding menu in just 15 minutes, no fight for the remote and so forth .  All this continued for about 6 months and then we came back to our form . Can`t control it  . Besides being very intelligent Bhabhi is a lady of substance . She takes all decisions very prudently and sticks to her ideals no matter what . I have to thank Bhabhi for one big reason : she has tamed Anu,  the most Junglee member of our family . She is strict at times towards Anu and children but that`s Okay she knows her job as a mother .  Bhabhi has a very wide network  all over mostly because of her social nature and partly because thousands of students have studied at our school regard her , many hundreds took tutions from her then their parents . We normally avoid walking with her in Mall Road , Shimla because almost every third person knows her . We have to just smile and stand still till their milaap is over . They have two sweet kids Anvesha and Ashmit . Anvesha ( Gogu,5 ) looks like a doll and Ashmit ( Gogla,2 ) is very naughty . Check their snaps .

   Myself and Nidhi :  Ab khud ki kya tareef karun J  . But I have something to say about Nidhi . Nidhi is the only non Himachali member of our family. She is from Patiala, Punjab . Nidhi lost her mother when she was 18 and her younger brother and sister were not even grown enough to realize the loss . She has almost brought up the kids and took good care of all the household chores at such a young age . When I was informed about all this I had become comfortably numb . But I knew I loved her before I met her . It is needless to mention that Nidhi is a family oriented girl with strong values and I have already explained sacrifice of her career for my sake but there is one more thing about her : may be it is in Punjabi culture but I have not noticed this of late anywhere. She calls me as “Ji” ! and never lets me help her in Kitchen  . In my 5 years with her I have made tea only 5 or 6 times and that too when she was sick or away . I really feel blessed to be her Husband and it is my constant endeavor to give her as much happiness as I can in my capacity . You all know that we have a beautiful daughter Manya and we both love her like crazy . She has given a new meaning and purpose to our lives .  Nidhi calls her Mithu ( Alike Nidhi , woh bass bolte huye mishri si ghol deti hai ) and I fondly call her my “ Gugla ” . Hence, after Anu, Manu and Binu next generation Bhardwajs are Gogu, Gugla and Gogla J

  My Sister and Jijaji : Mrs. Chanchal Bhardwaj ( now Chanchal Sharma ) aka Binu is my mirror image . By looks and by behaviour she is much the same like me .  In her early years, Binu was like a sweet little princess and each one us literally fought just to hold her in our arms . She has been brought up and pampered as a princess only . ( Also refer the slap episode narrated above )  She is very sweet, sensible and full of character .  I have shared the most wonderful and most memorable moments of my childhood with Binu . We have had so much fun together at home,  playing carom for hours, video games , making fun of guests , playing pranks on neighbours , chit chatting till late nights ( and Mummy yelling at us in the background ) , playing, singing and recording songs together . Binu  has been the dress designer of all of us at home . When everyone else is complementing you and feigning affection , Binu will be the first to criticize you when you least expect it. This is what makes her so special . I have never cried so much in my entire life as I did in her “ Vidai ” . She is now happily married to Mr. Anupam Sharma , a high ranked  PCS equivalent officer in Govt of HP . Anupam Ji, as I call him , is perhaps the most disciplined and gracious spouse among all three of us . He is a man of values and ethics . He likes things to be planned and systematic , does not tolerate mess and carelessness towards anything including health . His unflexible  adherence to food habits, vajrasan after dinner , wisdom about monetary decisions and strict punctuality of daily routines makes him a very wise and disciplined person . I am sure he must have got the shock of his life when he would have realized how “ Junglee” all of us are .  Now he is an integral part of our extended family so much so that we all consult him while taking major decisions . I am glad for Binu that she has got such a caring partner with no vices at all . May God Bless Both of them  .

 So  these are the Bhardwajs , very emotional yet strong at heart . We all cry a lot when we meet each other after a long time .  We have seen relationships falling apart , friends turning foes, accidents , financial crisis and prosperity , we have been through it all and still we are one . I am proud to be part of such a sweet family .

I have tampered this song by Westlife  :

Hello Anu  , my brother and my friend

We've played together till we were eleven or ten

Together we've climbed hills and trees

Learned of love and ABCs

Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees

Hello Anu it's hard to die

When all the birds are singing in the sky

Now that spring is in the air

There are brothers everywhere

Think of me and I'll be there

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun

But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time

 Hello Papa you are the Best,

I have seen and known the rest ,

Mummy you always  prayed for me

 And all of us in the family

You tried to teach us right from wrong

Too much books and too much song

Wonder how I got along

Hello Papa Mummy it's hard to die

When all the birds are singing in the sky

Now that the spring is in the air

Little children everywhere

When you see them we'll be there

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun

But the books and the song like the seasons have all gone

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun

But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone

Hello Binu my little one

You gave me love and helped me find the sun

And every time that I was down

You would always come around

And get my feet back on the ground

Hello Binu it's hard to die

When all the birds are singing in the sky

Now that the spring is in the air

With the flowers everywhere

I wish that we could both be there

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun

But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun

But the books and the song like the seasons have all gone

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun

I am,

Manu.

Ye Kahan Aa Gaye Hum

Hello my Friends we meet again, it`s been a while where should we begin...( It`s a Creed song ! Gawd this music fever !!! ) . Hmm...I will speak on music and movies in this post...

My heart is deeply saddened to see the changing face of our society . New generation kids have no ethics and virtues at all . Primary reason for this increasing population of spoilt children is our Film and Television industry . MTV is no longer a Music television. It plays more beeps than music and the music itself is full of garbage. “ Saala “ is a hit word in today`s music . I am advocating Karma on this blog and they are singing “ Saale Karma is a Beep “ ( Shor in the City ). Bhaag D. K.Bose ( Delhi Belly ) is topping the charts for no rhyme or reason . Forked tongues in bitter mouths can a drive a man to bleed out from inside . Where are those melodies, where are Nadeem Shravans , Kumar Sanus, Udit Narayans, Where are we going ? I came across this joke on my cell the other day . Would like to share with you :

A mom ask her elder kid to xplain diwali 2 his bro-

eldr kid- So luk, dis dude had,
lyk a big kul kingdm n ppl lykd him.

but his step mom
ws kinda bitch n she forcd her hubby 2 send dis Ram 2 sum jungle or sumthing.

As he ws goin fr 14yrs, so his wife n bro got along..(U knw just 2 chill)

Bt dude forest was real scary shit, really man.
N was full of devil n shit lyk dat,

bt dis dude kild dem wid arrows..

Bt den sum bad gangsta jerk- Ravan pickd up his babe..

& Dis Dude n his bro got pissd off..
So dey got an army of monkys..dnt ask hw..

Attackd dem,got d babe n returnd home.

Ppl thot atleast dey deserv sumthng..

As Dey had no bars or clubs or smoke stuff..
So dey lit lamps..
N this is hw it all started..

The day is not far when this joke will  become a reality . I might wear designer clothes, Keep upto the latest gadgets, pretend to look cool and display lots of attitude but deep down I am a very simple man with a strong foundation of human values .

Despite my deliberate attempts to avoid watching 7 Khoon Maaf since the day it was released , I knew one day I will succumb to my detached temptations . Tata Sky was playing it on Showcase , I decided to face the movie . As expected the movie brought with it so much negative energies right from the first scene .  I am an ardent lover of Gulzar`s poetry but he has also disappointed me in this movie . No song of the movie is “ poetic “ in this sense of the word and the poetry narrated  in the movie is highly demoralising . Gulzar writes for a scene :

Ek roz kabhi yoon hoga,

Hamko thoda sukoon hoga,

Na dil me who kashish hogi,

Na sar pe who junoon hoga

I think it is this Junoon ( the fire within us ) that is keeping us alive ,Well I am sure for myself. I am still chasing dreams and the day I find that I have lost that spark within me I will be a dead man .Similarly the dialogues of the film are very much disturbing which may charge up a destructive mind . In a scene She says “ Once in a lifetime every woman plans how to get rid of her husband for ever “ ( Translated ).  I was terribly shocked to hear that dialogue and immediately I  thought of asking Nidhi whether she had ever planned to kill me ! but I did not have this temerity because if I did ask her this question she would have killed me then and there J .  Sussana ( Priyanka Chopra )  is looking for a perfect man but she fails to realises that nobody is perfect unless you fall in love with them and she goes on a killing spree without a warning and a regret . Wrong title and it`s inappropriate justification. I strongly condemn it . One question to all married ladies. Do you agree with Sussana ??? Say it isn`t so .

I am so much moved by Bon Jovi`s songs that sometimes I think every word of his songs relates to me somehow somewhere . I often  make Nidhi listen to my passionate performance on his songs and make her believe what I want her to believe . Thank you Nidhi for loving me at all times.  You know how much I love you and how poor I am with words . Nidhi, you are a darling ! When I say that I love you more than yesterday but always less than tomorrow I mean it .  Below Bon Jovi song is for you :

It's hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me
And that broken old street light

Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words when I

Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes when I couldn't see
For Parting my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue

Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies

Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes when I couldn't see
For parting my lips when I couldn't breathe

You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me, yeah

Thank you for loving me

When I couldn't fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

We completed 5 years of our marriage on 2^nd June`2011 , still going strong .

I remain,

Yours Truly,`

Munish.

 

Nothing Else Matters

Uploading the pics of Shimla trip . These pics are taken at Mall Road and Ridge , The only happening places at Shimla . Manya feared sitting alone on the horse so Nidhi and myself had to take the horse ride with her in turns . It actually looked funny ...In a place where I have been born and brought up, taking the horse ride like a tourist amidst all locales .  Nidhi too felt embarrassed but... Does it matter ?
Anything for Manya :-) Have a look .

By Metallica...

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trust in who we are
And nothing else matters
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play a
And I know .
Nothing Else Matters

I am,

Yours Truly,

Munish.

Open Secrets

Anniversary Wishes to Anupam Ji and my dear sis Chanchal . May God Bless Both of You !

Hi Friends,

I am back from the extended vacation . Tried to upload the pics snapped at Shimla but Blogspot server is not allowing me to upload due to space constrainsts . Will surely upload separately later .  Ok...Appraisal time in office !!! God I hate this appraisal thing . I remember having a long argument with my then HDFC Boss on the ratings . But they dont really discuss, they declare it .  So I had to take a decision eventually . They say sometimes not getting what you want is lucky for you . True it is ! But I love the appraisal process of IDBI Bank . First, your increments don`t depend on the appraisal ratings. Cool !  The best part is that you have to appraise yourself first on your KRAs and then your reporting officer will agree/disagree with your comments . I am an economist so I can prove anything. Allow me to share a beautiful joke on economists : Once an interviewer asked a Mathematician : Gentleman can you tell us What do 2 and 2 equal ? Without any second thought he immediately answered 4  !!!! You may leave, said the panel . The same question was asked to the Accountant , He answered : Take 1 or give 1 but on an average 4. The panel sent him out too . Then came the turn of the Economist. Interviewer : Yes Gentleman, Can you tell us what do 2 and 2 equal ? The economist immediately got up from his chair, closed the door and whispered in the ears of interviwer : Sir, What do you want it to equal ? Haha.. So I have convincingly proved to the Management that I am the best employee they have in CMS Department . Jokes apart, my sincere thanks to my Boss for appreciating and recognising my contribution to CMS and to the Bank as a whole . I must also thank my team members for their continued support . While I go on thanking all sorts of people I can think of , everyone who read my last post knows whom I am actually thanking from all my heart .

During my bachelor days, like all other guys I was always confused about one question : What women really want ? If we make advances, they say we are cheap, and if we don`t they despise you. If we do this , they want that and if we do that they want something else. Horribly confused, I yelled at my first GF one day. C`mon tell me what do you girls really want ????? We are guys,  we can give you exactly what you want but not what you " really" want. Be specific , please ! My dilemna continued when I started working. The only change in question now was " What Bosses really want !!! ". If you sit late and work hard, they say your time management is poor,  if you finish off your work in time and leave early, they say you don`t have much work . What the hell ?  I searched for answers desperately but all in vain . I have learnt that experience teaches you everything guys . So , I  now have the answer to both the above questions , later than never like all of you wise people . Everybody knows but everybody conceals . Open Secrets !!! I choose to keep these open secrets to me , including other secrets that I will take to the grave .

I have often regretted my speech, never my silence . I have been asked on my silent spectatorship on Facebook (FB) . Yes,  I restrain myself from sharing my thoughts on FB while I see that all my friends have been posting regularly on whatever they think fit . Perhaps I have not yet come to terms with the FB thing . Perhaps too much fetish has been made of the FB than required . Perhaps I find most of the updates funny, stolen and/or copied . Perhaps there is a little too much fakeness on FB so much so that everyone is presenting himself as the happiest creature on this planet regardless of the facts .  Perhaps I am wrong . Sometimes I cannot understand myself and my reasons .  I am the most unpredictable person I have ever known . My constitution changes everyday till it slips away . Is there a Doctor in the House ?

This one is by Savage Garden :

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument
I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands
I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you
I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do
I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem
I believe I'm loved when I'm completely by myself alone
I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality
I believe that trust is more important than monogamy
I believe that your most attractive features are your heart and soul
I believe that family is worth more than money or gold
I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair
I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires
I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness
I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed
I believe that God does not endorse TV evangelists
I believe in love surviving death into eternity
I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned
I believe the grass is always greener on the other side
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I am Forever,

Yours Truly,

Munish.

" Frantic, Faction, Focus the world breathes,
and outperforms this misconception we call Man,
But I don`t know him,
No I don`t know him,
Because He Lies " - Creed

Hey Bhagwaan

Hi Friends,

Happy Gudi Padwa to all my Marathi Friends !

Lazy extended weekend for me here . World cup is over and so has the thrill and excitement attached to it , TV ain`t no fun no more . No good movies releasing so just idling time away. Still only lonely... Invitation from one of my old friends Mr. Alok Tiwari to his Kandivali residence , so generous of him to call me upon to his place but  I decided to decline . Every buddy has so much plans for the weekend... like me ( when with family ) I didn`t want to to be a spoilsport .  Most of my friends in Mumbai are married, the rest are half married to their girl friends so.... this only lonely...just idling time away .... Planning to explore Mumbai , the places I have not seen as yet , finalising some destinations in the process of elimination , getting ready for the tour and then reverse changing suddenly realizing whats the fun alone ???  Nothing to do, nowhere to go ...just idling time away . So I succumb to the still moments and lay back and allow time to pass by .

I think about some of  the people I know and their varied perceptions about God . I see some people rubbing their foreheads at almost every temple, every God they know or do not know,  I think about some people having " Attitude " and declaring that God does not exist ,  Some others boasting that they are atheists but frequently saying ( Hey Bhagwaan  ) " OMG " whenever they are surprised . I see some people extolling their Gurus about how much followers he has while that supposed Guru does not even remember his disciples names . I will not comment more on their opinions . This is my space I must talk about myself . Okay !  In my first post I had mentioned, there is one more angle to my appointment in IDBI . I tried too hard to explain this so many times but then cleared my write-ups. May be there are not enough words in my limited dictionary to speak about him. May be I am too small to talk about this great Sage . Let me try .

He is my Guru, My God . I was never inclined to this Guru thing as I thought this is just another new profession in the market , I remember refusing to adapt Mr. Narkewal Bedi Ji as my Guru while my parents and my brother had already joined the league and also tried to convince me to follow suit but I refused for my own reasons .  I was carrying this " Been there , done that " attitude until I met this Great Saint, My Guru . He has actually transformed me as a person, has given a new direction to my career and life and I feel blessed to be his devotee . I was a kind of know-it-all guys until I met him . But I do not know how much power he has in his soft hands, I do not know how much sacrifice and devotion he has given to attain this level of spirituality, I do not know how an ordinary person can defeat death and come back to life while doctors have given up, I do not know how he balances the twin roles of his professional life as the most famous labour lawyers of the city and the greater role of a Guru, I do not know how he carries the heart of thousand mothers within himself, I do not know how I could get away with the most heinous crimes of password sharing in HDFC Bank, I do not know why auditors could not notice a big blunder my branch had done while the same was clearly noted in audit trail register , I do not know how he could foresee my career in a Govt. Organisation and advise me to give it a shot while I was slogging in HDFC Bank, I do not know how miracles happen but he makes them appear so real , I do not know why hundreds of thousands of people bow down before him to seek his divine blessings, I do not know how great he is and I do not know why he is exceptionally kind to me . But I do know that he can do anything under the sun and beyond and I worship him like God . I do know that unlike other Gurus he is very much approachable and always there to guide you whenever you want and wherever you are , I do know that I am always safe under his kind shelter and I do know that he will take me to the gates of eternity when I am down to one last breath . Something is stopping me to mention his name here . I will withhold .

As a customery ritual , my Guru takes all of his children including me and my family to the holy shrine of Sidhh Shri Baba Balak Nath Ji at Shah Talai ( Deoth Sidhh, H.P ) during first week of April every year . I am so excited to see and talk to my Living God tomorrow .

My heart also beats  to see Nidhi and Manya after 10 long days . I will fly to Chandigarh tomorrow morning to join the " Sangat ", will leave for Shimla on 9th and be back on 16th. So my next post may take a little longer .

This one is by Jon Bon Jovi again :

I went to see the preacher to teach me how to pray
He looked at me and smiled
Then that preacher turned away
He said if you want to tell him something
You ain't got to fold your hands
Say it with your heart, your soul and believe it
And I'd say Amen

Bang a drum for the sinners
Bang a drum for the sins
Bang a drum for the losers
And those who win
Bang a drum, bang it loudly
Or as soft as you need
Bang a drum for yourself son
And a drum for me


I called upon my brother just the other day
He said : John I'm going to die if I don't start to live again
I work each day and night like clockwork
Just trying to make ends meet
I could kick this bad world's ass
If I could just get on my feet

I'd bang a drum for the dying
Bang a drum for the truth
Bang a drum for the innocence lost in our youth
Bang a drum, bang it loudly
Or as soft as you need
Bang a drum for you brother
And a drum for me

No I don't claim to be a wiseman, a poet or a saint
I'm just another man who's searching for a better way
But my heart beats loud as thunder
For the things that I believe
Sometimes I want to run for cover
Sometimes I want to scream

Bang a drum for tomorrow
Bang a drum for the past
Bang a drum for the heroes that won't come back
Bang a drum for the promise
Bang a drum for the lies
Bang a drum for the lovers and the tears they've cried
Bang a drum, bang it loudly
Or as soft as you need
But as long as my heart keeps on banging
I got a reason to believe .
I got a reason to believe .

I will pray for your happiness and good health at the shrine .

Jai Guru Maharaj Ji Di !
Jai Baba Ji Di !

Munish .

Only Lonely

Hi Friends,

Long time ! Pardon my absence but I am sure my Mumbai friends will understand this. Life is so fast here that you don`t get time for yourself, no leisures, nothing. Day starts early at 06:30 A.M, off to Station by 08:00 A.M, to reach office by 09:30 A.M , back to Mumbai CST by 07:00 P.M , from Station to home around 09:00 P.M ! By the time you actually realise it , the day has slipped away . This has been my routine for 2 odd years now . So when I am fortunate enough to get a seat in Mumbai locals I make the most of the opportunity by dancing my fingers on my Blackberry .

Nidhi & Manya are away at Patiala for a family function and I will join them later on 6th April , back to Mumbai on 16th April  . I have to confess that when we were planning this tour I was actually excited to get the much awaited "freedom " but honestly I am not enjoying it. Not if I want to. Life has become a lemon and I am missing them like crazy . It is never easy to lead the life of a bachelor again after marriage.  Now I realise the importance of Nidhi, the importance of her love and care, of small things that don`t really matter but are of greater significance . I will treasure it now and forever . All the bachelors reading this : Please make the most of your bachelorhood now,  it pains to be single again .

The house is almost dead without Manya`s presence . Her toys are all lamenting with me wishing she was here with us . At the airport she bid bye to me as if this was also just another game unaware of how far she is going . And I stood there helpless trying to fight the tears that wouldn`t stop . Sometimes I wonder how innocent this little angel of mine is . I am noting below some translations of her cute remarks :

Mama : I also want four legs like an elephant .  
Papa : Why do you go to office ?
Mama : Pl ask sun to come later. I want to sleep more .
( To housemaid in anger ) Anju go to office !!! Papa: You stay at home today .
Mama: Moon is my best friend . It always walks with me everywhere I go .
To her Grandpa : Daadu, Why have you coloured your hair white ? I dont like it , make it black like Papa .
To Car while kissing it : Thank you my car, you take me to so many places .
Mama : I want to fly like Nobita ( A Doraemon`s cartoon character ), get me those wings please .
( Covering her face with hand towel ) Can anyone find me where I am ?????

I cannot find you in the house Manya !!

Dear Manya, Gradually you will grow up and lose your innocence that costs so much . You will teach us right from wrong , of the gadgets we dont know how to run or handle, of the latest technologies, of behaviour before your friends and in society, of dressing up, of life . But know it Manya that you were also this innocent like we will be in our old age . I hope you will understand this when you read this insignificant little blog of mine when you grow up .

Lets change the mood and for a change allow me to present before you my poetry this time . I had written this when I was with HDFC Bank :


Ye na thi meri kismat, ke HDFC Bank mein karaar hota,
Agar Sarkari naukri paata to yahan se kabhi ka faraar hota,

Koi mere dil se poochhe , mere boss ki sangdili ko,
Mere koi na Boss hota, agar lecturer hota,

Apni Kismat ko kosta hoon, office mein baitha sochta hoon,
Kaash aaj Shaniwaar hota, aur kal Ravivaar hota ,

Kahun kisse main ke kya hai, ye audit buri bala hai ,
Main khoob lutaata auditors par, agar audit ek baar hota ,

Ye office ki uljhanein aur ye tera bayaan Munish,
Jo na hota HDFC Bank mein to berozgaar hota .


Allama Iqbal once wrote :

 " Dil se jo aah nikalti hai asar rakhti hai,
 parr nahi taaqat-e-parwaaz magar rakhti hai ".

( The word springing from the heart surely carries weight,
Though not endowed with wings, it yet can fly in space.)

So, my " Aah " as stated above was finally listened and answered. I am enjoying my Sarkari Naukri with great delight .

I am still,

Yours Truly,

Munish .

My sincere thanks to my IDBI Nariman Point Colleagues Mr. Bhushan Mane,Mr Kumarjit Kar , Mr Nilesh Sutaone, Mr. Sanjiv Srivastava, Ms. Gunjali Sahai and Ms. Sharva Kerkar for obvious reasons .

Blame Game !

From World Cup to office responsibilities to domestic works , it has been a hectic week . So there was little time to think and to pen down the thoughts . The World Cup has now become interesting and India has finally returned to its form ! The form of making easy matches look difficult, creating a thriller of a one-sided match,struggling to achieve victory,  and in this process causing panic among the team , forcing them to take chances and finally losing the games ( or sometimes winning them fortunately  ! ) . After the last match between Indian & South Africa, a lot of criticism has gone to captain M.S.Dhoni, more than he can digest . He has been blamed for poor batting, taking the singles instead of smashing boundaries, giving more strike to tailenders than himself and finally giving the last over to Ashish Nehra instead of Harbhajan Singh . Easier said than done ! The critics almost forgot his good decisions after winning the toss, dedicated wicket-keeping,  a splendid stump out and a run out ! Playing before 55,000 audience under so much pressure is never an easy task. As I have mentioned in one of my earlier posts , there will always be regrets in every field be it exams, interviews, meetings and the like but we can only do the best we can do in that situation . There is another interesting angle to this. Don`t forget our forgetful nature ! One good match , one good performance and Dhoni will be the hero again .  Such is the irony of Cricket. And I love this game .

 My sense of ethics constantly scold me for ignoring the value of a care that is due to those who brought me into this world . If I were to note my regrets, they would most certainly be the loss of opportunity in spending more time with my father and mother . After finishing my 12th Std. , I chose to pursue my graduation from Delhi.( But I must convey my sincere thanks to my then mentor Mr. Anupam Thapa who counselled me to move to Delhi )  And there has been no turning back ever since . My next destination was Pune for MBA, later to Hyderabad for the first job, then to Jaipur , a short stint at Shimla-Solan and then to Mumbai . Well almost !   During these years I have , lesser intentionally and more unintentionally, missed so many birthdays, anniversaries , the joys, the sicknesses , the festivals and much more . My parents celebrated their 35th marriage anniversary on 9th March`2011 and I could only wish them over phone as always much to my regret and theirs . An interesting illustration :  My father had to move out of Nahan ( his native place ) to Shimla for work. But his brothers ( my Chacha`s ) continued to work at Nahan and stayed with my grandparents and so my grandparents gradually developed a feeling of neglect for my father and his family . A soft corner for my Uncles and their kids and a cold heart for Papa and us . Years later history repeats itself and I find myself in the same position now. Manya has never experienced the love and company of grandparents . Nidhi and myself also miss their presence in our day to day life .  The question now arises Who is to be blamed for this ? The parents for being biased to the children who are with them and against those who are away. Or the children who preferred to settle with their jobs giving no heed to the care of the parents ???? For my particular case: I am ready to take the blame on me. May be I could take better decisions on my career and still make it without staying away . But then thats life, dear friends ! While I am sure that Amit, my brother will take good care of my parents when they need it the most , I hope and pray that my parents do join me after they retire from their respective services so that I can contribute my bit as well . Dear Papa, Mummy : May you be able to forgive me for my mistakes and give me, Nidhi and Manya the love that , we think,  we deserve .  Amen !


As usual, A piece of poetry from a Bon Jovi song  :

Well I'm so far away the step that I take is on my way home
A king's ransom in dimes I'd give each night
To see through this pay phone
Still I run out of time or it's hard to get through
Till the bird on the wire flies me back to you
I'll just close my eyes and whisper baby blind love is true.

Tonight I won't be alone
But you know that don't mean I'm not lonely
I've got nothing to prove for it's you that I'd die to defend


I wanna lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I'll sleep on a bed of nails
I wanna be just as close as your Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses .


Wishing you lots of luck to handle the blames , I remain,

Yours Truly,

Munish .

" And When your fears subside, but shadows still remain,
I know that you can love me, when there is no one left to Blame . " - Guns n Roses

Response to Responses

When there is honesty in revealing , it is disturbing to be struck down for being truthful . If my honest description of Mr. Anna Hazare going on fast is not to be understood, rather criticised then I may request you Dear Man to check the website in his name and once you do so please revert back to me with your expert comments . I have not cooked the story to complete the blog just for the heck of it . I have been asked by most of you to unblock the comments part on the blog. Now you know the reason behind this. Some unknown elements spoil the blog by their immature and hurting comments . Let it be .

Words of appreciation from my old school friend Ms. Richa Khattar over mail . It was so good to catch up with her after ages . She gave updates about Ms. Pratibha and Ms. Monika . Gosh ! I dont remember who they are . May be this is due to Long term memory loss . And I thought to myself : Am I becoming forgetful ? Is it a symptom of ageing ? But then I thought everyone is ageing every passing day and I believe forgetfulness is a blessing in disguise . If we were not forgetful we would probably cry ourselves to death over the same pain and sufferring we had experienced in the past over and over again . Thank the lord for this quality . A piece of advice from a friend that I should not reveal my personal matters on the blog . She says many people may not be interested to know how much I love Nidhi . Is it so ? Okay, I will refrain . Appreciation mail from Gaurav Behl, my good friend in Vamnicom  . Gaurav, based at Gurgaon,  is presently working for a reputed Ad agency . Most of us have been forced into the jobs which we may not like and we may not have the relevant skills for them but Gaurav for sure is a lucky guy ! He was always so creative , played so well with the words. He used to tamper the songs in a very funny manner . I am glad for him that he got to use his talent in the right manner and also getting paid for it ! And he was great at Mimicry as well . He used to imitate almost all of us MBA guys including me. It feels so good to receive admiration from such a creative genius . He shared some of his creative works with me . One of his Ads for Canon with Sachin Tendulkar is appended below.

In Gulzar`s words...

Ek purana mausam lauta, yaad bhari purvaayi bhi,

Aisa toh kam hee hota hai woh bhi hon tanhayi bhi,

Yaadon ki bauchharon se jab palkein bheegne lagti hai,

Kitni saundhi lagti hai tab maazi(past ) ki ruswayi bhi .

We got this family sketch done on Manya`s Birthday with Papa . Also appending the same.

I will return with my regular post very shortly. This one was required . Please excuse .

Yours Truly,

Munish.

Mails & Females

Hi Friends,

Pleased to note that response to my first post has been amazing . Messages, mails are still pouring in !!! Thank you all for your kind words . Most of you are surprised to see this development , Some of you have asked to upload Manya`s snaps,  some of you have asked me how to start your own blog . Okay, you may check blogspot, blogger, posterous etc or you may " Google " and select your blog site as per your requirements as each one has its own features . Will look forward to your blogs .  Some of you have asked me about my next post. Well here it is...

We often share some fun mails while working . Such mails are always refreshing and take us away from office tensions for a while. I make it a point to forward each such mail that I receive . Pl register you e-mail id with me immediately in case you are not getting my mails :-) Today I got this mail on some Anna Hazare going on fast unto death from April 05 onwards . Apparently, Anna Hazare has given an ultimatum to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to enact stringent anti-corruption law – the peoples` “Jan Lokpal Bill” ! There`s more to this- Across India, Swami Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Swami Agnivesh, Arch Bishop Vincent Concessao, Mahmood A Madani, Kiran Bedi, J M Lyngdoh, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Mufti Shamoom Qasmi, Mallika Sarabhai, Arun Bhatia, Sunita Godara, All India Bank Employees Federation, PAN IIT Alumni Association, Common Cause and many other prominent organizations and leaders will support Anna at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi ! I am not sure how far this is true but in case it is , I have a serious objection . Do you buy this ? On a personal front, I dont approve of such actions . You cannot force your demands onto the Govt. by going on fast unto death ! Talking on fasts, let me confess that although I am a Brahmin by birth I have not gone on a fast even once in my life . I have respects for all the Gods that we worship but no fasts for me please . I have observed that people tend to eat more during fasting . In lieu of the fast, people have a lot of fruits and sweet dishes that they do not remain hungry at all. Where is the sacrifice ?  I feel we can never connect to God directly either by offering prayers or by fasting. We have not attained that spirituality , it takes a lot of effort, devotion and sacrifice . We need some one who has done Siddhi, someone who is close to God, dearer to him, a Sage, A Guru . Do you have one ?

Yesterday my colleague Ms. Divya N.  has resigned from the services of IDBI Bank . She was posted at CMS, Andheri for about 2 years, later got transferred to Bangalore after marriage and now she bid adieu inorder to take care of her home and family . These women are so flexible and so versatile !  They can adjust to every role so effortlessly and to their perfection . Nidhi sacrificed her work career when I got posting in Solan without much regret although her job was respectable and salary package was fairly decent . I shall always carry this guilt in my mind that she had to stop working just because of me but my respect for her has grown even more through these years . Nidhi, Have I told you lately that I Love You ! I personally know some women who have opted out of their careers for the sake of their family. Haripriya Madam in Axis Bank resigned from her lucrative job from Manager`s position and settled abroad with her hubby . Ms. Anupama Srivastava stepped down from the position of Cluster Head  and got request transfer to Solan as Back up Branch Manager and now Ms. Divya has resigned when her promotion was due . I distinclty remember , most of the toppers at my school and college have been girls, Vandana Bhatt, Tanu Kashyap, Neetu Sood to name a few. Each one of them was so tough competition for us guys ! Dear Manpreet Ahuja , Pankaj Mahajan, Arsh, Gaurav and all  Vamnicom people reading this hope you will agree not to disagree with me this time ! Its a strange irony that girls put in so much effort in studies and work and later they give up everything to take care of household chores . They leave their homes ( so journ ) and quickly adapt to their new homes, their new Papas and Mummies.  Such is the plight of women ! Sad But True .( Ohh I remember this song by Metallica ) I salute all these ladies above and all others I may have missed to mention who give priority to their families than their jobs . We can do nothing about this even if we want to . Our society is like this only.  It will take many Anna Hazare`s to change the norms of the society, so to say .

Abstracts from a beautiful song by  Bon Jovi :

I`ve been walking the footsteps of society`s lies,
I don`t like what I see anymore,
Sometimes I wish I was blind,
Sometimes I wait forever,
To stand out in the rain,
So no one sees me crying,
Trying to wash away the pain

Keep The Faith .

Yours Truly,

Munish.

Continued...

We humans have this tendency of causing disappointments to ourselves by setting great expectations and always falling short of them . So,  everything was going as per plan . A little goof up to trace Papa at the terminal but thats okay. Finally found him, back to home, quick breakfast and off to Manya's school with the cake. She was looking like a fairy ! Then long talks with Papa on who's who of family and relatives . Then Nidhi and myself decided not to arrange the party . Reason : Kids upto 5 Years don’t come alone, they come with their Mummies. It happened last year too  ! Kids are relatively easier to handle but we have to attend mummies too and this party is supposed to be  a kids affair but they don’t understand this hence .Second, We thought we will be able to spare some time for Papa as he was here for one day only . So the party was dropped .

The rest of the day went on well, we took Manya to Korum Mall, the most Happ Mall in the city. She was sooooo enjoying hereself, loads of rides and games. Finally we came back home exhausted, exhausted  ?  May be I understated, we came back home almost dead . Manya was already fast asleep on my shoulders, laid her down on the bed gently and kissed her Good Night.  Papa then spoke on length about his glorious tenure at his Bank ( he will be retiring on 31^st Dec`11 ) and that after retirement he will be able to spend more time with us which hitherto was not possible due to job constrainsts . We expressed our happiness and requested him to spend half the year with us and the other half at Shimla with Bro Amit .

Finally, we were at bed retrospecting about the Birth day. Nidhi felt that we could have done it better to which I agreed   . When we look back we always think that things could have been better but that`s life. You cannot  turn back time.  Had it been possible I would have definitely opted for a better B-School for MBA .( Aside VAMNICOMNIANS  : Without offence, I am sure you will agree to this. Most of us have struggled real hard to get where we are today . I don`t know howz the placement scenario now in our college ) . But All`s well that ends well.   Alll Izzzz Wellll :-0.  A happy note to end this post .

Before closing I must thank Deepali for the inspiration to start the blog .  Her way of narrating things is awesome .

Wishing you happiness Dear friends, I remain ,

Yours truly,

Munish.

To Begin with...

What a day to start my blog ! today is 1st March , the day my cuttte , my deloved daughter Manya came to my life 3 years ago . And with her came so much happiness , smiles , luck and laughter and change in me and my life .  Life has its own ways of surprising you when you feel all is said and done and there`s nothing more in life to explore . Suddenly I assumed a new role ..of a father .  Perhaps I will never be able to express how I felt when I holded Manya in my hands for the first time and I will not attempt it .But I can certainly and most definitely admit that she is the most beautiful and the most innocent girl I have ever known . And so  I felt a new sense of responsibility and maturity in my thoughts and actions . They say girls bring their own luck and so it happened .  I was so frustrated with my then job that I  desperately needed a change, at any cost . IDBI Bank , my present employer notified vacancies in March`08 and ...here I am . Thanks Manya. I see the lines of my fate in your hands .  There is one more angle to my appointment in IDBI . I will dwell more on this in a separate post later .

Since this is my introductory blog , you must know about the Love of my life, my dearest wife Nidhi . Nidhi is the first best thing to happen to me .  My life has never been the same ever since I met her . Co-incidences have been a part of my life , the strangest of them being that Nidhi and yours truly share the same birth month, same birth day and year too ! Yesssssss...Its 3rd Aug`19** . Stars b`coz girl`s ages are not to be revealed and I must adhere to the rulebook ! People say we are made for each other, they must be saying this for every other couple they meet in order to please them but I have many reasons to believe. She cares for me like a mother, she is my best friend on this planet , she has always been by my side through all the ups and downs and kept her faith in me and my credentials and and and she also fights with me like a fierce lioness ( p.s Nidhi if you are reading this..I was joking ! ). I was a very small officer until I met her in 2006 , joined HDFC Bank as AM, later elevated to DM and in two years I became a Manager. So guys keep the ladies in your home happy and fortune will follow..:-). There so much more I have to say about her, may be later .

Today will be a hectic day for me obviously. First a drive through Mumbai traffic and receive Papa who is coming all the way from Shimla , a quick breakfast with him and then to drop Manya to school with B`day cake , preparations for evening party, then the party and its after affects . Lets see how it goes .

Nidhi is shouting with door keys in her hand . I must upload imm. and rush .

For some personal reasons I have blocked comments on the blog .You may pls share your views with me on my e-mail : munish.bhardwaj@idbi.co.in and munish.bhardwaj@mobileemail.vodafone.in or on Facebook .

Bbyeeeeee Dearies... Take Care

I am,

Yours Truly,

Munish .