Lessons to take from an express train !

Ever since my childhood I get  goosebumps whenever I see an express or passenger train passing by the platform. The loud horn, the rhythmic sound of the boggies, the humming of the earth beneath and most importantly the speed it passes with.

I would always think what is this feeling? Is it fear or excitement? Couldn't figure out the same for the longest time.

Today, I felt little envy of it. Why ????? To me it represent so many things, Power, Responsibility, Leadership,Faith, Focus, Goal etc. So much in any lifeless being. We all look for such qualities in ourselves.  Let us see this in little detail....

Power: It comes with so much of energy around itself that people are bound to step back to make way for it and its force. The gush of wind around itself is so forceful that if you do not step back you may meet your fate.

Responsibility: Once I tried counting the boggies, approximately 30 was my count. And one engine is pulling all of them together at the same speed in the same way forward.

Leadership: Oh ! How proud it looks to me as the one who is leading them all. I don't know but I can feel an aura around it. It comes with a huge noise , stays for few seconds and then it leaves behind a faith rhythmic sound. You can hear it from and hear it after its gone !

Faith: The other boggies seamlessly follow the engine having full faith and trust in the engine.

Focus: It has its path clear in the form of the tracks. Will not deviate unless and until an intervention from an external force.

Goal: It knows where it is heading for and will not rest until reaches there.

And yes, did you try and listen to the music it creates even when it is moving so fast. It is enjoying itself even when it running and rushing.

Some may say its the motor man who is behind all this but we believe what we see and feel. As in god is running our life and we follow his instructions. If we try and deviate we fail in our endevours. Similarly an engine is no human , its only a machine but it could still motivate me and many others.

Amazing !!

My team with a madness !!!

Last year,15th Oct was the first time my ex-co, Tamarind was doing a function along with my current and parent company of tamarind,Sharyans Group. The expectations were also too high as some of the key people from Sharyans group had seen our new year celebration performance the previous year. It was exciting as well as challenging, especially since the work season had just begun.

I was responsible for putting a group performance representing tamarind. It was easy and difficult at the same time. Easy because we knew, we can do it anyhow. We are used to put up brilliant performances at the last moment (remember, the New Year dance preparation J). And difficult since the staff was full to the brim with work pressure and getting dedicated time out if these guys were like getting more juice out the squeezed lemon.

So the mission began, the first step was to decide the theme of the performance. I with some of my key team members, Jenny , Chaitali and few more brainstormed but nothing  worked out. Finally we decided we will represent what Tamarind does, “We show India to the world”. Well, a very common theme but atleast we concurred on something since time was essence and we had spend too much time discussing themes. The next step was to select songs, pull out the staff who we thought could do justice to the performances, convince the bosses for their team member’s time, get all of them together at the same time and the list goes on. And we were yet to face the main challenge, which was getting the choreographers, everyone and no one started choreographing the songs. What a confusion!

Relief came when one of sales staff, Shruti Bhat recommended her friends. We, as if the movie producers called them for a meeting. They came and we explained our theme. They said they could do many things with theme, we were happy that someone was looking at it as a good theme .They recommended some changes in the songs,  mixing and finalizing the whole medley. Ok, we were ready now to start practicing.

The next day 1 pm, lunch hour was decided as practice time. Everyone including the choreographers and the bosses were ready. The day came and went, no one came except us. We missed our lunch, but both the choreographers stayed the second half and trained whoever came as per their convenience. The performance was shaping up. We had people practicing as per their songs except during the final stage performanceJ.

Now the big day had arrived and the dancers were still running around arranging costumes. We should have ideally left office by 5 pm, but the costumes arrived only by 4 pm. The performers had to get ready for a typical bhangda, Lavani , Goan and South India dance. Imagine the amount of time required for the whole make up. So I became the makeup artist, hair stylist and the spot boy. We were getting late, it was raining outside, the changing room looked messed but it had its own sense of gratification once we were ready. Everyone was looking gorgeous in their attire; Indianess has its own unique beauty.

 We had arranged for transport so thankfully we arrived although little late. The function began with some beautiful solo and group performances by the other teams. The icing on the cake was the compering  done by Louis D’souza and Shradha Vyas. Louis at his best as usual and Shradha di with her simplicity added the much needed anxiety to us before our performances. We just wanted to do it. And then the time came. It started with a punjabi damdaar bhangda and ended with a Patriotic song. The lavani dancers took eveyone’s breath away, the goan performers looked lovely in their salsa style and the south Indian group rocked with their nakamuka jhakas. Everyone was elated with the performance. You should have our seen our bossy, Mr. Mahesh Shirodka. He was like a proud father. We were happy that we were able to put through the expectations.

Today when we look back; we cannot stop smiling, giggling and laughing at so many moments that we shared. It was a true showcase of our TAMARIND core values, beliefs and culture. Three cheers for everyone who was associated in every possible way to make it a success. It’s a accomplishment specially for me, who did not dance but knows each and every step by heart and was actually doing it in live in my heart along with the live stage show J !

Is Marriage the end or beginning ?

I have a friend who is very intelligent and wanted to opt for her CA exams after her graduation. But one fine day while we were giving our mid- term exams of First Year B.Com, she failed to turn up for the exams. Worried, we went to her home only to see her decked up her engagement. We were shocked but she seems to be happy and carefree. Infact glowing and blushing at the sight of her to be prince charming. She forgot all the career goals and higher studies aspiration. She was married before off before the final exams and she seems so comfortable to discontinue her studies.  I am disturbed till date and the shock is shared by her sister in law (like a mother to her) who was assured that my friend will be allowed further studies once she settled in her married life. You never settle in life till your last breath!

My sister’s best friend was married by system called “Gauna(prevelent in northern states)” while in school. She completed her M.Com from her mom’s place and was then set off to her in-law’s place. Sounds better than the earlier one? Worst, the girl topped the university in her M.com exams only to work as a school teacher in the native place of her husband. Her husband is no match to her in terms of her intelligence and caliber.

I am no one to determine the happiness quotient of the above two women but I am disturbed as to how we seem to seamlessly compromise to our fates. When you compromise you seem to lose and forget a part of the game. People say that marriage means to compromise but you know it cannot be happy marriage, atleast for one party. Is Marriage the end or beginning for these two women?

The morale of the stories to me – Parents need to do lot of soul searching while making decision for their kids. Transparency is a must amongst children and parents, even if it a negative or an unacceptable thing. Lack of this leads to distressed future of your child or a hidden volcano in the heart of your child which, when erupts throw lava of mistrust, shock and grief for parents and the child of course !

I met a street smart entreprenuer in making ...

I had to literally run to catch my train (that's how most of us catch local trains in mumbai, no wonder, huge response to Mumbai marathon !). I was panting for breath when I got in. But I was happy I would reach home little early to play with my son. Someone gave me a fourth seat, not so comfortable but still ok(it's a common term if you travel by mumbai local everyday). I was still setting down and then came  boy with fresh -Mosambis (sweet lime) Shubham

         He would have passed unnoticed, had not been a lady ask him to put his tokri (fruit basket) down to check the fruits. He couldn't hold the tokri and show her the fruits, so I asked to hold one side. He then asked another lady to hold another side of the tokri so that he was free to trade. And he said "" Aap meri madat karoge toh mein aapko thank you bolunga". That's what brought a smile on my face. And this just the beginning.

He was a pukka business man selling his fruits with branding and his sweet talks. I asked him are you studying ?,  he told me "Ha mein 6^th mein hoon." Then some asked sirf kaam karta hai ya padhta bhi hai. He replied " Subah 6 se 12 baje tak school jata hoon and sham ko fruits bechta hoon. 400 ki kharidi hai, 310 leke ja raho hoo( he meant it otherwise).Abhi chutti hai". I asked results kaise aaye. He  said "4^th aaya hoon". And then he showed me some fruits asking,” acche hai na madam”. When  I said yes, he said to his customer, “dekha yeh madam bhi boli acche hai”. We all in the compartment started laughing.

He did not forget to thank me and the other lady. The one who asked him to show him his tokri must have felt left out. Hence she said, “mujhe toh thank you nahi kaha”. He  said, “aapko kyoon bolu aapne meri madat kaha ki”. She  argued "main nahi rukati toh kaise bikte tere sare phal", he counter answered and that was amazing" Aapne toh fruits lene ke liye kaha tha, yeh aunty ne toh meri help ki " He made us laugh more. And yes he also said, “aapke wajh se mere pair me bhi chot aayi”. And that too much for the lady.

         But we enjoyed. And yes he did tell me that I am Lucky for him as he sold all his fruits. I bought his last two fruits. Surprising, how these kids work hard to survive. We never had too. I am sure he will grow up to a successful man. You can see stars only in darkness. There is a saying in Marathi " बाळाचे पाये पाळण्यात दिसतात !"