Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do. He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.
"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop.
Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.
"You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today everything is getting computerized."
"Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look.
He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stocky like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.
"You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."
Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naivety demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."
"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.
This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence came into his so far affable, persuasive tone.
"Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in.Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."
He had the man where he wanted him and it was time to drive home the point.
"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centres across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrency; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand
the complexity in designing and coding such a system?"
The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination. "You design and code such things."
"I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the Project Manager,"
"Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, "so your life is easy now."
It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan. The man had to be given a feel of the heat.
"Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer
at one end always changing his requirements, the user wanting something else and your boss always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."
Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realisation. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth. "My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in the line of fire."
The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.
"I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was staring blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.
"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolour at the top only 4 of us were alive."
"You are a..."
"I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a land assignment. But tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier. On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety."
"But my captain refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded."
"His own personal safety came last, always and every time. He was killed as he shielded that soldier into the bunker. Every morning now, as I stand guard I can see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire."
Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a daily part of life; a valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes.
The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight.
"It was nice meeting you sir."
Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This hand had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolour. Suddenly as if by impulse,he stood at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute. It was the least he felt he could do for the country.
PS: The incident he narrates during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and his various other acts of bravery he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra the nation's highest military award.
Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn!
Winners are too busy to be sad, too positive to be doubtful, too optimistic to be fearful and too determined to be defeated!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
I will always be there for you,
and I hope you will be there for me too,
for our friendship can never be broken,
I will remain loyal through all the good and the bad,
and in the end we will be glad,
because without you I am nothing,
as you are nothing without me,
we fill the space a lover couldn't fill,
for we hold each others secrets that we would never spill,
and the day you're gone, part of me goes too,
because I wouldn't want to be here with out you,
Best friends forever you and me,
nothing could ever change that; it's destiny!
and I hope you will be there for me too,
for our friendship can never be broken,
I will remain loyal through all the good and the bad,
and in the end we will be glad,
because without you I am nothing,
as you are nothing without me,
we fill the space a lover couldn't fill,
for we hold each others secrets that we would never spill,
and the day you're gone, part of me goes too,
because I wouldn't want to be here with out you,
Best friends forever you and me,
nothing could ever change that; it's destiny!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Lage Raho Munnabhai ....
Watched this movie .. Lage raho munnabahi ... one of the greatest movies ever seen ... made on such a difficult and sensative topic, extremely brilliant screen play, a movie where you laugh like anything but still passes a very strong message.
That one should always speak truth.
Speaking lie is very easy, but speaking truth takes lots of guts
Many times people don't like hearing truth ... which is a fact aslo. The reason for those are also because we all like to hear good and nice things. I dont understand why are people so afraid to state the truth.
I have experianced many times people not liking when I say truth on their face, but I don't understand why ? Why are you so afarid to face yrself ? Why are people so afraid to say things which they fell so strongly about ? Why do people delay things/ decisions ? I know for sure that if i delay making a choice right not in a problem, or delay a problem it will come back to me more strongly next time. Right now i may get away with this quite lightly but that may not be the case for the long term.
Kher not deviating for the topic I will say a gr8 movie to watch, enjoy it a lot and try to follow as much as you can from it in your life and become a better person. Right now it gives a nice feeling with Bollywood comming with movies for a reason which respect equality of people, respects indian culture ...
That one should always speak truth.
Speaking lie is very easy, but speaking truth takes lots of guts
Many times people don't like hearing truth ... which is a fact aslo. The reason for those are also because we all like to hear good and nice things. I dont understand why are people so afraid to state the truth.
I have experianced many times people not liking when I say truth on their face, but I don't understand why ? Why are you so afarid to face yrself ? Why are people so afraid to say things which they fell so strongly about ? Why do people delay things/ decisions ? I know for sure that if i delay making a choice right not in a problem, or delay a problem it will come back to me more strongly next time. Right now i may get away with this quite lightly but that may not be the case for the long term.
Kher not deviating for the topic I will say a gr8 movie to watch, enjoy it a lot and try to follow as much as you can from it in your life and become a better person. Right now it gives a nice feeling with Bollywood comming with movies for a reason which respect equality of people, respects indian culture ...
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Quite a big lesson in this little story
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
"What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the lamb and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The lamb sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.
But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the lamb.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.
REMEMBER: EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON. One of the best things to hold onto in this world, beside God is a friend.
"What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the lamb and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The lamb sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.
But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the lamb.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.
REMEMBER: EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON. One of the best things to hold onto in this world, beside God is a friend.
Friday, August 18, 2006
The raw, crude and happy Kshitij Hinger ...
It’s been really long since I have written anything ... lately been thinking a lot ... friends will say when the hell was I not thinking :) Today will write about my thoughts about the way I live my life, money and satisfaction in life.
People call me crude and raw, I didn't used to like that some time ago, but now i am happy with being raw ... because I know where needed I can be equally professional ... and I am raw because I don’t like to waste my money. Its been hard earned. I don’t want a lifestyle of branded things or eating out in expensive places. I think that is a waste of money. Now that doesn’t means that I am not fine eating there on regular purpose, its okay to do that once a while but never no a regular basis. Perhaps I can see that because i have been broke in my life and it was me and only me who on himself got over from there. May be that was a phase which changed me and gave me a new direction in my life.
being raw gives me a confidence which very few people posses ... I am never worried about my work, rather than they driving me, I drive them ... yes people do find it uncomfortable of that many times, but I think there is no harm in being like that and what’s great about is that it makes me not afraid of any damm thing, any person ... I guess this is something which only can be felt ...
I am motivated to something only till the time I like doing that ... and I have that discipline in my life that I can literally stop something the day I want it ... I never get addicted, people may feel I am ... but the day I realize I don’t want to do it and than its like the last day ...
People like to know what drives me, I will say its different things at times ... I know I can do a lot many things, but will only do those which I want too ... and people many times find it difficult to understand. I think I have multi-skills and I personally believe that doing something which you like is great ... is ausum ... cause there you get satisfaction ... I guess satisfaction is something which all people want have. Many of my friends think I like to show off ... I would say they are wrong, I want a sea facing penthouse because I want to live in that, I want to feel that fresh breeze every day ... I like to get wet and dance in rains... if its crude so what I will still keep doing that ... cause these are the things which give me lot of satisfaction ... and enjoyment ...one can say "atma trupt hoti hai" meaning the soul gets satisfied....
Yes I like to live my heart ... cause I think that is fun ... and i am happy with that ... I am outspoken ... but I am satisfied with it because it has its own shares of happiness and sadness ... pro's and con's ... I say things which should be told and can be harsh at times ... I don’t like to cause anyone any pain, trouble anyone, scare anyone ... but I like to ensure that in that process they don't end up using me. Yes I do let people use me and I think that's the biggest shortcoming I have ... I am unable to say NO to people even if I really want it and I know people knowingly and unknowingly use that quality of mine.
Yesterday I came across a discussion where a collogue of mine said I check profitability of every day in my life … I never did that but I that is an excellent suggestion because that that will mean that I will be satisfied every day and I think there is nothing better than that
I forgive people but I never forget.... I recon it’s enough for today ... and I am really happy to be raw and crude ... because I think I am raw and crude because I know how to carry myself around well with anyone and I guess after that it doesn’t matters. I am able to build good level of trusts with people and that is only because I never get back from my word and if anyone wants to make me do that ... that is something which I will always regret ... people would be thinking why has this been posted here ... but I am sure not many will be able to understand it cause it been a conversation with myself!!!!!!!!! and a decision has be taken ...
People call me crude and raw, I didn't used to like that some time ago, but now i am happy with being raw ... because I know where needed I can be equally professional ... and I am raw because I don’t like to waste my money. Its been hard earned. I don’t want a lifestyle of branded things or eating out in expensive places. I think that is a waste of money. Now that doesn’t means that I am not fine eating there on regular purpose, its okay to do that once a while but never no a regular basis. Perhaps I can see that because i have been broke in my life and it was me and only me who on himself got over from there. May be that was a phase which changed me and gave me a new direction in my life.
being raw gives me a confidence which very few people posses ... I am never worried about my work, rather than they driving me, I drive them ... yes people do find it uncomfortable of that many times, but I think there is no harm in being like that and what’s great about is that it makes me not afraid of any damm thing, any person ... I guess this is something which only can be felt ...
I am motivated to something only till the time I like doing that ... and I have that discipline in my life that I can literally stop something the day I want it ... I never get addicted, people may feel I am ... but the day I realize I don’t want to do it and than its like the last day ...
People like to know what drives me, I will say its different things at times ... I know I can do a lot many things, but will only do those which I want too ... and people many times find it difficult to understand. I think I have multi-skills and I personally believe that doing something which you like is great ... is ausum ... cause there you get satisfaction ... I guess satisfaction is something which all people want have. Many of my friends think I like to show off ... I would say they are wrong, I want a sea facing penthouse because I want to live in that, I want to feel that fresh breeze every day ... I like to get wet and dance in rains... if its crude so what I will still keep doing that ... cause these are the things which give me lot of satisfaction ... and enjoyment ...one can say "atma trupt hoti hai" meaning the soul gets satisfied....
Yes I like to live my heart ... cause I think that is fun ... and i am happy with that ... I am outspoken ... but I am satisfied with it because it has its own shares of happiness and sadness ... pro's and con's ... I say things which should be told and can be harsh at times ... I don’t like to cause anyone any pain, trouble anyone, scare anyone ... but I like to ensure that in that process they don't end up using me. Yes I do let people use me and I think that's the biggest shortcoming I have ... I am unable to say NO to people even if I really want it and I know people knowingly and unknowingly use that quality of mine.
Yesterday I came across a discussion where a collogue of mine said I check profitability of every day in my life … I never did that but I that is an excellent suggestion because that that will mean that I will be satisfied every day and I think there is nothing better than that
I forgive people but I never forget.... I recon it’s enough for today ... and I am really happy to be raw and crude ... because I think I am raw and crude because I know how to carry myself around well with anyone and I guess after that it doesn’t matters. I am able to build good level of trusts with people and that is only because I never get back from my word and if anyone wants to make me do that ... that is something which I will always regret ... people would be thinking why has this been posted here ... but I am sure not many will be able to understand it cause it been a conversation with myself!!!!!!!!! and a decision has be taken ...
Friday, July 28, 2006
Kshitij, your connection type is The In-depth Conversationalist
Kshitij, your connection type is The In-depth Conversationalist
Whether it's 4 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon, you're probably the friend people call when they need someone to talk to. "Lean on me" might as well be your theme song. You're a great confidante and advisor who's especially good at listening to your pals when something's on their mind. Just make sure they're willing to do the same for you!
Marathon phone calls don't tire you out! You've been working on your endurance for years. Whether talking about the major events in your life, spelling out every detail of your last vacation, or giving the all important blow-by-blow of your last date, you've got stories to share with the loved ones in your life! And if that afterthought occurs just after you hang up? No worries. You're not ashamed to call back for a quick update. Sure, your friends might tease you about your flair for drama and attention to detail. But they always know that when they need you, you're just a phone call away.
Whether it's 4 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon, you're probably the friend people call when they need someone to talk to. "Lean on me" might as well be your theme song. You're a great confidante and advisor who's especially good at listening to your pals when something's on their mind. Just make sure they're willing to do the same for you!
Marathon phone calls don't tire you out! You've been working on your endurance for years. Whether talking about the major events in your life, spelling out every detail of your last vacation, or giving the all important blow-by-blow of your last date, you've got stories to share with the loved ones in your life! And if that afterthought occurs just after you hang up? No worries. You're not ashamed to call back for a quick update. Sure, your friends might tease you about your flair for drama and attention to detail. But they always know that when they need you, you're just a phone call away.
Kshitij, you're a Muse!
Kshitij, you're a Muse!
Known for your creative powers, you Muses are the poets and musicians of life, the patrons of the fine arts. It's funny, though — even with your inspirational prowess, you're probably not the type to boast about your guitar-strumming skills, or your latest published book of verse.
While it's great when people flock to you for ideas, there probably is a part of you that prefers to blend in sometimes — whether dressing in muted shades or staking out a one-on-one conversation at parties and social events. But try as you might not to hog the spotlight, others can't help but notice you. Must be hard to be such a goddess!
Despite any lingering modesty, you might be surprised at how much your mere presence can help improve the lives of those around you by infusing them with ideas and good thoughts. With that kind of healing energy, your inspirational ways have the potential to change the world, Muse. Whether you're scribbling sonnets, boogying with your friends, or drawing your own constellations — you're tapped in. So keep your eyes wide open to the possibilities and let that inspiration flow!
Known for your creative powers, you Muses are the poets and musicians of life, the patrons of the fine arts. It's funny, though — even with your inspirational prowess, you're probably not the type to boast about your guitar-strumming skills, or your latest published book of verse.
While it's great when people flock to you for ideas, there probably is a part of you that prefers to blend in sometimes — whether dressing in muted shades or staking out a one-on-one conversation at parties and social events. But try as you might not to hog the spotlight, others can't help but notice you. Must be hard to be such a goddess!
Despite any lingering modesty, you might be surprised at how much your mere presence can help improve the lives of those around you by infusing them with ideas and good thoughts. With that kind of healing energy, your inspirational ways have the potential to change the world, Muse. Whether you're scribbling sonnets, boogying with your friends, or drawing your own constellations — you're tapped in. So keep your eyes wide open to the possibilities and let that inspiration flow!
Monday, July 03, 2006
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