ajar thoughts

History tends to repeat itself. After fifteen years of rocking a place, it was time for a new innings. Now, it seems like déjà vu. When you venture on an unknown ground, all the vultures set in… Business has taught me two principles to follow and propound… 1. Have no EGO. Ego blocks your learning process. And learning is accessible through all forms of living strata. 2. Never take a COMMISSION for just introducing people on to a project or any business deal. I will never introduce a stranger to any project that I work on. He has to be either personally handpicked or has to be very strongly recommended. I have a lot of talented friends and I create opportunities for them. Create? For example, one of my friends is a photographer. Every time a conversation veers towards a photo op, I enquire and I pitch for him. And create a requirement most of the times. My photographer friend still does not know about it. No commission. Only goodwill. My real estate friend charges no brokerage for all m...

Priorities shift in life. I remember being a compulsive spendthrift, splurging on new clothes, accessories and entertainment. The last splurge happened on the eve of my wedding. Now I revel in the pleasure of passing on small little gifts of happiness to my wife and the apple of my eye. While prospects of grooming me were discussed, a funny parody began weaving in my mind. Just imagine a meeting arranged by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to discuss an important agenda… Dressing up Gandhi. “ Bapu, it’s high time you started wearing something, at least. I know you have the balls to take on the British. But why should I be the one to be reminded of that every time I see you getting up from the charka? “Look at me. I have my all my stuff laundered at London. We are having a ball (ahem) too. Don’t you get bored with this loin stuff? “I’ll be the Prime Minister, soon, and I don’t want you hanging around (ahem) in this manner. Chalo, let’s go to old Bond Street and we can pick up a c...

I hate to work on Sundays. But the assignment was wrapped on an invitation to visit the freshly renovated, one and only, authentic seafood restaurant in Chembur. We set on a bike on a lovely Sunday traffic, meandering on the highway and criss-crossing the suburbs on to the central and were on the last lap when a fellow bike rider pointed towards the rear tyre. By the time we realized it, the bike groaned loudly with the added pressure of the deflated tyre. We walked the rest of the few blocks and were waited upon till the owner arrived. A round of seafood entrees followed by the main course including a very unique bhatkal biryani and finally some caramel pudding ended a sumptuous Sunday afternoon. The owner dropped us to the bike and guided us to the nearest mechanic. Temples are a very lucrative site for beggars. We dragged the bike to the parking lot and a street urchin raced towards us wanting to lead us to the mechanic. Before we could decide, he was already off and my fr...

I always wonder at people who manage to write daily blogs in spite of their business. I will try and write one too… Title : A day in the life of …. Early mornings are for the birds and not us humans. We slog, we party even harder, have dinners in the mornings and then go CRASH! I hate the first rays of sunlight falling on my face whenever I am at home. I love the first rays of sunlight enveloping me with its arrival, whenever I am outdoors. I hate the early morning banter of normal humans, housewives, mothers, career women, assembling for a ritual breakfast before they proceed further to their daily grind. My two year something old tugs at me and I look at her with ‘refusing to open” eyes. She puts a missing pillow underneath my head and walks back to her next spontaneous routine. I stare and wonder at the thoughtfulness emitting out from her. I try to get back to sleep. But I know that I won’t because the thought process for the day has begun. Every morning, the on...