A restless bear next to you – Hair Raising Experience

Can you imagine a giant restless bear with thorn like hair sitting next to you on a flight?? At least I can never imaging that happening to me, even in wildest of my dreams. However, that is what exactly happened to me on my flight from Karachi to Sharjah en-route to Mumbai. I had chosen an aisle seat was comfortably reading the flight magazine of Air – Arabia. Once a while, I looked up to see if some lovely faces entered the plane or not and whether someone like that settles next to me. Though, I had never been so lucky on that account.

The middle seat on my left was still vacant, so I was still hoping against hopes for a miracle to happen, at least this time. While on a similar mission, I saw a 6 feet plus tall frame entering the plane. If he did not have a human face I would have taken him as a grizzly bear. He wore a Pathan – Suit, but had his sleeves rolled up to his mighty biceps. He walked through the aisle and slowed down as he approached my row. I was still hopeful that he would pass by to the rows ahead. But sorry!! He stopped right there only and breathed heavily all over me. I was shit scared for a moment, because the images of Tom & Jerry flashed in my head and I saw myself running for shelter and being chased by the big cat.

I saw upwards and made an apologetic face and got up from seat to give him the way. He settled in the middle seat somehow and occupied 25 % more on either side. I thought of it as a serious encroachment, but could hardly say anything, forget even muttering to myself. The person on the window seat must have been also feeling the same, because we looked at each other and expressed profound sympathy towards each other.

It was a case of “ SO FAR SO GOOD ”. After I took my seat, I noticed that he had large curly, but thorny hair all over his hands. Not an inch of flesh could be seen. That to me was alright till then, because there are a many gifted with that kind of structure. The flight took off and our problems compounded. The grizzly was a real restless animal. He wriggled and moved all over the place. And as moved left and right his hair brushed and pricked my naked hands. The person on the other side was lucky as he too wore a Pathan suit and his arms were protected. So it was left to me and the grizzly person. We were playing a game of chess. He gave a “ Check – Protect your Arms ” warning and I was “ Saving my King, the arms ”. Though, I had ingeniously developed a synchronized swaying motion with his wriggles, sometimes I could not avoid the accidents. On those occasions I just fell short of bleeding. Every time his hair touched my arms, my small little soft arms screeched and squealed in pain. I could see my hair raising and rising in protest. Finally I decided to withstand personal pain rather than this torture and inclined my body by almost 45 degrees towards the floor, to avoid contact with his thorny hair. But I had to swing back again to give way to others & the crew members and then again I cried in pain.

The most frustrating moments, which were quite frequent, were when he rose from the seat, pinched and tweaked his lower parts and sat again with a thud, thus unsettling two of us on either side. I really do not know what he achieved, except hurting me and my soft arms?

So bad was the hair raising experience.

Khurshid Akhter

I was in for a shock when at the airport I was told that I was required to do police registration. Really I was tensed up. I was told that someone would be coming to receive me. As I walked out, I saw a person holding a plaque card with my name. He introduced me himself as Khurshid Akhter. We headed for his car. He read it on my face, perhaps, and asked me what was bothering me. I told him about the police verification & registration. He calmed me with his assurance.

He took me to a police station on the way to the hotel. He knew an inspector there. The inspector was an elderly person with beard. He received us with warmth. We greeted each other and eased out in our chairs. He listened to my case and then directed us to the place where this formality could be done. He gave his card too. We went straight to the other police station and found that it was already day off for them.

Next day, khushid took me to the police station. As discussed he was right on time at the hotel. I was to learn over the period that he is very punctual, which is a trait I like very much. It was a Friday. We met the person who was to complete the formality. He told us about a long procedure and gave us a long list of things to be complied with, which included a set of 4 photographs and also informed that the station office was to close at 12 noon. I got tensed up again, but this man, Khurshid was as cool as cucumber. I envied him.

Khurshid drove us to a market place, got myself snapped, kept his assistant there to collect the photographs and drove to Martin Dow to be there in time for the meeting. His punctuality reflected here too. Luckily the MD of Martin Dow put someone on the police registration job and ensured that I was not required to go there again. I got all the formalities done by the time we called it a day. We finished our meeting late in the evening. Khurshid was considerate and asked me to relax at the hotel that day. Next day onwards, he was with me all the time till 11 /12 PM, like a protective shield, to ensure that I was not alone and that I was comfortable.

During our conversations he got to know about my purchases and also realized that I wanted a camera to shoot the places I visit. A camera was immediately organized. My wish list too was registered in his memory bank. I did not require any reminders as he had already planned everything out for me. Things moved and happened like a well oiled machine. No hick ups.

I must say that he is very warm and loving person. He is a complete family person, but still gave priority to me because he knew what loneliness is, on a foreign soil. He is a god fearing person and is bestowed with some supernatural powers, because everything has fallen in place in his personal life and career, as he wanted. So much so that he wished that his first trip on a plane should be to Haz. And lo!! It happened. His trip to Dubai could not materialize in spite of the fact that he had a Visa, the ticket, the hotel booking etc, and that did not flutter him a bit, because he wanted the Haz to happen first.

There is a Sun and Stars in his name itself and he shines and twinkles and radiates positive energy. Khurshid means Sun & Akhter means Stars. That is what Khurshid Akhter is in real life too.

Easy things for VVIPs

It is a very easy thing for them to fall sick or get BP / Heart Pain / Depression the moment they are caught and subjected to interrogation. Similarly it is very easy for them to get all critical documents, files from the concerned departments, where their cases are being handled. It is also very easy for them to get such files missing from the offices. Why so now even the hard discs have started finding a way out from the offices. Police / CBI / ITax departments are helpless as such documents start walking out from their offices too and they are all left clueless. As it is they clueless, but then missing files, documents, hard discs etc strengthen their hands and eventually the cases become toothless and finally the bigwigs are free to say that " Nobody is guilty till proven so ".

we believe all that and give them our votes and help them win by massive majority to enable them to run in to another scandal.

" Ye Sab Unke Banye Haath Ka Khel Hai "

Shame to the Great magicians  PC Sorkar / Jadugar Mendrek etc. Our VVIPs can do what they can't do.

Jay HO !!

Dr. Deshpande

I just could not resist the temptation of visiting Pilani immediately after completing my work in Pakistan High Commission at Delhi. Pilani, where I grew up and graduated from BITS, keeps on calling us old Pilanians time and again. Nothing has changed since I left the place in 1971, except the growing population and dirt, but the place and the people are exceptional. So this time it was no different.

During my sojourn I learnt that an Old Batch ( probably 1976 – 77 pass outs ) comprising of some 80 odd well settled people now had organized felicitation of Dr. Deshpande in Pilani. They organized pick up, drop, lodging and boarding for all the family members of Dr. Deshpande and arranged a hugely successful program in AUDI ( yes, our dear old auditorium ). They gave a cheque of Rs. 2 Lac and a citation to him. We all knew Dr. Deshpande and had always high regards and respect for him, but hardly any one had thought of this gesture. It moved me.

Hats off to the 80 odd boys, who are different.

An incident which is etched on our memory like many others tells amply about the command and respect he enjoyed. In a street fight some boys from CEERI thrashed some of the students from BITS. As usual the BITSians ganged up together and charged at the CEERI gate with hockey sticks, lathis in their hands. Dr. Deshpande rushed to the spot, when he came to know about it. He stood at the gate and said in loud and clear voice “ ABOUT TURN ” and all the BITSians turned their backs and walked off peacefully. A big clash was thus avoided.

It is really very sad that only a few months later he passed away, leaving a legacy and his memory behind.

Flip Flop - Jairam Syle

I do not know what is wrong with a person like Jairam Ramesh . These days he is seen changing his position and decision with a flick of an eye lid. It was a big NO for Posco, Jaitapur, Vedanta project etc etc and he changed his decision almost the very next day. Now he says he is acting under some pressure. Well, if that is the case who stops from resigning gracefully with head high saying "Enough is Enough !! I would rather quit than buckle under pressure which is against my conscious and above all against the interest of our country's already worsening environment scenario".

Har Ki Doon - Trek April 20 - 30; 2k11

                                           I wrote this from comfortable confines of my home.

Trekking is fun and this one from Sankri to Har Ki Doon was no exception. We started our journey from Delhi on April 20th. Our first lap of journey was from Delhi to Dehradun by A C Express. We reached Dehradun early in the morning.

Our tour operator Mr. Nautiar was waiting at the station. A bus and a jeep took us to our first pit stop at a Youth Hostel en route, for the breakfast. We, the senior citizens, were given a preferential treatment and were accommodated in the jeep. We got this special treatment right throughout the trek, and that made us feel privileged and proud too, of our younger generation which had a mix of adults and children. This, in fact is the real strength of our culture and upbringing.

The 210 Kms journey from Dehradun to Sankri took almost 10 hours, as the travel was through treacherous winding roads going up and down the mountains along the river Tongs. A minor snag in our jeep carrying us senior citizens was to add to our thrill and excitement. Our jeep refused to move an inch after we had to stop for a while to remove a branch of a tree which was felled by some locals.

Locals from the nearby village gathered around us and each one commented and advised as if he was an auto expert. Finally it was concluded that the jeep had to be left there. A well to do local stopped a transport jeep – van carrying two army persons to Sankri. The Army personnel cooperated readily and saw that Neela & Shaila Tai were made comfortable in the seat behind the driver. They sat beside the driver and Swanand, Uday & I sat in the open luggage portion of the jeep on the back. It was getting dark by now. The 6 to 8 km bumpy ride appeared an endless journey. At last we made it to Sankri and had a sigh of relief. Hot soup was ready by then to welcome us all.

Our tour operator had goofed up, with an intention to make some fast and easy buck, and had booked for only 15 people in the Garwal Vikas Mandal Nigam guest house. We had to grease the palms to get others too accommodated in the guest house. Unfortunately this story was to follow us right throughout the trek at all the camping sites.

These experiences only taught us to fight out the unknown challenges and still enjoy. That is the hallmark of a trek. It was like a case of So – Far – So – Good.

Sankri – Taluka – Osla ( Seema ) – Har Ki Doon Trek:

Each day during the next 3 days, we walked about 10 to 16 Kms, gaining altitude of 400 – 800 Mtrs every day. Though the gain appears minuscule on paper, it was difficult because it was never a one way up or a down story. One moment we were on the banks of the river Tongs and the other at the top of a mountain, as if we were playing hide and seek games with the river and mountains.

The trek from Taluka to Osla and Osla to Har Ki Doon were tiresome and grueling. However, nobody seemed to complain about the odds, the distances, the inadequacies of food stuff etc, because at the end of the journey on the day there was something new that the Nature had to offer to us.

our exhaustion melted in the biting cold, the snow clad mountain top ranges, the surroundings, the lush green forests at the foothills and flowing waters from the rivulets and the falls and the steaming hot soup was a welcome refreshing elixir, as the sunset draped us in its warmth of the cold. Surprising no ? That even as the sun set behind the snow clad mountains, there was warmth felt by us all.

Har Ki Doon, some say it is the abode of lord shiv, and some say it’s the abode of all gods. Whatever it may be, it was surely our abode for a day and two nights. It was bliss, happiness and sense of fulfillment for us all.

The descend of around 30 odd kms, from there was comparatively easy but more frustrating as we approached our last base at Sankli, because a sense of colossal loss gripped us thick and fast as we touched our base at Sankli. Next day we were supposed to move back to the life filled with madness and hustle and bustle.

We all must have cursed our short lived fortunes, of being in places, full with peace and serenity, joy and happiness and cursed our misfortunes of leaving behind moments when we could identify ourselves with the nature.

But then that is what all life is all about, Life that of ups and downs, happiness and sorrows, accomplishments and defeats. So nothing to worry dear !! There will again be a TOMORROW !! And again a trek full of excitement and challenges. So, Wait till then folks, for my blog on another trek.

A special mention of Kedar, Swanand, Sangita Tai, Neel, Dhruv & Akash will not be out of place. They were all there for any one and every one who needed a helping hand.

Yes, to end the note if I am asked to spell out what I missed then I would reluctantly add a couple as under:

         Having gone thus far and so close to the Glacier ( Only 8 Kms from the last camp ) I would have loved to see and tick that off from my wish list, but the heavy snow fall earlier had made the site unreachable. So the wish list continues to have the Glacier.

         We all felt that the trek should have ended on a high note like the last time , that with Rafting. It was not to be. Probably we could have detoured to Rishikesh to try our luck this time.

         We certainly missed out on the hospitality, the arrangements and quality sumptuous food of Negi.

The link to my album given below, covers only 250 odd snaps out of about 800 snaps which I took during the trek. I could accommodate only so many in the allotted 1 GB free space. But I am sure you will see almost all important snaps. Once I get snaps from Neela Tai, Shaila Tai, Uday and other camera holders, I intend to write CDs and give it to you all.

So, Happy Viewing till then

https://picasaweb.google.com/ganuag/HarKiDoonApril2k11?authkey=Gv1sRgCJmo__nV6rn1-wE&feat=directlink