Social networking and its ... well, go figure !

A friend recently changed his status to ‘Single’ on FB (facebook). Comments started pouring in. His diplomatic response was – “the status field was blank and hence had to be filled”. Another friend changed his status to “in a relationship”. When asked he told there was immense pressure from his girl friend to clarify his stance (read status on FB :). These are just few examples on how inseparable the online social networking has become in our lives now. Let me clear that by no mean I am here to criticise FB or any social network as more or less I am equally active social animal :); It’s just that sometime it’s impossible to not notice few funny and silly things. This post is an attempt to see few those in a lighter view.

Social networks, let’s just take FB, were earlier used to connect with friends you usually can’t otherwise and have lost touch with. But people living in same city converse through FB. It has become an addiction. Here is one example – a friend post his updates, mostly daily happenings, at time funny, 4-5 times daily and keeps refreshing to see who all friends commented. Once I commented on a friend’s status and saw him liking it within seconds. I watched his wall for next few seconds and observed this for every comment. This was really hilarious. But trust me we all will be in similar situation sometime soon. What is funnier that after seeing this trend in social behaviour, the slow pickers (let’s call them indifferent ones) have also started picking-up. These indifferent ones feel that they might get left behind outdated, uninformed and out-casted and hence join this hoard to be in contact with active online friends.

To me writing/blogging has always been a more meaningful way to express my feelings and thoughts. But with the advent of FB and twitter more and more of feelings and emotions are posted as status- expressed in few words. Sometime he updates are faster than bullets :). One lost his wallet and instead of blocking the card and filing a report, posts it on FB first. A friend had break-up and you will get to know about it on same day. Talking of status, I am still confused about what’s the different between two similar statuses namely – ‘in a relationship’ and ‘committed’? I think both are same, but never mind. Will ask FB addicts this later :).

I hear my friend stating their addiction to FB. Some even post it boldly. And while the addicted ones post their status furiously, others taking a dig at him gets equally engrossed unknowingly. I find it fare to connect through FB but promoting it should never mean that the personal touch gets lost. At this point I will leave you to think whether its effect or side-effects of social networking? But my take is – “Let's connect first, socialize later” :)

PS: post is not meant to hurt anyone's sentiments, I am equally active on FB. Its just a sarcastic stance on the obsession with FB, and no person in particular. 

Of crush and misinterpretations.

You are going to office. Just like every other smart bachelor efficient in time management, you sleep till late; even if that means you have to skip breakfast. You catch the metro or bus almost in breathless condition.  While you hold on to door trying to gain your composure your eyes rest on a pretty girl. You blink for a moment and it’s a short story thereafter :-) Does the situation sound familiar?  Atleast to me, it does!

 Cute, smart, tall and sometime attractive enough that you can’t keep your eyes off.  God made beautiful creature – girls, and then made admirer of beauty -boys. Let me state that I am not favouring anyone here but no doubt, God blessed the two, with hearts quite different from each other. One like a safe mutual fund and other like a volatile equity.

Back to our situation, you see her. On a numerous such occasion you will have a quick look and then doze off or  may be a lightening have already struck you take a sneak peek every 2 min. This is just one phase which happens to boys at some point in their life. Lightening and awestruck. Love at first sight, crush, infatuation or the basic instinct ...whatever it may be, boys are always fast decision maker as if they are living life on edges.

But if the whole drama can be viewed in a different light, you will be amazed with what goes on the scene sometime. Here are few possible scenarios from a third person’s view.

1. She is lost in her own world when you see her first time. May be a treat for eyes for few moments before she realizes that two pair of eyes are constantly staring her. She looks back and you turn around or try to pretend to look outside window.

2. She is talking to someone over a phone call. She is probably using a handsfree. While she talks she might have a cursory glance around her surrounding which include you. At times as she talks, she would flaunt with her hair, probably even curl it 360 degree around her cheek. And if she happens to have a blank look at you while doing this act, you are flattered. It’s not a problem with us. Guys always have half knowledge about girl psychology and take this as a positive signal. Poor guys !

3. This is the third scenario while you may or may not be lucky. It depends a lot on your luck and look on a particular day. In this situation the girl actually finds out you are taking a sneak peek. She might look back at you for two reasons. First, she just wants to ensure if she knows you or you are just some random stranger who is starring her. Second, this is rare case contrary to popular myth – the girl would have no objection on you starring at her. When you look at her, she will pretend that she is not fine but, when you look through corners of your eyes, you will find her checking you out as well.  And chances are that she might gossip about this incident with her friends later.

But call it crush or infatuation... guys are like that. We think that we understand girls, just like I thought that I have captured every aspect of their psychology; but I haven’t, no one can. But still it was just a humorous attempt to capture how guys can be fooled around by their own misinterpretation and at times by girls :-)

Liberal smiles and We the People

Few days back, I went out for dinner on a Sunday evening along with my roomy and a lady friend. We didn’t had reservation at the restaurant at it was finalized at the last moment. Quite predictable it was, we had to wait outside just like so many other folks (guys n gals) waiting for a table. While a surrounding with girls always prompt my lady friend to ask me to pick one, I wasn’t in mood to be teased easily. I gave a cursory glance around and expressed my disapproval, not because I didn’t like any, but simply because I didn’t wanted to be an easy target for the next 15 minutes.“How about guys? They look cool”, my friend said. Now this was not expected. Both my roomy and I was amazed at her wittiness. Managing the sudden awkwardness thrown at us, we looked at guys, turned towards her and said “On an unbiased opinion, YES! They are far better than the girls they are standing with.” On this all of us laughed out loud. The next few minutes our smiles were revolving around scenes from movie Dostana and life after 377. There was a moment towards the end of that long gossip when I blinked and realized our generation is really getting liberal.

Now this conclusion was not drawn until my next few observations.
Take the first one – my office cab. I share a valuable 2 hours daily in cab with my colleagues, of which a few are also usual acquaintance on tea breaks. Now, one of the guys in cab is always late and makes us wait atleast 5-10 minutes. Because of the good rapport our cab mates share we never told him anything rude or harsh but always used to tell him to be punctual from next time. Recently, a cab mate got irritated from him and asked if he is doing some extra work at home. The response he gave was that he sleeps late and gets so tired that can’t wake early. On this question the chorus blame was on his character and an accusation of being gay. However, the sudden twist in the tale didn’t deter this guy’s to be less witty and he was equally sportive in entertaining the accusation.

2^nd one: Two junior male colleagues who often found roaming together in shopping malls, starring at hot chicks are latest victim of 377. In their circle, female friends feed their hunger for laughter by mentioning about these inseparable entities.

Just years back, talking about homosexuality in public was an offense. Now it’s one of the topics to pull legs in friend circle just like crushes and affairs. We are confident about our identity and don’t bother to be pointed as a gay or lesbians in sarcastic gossips among friends. Not to mention, article 377 has suddenly made it more open a topic of discussion among every class of society. Be it social talk shows, print media, colleagues in cubicles or cab and friend circles. Gossiping about homosexuality is the latest addition in humour genre.

At times amid all the chaos in my cab I think: This is true liberalization of thoughts, where a serious topic like this gives a reason to people to smile. No one takes offense in getting pulled into any accusation whatsoever. We cut jokes, we pull legs, and we laugh madly. We the people, have really come off age.

Es raat ki subah nahi - II

Catch the first part here

After the initial hiccups they reached Mukul’s home where Mukul in his trademark style was pretending to hold an anguish face for them. They met him, and as decided, shown some respect to his anger for self defense. They were happy that they reached before shailendra and now he is the one who will be the “torch bearer”. They waited for Mukul in porch, just then Shailendra called for status update while he was on way. They asked him to hurry up. Mukul appeared in groom’s dress and joined the gang who by the time was ready with their arsenals to bless him. Once he was standing with the gang they all were having a gala time with the divine leg pulling session. Shalindra joined in the meantime and finished his quota of divinity. It was time for Baraat to leave Mukul’s place and to reach the point from where it was supposed to march ahead.
Our heroes somehow got a car and bumped-in, trying hard to manage their ass inside it. Thankfully this ride wasn’t long enough to intensify their pain; but they ran for fag as soon as the car dropped them at the destination. They got charged up with masala coke and “the mrit sanjeevani” (cigarette) and joined Baraat for which they were supposed to be the show stopper.

And they didn’t disappoint either; right from bhangra to old classics, and then break dance to “snake dance” they danced on every form and on every song the band played. Seeing their extreme enthusiasm and strange wildness no one had a doubt that they were not drunk. They danced and danced till last breath of energy during that short while which was merely 200 meter away from the point where baraat stated. It took around an hour to cover the stretch and Baraat approached its destination; and like sunlight fading at dusk our heros disappered. Leveraging this known opportunity they went in a corner away from sight of junta to have their mrit sanjeevani again.
All this while there was one common friend missing which they all have promised to meet soon. They appeared in baarat again which was being greeted. They discussed the possibility of meeting this common friend asap. Few of them wanted to invite this common friend in baraat as well but there was a lack of consensus. But now they all wanted to celebrate Mukul’s wedding in a grand way with this friend. So they all left the wedding for a local plash hotel which was decided as the venue to celebrate. They set down on hotel’s bar (if you are still guessing…yes Daru was their common friend), ordered and then toasted for Mukul and his marriage. As tonight Mukul was priority, they ordered only 2-3 drinks after that and then decided to leave. Another sutta session and then our boys, who were in elegant attires, were waving to autos standing in front of that plash hotel.

to be continued....

Es raat ki subhah nahi

"Gaadi Roko" Amit was shouting at top of his voice. Sandeep went a step ahead and stood in the middle of road to grab attention on any passing by vehicle. This otherwise plash and busy road was never unfriendly or unknown; atleast to Shailendra and Amit as this was their home town, but then it was 2:00 am in a cold December night. Rishabh lit up a cigarette while obliging the road divider; Shailendra asked Sandeep to stop the heroic which according to him could lead to an unpleasant sight. With the last fag an auto appears from the other side of road and they all waved together at their rescuer.
With a sigh of relief they jumped inside the auto and asked the driver to take them to any hotel where they can get a room for the night. As the driver pulled the kick they all felt the thump of engine and one just kicked inside, but decided to glue to the silence of night.
Oh yes…if you wondering who these people are… let me introduce the characters: Shailendra, Amit, Rishabh and Sandeep. Shailendra and Amit were locals while Sandeep was from nearby town. Rishabh was having his first encounter with the city which he wouldn’t count among good ones. They all reached this city for their friend Mukul’s wedding.
Flashback…..
“Where are you guys….when are you reaching…why the hell you guys came here if you are not with me” Mukul was shouting on the poor Rishabh who happened to pick up the call. “We are waiting for Amit, he is taking bath” was Rishabh’s quick reply - this was one of the moment where Rishabh’s spontaneity came handy. Anyway after a while Amit appeared with food (to show that he didn’t took all this time in bath) and got the unhappy note Mukul left for all. He called Shailendra and asked to pre-pone the time they were scheduled to meet. Sandeep had earlier suggested meeting at CCD and then to join Baraat from there instead of going to Mukul’s place which, seemed a nice idea to all. So after Mukul’s alarming call they decided to reach Mukul’s place at earliest and informed Shailendra their revised plan.


To be continued.......