Chetan Bhagat’s ‘ Two states: The story of my marriage ‘

As a hardcore fan of chetan bhagat’s books, I was waiting for this book for a long time. The one thing I like in chetan’s work are, all his characters have shades from our lives as well as the people we come across in our day to day life. I canceled an outing with my friends and a movie ticket on diwali weekend (no regrets now, in skipping blue), just to read this book.

The novel is inspired from the real story of the author and his wife .Like his other novels it is the story about the Indian youth with a message. Well, the plot is a Punjabi boy (Krish) fall in love with a Chennai girl (annanya) in the backdrop of IIMA and there struggle to get permission for there marriage from there respective parents. The story is explained in five Acts. One thing I loved about this novel is, it genuinely portrayed the cultural difference between north and south Indians. One flaw I found with this book was unlike his earlier books, storyline is very predictable (and sometimes I felt like reading his personal diary).
As a hardcore fan of his earlier works (five point… tops in my top 10 list), I was a bit disappointed with this book (may be because of my high expectations).Still I will say it is a book that worth your time and money. Chances are there for you to enjoy it, unless you read his earlier works. As he said in an interview with Hindu metro plus, don’t expect a Salman Rushdie or Arundhathi royi work from his books. After all Chetan is a writer for masses not for classes

Pros: Casual style, Message, breezy and simple narration, genuineness, youth centric, though we boast about unity in diversity of our country, this book reminds and make us think about cultural and religious boundaries in India
Cons: predictable, clichéd at parts

A ‘noisy’ problem

Sometime back coz of this severe ear pain, I decided to pay a visit to my neighbor Dr:Ravi’s clinic. After the normal check up he prescribed some medicine for cold and he asked me, if I use ipod \mp3 player. I nodded my head and he just smiled at me and the proceeded with casual conversation. But I understood that there is something behind his question and smile (also I read an article about the same some time back). Here, I’m summarizing my conversation with him.

Me: Why did you ask that? Is there any problem in using that?
Dr: off course there is some serious problem in that, see ear drum is the most sensitive part of your body. It has a tolerance level. If you pressurize it beyond its limit, it will fail to recognize sound and some times it may result in temporary or permanent deafness. So it is not at all advisable to use foreign materials in ear. I always tell the same to everyone, But no one listen it. Especially you youngsters will tell that we want some music to relax …..Ok there is nothing wrong in that. Instead of earphones \ headphones, listen songs from speakers. Unfortunately we are the first generation who is exposed to noise pollution, so it will take few years to know the real outcome. Now a days hearing capacity of many people aged 30-35 is equivalent to the capacity of 55-60 years old.

First time in my life I had a serious discussion about this topic. I know as an experienced doctor and an Asst professor in medical college, there was a point in, what all he said. It is known fact that we all are knowingly or unknowingly contribute to noise pollution and also we are also affected directly or indirectly by its outcome. But unfortunately we can’t avoid many of the reasons for this like motor vehicle noise, horns, loudspeakers etc .I am told that, sometimes it affects our psychological as well as physical health (hypertension, high stress, high BP, sleep disturbance, irritation, loss of concentration etc. But most of us fail to recognize that this is the reason for all that). In the present world we can’t avoid many of the causes but probably we can control to a small extend.Apart from action that suppose to taken by statutes, it is high time that at least we should do what we can do for restraining this.

antha ’sir’ naan thaana

There are some characters, we will never forget in our life. These fellows are specialist in boasting, blabbering and boring/entertaining (for few people) others. Few months back, we had this security in our office. Very soon he becomes the center of attention of everyone because of his ‘great general knowledge’ and ‘historic inventions’. One day he was busy doing something at his mobile phone (Nokia 2626). By the same time one of my colleagues asked him to handover his helmet kept in his table

Hero (aka security): Sir, just one minute, let me finish downloading these songs
Colleague: (in a sarcastic tone) why you look so sleepy today, didn’t sleep or what
Hero: (In a very serious tone) Ohh sir what to say, yesterday full night I was chatting with Barrack Obama in my cell phone. so couldn’t sleep.
Coll: you mean American president????
Hero: off course sir, He is simply amazing and entertaining .No wonder he is the president of America
Coll..: ohh really….you are doing chatting, browsing, downloading songs with a basic phone, you are amazing dude.
Hero: actually this is a customized limited edition phone.Only100 special people in India got this cell phone…… 

My colleague didn’t have capacity to hear the rest, so he just ran away. (May be he would have fainted, if he stayed there for another few minutes).
Another day two of my colleagues having a puff in car parking area, suddenly a Honda –CRV test driving SUV came there and the driver asked them “where is the Sir”. They looked at each other and asked him, whom he is talking about. Suddenly our hero came running towards them and told him “annnai antha sir naaan thanaa, Kannan Sir” (bro, I am only that Sir, Kanan sir). The facial expression of that driver\technician at that time was priceless. The hero got into the car and checked everything and commented hmm AC effect is not good and he asked the technician “Can you drive it for me, I know only left hand driving”.
After the test drive, he came toward us and told
Hero: hmmm that is basic model; I’m not interested in that and also what kinda car is this ? they don’t have even split AC option,having only window AC right now, . The upgraded version of CRV is coming next month, I’m waiting for that.
After hearing this someone commented like this “Ohh really, is that also customized limited edition car and will be given to some ‘special people’ like you?

Though he worked in our company for only three months, we will never forget him in our life. May god save him, before someone kill him or kill themselves coz there inability to bear his verbal torture

P.S: Wish you all a happy and safe Diwali

Mera number kab aayega :(

Me: Helu she: Hi anish did u get, who is this?
Well this is the one sentence I hate to the core in a telephonic conversation.
Me: well sruthy? , hmmm neena, wait a second….. Nancy right????
She: ohh u remembers all Jessica, Monica. Can’t U recognize this good friend of yours, huh? This is teena, U fool
Me: oops itz U girl, looong time…what you are doing now days…..
Teena: it is okay anish, just pulling your legs. Hey listen; I’m landing India on next week. And also I’m planning to go to Chennai and spend a couple of days over there with my cousins. Between is it possible to meet, you guys
Me: why not, love to see U again
Teena: cool, I will call u once I reach there. By the time U tell others about the same and plan something

Well teena was my batch mate and a good friend of mine. Of course she was my, another short-term crush in the college .she is good looking, smart, sensible, studious and a spiritual girl. Though she had a lot of secret admires in my batch, no one showed any guts to propose her coz everyone was sure she were not interested in all that
I was so happy when I received her call and was so excited about meeting her again. Though these days I’m irritated with these question repeatedly from lot of ‘well wishers’ like “so when u getting finally hooked up?” and the same answer I give to every one “too young to get married now, so probably after 3 years”. After her call and day dreams, accidentally I recalled this family friend’s comment about my answer, like “that is our point, start looking now itself dude, so that you can find a good one and get married when the time come”. So I thought like “y not her, she is smart, sensible etc…. yeah she is the perfect one for me”. I told to myself “there is nothing wrong in telling my ‘dil ki baat’ to her”. So I decided to go ahead. I called up our mutual and told about the get together. So we all decided to meet up at CCD first at 4:30 and plan what to do after that over there. Then I called her up and asked her to be at CCD by 4

We both reached the spot almost at the same time .I felt like, running towards her and give her a big hug. But I just controlled myself and instead I just blew a flying kiss to her. She just smiled at me and then we sat face to face at CCD and started talking.

Me:girl U looks gorgeous, how you have been.
T: ohh really thank u…..I’m doing great as usual. Between, you too look great

The conversation were going great…..I told to myself “dude this is the ideal time, tell those three magical words to her. Don’t loose the chance”. When I was about to propose her she told me with a sweet smile
T: u didn’t ask, y I came to India and now Chennai to meet u all
Me: why?
T: (in a very excited tone): heyy, dude can u believe this. I am getting married!!!
After hearing this I started laughing like anything and I told her
Me: Teena, I can’t believe this, why it is always happens to me
T: see see, I told U na …excuse me, what is with the last sentence??
Me: not that dear, I was about to propose u now. Goodness u told that before, else everything would have been fing fing
T: Dude are you serious, I can’t believe this. I thought you were not interested in this love lup and all. Between, why me? She grinned at me
Me: I had a small crush on you when we were in college and anyway after some time I have to get hooked up with some one na .So I thought, it will be nice to have a nice girl like U …..
T: hmm interesting, I thought you guys were not interested in me in that way when we were in college. And I guess I might have been a little reserved over there.
Me: no no, the fact is so many guys had crush on you. But as they don’t wanna spoil the friendship with you, they didn’t go ahead.
T: ohhh really… Okay forget about others, though u had a crush on me, why didn’t you propose me that time. I guess we were pretty close friends since first year
Me: Hey I was not desperate at that time and also I thought that would make you upset. Ok forget it, if in case I proposed you, what reply, you would have given to me?
Me: Hey I was not desperate at that time and also I thought, that would make you upset ok forget it, If in case I proposed you, what reply, you would have given to me?
T: idiot, why in case, you should have proposed me….OMG I missed so much fun…Ok ok, jokes apart…anish you know me very well right. I’m my parent’s daughter. You know, I never used to take any personal decisions in my life. What ever is my parents decision I will obey that and so far they gave me the best in everything. That’s all about that. thatz it
Me: ok ok I was just kidding, forget about that. Anyways we both had some fun moments. That’s more than enough. Between congrats for getting hooked up
T: thanks anish actually I’m so excited, you know he is my childhood friend. I’m gonna tell this to him, when he call me. Between this is fun time for you guys. Instead of getting committed to one girl at this time, move around everyone and have fun. And at the same time always keep this in mind “GOD is good to those who love him”

By the time our friends came and we shared this to them and everyone had a good laugh. Though I cooked up all these for fun, we had really very good time (I never expected that twist).Anyways teenz, I wish much happiness to you and your darling husband. May God bless you both? And I’m so happy to have such a wonderful friend like you.

P.S: Between why this is always happens to me. Though for fun or real, this is the third time same thing happened to me.