More quotes..they never stop. and they never will. As I grow and keep learning more.

Freedom is in the mind. Free your mind, think limitless. Surpass your mental boundaries and see your freedom manifest itself.
But you gotta start first and then keep it going!

Man of Steel (Part 2)

....

I reach the office again and head upstairs. All of a sudden I’m a mini celebrity in the office. And I smile with a look that says, ‘Guilty as charged!’ It’s 01.15pm. Samuel and his colleagues apparently need to order for some evening snacks later and are cracking one-liners as to who deserves to place the order considering he/she lost some bet. Details of which I obviously wasn’t in the right mind frame to find out. But the thought that I was about to get my phone soon coupled with the employees also happy for the same, I was in a much better state of mind.

I smile at the others around as they clearly know what I’ve managed to carelessly do. I look at Sam and open up to him as we share relieved smiles and our eyes glint with joy. (this is so gay!)

“Did you manage to have lunch?”

“Nah, there’s still time.”

“Wanna go out?”

(sound of music stopping abruptly)

I got you there didn’t I?

Ok let me start over.

I ask Sam if he managed to have lunch. He answered in the negative. So I tell him why I have been all over the place with my thoughts.

With hands folded mind you. (Body language experts take a hike. Or maybe I’m wrong.)

“I have been producing short films for the last few months apart from playing The Dark Knight in the BPO with my card members at work as I help them tackle fraud. Plus I am taking this trading thing ahead with you gradually.”

In amazement Sam says, “Aapka sun ke mujhe abhi lag raha hai ki mein apna time waste kar raha hoon!”

(Hearing about what you do, I feel I am just wasting my time now!)

I let out a 100 watt smile from my crooked teeth as I feel humbled at hearing this.

“Nahi yaar. (Not really dude)I still am doing very little. I have people at work who manage trading, working nights at the BPO and even flying around like Superman. Minus the cape and plus the wings.”

“You’re right though. It’s about taking out time for what’s important. You’ve got to take the reins and manage your time if you want to get somewhere significant.”

“Yes Sam. People who manage a lot more with their time inspire me. As a person I have always wanted to achieve what most people cannot. Which means one has to do what others don’t.”

“You’re absolutely right. We have just one life and we have to make the best of it.”

[As I write this my lovely mum just brought me back down to earth. Thanks mum, you are one of the people that keep me grounded.]

“Right bro! But at the same time don’t forget, you have to live and not just survive. Work your ass off but make time for fun too.”

“Yes, what’s the point of the money if we don’t enjoy the lives we lead.”

As I wait for what I thought was going to be a a couple of calls to the nearby restaurant, another employee comes by with a bag of mangoes! While another walks in and makes a valuable suggestion.

“Why don’t you guys go and get the phone now itself. Don’t worry Sam, tere aam bachha ke rakhenge humlog. (we will keep your mangoes for you.)”

He lets out a chuckle while Sam says he will ensure he gets his share and I chuckle at a wicked thought in my head at the word ‘Aam.’ (Yeah I have non veg jokes in my mind too!)

I pack my stuff and we move out. The address on the note in Sam’s hand read, ‘Ram Mandir road near Moviestar cinema, Goregaon.’

I’ve been lucky enough to pick up various colleagues for my workplace during our dispatch runs thereby helping me gain a little knowledge of our Mumbai suburbs. So I knew that it was closer from S.V. Road than Link road.

A rickshaw guy who’s vehicle we boarded says that it is near Link Road. But we tell him that we need to head down S.V. Road itself.

So after few yards we stop and he says, “You know what, I was thinking of the cinema on Link Road. Am sorry but you will have to alight as I need to head that way. You don’t have to pay, it’s fine.”

We ask another guy and he says, “No I do not know the place.” I knew again, that I had to find someone who resonated at the same frequency as ours.

We walk ahead and ask 2 other guys until Sam and I adopt the split and succeed rule when it comes to situations like these. We’re at a left curve in the road leading up to a red light.

I bump into a middle aged bearded gentleman who’s light wrinkles on the forehead, faint smile that said he’s been through his share of difficulties and of course the ‘For Hire’ indicator made the tuning forks in my head go abuzz.

“Ram Mandir Road jaaoge?”

(Will you take me to Ram Mandir Road?)

“Haa. Signal se right jaan hai na?”

(Yes. A right from this signal, correct?)

“Haa!”

“Baitho!”

(Sit!)

I holler to Sam and we board as the traffic moves forward a metre.

As we wait for the signal, I plan the short trip by telling Sam we need to call Sarvesh when we reach the last signal before the location.

A 20 year old stops on the right hand side astride a Bullet.(a popular motorcycle)I was busy ogling the engine’s mechanical beauty for the umpteenth time. Now he was slightly on the other side of the lane. The one for the oncoming traffic.

The rickshaw driver, kind that he was, requested the motorcyclist to move his bike a little ahead and towards our lane. The guy looks at either side of his bike wondering why the old man asked him too. He moves ahead and with a hint of over-confidence tells our driver,

“Is this enough?”

We all smile and nod in the affirmative as the biker turns his head away.

“Aap unke bhale ke liye bol rahe the aur woh hai ki..,” I tell the man.

“You were advising him for his own good and he misunderstood”

Communication is not just about being lucid and cohesive in your thoughts. It’s also about seeing the other person’s perspective. Age does matter. For nothing teaches you patience better than a string of unsuccessful endeavours coupled with the passage of time.

The light turns green and we head to our third Point B. We pass a few signals and soon realise that the location is actually a whole suburb away from what was on the address. We finally reach the last signal and a couple calls later we understand that we have to take the next left.

We trudge along searching for a hair salon and a betel leaf shop as per Sarvesh’s instructions. Sam searches for the said shops while I keep a look out for the Moviestar cinema which was cited as a landmark.

And there we are! I realise I do not have change and Sam pays off the gentlemen driver as we pay him our gratitude and bid good bye while the sensitive man kindly re-iterates, “ Woh raha Moviestar cinema!”

(There’s the cinema!)

We call Sarvesh and try and locate each other. While I describe my blue shirt and voice out my inability to find him despite his attempts. I look around past a paan(betel leaf and tobacco based post meal dish) shop and a Vada Pav(poor man’s Indian burger)shop. Across the theatre and then to its right, I lay eyes on a building that appears to be some sort of factory.

Sarvesh says, “Mein haath ghuma raha haoon yahan pahele maale pe.”

(I’m waving my hand here on the first floor)

“I still cannot see you.”

“Theek hai aap wahi rukaye, mein neeche aake aapse milta hoon.”

(Alright, why don’t you wait there and I’ll come down and receive you.)

We wait for what seems to be like the longest 2 minutes of my life. Wondering whom am I going to meet. Will he co-operate or kidnap us? You never know the things people are capable of doing for money.

On a second thought, I think we do.

I begin to get anxious with every passing second. While Sam echoes my sentiments by his expressions.

Just then our attention is diverted by a clear ‘whistle’ over and above the din of the afternoon traffic.

I see an unassuming young man about 5 feet 5 inches tall, light brown skin, black trousers custom cut to 3/4^th length. And a pale white plain tee shirt soiled from hard physical labour. He had a modest smile that spoke of his joy in finally being able to put faces to the voices he interacted with. I can’t really tell but I think I mirrored his emotions at that instant.

We crossed the road and I reached out my hand saying,

“Aap Sarvesh ho na?”

(You’re Sarvesh right?)

He reflected my greeting and said,

“Haan! Aaiye. Aap jis gaadi mein baithe the woh mere bade bhai chalate hain. Dar ke wajah se unko pata nahi tha kya karna chahiye. Toh yahan aake mere paas rakh diye.”

(Yes! Follow me. The vehicle you sat in is being driven by my older brother. In his fear he did not know what to do and hence came here and left the phone with me.)

I share a surprised look with Sam. I bet we were both thinking just like you are right now, So that’s who Sarvesh is!

He leads us through. A right, then straight into a corridor we approach the beginning of a staircase. A light left onto the stairs and we head up to the first floor. I still keep wondering at the back of my head. What am I walking into? Could this be a trap? And then I just snap at myself and say, “Ok, stop! You’re going nowhere with these thoughts.”

“Humne aapka phone humare boss ke paas rakh diye. Hume bhi pata nahi tha kya karna chahiye. Socha kisi ka keemti amanat rahega, unko agar waapis mil gaya toh bhala hoga.”

(I kept your phone in safe keeping with my boss. Even I did not know the way forward. So I thought if someone got back his expensive belonging that went missing, then a good deed would be done.)

So I look at Sam and smile in hope as we head towards what appears to be the approach to a cabin. I look towards Sarvesh as we stop at a cabin.

As I look at a hall filled with boxes and chemical jugs surmising the type of factory I am in, I see an empty cabin at the end of the room.

“Boss abhi shayad bahar gaye hain.”

(The boss has probably stepped out for a while.)

“Woh kab tak ayenge fir”

(By when is he expected then?)

I don’t lose hope anymore. There’s just a sense of satisfaction steadily building up.

He begins to head backwards towards a doorway. “Bas ayenge abhi”

(He’ll be back in a few minutes.)

“Aap kahan jaa rahe ho? Aap yahan hi rahiye. Ya fir jaldi aa jana.”

(Where are you heading to? Please stay here. Else come back soon.)

I said this as I wanted to express a deep sense of gratitude. We see an assistant go about his clerical work up and down the office and then we see a tall well dressed male walk into the cabin from the door on the other side. He looks at us from across the hall and exits the cabin heading towards us.

I just have this smile growing slowly on my otherwise poker face. So much for an aspiring actor eh!

The man comes up to me and  I introduce myself to him.

“Hi, I’m Joaquim Gonsalves, this is Samuel.”

“Yes, I’m Hemant.”

“Can we come in?” We were standing at the start of the hall all this while.

“Yes, yes come in.”

“I just (overwhelmed and a bit embarrassed)...left my phone in the rickshaw in a hurry this morning.”

“Yes.” Reaching out to a black rectangle shaped object kept at the top left corner of a table beside his cabin.

I look at the familiar object and smile my biggest smile ever. I think to myself, ‘Aaaah! I can meet my friend and finally think straight.’

“So this is your phone, is it?”

“Yes, yes. I can tell you the last few calls of the day. I can show you my pictures.”

“No that’s alright. But..”

“Let me show you my driver’s license.”

I remove my stuffed old black wallet and fish out the privilege card. (Remember those old lil white books had a maxim written in a square on the back cover?)

“There you go, the name is slightly misspelt.”

You see I had to highlight this as Hemant had made ‘note’ of my name given by Samuel over the phone.

This note also had the names of the last two callers.

‘Angel Broking Samuel’ &

‘Nanu Cell’ (My granma. Thank goodness she didn’t manage to speak with him!)

He hands over the phone to me and I heave my final sigh of relief as Sam looks on in happiness.

“Thank you so much!”

“Yeah you should thank him” (gesturing with a subtle head movement towards Sarvesh.)

“Yeah of course! I can’t thank him enough and his brother enough.”

“Getting back something valuable like this, that too in the same day in a place like Mumbai?”

I don’t know why but for that moment I just felt like the luckiest man on the planet! Well I guess you would too if God forbid you happen to be in my place. We thank Hemant one last time along with his assistant, bidding good bye with handshakes and I request Sarvesh to come along with us outside in the corridor.

Earlier, while I had headed towards the shop for an umbrella, I had made it a point to stop by the ATM specifically to remove money for this moment.

We walk a few steps and stop. I remove the cash from my shirt’s pocket. A few notes fall from my physiological tremors. They make their presence felt in my fingers when in a state of high adrenaline, excitement or fear. I pick them up and respectfully touch them to my chest as Sam reaches half way to help. I look towards Sarvesh.

“Yeh ek hazaar aap keliye aur ek hazaar aapke bhai ke liye.”

(Here’s a thousand for you and another thousand for your brother.)

I give him a hug and thank him as does Samuel. That’s when Hemant comes out again with the ‘note’ in his hand.

He says, “Wait!”

The assistant heads to Hemant, collects the note and brings it to me. “Why don’t you just sign there saying that you have received it so that he can show it to his brother and they know the belonging has reached its rightful owner.”

“Alright! I remove my Parker, glance at my trusty Edifice and write-

‘I have received my phone, Sony Xperia S on 13^th June 2013.

With many thanks.

Joaquim Gonsalves.’

Do you still think 13 is an unlucky number?

As we trace our steps back out the cats and dogs begin to fall in droves. I notice that  don’t have network. We reach the exit, open our umbrellas. (Glad I coaxed Sam into taking it along with him when he had second thoughts about it earlier.) I decide we can sort the network issues at the gallery once I am done with work. Confident that things would look up.

We walk a few steps, heading towards the main road, trying to match our wavelengths with someone yet again.

The rains subside as two rickshaws disagree with our requests. All this while I was wondering why my phone felt slightly bulged. The silicon guard wasn’t sitting properly. I remove it and see that back cover was refusing to close. I take a closer look at the SIM card and realise it was pushed in the other way around. I correct the same as we wait at the corner. The cover fits back perfectly with a reassuring click. I turn the phone around and wait for 3 seconds and lo and behold.

Am back in business baby!

At that moment it felt like I had conquered Everest!

I share the good news with my Samaritan and we find a willing driver and head to the office. On the way Sam smiles and tells me,

“Feels like I have done some actual work today.”

“Ha ha! Remember I told you only good things happen with me?”

We talk about learning and growing from our mistakes and the usual life altering stuff.

As I step out getting done with the work at office and a nice hot cuppa from the local brewer, I call Sam out of his cabin as I exit.

We struggle thrice a bit with him saying “No sir! This is not necessary. Really, I didn’t do anything. Keep it.”

I paid him two hundred for being such a great help and a warm hug. We shook hands and parted ways while I walked away feeling like IronMan after he blew up the tank in part one.

Right, I finally get to ready myself and meet my friend later.

Meet is decided for 6pm. Another friend had suggested I leave by 4.30pm to reach Infiniti, Andheri well in advance. I couldn’t afford to be late for this meet. Come what may! I left at 5.05pm and it had started raining heavily. Rains, transport, wavelengths. Damn! Not again!!

My Quotes..contd

The mind will answer your questions irrespective of which direction you lead it to think. Lead it to what's right & and not to what's wrong.

Man of Steel (Part 1)

MAN OF STEEL

I wonder if I would ever get recognised for being an outstanding player in the British game. At least it is much easier than becoming the Last Son of Krypton. But this is just a story of one unbelievable weekend in pleasant monsoon June. And man, it was awesome!

It’s the week’s last work off, Thursday. Got important stuff lined up for the day. So I get ready and leave for the office to learn something new in the world of money. It’s a cool and dry morning. I seek public transport for a customary minimum of five minutes until I meet a man who’s wavelength matches mine and I know I have found a ride to my day’s first Point B. I halt the rickshaw at the destination while getting done with a couple of whatsapp chats. Pay the man, get my stuff and head up to the 1^st floor. All this while, I am busy planning the rest of my day. Co-ordinating in my head, the various juggling acts I would have to perform. It’s 11.25am. Yes I got late for an 11am appointment. But I made it. Meet up with my street smart agent, Samuel(Sam). We exchange our pleasantries and talk about our previous appointment plans that never saw daylight. I head to his cabin. Little did he know that he was soon going to become an agent from Samaria. I seat myself in readiness, only to realize I have misplaced that brilliant appendage. My Sony Xperia S. I think to myself, “Damn! I have to meet a friend in the evening. Not to mention the ire of my folks at home when I tell them I lost 25k worth of gadgetry. Gone are my contacts. Gone are my precious pictures, music and data. Gone!! The only numbers I remember are my family’s. How will I contact my friend? I’ll go and wait at the decided meeting point nevertheless. Oh wait, I’ve got to find my phone!”

I embarrassingly confess to Samuel and he immediately springs into Samaritan mode and suggests he will call my number. I feverishly nod in agreement and realize I had left it in the rickshaw.

We head down frantically, hoping to find the vehicle. We couldn’t! I ask a shopkeeper nearby if he saw any cell phone unattended inside a rickshaw. And much to my surprise, he said.

Well, what do you think he said?

Sam and I walk ahead with me grooming my now sweaty hair backwards in disbelief. I find myself looking inside every other empty three-wheeler. I decide we should ask a mobile phone service provider for his recommendation on what needs to be done. “Aisa kuch nahi milega. Aap chahiye toh police chowki mein complain karwao.”

(Ain’t gonna get it back. If you want to, you can try registering a complaint in the police station down the road.)

Sam and I exchange looks of hopeful despair and decide to visit the men in khakis. He thinks for a moment and suggests we first get his ID card from the office. I tag along, telling him this usually doesn’t happen. I also cite the fact that I am juggling a handful of priorities simultaneously. And that I have another appointment for the evening.

We reach the station which was more of a kiosk. A wheatish complexioned, bald policeman was sitting with his candy bar & keypad shaped, wallet friendly phone. “Excuse me sir!”

No response. I again say, “Excuse me sir!”

“Haan. Bolo”

(He keeps the phone on a desk to his left.)

“Mera phone ek rickshaw mein reh gaya hai. Kya aap trace karne mein madad kar sakte hain?”

(My phone is left unattended in a rickshaw. Can you help in tracing it?)

He takes the phone in his hand again only to keep it back on the desk while stretching his legs out in a relaxed posture. As he comfortably puts his hands on his head, he says, “Aap phone aise rakh ke baiththe ho kya?

(Do you sit without a care in the world with your phone left aside?)

I chuckle at his sarcasm, as it was expected. He then suggests registering a complaint in the locality’s main branch about 800metres away. I suggest taking a rickshaw in my panic stricken grief. But Sam suggests it is alright to walk it off. We walk towards this Point B now.

The phone is still ringing in its entirety. The rings weren’t being abruptly stopped. Sam says that maybe the driver is unable to answer the phone. You know, one has to make a complete swipe for most phone features.

I’m now sweating all over in anxiety. My feet subtly telling me that I am going out of my usual walking lengths. As he keeps dialling my number, I take a moment and tell him, “You know what. Only good things happen with me. You’ll see!” We decide to skip the police station and instead head to the Vodafone Gallery that was along the same stretch, a further 200 metres away.

We dodge the potholes and puddles as we walk at a brisk pace. I tell myself that there may be some way for the customer care folks to find my phone. 20 metres away and I tell my 19yr old Samaritan, “We’re almost there. It’s just up ahead.” I head past the gate and up the entrance stairs. Push open the hydraulics assisted glass door and let Samuel in. We look around at the crowded place (It almost always is.) Not a single soul that ain’t busy. We notice one of the security guards charging a phone. I ask him about what can be done with regards to finding a lost phone. The man suggested talking to the receptionist without leaving out his opinion that it was next to impossible. So I turn to the hostess’ desk awaiting her visual contact as her colleague approaches.

Her response to my predicament was of course “Are you looking to get a new SIM card with the same number?” And I animatedly tell her with wide eyes, “No! I want to get my phone back. It’s a smart phone, the data services are active. Is there any way in which you guys can trace the whereabouts of my phone?” The answer was, “No sir! It’s not possible.”

I leave with a disappointed sigh. Samuel hears an automated message saying ‘Number not reachable.’ I decide we should head to the police station after all. This was our last ray of hope.

Now, a few of you know this. I’m an agnostic. But I also believe in karma. I also strongly believe in the law of attraction. Five metres from the Customer Care centre, I decide to pay heed to what my parents have persisted in telling me. As Samuel yet again rings my number I say to myself, quite shamelessly I might add, “I don’t know what this will prove. You are either ‘Universe’, ‘God’ or something else. But I ask you now, please let me find my phone. I have been a bad kid all my life and have tried and consequently failed to get my socks up. I know I have a lot of things that need to be sorted as of right now. Get me my phone and I will believe even more.”

Believe it or not, that exact instant, Sam tells me, “Utha liya number!” (He answered the phone!) I kid you not dear readers. That very same instant!!

He hands the phone to me. And I say, “Hello, aap kaun bol rahe ho?” (Hello, who is this?) I know ideally I should have thanked him first. But I wanted to ensure I ain’t speaking to someone who wants to take me for a ride. Yes, I somehow managed to think straight despite the panic.

I hear a native of Uttar Pradesh(UP), judging by his accent and he tells me, “Haan sir woh aapka phone bajte ja raha tha aur mein utha nahi paya. Mein abhi Andheri se nikal raha hoon.”

(Yes sir, you’re phone was ringing incessantly and I was unable to answer it. I am leaving from Andheri right now.)

“Haan, achcha, ok”

“Apna bhada chod ke aap ke yahan hi aa raha hoon.”

(I am leaving my fares to reach your place.)

With a huge smile of relief plastered across my face I satisfyingly give a low five to Sam.

“Arre thank you sirji! Aapka bahut shukriya! Aap kahan pe milenge?”

(Why thank you sir! Thank you very much! Where do I meet you?)

“Haan woh jahan aapne gaadi liye the wahan pe hi. Mein aadhe ghante mein pahunch jaoonga.”

(Yeah the same place that you boarded my vehicle. I will reach in 30 minutes.)

“Ok. Theek hai, aap wahan par hi milo. Thank you very much sirji!”

(Ok. Perfect. Thank you very much sir!)

We planned on how to co-ordinate the meet since the public service provider clearly knew only how to answer the phone and not dial out. I thank Samuel profusely for being by my side and give him a hug. He too is overwhelmed by what just happened in the last 45minutes.

I tell him to take a rick back to the office and that I would pay for it. But he politely refuses and says he always walks this stretch and that he had done so even the first time he came to my place for a demo and registration of the services his company offers.

So I thank him again and say I have time until 3pm. Will collect the phone, head to his office again to collect the rest of my stuff and finish what I had set out for.

I reach home in another rickshaw which was 5 minutes from the gallery. Have the eggs I had boiled for my brunch. Head out to buy an umbrella which disappears at the end of every monsoon. Come back home and wait for 30 minutes with no calls from Sam on my landline. I decide to head to the spot where I boarded the first rickshaw. I wait for ten minutes with no sign of the gentleman from UP. I head back home realising Sam may have called by now. But how do I call him? I search in excitement as I knew I had his business card somewhere in my wallet. I call him and he says,

“Yes Joaquim sir! I was trying your number. I called him and he told me the phone ain’t with him anymore. It’s with a Sarvesh somewhere in Goregaon.”

“What? Now who is Sarvesh?”

(Is this a movie?)

“Yes. I explained the situation to him. I’ve  also made note of his details. But since I’m his only point of contact he has asked us both to come to his location. He says he will be there until evening and that we can come over and collect the phone as long as we can verify our identities.”

“Achcha! (Seriously?) Ok let’s meet at your office and we can leave from there. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”

I tell myself, “I ain’t gonna get my phone back so easily. Will have to work for this. Life’s teaching me a lesson after all.”

“Now who could this Sarvesh be?”

....to be continued.