No Malice...

The northern sun was setting! The crowds still thronged what looked like Main Street. They seemed to be enjoying the shopping, the casual evening walk or the parties that would go late into the night. Ottawa in summer was a fun city...

I was the odd one! I always am. I had an early dinner and was walking back to my hotel. My laggard pace suggested I didn't have much to do that night. Time stood still for me. I was truly matching pace with the large group of senior citizens from the US that were on a tour of Ottawa. Their day was done, as was mine, and they crossed the street in pairs, some holding hands, others not, to get to the huge bus that was waiting to ferry them to their quarters for the night. They were probably headed to other exciting places the next day, but they were done for today. I walked down Main Street (or up, I can't really say), soaking in the sights, enjoying the nothingness...

I felt like coffee! I was assuredly several thousand (or at least a few hundred) miles away from my favorite South Indian Filter Coffee, so I settled for second best, Starbucks. I have to grant, Starbucks is my favorite American brand, not just coffee. Actually, it's not even the coffee. A lot of people say, it is overpriced, unprintable whatever. But I like Starbucks. I like their stores, the couches, the free wi-fi and the fact that I can lounge there forever having just bought one tall latte for a little over $3 (the $ goes even further in Canada)! I love their cups, especially when they turn a beautiful red during the holiday season. But what I love most is that cup in my right hand as I wade through the streets at my own sweet pace. A sip every now and then that matches the rhythm of my walk. The something that fills my nothing...

I saw the sign! I had walked only a few blocks and there it was, in a shopping mall, overlooking the street, but with the entrance inside the mall. I stepped inside through the huge revolving doors and got in the store. This time I was not alone. Many Canadians seemed to like a coffee at that time of the day or were they a multi-cultural mix of people from different parts of the world, all arrived on their bus tours! Whatever it was, I fell in line, a long one at that and moving slowly too. Nothingness filled the store...

I saw her when I was fifth in line! She was the only one at the register, which explains why the line was moving slowly, and she was doing her best being efficient in taking the orders, punching them in the computer, collecting the payment, providing the receipt while ensuring with her words that she had taken total care of that customer. Thanks to technology, she didn't have to shout out the orders to the back office, the 2 others who made and served the coffee, or else, got their orders from another computer (or so it seemed). I took one step forward as the one customer collected his receipt and moved over to pick up his drink. I now faced her fully and for one brief moment, our eyes met. The smile was fixed on her face so I was sure that was not meant for me especially, but just as she wrapped another order, our eyes met again, this time, just a moment longer. Something instantly crossed my mind...

I was next up! I moved up to the register and stood facing her, one foot and a half of table space between. "Hi, Good Evening, welcome to Starbucks, what can I get for you today?", she said. "One tall latte", I said and briefly looked over the glass containers that held the pastries. "Everything looks good, but I think I'll just have the coffee", I said, even as I faced her smile again. "Could you add an extra shot please", I added. "Extra shot? Sure", she said and, "one tall latte with an extra shot", she repeated as she punched it in the computer. That would be $3.43, she said, "would you like a receipt"? "Yes, thank you", I said (I was travelling on work and this was a billable expense). I slowly reached to the back of my trouser and into the right pocket for my wallet. I opened it and then considered whether I should pay by cash or card. The line was still building behind me, so I had to make my choice and I pulled out my credit card reluctantly. She received it, swiped it, pucnhed some keys and tore out the receipt, all in one swift motion and as she handed me back the receipt, she flashed that smile at me again. "Is there anything else you'd like", she said...

"YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL", I wanted to say! And that's all I wanted to say. Nothing more. Just that. But I didn't. "That would be all, thank you", I said, like those words were programmed in my head the day I first stepped into a Starbucks store. And before I knew it, I moved over, collected my coffee, left the store and was back on the street. With something, but nothing...

"Why didn't I say it?", I wondered to myself. She was beautiful. I was sure of that. Was I shy? Or afraid? Maybe closeted. Maybe conservative. I wanted to say it. I was too sure of that. Something stopped me...

On the walk back to the hotel and on several others with a Starbucks cup in my right hand, I have wondered about it again. And I always end up asking myself the same question. "Why didn't I say it"?

Someday soon, I will! Just like I see it. Just because I feel it and just because I want to. For nothing else. With No Malice...

Old McDonald...

Old McDonald turned a new leaf
E I E I O
He sold his farm and went to LA
E I E I O
With a Disney here and a movie there
Here some fun, there some fun, everywhere some fun fun

Old McDonald bought an iPod
E I E I O
And on his iPod he had some songs
E I E I O
With a Chipmunk here and a Gaga there
Here a tune, there a tune, everywhere a tune tune

Old McDonald got an iPad
E I E I O
And on his iPad he had some apps
E I E I O
With a FaceTime here and Angry Birds there
Here a swish, there a swoosh, everywhere a swish swoosh

Old McDonald went online
E I E I O
He logged into some cool websites
E I E I O
With a Facebook here and a Google there
Here a click, there a click, everywhere a click click

Old McDonald had a blog
E I E I O
And on his blog he made some posts
E I E I O
With some fiction here and a fairy tale there
Here a tale, there a tale, everywhere a tale tale

Old McDonald made some friends
E I E I O
He went to the bar and had some drinks
E I E I O
With a pint of beer and a glass of wine
Here a cheer, there a cheer everywhere a cheer cheer
 
Old McDonald went to sleep
E I E I O
And in his sleep he had a dream
E I E I O
With a quack quack here and a bow wow there
Here a chick, there a moo, everywhere a meow meow

Old McDonald missed his farm
E I E I O
And so he took a train back home
E I E I O
With a choo here and a choo choo there
Here a stop there a stop everywhere a stop stop

Old McDonald's back on the farm
E I E I O
He's happy just hearing those good old sounds
E I E I O
With a quack quack here and a bow wow there
Here a chick, there a moo, everywhere a meow meow

Old McDonald had a farm
E     I      E     I    Oooooo!

Krishtunes...

720 PM on 9 Aug 2012. Some call this day Janmashtami, some Krishna Jayanthi. Whatever you call it, it's the celebrated birthday of Lord Krishna, the playful, fun-loving God of the Hindus. And after offering my 2 minute prayer and simple prasadam to him, I decided to spend the evening listening to my favorite Krishna songs. Here I present my TOP 8 TUNES, each from a different genre, with their respective YouTube links. NOTE: For best effect, open the video links in a different window...


1. The first Krishna song I ever heard, perhaps even the first song I ever heard, my mother sang this to put me to sleep when I was her little Krishna...


Song: Kannan Varuvan Kadhai Solluvan
Genre: Film (Panchavarnakili)
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-p0zdfAUXg


2. Growing up! My first memory of music was radio and the mornings always began with devotional songs. Few would not have heard this song if they grew up in the 80s and none would not love it. Vintage SPB...

Song: Ayarpadi Maligaiyil
Genre: Radio
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fwLynIgRCA


3. Mrs. Janaki, my Indian Music teacher at school made this song known to me. But due respect to Aruna Sairam, the lady who made it not popular, but viral...

Song: Maadu Meikkum Kanne
Genre: Folk
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAvNsc1HcWs


4. Talked about Mother and Teacher, now I have to talk about God. Or should I say Music Goddess. Why, I call this genre, M. S. Subalakshmi...

Song: Kurai Onrum Illai
Genre: MS Subalakshmi
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4eN1nrohkE


5. Due respect to Classic Carnatic Music which has produced so many wonderful Krishna songs. The toughest genre to pick a favorite, I left out Alay Payudhey and Enna Thavam Seidhanai with great difficulty...

Song: Theeradha Vilayattu Pillai
Genre: Classic Carnatic
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQJhj_RzM4o


6. Call this Fusion or Innovation. None can doubt that Hariharan and Lezz Lewis probably made this song more popular than it would have been with their brillian blend of tune and thought...

Song: Krishna Nee Begane Baro
Genre: Fusion (Colonial Cousins)
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quy2RhefKT0


7. An interesting change, a rare treat. In the day and age where mega serials dominated Indian TV, this title song to a daily-daytime show was a fresh breath of air. Kudos Srinivas...

Song: Aadugiran Kannan
Genre: TV (Aadugiran Kannan)
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwaw1uSOcqU


8. After Goddess Saraswati and MS Subalakshmi, there is only Bombay Jayashree. Give her a Krishna song written by Bharathiar and put in an Album and what you have is a heart-rending melody...

Song: Varuvai Varuvai Varuvai Kanna
Genre: Album (Atma)
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G48V7KkCX4


There are many many more magnificient Krishna songs. But on this solemn Janma Ashtami night (8th after the New Moon or Full Moon), these are the Eight that ruled my mind...

Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare...

Lean...

I step on to the sidewalk. I amble the first few steps. I have to cross a traffic light, so I push the button. Once across, I look up at the trail ahead. I feel the wind in my face. I feel the urge. I start to jog...

I have a handicap. My neck, in it's normal state is not aligned with my spine. It's inclined forward by about 10 degrees. In a bad world it would cause me shoulder stress and tennis elbow pain. But this is the good part, where I put the incline to good use. I realize I have to cut through the wind. I lean...

A few steps in, I check my music player headset. It's firmly locked in place. I check the volume. It's just right. A new song has just begun. And this run has just begun... I got to thank the genius who invented the personal stereo system. My son prefers to say "innovated" and the world calls it a Walkman. It's a funny story. Sony wanted to reduce the size of its stereo music system and challenged its engineers to find an answer. Our man, the genius, looked at it long and hard. "The best way to make this smaller", he said, "is to remove the biggest part of the stereo". And boom! Gone were speakers and born was the Walkman. Genius. Just remembering the story takes me many steps into the trail...

The trail winds. And the wind is still in my face. But I'm all warmed up and the music comes into play. The rhythm of the song picks up pace and my feet start matching the pace without me even realizing it. I'm running harder. I'm enjoying it...

A good run has some pauses. Like when I come up to a small street with no traffic light. I've got to negotiate how I cross that street. I break the rhythm. It's time for caution. Once across, the music takes over. My feet fall into the rhythm again. I'm cruising...

Ive been running a while. Song after song has kept me moving along. I turn the corner. It's now the homestretch. The trail straightens. I can see far out to the end o the trail. And then it happens. The music stops. The song must change. The few seconds in between are telling. I hit the wall...

"Must keep at it", I tell myself, while I anxiously wait for the next song to start. It does, but it's slow. Not what I need right now. I need my feet to keep moving. I feel my gut wrench. There's a voice in my head screaming to stop. But there's something in me that denies that voice. I could fall dead, but I don't want to stop...

"How did my music player know that I'm hitting the wall?", I ask myself. That leads me to other thoughts. And others. Random thinking helps. At least I'm moving. This is the most difficult time in life... I look up again. I can see the end of the trail. I've got a little way to cover. The slow song stops. I can hear myself breathe. I can feel my footsteps are heavy. "The end of the world is near", I think. The only good thing is my feet are still moving...

The next song starts. It's got a rhythm to it. My feet start to match. I look up the trail. The end is really not far. I feel the suns rays on my face. But this time the wind is on my back. I feel the urge again. I lean...

The Ayengars! The Super Kings...

Loki Khan was perched on his favorite stool at the bar. He felt drunk with power. Now he felt the need to show it on someone. He heard the sound of laughter. He turned around to see a bunch of people having fun. "Mortals", he thought. He couldn't bear the sight or sound of them. He always thought of himself as a being from outer space, having descended on earth with a glorious destiny - to ACT (even if it meant OVER ACT!).

He heard the laughter again. He had to teach them a lesson. He walked up to the revellers, picked the weakest among them and started beating him up. The poor man cried for help but none would come near him. He would give them his mighty stare and they would step away. Having beaten his defenseless foe till his thirst for a fight was quenched, he let him go.

He strode out of the bar and stood under its gltizy sign. "KKR", it said in gold letters on an ominously blue background. He ripped open his shirt to show the world his six-pack abs. "I AM THE KING. I SHOULD BE THE KING", he screamed. He waited for the lightning to strike behind him so the world could take notice. There was no lightning. He waited some more but no one even noticed. So he pulled his shirt close with his hands and held it to cover himself (he had just ripped the buttons) and walked away to his car.

He started the engine and started racing down the road. He was still angry. He was always angry. But this time, he was remembering his conversation from earlier in the day with Man of Steel - Dhoni Stark and fearless leader of the Super Kings (not just superheros) from Madras. It was a normal conversation. Dhoni Stark was his usual, cool self. But for some reason, it seemed to Loki Khan that Dhoni Stark was threatening him. Loki Khan did not like to be threatened.

The Big War was near. Loki Khan was this close to claiming his rightful throne and he would let nothing come in the way of he and his pinnacle of glory. After all the glorious years of OVERACTING he had waited 5 long years to get even this close. He had cried hard for 4 years and only once came anywhere close to the crown. He had built an army alright. He had spent limitless amount of money to buy his commander GG (which he thought gave him limitless amount of power!). He had poisoned the minds of some homegrown Madrasis like Agent Balaji, who was slowly becoming very effective in hurling the weapons at the enemy.

He had waited long enough. This time, he would wait no more. His army had done well, thanks to his long stares. His alien coaches were steering the army well. And one particluar alien (that's what he thought!) with a funny hairstyle was proving to be the flesh in the thorn of every enemy that came in the way. His Army had won most of the battles this time. And once they had, he would parade the battlefield to claim the glory. He spared none. He showed his ire on everyone including men who were entrusted with the safekeeping of the battlefield. He had to show them He was King!

That's exactly what he had told Man of Steel - Dhoni Stark too. "I am the King. What have I to fear?", he asked Dhoni Stark. "The Ayengars", Dhoni Stark said, "we're sort of like a team. Earth's mightiest Super Kings, type thing". "I've seen them", Loki Khan, said, "you no longer have The Hulk Hayden but I have a six-pack. I am The King".

"It's true, we don't have The Hulk Hayden anymore, but everyone of The Ayengars has a Hulk within him. You never know which Hulk will fire when. I have a helicopter that I can bring out anytime and you there, you have pissed off more than a billion people with your OVERACTING and most importantly, you have pissed off a common man - the safekeeper of a sacred battlefield. You're missing the point Loki Khan, there's no throne, there's no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe they're too much for us, but we are the Ayengars and we were born to protect the turf of Madras". And he walked away, his usual cool self...

The parting words rang in Loki Khan's ears as he raced down the street. He came to his senses for a tiny moment. This was no night to get caught for drunken driving. He had to get keep his ACT together. The Big War was yonder. He vowed silently (there was no one to stare at!). He would gather his troops. He would lead them on to the battlefield. He would stand tall and stare at all. He would beat poor innocent subjects if he had to. There was only one thing that stood between him and the throne.

He thought about The Ayengars! The Super Kings. The chill that ran down his spine rendered him sober...

P.S. For best effect, watch Marvels - The Avengers this Saturday and watch Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League this Sunday. Then come back and read this Monday. Have a Great Memorial Day...

Surprise...

The alarm went off at 5.55 AM! Now, that's a Surprise for a Saturday...

We had a fully packed morning ahead of us. At 7 AM, we had to be at the park where my son had to run 3 miles and complete a round of exercises to earn his fitness stripe in his quest for a Black Belt. Right after, we had to drive into center city Philadelphia for his choir practice that starts at 8.45 AM and would go on until 12 noon. It would have been a Surprise if we got lunch before 1 PM...

I have been running with my son on these fitness tests everytime he is about to graduate from one belt to another. In the beginning, it was A Mile Run and that was not a challenge. As my son grew older (he started Karate when he was about 7) and as he moved from the beginners to the intermediate to the advanced levels, the fitness requirement went up to 2 miles. For a man who's sitting 12 hours a day in a high-back chair working and the rest of the time awake on a plushy couch watching TV, it's a Surprise I managed to wake up one fine morning and run 2 miles along with him...

I knew it was going to be a stretch the moment I heard the number 3! But I like to run with him, just to show him that I'm there for him and to motivate him to cover the distance. And all of us knew the morning was going to be as stretch given one thing after another. So we stayed in Friday evening and called it a day early enough so we could all wake up fresh and strong. Every single detail had been planned, I would wake up at 6 AM and make the coffee and tea. My wife would be up right behind me and she would pack the towels, the change clothes and the snacks he would need for after the run, before choir. And junior would be woken up at 630 AM, giving him enough time to wash, drink his milk and get ready to run out. Knowing my wife, it would have been a Surprise if she didn't plan it to this level of detail...

Everything went to plan until 7 AM. We were there at the park, greeted by all the other children, the instructors, chaperones et al. The Principal called for all the boys to fall in line and went through his routine of asking each student what his / her age was, what belt they were testing for and hence confirming the distance they needed to run. "Tay Jus", he said, "how are you sir"? "I'm well sir", he said. "You're testing for Black and how old are you sir"? "I'm 10 sir", came the reply, "so that's 3 miles, right"? "Hmm, let's see, testing for Black, 10 years old, no that's actually 4 miles sir, YOU'VE GOT TO RUN 4 MILES", he said! Surprise...

There was no fuss! Not even a reaction. Only the definitive nod of the head to indicate "Yes Sir". And then he moved to join his Karate mates who were now forming a semicircle to start doing some stretching exercises. Only, someone else was reacting. ME! I was frantically looking for my wife, who had quietly stayed in the back rows, doing what she does best, greeting other parents and wishing other children the best for their runs. I spotted her in a minute and ran to her. "He needs to run 4 miles, not 3" and I repeated what the Principal had said a few minutes ago. "My son is running 3 and I will ask him to run the 4th along with yours", said another friendly neighbourhood parent. It was NO Surprise that my wife did not panic. She has always been a huge believer in my son's determination. She looked at me and I said, "I'll run with him". I had no idea what I had just signed up for...

The run began! My son and his friend shot off the blocks. I was mad at him because I felt he needed to pace himself. Somewhere about the 400 metre mark there was a U-turn in the path and the runners had to run around one of the instructors and back on the paved raod. This was comforting because even though I knew I was never going to catch up with him, I knew I would meet him at least 2 times during this run (going by my previous history of running 2 miles) when he would make the U-turn and return while I was still running towards the U. I met him soon and I expressed myself. "You've got to run 4 miles, so pace yourself". He nodded but kept running like the wind. I was Surprised I just didn't break my run, go over to him and give him a piece of my mind...

The first 2 miles went like routine. The toughest part of the trail was at the very begnning, where the path was not paved but was mostly sand and clay, with deep tire marks from trucks that had rolled through. I knew that if I surived that part I would be better off with the rest of the path. When I hit that part for the third time, I started praying. "God, take me past this path, please!" God was kind and I did cross the path and approached the U-turn. I met my son again as he was returning on the path but this time I met him much earlier which indicated that the distance between him and me was growing. I realised there was no point telling him to slow down so this time I only shouted words of encouragement for him. I slowly got to the U-turn. When I saw him way ahead of me I felt a sudden rush of adrenaline and felt the need to catch up with him. After all, this was a big day for him and the only way to show him that I was there for him was to run alongside. I started taking longer strides. 5 seconds was all it took for me to realise my folly. One good thing the school does is assign a buddy for people who are running longer distances the first time and I noticed young TJ, who was much bigger and stronger than Tejas, running by his side. So I wisely gave up the need to catch up with him and fell back into my own pace...

Mile 3 ended and Mile 4 began! It was a Surprise I was still running. I got to the dirt track and prayed again. I got past the dirt track and on to the paved road and I barely crossed him on his return from the U. He was way ahead of me. "You can do it buddy", I shouted. I don't know if he even heard me. I could hear him grunting but I didn't see him stopping. My wife's assessment of his determination was spot on. At my own pace I made the U-turn and got back on what was the single longest straight stretch on the trail. When I hit that part of the trail, I realised I was alone. I kept chugging along. I looked for him. He was gone. I couldn't see him anymore. "Oh my God! Did he give up? Did he just stop and walk away towards the start line? No! That would mean he would need to come back next month and start all over! God, please no!". And then I saw him come around the curve. Past the straight stretch, we had to run around a lake and then came the home stretch on a grass path between a hill and the parking lot. A few morning walkers had hid him from my view for a brief while and I was so relieved to see him and his buddy come around the lake. I was not Surprised anymore...

I passed 2 ladies who were walking. "Your shoelaces are untied", shouted one to me. "I know, but I can't stop!", I said. "Be careful", she said. "I will", I said and kept moving. I wasn't really running, I was just moving. The next few steps seemed like eternity. My eyes never left him as I watched him run the loop around the lake. And I was praying. For him. He was more than a quarter of a mile ahead of me. And then it happened. Even as I hit the start of the loop around the lake, I saw him disappear behind the hill at the end of the loop. I knew he had done it! He was but a few paces away from the finish line. And I knew that if it was not for him, I would have left this race long ago. A little over a quarter of a mile left to conquer, I looked up into the sky. I thanked God for giving me Tejas. And I wasn't Surprised, when I heard myself saying. "God, let me finish this race"...

Tejas L Kaushik, albeit taken by Surprise, completed his 4 mile run in 45 minutes and 4 seconds, followed by 100 jumping jacks and 30 frog leaps, went on to a 3 hour session of choir practice and has carried on his day with elan and is just now having his dinner at 730 PM, after which he plans to work on a 499 piece Lego Model of a fighter plane. It's no surprise that my wife thinks he must retire early so he can wake up at 7 AM again to go to a Math Bee contest Sunday morning.

Oh! I measured his height after my 3 hour afternoon nap and I wasn't Surprised. He was Ten Feet Tall...

Friend...

I never dreamt this day would come!

His ship docked at the Jersey City harbor mid afternoon today. After a long ride on the NJ turnpike, I eased my car on to Port Jersey Boulevard a little past 5 PM. I was searching for #302 but couldn't find it. I tried calling him but he wouldn't pick up. I could see long lines of cranes and containers on either side of the road so I was sure I was in the right place. I tried calling him again, but there was no response. I let my car keep rolling down the track. "Waterfront Observation Deck", a road sign said. "What's the worst that can happen?", I thought. "I'll get a view of the water, so let me keep pulling forward"...

"No entry beyond this point", screamed another sign right ahead of me. I stopped the car and looked to the right. More cranes and more containers. Then I looked left. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. "This cannot be true", I thought. I made a quick U-turn and in front of me was the observation deck. And right below the deck on the right hand side corner of the road was a cul-de-sac. I pulled up into it, parked my car and jumped out. I looked out on the waterfront. I'd never seen this view before...

As wide as my eyes could take in, from my left to right were an isolated tree, the Goldman Sachs building (the tallest in Jersey City), the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, downtown Manhattan, the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges in intertwined fashion, the Staten Island Ferry and the island itself. I have never hid my love for New York city but this was a view I had never seen before. It was truly magestic! Just then the phone rang. He said he had just come out of his ship and was waiting for me on the street. I asked him to stay on the phone, turned back to the water and took one deep breath. I let the view soak in. Mother Nature was celebrating my reunion with an old friend...

I have known him since school, but since he chose to go a different school at some point, it was really college that brought us back together. The first cultural tour, mad Mardi-Gras nights, night-out study sessions and gut-wrenching stage performances are only some of the things we shared. Those 4 years at college and several later created a bond that would never be broken...

He started sailing soon after college. We'd write to each other letters on paper. He'd be back for breaks after gruelling journeys. And we'd go back to our revelry, enjoying each other's company. Slowly the journeys grew longer. I moved to a different city. We still stayed in touch somehow. And then suddenly we lost touch with each other. He was still sailing when I moved to the US and several attempts to reach him never bore fruit for four years...

He was never technology-friendly. He would have responded to at least one of my emails if he was. But fate and facebook always re-unite friends forever. On Jan 1, 2012, he found me on facebook and send me a friend request. God, was I thrilled to hear from him again? He was in India and I was in the US. But we stayed in touch until he set forth for his next journey. I realised he had stepped up several notches in technology, only when he emailed me from his ship a few days later to let me know he would soon be docking  in New Jersey...

Life has its ways! The first time he touched here was a school night for my son. And I couldn't go out to see him. So we only talked a couple of hours before he set sail again. He was going to Italy but would return soon. Alas! When he came back to New Jersey, I was holidaying in sunny California. What a shame we couldn't meet...

If there is one thing life has taught me in the last 3 years (even before I started using facebook!), it is that you never lose the relationships in which you have invested in. Those people you believed in and shared with always have a way of coming right back into your life in the most surprising of circumstances. I just got back from my holiday yesterday when my phone rang. "I'll be docking in Jersey City about 2 PM tomorrow. Can you come to see me?, he said. "You should not miss this chance, drop whatever you have and go see him", my wife said...

I stayed on the phone as I slowly rolled my wheels back through Port Jersey till I found him at the gates of Global Terminal Container Services. He smiled at me, cut the call, walked over to the car and joined me. I don't know how the next 3 hours passed. We did what we always did best. We drove around, we ate dinner, talked non-sense and laughed like hell till I dropped him back at the dock at about 9 PM and only because his ship leaves again at 5 AM and I had promised I would help my son with an essay tonight. I guess I don't have to describe how I felt or how I feel...

In all the things we did together in all these years, there is one thing that stands out for all to see. Everyone who knows us together knows this. Whenever it was, whatever we did and wherever we went, it was always he, who came and picked me up. From his simple silver plus during college to his shiny Santro later in life, it was always me riding the passenger seat, enjoying his driving and his company. To Besant Nagar beach, through Madras city and to every possible eatery that we could spend our money in, he drove me...

In my wildest of dreams, I never dreamt this day would come. When I would be the one to go pick him up and take him for a spin! Thank you da KARTHIK, for letting me return the favor...