Wander Lust

May 2011, Chandigarh. I had left my earlier company of four years and was searching for a new one with full vigour. Every morning, I would get up, dress up in my formals and used to visit those petty job consultants and other companies for interviews with sun blazing overhead. Every passing day took a bit of me with itself. Summing up, a pretty frustrating time. Life seemed to be at its lowest ebb, but still, hopes of getting through those times and prospects of happy days ahead livened me every morning and with every failure in the evening, I would console myself by saying “things always get worse before they get better” Its times like these when we know about our true self, when we start appreciating life, when we start acknowledging the happiness we get from living every moment of our lives. For most of the time, we are alone, thinking about our mistakes in past, watching others excel in their worlds, in other words a perfect front row seat in a game called “life”. Outside, on my...

What's the time? taya ji (my uncle) asked me, giving me the cup of tea he had just brought for me from the shop. Its 10.15 pm, i said. that bus is half an hour late, will be here by 11 pm...taya ji said. how come? dunno...your dad just called me. Me and taya ji were at bus stand to receive my parents, who were coming from Shimla that night. It was the month of December and gods had just wrapped a fresh layer of snow around mighty Dhauladhars that day,submerging whole valley under cold waves with mercury shrunk around freezing point. Cold waves seemed to have sucked the life out of the valley.Bus stand was also in a lifeless state with very few souls present there. So, idea of spending 45 more minutes in such weather saddened me.I tried to concentrate on my tea. It was Kangra tea and its splendid aroma always kept my senses in check during the harsh winters in our valley. I was fully under my pashmina shawl from head to toe. "Excuse me, is the bus for Jammu here yet?...

It was a typical May afternoon at Dharamsala that day, a bit hot with mercury in early thirties. Except for the noise of buses and their shouting conductors at bus stand, everything else seemed to be setting its equation right with the nature. Behind stood the mighty Dhauladhars, with their snow capped peaks towering over the beautiful valley of kangra. The valley, with dhauladhars as its vigilante, was calm as ever, brimming with life.This valley is known all over the world for its pleasant weather, scenic beauty, youthful rivulets, amazing painters, pristine temples, tea gardens, authentic chinese food, fresh weed and Dalai Lama. When sun bakes up the plains in summers, valley is full with all kinds of tourists from everywhere. So, i was sitting at HRTC's canteen at Dharamsala bus stand, having lunch with ronnie. We're going to Chandigarh, 150 miles away, where both of us worked and boy, going away from home from such a beautiful place, it sucked big time. I often wondered w...

"You  Lose" I was staring at these words flashing on my computer screen wondering why on earth these computers never play a bad move in chess. It was a hot monday afternoon at office and i was still in a hangover from a weekend b'day party of a friend. In a half asleep state, i made up my mind to try one more game whe suddenly my cell started vibrating. It was vishu, a former colleague of mine, who had recently quit job at our office. He was of my age, with a lean physique but was very highly motivated towards his life. He was one of those guys, who are beaming with energy in their eyes, always pumped up, grabbing every oppurtunity with both hands and making a fortune out of it. In other words, a complete contrast to me. well, i picked the phone. hello..ankush???? yeah...hey buddy....wassup...how are you? am good..where are you? in office...whereelse ,  trying to humble the black knight....i said with a sigh. "Games hi khelta rahio tu...."..okay listen..y...