Drama queen.

I haven't been around on blogsville for a very long while. No, I wasn't put behind the bars for committing some crime or anything, I was just very (like really very) busy with my college and other related things. Hope you guys didn't miss me too much.

This is to update you people with what I'm doing. I have got admission for B.Tech Computers in NMIMS University, Mumbai. I will become an Engineer with a blink of your eye (if your blink lasts for 4 years).

Reason why I haven't been around: My college is 2 hours away from my house. By the time I reach home, I'm completely drained. Forget coming online, I don't even have the energy to keep my eyes open.

Solution to this: I am shifting to a place close to my college. Me and my brother will be living there because both of us have our business close to that area. Dad is leaving the city. So is mom, with my dad.

We will have to leave the current house. This house, where I have grown. From being a dumb 10 year old kid, to being a smart 18 year old girl-- the journey, the pangs, the raves and the rants have been witnessed by this very house. It can never be erased from my memory. Not even when I become a 90 year old woman.
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Okay, all this was just scribbling about the ongoings. There has to be SOME motive in my blogpost. Here it is...

Have you ever been to a relative's house who doesn't stay in your city?
If you have, I'm sure you can relate to this.

Me and my mom had gone to Lucknow for a week after I was done with all my 12th standard exams. I have 2 relatives staying there. One belongs to my mom's side, and the other to my dad's.
We stayed with the mom's side relatives and went to visit the others on the last day of our visit.

Now mind you, this family which we visited, is a joint family. There are some 3-4 bua's, 2 dadi's, 4-5 chacha's, 4-5 chachi's and 10 cousins. All in one house. So in a way it was good that we could wrap up the visiting formality of meeting EVERYone in just one day.

While leaving, there is this tradition in my family. My mom being the bahu and me being the beti of the house, they all give us either money or some gift.
Each and every bua, chachi, dadi come and try to push a 100 rupee note into your pocket. And you say "Arey nahi, aise thodi na. Iski kya zaroorat hai.", and all that. We know that we have to do this drama for 2 minutes(each) maximum and then accept the gift, ultimately.

I thought this drama was pointless. So, I simply accepted the money at first. Whereas, my mother was busy with her drama of not willing to accept.
My mother saw that I wasn't doing it. So she comes and does it on my behalf as well.
"Arey ek ko de diya na, kaafi hai.", and slightly pushes the gift away. Whereas I sit with my hands in the position of catching a ball from the sky. I ultimately do get the gift. So, my mom uses all her energy in vain.

This entire giving-ranting-pushing-pulling-screaming-kissing-scratching-winking-smiling-taking episode goes on for 10 whole minutes. It is fun. But pointless. Seriously.

It was funny too. I mean, both the sides know that this ALWAYS happens. But STILL both of them do it with all their might.

Interesting, isn't it.

I will try to stick around now. :)

P.S. Blunt edges, I shall try to take up that tag. Thanks for tagging :)

The Hero.

I got this as an Email from my dad. Some of you might already know about this. But I'm putting this here because the others MUST know about it. :)

Encounter with a rickshaw driver in Mumbai

Suvendu Roy of Titan Industries shares his inspirational encounter with a rickshaw driver in Mumbai...

Last Sunday, my wife, kid and I had to travel to Andheri from Bandra. When I waved at a passing auto rickshaw, little did I expect that this ride would be different.

As we set off, my eyes fell on a few magazines (kept in an aircraft style pouch) behind the driver's back rest. I looked in front and there was a small TV. The driver had put on the Doordarshan channel. My wife and I looked at each other with disbelief and amusement. In front of me was a small first-aid box with cotton, dettol and some medicines. This was enough for me to realise that I was in a special vehicle. Then I looked around again, and discovered more - there was a radio, fire extinguisher, wall clock, calendar, and pictures and symbols of all faiths - from Islam and Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. There were also pictures of the heroes of 26/11- Kamte, Salaskar, Karkare and Unnikrishnan. I realised that not only my vehicle, but also my driver was special.

I started chatting with him and the initial sense of ridicule and disbelief gradually diminished. I gathered that he had been driving an auto rickshaw for the past 8-9 years; he had lost his job when his employer's plastic company was shut down. He had two school-going children, and he drove from 8 in the morning till 10 at night. No break unless he was unwell. "Sahab, ghar mein baith ke TV dekh kar kya faida? Do paisa income karega toh future mein kaam aayega." (Sir, what's the use of simply sitting at home and watching TV? If I earn some income, then it will be useful in the future.)

We realised that we had come across a man who represents Mumbai - the spirit of work, the spirit of travel and the spirit of excelling in life. I asked him whether he does anything else as I figured that he did not have too much spare time. He said that he goes to an old age home for women in Andheri once a week or whenever he has some extra income, where he donates tooth brushes, toothpastes, soap, hair oil, and other items of daily use. He pointed out to a painted message below the meter that read: "25 per cent discount on metered fare for the handicapped. Free rides for blind passengers up to Rs 50."

He also said that his auto was mentioned on Radio Mirchi twice by the station RJs. The Marathi press in Mumbai know about him and have written a few pieces on him and his vehicle.

My wife and I were struck with awe. The man was a HERO! A hero who deserves all our respect. I know that my son, once he grows up, will realise that we have met a genuine hero. I will try to keep this incident alive in his memory.

Our journey came to an end; 45 minutes of a lesson in humility, selflessness and of a hero-worshipping Mumbai - my temporary home. We disembarked, and all I could do was to pay him a tip that would hardly cover a free ride for a blind man.

Some Pictures:

He has got a first aid box on the left and a newspaper box on right (which had all hindi-english- marathi-gujrati and economic times).




He has got a TV on the top with cable and below that is the tissue box. On the left is a small mandir and dont miss the "Only Gandhigiri" written there. Below that is a calender and a notepad and pen along with a blue fan (which is blowing towards the customer).

25% discount for handicapped!! Who on this earth can expect somethin like this from an rickshaw-wala!

Its amazing there are people still alive like him in this world!

I hope, one day, you too have a chance to meet Mr. Sandeep Bachhe in his auto rickshaw - MH-02-Z-8508 .

Kids are the best.

Kids. What do I say about them. They are the best. We all were kids at some point in time. Some of us still are ;)

There used to be certain jingles/phrases/whatever which every kid knew. Who started it? Where did all this come from? Nobody knows.

It wasn't even like -- Only a particular locality knew it. EVERYBODY knew it. On growing up, when we talk to people who come from different cities/towns/states/whatever, we are overwhelmed when they sing the same kid-song with the exact same words and also the same tune!

I am just writing a few of those jingles/phrases/whatever here. They were all so cool!

These are the ones in which everyone stands in a circle and one person says this to eliminate people and find out who is going to be the Bakra.

1. In pin safety pin, in pin out. Khelna hai toh khelo varna get out.

2. Once a buddha met a buddhi under a mango tree. Said the buddha to the buddhi, "Will you marry me?" Say yes or no.

"NO."

N-O, No and you may go free!

3. Ip dip dip, my blue ship. Sailing in the water like a cup and saucer. Ip dip dip.

4. Oh God please tell me who should be the 'Denner' in this very fairy game. A-E-I-O-U and that falls on to You.

5. Inky Pinky Ponky. Father had a Donkey. Donkey died. Father cried. Inky Pinky Ponky.

Some kids(like Me!) were very smart. They would count before hand and stand at that spot where they knew they won't become the Bakra. :D

These are the ones in which two or more people clap hands amonsgt themselves in perfect synchronization. There used to be some patterns too.

1. Aa Meena. Super Seena. Lazy Boys. Good Girls. (This was slower. And then...)

Aa Meena super seena Lazy boys Good Girls. STATUE!

2. Ham cheese burger. Sauce potato chip chip chip. Sause potato chip chip chip. Cream roll. Mutton roll. Chicken roll. Yum.

3. Miss Marie jab chhoti thi tab uski haalat Aisi thi. Baba aisi thi. (They do some action.)

Miss Marie jab badi hui tab uski haalat aisi thi. Baba aisi thi. (They do some action again.)

Miss Marie jab School gayi tab uski haalat Aisi thi. Baba aisi thi. (They do another action.)

Miss Marie jab College gayi tab uski haalat Aisi thi. Baba aisi thi. (They do some more action.)

Miss Marie jab ki jab Shaadi hui tab uski haalat Aisi thi. Baba aisi thi. (They do some action.)

Miss Marie jab ko jab Bachche tab uski haalat Aisi thi. Baba aisi thi. (They do some action again.)

Miss Marie jab Budhhi hui tab uski haalat Aisi thi. Baba aisi thi. (They do another action.)

Miss Marie jab Marr gayi tab uski haalat Aisi thi. Baba aisi thi. (They do some more action.)

Miss Marie jab Bhoot bani tab uski haalat Aisi thi. Baba aisi thi. (They act as if they are killing each other.)

Phew.

4. Uma Joshi yeah yeah yeah. My mother told me sixty years ago. There came a lady knocking at the door. With a, "Ooh. Aah. I want some flour."

"The flour is sweet. I want some meat."

"The meat is tough. I want to go by bus."

"The bus is full. I want to go by bull."

"The bull is fat. I want my money back."

"The money is green. I want some cherry beans."

"The cherry beans are red. I want to go to bed."

"The bedsheet is blue. God bless you."

5. Who stole the cookies from the cookie shop?

I think Mr. 2 stole the cookies from the cookie shop.

Who me?

Yes you.

Couldn't be.

Then who?

I think Mr. 4 stole the cookies from the cookie shop.

Who me?

Yes you.

.

.

.

(This goes on)

Aah. Childhood was a bliss. No worked up mind. No stress. No deadlines. No 'Oh-my-god moments.

Just keep playing and singing these lame things, and your childhood is over.

What fun. :D

Tag of Four.

I returned from a short vacation to blogger. Saw Umpteen number of new posts by different people. Went through all of them. Commented on some. I was thinking of selecting one of the events that I've noted during my journey, for writing a post. That's when I went on Hary's blog to read his Tagged post. That's when I saw the following:

Tag four people who will respond
1. Jyoti - My gud blog friend
2. Cute Cadre - funny chennaite :)
3. Gayathri - An Awesome blogger !
4. Sowmi - has a gift for writing..

Thank you Hary. This is the first tag I've ever got. :) Though I know that this is quite an old tag. But meh. Now I feel that the blogosphere has considered me as its eternal part. :D Which feels great, by the way.

So let me just come to the point(s).

Four places you have lived

1. Haridwar: Just for a couple of months. Though I was born in Delhi, my parents lived in Haridwar. We shifted to delhi after a few months of my birth. So obviously, I have no memories whatsoever.
2. Delhi: Spent my early childhood there. Had some close friends. Now I just remember them by their name and the kid-faces which must have changed by now. We still have that Delhi house though.
3. Mumbai - Andheri: Came here in Grade 2. Lived here till Grade 5. Had some friends who lived around. We used to be at each other's house all day long. I've played a lot with them. Random games like Ghar ghar, kitchen kitchen, teacher teacher. Seriously. We danced on Random songs. We fought like cats. Some of those friends are still in touch. I was Katti with some while I was shifting. So haven't been in touch with them. Kids also had Ego ha.
4. Mumbai- Thane: Came here in grade 6 and I'm still here. This is the best place to be. The most important part of school life was spent here. I got some sense and didn't fight with many people. There were SOME though. But that was in the early years. Been through the pangs of teenage life here. Had first crushes here. Been in love here. Been heart-broken here. Have had amazing friends who have always been by my side here. I'd be really sad if I'm asked to leave this place and go elsewhere.


Four TV shows you love to watch

1. Friends: Can watch this over and over again. This is the only show I still watch when it comes on TV. I'm not a TV freak otherwise.
2. Different Strokes: I've been watching this since I was a kid. It still comes on TV :D
3. Small Wonder: I don't think this comes on TV anymore. There was a hindi show which tried to copy this one, but that simply sucked.
4. Full House: This was one of my favorites. Even this doesn't come on TV anymore.


Four places you have been on vacation

1. Dubai: I ran away from school after attending the first two lectures, I remember, to be on time to catch the flight. Thinking that I will deal with the consequences once I return from the amazing trip. I've always been practical. No point sitting and wondering what will happen. Whatever has to happen shall be dealt with later. Okay so talking about Dubai, it was a lovely place. Desert Safari. Camels. Cars. Big Birds. Belly Dancers. It was fun.
2. Toronto, Canada: I've been here 3-4 times. Got my cousins there. It is a beautiful place. So peaceful. Coming from a city like Mumbai -- where people are like ants, this place with minimal population was so alluring. Would love to live in this counrty.(Oh, would this increase the population of this place?) Niagara Falls -- Stunning.
3. Munsiyari: This is in Himachal Pradesh. We were 3 families. We had gone for a 3 day trek on the Himalayas. We would fix our tents every night on an even land and sit by the bonfire late till night. It was mighty cold. Watching the sun rise and set behind the mountains was a bliss. We managed to reach the snow-capped peaks too! It was an encouragement to climb Mt. Everst. :P
4. Bangkok, Thailand: The environment there is so lively. Love the place.


Four of your favorite foods

1. Butter Chicken: I could live on this for my entire life.
2. Kebabs: *Slurp*
3. Rajma Chawal: I love the ones my mom makes :)
4. Let me put all the junk into one single point. Lays, Kurkure, Pizza, Pastery, Hot dog, Pani Puri, Sprite, Ferrero Rocher, Ice gola, Chaat, Lasagne, Pasta, Maggie, Orange Candy, Candy floss.


Four movies you can see over and over again

1. Andaz Apna Apna: AILA! UIMA!
2. Taarein Zameen Par: The most adorable movie.
3. 50 First Dates: Adam Sandlar. No other description required.
4. Pursuit Of Happiness: Do I really need to say why?


Four things you hope to do before you die

1. Play basketball at International level.
2. Being swallowed by a huge-ass snake. (I would die after that.)
3. Act for a lead role in a movie where the top hero and heroines are supporting actors.
4. Get married to Hrithik Roshan.

Tag four people who will respond

1. Zlaek: Because I LOWE you.
2. Shweta: Because you could make it an interesting read.
3. Pulkit: You need a break from all the intense stuff.
4. Blunt Edges: Just felt like putting your name in :)
5. Shanu: I hope you haven't taken this tag already.

(OOPS I tagged 5! Intentionally. :P)



The tag Rules:
1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Copy the image above, the rules and the questionnaire in this post.
3. Post this in one or all of your blogs.
4. Answer the four questions following these Rules.
5. Recruit at least seven (7) friends on your Blog Roll by sharing this with them.
6. Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com/ and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List.
7. Have Fun! Questions & Your Answers:

1. The person who tagged you: Hary
2. His site's title: http://ribtickle.blogspot.com/
3. Date when you were tagged: 27th July 2009
4. People you tagged: Zlaek, Shweta, Pulkit, Blunt edges, Shanu.

The Stalker.

All the girls out there must have had their share of being stalked, I'm sure. There is more to come, I'm sure of that too. We all have given them their share of curses, which they all deserve. Whenever something like this happens, we all remember the famous Hindi film dialogue -- "Ghar mein Maa-Behen nahi hai kya?!" It is outrageously annoying.

It is one of the very few times when we, girls, wish that we weren't girls. We HATE the presence of each and every darned Male-human-species on this planet, even if they were monks from the Himalayas.

There have been many. This is just one of them.

It was the day when 3 Lakh people scratch their brains off to crack a State Level Exam. We had an Examination called MHT-CET (Maharashtra Health and Technology Common Entrance Test) on 12th May, 2009. My Examination Centre was not-so-close to my house, and none of my acquaintances had got the same Centre. I reached the place independently. The people there were pretty non-appealing, so I didn't really socialize with them that much.

The dilapidated desk which had my Roll Number on it was first in its row. I sat there. There were very few girls in the class, I noticed. But I didn't care. There was nobody in front of me and I obviously had no business behind to turn and look at people.

We were instructed in PURE Marathi(half of which I failed to understand) to keep the hall ticket on the desks so that it's easier for the invigilators to come and check the details without disturbing us while we write our oh-so-important Exam.

I, being the first person in my row, was asked to go forward and sign the sealed question paper packet before they were distributed.Bell rang. Exam started. Brains racked. Bell rang. Exam finished.

I got up. Walked out of the class. Walked out of the centre. Sat in my car. Came back home.

3 hours later

I get a call from an unknown number.

Me: Hello?

Some Guy(SG): *With zero fluency in his language* Hello, is that Jyoti?

Me: Yes, who's speaking?

SG: How was your paper?

Me: Errmm.. Pretty good...

SG: How was Physics?

Me: Good..

SG: How was Chemistry?

Me: Good..

SG: How was Math?

Me: Better than the other two...

I kept talking because I was curious to know who it was!

Me: But who's speaking?

SG: Guess karo.

Me: Ummm.. I really don't know. Can you please tell me?

SG: *In a playful tone* Not so easily! Keep guessing. Just remember who all did you meet today?

Me: Siddharth? *Because he's a friend who keeps giving me strange prank calls*

SG: No! Guess guess guesss!

This happened for quite some time.

SG: Okay you keep thinking. I'll call you in an hour or two to tell you who I am.

Hangs up.

I try hard to figure out. But then I forget about it after some time.

An hour later

Phone rings. Some different unknown number.

Me: Hello?

Same guy(SG): Hi!

Me: *Confused because last time it was some different number* Where the hell are you calling from?

SG: Different sim.

Me: Okay.. So tell me who you are?

SG: Your name is Jyoti, right?

Me: Yes..

SG: Your Father's name is blah blah and blah blah's name is blah blah, right?

Me: *All suspicious. But somewhat relieved because I thought if he knows everything about me, he is certainly not some random stalker.* Yes..

SG: Aha! It's so sad. I know everything about you and you don't even know my name! Ha ha.

Me: So please take the pain of telling me. Let the secret be out.

SG: Okay. My name is Aman. I was sitting right behind you in today's Exam. Why didn't you look around? You didn't even help me with any answers.

Me: Oh. *Trying to remember if i saw the guy behind me, even by mistake.* And how do you know my name and my NUMBER?! :O

Aman: The hall ticket! I could see it so clearly from my desk. :D

Me: HOLYSHIT. I didn't even dream of that.

I checked. The hall ticket actually had every darned thing on it, including my cellphone number and my residential address!

Me: *Pissed* And why exactly did you note it down?

Aman: *Changes his tone* Because I felt like calling you up and talking to you sometime..

Me: Aha.. So why didn't you talk to me then and there?

Aman: Because you looked very stubborn. I was scared to talk to you. And you left right after the exam got over. I tried to follow you, but the car was just too fast.

Me: Oh myy. So how did you suddenly get the balls of calling me up now?

Aman: So, would you like to do friendship with me? I'm looking for new friends.

Me: OMG you're one of those orkut guys!

Aman: Huh?

Me: Look, I really don't appreciate this. You shouldn't have taken my number in this way. If you really wanted it, you could have asked me. I was right there! Please don't call me ever again. You will not be entertained.

Thud. I kept the phone down. (Though you can't really do that with a cell phone)

How could he even dare to do that?! Unbelievable. The guys these days. No shame. Nothing.

I was scared for some time. He had my home address too. It was a freaky thought.

I told my brother about it later that night. He said, "Hmm.. Next time he calls, just let me know." He's my Macho man. :D

I told my mother about it the next day. She said, "Dekho ladke exam dene aate hai aur dhyaan kahaan kahaan hota hai." (Look, these boys come to give an exam and have their mind at all the wrong things.)

:P

I told my friend about it. She said, "HOLYCRAP. This is outrageous!"

Hmph. There was SOMEONE who thought like me. :)

Some guys are such losers I tell you!

Note the bold word in the above statement. :)

My Brother doesn't tell me.

Generally, siblings are supposed to share those things with each other which cannot be shared with parents. I have an elder brother. He's almost seven years elder to me. At times he becomes like a third parent for me -- which is TOO MUCH to handle, trust me.

He's a Commercial Pilot by profession.

We do have our share of kid-like behaviour when we're in the mood(most of the times, that is). It gets my Mom want to poke her finger through her eye into the brain and twirl it around [This line -- Borrowed from an episode of FRIENDS]. She does enjoy our controlled interaction, but that mildness often turns into insanity. My mom gives up and says, "Kaun kahega ki yeh ladka ek Pilot hai." ("Who will say that this guy is a Pilot.") I point at him and laugh hysterically whenever she says that.

But he often treats me like his kid. There are so many things which I have to hide from him. Generally, siblings are the support system for each other. They call saying, "Hey, I'm at the bar right now. Tell mom and dad that I'm at Carol's and will be back home in time." The guy at home does his job of covering it up. Even if he doesn't want to, he will. Because he might want the same job to be done for him when he's out at the bar. But I can't do this with my brother. If I am at the bar, I'll go to some quiet place, call him up saying, "Hey, I'm at Carol's. I'll come back home in time. Just tell mom and dad about it." And then I have to be extra careful about all the possibilities of getting caught. [This situation was used just for an example. I've never been at the bar without letting my folks know. I'm a good girl :D AND, I don't know anyone called Carol. :P]


Because of this, I'm sure even he might be going to such places, fooling mom, dad and me. If he tells me, it's not like I'll go and tell mom about it. But he just wouldn't tell me.

In the exact same way, he doesn't tell me about the girl in his life. I'm sure there is someone. I just know it. Don't ask me how. I want to hear it from him, SOMEHOW. I've given him certain signals which might tell him that I know there is someone. [Like looking at him suspiciously from the corner of the eye, stretching out my right hand and pointing towards his face and wagging my finger saying, "I know Everything!"] It did get the crap out of him, for sure. But he STILL wouldn't tell me anything about it! DARN HIM!

Perhaps he's hiding it because he feels:

• That I'm a kid! *Sulks within*
• If I find out that he's dating people, I might feel that I am free to do it too. And he doesn't want me to do it.
• If I find out, I'll tell mom and dad about it and then they'll push him to marry her right away! [OH COME ON!]
• If I find out, I'll tease his ass off.
• If I find out, I'll stalk him wherever he goes -- like an elder sister. (Though I am younger)
• If I find out, I'll be all judgemental about her.

Whatever it is, I don't think I'm going to be all judgemental and crap. I will just be a nice and supportive younger sister. SO YOU SHOULD TELL ME ABOUT IT. I'm not that small! I've already had my share of teenage adventure. I know what it's all about. I know how to go about it(sort of). SO TELL ME!

I'm your little sister. You can trust me! :(


P.S. If you have any suggestions/guidelines/tricks/torture methods which might help me to get it out of him, PLEASE do tell me. Thanks.

P.P.S. I really REALLY hope he doesn't read this.

My take on Chalks.

When we read 'chalk', the first thing that generally strikes our mind is a blackboard inside a classroom. A teacher wearing teacher-like saree and a big-framed pair of spectacles. A bunch of students sitting on their benches, looking towards the blackboard -- at the movement of the piece of chalk held by the teacher.

BUT. To me, the first thing that strikes my mind is -- 'yummy!'. No kidding. Have you ever eaten a chalk in your childhood days? I have. And I loved the way it tasted. I still remember that taste, and it surely was addictive. Those who have tasted it, I'm sure they'll agree to what i just said. It gives you pleasure when you keep a piece in your mouth. Your mouth starts watering. The taste is Divine.

I still get the urge at times, to eat it. But unfortunately, my brain has developed. It now knows much more than what it knew when i was a kid. Now my developed brain has given me the sense and reason of not tasting the 'yumness' anymore.

See, it's chalk. There can be two perspectives: (All this might not make sense to those of you who know TOO much. But I'm sure there will be people like me reading this.)

• We know our chemistry. Chalk is nothing but Calcium Carbonate. We've also learnt that calcium is good for our body. So eating a chalk means increasing the calcium content of our body. Which means chalk is good for our health.



• As chalk is Calcium Carbonate, we also know that Calcium Carbonate is also known as limestone. So chalk is lime-stone. Chalk is STONE! So this gives the fear of developing kidney-stones at a later stage. Which means chalk is NOT good for our health. (I wasn't a Biology student, mind you.)

These points are contradictory. So even if chalk increases the calcium content of our body, the fear of develping kidney stones is more than the contentment of having plenty of calcium, somehow.

So everytime I look at chalk now, I TRY to think about a teacher, a classroom and a bunch of students.

Blame It On the Mindset.

How many people have you heard saying-- "Is desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta." ("Nothing can be done to this country"). No matter how many countries you've visited-- The States, Canada, Europe, Australia. Once you're back to India, you are back to your old habits.

There, you won't dare to pee in the bush along the road. You will never throw a Diet Coke can out of a moving car onto the road. You will always wear the seat belt. You will cross the road only when the signal tells you to do so. You will follow all the rules and norms of the country, in spite of it not being your own country. But once you are back, you make a fussy face at the people and then become one of them yourself. Even if you try to maintain the discipline, you will find yourself in thick soup.

You stand at the crossing. You stare hard at the road to look for a zebra crossing, it is so faint. The sight, sound and air movement tell you that the cars are rushing past you at the speed of 90 km/h.
The pedestrian signal shows RED. You are the only one standing there, waiting for the cars to stop and your signal to turn GREEN. You see all the others around you, who's business was the same as you-- to cross the road, have dodged the speedy cars and reached the other side of the road, smirking at you. Once your signal is green, some cars still rush past you. If you suddenly come in their way, they'll honk right into your ears and praise your eyes -- "DIKHTA NAHI HAI KYA!" ("CAN'T YOU SEE!"). The next time you'd want to cross the road, you'll give up.

You will first curse your fellow citizens saying-- "If they don't give a damn, why should I?", and then dodge the cars yourself. There is provision for us to follow things. But who wants to? There are proper roads. Proper lanes marked. Proper signals. Proper dustbins provided at several places. But who wants to use them? You feel, "Everybody throws the trash on the roads, why should I be the only good citizen and hunt down a dustbin?" That's how nobody ends up improvising at it.

When you're caught by the traffic police, they ask for a fine. Don't you prefer getting rid of the entire thing with a Rs. 100 note instead of paying a thousand rupee fine? You overlook this deed of yours, and later say -- "Is desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta." ("Nothing can be done to this country.")

You are one of the evil-doers! Even the ones who are being loyal, feel cheated. I'm not saying that I follow everything. Though I will admit that I did try, but gave up very soon. It's all on the mindset of every individual of our country. Nothing will change unless we all think in the same lines and improvise towards a better system. I believe India has a lot of scope to improve. So should you.