Whispering Shadow

We travel in the fast lane. We work. We work a lot. Not that we do it for nothing- some yearn, some earn, some learn. Working is good but conditionally, the condition being you are doing what you love to do. With most of us, we don't know what we love. By the time we do, it is too late to take that path. We then end up making what we do, what we love to do. There is no questioning that - compromises are inevitable and for some, permanent. While our lives revolve around work, we lose touch with our ability to follow our gut in matters not related to work. We begin to build a cage of comfort and security around ourselves. By the time we realize we are caged, it is too late. We have neither the courage nor strength to break free. We can either get depressed about it or work on building the courage and strength. And where do we find them both? The answer lies in creativity. The best creator is perhaps God and nature is his magnum opus. Not many of us have the eye for the lessons hidden...

...where recipes were sacrosanct - an onion could not replace a cucumber in a sandwich ...where dessert was served as starters and soup after the main course ...where a veg cheese sandwich was served in place of a veg cheese toast sandwich because that is what the order said and the customer may have forgotten what he ordered ...where drinking water took just 2 hours to reach the room after having called room service ...where the bathroom was so advanced that even the drainage water was filtered by hair accumulated in the mesh and sachets of shampoo and soap were kept torn open for the guest's convenience ...where the full tariff was charged for an AC room with no electricity for half the day ...where for a bill of Rs.107 and a payment of Rs.120, the change given is Rs.3 ...where the evenings entertainment was a great show by mosquitoes ...where there was no running warm water in any tap ...which happened to be the most expensive and renowned hotel in the town ...from where I check...

I had been having a packed schedule. I decided to squeeze in a dinner with a friend who I had to catch up with. We met. And then they happened. They came like a pack of hyenas, hunting opportunities to kill time. Polite as they were, they exchanged friendly greetings. Courtesy demands we reciprocate and we did. Taking a step further, they joined the table with us. Acquaintances demand respect. This is the land where we not only preach, but practice the belief `Atitithi Devo Bhavah`. We obliged to host them on our table. Before they joined in, we were having a conversation. After they joined in, they were talking and we were listening. I cannot tell you how much fun it was! My friend in fact was the cynosure of their attention. She particularly enjoyed being a butt of their jokes, being the person that she is. We had a quick dinner and decided to head for tea. Having taken our silent consent, they tagged along. While we were walking to the tea stall, there was a moment of silence....

I used to be a happy customer once, until they ruined it all. Being with Idea is all about: Calling the helpline and getting inconsistent information, every time. Visiting the customer care centre for a service request and being sent back because a form is not available. Visiting the customer care centre again to switch to a prepaid connection and being told the incorrect pending amount. Being promised a service activation in 24 hours and being left unreachable for 72 hours, because you had a further pending balance to pay up for. Not being able to get a lifetime recharge done on your phone when you know you are going to be abroad for 3 months. Recharging on line in the dire hope that you will have incoming messages on international roaming. Landing 6000 kilometre away and then discovering that the country you were travelling to is not supported by your service provider, though you were once told it was by their representative. Returning after 3 months to find out they have discontinue...