Spooky Railway Ticket "Nullifies" my Birth and Berth Details!!!

I woke up very early today, to book a ticket to my home town in tatkal category. As you all know the a tatkal ticket can be booked two days prior to the day of departure. This was reduced from the 5 days prior system. Most of us would have faced the difficulties in accessing the online system to book a ticket in this 2 day advance tatkal reservation regime. Clearly when there were five days to book a tatkal ticket there was not much of a hurry and everyone would have atleast got a confirmed ticket if tried on the first day. Now in the current system because of the heavy network traffic the online tool takes years to come up at first and takes ages to complete a transaction, while you wait with bated breath, hoping against hope that you will get a confirmed ticket, since most of the times by the time the transaction happens you end up with a wait listed ticket or with a "no room" message. I have never waited like this with so much anticipation, even for my exam results. It is as if waiting for the results of a once-in-a-lifetime-examination-and you-have-to-get-through-it moment or a tense feeling of expecting a positive reply, about the health of your relative, from a grim doctor once he comes out of operation theatre.

Now finally my transaction went through after 20 mins of anxious moments but i was shell- shocked to see the ticket information. The age column displayed "0" against both my name my sisters name and the most amusing thing to be observed was the berths column. Berths "0" and "8824" were alloted in the compartment of the selected class of travel. Now i was wondering where do i find these berths in a train compartment. My thoughts raced to the Harry Porter movie where they look for an unexisting or a missing platform to board a train to Hogwarts. It was spooky and I was guessing wildly that if I and my sibling were selected to some Indian version of Hogwarts school and I never realised that I was a wizard so far!!! Too bad, I wasted lot of time working hard for my studies and work.

Anyways jokes apart, I used up all the grey cells of my brain and immediately typed the PNR number in another site of Indian railways and was relieved to see some believable numbers. Thank god I need not attend a wizard school afterall:)

I drew the following conclusions:-

1. Either the network traffic was so much that the database must have crashed and issued out some funny numbers which look like "null pointers" as in software lingo. the 8224 must be the maximum value the coder must have set. Thats funny because a train compartment in our country has at most 72 berths and why the need for such a garangutan number. May be some software guy should answer my question.

2. There is a bug in the tool and the software guy who wrote the JAVA code must have screwed it up and the QA guy must have done a poor job of testing it. (Sorry folks I dont mean to hurt anybody here. Its just to make some fun which I hope will be taken in a postive light). This is least possible since I strongly believe that Indian software engineers do a very good job.

Anyways I hope that when I board the train the TC does not allot me the numbers shown by the ticket. I recieved a mail regarding the ticket which tells the same shocking story of both my "birth" and "berth" details. Hail IRCTC!!!

A Poet's Take On Viva Voce Test

So Much to Say,

But no words come my way,

Like the tide that hits the bay,

With force it comes but breaks away.

- Sravan Marella

Prattle---'Rat','Tale'

One week ago, a little friend stealthily crept into my hostel room. Being very shy, it hid behind the clutter of bags in my room. It was a tiny rat!!!

Every night it would venture out of its hiding place(while trying to escape). It would funnily stand up on its hind legs(this is real) and look at me with a "Abe Motu room me khane keliye kuch hey kya?" expression and I would give it a "Abe Chotu go to hell" look. I made it starve and did not give it anything(apart from unsuccessfully trying to shoo it away) feeling that he might take my good gestures seriously and might decide to extend his stay:)

I was constantly under the fear that he might feast on my bags or chappals as a protest!!!

I wasn't in my room one night, as I slept over in another friends room after a night out to complete the ever growing load of assignments. When I came back the next morning and opened the door, to my amusement (and a feeble shriek), I found my little intruder in the bucket which I kept near the door next to my desk. I felt it might have got vexed with my rude attitude and realized that its life was a wretched one coexisting with me in my room. It might have been deeply hurt by its helplessness and decided to commit suicide by jumping into the bucket from the desk(I still cant figure out how it might have gotten into). Luckily there was no water in it.

Meanwhile after I have calmed down, i noticed that the puny infiltrator was trying to come out of the bucket, as if vying for the Beijing Olympics High Jump GOLD.

Poor Chap!!!

I gave the bucket to the hostel cleaner, who would appear at the doorstep of every room once in a lifetime offering to sweep the room. He disposed off the mouse(Alive ofcourse) into the adjoining bushes. It has not seen light for days and quickly merged into the bushes.

Moral of the story:- Dear rat brothers and sisters please do not go to Sravan's room. He is a rude fella and will not entertain his uninvited esteemed(read hungry) guests.

PS:It was a very tiny rat probably a baby when it entered my arena. It must be a rat's version of "Baby's day out".

END OF RAT MANIA!!!

Behind the html story: This is probably the first piece of funny writing I have written. I just joined M.Tech at NIT Warangal. I was allotted an old (somewhat dilapidated) hostel building for some initial period, though now it has very good buildings. I guess this hostel must have been a hub for generations of rats, consisting maybe the great great grandfathers and great great great grandmothers of this little rat too. It was a single occupant room. Luckily we had beds high enough for the rats to nip their enthusiasm to sleep on the bed. The door was rickety and had a small gap between the bottom edge of the door and the floor, enough for this kind of baby mice to come in. After some harrassment by this rat and finally its capture, on the twenty ninth day of september in 2004 which was a Tuesday(too much build up right!!!) I decided to write a small funny piece in my diary. Yes I used to have a diary where I used to pen my thoughts- most important ones ofcourse and avoiding those that can be scandalized:)(hehe), i am also too lazy to maintain a daily account. I have the habit of looking at the funny side of things in life. After reading this story again and again I decided one day I will have a blog of my own and will post this for the world. (This is too much exaggeration ofcourse. I was not even aware that blogs existed at that time. I just wanted to share this with others in some way). Finally it has seen the light of the day. Thanks to the internet and blogspot.com:)

2 States- The story of Andhra Pradesh

This is possibly the first political article i am posting on my blog. I apologize if it hurts anyones sentiments.

The recent happenings in Andhra Pradesh has deeply saddened me. The fight for a separate state for Telangana has stirred up the hornet's nest again. Several students have been hurt and the general life has been affected in that part of state. Andhra Pradesh has three main regions-Telengana,Andhra,Rayalaseema based on the demography and language. If you see the division of the Indian states, it is mainly based on the language and culture of the people. In AP the language is Telugu. But just like in any other INDIAN state, the slang of the language varies in different regions. Some speak it fast, some speak it slow, words are different in some cases(for those who know the language you may see the difference. To say that I have not seen you for long- in Andhra they say it as "enti kanipinchatledu", In telengana slang it is "enti agupinchatledu"). Thus there are several beautiful flavours of the language which is also called as "Italian of the East" for its sweetness. I do not mean that other languages are not sweet enough. Everyone will feel the same with their own languages and I really love them and respect them.

Coming to the issue after the brief preliminaries, the hue and cry for a separate state of Telengana was first raised in the late 1960s. Similar incidents have happened during that time and it was more intense. The reason was that the region was unfairly undeveloped and there was a deep perception that people from Andhra were exploiting it. That was some 40 years ago. Now things have changed. What I mean is that there has been major development throughout the country in terms of basic necessities though not fully.But you can see the perceptible change in the development as a whole. Of course not all parts of India have equal development. You can still see the major lack of infrastructure for basic needs in far off and some what inaccessible regions of our country. To be more specific you can find the real bad state of the basic amenities even in the perceived developed Andhra region. Andhra itself has the godavari region, visakha region which is north of the delta region, the nellore and prakasam regions south of the godavari and krishna basins. I am not good at geography but am just tyring to make a point that these regions mentioned have many undeveloped and ignored portions..

However for any region of AP, there are major economic hubs like Vizag,Rajamundry,Kakinada,Warangal,Hyderabad among others, on which the surrounding places rely upon. Remember the geography term "rural agglomeration". This is based on what i know of but someone with more knowledge can call it out.

Coming to the Telengana region, I have studied there for two years and I love the people and the slang. Why not, the telengana slang is very popular in films too. I can empathize with their discontent but it should be understood that there are similar places around the AP which are facing similar problems as they are mentioning of. Having separate state will not solve all the problems. All of Andhra Pradesh share a similar culture and heritage. Thats the bond which ties them together. If you look at the Indian setup there are several places where you find this economic and developmental imbalance. Even if you give a separate state for each of them and by knowing how our political system works, one can conclude that the poor places will remain the same. The better places will continue to grow. Better in the sense that they are the revenue generating regions for the state. Giving more SOPs to the local people has been there for long. Even if you take the Engg college admissions in the state of AP you will find the local and non-local terminology when you are opting for a college that falls under the different AP region as mentioned before.

The hullabullah created by certain self interested or nasty politicians is affecting the state as a whole. People who think they never can become the king of the state, are fighting for a separate state so that they can rule the state(and get their share of booty). I wish all people think twice about this before dividing the state into two. Guys we share a great relationship with each other though the way we speak is slightly different. Is it not. Dont we watch and clap for the same movies...Dont we feel the same sorrow when there are floods or calamities in some part of the state...I really feel sorry for the folks who have lost their lives in the recent protests...Lets stay together and fight for our common rights...We are all affected by this unequal treatment of different parts of the state...Lets peacefully protest for our basic rights like water,electricity and education than for separation.....Let us not bend to the selfish interests of the politicians who fight in the garb of idealism and reformation.....Lets not fight against each other as step children when we are not...The state is ours....Remember-Unity in Diversity...thats our Indian spirit...

I do not want to end this with any Jai slogans...

With love to all the AP people

Sravan

My Romance with the Rain

As I was about to leave from office today, it was raining heavily...I wanted to reach home quickly fearing getting stuck in a traffic jam. Evening showers and traffic jams are a regular in Bangalore, but when they come as a "package" either because of your bad timing or sheer ill luck it can be quite frustrating. My point is not to rant about traffic but about the rain. Coming back to the story, as it was raining heavily and sensing my urgency to reach my car one of the friendly co-workers who luckily had an umbrella with him offered me the shelter of his parasol till the parking lot.As I neared my car I had to part with the umbrella and the helpful employee. After thanking him profusely, I ran towards my good buddy "santro". However I couldnt avoid getting soaked by the rain. After a few rain drops trickled down my spectacles, there was a sudden rush of my childhood feelings of getting drenched in the rain while going back home from school. I loved this feeling so much that I had a sudden urge at that moment to stand still and feel the rain pouring down upon me...I had to stop an involuntary action of raising my arms out welcoming the rain and start off a male version of "ennalaku gurtochchavo vaana" song. Better sense prevailed over me at the thought of being looked at as a freak by my co-workers at the office...

But seriously speaking getting wet in the rain is a wonderful experience. I dont know how but i enjoyed the rain a lot. Several times while coming back from school i used to deliberately cycle my way back to my house as the rain pounded. The sensation of the rain drops falling on your head while it trickles down from your face is unmatched. It gives you a soothing feeling and on some occassions common cold(sometimes might lead to complications like pneumonia..So please dont get overenthusiastic). By the time I reached home I used to shiver with my lower movable jaw hittiing the upper jaw vigourously. After nodding to concerned chides from my mother for exposing myself to the rain and after drying up my hair I used to feel refreshed and recharged. Natural shower na...Great isnt it..

I figured out the spiritual aspect of the rain too...We are born out of the five elements and our scriptures teach us that ultimately we have to merge with the universe. Thus being united with rain is a soul-stirring experience. But why dont we feel the same with fire...Hmmmmm....A good counterpoint.

For all those grown ups who think they are missing their childhood dearly, here is a stupid recipe for an experiement, to enjoy the rain, which you can try out at your homes...Kids please ignore this experiment and save me from the curses of your parents..

Warning: People who catch cold easily because someone two lanes away has sneezed and people prone to any breathing related infections please avoid this...This is only for those crazy people who have enough number of White Blood Cells in their bodies to resist themselves against respiratory infections...Now pls dont go and confirm with your annual medical report, although it is advisable:)

Things you may need:
A perfect rainy day (check with your local weather report, if it says "cloudy skies and light to heavy showers expected" and if you are lucky it will be true. This is your ideal day!!!)...

Dark colored clothes...

Empty side of the terrace where no one can see you...

The driest turkey towel in your house...

A hair blower if you can afford it....

Dry ironed clothes..

Hot cup of tea once you complete the experiement..

A couple of anti cold pills and an Amrutanjan balm just in case...

Now you can estimate the craziness of this experiment!!!

Now time for the ludicrous experiment: (caution:make sure no one is around at your house).

1. Wear the dark coloured clothes on the rainy day...This is to save you from any blushes if somebody catches hold of you..

2. Go to your terrace and make sure no one is watching you so that you dont risk being laughed at later or end up in youtube with a video titled "my crazy neighborhood guy/gal" depending on the insaneness of the individual observing you...Or some maniac or lovelorn person might get more than amused by your feat that they will end up stalking you...Am I scaring you enough? So better be careful.

3. Wait for the rain to pick up and become steady..Don't venture out when the rain is coming hard at you..If you are unlucky and if it is a hailstorm you might end up at your nearest health care center and have to give lengthy explanations for your (mis)adventure.

4. Enter the rain zone.....Feel the rain on the face and your body till you can handle it..You will feel like melting into the eternal universe...thats what I call soul stirring experience. However, if it rains too heavily you will also experience your soul coming out of your body because of breathlessness.

5. Get soaked up for five to 10 mins and optionally shiver for a while...Enjoy the moment!!!

6. Come out of the rain...Do I have to tell you?

7. Wipe your head completely dry with the driest turkey towel and use the hair dryer if you have one...make sure your head is thoroughly dry...Change into dry ironed clothes...

8. If the tea is ready sip it slowly reminiscing about your stupid experiment, while watching the rain if it is still lingering around, ...or start watching the equally stupid programs on the television and think about the story you are going to cook up for your folks when they find out about your soggy clothes.

9. If you start sneezing by the night take the anti cold pills or alternatively apply amrutanjan till it burns your nose and tell yourself that you will never do this again. This experiment is not for you boss. May be you have grossly overestimated your WBC count...Hehe!!!

Sachin Carries on and on and on

At the risk of sounding cliched, I would like to say "when sachin bats India stops". The GOD of cricket has completed two decades since he first represented India and is going on and on and on with more and more runs being piled up and new records being broken. Sorry he is no more breaking any records...He is setting new records and scaling new peaks which do not seem to scaled within immediate future. It has become a common feature of Sachin removing his helmet and raising both his hands(while looking up at the sky). Today he is the first person to complete 30K runs both in Tests and the shorter version of the game. He played only one international match in the shortest version of the game and scored only ten runs(interesting trivia I found out on Times Now channel) which does not have any relevance considering what he has achieved so far. I wish him more cricketing years and great achievements. Just for the sake of exaggeration hope my grand children will also keep counting his centuries...hehe...

Outstanding Couple

They can take different stands on an issue but should always stand by each other when in need and stand up for one another when it matters. Ofcourse they should understand each other well and should withstand the trials and tribulations of life so that they will stand out in the crowd of couples. Finally on a nonsensical note they should stand beside each other when being photographed together:) Now a standing ovation please for my post.