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Just being nostalgic

There was a person from Bihar, named 'Bhola', who used to work for my grandfather. He worked for more than forty years as a servile to my grandfather. During this time, he visited his own home in Bihar only eight times. The maximum number of days he was allowed to spend in Bihar were fifteen, which he availed only once, for his daughter's marriage. Most of the times he was called back from his home before the end of his approved vacation time. I once asked my grandfather that why Bhola is not allowed to spend time with his family at his home. My grandfather answered, 'Naukro ko naukro ki tarah rakhna chahiye. Agar hum ise jayada cchoot de denge to yeh bhag jayega.' [Servants should be treated like servants. If we'll loosen him he'll run away]. I felt like my grandfather was not talking about a person, instead he was talking about some domestic animal, which always should be kept in chains.

Bhola was never respected. He was always at the recieving end of scolding. I have always seen him busy in some kind of hard work. He was always presented with some work even if that work was useless. He used to redo things too many times just because there was a change in my grandfather's mood.

I never saw Bhola angry. He was always polite, always looking at his feet while talking to anybody (even to me although I was very much younger than him).

My grandfather is no more now and Bhola is a rich man who lives in Bihar with his family couting his last days. I just wish that this kind of work culture should have gone along with my grandfather. 

The caricature which I am posting this time is that of 'Lal-tain baba'. He was a special character in the play which we played once in our college. It was an instant hit. I still feel proud that I was a major part of that play. Lal-tain baba, played by Sushant Kaul was an interlude, but I still remember that people were laughing most when he was on stage. The great entertainer. God bless him! 

Tarun Flashed

No comments. huh? Hmm... that means nobody reads my blog anymore. No problem! that won't stop me from blogging. I'll keep doing that. Today, I have picked up Tarun's caricature from my carton to display you. I have just finished it. Comments awaited.

CarTOONed

Macromedia Flash is one of my favorite tools. After a long time I got chance to do my favorite thing using this tool. Drawing. Although drawing on a software is not as awesome as it is on a paper with a pen, but yes the fun is very much similar. I'll try to post some step by step tutorial to do so sometime later.

So all you guys be ready, because after me now it is your turn to be tooned. I'm not sure who is next, but one by one I'm gonna toon you all. Sounds like I have become a magician who is ready to jinx you all. I know I suck at metaphors, but I'm sure you got my point.

Have fun!

Carton of the cartoon

I tried my hands on Inkspace. It's an open source vector image manipulation software. There are number of step by step tutorials over there. I have followed one of these tutorials and came up with the logo for my blog. Hope you like it!

Gappu aur Kallu ki mulakat - Episode Three

Everytime they meet an episode is created. I hope you have liked Episode One and Episode Two. 
So Kallu and Gappu meet again. Kallu is going to be married and is in his courtship period while Gappu as always is his best friend.
Kallu: Man! my marriage is not going to work...

Gappu: Damn! That was a very immense statement. What happened bro!

Kallu: It was my birthday yesterday...

Gappu: It was your birthday yesterday???

Kallu: Yeah! It was...and like always you forgot it my BEST FRIEND!!!

Gappu: Oh! Happy Birthday Man! Where’s my party?

Kallu gives Gappu a look. Normally guys don’t understand looks. But this one was very much clear to Gappu. It said something like, “One more word and you are a dead man.”

Gappu: Ok, so what happened with Meenu? Did you saw some very hot chick on your birthday who was ready to go down on the very first night and now you are having second thoughts about your marriage?

Kallu: No ass! It’s nothing like that. I’m an honest man and I love Meenu a lot!

Gappu: Bah! Love ! Ha Ha... anyways, what’s the scoop here?

Kallu: Meenu spent whole day with me and night too, I was forbidden to meet any of my friends on that day, not even you. My cell phone was off and all she gifted me was a big teddy bear and 2 black chocolates

Gappu (with surprised look): She was with you the whole night?

Kallu: Shut Up Gappu! You are not listening.

Gappu: Oh Ok! So what’s the deal! She gifted you something.

Kallu: A TEDDY-BEAR and some fuckin’ chocolate!

Gappu: yeah.. YEAH??? What??? She gifted you girly gifts?

Kallu: Yes! Even on MY birthday, she was pleasing herself.

Gappu: That means you were not able to make it throughout the night?

Kallu: What difference it makes? She’s my fiancée and we are going to make it soon... after marriage.

Gappu: ...which you think is not going to work, because she gifted you some damn soft-toy...huh?

Kallu: Man! She claims that she cares for me, but the truth is she cares only for her. She only wants me to care for her, to leave everything else and placate her. I’m done with it, I have a life to live.

Gappu: Hmmm! What are you thinking of presenting her, on your ‘suhaag-raat’ [wedding night]

Kallu: You present some gift on ‘suhaag-raat’ also?? What for?

Gappu: It’s known as ‘muh-dikhayi’. You have to do it before removing her ‘ghunghat’. Otherwise you are not going to have 'that'.

Kallu: Oh really!!! Damn these customs. Hmm... lemme think of a gift. What about a camera? It will be useful, throughout life.

Gappu: Don’t you think it’s ‘a guy thing’?

Kallu: ya! But I’ll capture her images too in that camera. Our memories .. .you know!

Gappu: See! This is human. We all try to gift to our loved ones what we want to get. It’s a human way of telling your loved ones that this is what would make you happy. For example, if a girl is showing you care she wants you to care for her more.

Kallu: Care for her all of the time!!! 24 X 7 what am I? Her Mama?

Gappu: Ya! Girls are a bit crazy

Kallu: Yes Girls ARE CRAZY!!!

Gappu: ...but that’s what makes them interesting subject. That’s why we like them. What say?

Kallu: (giggling) yeah! Love ‘em.... Oops! ‘Her’.

Gappu: So you gonna marry 'her'?

Kallu: Damn yes man! what do you think? I was just fed up.

Gappu: So you are ready to spend your whole life with her, even if she doesn't make 'that' with you through out your life?

Kallu: That's not gonna happen...

Gappu: How can you be sure? She didn't make it on the night of your birthday... Your night.. you know.

Kallu: Shut Up Gappu!

Gappu: OK! you 'love' her. :)... for sure.

In this sketch I did another attempt to figure out a girl. This time a more serious sketch but definitely not a best shot.

Auto-rickshaw Diaries - One

Two girls, really fat girls, were sitting across in the auto-rickshaw lately. They saw a girl with well maintained figure across the road. One said,"Too skinny". Other said,"Yeah". First One said,"My doctor says that I am having exact weight and shape what a girl of my age should have." She was a college going girl and mind it she was overweight, too much overweight. Other one chimed in like,"Of course you are. I yesterday had my weight done and I am just 50Kgs." Blow me down! that girl was nothing less than 80 Kgs. Ok I exaggerated; she was about 70 Kgs. Then they looked at me and said in unison,"So what if we've some baby-fat, we are cute".
Then a thought came to my mind. We all keep lying to hide our incapability or our weaknesses. We 'ALL' do it. Either by getting defensive or by getting aggressive, by doing self-pity or by self-importance, we all display a dishonest attitude towards our own-selves.


I find it difficult to sketch girls. One of the beautiful creations by the almighty. But in this piece of mine, I have tried to create a girl cartoon. Hope you people like it. Do let me know your views.

We are the magicians

We are all fascinated by the magic... by miracles. We all know that everybody else gets impressed by the magic. We all want to do the magic. That's why we keep telling people,"See! I did it" but we always try to hide,"How?". Because that is the trick. And if that trick is told then the magic is gone. You would NOT be considered wizard.
If the boss assigns a work and stand over your head, you'll not be able to perform. Nobody wants to be monitored. Because that ruins the trick. Everybody wants to say,"Assign work and I'll give the results". Everybody wants to keep the secret within. The secret of converting task to result.
If your loved one asks you,"How do you know that chocolate is my favorite?" You'll never say,"It is liked by every girl" or you won't tell,"It was just a coincidence". You'll tell her,"I just know you". You were just being the magician hiding the truth.
Everybody wants to be the magician, the dexterous wizard. Those who don't want to be wizards, become spectators in this arena called life. Much better wizard means, you know more tricks than others. More tricks you know, more successful you are. More success... more magic.
We see magic in our daily life. We see children growing. We see trees getting taller. Flowers blossoming everywhere around us. But we are so blind to appreciate this magic. Magic is everywhere around. We are just busy enough to appreciate it.


I drew this sketch on a whiteboard in the office while having a Hi-Tea Party in the celebration for Holi. It was less than 5 minutes effort. I'll try to convert it into vector-image soon, may be after holi. By the way, it's today... Happy HOLI!!! :)

Two marriages in a row

It's been long since I have entered any post on my blog. So where was I busy? Hmm... forget that, lets see what's new. It was a marriage season. We Hindus are married in slots. In specific months of each year on very specific dates. We do not have a privilege to choose a suitable Sunday and get married in an hour. Our marriages are 'hoolah over the moolah'. I hate them. Why? Number one, they are very long. some marriages take three-four days and sleepless nights or even more to complete. Number two, they are expensive, mind it, very very expensive. Only the garlands over grooms neck are worth hundred-thousands. Number three, they are loud and crowdy. Number four, free-food and free-wine, provoke people to shout, dirty dance and fight.

No... I didn't get married. Actually I attended marriages of two of my best pals this month. Kapil and Narin, both are married now ['separately' for those who picked up their eyebrows. You should know that Rule 377 has been decriminalized :P]. Gone are the days, when they could gaze any girl top-to-bottom on the way and pass a comment over their assets. Gone are the days, when they could spend nights roaming around the city doing nothing important. Gone are the days, when they could fight with anybody in town just because he had squinted their friend. Gone are the days, when they could take the calls from anybody, at any hour of the day or night. Gone are the days of girl friends, of go-crazy-get-together's. Now their booze will be counted, their hours out of home will be kept record of. They'll have to give reasons for every decision they make. They'll now have to decide the colors for the things they haven't thought of ever. But this all is worth doing as they have got their better halves to complete themselves :)

I'm never going to forget that Kapil lost his 'wedding ring' just two days before his marriage and that he made me to shovel a big heap of concrete with bare hands to find that ring. I lost six precious hours of my precious life to find that precious piece of gold and diamond. I guess that was also worth it :) I just wish I never ever have to search for anything else related to his married life. It was one of the marriages where the 'dulha' (groom) was dancing alone on the Dance Floor. Nobody can match Kapil when he dances in mood, so he was left alone at a time. God bless him and Mili :)

Narin's marriage was one of the most ostentatious marriage I have ever seen. It was a typical Punjabi-marriage. There were Loads of edibles, Rivers of liquor, multiple cuisines, dancers in skimpy-skimpy clothes, charmers, pyro-performers, fountains of rose petals, fat men packed in suits that doesn't fit their size and beautiful ladies with ready-to-explode-bossoms. Narin and Meenal were looking awesome on the revolving stage under the shower of roses. God bless them too. I'm never going to forget how Narin was trying hard to make Meenal dance :P he he

Marriage season is proportional to illness. I also spent one week in bed due to this seasonal fever. I'm lucky I wasn't listed in this slot. Next slot will take at least six months, that means I still have atleast six months of freedom. Yes Guys! whether you want to accept it in front of your ladies, but you all know that man is free only when he is bachelor. So be envious of me :) he he till I join you jailbirds :)

No sketch this time. A lot of turbulence is going on in every front of the life, I'll try to sketch up something pretty soon.

Gappu aur Kallu ki mulakat - Episode Two

Ok! so you guys like them in EPISODE ONE... well! first of all a lot of thanks for your lovely comments. Gappu and Kallu also have a friend named 'Chinks'. She is not as happening as her friends are but still a character is a character. So let me present to you...

EPISODE TWO

[Chinks is sitting on a bench in park. Her head hanging down. She has headphones of her iPod in her ears. Gappu and Kallu come to her]

Gappu: Hey Sweets! why are you looking like someone has hung a watermelon to your neck?

Chinks: sigh!!

Kallu: What happened Chinks? Why are you sighing?

Chinks: Please leave me alone...

Gappu: I guess she had a fight with her boy-friend again

Chinks: [shouting] I haven't talked to him since ages

Kallu: And how many days are there in those ages?

Chinks: [sadly] five months

Gappu: Five months??? Gimme a break gal! are you still sad for the same guy. Come On! forget him! five months is a big time

Kallu: Hey! don't be so rude... but Chinks he has got a point... you should move on

Chinks: No! I have tried everything to forget him... but I just can't

Gappu: Hey! I reckon I should bring my videocam she is about to cry Ha! Ha!

Kallu: Shutup! Gappu

[Kallu sits besides Chinks and pull off her headphones]
Chinks! first of all stop listening to the songs which you have sung or heard together or dedicated to each other. Any song which reminds of him

Chinks: All the songs remind of him

Gappu: Come On babe! your iPod needs a break. Even it's bored by your songs. You need a new playlist. Fill your jukebox with 'I'll survive' by 'Gloria Gayno' or 'Party like a rockstar' by 'Shop Boyz'. Start listening to hip-hop or dance numbers

Kallu: Yes! Change your playlist... stop listening to what reminds of him

Chinks: ...but he is everywhere. All the faces seem like him

Gappu: because you are finding him. Still searching for him... Still hoping that he'll come around and say 'hey baby! wanna mingle?'

Kallu: Mind it! he's not coming back

Chinks: No! I don't want to hear it. If I had one more chance. If I could talk to him one 'last' time. I would do anything to have him back

Kallu: There is nothing like 'last conversation'. You can just start it all over again...

Chinks: yes! I want to start it all over again... I want to erase all the mistakes... I just want to hold him one last time...

Gappu: ... timeout! there is no back-gear. If, by any darn chance he comes back... then you both are going to repeat the same mistakes and after few months we'll again be having similar kind of discussion. Accept it hon! it's over

Chinks: No! I saw him. he was sitting alone and very sad in his class

Kallu: Are you spying on him? still... He could be sad for any damn reason or may be he was not , he seemed sad to you becuase you wanted to see this. It's about six months honey...

Chinks:...no 'five'...

Gappu: ...whatever... if you could have done something about it, you already would have

Kallu: Yes dear! Gappu's harsh but right. You are running behind shadows. There is no happiness there. Forget him... move on!

Chinks: It's easy for you to say... but I'm the one who is in pain. Anywhere I go, I find myself sitting besides him, I find myself talking to him, conversating with myself when no one is around, even now I can feel him sitting besides me on this very bench where we sat when we dated for the third time and then it occurs to me, that he.. is... gone... he left me... It's like... one of my body part has been ripped off...

[and then 'it' happened, what Kallu was afraid of. Gappu missed his videocam. Chinks started crying]
Kallu: Chinks! this is the time to make memories... not to endure them. There will be a time in your life when you'll laugh at these moments

Gappu: Yes! come out... make new memories in the same places. Throw some bashing parties in all those places where you still see him

Kallu: Yeah! like from now on... remember this is the bench where you thought about him for the last time. Spend more quality time with your parents, with your siblings

Gappu:...with us... your friends

Kallu: Yeah! go spendin'! buy too many gifts for everyone and anyone. Try to be funny

Chinks: I'm not funny. Actually I am not happy even

Gappu: ...then pretend. You know once a priest had a chance to meet the Pope. He asked,"Father! I m loosing faith in lord. How could I tell other people to have faith when I am not having it myself". You know what Pope said? He said,"Fake it"

Kallu: Yes! if you are not brave, pretend it... no body can tell the difference

Gappu: Try to solve other people's proplems. Be a 'love guru'... now that you are hurt in love, you got more experience and more in-depth knowledge about so called 'love'. Use it for better good

Chinks: Whenever I see a couple I feel more alone

Kallu: Next time smile at them and wish them luck. Believe me they are gonna need it :) as... everybody is having a complicated relationship... those who are with somebody want to feel the freedom.. and those who are without somebody want to be tied

Gappu: You know one always have power to put the weight down, no matter how much heavy it is. Life has a purpose and if you are not doing something about your purpose, you are wasting time.

Kallu: Recently I had a chat with an old friend, he told me that he has broken his guitar, because it used to remind him of her. I don't suggest you to do something that aggressive, it was his way of moving on, but if it helps then go for it.

Gappu: Yes! don't try to find what he is doing. just think he is happy and boozing hard with his friends...

Chinks: How could he be happy when I am sad

Gappu: Helloo! you are not connected now... Ok... you never were... He is a free animal now... He is happy or whatever you just don't care.. you just should not care. If he is not with you, then he's just not worth it. It's only your libido which is raging. World is full of guys honey! the boy-girl sex ratio is 10 isto 7

Chinks: [angrily] What are you suggesting, should I go and hit on every guy I find on my way?

Gappu: Why not?

Kallu: No! Chinks! what he is suggesting is that you have to keep sending a message to your head that you are more free and happy. Just open yourself and be ready to accept whatever life is going to gift you. Trust me you got a lot in your kitty, you are just ignoring it

Gappu: yeah! you could concentrate on your career

Chinks: I don't feel like doing anything

Kallu: Stop scratching your wounds... give them time to get healed

Gappu: Yeah! someone told me once...'no pain can last forever'. Time is a big healer. You can also try joining some Yoga classes or any kind of other spiritual hoolah for the moolah. It helps... I can bet on that

Kallu: Point is... just get envolved in anything and everything ... Life is short, don't waste it dear on something which is not worth it... Move On! Delete his number from all of your contact lists. Don't text him, don't email him, don't call him.

Gappu: No! No! call him one last time and abuse him, as bad as you can or want to

Kallu: I won't suggest that

Gappu: Like anything else, bad days are also temporary. You've already wasted six months...

Chinks: ...Five...

Gappu: ...yeah! whatever, in this time you could have lost 1o kilos

Chinks: What??? Do I look fat?

Gappu: Not a bit chick! what are you doing tonight?

Chinks and Kallu simultaneously: SHUT UP!


He! he! I hope you liked the episode two too. Anyways, if you are in the corporate world, then atleast you are definitely going to like the cartoon which I have brought out this time out of my carton. Job culture is disgusting everywhere. I sometimes think that this department known as 'Management' is an overhead. But as Gappu and Kallu told Chinks, if you are fed up of a job (or are frustrated by a relation which didn't work out)... shoot it out... just remember to give it your best shot... once you are conviced that you have honestly done whatever you could to save it... then its the time to come out... to move on