Life & Destiny, with a pinch of frustration.

On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, I happened to talk to 3 different people. They are friends I love and care about. All three of them were unhappy over certain developments in their lives. In my opinion, at least in two cases, the developments were not bad or not as bad as my friends were feeling (again that’s my opinion, which hardly matter). I, being a good listener and a bad conversationalist, listened to them first and then in my attempt to be a good friend, suppressed my laconic instinct and tried to console them.

I tried to convince them, with a plethora of comfortable words that everything in this world happens for a reason. All three of them, were of the opinion that my conclusion on the reasons of an event/incident is just to soothe them in their moment of emotional discomfort. Ironically, I have heard the same advice a number of times and I also have reacted as my friends did. One of the above friends asked me (taking his situation in context) “What’s good in it?” Again trying to be an optimist, I replied “I don’t know now, but few days/months or may be years later we will know about good in it.

After talking to each of them, two questions came to my mind. First; “Is it true that, whatever happens, happen for good?” and second; “Is it bad to have expectations?” (Since the primary cause of the unhappiness was “expectation” in at least two of the above three cases).

In the first case, I believe that what happens happens for a reason. It may be an optimistic point of view. And it is also obvious that a particular incident in our lives will always have a connection to what happens next in our lives. (In the word “incident” I am not including the trivial happenings and incidents of irreparable damage like death of a close family member). On a counter view someone may argue, if something else had happened things could have been much better. This is also true. This may be called a pessimistic point of view. Again these two points of view are called pessimistic and optimistic, based on the fact that we are analysing the situations in retrospection, at a point of time, when we cannot undo the incident which has already happened. Unfortunately, in this cruel world, there is no place for the word “if”. So, instead of living in an illusion of “what could have been”, be realistic, positive and make the best of what life throws at you.

The second question was “Is it bad to have expectations?” Although, having expectations is the root of our disappointments, my answer to the question will be a “no”. It is not bad to have expectations, if the expectation comes with an effort to full fill it. Wishful thinking and ruining your present, for longing something you cannot have or missed in your past, is bad. Sometimes, we expect certain things to happen to us, on which we have no control or our efforts doesn’t influence the outcomes (unless you believe in the power of prayers, fasting, a coconut, few petals of flower and an incense stick). In such a scenario, the best things would be to accept whatever happens and move on. In cases, where your efforts have a place, try to give your best and accept the results. In both the cases, once the thing has happened, it becomes a moment in history which you could not change. But life can be very unfair. Sometimes, it doesn’t give you a chance to give 100% also (Ask me, I have a latest example from my life!!!).

But, when in distress, it is difficult to think rational or logical. I could write this because today I am not in a state of mind my friends are in. One would always ask, “What good is in for me?” or the more common “Why me?” At certain point of time all of us have been in similar situations as my friends are in and all of us have overcome the anxiety. Because, even though as human beings we are emotionally fragile, but we all have the resilience to prevail over our failures and disappointments. Every time we go through an emotional upheaval, we come out of it stronger and are more prepared to take life, head on.

But the answers to my two questions are debatable and I would love to hear your opinion.

rabindra

28th Novemebr 2012

Mathura

(To the 3 friends I mentioned earlier: If ever you read this and after reading you realise that you are one of the three friends then remember this. Even though I have a fair idea of the importance of your current disappointment in your life, I am not being judgemental. I can no way feel the intensity of your emotions. I wrote this just to make an effort to comfort you and partly me, and to let ourselves know that things will be all right once again. Also because, at least two of you were there for me when I needed you few days ago.)

A date with motor sports.

Till last Sunday, I had only two connections with F-1 or anyone/anything remotely associated with F-1. 

The first was the name “Michael Schumacher”. Not that I am a big fan of the champion driver, but because we have nicknamed one of our friends in office as “Schumacher” out of sheer respect for his ability to drive as fast as his 2nd hand Maruti 800 engine could deliver and that too without a record of hurting any living being.

The second, was a phone call I had received; when Jaypee Group was in the process of sourcing Bitumen for the track in 2010. I still don’t know finally who supplied the bitumen for the track.

Otherwise, whenever I hear the word “F-1”, a question pops in mind….. Is it 13-F-1 or 308-F-1 or 5-F-1? This is of course in reference to the furnaces in Bitumen, NHT and Sulphur Recovery Units. Last Sunday changed all the above and genuinely connected me to the world of motor sports.

The roads leading to the Buddha International Circuit, from Mathura, couldn’t have been more contrasting. For the first few kilo meters, the roads are typical Indian roads with the omnipresent pot holes discretely and evenly distributed. Probably only on Indian roads, Mr. Sebastian Vettel can be challenged by an Indian. After entering the Yamuna Expressway, it’s the entire express way is a smooth concrete paved road till Noida. On long straight stretches, if you are driving fast, you can feel like flying if you can ignore the noise generated out of friction. If you love speed, you won’t be disappointed. There are however, caution signs indicating presence of speed detectors to discourage rash driving. But we Indians just love to break rules. So, we over sped on the highway and drove at a maximum speed 1.5 times higher than the speed limit. But this period was brief and was done primarily to satisfy the urge of our friend behind the wheel, who wanted a picture of his speedometer reading at 150 KMPH. 

The Picture

For that picture, he was ready to pay the penalty at the toll plaza for over speeding (which was partly because it was supposed to be toll free).  At the toll plaza, we were disappointed. Not that we were fined for over speeding, but because the toll attendant refused to believe that due to F-1, the tolls were supposed to be free. Our four F-1 passes also didn't convince him either. Finally out of frustration he told that, had it been a toll free day, he would have been on a much needed weekly off. Knowing the importance of a weekly off, we could easily now empathize with him and without disturbing him further we paid the toll and moved on. And for the first time since in my life, I doubted the credibility of “The Hindu”, where I had read the news about the toll free day.

On the Yamuna Expressway, I could see two contrasting facade of India. On the road, it’s the new India, riding a tide with its economic growth potential, attracting investors around the world, using the latest technology etc. But when I look around the villages and farm lands far across the horizon along the expressway, I can still see the stamp of backwardness. Most of India is still decades behind few part of India. As if the villages moving backwards through my point of view from the window seat were representing the increasing gap between an India we dream of and the real India. Sadly, most of us are just a mute spectator.

The Buddha International Circuit, is a world class facility. At least that's what F-1 supremo Mr. Ecclestone says and since I have little experience in anything remotely close to "world class", I have no choice but to believe him. 

Following are few glimpses of the F-1 circuit.

The Grand Stand. The race starts and ends here. If lucky, can 

catch the Team's crew in action during pit stops.

Personally, F-1 will no longer remind me of a furnace.

Fans from far across.

Still people complain that Petrol is costly !!!

Like beauty, sometimes beasts also move in curves....

Twists & Turns make our lives more exciting.

Probably only sport in India, where boisterous Indian crowd were

forced to sit silently.

Empty Stands !!! Will they fill up next October ?

Unenviable Job

The Effort

And the Result

(A trivial question I asked my friend, but it is still unanswered. Why the district in which Noida is situated is named after Gautama Buddha? Is there any historical connection or it is just a randomly selected name?)

rabindra

30th October 2012, Tuesday.

Tribute to a Gentleman.

Probably I should have written this much before, somewhere around March 2012. But my timing is not as good as the man I am writing about. Since the day I started watching cricket, I have been a big fan of Sachin. On match days, his performance used to decide my mood. A score below expectation would drive me to melancholy. Interest in a cricket match was alive, as long as Sachin was in the middle. For such a fan, I was happy when Dravid used to get out, since that brought Sachin to the crease in tests. In one dayers, Rahul’s dismissal didn’t matter even more because everyone else seemed a better entertainer. In the times when, I cared more about the boundaries rather than a single, Rahul Dravid was a player I hated most.  

Things started to change after the epic Eden match. By the time an established player in the Indian line up Dravid provided the platform where others danced. After being labeled as a Test specialist in early part of his career, he fought his way back in to the team. Rahul’s career seems to be a constant fight. He wasn’t flamboyant with the bat like Sehwag or as gifted as Sourav Ganguly. When others entrained us with their talent, here was a man quietly fighting for every run. Most of his innings comprised of ones and twos and rare threes. Every run were earned rather than scored. When he batted the boundaries seemed bigger and the bowler seemed better than he actually is. Since he didn’t have the talent of a Sachin Tendulkar to hit the good balls to boundaries, he waited for the poor ones. And while playing against international teams of highest caliber poor deliveries are hard to find. But the biggest and probably the most important virtue of the  was patience. His batting was a constant battle between the bowlers skill and the batsman's will. About who will give up first, the bowler or the batsman? Having loads of patience, most of the time, it was the batsman. In one dayers, even after being a so called senior and established player, in the team, he was always in the firing line, whenever a name was required to be dropped. He kept wickets, bowled spin bowling (he has five international wickets) and when everything still didn’t work out; he carried drinks for his team mates. No fuss, no ego…”If this is what makes my team win, this is what I will do” attitude (very unlike one of his team mate who had refused to carry drinks on his debut tour).

Rahul Dravid, as a person is unknown to me. A person I have only heard and read about (Articles by his wife and few others in “Rahul Dravid: Timeless Steel” gives a very good insight to the person he is). In 2005, two of my seniors visited Bangalore during summer training. Since both were, like me in 2005 and till date, a big Dravid fan, wanted to meet him in person. When the both arrived at his residence, naturally the security guard didn’t allow them in and expectedly wasn’t convinced about their loyalty to the star batsman. Since both my seniors are very persuasive, which is very unlike me, they tried their level best to let them meet him once. By that time a middle aged lady returning from grocery arrived who luckily saw the boys pleading with the security guard. He was Dravid’s mother. She invited them inside and asked Dravid to meet the boys. Dravid obediently met my seniors, smilingly posed for the camera and wished them luck. If Dravid had refused or his mother had not paid heed to my seniors, probably they would have returned back sad but wouldn’t have minded since it is expected from the stars. But this incident showed the foundation on which he built his life. Here is a person with so much adulation in a cricket crazy nation, but still taking time out for two strangers. That day Dravid showed genius is humble. And by then probably he had realized that someday it will end, that success has an expiry date.

Another incident which I had read about is like this. When one interviewer had asked him what drives him to perform he had answered on following lines “…..everywhere I have travelled in India, I have seen talent. I have seen people more talented than me. But somehow in the struggle of life, they left their passion. Probably circumstances forced them but at the end they couldn’t be in the top 11 player in a country of a billion people. I play hard because I feel I owe them something. I am here, soaking in the adulation, because they are not here…..”. What a wonderful thought it was. When in the glory of success people tend to be pompous, here is a man thinking about the less fortunate.

Coming to adulation, Rahul Dravid will never be as celebrated as Sachin. And he has never been as celebrated as some of his team mates. Starting from his debut match, the lime light has been on someone else. In his debut test match (and also in World Cup 1999 match vs. Sri Lanka), it was Sourav Ganguly who was praised. In 2001 he was in the shadows of a Laxman. Dravid’s performances were like that of the Cinematographer or the Director in movie production, while the hero is the face of the movie, the strings are pulled by someone else.

Probably the only time he got all the attention he deserved was during his retirement press conference. But during all these, while we would have complained and would have felt envious, he scored runs. Probably when he wears that helmet, the steel frame isolates his from the world. He dives deeper into a zone where the only thing he has to fight against is his own temptations. A zone which you and me can only think and imagine about.

My biggest joy in my life as a cricket fan has been watching my two heroes (Sachin an Dravid) play together in a T-20 match in Jaipur. Of course in a perfect life, I would have wanted to see Sachin and Rahul in whites, involved in a riveting partnership against Australia (I would have preferred Steve Waugh as captain, he, being my another hero), but life always doesn’t give you what you desire.

Another incident which brought a big smile on my face was when I excitedly opened the wrapping of “Out of My Comfort Zone” (Steve Waugh’s Autobiography) and discovered that the foreword has been written by Rahul Dravid.

In the many years of playing cricket, Rahul Dravid, has been an inspiration. An example that, you need not been talented to be successful and hard work along with your attitude is what matters. He has been a joy to watch and an example to follow. He brought a sense of relief and assurance whenever I saw him at 1^st Slip or the third name in the batting line up read “R Dravid”.

Although I still wonder why was he called “The Wall”. Was it because when he batted one end of the lineup was impregnable or was it because he built his innings through singles / twos like building a wall brick by brick ? 

Probably, he himself would find it difficult to answer.

rabindra:-
27th Sept'12, 02:00 AM.
Mathura.

To Sir, with Love.

" कर्म्न्येवधिकरस्ते   मा  फ़लेसु   कदाचन  

मा कर्मफ़लहेतुभ्रुमा  ते  सद्गोस्त्वकर्मनि "

"You have a right to perform your prescribed action, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be associated to not doing your duty"

Pattanayak Sir

The above two lines from “Bhagwad Gita” aptly summarizes your professional life. With your selfless dedication and unrelenting spirit, you have amazed and inspired us. The zeal for hard work combined with your inquisitiveness of a child helped us unlearn many things and relearn them. Perseverance and dedication has been your constant companion. Your clarity in thought and eye for details has been our guide as well as saviour. Your readiness to listen to the naïve and learn new things from a younger generation, at an age when people tend to preach, shows a rare side of your persona. Among the chaos we all brought in, your presence was the calmness we needed.

On retrospection, after an envious journey of 36 years, you should be proud of your contribution towards the corporation. And along the way you have shaped and inspired many a young minds.

At the onset of a new beginning in your life, we pray for sound health and happy times ahead for you along with you family.

Wishing good luck to a man we admire.

Technical Services Team

Mathura Refinery

(I had written this piece when we were planning a farewell gift for Pattanayak Sir when he superannuated.  We wanted to frame this after everybody's signature and gift it to him. Unsure of the final fate of the note, I decided to publish it. Pattanayak Sir was my Chief Manager till he retired on 31st Aug'12. He was Senior Manager in Technical Services Department in Mathura Refinery, when I joined. After working separately in different departments for five years, I had the privilege of working under him since Aug' 11 till his retirement. He is also the first boss of my professional life to grant me leave, and on a lighter note, it is one of the many reason I admire him.)