Sanctimonious Liberals

I haven't commented since a long, its the baby and the job( no actually I am hooked on Twitter more than FB) but as the development in Delhi has actually made me do so. Plenty of times I have heard about intolerance and with passing of Citizenship Amendment Act and so much furore over it, I realize that the media ( social or mainstream) plays havoc on to the logical thinking of normal people. We develop bias and logical thinking clouds our basic understanding. For e.g a known writer by the name of Aatish Taseer cried victimhood when his OCI status was taken. The media went berserk and I too was appalled at the idea of revocation of his OCI status just because he criticized govt of the day. Too bad, I said to myself and juggling between my little bundle of Joy demands and my office work I managed to read a bit and think aloud. Mr. Taser never gave info about his dad and as per law any person whose any of the parent is a Pakistani will not get OCI status.Fair enough, that is the law of the land since the writer's father was a Pakistani politician( unfortunately killed by extremists of Pakistan) he should not be given OCI in first place. But then the media and so did Mr. Taseer told that his mother single handedly brought him up and that the govt  is misogynist in having considered his Pakistani father for OCI and that is relation with his dad hardly existed even while he was alive. What crossed my mind was how very blatantly he has lived using his father surname despite the fact his mother brought him up single handedly. I just wish someday at least he considers adding a pen name which he takes from his mother, till then I consider him as hypocrite of highest order. If you liked India as you claim you could have applied for naturalization as Indian citizen. Alas Hypocrisy brings the worst in us. In a similar way I see the protests against citizenship amendment Act. Till a few days ago there were lectures how minorities are persecuted in India, now Indian Govt brought a bill to bring persecuted minorities of neighborhood in India , now they are protests again which have led to destruction of public property at large scale. I mean i dont disagree in someone's right to oppose an Act but to use force and violence make a point, it makes me less committed to stand up against police brutality. To fight something you believe is unconstitutional if you end up doing something which is unconstitutional I would call that Hypocrisy. There are other more important issues which students of these universities should cater to. Sadly the Govt believes in sending police rather than good educationists to the university. Crack them not with lathis but research work and students should give us life changing research work rather than acting stupid and demolishing own institutions and setting a bad precedence.

With this I reach my office, not on time. And my boss won't be tolerant enough to allow me to put attendance. 😥

You Don't Mess With Mummy Ji!

This week has been tumultuous in the Indian Corporate World, the exit of Vishal Sikka from Infosys was dismaying. The supposedly last nail in the coffin of Corporate succession planning was Cyrus Mistry and Ratan Tata episode however the interlude of  Vishal Sikka & Narayan Murthy has completed the obituary for passing the professional baton in Corporate World. And as the series of events would unfold I foresee a lot of dirty linen being washed in public this time too. 

It is not unnatural for the promoter to return and assert its control over the Company he has created. Is it a conflict between new ideas and old foundations or is it retaining hold over something that you already  willingly gave for somebody else.

My take on the whole issue is really simple and it is similar to old age feud between the mother in law - Daughter in Law over the Son. Moms will go out of the world to get the best girl for her darling baby boys to get married to (obviously Sikka was Imported Material from Stanford( read Maal/ Item in Desi lingo) .

And one fine day it would all begin with a Matrimonial advertisement "PQM  slim( I certainly don't fit in) tall (not more than the guy) and beautiful Gori (Racial & Nauseating) girl ( article 377 still continues) 4 a good nature h'some cultured boy ( Cultured boy= Irony) from a religious family(Does that come from Pope?or Aloknath)".

In the case of Infosys it would have read "PQM( more foreign degrees the better it is ) obedient cultured boy/ men ( women in India are not serious contender for post of CEO unless you are being employed by a bank or you are head of your own Company) from a good background (Sikka came from SAP/ Mistry from Sharpoonji ) 4 a good cultured Company(have plenty of goodwill though currently losing steam). 

Now don't rake your head what would have been the advertisement from Tata Sons, Dude! they are Parsis, they don't marry outside community, as all the Parsis uncles and Aunties are concerned over the marriage of a prospective boy or girl I am sure the marriage of Cyrus Mistry with Tata Sons would have been solemnized by the Parsi Community well within the precincts of Parsi Cafe feasting over Lagan Nu Custard. 

Coming back to the Great Indian marriage saga, after Mummyjis/ Promoters shortlist some dozen, and interview half a dozen of the prospective girls/ CEO's one is finally picked for the altar for sacrifice. The marriage finally takes place which obviously is followed by the honeymoon period when the new CEO and the promoters connect over drinks, are almost like buddies for life (in the same fashion the MILs & DILs connect over recipes and fashion). These days are nice all the media hear is the chutzpah of the mutual appreciation club and the bounding ( just bringing tears to my eyes).

But then comes a period when strife happens and difference crop, where it becomes a tug of war over the Son and the Company. On similar grounds both the Promoter and the NeoCeo wants the Company to grow and prosper but they have their own ways, none of which is wrong, but the none of them are similar.the crescendo for the ownership rises. The son who was wedded to daughter in law and the Company which was handed over to the New CEO now is having some serious issues. Dip in the quarterly profit or non disclosure of Corporate governance report is viewed in similar contempt as the higher pitch of the Cultured Son in front of Mummyji. 

Now the promoter aka Mummyji bounce back making it impossible for other to comprehend what wrong has been done. The Young Turk  will be questioned on every move and will often be cited examples of the immense hard work and labor of the brawn and the brain, of the sweat and the blood that has led to the growth of the Company . The new guy becomes the fall guy for not having adhered to the fundamentals of the Company. As the daughter in Law is the reason for ills and miseries in the life of the new CEO is projected as someone who is an outsider, the one who is insensitive to the needs of the organisation. The new CEO is some one who is more modern, extravagant ( Sikka traveled by Chartered Planes) and independent in decision making ( Mistry was actually criticized for being too independent).

Companies in  India are not professionally managed and the trend is not likely to change. Succession Planning is an half hearted  attempt to prove the professional commitment. Unless the Promoters restrain, hold back and let the young talents to lead the Company, the concept of succession planning is farce and would not yield any result. Independence of CEO from previous promoters is necessary for running of the company or the country. Modi was successful in keeping away the thespians  by way of Marg Darshak Mandal but not every body requires to have that  kind of compartmentalization. The promoters should become like Bhishma Pitamah, advising but not exercising the power of being the creator. Unless the promoters move away from the enticement of controlling & micromanaging , the issue of succession planning wold remain unaddressed. The new CEOs too should try to incorporate the the fundamentals and ethics of the new company else the marriage will not sustain the pressure and would soon be written off. At the end of the day, company is more important than Egos .

"Sikka Khota tha & Mistry ko TATA Kar Diya, that is why YOU DON'T MESS WITH MUMMY JI.

Pass and Aggregate Chapter 24 : Life Settles

   

Pass and Aggregate: Chapter 24: Life Settles

It is not every day you live like that, it is not every day you die like that, there some days in life you just tend to live in a dying state and it was that day for me. 

But it was the last day when I looked life in a dying state. My life finally found a direction, a new meaning, a sense of fulfilment crept in, and no it was not over night, it took a long time a few more heart breaks and few more reality shocks but here I am. I struggled and found a decent job, came back to home. My mother searched a bride for me and yes I did not resist ( I didn't have to ), she was a perfect girl for me. 

I have a job, a cabin (with my nameplate), a home, my family, a loving wife, a naughty daughter and a dog( ok no Dog, I am allergic to the species). It is every thing I ever wanted and I am content with it. Not many are as lucky as me, a few might have better luck but I too have succeeded in becoming an eyesore to many.

Sometimes I wonder what is the definition of success and I often end up comparing myself to others and here lies the problem, we see success in relative terms not absolute terms. The Networth of other becomes our bench mark but success should be absolute. If I am the only person in the world how would I define success and if I am able to find that answer I pass that too in aggregate. 

Pass and Aggregate :Chapter 23: Campus Comatose

Chapter 23: Campus Comatose!

CA Chartered Accountant: Now that I became one, anxiety would leave me forever; Life would be smooth, I will have the best job in the town, I too will be offered the exorbitant salary, would globetrot attending meetings, people will soon recognize me in the biz circles, girls will swoon over me and their parents would consider me as the most eligible bachelor. This never happened, all this while I studied this hard to have a fu****g life like that and I got nothing of this sort., there was no job at my disposal, and no job means no money, no money means no girls and when girls were not in picture even their parents were far from the frame, although I won’t lie that people started viewing me with some amount of respect but that was far short of the expectations I always had.

The day my result came I got so damn excited about the dream CV was in my hands and I just got down on the computer sending it to so many address. Readers you won’t believe but I applied to 40 places and I was never replied. During the initial days I thought maybe they would reply in one or two days but days became week, weeks became fortnight and before fortnight could become month our beloved and benevolent Institute decided to hold a campus placement for us.

                                                

On the day of my result I never thought I would land myself in that cattle fair; no I am not exaggerating but the campus placement organized by our institute is not the exciting sorts as in some Business or Law Schools, it appears as if the unskilled workers land up in horde for some menial jobs. But destiny, so says some, has always have tricks upto its sleeves. Being jobless was never an option so I had to put up with my existing firm till I find a good job in campus or otherwise.

The campus needs registration and that online registration quite some time and energy of mine. Seeing the registration process I somehow had some hopes, may be it won’t be that bad after all we have moved past the depression, there would be better jobs, suitable jobs, payable jobs, enjoyable jobs but there would be jobs and that was just needed at that point of time.

There were many Companies into the foray but I was selected by three, that was not bad considering the fact I was not a first timer. To outsiders I would just tell in short the first timers are people who clear CA in first attempts, they are the cream of the institute, they would be offered good jobs and better packages. Repeaters are like untouchables and at times invisibles. People like me form the lowest pedestal in this hierarchy of the aristocracy called CA.

Coming from the modest repeater echelon I was not given a raw deal considering I was shortlisted by three organizations. I would not divulge the details of the Companies short listing me, not because it would create some issues in public but I guess it is irrelevant. There was bank, Insurance Company and a big Indian Multinational waiting for me at a humble pay package. Beggars are not choosers and although I never liked any of them I prepared hard. The fantasies of my life had deserted me long back and I became far more practical and realistic. I enacted the interview atmosphere several times, read all my books from page to page, got myself the most descent looking Blue colored “Allen Solly” slim fit shirt, and a pair of Khaki Chinos from “Benetton” not to forget the imperative Tie of relatively unknown brand, which even though is never justifiable in the heat and humidity of Mumbai yet remains of an paramount stature.  You may or not wear clothes Tie remains formidable. I also bought myself a pair of very expensive shades. I appeared chiseled and straight out of some fashion show. Readers might be thinking the amount of detailing I am spending on describing the look I carried on the day of my placement and I have not turned into some brand conscious freak but it is essential to tell you these miniscule details so that even you can imagine how much it takes to find a job in today’s India. Even though I used to be handsome but I never was fan followed, may be my attitude was too casual or my dressing too basic, but my changed look was turning the eyeballs. For the first time I was a BTM (Bhaiya Turned Model). I was always the boy next door but the new look suited me and yes few girls were swooning over me, for few days I lived in the ecstasy of “ I have arrived” phenomenon.  It was as if I was consuming Cannabis, I was suffering from mood swings, emboldened at few times, anxious on other.

Finally the campus day came and I was there waiting for my turn. In morning we had interview by the public sector bank. The bank offered postings to Chennai or Coimbatore and hearing these places sent shivers down my spine. All I could remember was my old night mares of big political cutouts falling on me and my relatively new night mares of relatives trying to find a bride for me as soon as I land there. I chickened out and avoided the interview all together. I was all excited about the MNC and the insurance Company. We had two written tests followed by an interview for the Indian MNC, it appeared as if we were appearing for civil services exam, may be the coordinators wanted to show their seriousness or they just wanted everybody to be with a dream till the final list comes out. Due to this two test thing I had to miss out the other interview for the insurance company. I don’t know what course my life would have taken had I chosen the insurance company over the MNC or bank over them.

I was the last person for the interview, I became cranky due to the endless wait and by the time I was being interviewed  my patience was over, I realized how much inept and lost I was for the ultimate test.  I was not able to concentrate on the questions, I became irritable and anxious. The day came and went, nothing happened the model in me existed but CA died. It was the one of the worst experience of my life. I had lost every hope now, everything shattered around me, I was nowhere. Silly and useless people got jobs and I was sitting there holding my file, without job and without hope. I came to a comatose state.

It is not every day you live like that, it is not every day you die like that, there some days in life you just tend to live in a dying state and it was that day for me.

Pass and Aggregate :Chapter 22: Now or Never

                                                          Chapter 22: Now or Never

“Again” is the first word in the dictionary of a CA student. Going through the unending process of exam- results- exam, the whole process was extremely painful, and at times disappointing, after having tried all permutations of choice of books and coaching classes and notes and endless waits between exams, results and anxiety, the level of frustration was higher than ever. I felt like going back to Delhi, but it is never easy to accept the defeat. Had my life been the same normal, Anushka sticking around and supporting me and pampering me and caring for me even after a bad result I might have not bothered much about the whole issue but she was not there with me. I was very much alone and now the same Mumbai where I thought my life is happening just happened to be a night mare. But it is a human tendency to discover oneself in the times of adversity and for once I thank Anushka for having left me heartbroken and uncared and unloved, I discovered myself again.

Love like sweets are at times harmful for growth and I was now diabetic in love, God saved me from the attitude of once again and I was determined and vengeful towards my subjects and I worked hard to conquer them. It became an obsession. I did not want to leave any stone unturned this time and I had in my mind undertaken that it would be now or never. I had my duties towards

I started off my day quite early in the morning, it used to be still dark in Mumbai, but that did not interfered with my routine. My books were better than any girl. They had no expectations but were ready to give everything they had. I realized for the first time how much I loved my books. I could not take my eyes off them and read them thoroughly. I thought it was an infatuation and would be soon over however I realized that my love for them was increasing and towards the exam days I was totally engrossed in it. I was soaked in them to the core and they did not betray. All my exams went pretty well and for the first time I was convinced what I wrote. Anushka was still somewhere in the memory but she started fading away.

Meanwhile Akshya was on the verge of completing her MBA, she had a pre placement offer of ********* (no I won’t disclose), I won’t be making that much( at least I thought so ) hence no need of disclosures but she was my sister and would have been my first client so I was very happy to know the vulgar amount that she would be charging sitting in her posh Gurgaon office. But my happiness was even more because she had found someone of her choice. Although she said she was confused about him but I knew that this Guy, (Abhishek) is going to be the Mr. Right for her. She had her reservation as he was a north Indian and it would take some time for mom to adjust to the concept of “2 States”, as Chetan Bhagat had created.  But I guess my parents dealt with it in a far more understanding manner. Dad just said one thing, stick on to this relationship for one year and then decide and it went perfectly well with couple. They were much in love and agreed to it unquestioningly.

In between it was my D day again, the result was expected and I just became more nervous than ever. The feeling of heart just jumping around and brain throbbing simultaneously is not one of the best feelings. It was as if I was taking a roller coaster ride without belts to protect you from falling. I was experiencing blackouts, momentarily I had some pain in my chest, I thought I might just die of anxiety and panic. My throat was in constant need of water and I gulped almost 3-4 litres to satisfy the thirst.

I was on the net and I fairly arranged my surrounding, praying Lord Karthik and other crores of God to just help me. It was a now or never for me and with each passing second I could not control . Tears had started coming off already, and yes even though I am a guy I cry and I am proud of it.

The result was announce, I entered my roll number and waited , the page was uploaded and I would in that very moment have exploded with the maount of tensions in side me. I had given my best and I was just there numb and sweaty and no palpable audacity surrounded me.

The uploading process took some time and I froze , I could not believe that I cleared it. I will not go in the miiscule details of the marks and all but all I could gather from it was I was a CA. the dream of being CA. V Adithya Iyer was finally achieved. The attitude of “now or never” paid off well.

My mother could not believe it, she was crying more than me and Akshya was all excited and dad was at peace. I was now a CA.

Pass & Aggegate: Chapter 21: Matters of Heart

Chapter 21: Matters of Heart

‘Roses or Lilies’ what should I take for Anushka, I thought, I was meeting her after a long time. Life after 26/11 brought us really close, I kept on thinking we won’t fight ever but that was just not possible when two people in the relationship are just so independent of their opinion and  I was really harsh on her when she just gave a piece of advice to study. She was my girl friend, she had every right to guide me but somehow when any one gave me this sermon on the importance of studying I used to get agitated. I was already working hard but the issue of passing in all subjects but then failing to make it in aggregate by few marks kept on hammering in my mind. I really shouted on her and she just walked away without fighting. I was all my fault and I knew I had to make up but I was unsure about which flowers to take, so  I took a bunch of artificial flowers, I thought this could be nice, they won’t ever die as our love which would live eternally.  

I tried calling her but she was not picking my number, since many days she had avoided me but even I was busy so I just brushed that aside, I knew all is that I have to say sorry and she will understand. But in life we take people for granted and that is what happened, I realized that day I had committed the biggest mistake of my life and I was conveniently ignoring to address it sometimes on the pretext of work and sometimes on pretext of studies. I went to her office waited for her to come down and talk to her then. She came down looking stunning as usual; she saw me and just passed by. I ran after her trying to plead but obviously she won’t listen. Finally she stopped and I said sorry, she curtly replied “its ok” but the expressions in her eyes were stony; she was cold and ice cold. A sense of tension got inside me; I pressed the panic button now. I asked her to speak at least; she just showed the ring on her finger, engagement ring.

My world has collapsed many times but this time it was one of the most severe crashing, I could not believe what I was seeing, my throat choked, now the words were not coming to my mouth, She just removed my hand from her shoulder and said “ I am sorry you were late, really late”.

She got engaged to some green card holder, Ketan, who lived in Boston and earned greenbacks, who was a Gujarati like Anushka and would have liked Dhokla and Undhiyon like her.

Actually there are only two aims of a Gujarati’s life, first is to settle down in America and the second is to settle down in America. She finally achieved her ultimate aim. She took me to Café Coffe Day, I was just staring at her, I mean I could just see her and hear her but I could not understand her.

“Adithya, I am really sorry, I tried thinking about our future but I don’t think it could work, I mean you are not yet settled and I have this pressure on settling down, I could not stand the pressure any more”.

This was true,  how could I go to her father and introduce myself, forget her father How would I go to my father and tell him that I want to settle down with this gir, with meager stipend that I was earning I could do nothing more than buying artificial flowers for the girl I loved. But I failed to understand how could she not stand the pressure of her family, she could very well manage them but I guess she did had no intentions. Our last few meetings and silences, our fights had made her realize that I was not the one but she never let me know this, I was so sad at suddenly being treated as an outsider in life. I could no longer listen to her excuses where she blamed me and I blamed my luck of not becoming a CA. I realized that she had lost all hopes on me after I flunked in May exam also and that was the turning point of my romance. I realized that there is nothing in this world called love there are only conveniences, as long as one person is convenient for the other to romance one can call it love the moment the relationship starts causing inconvenience it just becomes a burden, which is too much too handle. She justified her stance I just said “ You should have told me about your engagement earlier, I would have stopped bothering you than, you kept on ignoring me and I just thought that you were angry on me but you were completing your life and keeping me in dark, that was unethical but wish you good luck in your life, and I hope you won’t mind paying the bill, for you see I am still not a CA, I still don’t earn”. She sat there and maybe I saw a thing called guilt in her eyes but there was no love, had there be some love instead of guilt I would have stayed back and won her, woo her but I knew I was just not that perfect person to fit in her changed landscape of life, I was now just an acquaintance or not even that. Matters of Heart are really complicated, they give u a sudden high when you are absorbed in it and they suddenly bring you down to reality.

The concept of love is so very out dated and I realised I was still living in this old world charm, which was bound to be shattered and it did, My heart had been broken not once but twice and now it did not hurt that much, pain was replaced by indifference I just become a bit solitary not for I had no love because now I had no trust.

That day I came back home, no I did not cried, just brought my books out of the shelf and started studying again.

Pass & Aggregate Chapter 20:Every NIght has a Dawn

Chapter 20: Every Night has a Dawn

News television telecasted that there was some shoot out in Mumbai, I thought it would be some usual gang war stuff that does happen even in the broad day lights of the city, ‘Big deal’ I said to myself and took the remote while trying to navigate between channels but then I had a message, I prayed that it should be Anushka sending me a sweet romantic good night message which she sent during the happier times and which she had stopped sending off late. Okay I am to be blamed equally, because even I stopped sending messages to her, partly because of my never ending work and partly because I was jealous as she was working with her ex boyfriend even though I gave my dissenting opinion.

Anyhow the message was from Anushka, and it was something like this “Adithya, u r the most weird and irritating person I hv met, bt I like your weirdness, I never thought I would say this to u but I want to live my entire life with you, would pray to God that I die before you because I cannot imagine living without you, luv u.”

That message was what I needed to cheer me up, all my pain and exhaustion disappeared , I read the message over and over again, I could not believe my luck, although I would confess just for a nano second the thought of commitment suffocated me.

That was a natural progression on her part I thought and in some point in life even I want to get settled and if she is with me, my life would be a lot happier and contented after all, I love her and I cannot imagine life without her, I typed ‘What entire life?’ and before I could write any further, the worst thing happened, the message was sent.

These touch screen are the worst inventions of our times and while I was criticizing the mobile phone I could do nothing about the message being sent. I started imagining all the repercussions I could face if she thought about the message in another manner. I continued typing so that whole message reaches her before she could interpret it otherwise and kill me. I wrote “What entire life, I would spend all my next lives with you, I don’t know how to react but this night is the happiest night of my life, the thought of being with you brings a sense of fulfillment and contentment, luv u.” And I sent the message thinking, that she would be happy to receive the whole message.

But The Law of Murphy says that "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong" and it went wrong, the second message could not be delivered, I resent the message but the delivery failed and I sent it again, and again and again. So now I thought of calling her and the phone was not reachable.

My anxiety knew no bounds, I tried calling her again and again but then I thought maybe she was in the conference which she had to cover and hence had switched off the cell. To divert my attention, I started with Television once again. Few minutes into news channel and I knew something bad has happened.

I looked at the wall my clock cum calendar showed Time 11:00 pm and date was 26.November.2008.

“It is a massive terrorist attack in Mumbai”, said the news reporter and all I was thinking of Anushka, she had a night shift and had to go to cover a conference at Hotel Taj where the attack took place. My heart started sinking and hands started trembling even faster, while I was trying to call her on the cell phone. The phone was still not reachable. I tried again and again and again but the phone was not reachable.

The last conversation I had with Anushka started playing on my mind,

When I asked her few hours ago about the proposal “Okay when will I get the reply”, And she said “You never know, may be before I die”.

And then I thought of her last message, where she said she will pray to God that she dies before me because she won’t be able live without me. All her sentences were narratives of something bad happening.

I was aghast and devastated, cursing myself. I will not be able to live without her. I started praying to God, “You can’t be that cruel, please keep her safe” I said while keeping my hands folded in front of the Krishna idol. I was shrieking with fear and the most negative thoughts crossed my mind.  

“I have to go and find her at any cost I cannot stay here to await the news about her” I said in agitated manner to Kripal who was sleeping.

He woke from the sleep but could not comprehend what was I talking about and before he could even think, I just left the house. I took the keys of his bike. I started towards Gateway at once, without even realizing that the bike did not have enough petrol to sustain till my destination. It was late at night and although people say about Mumbai that it is the city which never sleeps yet the roads bore a semi deserted look, my bike was running short of fuel, I had to reach the petrol pump before it comes to a halt. I saw a petrol pump at a distance, my luck ran out because after reaching there I found that their stock of petrol finished and all the men there were glued to TV, I too got off and ran to saw the news update, the news were even more disturbing, many police officials had succumbed to the bullets of the terrorists, Mumbai was under siege but I was being very selfish for I thought of only her, whom I loved dearly and more than myself. She was my constant motivating factor, my journey from being a prude guy to being a gentleman (at least I thought that ways) was because of her, and she was one important factor in the process of my evolution, I was incomplete without her. I do not know why only a difficult circumstance is needed for us to realize our love, although I professed my love for her but now I was realizing my love. The mere thought of any harm to her left me agonized.  From the petrol pump I had to take another means of transport, and as the news of the attack spread no one was willing to go in that direction, I did not know what to do, so I started walking. I walked from Mumbai Central till I was near precincts of Taj. I saw the police who were barricading the whole area. I walked till the barricade, I had nothing in mind, “what would I say if they ask me why was I out at this time”, I questioned myself. But I kept walking. The constable asked me in chaste Marathi, although I could not understand much of what he said I just managed to tell him I had someone who is trapped in the Hotel, he just sympathized with me but he could not allow me inside the barricades. I sat there unmoved, completely tired by the long walk, it was the longest walk of my life but the goal was far.  Then suddenly I saw a commotion, the constable told me that terrorists had set fire to The Taj, my anxiety increased further and now tears started flowing from my eyes, the constable could sense my trouble, he kept on assuring me but no amount of words could keep me comforted.

My world was collapsing  with every passing second, I felt all my hopes of finding her alive were ending, I stood up with a resolute to break barrier and get inside and then I heard a familiar voice that came from behind “Adithya, what are you doing here?” I could not believe it was Anushka. She looked even prettier in her dust laden face. For next few seconds the world around me froze, only I could see her coming towards me, the globe was mute but I could hear only her.  She sounded agitated and excited at the same time. As soon as she came near I just felt weak and the nearer she came the weaker I felt. I fell in her arms and could just say “I love you”. I heard her saying “I love you too”. My night was over and a new dawn rose”.