At the clinic

Awesome collection of covers

My sister's collection :-)

The skill and the silver lining

With wondrous amazement I looked at him

As he bent down to remove the pendrive

The skills that had always been mine

Evaded me at a crucial time

Don't even touch it I said

When they dared lift the bag

Now they guide me with the steps I take

With just a word I am ready to climb for them

Now I have no choice but to ask them

I realized what I had taken for granted

And thank thy for all thy has given

You don't realize how essential this simple act is

Until you lose the ability to do it.

Lets start at the beginning.I came back on Saturday night.Excitedly showed my pictures to my sister and slept. The next day I got up got ready and suddenly started coughing.There was a jerk in my back and I just couldn't bend.The slightest bend caused pain.I then decided to study because I had 2 exams and 3 assignments to submit in the coming week.I sat for about an hour I think then decided to lie down. Then then I could't get up.I just couldn't get up without my mother's help.
And yet despite all this I have a few very awesome memories of this period.
Having the MRI done was itself an interesting experience.First remove all the magnetic stuff.Then go inside and sleep in the bed that goes into this huge circular thing.Then they put stuff over your ears.I realized their extreme need few seconds later. There is just so much noise.At first I was surprised and called in the person alarmed.I then slowly convinced myself to dumb down the noise.Till it just became a distant whirring.In the process I imagined the ipad slipping out of my hand as I played word-wrap.Sometimes life without ipad at that time seems unimaginable.
All this time my parents and sister were just so awesome and helpful.Despite the fact that my sister had now became my official charger.I would ask her to charge my laptop,ipad and cell. She used to get so annoyed but she still did it. They would all come sit in my room, entertain me.
I also had few very awesome friends who came and visited me when I was still on bed.Some friends who I hadn't met for over a year also came and surprised me.I then slowly started getting better. I remember the first time I sat for almost 3-4 hours and it felt like a great achievement.

I was on bedrest for two months.I tried to go to college thrice in that period and thrice I returned with extreme pain.The third time I had tried to write my final exam and wrote it painfully in pencil while lying down on the floor.Initial few days I needed help for everything charging devices,spreading bedsheet,...

Initially I was in so much pain I could not spread the blanket till my toes and they always felt cold.I used to keep calling my sister,parents(mainly sister),and point to my toes and say cover it please.By the time I could do that by myself they new what pointing at my toes meant.Even during the MRI the technician din't cover my toes.I looked at my father and he understood immediately.

Everyday after coming back to college my sister would slip into bed with me.We would fight over the blanket but she was obliged to concede.She would then play temple  run on the ipad and I would just enjoy watching her play.I was in no way as good as her and had never managed to reach the blue coins. I also realized a surprising thing when your back is delicate even playing temple run strains your back.(the sounds make it more difficult). Every time my mom put a cold-water bag I would ask my sister to play temple-run in front of me. :-)

 When my mom would came home I would get the days updates from her and my sister.(which include awesome friends,annoying teachers and irritating/brain-frying government officials)

Once I came back to college, our end-sem marks, grades started coming in. Friends kept asking and I had to reply everytime.I haven't written anything.They were all very supportive.Stop , don't lift the pen, sit on the chair , are you sitting properly. Sit.I will carry your laptop.Once in EW lab after practically a whole day in the lab I barely had the strenth to move.I struggled even to lift my laptop.Then without a word just looking at my state my friend just put everything back in my bag and took it back to GH. After that when my teahcer asked me to drop EW  I din't argue much. Under the constant caretaking of my friends and family I was finally starting to get better. I remeber the day I ran from Vindhya  to GH. The exhilirating feeling of joy was amazing.I was  jogging after almost four months. The problem with me is the moment I get a little better I come back to my normal running,jumping mode(I have extra attendance in pt :) ) which is obvioulsly the worst thing for me to do. For me not being able to jump is like removing a part of my identity.

Finally the time came for me to write all my exams again.It was unfortunately during the week before Felicity. I am lucky I got to write most of them again.I have to thank my teacher for that. Though the sad part is the one subject in which I feel confident that I know it and that I am better than my friends I have to repeat. I clear my friends doubts in a related course this sem.I just wish I had an opportunity to atleast write the paper.Oh well I have to be thankful for the others.

There are times where I have received unexpected help. Friends who I barely talk to have carried my laptop for me to the front gate on a sunday morning. The kind hostel security guard always enquries about my health and one of them has become a great friend. Always offering to help me. Whenever I study whichever subect I study the friends around me do all sorts of things to ensure I am in the right position. Get a laptop stand, put a carpet on the floor and sit less comfortably themselves sometimes.

This whole experience has taught me to respect my body and handle it with care. There have been a billion times in the past when I was running or jumping  and I have just missed from slipping or falling and hurting myself. All those times I always thought saved. And had a false sense of security that I will always balance myself. Now I can't take that risk.It will be a long time before I can go on  my next adventure trek.

(also sent to my college magazine)

From Another World

If you are reading this you probably have a decent idea of who I am. Which is definitely not the typical Hyderabadi. I do like Hyderabad as a city but I cannot claim to be one of its true residents as per the standards set by them. For a start I don't speak Hyderabadi hindi (with its howlays) and I like to reach on time. Yesterday we went to my parents friends party and talked to their sons.There couldn't have been more typical Hyderabadis.I don't mean t say that all Hyderabadis are of the desciption I am giving below.They well obviously spoke Hyderabadi hindi with the word howlay easily slipping off their tongue.We were all talking about New Year plans. This guy who was 18 years old  knew about all the party places in town. All the pubs, the best hotels to party in. Spoil is owned by ... and Bottles and Chimneys is owned by ...My friends's friend's father owns this and that. Novotel in not that great this year. Spoil is good. I wouldn't trust my evening with the new pub ... that just opened. There is some rush there due to the novelty but um... I am throwing a huge party calling 100 people at skybar. okk!!

So this was just the start.The topic then went to the god of cricket Sachin Tendulkar.This guy seriously worships him.I just think he should retire quickly.He is an awesome cricketer but he is just not in form now.Give the youngsters a chance man. People who have seen you playing while growing up are now playing alongside you.It is quite awesome but there is an age-limit to playing.And you need to be in form.He also thought that Sachin Tendulkar would easily win if he stood for PM. I obviously disagreed.And so we argued.Then came the topic of  Salman Khan. I don't like his movies.I haven't seen Ready, Bodyguard, Dabang ,Dabang 2,Ek tha tiger.I have no intentions of seeing them also. I don't think his movies make any sense.Just one look at the trailer which seems to bombard every channel I view tells me enough.

They lived by the slogan "Live Life Mallya Size".They preferred Vijay Mallya to Ratan Tata. Who cares about leaving behind a legacy.You are not going to be there after you die so why worry.Enjoy life."Their defence for Mallya not paying salary to his employees is-They din't complain when they got bonuses".Vijay Mallya has 122 mansions around the world.We want live life like him.Me and my sister look upto Ratan Tata and were mourning his retirement.And we were obviously surprised by such a view point.We both also joblessly read and remembered that Ratan Tata has 2 dogs Tito and Tango.

Meeting these people just made me realize how radically different people's views can get and it was mildly entertaining to argue with them.
(I had intended to post this more than a month ago).

Other awesome stuff

The dome of this church was quite interesting

This is a sony experia tablet in the same  roadside place where the ad  on the left was there.The place actually had 2 cows standing beside the  cars

One of the plates in the thali decorating competition

The Mahatma laughing-I haven't seen many such pictures of him

Indira Gandhi

I like the effect of thin chunis in streetlight

Goodies that my sister got from her trip.

The day my dad stayed up till 4

To note: In 19 years I have never seen him stay up beyond 1. No .He is not boring. Yesterday was very hectic.we saw 3 matas mandir. The previous day we saw my mom ' s family mandir then my dad 's family mandir and mama's family mandir.our car broke down and we slept peacefully in the mandir for 45 minutes . In the night we reached Godhra. We saw the thali decorating competetion. We then went to see the garba. It was awesome the orchestra played so beautifully and effortlessly. We kept listening and dancing. we also had Pav bhaji at 3 in the night. And the garba finally got over at 4. And we got back to our beds.

Innovative Mandir

This to create the sound of drums in Mandir.we saw it in various temples today