“Dude, if you are not in a hurry, can you gimme a lift to health and glow and then to my apartment”. One of my friend called me and told, when I was about to leave from office. I’m a bit ‘allergic’ to this shop. The sales girls\guys in this shop are ‘trained’ to tempt you for buying all the needed\unwanted stuff (*from the experience of yours truly and his friends).Few years back, after doing some shopping to attend my cousin’s marriage, I headed to this shop to buy a sunscreen and hair gel (that was the first time in my life I went there).
The sales girls asked me what I want and I answered her. But she convinced me to buy another brand to my preferred one. Then another sales girl approached me and asked

S.G: Sir, you have got lot of open pores on your face, just look at this mirror.
after doing some close examination I felt that she is right (though I have never noticed it before) .
Me: yeah I can see a few. But what is the problem in that?
S.G: Sir it doesn’t looks good. It looks awkward; you have to tighten those pores.
I was thinking there, that why she is concerned about me so much
Before I told anything, she brought some skin toner and told me
S.G: Use this product .With in one month you will see the result
Me: I don’t think it is necessary for me, will you bill these products fast

Then she gave me a lecture about the nature of my skin and how good that product for my skin for next few minutes.i became tired of her lecture, so finally she won the battle and I brought it (one reason 4 that is I wanna look best at my family function ).
While moving towards the bill counter another sales girl approached me and asked me whether I have hair loss problem or not and I told no and moved away. she told me like

S.G 2: Sir just 1 min listen 2 me ,use this hair oil, so that in future, you won’t be suffering from any hair lose problem and also it has good cooling effect.

I couldn’t stop laughing to that, first time I heard about some product (and approached by someone) to prevent hair loss in future. Anyways I didn’t let her to proceed and promptly avoided her and moved to billing counter. When I was about to pay this bill another sales girl approached me (hmm it was not that bad, been the center of attraction of this much girls )

S.G 3: Sir you are lucky to have normal skin type. Use this face pack once in a week. It is very necessary for this climate and also if you are sitting in air conditioned room for a long time. Use this product and see the result after a week. It will make your skin glow like anything

(They all were talking to me as if I’m the only person who don’t have self –awareness in that area ) I felt like telling her, till I came here I (my skin) was perfectly fine. So will u please leave me alone
I just thanked her, paid the money and immediately left the space, before someone else caught me. After this incident,I always used to be very careful with that shop.

Though, it happened few years back. When my friend called me, I recalled this incident first. But as also I have to buy a deo and hair oil I agreed to drop her there. I asked my friend to pick up a deo for me and I moved to hair oil stack .As expected one sales girl approached me and asked me “whath dho you whaanth” in her fake British accent. Though I have a regular hair care products brand I just asked her can u suggest good non sticky hair oil. She took the product of an international renowned brand and started explaining its benefits. I told her that, that product is not good and then took my favorite brand .Though there was a big queue in the cash counter, I gave my pick to my friend and waited at cash counter. I was curious about, why there is such a big crowd in a personal care and cosmetic shop. So I just peeped at others basket (just for time pass). It was a bit funny. One young foreign lady who were standing in the end of the queue, by holding a 10 rupee mini tissue pack (no comments about it….I was struggling there to control my laugh) Another lady was holding a small packet of ‘ladies only stuff’ and a tooth brush, waiting for her turn in that long queue (was wondering there, now a days medical shops and super markets are not stocking these stuff or what). When I told about the same to my friend, she told me like, “It is something like an addiction, a form of shopaholism. They experience some kind of satisfaction, when they spend some time or purchase something (though it is useful or not) in those particular places” .Anyways when we were about to leave the space old sales girl came running towards us and asked me

S.G: Sir Can I ask you something me: yeah sure
S.G: y did you say, that hair oil is not good. me: what happened, why did you ask?
S.G: (in a panicked tone) I’m using it for past 1 month; please tell me what is wrong with that product.
We couldn’t stop laughing at her question and at her panicked expression.My friend answered her that “it contains silicon, so as per doctors advise it is not recommended for daily use(though it make your hair shine instantly but later on it may cause serious drawbacks like frizzy hair, hair fall and also problems for scalp etc”(always chose hair care products that does not contain silicon).She thanked us and left(her facial expression was priceless , and anyways it was payback time for us).

Anyways after a tiring week in office that short shopping was a perfect fun experience for us.

P.S: I didn’t mean to insult anyone (any characters mentioned here) in this post. @ H & G – It is a very good shop, were we can purchase all the local\international brands of our choice. Only thing is you have to be a bit careful with the sales persons.

Trivia: Saw this movie on last week – A Walk on the Moon . Loved it (good performance from lead actors and very good BG music) .Grab the DVD and watch it if you like unconventional movies)

As a hardcore fan of chetan bhagat’s books, I was waiting for this book for a long time. The one thing I like in chetan’s work are, all his characters have shades from our lives as well as the people we come across in our day to day life. I canceled an outing with my friends and a movie ticket on diwali weekend (no regrets now, in skipping blue), just to read this book.

The novel is inspired from the real story of the author and his wife .Like his other novels it is the story about the Indian youth with a message. Well, the plot is a Punjabi boy (Krish) fall in love with a Chennai girl (annanya) in the backdrop of IIMA and there struggle to get permission for there marriage from there respective parents. The story is explained in five Acts. One thing I loved about this novel is, it genuinely portrayed the cultural difference between north and south Indians. One flaw I found with this book was unlike his earlier books, storyline is very predictable (and sometimes I felt like reading his personal diary).
As a hardcore fan of his earlier works (five point… tops in my top 10 list), I was a bit disappointed with this book (may be because of my high expectations).Still I will say it is a book that worth your time and money. Chances are there for you to enjoy it, unless you read his earlier works. As he said in an interview with Hindu metro plus, don’t expect a Salman Rushdie or Arundhathi royi work from his books. After all Chetan is a writer for masses not for classes

Pros: Casual style, Message, breezy and simple narration, genuineness, youth centric, though we boast about unity in diversity of our country, this book reminds and make us think about cultural and religious boundaries in India
Cons: predictable, clichéd at parts

Sometime back coz of this severe ear pain, I decided to pay a visit to my neighbor Dr:Ravi’s clinic. After the normal check up he prescribed some medicine for cold and he asked me, if I use ipod \mp3 player. I nodded my head and he just smiled at me and the proceeded with casual conversation. But I understood that there is something behind his question and smile (also I read an article about the same some time back). Here, I’m summarizing my conversation with him.

Me: Why did you ask that? Is there any problem in using that?
Dr: off course there is some serious problem in that, see ear drum is the most sensitive part of your body. It has a tolerance level. If you pressurize it beyond its limit, it will fail to recognize sound and some times it may result in temporary or permanent deafness. So it is not at all advisable to use foreign materials in ear. I always tell the same to everyone, But no one listen it. Especially you youngsters will tell that we want some music to relax …..Ok there is nothing wrong in that. Instead of earphones \ headphones, listen songs from speakers. Unfortunately we are the first generation who is exposed to noise pollution, so it will take few years to know the real outcome. Now a days hearing capacity of many people aged 30-35 is equivalent to the capacity of 55-60 years old.

First time in my life I had a serious discussion about this topic. I know as an experienced doctor and an Asst professor in medical college, there was a point in, what all he said. It is known fact that we all are knowingly or unknowingly contribute to noise pollution and also we are also affected directly or indirectly by its outcome. But unfortunately we can’t avoid many of the reasons for this like motor vehicle noise, horns, loudspeakers etc .I am told that, sometimes it affects our psychological as well as physical health (hypertension, high stress, high BP, sleep disturbance, irritation, loss of concentration etc. But most of us fail to recognize that this is the reason for all that). In the present world we can’t avoid many of the causes but probably we can control to a small extend.Apart from action that suppose to taken by statutes, it is high time that at least we should do what we can do for restraining this.

There are some characters, we will never forget in our life. These fellows are specialist in boasting, blabbering and boring/entertaining (for few people) others. Few months back, we had this security in our office. Very soon he becomes the center of attention of everyone because of his ‘great general knowledge’ and ‘historic inventions’. One day he was busy doing something at his mobile phone (Nokia 2626). By the same time one of my colleagues asked him to handover his helmet kept in his table

My colleague didn’t have capacity to hear the rest, so he just ran away. (May be he would have fainted, if he stayed there for another few minutes).
Another day two of my colleagues having a puff in car parking area, suddenly a Honda –CRV test driving SUV came there and the driver asked them “where is the Sir”. They looked at each other and asked him, whom he is talking about. Suddenly our hero came running towards them and told him “annnai antha sir naaan thanaa, Kannan Sir” (bro, I am only that Sir, Kanan sir). The facial expression of that driver\technician at that time was priceless. The hero got into the car and checked everything and commented hmm AC effect is not good and he asked the technician “Can you drive it for me, I know only left hand driving”.
After the test drive, he came toward us and told
Hero: hmmm that is basic model; I’m not interested in that and also what kinda car is this ? they don’t have even split AC option,having only window AC right now, . The upgraded version of CRV is coming next month, I’m waiting for that.
After hearing this someone commented like this “Ohh really, is that also customized limited edition car and will be given to some ‘special people’ like you?

Though he worked in our company for only three months, we will never forget him in our life. May god save him, before someone kill him or kill themselves coz there inability to bear his verbal torture

P.S: Wish you all a happy and safe Diwali

Me: Helu she: Hi anish did u get, who is this?
Well this is the one sentence I hate to the core in a telephonic conversation.
Me: well sruthy? , hmmm neena, wait a second….. Nancy right????
She: ohh u remembers all Jessica, Monica. Can’t U recognize this good friend of yours, huh? This is teena, U fool
Me: oops itz U girl, looong time…what you are doing now days…..
Teena: it is okay anish, just pulling your legs. Hey listen; I’m landing India on next week. And also I’m planning to go to Chennai and spend a couple of days over there with my cousins. Between is it possible to meet, you guys
Me: why not, love to see U again
Teena: cool, I will call u once I reach there. By the time U tell others about the same and plan something

Well teena was my batch mate and a good friend of mine. Of course she was my, another short-term crush in the college .she is good looking, smart, sensible, studious and a spiritual girl. Though she had a lot of secret admires in my batch, no one showed any guts to propose her coz everyone was sure she were not interested in all that
I was so happy when I received her call and was so excited about meeting her again. Though these days I’m irritated with these question repeatedly from lot of ‘well wishers’ like “so when u getting finally hooked up?” and the same answer I give to every one “too young to get married now, so probably after 3 years”. After her call and day dreams, accidentally I recalled this family friend’s comment about my answer, like “that is our point, start looking now itself dude, so that you can find a good one and get married when the time come”. So I thought like “y not her, she is smart, sensible etc…. yeah she is the perfect one for me”. I told to myself “there is nothing wrong in telling my ‘dil ki baat’ to her”. So I decided to go ahead. I called up our mutual and told about the get together. So we all decided to meet up at CCD first at 4:30 and plan what to do after that over there. Then I called her up and asked her to be at CCD by 4

We both reached the spot almost at the same time .I felt like, running towards her and give her a big hug. But I just controlled myself and instead I just blew a flying kiss to her. She just smiled at me and then we sat face to face at CCD and started talking.

Me:girl U looks gorgeous, how you have been.
T: ohh really thank u…..I’m doing great as usual. Between, you too look great

The conversation were going great…..I told to myself “dude this is the ideal time, tell those three magical words to her. Don’t loose the chance”. When I was about to propose her she told me with a sweet smile
T: u didn’t ask, y I came to India and now Chennai to meet u all
Me: why?
T: (in a very excited tone): heyy, dude can u believe this. I am getting married!!!
After hearing this I started laughing like anything and I told her
Me: Teena, I can’t believe this, why it is always happens to me
T: see see, I told U na …excuse me, what is with the last sentence??
Me: not that dear, I was about to propose u now. Goodness u told that before, else everything would have been fing fing
T: Dude are you serious, I can’t believe this. I thought you were not interested in this love lup and all. Between, why me? She grinned at me
Me: I had a small crush on you when we were in college and anyway after some time I have to get hooked up with some one na .So I thought, it will be nice to have a nice girl like U …..
T: hmm interesting, I thought you guys were not interested in me in that way when we were in college. And I guess I might have been a little reserved over there.
Me: no no, the fact is so many guys had crush on you. But as they don’t wanna spoil the friendship with you, they didn’t go ahead.
T: ohhh really… Okay forget about others, though u had a crush on me, why didn’t you propose me that time. I guess we were pretty close friends since first year
Me: Hey I was not desperate at that time and also I thought that would make you upset. Ok forget it, if in case I proposed you, what reply, you would have given to me?
Me: Hey I was not desperate at that time and also I thought, that would make you upset ok forget it, If in case I proposed you, what reply, you would have given to me?
T: idiot, why in case, you should have proposed me….OMG I missed so much fun…Ok ok, jokes apart…anish you know me very well right. I’m my parent’s daughter. You know, I never used to take any personal decisions in my life. What ever is my parents decision I will obey that and so far they gave me the best in everything. That’s all about that. thatz it
Me: ok ok I was just kidding, forget about that. Anyways we both had some fun moments. That’s more than enough. Between congrats for getting hooked up
T: thanks anish actually I’m so excited, you know he is my childhood friend. I’m gonna tell this to him, when he call me. Between this is fun time for you guys. Instead of getting committed to one girl at this time, move around everyone and have fun. And at the same time always keep this in mind “GOD is good to those who love him”

By the time our friends came and we shared this to them and everyone had a good laugh. Though I cooked up all these for fun, we had really very good time (I never expected that twist).Anyways teenz, I wish much happiness to you and your darling husband. May God bless you both? And I’m so happy to have such a wonderful friend like you.

P.S: Between why this is always happens to me. Though for fun or real, this is the third time same thing happened to me.