Death of an SMS

The year was 2005, when I first entered my Engineering College (Oh, it feels sad to realize that it was nine years ago when I had put my first step in the field of Engineering.Time passes by so quickly making one oblivious to the fact that one is actually growing older every passing day). It was then that I had got my first ever Mobile phone, Nokia 2600 a budget phone with a colour display (an added attraction then).

That was an era of prepaid sim cards and a postpaid card used to be the luxury of the rich. Living on the pocket money and the calling rates being high, we usually suffered from the low balance or for that matter a Zero Balance syndrome. It was when this little angel called the SMS (Short Message Service) came to our rescue.

Being aware of this 'Balance deficiency' amongst the youth the Service providers designed various SMS friendly packs. For e.g..: Recharge with Rs. 51 and get 1000 SMS free. This meant we could actually communicate with others via text messaging even if the talk time available was zero. This was something to be proud of and thus began the Love Affair between the SMS and the Youth.

Be it a Happy Birthday or a Condolence message.

Be it a Happy Diwali or an Id Mubarak.

Be it an I Love You or an I am sorry, this little pigeon carried them all.

SMS was not only a mode of communication but also the mode of entertainment.

Be it a Santa Banta joke or the so called 'Non-Veg' joke, SMS had seen them all.

As time passed by the Mobile Phone became a necessity and the SMS became the part and parcel of our lives.

Hardly had we thought that we have achieved a big milestone in the world of communication when the game changed.

With the advent of technology, mobile phones became 'Smart' and it was now possible to access the whole world of the World Wide Web on this hand held device.

2G, 3G, Wifi (ani Kai kai!!! Meaning: what not) accelerated the speed with which the internet was surfed. Opening new horizons, our mail box, our Skype, our Facebook everything said "Hello" on the smart phone.

But again this did not stop here, with GPRS(General Packet Radio Service) available at a dirt cheap price, many Messaging Services like Whatsapp and Telegram were born. These are in a way a new generation of SMS but being run on the Data Pack and consuming hardly a few bytes, one recharge of a GPRS pack can actually help one with a plethora of messages that too in runtime. One just needs to be online at the same time with another  and these services actually behave like an Online Chat. (The same chat which had once rocked the whole Web arena).

But in this race of fast mode of communication, our old friend SMS somewhere lost its track and moreover as you at least need to pay a small sum for a limited number of SMS, an SMS pack, is never hundred percent free. Also it doesn't run in runtime making it a misfit for the "Last Seen at" loving generation.

Conclusion, SMS has lost its popularity today. This doesn't mean that one doesn't come across SMS at all but if one receives ten SMS today then it is more likely that nine are of telemarketing (yes those good for nothing messages from VM, DM, LM etc.)

Losing its real purpose i.e. of communication, we are in an era when SMS is dead.

But one can never forget the contribution of SMS in the world of communication and thus whenever the history of communication technology will be written; this little angel will have a chapter written on her in Golden Letters.

R.I.P. SMS...

LIFE @ A HOSTEL

I have a firm belief that at least once in a Lifetime, one should get a chance to stay in a Hostel (Best age being the Teenage or the Youth)

No matter how rich or pampered one is at Home,

Away from Home, here one learns the real meaning of Living (when you actually do not have a living! PUN intended)

Because here when one's full pocket money reaches its Final Destination, then it really doesn't matter if one's Father is an ATM (Any Time Money) or a BPL (Below Poverty Line)

And thus one learns a Lesson "Phukat Te Paushtik" (Meaning: Whatever comes for Free is Nutritious) and no Text Book of 'Home' Science can ever teach this lesson. I guarantee it!

And this is the place which cultivates in one the spirit of Sharing, the spirit of Surviving (yes, there are times here when one may actually feel like living a Life of Pi! PUN intended again)

The habit
of sharing comes automatically when one learns "Amhi Jag Vikat Gheu Shakto, Contri Kadhun" (Meaning: We can buy this whole world, of course by Contributing Money)

Moreover, This is the place where one gets a Family when one is away from one's Biological Family.

Today, it's five years since I had left my Hostel, but the lessons learnt there are still fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday.

Today, I am proud that I was privileged to 'Live' in a Hostel.

Are You?

She has already won my heart

Once in a blue moon in Bollywood,

There comes a movie,

Initially you tend to ignore it.

The Star Cast is not amongst your favourites, forget they being your favourite, you don’t even recall their names.

The bigwigs in direction like the Chopras, the Johars or the Roshans are nowhere involved.

 But still the film does well, word of mouth spreads…

As a result, even after being a NON Multi Starrer (rather a non Starrer) the film runs full houses even on Weekdays.

This is the Magic rather this is not magic but a reality when,

You have an amazing Story Line,

You have a Meticulous Direction (Yes, Meticulous is the only word)

And to add the icing on the cake,

You have an awesome acting. (Honestly speaking I had never taken this actress so damn seriously)

Being a refreshing movie, QUEEN symbolizes the new generation of Indian Cinema, which is trying to break the shackles of age old concepts of Hero and Heroine running behind the trees singing romantic songs or for that matter that abysmal “Dhishoom – Dhishoom”

For the whole duration, you are totally engrossed in the film.

The Background score keeps your feet thumping.

The direction and the acting keeps you spellbound.

A must watch in the theatres!!!

Really, I am so impressed that I can speak for ages, praising, praising and praising and yes I only wish that may the QUEEN bag all the Crowns this year (No doubt, She has already won my Heart)

-Nachiket

A Bollywood Freak

Merry Christmas!

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Celebrated by millions of people all over the world, it's the festival of happiness and benevolence as people share presents with each other. The festival has a special importance in the lives of kids as myth says that a celestial figure called Santa Claus blesses them with gifts and presents.

I too have a vivid memory of Christmas of my childhood. I along with my friends and our respective mothers were returning from school. It was when a Santa Claus standing outside a Cake shop waved his hand to us and thus beckoned us to him. We too happily went to him, wished him A Merry Christmas and received our respective presents from him. It was a moment of joy for all of us after all who doesn't like receiving surprise gifts? I was four then and was in the Junior Kindergarten.

As I grew older and went to the primary school, another fable spread amongst our friends. It said, “A Santa Claus comes to your house on the midnight of Christmas and keeps a secret gift for you. You just need to keep socks tied to your bed so that the Santa Claus can put the gift there.” Being a curious kid, I tried my hand here too. Next day saw the socks filled with a gift. It was an Audio Cassette (In those days we did not have CDs or MP3). My happiness knew no boundaries. This ritual continued for many years and never did it happen that my socks were empty.

 As I grew older, I realized that this Secret Santa Claus who had blessed me with the presents was none other than my Father! (Who even today remains to be a Santa Claus for me.)

Today, at 26, with God’s blessings, I am earning and on this occasion of Christmas I too gift my near and dear with gifts and presents just to see that one broad smile on their face. When alone I too ask the Santa Claus for gifts and blessings but with the age the demands have changed. The inclination is not towards the materialistic gifts but towards health, happiness and well being of me and my loved ones. After all they say that if one is healthy, one can achieve all the mental and material happiness.

So, here I am wishing you and your loved ones A Healthy Christmas, a Merry Christmas!

(And yes, we here in India, at times tend to fall in the boundaries of caste, creed and religion and thus fail to enjoy the moments of happiness which life has to offer. So, move out of your borders and go celebrate after all ‘हर त्योहार मनाना एक अच्छा Idea है’)

  

Be The Change...

Today, 365 days have passed to her suffering. A suffering so ruthless that it led to her death. She who had not even seen all weathers of her life had succumbed to this brutality and lost this precious life in her very youth. Some call her ‘Nirbhaya’, some call her ‘Jyoti’, one may call her by many adjectives but the fact remains that She was ‘Just another Woman’ in a male dominated country called India.

When I say, India is a male dominated country it actually is even though we may have stepped in the Twenty First century but the age old sufferings of women still continue. Female feticide is still rampant. Harassment of a Daughter in Law is like a birth right of the in laws. So if a woman is not safe in her own family, how could one expect her to be secured in the society?

Eve teasing has become the nightmare of almost every woman, making her civil life miserable. When one can’t bear this, there is more to it; RAPE! Nirbhaya or Jyoti’s was only one of the few examples which got exposed due to the alert media and the angry public agitations which followed. But how many such inhuman incidences must be going unheard, one can only imagine.

.

Nirbhaya’s death saw a sea of Humanity crying for her, fighting for her, fighting for the justice (which is usually delayed in our country). The court too this time was on its toes, announcing death penalty to all the accused it had struck back giving a strong message that such atrocities won’t be tolerated. All though one knew that the Girl’s life couldn't be brought back, but this was indeed a justice to the brave heart.

One had thought that the court’s verdict will put a check on man’s devilish tendency which compels him to rape, but alas it was not true. One may find me a sceptic but the incidences which followed made me believe to disbelieve. More rapes followed! And this time the city which was known for its security towards women was also on the Rapists’ hit list, Mumbai!

So even after a year has passed, the question still remains unanswered, “Have we learnt a lesson?” because, even today the women in our country remain unsecured and the administration callous.

They say that there is no man in this world who has not seen a woman with a desire. This may be true but this is also true that the one who can overcome this lust and can respect the woman is a ‘Real Man’ (May be ‘MARD’ in Hindi is a better word in this context). One needs to change the way one thinks. A man should realize that a woman too is a human and she too deserves the same respect (or may be even more) as he expects from her. Strong values need to be inculcated therefore a father who teaches his son to respect a woman is far more worthy than the one who restricts his daughter’s freedom (may be just to protect her, ‘Saat chya aat Gharaat’ in Marathi is a similar way of protecting a girl by restricting her freedom after seven in the evening).

Looking at the administration won’t help but looking inside oneself will. Introspection has become the need of the day so that one can inculcate right values, right respect towards women in oneself. Thus, becoming a catalyst who can change the world.     

Going back to my roots...

While travelling to my native place, I happen to wake up during the early hours of dawn.

If getting up this early is planned or is it just a coinicidence, I really don't know.

Very curiously I look outside the window to check the approaching Station.

And my surprise and happiness know no bounds.

Nostalgia or no nostalgia, again I really don't know but somewhere deep inside my heart I know that there is a strong bond which exists between me and this place.

What if it is just for few minutes, what if it is only on the railway station, It doesn't really matter...

What matters is that I am fortunate to come back to my Alma Mater... Fortunate enough to come back to my roots... This is where I belong to... It is because of This place that Today I am What I am...

Jai Gajanan!!!

-Nachiket Dabhadkar
Shegaon Railway Station
11-12-13

Aah Thuuu...

When Amjad Khan (as Gabbar Singh) had spat his Khaini in Sholay hardly had anyone thought that this spitting would one day become a national obsession.

They may be on board on roads or rails, Indians don't mind spitting anywhere and everywhere. This spitting habbit is more common amongst those who are addicted to a Paan, tobacco and Gutkha. Yes eventhough Gutkha is banned at many places, they say a concoction of various Pan Masalas give the effect of a full fledged Gutkha. If you go by region then this habbit of chewing tobbaco or a Paan is largely seen in people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar , Bengal and the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. But with migration of this population to metros, you often find spitting habbits common in the Tier 1 cities too. But a habbit is a habbit and it's not region dependent.

One can frequently find an auto rikshaw or a Truck driver spitting while driving (now this is multitasking). Sometimes the range of their spit ranges from 15 to 20 centimeters (and this is no joke) and they aren't even sorry for it. Many a times wind carries one's spit from one window of a ltrain to the other, thus hitting the face of another person who is enjoying the cool breeze. This erupts into fights and why shouldn't be because being hit by one's spit is actually insulting.

But the fact is that when a person surrenders to Paan or tobacco, he can't simply live without it and when he becomes a slave of these habbits he has to spit the remnants of Paan or tobacco every now and then. And since the laws of our country are not that stringent rather not at all serious against offences like spitting in public, no one cares. Rather we are masters of not following the rules and live with a presumption that Rules are made to be broken and that is why we see a splinters of spittings particularly on those walls where it is specifically written that Spitting is Prohibited or Yaha Thunkna Mana hai.

Administration should thus play a key role by penalizing the guilty as we know that to bring a positive change stern actions are at times necessary. Also this Who cares attitude needs to be changed. If one can't get rid of the addiction then atleast one should try that one is not affecting the surrounding by spitting, as it may lead to spread of diseases.

So next time when you spit, THINK!!!