Riding on a Pony

"Madamji we've reached," the man on the wheel said.
With my head reeling and eyes shut, I whispered, "Accha, utarti hoon."
I was feeling nauseated when the jeep had begun moving up the hill in spirals. My stomach churned and I wanted to throw up, I had also asked the driver to halt, but he refused saying it was not safe to stop at such a height. Heights scared me, but I wanted to visit Matheran, there were too many stories told, too many to still unfold.
We had lost few and gained some here…They have all become part of our lessons learnt in Matheran.
I got down from the jeep, but I couldn't hold footing on the red sand. "Madamji paani," the driver asked. I refused as I knew I would be fine in sometime. We were still at the foothills of the hill. I tied my laces, wore my back-pack. The driver again courteously, asked, "Would you like to ride the pony uphill or do you prefer walking."Matheran is the only pedestrian hill station in the state of Mahrashtra. Motorists stopped below, after which only a mini-train, ponies or your feet could take you to your destination.
"My journey begins here and yours ends. Thanks," I replied in a rudely-soft monotone as I walked to climb the hill. My mother hated this habit of mine. If I did not like a person or was too disinterested to get into a conversation, I would end it on a very sarcastic note. She said, it was offensive, yet very pleasantly put. Dad to be more precise described it as sarcasm.
Yes, I did not like the driver, simply because he did not stop driving when I was uncomfortable. I could hate and like people easily and this is all I liked about myself. I was coming to love Matheran and had already begun to hate the driver. A balance I have maintained, right from birth. If there ever was a void, I knew how to fill it. My trip to Matheran was to fill the same space created in our lives 21 years ago.
After paying the toll, I began my trek. It would be only 20 minutes later that I'd reach the hill station. It was mid-January and the temperatures were freezing at around 7 degrees. My cardigan kept me warm, but my hands were still cold.
I had just passed a hawker selling cucumber spices with pepper, when my cell phone beeped…after already two messages of the same kind while walking my way up the hill, I wasn't expecting anything different, "Welcome to Airtel Maharashtra, you are now on Airtel roaming. Your call rates will now be…." Nuisance!! I thought, the same message thrice.
Few minutes later, I received another SMS. I opened it irritatingly. "Hey sweetheart, give us a buzz when you reach Matheran…already missin u, tk of u r self, i hope v can trust u."
I replied to the SMS, "rchd matheran…it's a nice place…but won't send more smses…on roaming…will talk ltr..bye."
I switched off my phone. Staying off contact helps connect better with the place you are in…
As I was walking uphill, my eyes suddenly fell on the Matheran signboard; I was finally here.
Twenty-one years ago, I had come here, as a three-year-old. It is strange; my heart skips a beat when I think of coming here as a baby. We lost him in an accident the last time we came here. My parents never traveled after this. Today, they allowed me, but on one condition… I won't ride on a pony.
The one-day trip to Matheran begins…
My best friend Payal stayed here, so it spared me the hassle of checking into a hotel. Payal and me are good friends from college. Incidentally, we bonded in college on boys, as our respective exes were brothers, later we bonded on Matheran, her native and my fairy tale land.
She knew everything about me, right form me wearing diapers till four to have never been kissed even at 24.
As I entered ‘Navya restaurant,' I saw Payal, waiting anxiously. She rushed towards me and gripped me tightly by the hand; her eyes suddenly began to water. "Seeing you after two years," she said. Payal had taken up hotel management in senior college while my interests lay in the social sciences. Payal had been handling her father’s restaurant ‘Navya’ for three years. “How long will you be in?” she asked, as she moved her arms forward to gather me in a tight embrace. “10 hours, Payal, that is all I have,” I replied.
“Then we must get going,” she said.
She pulled my hand forward and took me inside the restaurant kitchen that led to a small cottage. This is where Payal lived with her “ma”. After her father passed away, she decided to move back to Matheran so that her family business continued. I remember her telling me, “To see ‘Navya’ pass on to another hands would be sending my dead father an invitation to hell.”
Payal treated me to dosa for breakfast, after which we went shopping for chapals and chikki. Ponies passed me as I crossed the road, I trembled. “Payal,” I said, “This fear needs to run down.” After a long pause she said, “Wait till evening comes.”
Shopping, gossiping blew time like dust…it was 4 pm and already late. I shook Payal who was lying on my lap. “Lets go now,” I requested. She was tired, but got up and slipped into a good fitting pair of jeans. “Levis…Rs 5,000…hows it?” she asked. “Great…but lets go…I have a train at 6.30,” I answered. She had tried to put a damper on my object of coming to Matheran but I managed to get my way.
We came only at 5.45 in the evening. Her mother, by then had packed all my shopping items in a bag. Payal again had tears in her eyes, “You should have stayed,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said with a smile. I was planning to drive down to Neral station in a cab.
“How will you go down to the cabbie, do you want me to give you company?”
“No,” I said, “I’ll go alone....I shall ride the pony”
As I rode down, I hummed,
"Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni...."
I couldn't see Payal now, but i know she was smiling.

Mumbai 11.45
Dear diary,
I am back home. Mom and Dad really missed me today... But I am happy for reasons I have longed to find an answer to. You know I sat on a Pony today. I can't believe I did that, but, yes, I did. This wouldn't have been possible without Payal. I rode the entire Matheran stretch while she behind me. She reminded me of Abhay, my 10-yr-old brother. He was sitting behind the last time, I remember. But then he slipped and fell. What happened after that was strange? I remember riding alone, then, my parents had looked at me with eyes of desperation, fear and pain.
Not the loss of my brother, but the fear I saw in my parents eyes while riding the pony had been eating me from inside.
Today, as I got down the pony Payal gave me a broad smile.
Later, she smiled again as I rode the pony down, alone. I no longer fear the pony…but I miss my brother and Payal. One I lost and the other I found in Matheran... and yes my parents never knew that I had been riding on a pony.
Gud Night

THE LAST TIME IT RAINED

We make out of darkness,
An unresonable shadow,
We make out of human,
A beautiful friend,
But the last time it rained,
I was alone and empty,
I couldn't make out of water anything insane.

We see muck,
And fix our eyes on the pink lotus,
We see the selfish,
And still wipe our eyes of their greed,
But the last time it rained,
The sky was heavy and the earth hazy,
My eyes tried but couldn't vision good.

We see fish,
They move not swim,
We see people,
They leave not walk,
But the last time it rained,
It was heavy and brutual,
My body was soaked and not wet with pain

We see sadness,
And look for hope,
We see hate,
And pray that its forgiven,
And this time when it rained,
The drops fell on me,
I smiled and said it was better than the Last time.....

Why I pray?

I walked my own lanes,

To find myself,

Amongst the narrow and wide,

Lost amidst the bright and dim.

I remember Him,

With great fondness and zeal,

So that I touch and reach,

An ambition I love,

But what my heart always failed to reveal.

Thus I bend my knees slightly,

With my head raised towards the blue,

Hoping to evade my fear of failure,

Because somewhere He knows,I hate to fall,

And cry bitterly when in pain.

And only He believes,That I would do no wrong,

But gradually coil when hurt and insane.

So I clasp my hands together,

And make a call,

If He answers,

He has heard,

The fear would be gone,

My love revived,

With my faith in GOD soon reconciled.

Three point something @ the centre of Ahmedabad

Chetan...Chetan...Chetan...you know my friends think I am mad? After meeting Chetan Bhagat, I have been troubling, well actually harassing a lot of people...by just talking about him so much.

Probably it is an ambition I so rigidly follow and the manner in which he gets me read his books. I think his works are the fastest I have read, I have never read anyone's work earlier with so much intensity. I usually read while lying on my bed, when I really have nothing to engage me. To read Chetans work...it is different... I actually wait for an oppurtunity to pick up his book and see what next??

Well too much about me...now back to CBs new book "The three mistakes of my life."

I take the responsibilty of not completing it in a day, it took me three days...but they are the days...he again is a big hit....this time though he opts for a smaller town like Ahmedabad...Chetan has it bigger than 5 point someone and One night @ the call centre.

There is a lot of similarities in Chetans three books, the three most imporatant points that cannot go unoticed are:

a) The narrator: CB is undoubetedly a very good story teller. He is always involved somewhere, somehow....he starts the story and we sit there to listen to him. Heard of writers with this charisma? While in five point someone, we assume that Chetan was telling his story all the way, in the second half of ON@TCC and TMOML, Chetan and his readers become the listeners...coz there is someone else who wants share a story...an interesting story

b) Friendship, Romance and sex: Seems like CB has a strong friends circle, otherwise it is usually difficult to share with your audience a story about "friends" like the way CB has done in all his three books.

Well, about romance.... what shall i say about this, the lead character always ends up in a relationship which he is very confused about in the begining...and well they end up having sex (not morally right according to Indian standards). But it is not really uncommon in India either.

So...going the filmi way, something goes wrong in the relationship or it is effectively made part of the narrative and the readr is waiting to know what the climax of the relationship would be like. In the end in apna bollywood ishstyle the hero-heroine meet. Waah! Hum satisfied or aap?
c) He chooses a scenario:

Be it campus life, the call centre or religion, cricket and business, CB knows what he is talking about. He does not have to get into heavy details, his work is simple, he does not get into excessive research either. His research is simple enough to blend into his story. After all CB is not a non-fiction writer or researcher he is a "Story teller."

I really like CBs work, because after reading his third book, I realised what novella (novel) is all about. It is not about being complex and heavy, it is not about using hi-fi grammar, it is about being you...expressive and being you. CB manages to do it everytime.

Govind, Omi and Ishant....they remind me of three friends I know of...one a so businessman like - overambitious-selfish-pros n cons infected, the other so religiously inclined and one who just doesn't care a f*** about people and is obessessed about cricket.

An intresting story - based in a small town situation - Belrampur in Ahmedabad, a city that was brutually ripped by the earthquake and Godhra riots in 2001 and 2002.

The story is about how three freinds see it all, how they try to rise out of the ashes and build their lives again. It could cost them their life....

All the three friends weigh business, religion and cricket differently, but it is their friendship which gets them through even with their differences.
a) Omi and Ishant do not love business...but they help Govind fulfill his business ambitions.

b) Govind and Ishant care less about religion, but they give in to Omi's faith and his Bitoo Mama's political cum religion propoganda.

c) Govind and Omi follow cricket but not like Ishant who becomes a parasite on the day India plays a match.

They all start a business - a combo of their taste - a sports shop, rented inside Omi's family temple. Business, Religion, Cricket...

Govind- is a mathematical genius who scored a 100 in his XII exam, and also starts tutoring while running the shop to earn an incentive for the shop. He loves Probability and weighs his possibilities in life all mathematically....even the number of times he has slept with his best friend, Ishants sister Vidya (9 times- he recounts in two months). Vidya, is his love, he starts off as her maths teacher, tutoring her for her medical entrance and then....it just happens...

Govind is narrating the story...and he speaks about his three mistakes...you need to figure those mistakes out?

Ishant- district level player, passionate about cricket, runs from the NDA (Defence school) to become a cricket player. He helps Ali start new, a young 12-year-old boy, whose talent can take team-India to heights

Omi-he loves his religion, he follows the saffron part closely - his Mama drags him into politics. But he never once allows his love for religion to hinder his friendship with his two friends and their love for Ali.

All in all, the book is packed with drama, you will cry, fall in love, rejoice and bite your toungue in pain...it is all about generating emotions....CB knows to do it well.

I have only one question for CB...since he has quite a female fan following...why doesn't he have a Girl in the lead character the next time. Though it is challenging to write from a woman's point of view, role playing is a part of a writers job. I think he needs to get out of his commoness...it seems to be his comfort zone, but too much of comfort makes one feel uncomfortable later.

Otherwise, Chetan has one big fan in me...I love his work and the manner he has drawn people to read his work...

5 stars for his third book

Someday over the rainbow....

There are some dreams, that we never imagine would come true. We think of it...like being so untrue and impossible, so much so that even if we dream about it again, we just let it go...

I had this strong desire to meet author Chetan Bhagat, after I read One night @ the call centre and Five Point someone. It never looked realistic, until the 6th of May, when my editor came up to us, and asked if any of us was a CB fan. I raised my hand instantly, without second thoughts..his name had magic...his writing like a spell. My editor handed me an invite...and said Jane you have to meet him and discuss the launch of his new book. CB is big in India, though literary writers find it hard to accept him in their league, he is big, he is the J.K Rowling of India...without any denial.

I met CB on the 8th of May at High Street Phoenix....the expeirence was the fulfillment of my first impossible dream ofcourse...it was small...but still so big in my memory....

My article was published on the 9th of May in The Asian Age supplement. He spoke about his new book "The Three Mistakes of my life," and the movie which he scripted "Hello".

Read on...

Few hours before the launch of his third book, "The three mistakes ofmy life" in Mumbai, writer Chetan Bhagat looked all excited about thelaunch."We are running out of copies of the book," he admits, "and we had to call for more copies from Delhi today."With his the guy-next-door charm Chetan Bhagat comes out as a cool and friendly person, who loves his readers and gets enthused every time he finds an admirer of his work."Oh! You read my books…" he says surprised. Chetan still feels that he has to come to terms with his large audience base and confesses that he blushes with happiness each time his fan asks him for an autograph."I knew that I had a big audience base in the U.S among the technocrats and other student population there, after my books were translated in French, I learnt that even the French loved my work.But, unfortunately I haven't been there to sense my following. It is India that pulls me time and again," he says talking about his fans. He adds, "I love my Indian readers, and that is why I am launching my books in different cities in the country."An IIT, IIM graduate, investment banker and writer all the roles suit Chetan Bhagat perfectly. He does not look uncomfortable in his role-playing and fits himself well into anything. Content with his decision to move from Hong Kong where he spent eleven years as an investment banker, Chetan says, "It feels like coming back into your mothers arms. I come to the city very often but the feeling of settling here is entirely different." Though Chetan finds life in Hong Kong very comfortable, he loves his country and is making aconscious effort to adjust with the city's pace and traffic. "I actually meditate during a traffic jam, it keeps me calm and gets methrough the long traffic hours," he admits slyly.
Chetan believes that audience feedback is essential; it helps him improve his writing each time, but a writer with strong readership to his credit, still faces brick bats and is accused of ripping literature apart. On this, he says, "If the criticism is constructive even if negative, I take it with a bag full of sugar. But some feel Iam writing trash and compare it to Mills and Boons; I cannot change mystyle for them." He adds, "I write different books. If you are not into reading my books…you are not, I am completely fine with it."Talking about his new book, Chetan claims that it very different from the last two books. This time he chose for a smaller town like Ahmedabad and has tried covering the issue of Gujarat riots. "I was in IIM-Ahmedabad, and lived there for two years and know people there.The issue of the Gujarat riots is also very close to my heart; I tried to blend it within my narratives. Also I wanted to cover the issue of Gujrathi's wanting to get their daughters married to rich businessmen,"he says. "These are some problems dominating the town and I tried best to deliver it in my book."When asked about his expectations from his third book. Chetan says, "I just hope that my readers are not disappointed. After the huge success of my two books, I find it challenging to meet those expectations, but I guess…its part of your job," he muses. India's top selling author has more surprises to give. He recently wrote the script for the movie "Hello" which is a remake of his secondbook "One night @ the call center" starring Salman Khan and Katrina. Elated about the snapshots of the movie going to be screened in hisbook launch at Mumbai, he says, "I am satisfied with the movie. It keeps the essence of the book alive and fresh. Though, I was not present for all the shoots, I am sure director Atul Agnihotri has done a fine job."

For Chetan, writing is a hobby. He writes only when he feels like he needs to and does not show any inclination to make writing a full time profession. "I will continue working as an investment banker in Deutshe Bank, Mumbai - that is my job. If i get a good story i will probably try my hand on writing some good film scripts," he says.

Until then, Chetan is basking in his success and at teh way his life is taking shape. He intends to take a break to reduce weight. He says, "I put on so much weight while writing my third book. My family, friends and fans feel I need to do something about it soon."

Well....Chetan I dont think you need to do anything about the weight....this fan just loves your work

After that converstaion with CB..he gave a me copy of his book with his autograph...I hesitantly removed my copy of his first two books and asked his autograph there too...."Oh my fans carry my books everywhere," he laughed. I couldn't help but give a sheepish smile....

Love and Regards,

Jane...