The No Nonsense Blogger

The night seems to have covered up all the follies of mankind. Officer Arun Singh's footsteps echoed through the deserted streets of downtown Delhi. The air was thick with silence, punctuated only by distant honks and the occasional bark of a stray dog. His eyes scanned the shadows, each step a reminder of the city's hidden dangers. Fatigue weighed heavily on him. "Just one quiet night," he murmured, longing for a reprieve from the relentless grind. "No incidents, no action. Is that too much to ask?" As he turned a corner, a dark shape on the pavement caught his attention. "Please, not tonight," he muttered, his heart sinking. Drawing closer, the lifeless body of a man came into view, face pale under the flickering streetlight. Arun's pulse quickened, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "Why now? Why me?" he whispered, kneeling beside the body. The man had been stabbed, a dark pool spreading beneath him. Panic surged, but duty...

Ravi looked very worried and anxious. As I watched him pace up and down the neighbourhood park, I couldn't help but ask "What's wrong Ravi? Why do you look so worried?" He looked up at me and replied "Nandu, you know na that the Neighbourhood Under 14 Football tournament is starting next week?" I shook my head to confirm I knew  it. Ravi continued, "We have a major issue. Govind and Irfan will not be playing for us this year." I froze for a couple of minutes on hearing this. The annual Under 14 Neighbourhood Football tournament was the most important event in the society calendar. Each year it was organised in the month of December during the school winter break. Around 16 teams from different societies in our neighbourhood participated in it. Slowly, it had gained in popularity and winning the tournament had become a matter of prestige for the participating societies. Our Society team had also been trying to win the tournament for last couple o...

Am flustered, am worried, 'coz am losing my hair And my wife is behaving as if she just doesn't care! Am yet to touch fifty, ain't yet not in my golden year But my hair is fast disappearing which I just can't bear! Wifey looks at me and smiles, says why am I in despair  So what if I am losing some strands of silky hair! She loves me for who I am and not for how I appear  And that's why she's behaving like she just doesn't care! I look at her and smile, I know that she would always be there It won't actually matter whether I do or don't have hair! Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow! ______________________________ P.S.: These lines were penned with inspiration from an actual conversation at home. Made this out as a fun element, but something which gives a very important message at the end. People who love you will always be there for you, irrespective of your physical attributes, social standing ...

Suman was very excited since morning. It was her tenth birthday and there was a grand party arranged by her parents that evening. They had moved to Delhi from Mumbai recently and she was looking forward to celebrating her birthday that evening with her new friends from school and her housing society. "Mummy, we are getting late. We have to go to the market to buy my birthday dress. What is taking you so long?" Suman called out to her mother anxiously. Sakshi was at the kitchen preparing lunch and replied back to her daughter, "Suman, don't worry. We have enough time with us. All arrangements for the evening party are complete and the only thing pending is your dress. I am just waiting for your Papa to send over the car after he reaches office. We can then leave for the market to get your dress. So, don't be impatient and just inform me when Ramdin uncle comes back." Ramdin was their driver. He had been working for them for last eight months since ...

Ingredients Pre-Marinade 1 whole chicken - Dressed Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp Lemon Juice - 1&1/2 tbsp Salt to taste Marinade Hung Curd - 1/2 Cup Ginger-garlic paste  1& 1/2 tbsp Red Chilly paste -1/2 tbsp Kasuri Methi Powder - 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder - 1&1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder - 2 tbsp Lemon Juice - 1/2 tbsp Mustard Oil - 1&1/2 tbsp Salt to taste Preparation Method Take the dressed whole chicken and with a meat knife make incisions on the chicken to allow the marinade to seep in. Over the chicken sprinkle two teaspoon red chilly powder, one and a half table spoon lemon juice and salt to taste. Rub the chicken well with the above ingredients covering the whole chicken and set aside. In a large bowl add half a cup hung curd, one and a half table spoon ginger garlic paste, half table spoon red chilly paste, one tea spoon kasuri methi powder, one and a half tea spoon garam masala powder, two tablespoons red chilly po...

यादें बीते हुए यादों से कोई दस्तक देता है  कुछ पुराने पन्ने फिर कोई खोल देता है  वो पल जिन्हें हम छोड़ आए थे कहीं दूर  आज फिर कोई उन्ही पलों को समेट लेता है    ज़िंदगी का सफ़र ज़िंदगी के इस सफ़र में कुछ फ़साने जोड़ता चला कुछ यादें, कुछ किस्से और कुछ कहानियाँ जोड़ता चला कभी जो थक के बैठेंगें किसी शाम तो खोलेंगें इन किस्से-कहानियों का पिटारा हम यारों के नाम बरसात  नभ बादलों से जब भर आए  मन खुशियों से तब तर जाए जो बरस पड़े बूँदें छम-छम उन्मत्त होके बस नाचे हम आंसू   आज फिर आंसू बेवफ़ाई कर गए तेरी याद आई और ये फिर बह चले आफ़ताब आफ़ताब की  रोशनी में ये इश्क़ हमारा यूँ कैद हुआ  न हम होश मे रहे न उन्हें होश मे आने दिया दर्दे-दिल  दर्दे-दिल की दवा माँगी थी उससे  उसने मुस्करा कर देखा और दर्द बढ़ाकर चले गए आँखों की  ज़ुबान हर बात ज़ुबान से कही नही जाती, कुछ काम आँखों पर भी छोड़ा करते हैं  खामोंशियों की भी अपनी आवाज़ हो...

Ashwin looked at the clock hanging on the wall of his classroom. "Five more minutes to lunch" he thought even as Ranjan Sir who was wrapping up his class called out to him, "Ashwin, can you please do me a small favour? Can you please take these notebooks and keep them in the staff-room? You can then come and have your lunch. It will take you only five minutes." Ashwin readily agreed and collecting the notebooks from the desk proceeded towards the staff-room. Unlike other children, Ashwin didn't wait for the lunch break eagerly. He knew his lunch would be the staple combination of four pieces of plain bread with some sugar sprinkled over them. He didn't like eating the same and simple lunch everyday but he knew that this was the best his parents could manage. They were anyways going out of their way to get him educated in an English medium school. Ashwin was very well aware of their financial constraints. He never made a fuss or complained about this to hi...

7th July 2005 Rohan was very excited. The long summer holidays were ending and school would be reopening the next day. He never liked these summer holidays and always wondered why these needed to be so long. He just couldn't wait for the school to reopen so that he could meet all his friends again. But this year there was one more reason for his excitement. Rohan never liked the fact that they were made to stand height-wise during the school morning assembly with the shortest student taking up the first spot in the line. And as luck would have it, Rohan had to occupy that much hated position! He despised the fact that even his friends would make fun of him for his short height. But Rohan knew that this year it was going to different. He had miraculously gained height during the two month long summer break and he just couldn't wait to see how far back in the line he would be standing now. 8th July 2005 It was the first day of the school after the summer holidays and R...

It was still dawn when I stepped out of the cab and walked towards the entry gate of the Delhi airport. The early morning February air was pleasantly cold. I was travelling to Bengaluru to attend a college friend's wedding. It had been four years since we graduated from the same college. This wedding was also going to be a reunion of our batch-mates. But what I didn't know was that the reunion would begin much ahead of time; right in the queue in front of the airline counter. I  was sure it was her. Same height! Same long hair! Same complexion! Curiosity had my eyes glued to her. And then about 60-odd seconds later, when she turned, she proved me right. My ex-girlfriend stood two places ahead of me in that queue. We had never met after the college farewell. There was that familiar beating of my heart which I had felt the first time I saw her. I couldn’t explain the reason then & I couldn’t explain it now. What was it about her that made my heart skip a beat or two?...

"Mom, can you please stop pestering me with these questions?" Rajesh could hear Mehak say to Nirmala even as he was catching up on his Sunday reading list. It was not uncommon to hear squabbles between mother and daughter and Rajesh more often than not preferred to keep out of it. But today was a bit different. Mehak's tone made him look up and take notice. She seemed a bit agitated and though she did have differences in opinion with Nirmala, it was unlike her to speak rudely. Rajesh walked up to the bedroom to find Mehak gesticulating and trying to put across her point to Nirmala. As soon as she saw him come in, Mehak fell silent and both the ladies turned to look at Rajesh. "Can you please tell me what's happening here Mehak beta? Why are you so agitated and surprisingly rude to your mom?" Rajesh asked Mehak. She looked at him sheepishly but did not say anything. Seeing her silence, Nirmala spoke out, "You know, she has blown away five thousand ...

"I know for sure that you don't love me anymore." she had started her barrage of complaints again, "How could you do this to me?" she demanded an answer even as she munched on a bowl of her favourite chocolate flavoured corn-flakes dipped in low fat milk. I was a bit ruffled. Oft late she had been acting pretty strange and I couldn't understand the reason for her mood swings. There was not a single day that I didn't have to spend convincing her of my love for her. I started to speak out when she cut me off and said in a melancholic tone, "Is it only because I have gained a little weight recently that you have stopped loving me and are running after that slim and stylish Shweta or is it because I am unable to take as much care of you now as I did earlier?" Now, that was the reason! So Shweta was the reason behind her change in behaviour over the last couple of days. I kept down the book I was reading, looked at her smilingly and gave ...

I so want to see you, touch you again Open up the cupboard to take out your favourite saree Bring it close and hug it tight Try to smell you in the cloth that draped you But all I can smell is mothballs! Then I close my eyes and think of you And a smile crosses my face For I know that you are forever there with me In my heart, in my thoughts For that is where you belong...

I am but just a part of You A drop in this sea of humanity Brought forth into this World by You Your blood, Your Flesh, Your Name My Identity , I inherited from You An Identity this World knows me by You ARE my Creator, My Teacher, My Preserver I AM, because YOU WERE... Disclaimer: Blog may contain promotional material

I am still beating rhythmically  The beats though, supported by a machine  But I don't find myself in my usual place Can feel something freezing around me I look closely and find myself enclosed in packs of ice Looks like I am been carried somewhere in a box Am I going to get a new abode?  I wait patiently till I can feel myself getting lifted  And placed in my new abode With doctors frantically rejoining my wiring afresh My wiring fixed, I slowly start beating on my own I am welcomed with smiles all around I feel pleasantly surprised  No one asked me for my name, sex, caste, religion Or do these not matter now?  I wonder, even as I keep beating rhythmically!

I was literally running to keep pace with Dada. Dada was how I addressed my grandfather. This was the most precious part of my day. I had Dada all for myself this time of the day. It was a daily ritual for him to go out for a morning walk at the break of dawn with me clutching his dhoti tight and trying to keep pace with him. “Why are you so slow Nandu?”, he asked out loud. Slow? This was the fastest I could walk. I was sure that if I participated in the Walking race at school and could maintain this speed, no one could even come close to me!  “Dada, I am literally running! Can’t move faster”, I blurted out, completely short of breath.  “Alright, let’s take a ten minute break then”, he said smilingly.  As I sat down on the park bench with him, I could not help but admire him, my idol. He was close to seventy five, but had the energy and vigour that would put young lads to shame. All of ten years, I was completely in awe of his personality. His towering physique, the...

Examination - the word itself drives a chill down the spines of most students. Unarguably, the two most dreaded months in a school student's calendar in India are March and April, which are traditionally the months in which most schools conduct the final examinations across all classes for promotion to the next higher class. Although there are class tests and semester exams throughout the year but the final examinations in March-April are the most important. This is a testing time not only for the students but also for their parents, for whom it is like revisiting their school days all over again! Same was the case with most of my friends' parents and I somehow found it a bit funny to see that the parents were more worried and anxious than their children. "Nandu, have you finished your studies beta?" Ragini aunty asked even as she opened the door for me. I had come to my friend Ashwin's house to call him out for our evening football game in the neighbourhoo...