Editor’s column

‘Make time to read,’ says Rakshit.

As Mortimer J Alder once said, “Reading is a basic

tool in the living of a good life.” And sure it is. To
the extent where basic nutrients are needed for
people’s healthy diet, reading is one such nutrient
needed for people’s mind. Previously when there
were no televisions or computers, reading played
an imperative part in one’s leisure (and so did the
libraries). Reading here doesn’t stick to your
school texts, college assignments or anything
forming part of your educational syllabus (Of
course we never found it interesting); you can
read about anything – newspapers, novels, and
magazines, just anything. It doesn’t matter
whether you’re reading Harry Potter or Da Vinci
Code (two extremely opposite genres – fiction and
non-fiction) it will certainly carry you into a world
of imaginations worth travelling.

Read when you have a day off, or hell, read when you’re working, for the reason that
it not only helps improve you vocabulary, but also sharpens your manner of thinking. So
single out a novel, park yourself where you feel comfortable and transport yourself into a
state of excitement and emotions. Reading is actually one of the best habits that people can
develop, and at the same time, nurture it. But sadly today, people have forgotten what it is
like to read, instead, they are more concerned in updating their facebook “status” at regular
intervals. They seem to be lost into the gutter of internet and television. Have you ever had
a thought what would it be like losing your imagination? A world where people will be
statues and you will be the unfortunate creator of that world. In a nutshell, reading is the
only imagination you have. Come on, you aren’t the busiest person on earth (is anyone?), so
you can easily manage at least half an hour a day and contribute it to reading. And
following this habit will definitely improve your writing and communication skills.

And as Joseph Brodsky said, “There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is
not reading them.” So indulge yourself into an activity worth embracing and try to come
out as a bibliophile – a book lover. Otherwise one day you’ll be complaining to yourself for
your lack of vocabulary and word power, thinking what went wrong, and then you’ll realize
that you missed out something. (Oh crap! now I remember – Reading).

I’d rather be blind than lose my imagination.

Just In Case
‘Chuck it & Smile….,’says Samar

‘A smile’, our whole existence sports to

this point. Have you ever wondered who
teaches us to smile? It’s just that our lips
curve in a particular pattern when we are
happy. It’s not something that needs to be
taught, it’s something that needs to be felt.
The clarity of conscience, the purity of
heart and the innocence of our thoughts is
reflected when we smile unknowingly like
a baby.
We smile when we are happy, we smile
even when we are not…A smile is
contagious….

Imagine this fellows, when we give a sparkling smile to a professor at college, it makes
them happy ; he smiles at the entire class while commencing his lecture and that entire
class in turn smiles at the entire world. It’s like a virus. No sorrow can ever defeat a smile.
The best thing about is that its’ such a fundamental factor of our life. We need not be highly
educated, we need not be super rich, or an upper caste. Smile knows no divide. It’s a
common factor in our life which connects us with the world no matter our qualification, or
economic or ethnic background.

It’s very important to smile & keep smiling…We are very sensitive emotional fools and let
the feeling of sorrow & self-pity creep over us very easily. So what if we are in sorrow??? ;
We shouldn’t let our sorrow spread to the other people. We should smile & keep smiling.
Always remember, ‘A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.’ ~Phyllis Diller. So,
anytime you find yourselves in a soup, just think about the good things in life, chuck the
sorrows and smile…

A smile prepares you to grasp things easily and maintain a mental calm .It’s a sign of an
open, blithe & knowledgeable mind.

However big the burden of sorrow, never let it weigh down the corners of your lips….

Just chuck it & smile…Looking 4ward to seeing your 32…

Just In Case
an incident from my life…

What is it about the new things that appeals to you? They really have a prodigy of having an appeal on the minds of
people. There is nothing like the feel of starting something afresh or new. Same applies to the New Year.

And here I go…

Just about a week before the New Year, I happened to call a very dear friend of mine to ask her about her plans for the
New Years’ Eve. Now, this friend of mine happens to be pursuing CA and is a student of CA final. When I asked her about
her plan, she replied in a ‘matter of fact’ tone, “Obviously I got class till 10 pm. I can’t go out after that.”

I wasn’t too taken aback by this answer because today this is the mentality of the masses. No one cares about
celebrating anything. I completely understand that it is barely important. I have even seen criticism towards the over
enthusiasm portrayed by the people for the New Year celebrations. But, it’s the only time you get to meet certain people
that you seem to have lost touch with in your busy life. Imagine the joy when you meet, that distant cousin or that old
school friend at a get together!!!You need such occasions to keep in touch with these certain people. It’s like those
promises you make to your friends on the last day of college, promises to meet every month but ultimately tuning up
once a year...

Getting back to the phone conversation; her answer had left me a bit disappointed. I expressed my resentment and
asked her as to when she was planning on celebrating the New Year?
“Come on man, there’s always a next time…Next year maybe…,”came the answer.
Now that answer left me even more disappointed; and winding up the conversation, I hung up…

The 10 yrs New Year theory…

Now, this theory can really be set aside by people as a kiddish confrontation but though kiddish, somewhere it does
hold true…
The average life span of a human being is about 60 years (whoa…that’s a huge span of time) so, does it mean we have a
total of sixty 31sts to celebrate? Oh my, now that’s terrific. But the consideration doesn’t end here…

Breaking up these 60 years analytically, I believe that nobody celebrates 31st (the way it should be…) till 15 years of age,
because they are too small to do so in the manner they would actually like to…
The average age of marriage in India is 25.Now, a guy’s / girl’s life after marriage is such that, they are barely able to
celebrate anything (let alone 31st) in a real wild & crazy manner. All married people are somewhat control freaks (or so
I believe).So that leaves us with a time window of 10 years to actually celebrate, lose control & enjoy...

So now people, between the age of 15 & 25, it’s for you people to decide whether to celebrate this season of joy or waste
it by attending some boring lecture or sitting late hours in office, with false hope that there will be a time when you will
celebrate.

5 Just In Case
What’s in…the index – we call it the 9w’s

What matters 6
What’s the fiesta 12
Two Worlds Apart….Difference in the life of a
Christmas celebration…The
common man & a soldier
This column is reserved for causes; concerning Mumbai ishstyle…
things which are really important but are not This column speaks of
festivals & events happening
given the attention which they deserve by the
in town.
common man.

What’s happiness 15

The Joy of Giving… What’s calling 20

This column speaks of a
philosophical way to
life…Live life better.
The Hidden Village…
This column is dedicated to travelling…We
will be exploring some soothing & remote
places near the city which can serve as a
very good weekend escape…

What’s around 26

This column has been allotted to give a brief

bulletin of the current affairs along with our
views & our takes on these issues.
 What say 30
This column has been
reserved for interactive
debates wherein our readers
will be participating & giving
their views on the issues that
we select for the debate.
What’s rhymes 34
A Flight of Fancy…
This space is reserved for poetry. There will be
a fresh poem in every issue.
There will be poems of different types &
different genres bringing forth some heavy
message.

What’s the fable 36
Love; well actually…This space is dedicated to
storytelling. We will be having different
stories of common people dealing with
different types of complexities in life…
What’s new 39
This column is reserved for
reviews of new movies & games.
We will be reviewing new
releases (not all…only the ones
which are worth reviewing).
We have this unique style of
reviewing movies wherein we
believe that it’s not appropriate
to reveal the story line of the
movie in a review. We will only
be reviewing the work of art as a
whole…
What matters…speak up, people
He (a soldier) serves the nation;
forgoes his life to defend us, to
secure us, and not just for the pay
check. But when a small editorial
speaking about his death is printed
in a newspaper, we are more
apprehensive about the page 3 stuff.
Who the hell cares for the one who
sacrificed his life for us!!!
Recollect your infancy days when you would argue with
your dad to buy you a toy gun, so that you could establish
your desire of being a soldier and bring it into action by
playing with your best friend (keeping him the enemy),
running all over the house (imagining it to be a battlefield),
jumping on the bed, pointing the gun towards him, creating
your own sound effects “dhish dhsih” or a fight sequence
“dhishum dhishum,” and when your best friend deliberately
gives up, you claim supremacy over the battlefield, and
there ends the game of “soldier soldier.” Let us move
further. What was the emotion when you just came out of
the theatre watching Border? Happy, because your own
side won the battle, but also sad, because Sunil Shetty laid
down his life. But the question here is; many soldiers died,
but why the tears came streaming down your face only
when Sunil Shetty breathed his last. The answer is simple.
Your attachment was more with an actor rather than a
soldier.
Bravery, patriotism, courage, dignity, spirit – these are
words that characterize a soldier. The Indians call him a
Jawan. In a world where you and I are familiar with many
things (of less importance), a jawan only knows one – to
lay down his life for the nation whenever needed. Famous
for his valour and discipline, a jawan undergoes
painstaking military training and lives a life of hardship. If
we were ever asked as to how much are we indebted to
our jawans, I don’t think we could ever come up with a
word, figure, or a phrase which could provide an answer
to that question. But at the same time there are some real
unworthy words like lack of appreciation, lack of security,
which unfortunately describe this profession. Considering
the type of noisy and nosy neighbours we have, our
6 Just In Case
country is always in need of a strong military base. But
today, not many people have it in them; that undaunted,
passionate, spirit to die for the nation. Well, now there
are factors contributing to this mindset amongst today’s
youth; Family security is one of the basic needs along
with food, clothing and shelter. None of the text books
teach you this but it’s a fact. No person can concentrate
on his work with a blade of uncertainty hanging on his
family’s neck. Low remuneration - gone are the days
when people used to join the armed forces just to taste
the spirits of bravery. Financial security is a very
important aspect of life. If adequate remuneration is
provided to the soldiers, more youth will be encouraged
to join the armed forces. The last but most important
aspect is social security. Now, social security system in
India is pathetic, and no exaggeration there, it is pathetic.
As per facts, India spent 2.2% of its GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) i.e. a whooping US$ 36,600,000,000 (as per
2008-09 figures) on defense and ranks 10th in the list of
nations which spend a lot of booty on defense. But the
problem is, barely any of this actually reaches and
provides social relief to the grass root levels. One such
example relating to social security from the near past is
the controversy linking to Russian made MIG-29 fighter
jets fiasco. Poor and cheap quality spares were purchased
and fitted into these outdated jets which led to accidents
& deaths, in-spite of India signing a deal with Russia in
2005-06 to upgrade all of its MIG-29s for US$ 888 million.
This controversy also inspired a film Rang De Basanti
which went on to become a blockbuster.
Then during the 26/11/08 attack on the city, the police force (slight off track but even
they serve a similar purpose) were given poor quality bullet proof gear. Such jackets
which were meant for protection from the rapid fire from AK-47s but through which
even a regular revolver/ pistol bullet could pass. It’s such a disgrace on the parts of the
heads of defense. Later, when the matter was further investigated it was found that the
amount sanctioned by the government was in order to procure the best quality bullet
proof gear available but instead what was procured was the worst quality ‘anti-bullet
proof gear.’ How much would that have meant to those particular corrupt officials who
manipulated the books and procured the cheap quality gear instead of the good ones?
May be, just a Mercedes S-class less to the already existing collection; but that meant
the life to many people for whom it ultimately brought death.

And the very recent, Adarsh Society (pic to your left) scam. The society in South Mumbai’s
Colaba, was originally meant to be a six storey building for accommodation of Kargil war
heroes and widows, but was converted into a high-class 31 storey tower by allocating flats
to senior Army & Navy officials, bureaucrats, and also politicians including the then CM of
Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan. So just think the level to which our politicians can stoop and
get corrupted. Coming back to the point of lack of social security; who would like to
sacrifice their lives for the nation only to get their families treated in such a manner? Top
order politicians of the nation stooping so low with the greed of personal gains has left an
ugly scar on the face of the world’s biggest democracy, and especially the Indian armed
forces. Coming back to the 26/11 episode; during the course of attack, it was the
responsibility of the then CM of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh to visit the place of attack. Of course, it definitely
wouldn’t have been a threat to him given his bullet proof vehicle and Z+ security. But our then CM chose to stay put on his
television set and finally visited the Taj hotel after the attacks had been neutralized. If that’s not enough, he got his son
Ritesh Deshmukh and bollywood director Ram Gopal Verma to the Taj hotel! Damn, what was Verma doing there?
Planning another ‘to-be’ flop film with Ritesh? Come on fellows, it was a war that took place inside a 5-star hotel and CST.
The film could definitely have awaited Mr. Verma!

How does he become one?

In the training centre, he gets basic military training like
drill, physical training and weapon training. He is trained in
range practices, bayonet-fighting and handling of
explosives like grenades and mortars. Here we find the
recruit in his gray uniform, heavy black boots, a jungle hat
and a rifle slung over his shoulder. Every day he takes four
hours, training. From (6-30 A.M. to 11 A.M.) in rifle-
shooting, firing and throwing grenades, rope climbing,
negotiating a rope bridge (negotiating a rope bridge is to
walk upon a rope the ends of which are tied to the
branches of two trees), crawling & bayonet charge. There
are occasional route-marches to a maximum of 25 miles,
Besides he learns map-reading, current affairs, civics,
bayonet training, rifle, light machine-gun, grenade, field
craft and jungle training, battle assault courses, physical
training, route marches, games and drill. His training winds
up with his taking part in a mock battle. Then he is to
attend special parade. It is known as Kasam Parade. The
recruit takes an oath on his religious book, to serve the
nation and to lay down his life, if need be in upholding the
nation's honour. After completing these six months of
training, he becomes a soldier. (Source: Rajputbrotherhood.com)

The maximum of them: Sikhs

Contribution of Sikhs towards the Indian Defense Services is the highest with respect to their 2% population size.
This community has also won the maximum number of gallantry awards since independence - 5 Param Vir Chakras
(PVCs), 40 Maha Vir Chakras (MVCs), and 209 Vir Chakras (VrCs). Today Sikhs are still 2% of the population of
Indian but 20% of Indian Military consists of Sikhs. As a part of Indian Military, Sikhs have constantly been fighting
Muslim terrorists on the border of Pakistan and India since last India-Pakistan war.

Just In Case
Honour their valour
Imagine yourself trapped in a state where you don’t have
time to eat, nor do you have time to sleep. You have to
remain motionless and focused constantly for hours and
hours alone. You know the enemy is in close proximity,
eying you, waiting for its catch. Suddenly you sense the
gate of death at your next step and a point of no return.
Fear just caught you for a moment, didn’t it? Well, our
jawans deal with the same fear every day, probably every
minute when on duty. Fear of getting hit by a bullet or a
grenade. Fear of getting posted to a place where the only
thing you can see are mountains covered by snow. Fear
of losing your patience, your conscience; Fear of losing
your mind, fear of losing yourself... And yet our jawans
never complain, never groan, but instead, fight for the
nation with courage and determination. Because they
know they have taken an oath to protect; to protect you
and the nation. It’s hard to digest the fact that all we do is
for our family, and all a soldier does is for his nation.

Surviving the impossible

You think you can remain active at 15000 feet above
sea-level. No average human being can, because the
conditions up there aren’t normal. There’s less oxygen,
breathlessness occurs regularly, your windpipe burns
like hell, you breathe as if you’re consuming bricks, your
blood vessels dry out, and with all that, you have to carry
a backpack filled with tools, arms, and food that would
probably get over before the mission does. Not only this,
a jawan is forced to patrol for almost 10-12 hours in
such harsh and foggy conditions. Even the extremely fit
jawans fall prey patrolling on such high altitudes. Some
posts are so far above the ground, for instance 16000 to
17000 feet (Siachen Glacier is one such example) that
signals cannot be reached. There’s no tool to
communicate and the only mode of communication is
the faith that the troop is alive and safe. Sometimes, a
jawan is forced to finish the mission all by himself, the
rest of the jawans in his troop not been able to make it;
not being able to survive the weather, the loneliness, the
frustration… At that point of time, the minus 20 degree
Celsius, highly isolated post or glacier is itself his enemy
and the weather is his only hope. He has to survive it; he
has to make it through; come extreme monsoon, heavy
snowfall, or landslide. He knows his wife is thinking
about the last night they spent together. He knows his 6
year old son is awaiting his dad’s return so that he can
get a new toy. And yet he doesn’t allow the emotions
take control over him.

About Siachen Glacier:

The Siachen Glacier (pic to your right) is one of

the five largest glaciers in the Karakoram,
situated at an average altitude of 5400 meters
(17,700 feet) above sea level. Most of the
Siachen Glacier lies in LOC (Line of Control), a
hotly contested territory between India and
Pakistan. The glacier is located in the disputed
Kashmir region and is claimed by India and
Pakistan.
The glacier is also the highest battleground on
Earth, where India and Pakistan have fought
intermittently since 1984. Both countries
maintain permanent personnel on the glacier at
a height of over 7000 meters. Every year more
soldiers are killed because of severe weather
than enemy firing. The two sides have lost close
to 4000 personnel primarily due to frostbites,
avalanches and other complications

Indian soldiers guarding Siachen Glacier

Just In Case
What’s with the attitude, people?
It’s true what Aamir Khan says in the beginning of the
movie Rang De Basanti, “Aaj ka khoon na khaula vo
khoon nahi pani hai, jo desh ke kaam na aaye vo bekar
jawani hai.” Now I’m not asking you to join the army, not
even urging you to donate something (How I wish I
could). But it’s a matter of attitude, a matter of apathy
when it comes to us. Our young blood pours out while
watching patriotic movies, but does the same ‘proud-to-
be-an-Indian’ sensation hold on to us or does the
patriotism disappears right after we have crossed the
exit doors. Because soon we realize that war isn’t fought
in cinema halls, and is different in real battlefield. We
have just seen the edited footage. And then when it’s all
over, we are back to Mochas and Sheeshas sucking a
double-apple while our patriotism is vanished amidst
the smoke which is swirling mistily around the café.
Wait, the show must go on. Back at home, the scene is
different but the situation is yet the same. We are glued
to our TV sets watching the same old never ending saas-
bahu sagas, reality shows (which are less real and more
scripted) and cricket matches that belong more to BCCI
then to us. Who wants to see a documentary based on
the life of our jawans when you have Katrina doing a hot
number on the click of a button? Who knows that a 27
year old jawan has died while patrolling the border
when you were busy watching Sachin not out on 99?
Our politicians anyway treat them as toys, or katputli to
be precise, but is this the attitude we possess to the true
heroes of our country?
When India won T20 world cup every player was
offered a crore, but who the hell knows what was
offered to our jawans when they won the Kargil war!
Now obviously there’s a huge difference between a
sportsmen who plays for the country and a jawan who
protects the country. And even if our jawans were
offered something (accommodation in Adarsh society),
we found out our politicians & bureaucrats residing in it.
I mean what were they doing there? Cleaning the mess
for the widows and veterans to step in!
Consider this: The average salary of a lieutenant in
Indian army comes to around 8000 a month, whereas
the allowance of a MP (Member of Parliament) in India
is 40000 bucks a month (raised from 20000). I have just
mentioned the allowance, while the salary stands at
50000 a month. Not to forget the free housing, air and
rail travel. What a waste of tax payer’s money! Now our
responsibility as responsible citizens is to ensure that
the pride and valour with which our heroes fight is
restored to them. Our soldiers protect the borders of our
motherland with undaunted courage, true passion and
just one dream, a war free India. Most of our politicians
have corrupted their very purpose and brought shame
to the armed forces and this nation as a whole. We need
to restore back that pride and honour.

Need help from NGOs

It’s an appeal to all the big Indian companies and the top industrialist to start some kind of fund which will help to
solve the social security problems faced by our soldiers. These companies need not themselves donate huge amounts
but at least they will be able to handle the donations made by everyone with transparency unlike our government. The
Army Wives Welfare Association is one such NGO concentrating on providing financial and social support to the
families of the army men. It also provides support to the retired jawans. It is currently the biggest NGO serving this
purpose.

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY

India is the world’s second largest army in terms of military personnel, and the largest in terms of
active manpower
Indian Navy is the world’s third largest and Indian Air Force is the world’s fourth largest.
India is the world’s largest arms importer. (Source: Wikipedia)

KNOW YOUR FLAGS

Indian Army Indian Navy Indian Air Force

Just In Case
Two worlds apart…life of a soldier from my eyes
I was born to an army family by crying all day end,
had realize my future were the boundaries that I would defend.
I couldn’t dream of lying in my mother’s lap or holding my father’s hand,
because deep in my heart rested the dream of protecting my motherland.
At 20, when my friends questioned me about my everyday sorrow,
I said, “I am sacrificing my today so you can see your tomorrow.”
At 24, when most of us are happy having someone to share the rest of our life,
I left for an uneventful journey waving goodbye to my beautiful wife.
And it kills me from inside that I won’t be able to share her part,
because I know I have to deal with two worlds apart…

I was posted to a place miles away from this land,

with an absurd promise to protect every bit of my motherland.
As massive cotton clouds travel on the azure aura,
no wonder is the same place they call Himalaya.
With only silent mountains of rocks to make ourselves hide,
are the same rocks that collapses causing landslide?
Picturesque trails and pastures interrelates the nearby village,
suddenly I felt like a free child little less than my age.
For some moments of bliss I was ecstatic to be a part,
but at the end of the day I am still dealing with two worlds apart…

Nine months down the line I got good news over the phone,
the good news that I could not see the face of my newborn.
Eighteen months down the line as my father breathed his last,
I was out there shivering in cold while patrolling our boundary so vast.
While the rest of the soldiers rolled over and drifted off to sleep,
I couldn’t control my hidden emotions and continued to weep.
The hurting smoke, the burning sun – I’ve faced hardships of all kinds,
and the same eerie feeling of why I’m here comes every day through my mind.
The wisdom still questions me as to my involvement in this part,
I would just say, “I’m dealing with two worlds apart.”

Once under the starlit sky, we saw our enemy approaching,

my friends and I took over the spot and started firing,
As one of my friends silently marched ahead, I strange sight I did see,
somehow I gathered the courage to bring him back and not to flee.
He said, “I knew you would come, because you’re one friend so true,”
I said, “You’re not alone my friend, it would be an honour to die next to you.”
Like a mother holds her child tightly to her breast,
I laid my arms around him and pulled him firmly to my chest.
Wasn’t it my dusty also to perform his part?
I guess I just paid the price of dealing two worlds apart…

Just In Case
When actors and sportsmen die, whole world cries and remembers the day,
but when a soldier dies, just a small headline says, ‘a soldier died yesterday.’
When actors and sportsmen die, they would get blessings of all,
but when a soldier dies, his family is paid off with a package so small.
Will his soul be able to rest in peace after serving all these years?
for what did he offered his life? - is the question that still ring in my ears.
So is that the world in which you’re living and the other in which I’m suffering,
I’m glad that I am a soldier and not a human being.
Now my involvement no longer feels wretch to be a part,
so what I’m dealing with two worlds apart…

Just In Case
What’s the fiesta…the Mumbai (my) way of celebrating!
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year
with kids jingle belling
and everyone telling you “be of good cheer”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…”
-Andy Williams

Christmas means a lot to people of different age groups.

For children it means a time to receive presents and gifts
from Santa Claus. For the youth, it means a brief vacation
time and leisure time to unwind after a hectic work or
study schedule. For middle aged and oldies, it’s mostly
about the feel good factor. You can actually feel the
positive vibes in the air that you just cannot be sad during
this particular part of the year.
Christmas is celebrated on 25th of December each year to
celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a Christian deity. The
celebrations begin from the evening of 24th, i.e. the
Christmas Eve.

As I had decided to cover this season of unusual positivity in this issue, I

started planning for this Christmas almost about a week in advance. 24th
morning I decided to visit a couple of famous churches in Mumbai.
Planning the journey ahead roughly, I was in a state of fix, ‘Where to start
from?’
Finally, I decided to start off with the Don Bosco church (picture to your
right) located at Matunga, Kings Circle. Now, this church is within the
school premises of the Don Bosco School and is a pretty old one. The
church wasn’t too crowded, it being a morning before Christmas. The
church here has been very well kept and the decorations boast of a
celestial aristocracy. Decorated with loads of lighting, there are two
Christmas trees parked on each side of the entrance.

Next I decided to visit the queen of suburbs, Bandra, well known for its
churches. My next destination was the Mount Mary church (picture to
your right). The church is located on a small hillock near the Bandra
bandstand. As I reached there, there were numerous hawkers selling a
variety of stuff like candles, essence sticks, lucky charms, accessories
bearing the holy cross, etc. Purchasing a couple of essence sticks, I walked
into the magnificent church. It’s a huge church and is dressed up very
royally for Christmas. The interior walls of the Church sport the
summarized story of Lord Christ’s journey of life commencing with his
birth in the stable to his death and resurrection. The story has been
displayed on the walls in the form of paintings. As we step out of the
church, across the street we see Basilica of our Lady of the Mount. This is
not exactly a church but has a statue of Mount Mary on the top. You have
to climb a fleet of some 30 odd steps to reach the statue. The Mount Mary
church is a heritage structure and has recently been listed as one of the
wonders of Mumbai city. Moving on from the mesmerizing Mount Mary
church, I realized that there were barely couple of hours remaining to go
to a friend’s place for the Christmas Eve celebrations.

12 Just In Case
I decided to hurriedly rush for the next big destination, the Afghan
Church, Colaba (pic to your right). Sadly though, by the time I reached
there it was 7 pm and crowds of people had started pouring in to seek the
blessings of their beloved deity and attend the Christmas mass scheduled
at 8 pm. It was barely possible for me to get a good view of the church
from inside or to speak with some of the old church staff to get details
about this grade 1 heritage structure.
So, disappointed because of the rush but still bearing in mind the party to
attend in the evening and the sweets waiting to be devoured, I made my
way to my friend’s place.
Now this friend of mine lives in Bandra. The house was perfectly
decorated for Christmas with all the decorations and the petit but
beautiful Christmas tree kept in one corner of the hall. As I enjoyed the
party I made a note of the delicacies that I devoured that day, those
special Christmas delicacies.

There was this traditional Gujia. It’s a sweet basically made out of sweet
coconut with an essence of desiccated coconut. It is even prepared
during some Hindu festivals like Diwali.
Moving on from the delicacies Gujia we come to the Christmas
specialty, the Kalka. It’s crispy with a buttery taste and a vanilla
essence. It tastes really nice with delicious wine to go with it. Now
coming up next was an item which I have been relishing since
childhood but never knew the exact name of the preparation,
Marzipan Shapes.
Finally after having had my dose of these appetizers, I decided to attack
the main course (food turns me on). The main course had this delicious
preparation of roasted turkey. The very way in which it is decorated
and placed on the platter in front of you, is impressive. Sadly, I was too
famished to click any photographs of the decorated main course as I
directly pounced on it as soon as it came.

After the dinner, we had a dessert of rose candies and
plum cake mixed up with caramel bread pudding. By
the time I was done with the dessert, I was ready to
bust at my seams having hogged too much in excess.
But these Christmas delicacies are such that you just
cannot resist yourself with a few. There is such a
variety that the sheer curiosity of finding out what
the item actually is will get the better of you.
As we winded up with the supper it was 11 pm and
still an hour to go for Christmas. By this time, most of
the families started leaving but I stayed put with my
friend and a couple of us other youngsters. Settling
down a bit, we started off with a game of Christmas
Bingo…
It’s played somewhat like hot potato: Wrap a present in
several layers of wrapping paper. Everyone stands in a
big circle. The gift changes hands with the music playing
in the background. The person holding the gift, when the
music stops, unwrap the first layer. This continues till the
present is fully unwrapped. The person who unwrap the
final layer of paper gets to keep it.
At about to 12pm, after raising a toast and wishing each
other Merry Christmas, we winded up with the party. The
next day, needless to say, I woke up pretty late and with
this awesome experience of celebrating Christmas with
an actual Christian family for the first time in my life, I
started jotting down this article…

Just In Case
I have compiled a following list of a few items representing the Christmas Trivia to get a
nice, warm & Christmassy feel…

Top Christmas Sweets

• Kalkal
• Nan Khatai
• Gujia
• Marzipan Shapes
• Guava Cheese
• Bebinca(type of pudding)
• Coconut fudge
• Chocolate Walnut Fudge

Top Christmas Movies

• A Christmas Story
• Jingle All The Way
• Home Alone(Part1 & 2)
• Bad Santa
• The Muppet Christmas Carol
• It’s A Wonderful Afterlife
• A Christmas Carol(Animated)
• The Polar Express(Animated)
Top Christmas Songs
• It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The
Year
• Last Christmas
• Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
• Magica Bula
• Please Come Home For Christmas
• Grandma Got Run Over By A
Reindeer(I remember singing this in
school)
• Blue Christmas
• All I Want For Christmas Is You
The Legend of the Santa Claus
Santa Claus is generally depicted by a plump,
jolly man with a white beard, a huge tummy
and red clothes. He is looked upon as a
fatherly figure by tiny tots who believe that
Santa Claus will gift them with nice presents
if they behaved themselves during the entire
year. The origin of this legend of Santa Claus
can be traced back to very ancient roots but is
still not clear. According to some sources, the
inspiration for this fictional figure that uses a
sledge pulled by reindeers is drawn from an
ancient Bishop named Saint Nicholas.
Whatever be the legend, do not forget to
check for any gifts under your Christmas tree
or stockings next Christmas…Who knows ,
maybe just in case…

Just In Case
What’s happiness…a new meaning to life
Giving gets happier
Have we become so busy with our life, so
obsessed with our “own” world that by
some means we have elevate the
necessity of wants and on the other side
reduced the value of giving?
As Rabindranath Tagore said, “Life is given to us; we earn it
by giving it.” Giving is not something you name it as a duty
or task. Well…you can say it’s gallant, because though
simple it may sound, it involves courage to do so. The most
operative word in the last statement is courage, because
giving here, is associated with minute acts of human nature
which we really do not care about, but the ones who
accomplish such an act without expecting any benefit in
return comes out as a courageous human being. He then has
not only given, but has also opened the gate of receiving. In
straightforward terms, giving is something that occurs
instantly in your heart without a hesitation and
immediately strikes a chord with the other person.
Give, give, and give. It is an investment banker with
universe that returns to you with amazing interest. Giving
need not be associated with money alone. It can be
sympathy, support, comfort, care, time, and such acts of
human nature which comes free of cost (now that’s a good
sign). And as Mother Teresa said, “Let us not be satisfied
with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be
got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your
love everywhere you go.” So you can offer your care, your
little appreciation, or your thanks – all are parts of giving.
And the joy it brings for such act of kindness is priceless.
You never know your small act of giving could perhaps
change a person’s day or his trajectory. For a moment, just
think and look around you, and you’ll come across people
that are in some or the other way responsible for the events
that eventually made your day easier or happier or both.
They can be your office assistants, your neighbors, or even
your dabba-walla (after all, getting your lunch on time is a
15
good sight). So just think your small token of appreciation
in way of thanks or a generous smile will result in
construction of happiness in their hearts. And when that
happiness flourishes in your heart too, you realize the joy of
giving – And what a gift that is. But we as “human” by
nature have become so engaged and accustomed to
materialism that we tend to forget there’s a eight year old
beggar lying just outside your building’s compound,
deprived of clothes, hoping an angel would come by and
drop a coin of rupee in the small piece of metal which we
refer to it as katora, but for him is his daily source of bread.
We tend to forget there’s a street dog suffering from a
disease which we don’t really care about (after all it’s an
animal, not a human species) hoping for someone to toss
him some biscuits so that he can have his meal for the day
after days of fasting. We tend to forget that there are
children (of lesser God) around us who cannot even afford
to expect and appreciate the small meaningful things of life
which are unfortunately no longer visible to us (in what
world have we lost?). You are surrounded with abundant
opportunities to give, but you only see them when you
decide to start seeing them.
But wait, back up…back up. Forget? Is that the correct word?
Do we really tend to forget? (Or disregard, I must say). Or is
it that the word “care” is not printed in our life’s dictionary?
Or is it our heart desires to feel the joy of giving but our
mind empowers our heart by presenting a picture of no
benefit in return? Or is that we really wish to give, but only
after we are free from all debts and problems? I mean if
these are the queries circulating in our mind, then what on
earth for God’s sake are we called humans!
Just In Case
Give, but don’t expect benefit in return
‘Everyone always wants something in return or else why
the need of doing it in first place,’ – a statement I find hard
to accept, let alone digest. Get out of the habit of thinking
that you should receive something. That is not giving. That
is an exchange. Today we live in the human race where the
word “exchange” has its roots burrowed into almost every
action that we perform. The basic tendency is such that if
we do something right for others, an immediate action
(something good for ourselves) should follow. If we donate
a rupee to beggar, we expect a million dollar contract
coming through our company. If we assist our office
employees, we expect a promotion. If we are the first ones
to wish our friend, his /her birthday, we expect a lavish
party from him/her. If we give a “thank you”, we expect
“you’re welcome.” Even if we forward a message to close
friends, we expect an instant reply. All these exchanges
clearly indicate our greed and determine our attitude.
Then there’s no stopping. We start expecting immediate
benefit no matter however small our act may be. I’ve seen
people telling ‘I’ve given this…I’ve given that…but got
nothing back.’ When people make such statements, did
they really think of giving it in first place? The answer is
No. Their intention of wanting something back is purely
visible. If you have given with good heart, the absence of
appreciation should never really affect or bother you,
because he who gives without expecting any sort of
immediate benefit in return will possess a heart carved by
God and not by Science. Whenever you give and do not
expect something in return, you know that you have
played a valuable part in other’s life and this act of yours
will be credited as punya (result of good deeds) in your life
deposit account. And such is the law of life. “To give and
not expect return, that is what lies at the heart of love,”
said Oscar Wilde.

The violation of the law of giving
comes when you start expecting
to receive something back from
the same being you give to,
saying "Well, I did this for you so
you should do that for me." In
fact demanding a particular
reward back is a violation. It
makes you "trading" minded
rather than "cheerful and free
giving" minded. Never ask for or
expect payback" from those you
give to. The reward you receive
will come from a source and a
time and in a form that the
Universe finds best suited for
you.
Consider this: Did your mother ever ask you her share of benefit in
return when she kept you in her womb for continuous nine months?
Did your father ever ask you his share of benefit in return when he
made you capable of being a man from a boy? Did your best friend
ever ask you his/her share of benefit in return when he/she stood by
your side in times of your difficulties whenever needed? NO. And you
know why? The pain your mother took by keeping you safe in her
womb, the more she was happy when you were born and became an
integral part of her life. The pain your father took by raising you on his
shoulders, the more he was happy of seeing you finally becoming
capable of fitting into his shoes. The pain your best friend took by
standing beside you, the more he/she was happy of seeing you
deserted from all troubles. Aaahhhhh! Realization hits you. Sure it
does. So here are people giving you their amount of care, love, support,
courage, time, and possibly everything that is in their hands. And what
do you discover? That by doing so happiness is generated for both -
the recipient and the giver. The more they gave, the happier they got.
It wasn’t their duty or task or something but a sense of happiness they
received by this very act of giving without expecting whatsoever any
benefit in return.
A forwarded message: Millions of trees in the world are
accidently planted by squirrels that bury nuts and forget where
they have hidden them.
Moral: Do well and forget…it will surely grow.

So remember, never ever expect anything in return while

giving. Don’t think about it, instead, just do it.

Just In Case
Give. It’s not the only thing; it’s everything
Here is a likely scenario. Imagine a person who does not
have much in material possessions to give and share with
others. But this person is very charming and kind. The
person gives a thousand compliments to people he or she
comes across without even getting one compliment back.
This person uplifts their mood and confidence by finding
ways to encourage and compliment them. But this person
never gets a compliment back from anybody. Well, not to
worry. The Universe keeps its accounts perfectly. This
person’s giving builds credit in the universal system. One
day, by the law of cause and effect, of giving and receiving,
this person somehow gets the bicycle he or she has always
wanted -just when the person needed it - in a way that
looks like a miracle. It could be by winning some
competition, or having it given to them by a stranger, or
one of a countless other possibilities, what people call luck.
That is how giving works. Sometime the Universe takes
little things that you have, can give, and do give, and it puts
them into one big thing that you do not have and require
and it gives that to you at a perfect time.
As Oprah Winfrey puts it, “I don't think you ever stop
giving. I really don't. I think it's an on-going process. And
it's not just about being able to write a check. It's being
able to touch somebody's life.” There’s no greater feeling
in the world then to give, to lend a helping hand to
someone, irrespective of whether they are your loved ones
or strangers. Think about it. Whenever you give, you not
only make the recipient’s day brighter, but you also give a
part of yourself which will linger forever in their heart and
will always be treasured.
As Munna Bhai (Sanjay Dutt) thanks the sweeper by giving
him jadoo ki jhappi (hug) for his little but significant
contribution, there isn’t only exchange of kind words, but
also exchange of happiness. The sweeper received his
token of appreciation; his happiness on his plate, but what
Munna received was ‘joy of giving.’ See, like I said before,
giving does not need to be associated with money alone, as
a true employee always strives for some words of
appreciation from his boss rather than the performance
bonus from company’s reserves. So in your goal settings,
remember to include several goals that are about free &
cheerful giving.

An inspiring short tale

Giving freely and cheerfully
enables you to do business, if
you wish to look at it that way,
with the Universe. This is how it
works: You give someone
something that you have now
with you - freely and cheerfully.
The Universe, by the law, finds
the best way to give back that
energy to you in the form of
something that you do not have
with you. it gives you back in
multiples, when it is most
appropriate, in the most
appropriate form. It is a magical
process. Obviously, the more you
give the more magic you create
for yourself.
A woman who was traveling alone in the mountains found a
precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another
traveler who was hungry. The woman opened her bag to
share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone
and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without
hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his great fortune. He
knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a
lifetime.
But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the
woman. "I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable
the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me
something even more precious. Give me what you have within
you that enabled you to give me the stone."
The woman smiled and said, "The joy of giving!"
So what are you waiting for? Your act today will determine what
you will become tomorrow. Because every little things count. So
start giving from today as giving from a true heart is one of the
joyous things you can do. But if you keep thinking of logic before
or while putting your thoughts into action, you’ll never feel the
magic. And as Stephen Grellet puts it, “I expect to pass through
this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do, or any
kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now.
Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Just In Case
The list is endless…

Open your closet and go through it. You’ll definitely find

things that are lying unused for a long time which you
probably might have forgotten about it. It can be your
clothes, toys, or anything that is in good shape and is
utilizable. So donate them to kids in need, and just see the
look of content (see picture) on their faces, and you’ll
realize the joy of giving.

Feed animals and birds. Though different species, they

still need our dependence.

Offer your appreciation to your mother as she cooks

delicious food for you. After all, she does it for your well
being.

Offer your support to your father like the way he

supported you.

Offer your care to the old & aged people. And it is the
same thing that you’ll anticipate for when you begin to
realize your time is up.

Offer your time to your loved ones as you’re offering the

most precious thing to the most precious relationship.

Offering can also be in way of services, like being a tutor

to a child who has been deprived of education due to
many reasons.

Offer your smile to people as you greet them.

Someone simply needs your hug, or perhaps a surprise

hug will work better. Just try it

Just In Case
What they said…

Albert Einstein:
"It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it."
“The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.”

Eckhart Tolle:
"Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you are withholding from the world."
"Whatever you think people are withholding from you--praise, appreciation, assistance, loving care, and
so on--give it to them."
"You cannot receive what you don't give. Outflow determines inflow."

Maimonides:
"Anticipate charity by preventing poverty; assist the reduced fellow man, either by a considerable gift or a
sum of money or by teaching him a trade or by putting him in the way of business so that he may earn an
honest livelihood and not be forced to the dreadful alternative of holding out his hand for charity. This is
the highest step and summit of charity's golden ladder."

Peyton Conway March:

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness,
freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else."

Wayne Dyer:
“When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of
myself and everything that arrived into my life, then I was prosperous.”

W. Clement Stone:
“There's a great joy in my giving. It's thrilling. It's exhilarating. It's important to be a part of sharing. It is
my love. It is my joy.”

Well, even they said so…ha-ha

Mark Twain:
“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.”

Albert Einstein:
“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it
deserves.”

Just In Case
 What’s calling…add some memories to your life
Many a times, we are quite engulfed with our every day
routine that somehow we want to disentangle ourselves for
at least a couple of days, shut out the busy world, delete all
the contacts, and move far away from the hustle and bustle
of the city to a place where time stops for us, to a place
where we can be friends with flowers and butterflies, and to
a place where the only work we have is to admire what
nature has to offer. Well then, not far away from Mumbai,
nestled near Atgaon is a nature friendly resort named
Hidden Village. Why village? Because it’s an ideal place for
those longing for things and ambience of village like;
somewhat a nostalgia trip like you wouldn’t believe it. My
expedition to this paradise took off with my friends through
the patchy Mumbai-Nasik highway as we were greeted by
couple of diversions because of the ongoing repair work. It’s
20
roughly about a two and a half hour drive from Mumbai.
Hidden Village is located just 6k.m. after Shahapur near
Atgaon before Sakhroli village. And those who cannot
manage a vehicle, you always have Indian Railways at your
service. Catch a Kasara local and get down at Atgaon
station. From there, a rickshaw driver will be present to
pick you. As soon as we stepped in, piles of bamboo like
tress were placed either side giving a shady effect to the
way in, and also there was this huge rock, perhaps a marble
with “Hidden Village” imprinted on it. A small wooden
bridge linked the entrance to the resort. Suddenly the
atmosphere around gave way to the aroma; made me
realize I am already immersed in to this place. There wasn’t
a reception at the doorway unlike the other resorts, but a
grassy and pebbly path with tress surrounding, and I think
it was that time of deciduous.
Just In Case
 Tony (owner) welcomed us. But he wasn’t the only one; we
were also greeted by a full grown turkey and a goose that
was pretty much protective about his mate and kids and
would immediately get defensive as you enter in his
territory. Then a man escorted us to our cottage or the “hill
house” as they say it. The village is currently furnished with
one Patil house, two Tribal houses and two Hill houses and
is operational with 24 hours hot water, DTH TV and
refrigerators. The bathroom is equipped with western toilet.
Our cottage had a well and an open air shower which gave a
traditional touch to our duration of stay in the cottage and
also rather unforeseen for a place like this amidst the said
village. After tossing our bags, we had a quick view of the
vicinity around us as the lush meadows surrounding the
cottage retained the purity of this place.

After capturing our rooms, we hurriedly took our shorts and

towels and made our way to what at first seemed to be a normal
pond but was actually a large fresh water pool. It was not a
normal pool with tiles beneath it, but it was cemented and also
covered with a large rug so that the leaves don’t fall in water.
And talking about the water, it wasn’t chlorinated, but was
actually fresh and filtered. I even encountered a tiny frog that
was comfortable in his own style of swimming while my free
style to him seemed peculiar. I realized that because he soon
disappeared after seeing me swimming. Though you can refer to
it as pool but I found myself swimming in a sea and finding my
way to the coast. And that’s where rusticity takes over modern
amenities; the feeling gets on to you. Shivering myself for the
next 1o minutes after coming out of the pool because of the
freezing water, I quickly ran in to the cottage and donned my
clothes.

It’s difficult to I feel life is a journey worth traveling and along the way you only have one true companion –
the food. The food doesn’t serve only one purpose; it has many aspects to life. And what
digest that in better than you get served with the
the midst of same quality food like you get at your
this lush green home. As mentioned by the owner, the
meals are cooked by native cook. The
environment, thali comprises of two vegetables, roti,
the appearance dal, rice, papad, salad and chaas; again
clean and simple. You have the option
and of veg and non-veg from the set menu.
preservation is And the eating area (as shown in pic) is
constructed suitably well keeping in view
truly pristine. the rustic and friendly atmosphere.
So it’s better to carry your tummy to the
food, rather than ordering at your rooms. And anyway, you are
here to make friends with different facets of nature, so why remain
indoors! After lunch, while my friends drifted-off, I wanted more of
this place and hence I started to explore it as exploring the unexplored always intoxicates me.

Just In Case
 I came across a sight which resembled a sort of rock pool
(picture to your left) with a mini waterfall attached to it. It’s
actually a seasonal natural waterfall with water cascading
from the lake and gathering in the small pond teemed with
garra rufas (doctor fish) a.k.a nibble fish. Such fishes feed on
the human skin which consumes the affected area of skin
leaving the healthy skin to
grow and hence the name
doctor fish. The process is
actually termed as
pedicure. As I placed my
feet gradually in the water,
good number of fishes
gathered around my feet
within no time and started
nibbling. But after a couple
of minutes I realized that
the fishes were actually eating the dust accumulated on my feet creating a nibbling effect.
In between this pedicure process I closed my eyes, letting the doctor fish nibble my feet
and I felt an ease like never before; as if I have lost all my previous memories in transit and don’t know what the world
around me is up to. The feeling was surreal. Sometimes, happiness need not be restricted to luxury alone, instead,
contributing in small acts of nature, even if it means letting your feet nibble by fish justifies the genuine feeling of nirvana.

The late afternoon was shared with poha and chai followed by
some rest. And then came the must-to-do part for boys – games.
With options of pool, table-tennis, carrom and darts to choose
from, I guarantee you won’t move your butt from this zone for
an hour or two. And hell, we ended up playing for more than
two hours, majority in pool. With dinner came the cold breeze
and the very air started to
show its effect on us. But the
star-lit sky had its own
delight. As the evening turned
Treading our way around the murky, the atmosphere
resort during the hours of gave way to a new
darkness, we found ourselves
bounded by strong but calm fragrant. Though the
wind, with visibility sight being dark and
restricted to trees only. gloomy, I see the
The feeling was as good as if
normal stones turned
you are treading in a jungle
and finding your way out. into turquoise and
The late night was filled with could hear the gentle
game of cards combined with sound of water rippling
bottles of breezers, whisky
and vodka. The mutual effect
through waterfall and
was beginning to multiply moving turbulently.
our mood. We tried to sound And the chirping of
lively but with nothing much cricket further added
remaining, we drifted off
by replacing the situation to to the musical night of
snoozing from boozing. my journey.

Just In Case
 With the dawn streaming, came another beginning. In places like this, the
morning may yet be the same but it brings out a new meaning to life; as if
yesterday has unlocked you from its sorrows and the present day is waiting
for a new creation. After devouring some heavy breakfast, we headed out for a
visit at tansa dam which was around 10k.m. drive throguh a stunning tansa
forest ahead of Hidden Village. The roads whirling now and then further
added to our state of excitement. But with entry forbidden for visitors as the
dam came under a high security zone, we called Tony and asked him if there
was anything nearby worth
watching, or rather worth
inspecting as far as I was
concerned. He suggested us to go
for the lake which was
positioned in the back hills and
was at a walking distance of
around 15 minutes from the
resort. And we did right what the
owner said. Trekking our way through grasslands and with little assistance
from villagers nearby, we finally had the image of lake in front of our eyes. It
was panoramic and breathtaking. We settled ourselves on the rocks placed near
the bank of the lake.
It feels so good to rest and do nothing. Some of us would simply like to sit down
and be with our thoughts. After admiring this scenic spectacle we returned
back to the resort with image of the lake forever locked in our eyes.

We packed our bags and emptied our

And then the house as the time came to check-out.
For the last time I glanced through the
silence; the soulful house and hold back my emotions. The
silence of the tress, the flowers, the birds, and the
mesmerizing rustic surroundings – are the gifts
image of the lake from this village that I’ll always
preserve. Granted, the minute acts of
brought a sense of nature lasted for a moment, but were
tranquility to my momentous in its own way. On any
ongoing given holiday, most of us would head
expedition. towards the common hill stations and
the common 3 star resorts or the
different water parks with common
theme. But exploring those places
would only overcome your sense of joy and not happiness. (Yes,
happiness and joy are different emotions) So to taste happiness, just
go and immerse yourselves in to the solace of Hidden Village and see
how nature in return cuddles you with belongings from its store.

LOCATION:
On the Mumbai Nasik highway, 6 k.m. ahead of Shahapur is
Atgaon station. Turn left from highway towards Tansa Dam.
Hidden village is just 2 k.m. from Atgaon before Sakhroli
village.
CONTACT NO:
+91 986 7155 792 / +91 970 2055 792
www.hiddenvillage.in

Just In Case
More postcards of hidden village from my diary….

Just In Case
Just In Case
What’s around…an outlook of the current affairs

Food inflation hits 18% for the month end December

The percentage that stood at 8.69% on Nov 27 has soared to a whopping

18.32% for the week ended December 25th. While the Government has
banned the exports and also abolished import duty on onions, the fear is
that RBI (Reserve Bank of India) may be forced to raise the interest rates
to control inflation, eventually affecting the growth too; because the
increase in interest rates could affect the consumer demand.

No stopping here!

But India is not the only country

Onions 82%
facing this situation. Prices are increasing globally due floods in Australia,
Other vegetables 60%
drought in Argentina and extreme cold conditions in Russia. With Pakistan
Fish 20%
banning the supply of 300 trucks filled with onions, the situation stands
Fruit 20%
worse. A food price index developed by the United Nations’ Food &
Milk 17%
Agricultural Organization reached its highest ever in December surpassing
the previous peak of June 2008.

“This price rise is an area of concern…earlier, we had thought it was because of the base effect but it is not
merely that. There has been real increase in the prices of certain food items,” finance minister Pranab
Mukherjee said.
We say: With onion and vegetable prices soaring like movie tickets, the finance minister still believe that it
was a base effect. You gotta be kidding me, Mr. Pranab. I mean base effect is merely a statistic, a graph. Is the
economy of India so helpless that it takes more than a month to control the prices! Now, how is the common
middle-class man going to survive? If he feeds his family first, then I don’t think there’s anything left for him.
If the government has little to do in case of food inflation, then at least they should lower the tax on petrol and
diesel. But no, because that (drop in tax revenues) would again increase govt’s deficit.
With Union home minister Chidambaram saying, “we are not sure whether we have all the tools in hands to
control food inflation,” I don’t think there’s any point of keeping hope on our ‘not-so-sure’ government.

The other side of the story

While I thought that the reason behind the increase in onion prices (currently Rs. 60-80/kg) was due to the
untimely rains in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and also in the Nasik area of Maharashtra, I encountered a
bhelwala near by my house to find out the actual truth. And here’s what he said:
“Are ye sab banya log maal rok ke rakhe he, agar aisa hota toh kande ka daam dui hafte me barabar ho jata.”
(the grocers/merchant has stopped the outflow of onions resulting in increase of prices. If that (food inflation)
would have been the situation then prices of onions would have came back to normal within two weeks). But
no one knows the real truth.
Well, if chopping the onions get watering your eyes, let alone figure out the effect of buying it.

26 Just In Case
As the year 2010 saw four major scams and all four of them in the last four months, we thought
of making you aware of what was it all about.

Adarsh Housing Society Scam

What was it about: A six-storey building promoted as a housing society

for war widows & veterans was transformed into a lavish 31 storey
tower, and those found residing in it were politicians, bureaucrats and
senior army officials.
The effect: The then CM of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan was asked to
resign over his alleged role after it was found that his relatives were
allotted flats. And not only that, the Ministry of Environment & Forest
declared the society as illegal, because the promoters never received vital
eco clearances from the centre.
The big blunder, or should I say planning: Just a month before, four
crucial documents related to the scam had gone missing from one of the
Urban Development Department files. (The documents still stands
missing).
And not just that, some days before, even the index went missing.
We say: Is the Government trying to sweep the issue under its highly corrupted carpet? It’s a massive
embarrassment, or should I say a massive strategy. And we still wonder why the CBI (Central Bureau of
Investigation) is still not able to arrive at a solution; forget about nabbing the culprits. With crucial documents
and index going missing, that day is not far when the case will itself go missing.

Bribe-for-loan housing scam

What was it about: Some state-run banks as also financial institutions ran an alleged elaborate nexus with an
intermediary offering loans to realty firms. CBI sniffed it out.
Those involved and were arrested and later on released on bail:
Naresh Chopra, secretary (investment) LIC, Mumbai.
Ramchandra Nair, director, CEO, LIC Housing Finance.
RN Tayal, GM, Bank of India.
Manindersingh Johar, director, Central Bank of India.
Venkoba Gujjal, deputy GM, Punjab National Bank.
Rajesh Sharma, chairman and MD, Money Matters.
Suresh Gattani, Money Matters.
Sanjay Sharma, Money Matters.
These top executives were allegedly accepting bribes to offer loans to realty firms through an intermediary –
Money Matters. Bribery and kickbacks and sound balance sheets of corporations were seemingly the criteria for
such loans. (Source for the disclosure of persons involved: Hindustan times)

Just In Case
The CWG (Commonwealth Games) scam

What was it about: It was termed as India’s biggest sporting event,

but what followed the XIX CWG was a slew of corruption scandals.

What went wrong: There was corruption in procurement of many

items like umbrellas, doormats, toilet papers, fire extinguishers,
garbage bags, gadgets and so on. All the expenses and development
managed by the OC (Organizing Committee) headed by Suresh
Kalmadi, were alleged to be at sharply higher prices than market
rates.

Some shocking facts: The audit report, finalized after considering

the OC's response, has listed 16 items to show how Games bosses
allowed ineligible vendors to form cartels and paid exorbitant
amounts for identical items that had been bid for at a lower cost.

Games venues were divided into seven clusters. A tissue roll was
priced in one cluster at Rs 22 per roll, while Rs 3,751 per roll was
paid in another cluster. A small refrigerator came for Rs 9,848 from GL Moroform, while Khanpur Extension-
based PICO Deepali billed it for Rs 22,957.

For a soap dispenser, the OC bosses allowed payment of Rs 187 per piece to Vasant Kunj-based Nussli India Pvt
Ltd. The same item was supplied by Kirti Nagar-based ESAJV D Art Indo Consortium for Rs 9,379 per piece.

A 15-litre trash bin supplied by PICO Deepali came for Rs 245. But the same item from ESAJV D' Art was priced
at Rs 7,618 per bin. A 20 KVA power backup (UPS) from one vendor came for Rs 6 lakh but another supplier
was paid more than Rs 10 lakh for a similar item.

We say: While the difference between the actual cost of item and the inflated figures of the same item going to
the extent of 185% and more, it cannot be simply just instances of omission. The message is quite clear –
misuse of taxpayer’s money.
We pay but Government earns. We work but Government sleeps. We keep it safe but Government steals it.
And all does the ruling party does is set up an enquiry which last longer than an average life span of human
being.

Just In Case
The 2G Spectrum scam: the scam that washed out the entire winter session of
parliament.
The 2G spectrum scam has been a hot topic among news channels & newspapers from quite
some time now. But, how many of you actually know what it is all about?

What was it about: It all started in 2008, when 2G telecom

licenses were sold to the private telecom companies at
throwaway prices. The issuance of these frequency allocation
licenses at such low prices resulted to a loss to the state
amounting to Rs. 1.76 lakh crore.

How it all worked: Ex-telecom minister A Raja arranged for the

sale of these licenses at less than market value. Taking advantage
of this, many companies got these licenses at throw away prices &
later on sold majority stakes & rights to other telecom companies
at higher prices. The corrupt officials in the then telecom ministry
bagged in their cuts & made a fortune.

How it came to light:

In 2008, the Income Tax department, after orders from the ministry of Home and the PMO, began tapping the
phones of Niira Radia. This was done to help with an ongoing investigation into a case where it was alleged that
Niira Radia had acted as a spy. The tapped recordings continued for over a year. Ultimately, some of these
conversations recorded by the IT department were leaked over to the media. The tapes featured some
explosively revealingly conversations between Politicians, Journalists & Corporate Houses. The conversations
after coming to light sparked off a major controversy bringing to surface some major names politicians,
bureaucrats & media men.

Just In Case
What say…let’s look at your point of view
Consider this: You are gaga over a girl/ boy.
Wait, the consideration doesn’t end here.
You’re also aware of the fact that your best
buddy too has feelings for the same girl/boy.
He/she has confided in you and conveyed
his/her feelings for the same, but he/she’s
unaware about your feelings for that
particular girl/boy.
What would be your take on this? Will it be
ethical on your part to stay put and go ahead
with your feelings for that girl/boy or just
step aside and make way for your best
30
Well, this was our topic for the debate section of
this month’s issue. There was a healthy debate on
this issue where people having different
perceptions to the problems selected various
different alternatives, which they felt would be
effective while confronting such a situation.
Now as I reviewed the comments put up by our
readers on our various forums, I started
categorizing these comments in my mind, wherein I
concluded that most people have played safe by
sailing in both boats…
Just In Case
And here are the opinions:
Chandni Hefa here gave an impressive down to earth
answer…
“NO one today is like ‘Tyag Ka Pujari’
At least not me...because if me and my friend have
feelings for the same guy, I will confess in front of her,
even if I know that she likes the same guy...& then it will
totally depend on the guy with whom to hang out, once
he comes to know that we both have a crush on him…
The guy’s decision will totally be respected on my
front...and if that girl is not me...then obviously I'll be
sad....but then here I'll pray for both of us... and I'll try to
convince myself that I will get a much better guy!!!
In short I'll not give up without confessing what I
feel…baad mai jo hoga dekha jayega....”
A similar view was endorsed by Charmi Doshi,
“I think I would confess my feeling to my best friend
rather than hiding it from her & we would prefer to
confess our feelings together to that guy so that in the
end there is honesty with the friend & even my
love.....and I would let that guy decide whom he wants to
hang on to....and whatever will be his decision will b
accepted ....so it would be justice on everyone’s
part.....and no one will have to repent; as in if the guy has
feelings for me but unaware of the fact he decides to
hang on with my friend, whenever he comes to know it
shouldn’t make the guy & my friend feel guilty.....& I feel
that would end more happily....
But keeping my fingers crossed, I hope such a situation
never comes up in my life...”
Another comment I liked here came from
Sanyogeeta Chore…
“According to me it all depends on the guy... in today’s
world no one is so great to sacrifice their love for
her/his best friend… If I was in such a situation I
would rather find out whom the guy likes, me or my best
friend ...& if he likes me I would not sacrifice my love
because it would be rather pointless when he doesn’t
like my best friend...but if he likes my best friend I would
step behind & not come in the way...”
Most of these girls had a somewhat similar point of view
and I was waiting for someone who would have a
drastically different take on this issue…That didn’t come
too soon though…
There were a couple of fellows who had a bit of a
humorous take on this issue;
Afroz Dairkee had a particularly light take on the
issue…
“Feelings shmeelings! If the girl's hot, even I'm in the
race! May the best bud win!! What uses are bro's if they
don't fight with you over a girl?!”
This view is short but sweet, the element of
competition between friends for a girl, I liked the
view…
Suraj Adhikari went on to support Afroz’s view by
saying,
“friends are meant to have competitions with... so I
would go tell my best bud about my feelings too and
then see who's chances are more and have a race to the
girl... but then in the end the girl shouldn't create a fight
between our friendship because as the quote goes
"bros before hoes" we shouldn't have any hard feelings
for each other!”
Exactly what I feel; a common crush should never lead
to hard feelings between two best mates.
Now, there were also a couple of confused responses,
wherein people weren’t too clear of what they would
do, given the situation…
A unique view was presented by Paunil Shah
stating,
“Err...!!!!!! There are chances that I would help my best
friend to get the girl whom we both like....
but honestly speaking it would take some time, for me to
make up my mind as I would lose my chance for that
girl...
but friendship comes before love....”
Helping your friend to get the girl/guy of his/her
dreams; brave heart indeed.
Then there are many who believe in destiny & the gifts
that nature will bestow on us provided we stay put
patiently…
Just In Case
 Mohammed Ujjainwala believes to leave it to destiny
in such a case,
“If I & my best friend like the same girl... I would leave
the decision on the girl to make...
neither would I express my feelings to her nor would I
tell my friend anything about it....
I would leave it to luck & destiny to make the
decision...!
& hope I never ever face such a situation....!”
Some of our readers here assessed the situation very
analytically & put forth a very well-explained point of
view…
Yashvardhan Thakore was of the opinion that,
“I will talk to my friend and try to reach an agreement or
at least lay down ground rules. Most guy friends who
hang out together develop something like this
naturally. If one has never had this come up, he's
probably just as apprehensive about your next move as
you are.
Secondly, let her decide. You don't each get to grab an
arm and pull to see who rips the bigger half. After a few
days, if she likes either of you it will start to become
clearer and also this will be a good time to see how
good a friend you have. If he starts trying to make you
look bad or says things to her that isn’t true, you'd be
better off leaving him behind.”
Perfectly put there, you just cannot fight over a girl, it’s
not a tug of war to get a bigger half…
Mohammed Dahodwala believes in leaving the
decision to the girl. But, he believes that ethically both
the friends should step down…
“It will indeed be a very difficult situation if me & my
best buddy have feelings for the same girl.....but
according to me the most important part is the feelings
of the girl...if she has feelings for my friend I will
undoubtedly step down...& if she has feelings for me I
accept the same from my friend…but in real world both
of us will be hurt so it’s better to save the friendship we
both should step down...that will keep both of us
happy....”
Tasneem Shabbir here feels it best to shove off the
pressure of decision making onto the guy instead of
breaking her own head on the issue…Smart enough…
“well I don’t think I'll back off...will ask my friend but
even she won’t be ready to back off we both will prefer
competing in our own ways...& will let the guy decide
whom he loves… why take the tension on myself & my
friend when there is someone whom we can transfer it
to :-))”
Neville Billimoria gives a very detailed explanation
here placing various phrases & examples to consolidate
his point of view,
“It isn't possible to love and part...You can transmute
love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out
of you". What If your friend comes to know later that
you loved the same person who is in a relationship
with him right now? It would make him feel so
awkward when they are close to each other thinking
he's been unfair to his friend who's been with him in
thick & thin of life.. not only would it destroy an
ongoing relationship but also leave a feeling of
bitterness in the long going friendship coz "Love is
never as ferocious as when you think it's going to leave
you"....instead both the friends can confess to each
other their love for the person coz such a situation
seems to be more manageable.... both of them should
go all out in their attempt to get the girl coz "Love is the
best feeling when u have to win it for yourself" .This
way you are giving not only yourself but also your
friend an equal chance & in the end whoever gets it at
least there's no bitterness left in your friendship.... coz
remember "Friendship marks a life even more deeply
than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession,
friendship is never anything but sharing."
As I was winding up editing these different views of
different people on this issue, views of two people
specially caught my attention…May be they were
similar to what I would have given…
Just In Case
 One of them coming from Pranav Shah, who stated,
“No doubt it will be a really difficult choice but I will
choose the ethical side totally!! Because that will be a
call from my soul! It will be part of my sensitive nature
to accept the fact that my best buddy has same feelings
as mine and considering that he would keep her happier
I would make a clear path for him without any
confession.”
If you have to step down for your friend’s sake you got
to do it without making a real fuss out of it…If you really
want to see your friend happy, just stepping down from
the competition isn’t enough…You have to conceal the
fact of your attraction towards the girl…Or else it will
defeat the very purpose of the favour coz as Neville said,
your friend will always feel awkward around the girl
knowing that you sacrificed your love for him…
We would like to hear from you.
If you have anything interesting to share which you might feel that needs attention,
discussion, or rather it’s a debatable issue, feel free to post your opinion on the official
page of Just In Case on facebook. And who knows, your opinion may well turn out to be
the discussion thread of the next issue…
Another point of view which really impressed me came
from Ronak Sanghavi,
“I would never let my friend come to know about this.
My friendship with my friends is never one-sided. I
believe it will be equally painful for my friend to go
against my liking in order to fulfill his desire. This will
not only bruise our friendship but also will lead the
friend to reconsider his love for the gal.”
Here, Ronak has very well considered what his friend
will think in such a situation. He has actually thought
very deeply of his relations with his friends. He has
highlighted the very essence of friendship stating that
even his friend will be sad to see him step down & he
will reconsider his feelings for the girl…
Overall I was impressed to see active participation of
people in this debate. The very essence of this section in
our magazine is to make you rack your brains & actively
portray your point of view. In this busy world, we hardly
get any time to think of these issues…Also I have seen
people who have this, phobia for debates. They chose to
stay away from any debatable issues…
Remember people, Ignorance only glorifies the problem,
never solves it…
Hoping to see more active participation….
Just In Case
What rhymes…a song from my heart

As a child I was much of a dreamer,

I used to wonder about things, I used to ponder how they worked…
Even as I would watch my favorite cartoon entertainer;
Even as Jerry would look around for Tom, little knowing the danger that lurked,
The thought of ‘how they made these cartoons happen?’ often left me irked…

As I flipped the channels on the television set,

Browsing impatiently through efforts made by people to entertain me,
I hooked up to a particular channel, cause by now cartoons were bothering me,
I saw news carrying the details of a space mission to the moon,
I pondered on the happenings as the ‘man on the moon’ walked on a sand dune…

Then there in the late 90s, everyone’s pockets had been run dry by a mighty sting,
The market was flooded with a phone which needed no wire to ring,
It was the era of the cellphone,
Sparkling & tingling as it shone,
It again made me wonder of the passion borne by the chap who deserved the royal throne…

34 Just In Case
I grew on to become a moderately average guy,
Weighed down by the narrow minded mentality of our society,
Conjoint with the world in the rat race to the ultimate perish,
Chasmed from it by a passion that promised to drive me to the finish…

I had a dream of becoming an artist,

Not the type of ones you see when you are asleep,
But the ones that you watch with open eyes…

I was in my early 20s when I hit on the boulevard,

I was tired of portraying my art in my own back yard;
I wanted to paint my way into people’s minds,
Open their eyes to a world which they couldn’t see through their blinds…

A boulevard which clearly laid a forked path,

To follow my dreams or slog in the rat race & crib in the aftermath;
It had to be a decision with all considerations borne,
A simple mistake & I’d have a lifetime of mourn…

Crumbling under pressure I settled down for a smoke,

Weighed down by my dreams, I lit the stick of good hope,
How could my dream be so unacceptable by the society?
All I had for them was no compassion but only pity…

A murder of a man’s dreams is a murder of his soul,

It’s the death of the integrity that he once bore…

I thought of the person, who dreamt of making a cartoon,

I thought of the person, who dreamt of scaling the moon,
I thought of the person, who dreamt of gifting the world with the wireless boon…
Weren’t they too taken to be some worthless day dreaming loons???

So, why should I be afraid to dream?

There was an entire world out there to cream;
Though it would mean less financial security,
It would save me from a lifetime of exasperated obscurity…

I flicked off the butt & turned to face the world,

a calm person waiting for his passion to be unfurled…

P.S.-
This is the story of a boy man trying to clear his mind of a dilemma; a dilemma of choosing a dream over
an average routine rat race which may fetch him more financial security but would annihilate his mental
peace.

This does not in any way promote the vice of smoking. It has been used just to add flow to the storyline.
This narrative is a complete work of fiction and any resemblance to any character, living or dead is
purely coincidental.
What’s the fable…a short narrative
Love, well actually…
“Mind passing me a cigarette”, she asked the guy
standing near her. “The smoke is too tempting to resist,
“Arnav there is something really important that you
you see….”The guy looked at her, taken aback by the
need to know about me…” Shreya pleaded almost in
sudden request.
tears.
“Sure, there you go….” the boy handed over a cigarette to
“Come on then tell me. What you waiting for now, huh?”
her.
Arnav shouted back.
“I am not comfortable telling you this…I want some time
It was Saturday night and it was the college reunion of
on…” she started only to be interrupted by Arnav who by
Xavier’s college batch of 2005-06. The jam session was
now was yelling like a demented cricket fan that had just
underway and the atmosphere was purely electrifying
seen their sides’ lose.
but these two old friends (or should I say…) chose to lay
“Ohh, don’t you start again now…You just don’t have
back & relax, having met after such a long time.
anything left to say”
“So Shreya, what are you up to these days? When did
you start smoking?” Arnav asked.
The next month was a sad affair with both of them
“Come on yaar, I used to smoke sometimes.” Shreya
avoiding each other and their friends trying to pacify
winked at him.
them and restore peace to the troubled paradise…
Arnav grinned at her. After a slight pause, “Things have
It’s rightly said that girls have a heart of gold and they
changed so much, haven’t they?”
can never stay away from a real best friend.
“Ya I reckon they have…” she nodded in acceptance.
She called up Arnav one day, “Hey dear, I am so sorry.
“Whoa…I didn’t expect this to be so damn awkward
No, please don’t hang up…I didn’t want it to be like
man…Why we behaving like strangers?” he shrugged.
this...Its…It’s just that I was a bit confused…” she said
At that moment she looked into his eyes. ‘Truly, why did
struggling for words.
it have to be this weird? They had been the best of
“It’s ok. Even I over reacted a bit. It shouldn’t have been
friends’
this way or gone this far. I should have been more
understanding & appreciative of your feelings. Come on
Back in 2003, when Arnav met Shreya little did he know
we cannot let this incident tarnish our two year old
how much that girl is going to be a part of his life…
friendship…” Arnav replied with a sense of guilt for
It was just a prom night in college when the two had met
having shouted at her earlier.
via common friends. Soon enough the two had become
“Definitely dude…Lets have it like old times. You pick me
the best of friends. Common likes, common dislikes &
up from my place at 7 p.m. & then we go to Sheesha,
loads of common friends did the trick. Gradually, there
Bandra for dinner, and remember I like the guys who are
came a time when the chemistry between the two
fine like red wine…” Shreya giggled mischievously.
reached its epitome and the sparks of romance between
“What???You mean we are ‘going out’ going out?” Arnav
these two first time lovers became evident to the world.
was thrilled.
When Arnav proposed to his lady love however, Shreya
“Hmm…Be ready”, she giggled and hung up.
was not sure whether she wanted to enter into a
relationship.
She sat in the corner thinking of what lay in store. She
“Come on Arnav, you barely know me. I am not ready for
just didn’t want to hurt Arnav nor could she avoid him.
this…”
He was an integral part of her…But, did she love him?
“What are you saying? If you just don’t want to accept
The question rang through her mind like bells in a
my proposal, you may say so directly, you need not
church.
gimme a shit about the ‘not knowing each other well’
‘It was a mistake, a bloody mistake’, her mind kept
part!!!I mean we have known each other since the past
telling her.
two years, we practically spend 8 hours together every
day & you say that we don’t know each other… well, you
really gotta be kidding me!!!”,Arnav blasted.

36 Just In Case
“Wanna shake a leg, for old times’ sake?” Arnav asked
Shreya suddenly bringing her back from the day of their
first date in 2005 to the reunion party i.e. the present
day 2010.
Shreya looked at him completely awestruck and still not
getting a grasp of the sudden events.
“Come on…” he pulled her onto the dance floor.
She observed him keenly as he danced. ‘He is such a
child. Always ready to forgive & forget. Always ready to
enjoy the smallest happiness but gets disturbed with the
smallest worry in life.’
She looked into those eyes which had an innocent mirth
in them…They were happy & they wanted to see her
happy too. ‘He wants me to be happy despite me having
betrayed him, despite me having hurt him; it was wrong
on my part to do what I did… But, I gotta put things in
their place today…It is now or never’
They settled down after a brief jam session.
“Wanna go to Marine drive, lands end?” Shreya asked
suddenly.
“Ya sure, why not? Let me cal our old pals too.”Arnav
looked excited by the idea.
“No. Arnav, I want to speak to you, alone…”
He looked at her for a brief instance and took off his
glance from her eyes. It hurts to look into the eyes of a
determined girl.
“Well, okie dokie”, he nodded getting up.
(As they walked towards the car, Shreya went back in
time to their sweetest memories)
“Hey stop being such a pig, pass over the pipe to me
too…” Shreya said to Arnav.
Both of them were sitting at Sheesha Bandra and having
hookah.
“Come on…stop toying around with that hookah, girl.
What I want to say here is much important…” Arnav
said.
“Okay baby. I am all ears”, she replied.
“I really don’t want you to keep in mind whatever bad
happened between us…It’s just that I wish to tell you
that whatever be your problem, you can tell that to me
whenever you feel comfortable. I am not gonna rush
anything. But, you definitely need to know this that
I like you & I like you very…very much. I will always be
there for you & even if the whole world turns their back
on you, I will always be here standing with open arms,
your old Arnav….” he said meaning every word of it.
“I love you too Arnav. I am too insignificant to know the
meaning of the word but in whatever way I mean it, I do
love you…” Shreya replied very deeply touched by his
words.
She knew that it was wrong on her part to conceal the
fact from Arnav but she didn’t want to ruin that moment.
Such moments are sparse in a life time and you need to
enjoy & value them. Also, she doesn’t want to hurt him.
(Back to the present day)
“So, what did you want to speak with me, alone?” Arnav
asked laying special stress on the last word.
The two were driving to Marine Drive. It was raining
outside.
“Isn’t the weather awesome?” Shreya asked completely
ignoring his question and putting her head out of the
window.
He looked at her. The raindrops splashing across her
face made her look even more beautiful. The kajal
leaving her beautiful eyes & rolling down her wet
cheeks….
She splashed some rain water on his face bringing him
back to reality.
He truly loved her very much. He had loved her all the
while. However, whatever happened five years back
made it really difficult for him to be with her. It was pure
bad luck or maybe it was written…
He looked at the road as the car cruised smoothly and
the scenery around him flew backward; and with the
road, back flew his memory too….
It was December 2005. They had been in a
relationship since the past months. It was a sweet
friendly relationship with a lot of love & respect. They
hadn’t taken their relationship to the next level though.
Shreya wasn’t yet prepared for the ‘next big step’ as they
liked to call it.
One day Shreya called Arnav up to tell him that they will
have to cancel that day’s plan as she wasn’t feeling well.
Now, Arnav got really worried (typical of love
relationships).He decided to visit her at her place. He
wanted to surprise her.
Just In Case
So he didn’t intimate her. He had taken a vow to be by
her side always. Now was the time to prove his love. He
bought a few roses for his lady love and made his way to
her place.
As he reached her place, he found that her door was
open. Smelling something fishy, he slowly stepped in. A
few of Shreya’s friends, none of whom Arnav knew were
sitting inside on the couch.
“Who are you?” one of the girls asked him.
“I am Shreya’s boyfriend…How’s Shreya now?”Arnav
asked looking a bit confused.
“Boyfriend??? What??? Are you sure, you are in the
correct house boy?” she burst out laughing.
“What are you saying? You look drunk. You out of your
damn senses? I’ll find out myself”, saying this he rushed
to Shreya’s room and opened her door, little knowing
what lay in store…
He saw Shreya sleeping with a woman aged about 25….
“What the holy shit do you think you are doing?” Arnav
stormed in.
“Get up…” he pointed at the other girl, “Get up & get lost
immediately”
“Arnav, please listen…” Shreya started, bursting into
tears.
Within 5 minuts everyone had left leaving these 2 alone.
“Arnav….Arnav please don’t misunderstand me…Please
Arnav….” Shreya cried.
“What do you mean don’t misunderstand me….What the
hell do you think were you doing?” he shouted.
“Ar….”
“Stop taking my name, you bloody whore…” he was
infuriated.
“But, I love you….”
“You are a bloody lesbian…You can’t love me…”
“Why can’t I?”
“How can you? You are sexually inclined to the same sex.
How can you love me???”
“So what? Does sexual inclination determine whom you
love???” Shreya asked mopping her tears.
“I don’t know all that but all I know is that you cheated
on me. You concealed this fact from me & that I deserve
someone much better than a double dating lesbian…”
Arnav shouted & stormed out of the house…
That had been the last time he had met her, until today…
They had hidden the reason for their break up from their
friends and so they couldn’t say no when they were
called for the reunion.
(Present day)
“Stop here…” Shreya shouted excitedly.
She came out of the car and pulled him out too…
“Come on in…We are getting wet….” Arnav said trying to
cover his head with his hand.
“Oh shut up Mr. Gentleman….”
They looked at each other in the eye…
It’s true when they say it’s not easy to get away from
love.
“Shreya, I love you & I know that you love me too…I
know whatever happened in the past has left a huge
deep & ugly scar on our relationship but I feel , we can
build up our relationship step by step, again….”,Arnav
said meaning every word of it.
Shreya looked at him wondering, ‘this was what I was
gonna say…Love you honey’
“Remember you had asked me whether your being
sexually inclined to girls makes you ineligible to love
some one of the opposite sex??? The answer is ‘No…It
doesn’t at all….You were a 19 year old freaked out girl
back then…You just didn’t know how to handle this
pressure of being different.”
“Oh…You are so understanding…” Shreya started.
“Wait…I am not finished yet. You know what it was that
hurt me back then? It wasn’t the fact that you were
different. It was the fact that you concealed your state
from me and in your desperation you did wrong
things…Had you told me about this thing earlier, we
could have worked together on finding some solution to
this…But you never confided in me…”,he said with his
eyes getting filled with true emotion.
“I am so sorry dear…I love you far too much to lose you
again…& when we are together, we love each other so
much, that there is no place for sex or sexuality…”
Arnav moved in close to her and pecked gently on her
lips.
They stood their holding hands in the rain, wishing that
this moment would just freeze for eternity….
P.S.-Love may not always go hand in hand with
sexuality.
Sex is an important part of love but love as such is a far
more wider and beautiful concept. A person’s sexuality
or sexual inclination may not determine whom he loves
or whom he may love. Love is a free bird not to be
trapped within the cages of sex or sexuality.
Just In Case
What’s new…the latest buzz in entertainment
Movies – we don’t go into the roots, we just tell you what it is…

No One Killed Jessica

If you don’t have the power, grab it from the hands of the unworthy…

Starring- Myra, Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherjee

No One Killed Jessica is a film based on the actual Jessica Lal murder case. The
film begins with a narrative from Rani Mukherjee who plays a NDTV news
reporter; describing the city of Delhi as a one which only favours people who
have power in their hands. The film then flashes back to the actual incident in
1999. The direction is very particular in the sense that the director Raj Kumar
Gupta has meticulously checked the facts & also used old cars & old mobile
phones to give it that 1999 feel. He has worked on things to the very detail to
make it look less of a film & more of reality footage. Myra, the girl playing
Jessica is fresh & bubbly (though her role is very short).Vidya Balan,
portraying the role of Sabrina Lal (Jessica’s sister) has done a brilliant job. The entire focus is on her acting (she’s sans any
makeup).She is a pivotal character in the film carrying it steadily through the aggressive storyline. Her calm & subtle
attitude coupled with a strong willed desire to fight her sister’s murderers. There are also a couple of heart wrenching
moments in the film; the ones showing the relationship between Jessica & her sister. The chemistry between Vidya & Myra
is very engaging. Then, as the evil starts to overshadow the good, and as Vidya undergoes a nervous breakdown, in steps
our savior , our self proclaimed bitch, Meera Gaity played by Rani Mukherjee. She plays a bubbly & chirpy news reporter
who has everything right going on in her life. Initially she ignores the issue, but later on realizing that media persons also
have some responsibilities, she steps in to save the day. Once again, Amit Trivedi (the musician that came to fame with Dev
D and also the song Iktara) has provided the right edgy soundtrack. Another thing I personally like about this film is that it
has a lot of abuses not being beeped by the censor board. Now, the thing about these abuses is, these are the actual type of
words used when speaking in a police lock up or court or such other pressure cooker situations. Minus these expletives,
some of the scenes wouldn’t have come out so effectively. Overall, it’s a nice & crisp movie with a strong message. Must
watch I’d say…
As far as the question of rating goes, such movies are difficult to rate because here the moving is giving you a hard hitting
message, but if the mentality of our audiences still insist then I would rate this movie 3.5/5.

The Tourist: the perfect trip, the perfect trap

Starring- Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie

The movie begins on a very mysterious note with the beautiful Jolie making her way
through the streets of Paris. The suspense builds up steadily as the plot thickens with
the entry of Johnny Depp & introduction of new characters in the story line. After the
interval, however, the plot starts losing its grip on the audience (more interested &
munching on their popcorn by now rather than concentrating on the movie).The plot
becomes pretty predictable towards the latter half of the film & you don’t need to be a
genius to guess the outcome. The direction is neat. The movie has been shot at
magnificent & picturesque locations which help you get the ‘larger than life’ feel. The
chemistry between Johnny Depp & Angelina Jolie, the two Hollywood legends is simply
amazing. Johnny Depp’s character is that of a shy & introvert tourist. Angelina’s
character is much more intense & pretty much the opposite of Johnny’s, thus justifying
the intense chemistry between this on-screen pair. Overall, the movie is a decent watch
for the chemistry between these two legends & for the picturesque locations. The plot is a bit loose & could have been
much better crafted, so don’t go in there if you expect an edge of the seat thriller. (The movie is a remake of French film
titled Anthony Zimmer). Rating – 2.5/5

39
Games – hoo-hah…now we are talking, baby!

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2010 (E-3)

NFS goes back to its very roots…Cops are back big time…

This game has received one of the best openings in the history of the
Need for Speed Franchisee. The USP of this game is that the
franchisee claims to have gone back to its roots while making this
game & well, it pretty much has. Nail biting pursuits & highly
competitive races, make for a decent play. The graphics & AI have
improved manifold. The game boasts of a total of 50+cars, most of
which are exotics. The game takes place in a virtually developed
fictional place known as ‘Seacrest County’. Another major feature in
this game is, you can play as a cop, a feature that has been notably
missing in the series since NFS Hot Pursuit: 2 (2002) .The games
have been powered by Autolog, a feature that enables online play
with your friends. The Autolog feature enables you to chat with your
friends on a social wall, share your scores & beat each other’s
timings .On the downside, there is no free roam mode or a storyline
(not really a downside).The game is also pretty short featuring only
a handful of ‘Hot Pursuit’ races in the Career mode. Another flipside
of this game is the music. Except for the title track, ’Edge of the
Earth-30 seconds to Mars’, none of the tracks really make an impact.
Besides this, the game is a to-be classic & a complete value for
money. Do hunt for this game if you loved the previous 2 Hot Pursuit
games in the series.

Minimum specs / system requirements:

OS: Windows XP SP 3 / Vista / Windows 7
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHZ or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4 GHz
RAM: 1.5 GB Windows XP / 2 GB Windows Vista – Windows 7
VGA: 256 MB DirectX 9.0 compliant card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher (ATI RADEON X1950, HD 2000/3000/4000/5000
series NVIDIA GeForce 7/8/9/100/200 series)
Price: Rs.2,500

Coming soon in the next issue: What’s cooking - Food

As I mentioned before in one of the sections – food doesn’t only serve one purpose; it has many
aspects to life. We know your appetite isn’t going to stay quiet for a long time, and hence both of
us (Samar & Rakshit) will bring you our own version of Highway on my plate as Samar (the hard
core non-vegetarian) and Rakshit (the tender vegetarian) will cover the famous restaurants and
dhabas in Mumbai.
Feedback...

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Just In Case is a youth based monthly magazine

created by:

Disclaimer - We do not have a permanent lens man as of now &

Rakshit Shah (co-editor)
hence some of the pictures used in, What matters, What’s happiness,
What’s around & the Editors’ columns have been taken from the
internet. Rest of the pictures are originally & integrally a part of Just
In Case. The pictures have been used only for representational
purposes & do not wish to target any specific individual.
The facts & figures mentioned in the magazine have been taken
from reliable sources & we do not assume any responsibility in case
of misrepresentation.

The vice of smoking has been asserted in a couple of articles but we

will like to clarify that it is in no way meant to promote the vice; but
has just been woven into the storyline to give it a flow.

All the articles & photographs (as mentioned & categorized earlier)
are a property of Just In Case & any reproduction of this matter will
tantamount to plagiarism & will attract suitable legal action.

Samar Thorat (co-editor)