A HAIR Raising Night

The year was 1979. It was the year where India’s biggest movie awards ,the “GILLETTE FILMFAIR AWARDS” (not to be confused with the other less famous one) awards were to be hosted. It will also be remembered as the year of ‘hair raising’ experiences.

As is customary with the awards, they are usually hosted by two of the biggest stars of the time & this year was no different! The mantle of hosting the mother of all award shows was taken up by two superstars  of the time, Amitabh Bacchan & Rajesh Khanna. Amitabh was the angry young man ofcourse & he began the show hurling abuses at the directors of all the movies that bombed that year. Somehow he seemed to take it very personally. As always, he felt that such movies were an insult to the paying junta. He then abused the audience for laughing when he was making such a serious statement. Nobody knew if he was still in character or truly angry. That was the power of the man! Just when it looked like things were going to get out of hand his co-host came in singing ‘mere sapnon ki Rani’ on a horse. Yes! It was none other than our very own Rajesh Khanna(may his soul RIP). He knew how to make an entry. Amitji shook his head in disgust. Rajesh Khanna immediately got onto the stage & tried to calm him down with “baabbuumushai just chill chill, Havell’s  ka panka hai na.” And it magically worked! The audience didn’t laugh because that joke was 30 years too early

They began the show & all the audience was mesmerized to see their chemistry on stage. Alas! Their eyes fell onto their shirts from which their chest hair was popping out from the top. Now everytime they spoke it was as though the hair had a life of its own!. It swayed to the right when they moved left & it swayed to the left when they moved right. And it swayed all around when they were standing still! When Amitji was announcing the guests to announce the awards for the best Newcomer Male, Mithun Chakraborthy sitting in the audience felt “I wish he had opted for his hair removal”  But it was too late.

It was now time for the item number to be performed. When Rajesh Khanna announced that none other than sexy Helen would dance to a remix of all the item numbers of that year, the audience were on the edge of their seats. Amjad Khan didn’t seem to care, after all Basanti had already danced for him inspite of Veeru not willing! Helen began with the 1^st slow number. Soon the audience began screaming “Monica , Monica” and as if on cue, the song was played. Helen removed her detachable pants & revealed her sexy legs in a mini skirt. But Alas! Her legs weren’t shaved! To this day the audience present there don’t know if she had forgotten or just didn’t bother! The legs that were supposed to look sexy now just seemed like two amazon jungles! Rekha sitting in the audience sighed to herself “I wish she had opted for her hair removal”. The only person who didn’t seem to mind at all was Shakthi Kapoor.

The night went on, the stars came and went. Vinod Khanna, Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bachchan, Mumtaz, Jeethuji, Rishi Kapoor. Some to collect awards & some to give. A young Rameez Raja sitting in the audience was impressed by all the ‘telented’ actors. He thanked BAL Thackeray sitting next to him & said “Thank you for giving me an opportunity to be hair(here) & represent the cricketing community of Pakistan”. Somewhere there a young Shah Rukh Khan was telling his little friends” I will become the best some day & host the show cracking vulgar hair jokes” Anil Kapoor was sitting in the audience with his top button open & the entire audience was thinking “I wish he had opted for his hair removal”

The night was drawing to a close & it was time to a close & the final show was a romantic dance between Dharmendra & Zeenath Aman. A superman of the times & and the other a sultry siren.Both of them were mesmerizing the audience. He with his incredible machoness & she with her grace & oomph(a popular word back in the 1970’s) As she was dancing close to him she saw him smile, not that magnetic smile of his but a sad one.She wondered what could be wrong in his personal life/ Unfortunately her eyes fell on his tummy hair protruding out through his center button. It was long & curly & seemed to call to her. She could feel it say “Basanthi , in kutthon ke saamne math naachna “ She immediately cringed & thought to herself ‘I wish he had opted for his hair removal’. What she didn’t realise was that he was smiling coz he had seen her armpit hair & the camera close to it & he was thinking “I wish she had opted for her hair removal” coz all that hair was blocking his face from the camera.

The show ended with the two hosts thanking the main sponsores GILLETTE. The CEO of Gillette came forward & thanked all the stars & audience & told them that after watching the show he was inspired to bring a brand new product into the market. He didn’t tell them what it was & they wondered what it could be…. Luckily we know what he was talking about.

DISCLAIMER- This post is a work of fiction. All the characters mentioned here are fictional. The author does not mean to hurt anybodys sentiments as everything is written to be read in good humor

 This post is a part of the Gillette Satin Care Contest in association with BlogAdda.com

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Dancing into the Moonlight- my entry to the GetPublished contest

Vote here & help me get my story published - http://www.indiblogger.in/getpublished/idea/529/

Characters

Boy

Girl

The “other” guys

The Best Friend

Parents

THE IDEA

This is a story of 2 doctors who met purely by chance. And their journey together as friends. “Can friendship turn into love” is a question everyone answers in the affirmative to. But what happens if you risk your friendship for your love. Is that a gamble you would take? And how do you deal with all the problems that come in the way of love? Some serious & some funny!

Excerpts:

He twirled her around, held her close. He could feel her breath & smell her scent. The next moment he flung her into the air & got her back to the ground. He could see her enjoying, he could see her smiling. The music was smooth & tanatalising. He knew this was more than friendship, he knew she was the one for him.  But she seemed lost in the dance. She seemed to want to dance forever. Did she dance like this with everyone else or just him? H could never tell!

A year later-

They walked together , not hand in hand but close to each other. The sea breeza was smooth & refreshing. She seemed pensive. He was tensed. A year of being “friends” had gone by. He knew that the time to confess his love for her had come. But here in lied the eternal dilemma. Does he risk their friendship by being turned down by her or does he follow his heart & tell her about his true feelings. He could never tell

A year later-

He saw her walk down the aisle from a distance. His eyes were moist. He couldn’t believe that this was happening. She just kept looking down at the floor almost as if she was unaware that he was in the room. Maybe she didn’t know he was around,he thought. He wished he could run up to her & tell her what he felt, he wished he could dance with her forever right from this very moment. Could she hear his thoughts? He could never tell

Endnote: This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.

Shane Warne Adds to Another Cricket Controversy

Cricket they say is a gentlemans game but somehow that’s hard to digest. Because for as long as I can remember its never been a gentlemans game. Chess for example is a gentlemans game. That’s not to say that cricket is a slug fest involving monkeys, its good at best of times but definitely not Always

The latest controversy involving Shane Warne has again brought into the light the debate as to where the line has to be drawn between being aggressive & crossing the limits. The incident that Im referring to happened in the KFC Big Bash league, Australia’s own version of the IPL. Unlike the IPL this league doesn’t boast of the same publicity but involves some high class cricketing action. The individuals involved were Shane Warne(Yes he still plays the T20’s when he’s not advertising his poker games on twitter) & West Indian Marlon Samuels, another player who is no stranger to controversies. During the 1^st innings Marlon apparently while bowling didn’t allow David Hussey to take a run by grabbing onto his shirt which is inexplicable! Even for club cricket. The videos the incident that you watch just amaze you into wondering as to what exactly he was thinking. That was done & dusted. But in the 2^nd innings Shane Warne who always loves grabbing eyeballs took it a step further by abusing Marlon while he was batting , then throwing the ball at his body with the customary “F**k you Marlon”. Not the one to be out done Marlon hurled his bat towards Warne. Both have been punished with Warne even getting a match ban. All this in a tournament involving cricketers from around the world. When people anointed T20 cricket as “Masala” cricket I’m sure they didn’t expect so much mirch in it!

Cricket has never been stranger to such controversies. Infact these sort of incidents keep cropping up now & then. And Im not talking about the recent times only. Remember Dennis Lilliee kicking Miandad & Miandad charging towards him with his bat? That was probably one of the most disgraceful moments on a cricket fields. Sunil Gavaskar would probably say that the Aussie got away just coz the laws always favour non sub continental countries. For that matter even Navjoth Singh Siddhu had a major altercation with Aamir Sohail on the field where bats were pointed, tongues wagged. During the recent world cup SA’s FAF Du Plesis had a go at the New Zealand players. Another famous on field fight was the one involving Glen Mcgrath & Ramnaresh Sarwan. A lot has been discussed about Harbajan Singhs “Monkeygate” with Symonds & also his “slapgate” with Sreesanth. Why even the normally mild& unflappable Rahul Dravid got involved in a fracas with Michael Slater.

So why do these players get into such fights. A very common reason that the commentators(which you can even hear in the Shane Warne Video) give during such instances is that its coz these players play with a lot of passion & that they play with their heart on their sleeves. So the question is that can this be used as an excuse for a Virat Kohli to abuse every time he holds onto a catch? Worse still is that does it mean that the rest of the mild players like Dravid & Vettori or Misbah Ul Haq don’t play with equal passion just coz they don’t glare at the opposition or swear at them? Most of the times its just the antics to grab the eyeballs, none better than our very own Sreesanth. Another name that comes to mind is Andre Nel & who can forget that famous bat whirling dance Sreesanth did to annoy Nel. The one memory I have of contrasting notions about aggression on the field is during Indias tour to Autralia. Javagal Srinath bowled a bouncer to Ponting which hit his helmet as he was ducking. Srinath immediately raises his hand & apologises(which is not seen in the video I’ve posted) which he absolutely didn’t need to, and what does Ponting do? He begins abusing Srinath asking him to go back, one of the many reasons Ill never hail him as a great sportsman.



One would say that the cricketers of yesteryears didn’t indulge in sledging. Well that might be true but then how much proof do we have for it? Those were the days when there were probably 3 or 4 cameras in total on the ground. And not all the matches were telecasted live. These days atleast one of the 30 cameras will catch every minute antic of the player. Everything is scrutinied in detail. Today before you even know it, a tiny incident is blown out of proportion by the media. Players too seem to love to “play the camera” as they say. They know that millions are watching at home. Aggression has its place in cricket but it shouldn’t get out of hand. Everyone enjoys watching a bit of banter on the field. Who can forget the famous incident during the 96 world cup when Aamir Sohail after hitting a boundary off the bowling of Venkatesh Prasad asked him to go & fetch the ball, the bowler responded by getting him bowled next ball. That’s hair raising stuff, isn’t it? Also Javed Miandads antics with Kiran More will always be remembered in a jovial manner.It’s one of the reasons you’d watch the match over & over again! But do you feel the same when Sreesanth has a go at the batsman ball after ball or when the Aussie fielders & bowlers engage in so called “mental disintegration” of the batsmen?  So the line between being aggressive & rowdy is a very fine one. Things should never get physical in any sport but that is what has happened with the latest incident. What message do the youngsters who watch the game at home?

An Idea Born On Twitter

Its been a while since I last blogged. Unfortunately like everyone else I too caught the Twitter bug. After spending a month on it I realised what a fool I had been but at the same time I was happy to know that I was just one among the millions. We talk of distractions & waste of time, spending hours on twitter & Facebook is just that. Now that Im out of it, it back to blogging & reading with gusto. Its been a while since I blogged for something other than contests too! I don’t regret that coz there’s a brand new speaker set courtesy those contests in my bedroom.

But there is one thing that did come out of all that time on twitter though. So many useless contests aimed at making you spend hours on your desktop of phone, making you check every hour or so. The one which caught my eye was the one about “My dream App”. Though I didn’t enter the contest, I did get me thinking & reminded me of an idea I had about 3 years back.

Im no software engineer, not even close to it. But I do love getting into the technical aspects of it all or atleast read about it. And Im very much into Apps. One of the apps which I think would work is what I call the CAMFIND. This idea came to me back when Facebook had started “facetags”. Face tags have well & truly been abolished  but I think that this App can still be possible if some software techs take it up :-D

My concept of Camfind is simple. Everyone is into social networking these days. Earlier believed to be only for youngsters, now even the older generation is taking a liking to it. And why? Coz everyone wants to know someone new, keep in touch with them. Everyone looks up someone they don’t know on Facebook. Common friends, email search, name search, college search… You can search based on every possible field. So this is where this app was born.

Now lets assume you are at the launch of a new car alone, you see someone who for some reason has caught your eye. But you have no idea who the person is. You’re sure your never gonna find that person ever again. Then what if you take out your phone, go to the app & slowly focus the camera on the person & it instantly takes you to the persons Facebook or Picasa profile or atleast gives you his/her name! I know this is a huge breach of privacy but then if apps like True caller can do it, then why cant this one too. Since facetags are no longer in use, the CAMFIND App can set up its own facetags & the users who download it can choose whether or not they want to be tagged to be used with the app so the issue of privacy also gets solved. As it is, its supposed to just display the name of facebook profile so I don’t think anyone would have issues with it. Sometimes at a gathering you see someone who looks very familiar but you just cant place him/her, App can solve your dilemma immediately. I dont know how practical this App is but then I dont have to break my head over it coz Im not the one making it. So now if only one of those software geeks reads this & takes it up seriously & also pays me royalties when the app is out…..

Fashion Stylist For A Day - A Shoppers Stop Initiative

This is the festive season of Diwali, the season of lights! And Shoppers Stop has given us all an opportunity to put together an ensemble from their wardrobe & actually win a prize for it! Obviously its mouth watering incentive & even a totally fashion disaster like me has a chance to win! And what I decided to do was  something different. Since I am in the department of surgery I have decided to dress up our entire surgical team this diwali. Now as you know we surgeons are either seen in formals all the time or with our scrubs and so I decided why not dress up the team somewhat differently for a change but keeping them within the realms of medicine! So here’s me being the Fashion designer for a day…..

Let me 1^st introduce our team so that I can give a better perspective as to what & why Im dressing up each one as I am. Starting from the top we have

1)      Our Professor & Head Of The Department

2)      Our Associate Professor

3)      Our Assistant professor

4)      The Junior residents

So 1^st coming to our boss, the Professor & HOD. He is a man of knowledge. Having spent the better part of his age of 65 years in an operating theatre he is a symbol of authority. The most natural attire one would picture for him would obviously be an elegant 3 piece suit but for this festive season I want him to go desi. So this is I’ve put together for him.

1. First I’ve gone with this Manish Creations-Mens Kurta Pyjama Set Item Number 6808547_9110 . Its simple yet elegant. I don’t want him to be too flashy, infact even a little understated would be good & this provides it.


2. Choosing the footwear was pretty easy I must admit coz when you choose a Kutha pyjama you’ll know exactly what footwear you’d want. And the one I chose was definitely easy on the pocket J . Manyavar Mens Ethnic Wear Jutis Item number :5293057_9612


3. Next I was excited about the head gear coz I felt the headgear would be a symbol of style as well as authority! The crowning glory for the king so to say. So I chose this Manyavar Mens Ethnic Wear Safa Item number :5293439_9162 , the head gear to go with the kurtha pyjama.


4. To complete the look I’ve gone with the rather simple Manyavar Ethnicwear Stoles Item number : 5292995_9612 .


5. A watch is something which is a symbol of class.These days people are known by the brands they wear. But I’ve gone for this Titan- AUTOMATIC Collection - Mens Watch Item number : 6965691_9999 which looks stunning and goes very well with the attire too!


6. We just cant do without a pen around the hospital, can we? Though ofcourse our handwriting is always ridiculed. I just fell for this Cross –Verve Pen Merlot Item no 3021310_9999 . Its mighty expensive but exudes class & blends well with the Kurta. He would certainly be everyones envy carrying this thing around?


7. Fossil is a huge brand & brings in the style with simplicity & hence I chose this wallet Fossil - Mens Wallet Item number : 6698871_9126


8. Some of my friends tell me the name of the perfume Im wearing just by the smell & I always found that scary. To complete the look I had to go with an ideal brand of fragrance. This J Del Pozo - AMBAR Eau de Toilette 100 ML Item number : 6489494_9900


9. A perfect way to look younger & also blend in with the youth and that too in a SAFE way would be by using the LOreal Paris Excellence Hair Colour Shade No 1 Natural Black Item number : 3060061_9999

There you have it. To summarise the look :

1. Manish Creations-Mens Kurta Pyjama Set – Rs 12999


2. Manyavar Mens Ethnic Wear Jutis – Rs 799


3. Manyavar Mens Ethnic Wear Safa – Rs 1999


4. Manyavar Ethnicwear Stoles - Rs 1499


5. Titan- AUTOMATIC Collection - Mens Watch – Rs 18995


6. Cross –Verve Pen Merlot – Rs 10046


7. Fossil - Mens Wallet – Rs 2695


8. J Del Pozo - AMBAR Eau de Toilette 100 ML - Rs 3350


9. LOreal Paris Excellence Hair Colour Shade No 1 Natural Black - Rs 525.

Total – Rs 52907




Second in line comes our Associate Professor who is a lady,  aged somewhere between the Professor & Assistant Professor. Lets say somewhere around 40ish. This Diwali season I would like to dress her up traditionally but not anything over the top. She shouldn’t look like she’s attending a wedding nor like a tramp. The perfect Diwali look for the hospital.

1. Firstly I would like to go for a saree rather than a salwar suit coz according to me its more elegant! Ashika Faux Georgette Saree Item number : 6998159_9900. I chose it coz its not too flashy neither dull & exudes class. Last thing you want in a hospital is a doctor who looks like an item number.


2. For the footwear I’ve gone with the Lemon Pepper - Ladies Footwear Item number : 5389006 mainly coz I found it the most matching for the saree


3. I really enjoy choosing watches & the one I’ve chosen is a beauty SPRIT Timewear - Ladies Watch - Marin Speed Rosegold Item Number: 7241718_9999 coz it’s a stunning watch plus it blends perfectly with the saree


4. Can a womans look be complete without the jewellery? Absolutely not & so I have put together an ensemble of jewellery as well. To begin with is the Infinity Necklace 751476GRBY Item number: 6922054_9999 which is very easy on the pocket as well.


5.  I am a fan of long ear- rings & hence I couldn’t help but go for this Cygnus Diamond Earring-ER6707 Item number : 7290796_9999


6.  A Sparkles Diamond Bracelet for HER- BR7665 bracelet, which is fine & elegant with Item number: 7052316_9999 doesn’t make you think twice about getting it!.


7. And to complete the look I got her the Nakshatra 18KT Gold Ring with 0.11cts diamonds Item number : 7349713_9999  which even comes with a gold ring free.


8. Handbags are mostly a style statement with women using them probably even when they have nothing to carry. Hidesign is my favourite brand & I’ve put together this Hidesign- Handbag Item Number: 6548868_9126. I wanted the color to go with the saree & it to be big enough to carry the belongings as well!


9. Next comes the make & here I must admit that I don’t have a clue! So I asked my wife & she told me what to go for! I was asked to pick only Maybelline & so I 1^st picked  the Maybelline Expert Wear Eye Shadow Quad Seashore Frosts Item number : 4030782


10. Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color Yummy Plummy Item number : 5449486_9999 … Frankly speaking the name itself somehow draws you to it haha


11. And to complete the trio I went for the Maybelline Vivid and Smooth Color Eye Pencil Violet Pearl Item number : 5171782_9999


12. Pen is absolute necessity for a doctor like I said earlier.The 1^st thing that I thought of while choosing a pen was that I should choose a sleek one for the lady but ended up choosing this one - Tommy Hilfiger Destiny Pen, Item number : 5298285_9999 . I know its huge but I was just following my concept of matching everything & realised that since she anyways has to bag to carry it, it doesn’t matter


13. And Finally once she’s all set to leave she needs frangrance. Davidoff Cool Water Sensual Essence EDP - 100 ML Item number: 7229567_9999 will provide her with that.

And so to summarize the Associate Professors look we have –

1. Ashika Faux Georgette Saree – Rs 4705


2. Lemon Pepper - Ladies Footwear - Rs 1104


3. SPRIT Timewear - Ladies Watch - Marin Speed Rosegold - Rs 9995  


4. Infinity Necklace 751476GRBY - Rs 1100


5. Cygnus Diamond Earring-ER6707 - Rs 16644


6. Sparkles Diamond Bracelet for HER- BR7665 bracelet - Rs 5650


7. Nakshatra 18KT Gold Ring with 0.11cts diamond - Price Rs 16700


8. Hidesign- Handbag  – Rs 4795


9. Maybelline Expert Wear Eye Shadow Quad Seashore Frosts - Rs  240


10. Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color Yummy Plummy - Rs 310


11. Maybelline Vivid and Smooth Color Eye Pencil Violet Pearl - Rs 215


12. Tommy Hilfiger Destiny Pen - Rs 2490


13. Davidoff Cool Water Sensual Essence EDP - 100 ML  - Rs 4350

Total – Rs 68298



Next coming onto our Assistant professor. He is young, dynamic & just out of medical school. He wants to look young so that the PG’s & Interns hit on him. So I can dress up as stylishly as I want but again sticking to the Diwali theme.

1. This Manish Creations-Mens Kurta Pyjama Set Item number: 6517460_9126 looks awesome. Its young & stylish & definitely different from the one that was chosen for the professor


2. Manyavar Mens Ethnic Wear Jutis are somehow designed in such a way that one style of juti goes with multiple kurthi pyjamas. This one with Item number : 5293023_9126 look like the right one for the attire that I’ve chosen


3. As I said earlier choosing watches is the one I enjoy the most when it comes to selecting the attire. Normally I prefer watches only with metal straps but this ESPRIT Timewear - Mens Watch - Atrium Chrono Brown Item number : 7241079_9999 was perfect for the Kutha… Oh yes Im excited when it all falls into place :-D


4. This Hidesign - Mens Wallet Item number: 6221318_9126 is different from the usual & will go nice with our young AP


5. One thing the youngsters do is to pour perfumes on themselves like there’s no tomorrow. For the perfume I’ve experimented with this Police Uomo M EDT 100ML Item number : 6162671_9999 !


6. I actually really liked some of the other pens that were available but this one came closest to suit the ensemble Tommy Hilfiger Newton Pen Item Number : 5298813_9999


7. And finally you cant go to the hospital with that 5’oclock stubble & so we complete the look with LOreal Paris Men Expert Shaving Gel Item number : 3064839_9999

Summarizing the Assistant Professor’s look we have :

1. Manish Creations-Mens Kurta Pyjama Set - Rs 11999


2. Manyavar Mens Ethnic Wear Jutis – Rs 599 l


3. ESPRIT Timewear - Mens Watch - Atrium Chrono Brown - Rs 9295


4. Hidesign - Mens Wallet - Rs 1595


5. Police Uomo M EDT 100ML - Rs 2000


6. Tommy Hilfiger Newton Pen - Rs 3490


7. LOreal Paris Men Expert Shaving Gel - Rs 550

           Total – Rs 29528



And last but not the least comes the Post Graduate, that’s me :-D Young, dashing, handsome & Vibrant :-P Ok that’s too much I know! So here’s the thing, being a post graduate I wouldn’t go all out to spend on my attire but since the winning prize is Rs 20000, Ill take that as my budget. After all its not everyday that we get to spend so much in a day. Now I have to get an ensemble for that!

1. Firstly the attire. No No…This time Kurtha Pyjama wont do. I would like to look different from the Professors. So I’ve decided on a short kurta. I think it would look ‘young’ at the same time not looking too casual & also goes with the festival season! I would wear this Veda-Mens Short Kurta Item Number : 6832825_9126  brown in color


2. With jeans I’d like to keep it plain & simple. Dark blue, nothing fancy with a straight fit ALWAYS! And the one which suits all this is Levis-Mens 531 Fit Regular Straight Fit Jeans Item number : 6872667_8408  …. And Im getting a good deal as well!


3. Watch watch watch! And no this time I’ve not gone for a fossil. I’ve given myself this ESPRIT Timewear - Mens Watch - Circolo Chrono Rosegold Item number : 7241087_9999 Coz my wife tells me that rosegold is now in fashion. I must also admit that I went easy on the attire so that I could splurge on the watch :-D


4. I went through all the sandals comparing the price with the style. The I-Walk - Mens Sandal brown color Item Number : 6402556_9126  would do nicely!

So I now have 6000 to play around with & have to fit in a wallet, pen & perfume! Tough task.

5.The wallet is a Hidesign - Mens Wallet Item number : 6556121_9126 . Its simple but different

6.Ok I chose this pen, not the best but it fits the budget. Sheaffer 300 Gift Collection Ballpoint Pen 9315 Item number : 4034604_9999

7.Nike is one of my favourite perfumes & Im lucky to get a deo & perfume combo here J Nike - Mens Gift Set - Pure - EDT - 75ml and Deo 200ml Item Number 6163240_9999

8. And guess what! I bought all these & I still have enough budget to spend on a nice pair of sunglasses! Isnt that just perfect. I have chosen the IDEE Mens Sunglasses – 1624 Item Number : 6881134_9999

 

So to summarize my look-

1. Veda-Mens Short Kurta -  Rs 895


2. Mens 531 Fit Regular Straight Fit Jean -  Rs 1839


3. ESPRIT Timewear - Mens Watch - Circolo Chrono Rosegold - Rs 10995


4. I-Walk - Mens Sandal brown color - Rs 1599 


5. Hidesign - Mens Wallet – Rs 1095


6. Sheaffer 300 Gift Collection Ballpoint Pen 9315 - Rs 1350


7. Nike - Mens Gift Set - Pure - EDT - 75ml and Deo 200ml - Rs 799


8. Mens Sunglasses – 1624 - Rs 1350

Total – Rs 19922



So there you have it. Those are mine & purely mine choices. Its the first time I've gone through a fashion website so comprehensively. Please do let me know what you think of my choices.

This blog post is an entry for the www.shoppersstop.com's Shoppers Stop Perfect look contest in association with www.Indiblogger.in . All the that have been selected are from their website.

Everything That Is Wrong With Indian Cricket!

Before the start of the India England test series everyone had been bemoaning the fact that India had lost 8 test matches in a row against Australia & England in “away” conditions. Almost all the players especially the batsmen had received flak except for perhaps Virat Kohli. “They cant play swing, they cant adjust to pace, they don’t know how to hold the bat…..” Our bowlers too especially the pace bowlers who were expected to do well in helpful conditions were found wanting. Everything from ‘Too much 20 – 20’ to ‘too many advertisements’  had been quoted as the reason for the failures by the public… As usual! The age old theory of how the pitches in India weren’t competitive were put forward by the cricket pundits…. As usual





Leaving all that aside, I found the above score card courtesy cricinfo.com of a match between UP & Maharashtra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. And this one score card perhaps symbolises what is wrong with Indian Cricket. Here is a test match in which the side batting 1^st i.e Maharashtra batted for the first 3 days! Yes 3 whole days amassing 700 plus runs without even being all out. Some of the batting scores there are mighty impressive indeed.A triple century! Wow K Jadav should replace Sachin Tendulkar at no.4 in the Indian team, shouldn’t he? When was the last time the Indian team scored 700? 0r 600? Or 500 in England? Looking at the bowling card probably will bring you tears, what with bowlers bowling 40 to 50 overs without anything to show for it. In reply the Suresh Raina led UP didn’t do badly either. On a 4^th & 5^th day pitch they managed 600 odd runs without being all out again. Our world cup wonder Piyush Chawla scoring more than a run a ball 150 to punish the opposition for making him bowl 50 overs in the sun. Either there wasn’t any wear & tear of the pitch or the batsmen were exceptional…. No prizes for guessing which one.

How can one expect India to produce International cricketers if such matches are played at the domestic level. How can you expect better crowds in the stadium? Not even 2 innings completed, below average cricketers made to look like super stars. How are the selectors supposed to judge players from such matches. We shout over roof tops that we don’t have “really fast” bowlers in the Indian team when Pakistan seem to produce one every month. Who would be stupid enough to want to be a fast bowler & bowl for 3 days on a pitch that resembles a highway! Whats worse is that Maharashtra have roped in former English all rounder Dermot Reeve as their coach to polish their skills & make them better cricketers. Is this how he trains them, by batting for 3 days? Isnt there something called sportsman spirit in the game? He came under severe criticism from the opposition captain Suresh Raina, one will never know if Suresh Raina would have done the same if he had batted first but we have to give him the benefit of the doubt. But Raina better forget that & worry about the fact that he scored a duck on a pitch that Piyush scored 150, pretty embarrassing for both of them! And then they ask what is wrong with Indian cricket…….

A Love Story

I am an eternal romantic! And true to my nature I fell in love! Love that transformed into marriage. A love story that began with dance…. yes dance class is where I spotted her, internet is where I pursued her, the beach was where we shared our dreams & finally we walked down the isle to be happily married since a year now…I would love to tell my story if Harper Collins would give me this opportunity. Hence wont reveal anything more till I get a go ahead :-) And yes its a true story!

This blog post is a sample blog to be posted for Harper Collins "Get Published" initiative