The Showdown, At Last!

VS



The Wolf Me (in a terrible picture)




Finally! Showdown. Chowpatty Beach had its International Coastal Clean Up today, and I went there early in the morning to Charni Road and helped them clear out a LOT of trash, though there were quite a few other schools and colleges there to help. The majority of the filth consisted of these Ganpati Idols made of Plaster Of Paris, which really weren't too good on the environment. Now as i'm not too comfortable with crowds, once the whole thing was done with and the tide came in, I slipped away to a corner and began warming up, for today was supposed to be the day i finally met The Wolf! We had been stalling for days about the whole thing, and today he was finally supposed to meet me at 10:30.

11.30

I was still waiting for him to come, and my enthusiastic warm up (which was watched by quite a crowd, and one 10th standard kid even asked me if i was a national level player!) gave way to a sullen cool down, as he still didn't turn up. Frustrated, and on the end of my tether, I messaged him asking him to enjoy the beach, cos I would be gone. I received an instant reply stating he had reached, and there he was!
Well, he was exactly what I expected, though a little shorter. We walked to the beach, and in the sizzling mid day heat (it was now almost 12:00 noon) began our combat. We first decided to go on kicks, as I assumed he would be a better fighter, and I had a Taekwondo background. The match began, and I quickly realized that kicks weren't this guy's Forte. The match ended rather quickly, when my foot connected with the side of his face in a stunning roundhouse that knocked his contact lenses right out of his face. We stopped a while, and thankfully the lens wasn't knocked out, it was knocked somewhere in his eye, though he said he was fine enough to continue.
We moved on to Jijutsu, which was his background. A few minutes of fierce grappling, with each trying to lock his foot behind the other and make him taste the dirt ended with both of us on the ground. A few more minutes of fierce submission moves ended with him tapping out.

Abdul's Ten Commandments

Abdul's Ten Commandments, also known as the ACC (Abdul's Code of Conduct)
1. Never work-shirk. Work is your worship.
2. The Sunnat is the only path to true success,
3. Always be polite.
4. Slay a dragon everyday - Never be afraid of trying something new daily.
5. Listen and observe. We got two eyes and two ears for a reason.
6. Use all of your available resources to the maximum. Waste is anathema.
7. Stay unattached - No friends, no enemies. Only allies and adversaries. Trust is a fool's prerogative.
8. Never forget why you do what you do.
9. Remember code #2.
10. Whatever you do, do it to perfection.

Maya..?

When I was a little boy with lots of baby fat on his cheeks and a very naive view of the world, i heard a little nursery rhyme.

"Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
Merrily merrily merrily merrily,
Life is just a dream"

Ah, the joys of youth! The bliss of ignorance! Not a care about the cold, cruel world that we would have to face in just a few years.

A few days ago i attended a workshop on mythology by Devdutt, a famed author on mythology and NOT a relative of Devdas, and he spent hours telling us about the intricacies of Maya. Soon after that, i remembered this little rhyme, and I thought, "Geez! Vision changes in many ways with age!"
What do we learn from this? Life is too short to fuck it up with bad moods and depression. Be happy today, tomorrow can wait. Seriously. I know its been cliched beyond belief, but then again its been cliched for a reason - cos its damn fucking true.

Its all about the Ummat

An experience which i had today has logged itself in my mind - i was in a JAM-FUCKING-PACKED train, and was forced to get off two stops later, and by the time i got off, it was time to break my fast! Now, i had one rupee exactly in my pocket, and I was looking around for something affordable with which i could break my fast when my nazar fell upon this pani-puri vendor wearing a green cap and a tasvi. I told him to give me a glass of water for one buck, and told him that i had to break my fast. When he heard the word fast, his entire demeanour changed, and from nowhere a samosa-pav appeared along with a glass of water, and he was smiling and saying I too have to break my fast. He later refused to take payment for the samosa, and was even offended that i would suggest such a thing!
Kinship. Such a powerful thing. For a person i have never met before, or whom i hardly know, just the very term that he is a Muslim stirs so many feelings inside - the feeling of brotherhood, the feelings of protectiveness, the feeling of togetherness, so many others. Ah, but is life interesting!
What else of interest took place? LEt's see..
Me and Anjo had a little "Abdul and Anjo go to Phoenix Mills" episode in the daily soap of every BMM Wilsonian's life (love you wilson!) and as we were pretty jobless today we decided to head for phoenix mills. The lazy fuck that i am, i didnt have a ticket, and decided to ride shotgun. Unfortunately, the compartment of mine was suddenly flooded with TCs, not one or two, but FOUR! I was cornered like a rat, and as i had no money on me except some dollars the TCs took me off the train and drained poor Anjo's pocket. Our money depleted, we set off toward Phoenix Mills nevertheless, where in Subway (Anjo had some restaurant coupons) we found this mentally retarded chick hitting on the employees. Interesting.
Next stop, Dna Office
Next stop, Hard Rock Cafe.
Next stop, Home!

Acknowledgements

Throughout my life ive had the good fortune to be tutored by the best of teachers. The debt of gratitude i owe to these great men and women can never be fulfilled. A humble beginning, however, would be this little article in this blog. To you, for all you've given me.
My Father:

Truly the biggest inspiration in my life, my father, Dr.Pradeep Chowdhury. A man whose persona is exceeded only by his brilliance, this man has taught me how to take pleasure from the simple things in life. He introduced me to the magical world of books, encouraged all of my interests and hobbies (even my whims at times) and showed me how to keep smiling, no matter what. All the gratitude in the world can't begin to show what i feel for him. Love you dad.

My Mother:

Hercules had the twelve labours. Odysseus had the Odyssey. Theseus had the Labyrinth. All these men had to go through a trial of fire that truly prepared them and taught them to face the world. I too have had my trial by fire, though its not a Minotaur or a Siren or a Hydra; it's something more dangerous than all of these combined - my mother. A woman of iron will and determination, some of the experiences she has put me through would make others wonder whether she truly is my mother, but that's what im thanking her for - for showing me how to deal with pain and suffering.

Mrs.Anne Isaac, English Teacher:
Although its not that easy to remember details of childhood memories, Mrs.Anne Isaac stands out clearly from my days in standard 6. She encouraged my interest in the english language, and taught me further the beauty of books and the magic of creativity. She was unconventional, spirited, and a great source of support who gave me 'Just William' books for coming first!

Mohammed Sardar Shaikh
When i first joined my Taekwondo lessons I took them like anyone else would - just another two hours where you kick and punch your stress levels away. Soon, however, my perception levels took a royal beating - i saw my taekwondo lessons as not just a physical exercise, but also a spiritual exercise, thanks to my Master, the highly accomplished Mohammed Sardar (yes yes i know it sounds corny beyond belief but please deal with it). He is peerless in both his knowledge of the martial arts and his deeni (urdu for religious) knowledge. A true Muslim, it is a real pleasure listening to him talk about Islam in today's context. Whenever i have any doubts, i turn to him for guidance and reassurance.

Apurva:
My ex. For a lot of stuff.