The Art of Gifting

Gifts are always precious for anyone. It’s a proof that someone or some people care or love us. These gifts add happiness to our lives when years pass by. It can also bring tears if things never went the way you imagined. Anyway, I’m not going to write a sad note here. Let’s talk about the unforgettable gifts or memories!

For me, even a greeting card is a biggest gift. I make it sure that I give a card along while gifting someone. I believe it’s a sort of expressing our care and affection towards them. That is why I always had immense joy in receiving those. I used to get a lot of cards during my childhood; sadly I didn't keep them safely. I started treasuring them from my college days, which I know is a little late. Thanks to my best friend Achu for teaching me that. I have got many gifts during my college days, especially from Achu and my school friends, which I still treasure the most. However, there are two instances which I will never ever forget in this life!

The first one happened while I was giving my birthday treat at Ambrosia bakery. That was during the first year of college life. It was really special as it was my first birthday after entering college and my school friends, cousins and a few college mates were present at the occasion. I got very surprised when they presented me some gifts. Usually, guys are too weak in gifting department. The gift of the day came from my college mates. It was a small and neatly wrapped in a gift paper. They wanted me to open it there itself and started laughing when I was unwrapping it. They even gave a caution to open it safely. Out of my anxiety, I opened it; everyone exploded into laughter, even the lady staff there couldn't hide her smile. Inside the gift box lied a neat and beautiful 'brief' ! I still can’t remember how I handled that embarrassing situation! It was really a new experience and even I couldn't stop laughing later. Soon, this incident became famous in college. However, I am very much grateful to them. That gift was really useful!

The next experience was a rather shocking one. This time from a gal, but it wasn't a brief anymore! This happened during my final year in college. One day I got a call from my friend Dhanya.

Dhanya (too happy): “Hey. Are you free tomorrow evening?”

I: “Hope I will be. Why? What happened?”

Dhanya: “Your birthday gift is awaiting. I would be very happy if you come and collect it as early as possible.”

I (excited): “Sure. We will meet tomorrow evening.” It’s quite natural that guys get excited when a gal is going to gift something. I couldn't hide that when I saw her.

Dhanya (smiling): “You seem so happy.”

I: “Of course. It’s the first gift from you. I’m super excited!” She handed over the gift to me. It was beautifully wrapped up in a costly Archies gift cover. That made me more curious.

Dhanya: “Do handle it with care.”

I (more curious): “Sure. What is it? Some crystal or something?”

Dhanya (laughing): “Much more precious. You will definitely like it. Get back home soon. I expect a call as soon as you open it.”

I: “Ok. Bye.”

I got back home at the earliest. However, my mom came to inspect this cover as soon as she saw it. She just gave a check without opening it.

Mom (doubtfully): “What is this? A beer?”

I (irritated): “Oh. This’s a gift my friend gave me. Don’t look it with suspicion.”

Mom: “Which friend?”

I: “College mate.”

She left the scene without much satisfaction. As soon as she left, I took the cover into my room. My aim was to check it before she returns. I opened it savagely and when I saw the gift, my mind said like “Holy Shit” ! A beer bottle was smiling in front of me and was saying “The King of Good Times”. If my mom had opened it, that slogan would have been really meaningful. I soon hid the bottle and dialed her without wasting any time.

I (still in shock): “What was that!!!?” She was laughing as soon as the call got connected.

I: “Laughing? You know, I just had a narrow escape. My mom was about to open it.”

Dhanya (still laughing): “That would have been the perfect gift.”

I: “Ya. I would have killed you then. How could you do this? At least you could have given a hint that it’s dangerous.”

Dhanya: “Then what’s the fun in it?” She continued laughing. Even I couldn't resist laughing after some time.

I: “One of the best gifts. And a truly shocking one! Between, how did you buy it?”

Dhanya (laughing): “Simple! Bought from the Triveni Beer shop.”

I (surprised): “You went to a beer shop???”

Dhanya (still laughing): “Ya. I took my friend along. I stood in the queue and bought it. But I had doubts about your favorite brand. You like this one, right?”

I (shocked): “No. I quit drinking!.”

We had a brief chat after that. Even though she gave me a shock, it was really a jolly experience. These types of gifts should be presented, but not always! The birthdays followed had much more peaceful experience. The only problem is that my face continues to get dipped in chocolate cake. I should thank my dear friends Tarun and Manu for that, hope I get a payback soon! As I wrap up this blog, a card is in front of me. I got this one recently. It’s very special too! 

PS: Plan and surprise your friend/loved one's. These ideas are outdated. Try something more exciting! And this's my 50th post. I would love to thank everyone who supported me till now. Thank You, Love you all!

Courier 'Scare'

The word ‘courier’ makes my friend Naveen screams the most. He’s afraid of couriers ever since he picked up one for me back in 2008. The story happened soon after my eventful college tour. It was the content of the courier which gave too many troubles for him. Let’s get into the story fast!

I did most of the shopping from Bangalore during the tour. However, I was unable to find a special type of bangle which my friend asked me to get for her. I searched for it all over the commercial street and couldn't find it. The reality was that I had no idea how that bangle looked like! Finally, my friend mailed its picture after I got back home. Soon I requested my sister’s friend Nitha to buy and courier it. However, I knew delivering this courier to my house will create utter havoc. So I asked Naveen’s address and asked him to pick the courier for me (hope I told him about the content). He gladly gave the address and told me to inform when the courier is send. Nitha send the courier as soon as I gave the address, but I forgot to tell him about this!

I called him next day afternoon to tell about this. The scene changed completely from that moment.

I: “Hello da. The courier was sent yesterday evening. Hope you will get it by tomorrow”.

Naveen (serious tone): “Got it. It’s here”.

I (surprised): “What?? This fast? Courier companies have become efficient”.

Naveen: “I want to talk to you. Come fast and take it”.

The scene at his home was completely unexpected. He looked at me with a gloomy and agitated expression, but even had a smile at times. His mom was always having a smile on her face. It was she who handed over me the courier. I was little embarrassed to receive it as she clearly knew what was inside it. I told her all the details regarding it, still she had that smile. He was always urging me to get out of there soon, and finally we left after ending the conversation with aunty. He didn't talk much during the journey to our usual hangout spot. His behavior got completely transformed on reaching the spot, like Vikram’s transformation to Annyan from the soft spoken Ambi!

Naveen (agitated): “Why you didn't tell that the courier was send”?

I: “Actually I forgot. I never expected it will reach this fast. Something bad happened?”

Naveen: “Yes, why not? Mom doubts me!” I couldn't resist laughing at that. This made him angrier.

Naveen: “She believes that the girl send courier for me!”

I: “But I told her the truth right? She knows that’s for my friend.”

Naveen: “You arrived at the end only. Lot much happened before that.”

I: “What? You could have told her the truth at the beginning itself.”

Naveen: “You think I’ll save your image? Never! I told everything so that you lose the good image in front of her.”

I: “Well done, thank you! Then what’s the problem?”

Naveen: “My mom is too intelligent. She has her own reasons and proofs to believe that I have a relation with the girl who sent the courier!”

I (surprised): “What???”

Naveen (sad tone): “Hope you remember I had my college tour a week before yours. Even I was there at Bangalore for some days. She believes that I met this girl then. Since my mom believes so much in me, she is sure that I gifted these bangles to her. After I got back here, she send it back. This is what my mom interpreted from the courier incident.” This was really unexpected. I started laughing like anything.

I (still laughing): “So she believes you bought her bangles to impress, and she send it back as soon as you got here?”

Naveen: “Unfortunately, yes!”

I: “That’s one of the best stories I have ever heard! I thought only we could make such fabricated one’s.”

Naveen: “Hmm. The story would have been more interesting if your mom received the courier! I would have had the time of my life.” That was really a shocking quote from him. It made me think for some time and finally we laughed together.

I: “Come on, let’s leave this. Can we have a game of snooker now?”

Naveen (with a weak smile): “Ya, that’s the only relief now. Let’s go!” The issue got solved then. We got into the bike and happily rode towards our snooker club.

Naveen: “For god’s sake, please never give my address to anyone. I will never ever send or receive a courier again!” As always, the day ended happily at the snooker club.

Recently, I wanted to deliver a flipkart shipment to my cousin’s home and was asking his address. I forgot that Naveen was also present there. The reply came soon.

Naveen (almost screaming): “No, don’t give him your address. Once, I got a nice gift. I haven’t got over from that gift’s effect. If you want to stay in your house, better don’t give him.” My cousin got absolutely confused with this.

I (laughing): “Oh yes, I forgot that. What’s your new address?”

Naveen (smiling): “Oh no. I live in the street now. I don’t have an address.” We both laughed.

Later, he explained everything in detail. Everyone had a nice time hearing his helpless situation. Still, the word courier scares him the most. Friends, do give this a try if you want your best friend to be in trouble. However, make sure that you don’t show his way out!

The Spark Within!

Success comes as a result of teamwork, whatever the field maybe. I have always admired and respected teamwork, which sadly is now being missed in many fields. I had this opinion until I got associated with ‘Theepori Brothers’ cricket team. ‘Theepori Brothers’ happens to be a high profile team in UCL (UST Cricket League). Many of you will be wondering what relation I have with a team in UST? Except a few close friends like PG (Anup), Sarath, Jeeth and Rohit (Mudi), the rest of the team members were strangers to me. However, it just took a game for me to get close to the team.

Jeeth, Rohit, Murali Bhai (Captain), Binu, Arun (Chandappy), Sibi (Kunthamuna), Serosh, Biswas, Pratheesh, Mhahesh, Abdu, Nikhil, Roshan (Sesky), Renjith, PG, Sarath (Physio/Psycho), Nibun, Dhanya, Lamya and Vidya are the proud members of this prolific team. The team was always in the limelight even before the start of the tournament, the main reason being our team was considered to be one of the strongest contenders for the cup. The performances in the initial matches seconded our contention for the glory. Our captain chose to chase in the two group matches. The opposition was restricted to a low score and we comfortably chased it down in a matter of few overs. Sibi, Binu and Serosh formed a formidable bowling unit with apt support from Mhahesh, Arun and Pratheesh. In batting, the opening pair of Jeeth and Rohit came up as the most dangerous one of the tournament. The entertainment factor was another thing why people turned out in a good number for our games. Literally, we lit the ground in fire as soon as we won the first game. So, everyone expected something from us while we were on the ground.

The knockout matches weren't difficult as expected. Round of 16 match wasn’t exciting as we thought. The opposition just scored 23 runs while chasing our total of 115 and that made the game really boring. That game took us to quarter final for a clash against the defending champions Super Kings, a game everyone was waiting for. Everyone believed they were the team to defeat us, but they couldn't even challenge us as we won the game convincingly. Chasing a total of 116, they fell short by over 50 runs. Thanks to Rohit’s spirited knock and our tidy bowlers. In the semis, we faced a spirited and determined Deccan. They succeeded in restricting us to 46 in first 8 overs, but lost the game as when Jeeth launched the attack in the last 4 overs. Finally, the team total showed 118 and we won the game by a margin of over 40 runs. Yes, we got into the finals! The knockout phase saw some of the finest batting performances of the tournament. Both came from our openers and remained not out throughout the innings. Rohit unleashed a ruthless assault on Super Kings on his way to 74, whereas Jeeth’s 70 against Deccan showed how a classy innings should be. The bowling department chipped in some splendid performances to support these knocks. Not to forget Lamya’s catch to dismiss the star batsman of Super Kings, which almost sealed their exit. Everyone in the team contributed in some way to win every game, that I believe is the reason for our success.

Soon after winning the quarter final, people started saying the cup was definitely our’s. More than winning, people were anxious to know what sort of entertainment was we planning to present them after winning! However, the final wasn't easy as expected. For the first time, our batting struggled in the tournament. But we were always sure of victory. 83 in 12 overs was not a total people expect from our team, but we knew that was enough for a great win. The asking run rate was not that big and the opposition had some batsmen to chase it down comfortably. However, we came to win and our bowlers started their job from the first over itself. Binu, Sibi, Arun and Serosh delivered the best bowling performance of the tournament, making it worse for the opposition. The fielding was spot on, so they had to work really hard for the runs. As a result, they required nearly 30 runs of the final over from Binu. We played with lot of confidence and snatched the victory by a margin of 28 runs. The spectators were presented with a fine display of teamwork. The whole team delivered their best performance to win the cup, but the special mention goes to Binu for a fine all around performance.

Crackers were lit all around the ground as soon as we became the champions. It lasted till the presentation ceremony got over. Jeeth was awarded the best batsman trophy, whereas Binu walked away with best bowler and man of the final trophies. Rohit was the third leading run scorer of the tournament. The celebrations were at the peak when Murali Bhai lifted the coveted UCL trophy. The credit of this victory goes to everyone who supported this team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our team manager PG, who was really the striding force of our team. Myself, Sarath and Nibun were lucky to be associated with such a great team. Not to forget the wonderful parties after the matches, thanks to onsite friends for the kind funding. Special thanks to Liju Bhai, Praveen, Ajith, Ashwin and Aslam for the immense support and thanks to whoever supported our team. Lastly, I would love to congratulate all Theepori members on my behalf and thank you all for presenting me with a wonderful experience.

It will be unfair if I conclude this blog without introducing the Theepori team to you all. Starting with Abdu, the ‘glamour’ boy of team. He was totally busy with his phone during the finals. Team management still probing whether he was giving live commentary or talking to some gal. Even though our captain Murali Bhai (M bhai) was criticized for many of his decisions, he led the team greatly. Got high chance of fever during pressure matches. Widely appreciated for the bond he shares with Jeeth! Arun, one of the senior most players of the team also had the additional charge of team photo shoot. But he went through a tough time when Theepori sisters Dhanya and Lamya went on a personal photo shoot spree, finally he had to hide the camera to escape. Binu was undoubtedly the best bowler of the tournament. However, he was the only player in the whole tournament to be run out by a ‘gal’! Biswas would have definitely won a gold medal in Olympics if he was sent for walking competition. I have never seen him sit anywhere or without being tensed. Sibi suffers from multiple personality. The calm,cool person off the ground can’t be seen on the ground. He plays with an utter serious attitude and aims at getting Guinness record for shortest over (Time). Mhahesh happens to be a replica of Sreesanth. However, his attitude was always an asset to the team. The seriousness in the face can’t be seen in the character of Serosh. He bowls with a great pace such that even the wicket keeper finds it difficult to catch. Nikhil will be reading this from America. It was sad that he couldn't see our winning moments. Our team will be always thankful to him for the way he charged up Sibi in the quarter finals. Sibi really showed the spirit of ‘Napoleon’ on the ground. To locate Pratheesh is the easiest thing ever. He loves to hang out at a hot spot opposite Technopark. The latest news reports that he has demanded for a rope way from his office to that spot! Roshan was always missing from the ground and that really was a luck factor in our win. Renjith was the most silent person in the team but  later learned it was for the good of the team.. whatever he said the opposite always happened. Nibun always came to the ground with his ‘mandrake’ coin. The match for which it was used as a toss coin saw some injuries and 2 wickets in first over of both innings. Ajith was initially a member of the team, but due to unavoidable circumstances he had to join another team BUt as Chanakya said.. Theepori inside Heart never dies.. Ajith Came bck to theepori team and was a Big support. Sarath’s position was changed from Team Physio to Team Psycho in the first match itself. He always had a dedication towards other teams, supplying water and other stuffs for them. Rohit banned prematch parties because of him alone. Rohit was really the ‘showman’ of our team. People inside the team made stories that he can only bat on the leg side, but proved it  right with his knock of 74 with all shots on leg side. On a lighter note, after scoring 74 he revealed the secret of his MUDI which is famous across the universe..Daily   bath three times with Ultra;). Rohit was always under the scanner for manipulating the previous year statistics to improve his record. Jeeth is a terrific cricketer. But he always choose to field at long on only. It’s just because there’s a shade there. While all others get burned under the hot sun, he relaxes under the shade and have a cool time! I can’t say about PG in two or three lines. For that, I will write a separate blog. For the time being, I can say that he is the main story maker of our team. He has always made controversial stories about innocent people. He’s the only person who advised me not to love a HR employee. Theepori sisters Dhanya, Lamya and Vidya gave ample support for our team. Only Arun had a tough time dealing their photo shoot.

From my experience, I know many of them really wanted us to lose. It’s just because they knew we were the team to beat. But we came to win and we did it. We played in the right spirits and presented everyone with great entertainment. It’s sad that the tournament has come to an end now. I know everyone will be waiting anxiously for next Theepori show even I’m waiting. I really hope this team stays as it is of now and the friendship which paved our success!

Fading Memories...

Remember the time when we all used to write on autograph books, slam books, etc.? I think that was a prestigious thing to do some ten years back. Not to forget about all those greeting cards we used to send or gift our loved ones, the letters we used to write, passing messages on paper chits during class hours, scribbling or drawing on our notebooks, etc.! Well, I definitely miss those things now. The very reason for writing this article happened when I went through my slam books after a long time. Really wish I could get back to my school days!

Sadly, these days, I find all these things disappearing from our life. Of course, technology is far more advanced these days. These days we got e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, etc for keeping in touch. I’m not against these, but I still love and value our traditional ways of communication. Letters were replaced by e-mail sometime back, but now e-mail has become more a part of professional use. Everyone finds convenience with text messaging, chats, etc. When I was in school, calling to land phone was the only way to talk to gals, which we have to fix a time earlier so that her dad, mom or brother won’t attend the call. Risk was too high!

We used to scribble and draw pictures in our notebook. And when we fall for a gal, our notebook gets filled with her name and pictures. We used to calculate the love percentage and look FLAME (F-friendship, L-love, A-affection, M-marriage, and E-enemy). E was disheartening for all of us. There was another game which my friend Anwar found out during 12th standard chemistry class. Nuclear chemistry was being taught and after the class hour, I found my textbook full of nuclear reactions containing ‘love’ sign! When asked, said he was trying out reactions between different guys and gals, and the result contained how many babies they get after the reaction, wasted sex tries, etc.! I wondered how this guy came first in exams, but believe me; he went on to become 3rd rank holder in GATE examination (Instrumentation) later.

How many of you have written love letters during school days or even in college? I don’t find anyone doing these days now; most of them love instant messaging, fb chats or texting. Well, I have written many during my school days. However, I never used to give them, and many ended it in my mom’s hands! Then e-mail was found useful, but got bored when after starting instant messaging. Then mobile phone, Orkut, Facebook, etc., took away the letter-writing habit from our society. However, I still continue to gift greeting cards to my loved ones. I strongly feel that it’s a true way of expressing our emotions, to whoever it may be.

Autograph books, slam books, etc. are some of the beautiful memories that we are left with. It was exciting to write about someone, but more exciting when someone writes in ours, especially gal. Guys get into a dream state when gals take the slam book or autograph book home. We will be too eager to know what they write in ours, we even forget to look what guys have written about us. It was also a way to know more about a gal, her interests, secrets, what she thinks about us, phone number, e-mail address, etc. Boys used to write all sorts of nonsense about boys and exactly opposite in a gal’s book. However, we boys love to keep on reading a gal’s comment even if it’s nonsense or irritating. For example,

“Pray to god before u sleep, so that u won’t see any unnecessary dreams." This was a comment written by a gal in my slam book. The context of this comment happens to be a naughty dream I saw about her. Believe me, it was way naughty!

We get happy and emotional while going through all these now. Those who have just finished her schooling or college could relate well to this topic. As the technology advances, all those small things that we once used to value a lot will lost it's charm. Interestingly, the next generation won't be aware of this culture, which once was a part of our life. “Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose”… the quote says it all! Ok people; get back to your old memories while I have a look through my slam book again (especially the page written by one of the hottest gals of Trivandrum. Trust me, she was!).

Amigo Amigo!

Birthdays are the most exciting day for all of us. The special phone calls at 12, birthday bumps, party with friends, etc., all that makes us excited from the previous day itself. However, I always remember my birthday with a shock. It’s unusual that a guy joins a school in the final days of an academic year, that too a tall and handsome guy. However, why did Nipin join on January 13 itself? Our English teacher Josephine Miss was the one who asked me to welcome him with a toffee and shake hand! And there started the tale of our friendship. First, I believed he was thrown out of previous school for some illegal activities. However, with an innocent face and behavior, he became the favorite of everyone! Without wasting any time he made a lot of fans in every class. Basketball was the key to his success. Well, I can surely say he was the first basketball player whom our school saw!

Many of you may have read about him from my previous blogs, so I’m not going to say in detail about him. Best friends can even get you into troubles at times. He was always an expert in that. In simple, he can be compared to Stifler in American Pie or Kumar in the Harold&Kumar movie series. He has a special knack for getting me into troubles. In 11th standard, I had to visit our student councilor for some reason. Those days she called up guys to discuss only about love troubles. Unfortunately, he saw me getting into her room. As I expected when I got back all sorts of stories were spreading. Many came to ask about my love failure story, the mental trouble I was experiencing, etc....huh, I was totally screwed. I was relieved that he didn’t say that I went to make love with her! He even screwed me during 10th standard model exam. We decided not to study Malayalam for the last model exam as the question paper always had been repeating questions. I stopped writing after two hours, but he went on writing something until the end of examination. When I asked about that he said he was looking at a gal for three hours. I shouldn’t have believed him. When the marks got out, I got a decent pass mark, whereas he stood among the toppers of that subject! Well, I do like to share all such screwed instances with you all, but that may put me in another trouble soon.

Whatever happens, he’s my best friend forever. Day before yesterday we had the decennial celebration of our friendship. As Achu always says he’s a best friend whom anyone can ever get. After seeing this, he may say that I’m jealous of him, that’s why I’m writing all these stuffs. Definitely, I was jealous because of the fan base he had among gals. In fact, he was a champion in every game he played. Still, he dumps me into troubles whenever he gets a chance. Though I say all these, he’s a guy whom we can really depend on. He brings a lot of smiles to everyone. Very friendly guy with whom we will always have fun. It’s hard to get such good friends these days. This time my birthday was truly a special one. Thanks to my dearest sister Achu, my friends (Nipi,Tarun,Giri), and my cousins for making this an ever memorable one!

(PS: The title is taken from Nipin's favorite dialogue in the film Urumi. Sorry for the late publication!)