Worthy Secrets

Howdy All,

After a long hiatus, Metalhead is back and will try to post regularly. Lots have changed during the time away. With Junior Metalheads (yes you read it right.. it is plural!) running around the house, it has been a challenge posting stuff. As a goal, I am trying to write an article for Spark Magazine  every month based on their theme. While the goal is get the article(s) published, I will reproduce them here every month for you. Without further ado, here is my submission in September 2019 to Spark Magazine for their October issue's theme "Secrets". Will appreciate your comments - bouquets & brickbats (all virtual) are welcome!
Note: This didn't get published in Spark Magazine.

As the clock struck 7, the guard open the doors of the cell. He had seen many prisoners before, but none like this one. He went to him and told him. “It’s almost time. Do you have any last wishes?”. The man turned and had a look at the guard with a smile. “I do have one. I’d like to hoist my nation’s flag and salute it one last time.”

The guard wasn’t surprised. This man was different. He had not seen anyone else go through what this man had gone. This man could smile after everything. The guard retorted “This will be difficult. You know how your nation’s flag is treated here. Do you need anything else?”. The man replied calmly “Sir, you very well know that I don’t need anything else.” “Ok” the guard replied, “Let me check with my boss” and went out of the cell locking the door.

The man looked at the guard as he went out of the cell with his smile intact. As the guard disappeared from his view, his smile started diminishing as his thoughts came around. He turned away from the camera in his cell. His thoughts started to go to his family back in his homeland, his parents, wife and son. They didn’t know what exactly he did for a living. All they knew was that he had a new job where he had to travel extensively. The details of his job were a secret which had to die with him. He didn’t even know whether his family knew about his capture and what he had underwent. He started wondering how they will get to know what happened to him. He had lost the count of the days since he was captured and didn’t know where he was lodged. Only thing he knew for sure was that he was in enemy’s hands and he couldn’t give up any of the secrets in his head. They tried breaking his bones, resolve and will. He kept up his façade as much as possible. All his pain was masked by his smile. The enemy should never feel this weakness.

Slowly, his thoughts went to his wife and new-born son and light tears started to engulf his eyes. As he wiped his tears, he started to think about they will cope with his absence. Will the endless wait break their resolve? Will they ever have closure about his fate? His mind started to wonder how his son will grow up without a father. Is this all worth it? He knew that he still has a window to give out the secrets and his fate can change.

As this thought came about, the guard came back to open the cell door. He quickly gathered his thoughts and got a smile on his face. The guard said “You are lucky. My boss has agreed for your request and everything has been arranged.” The man’s smile widened, and he spoke happily “Thank you sir. Thank you. You will have my eternal gratitude.”. “Ok. It’s time. Let’s go. Are you ready for this?”, the guard asked earnestly. The man replied happily, “Yes sir. I’m all set”. The guard slipped on the handcuffs onto the man’s wrists gently. The man joined the guard with the others and enthusiastically walked with them.

It was a pretty long walk. The man felt the gentle breeze on his face. It’s been a while since he got out of the dark cell. He enjoyed every bit of it and moved towards his destination. It was a long dark passage with few incandescent bulbs, which lit some of the pathway. Once they crossed the passage, they reached the room. It was big room with some light only over the stage. As his eyes spotted the stage, he thought of the occasions in his life where he wanted the spotlight, and he could finally see that he is in the spotlight. The guard led him onto the stage and removed his handcuffs. Once on the stage, he could see his beloved nation’s flag and he saluted it enthusiastically. He was all smiles. They had fulfilled his last request. He has done what he could for his nation. Now, the enemy won’t get a chance to know his secrets. He can now be happy for the rest of his life. He stepped close to the rope. The guard tied his hands and put a black hood over his head and the world went dark. The noose was put around his neck. He was all smiles inside and waited for the inevitable.

Suddenly, a pair of hands came out and removed the hood from his and ropes around his hands and the room was all bright. There was a person standing in front of him. He looked familiar. He had his hands out and started talking “Mr. Ram – I’m the director of our organization. Hope you remember me from the pictures in our office. All this was a test to check your resolve. You have passed with flying colours. You’ll now be promoted.”

The man thought “It is true. Some secrets are worth keeping”.

Perspectives - Episode 1

Preface

Living in namma Bengaluru has its own perks. One of the most under appreciated aspects is the non- driving time during a drive to anywhere. My favorite past time during such time is to see people within / on other vehicles and try to read their mind and wonder what is going on in their mind at that particular moment of time. I don’t think I was ever accurate, not that I intended to authenticate my findings. It has been a fun activity.

This series has been inspired by this mundane activity of mine. This story concentrates on the perspective of the characters in their situations and what happens when these situations intertwine. I hope to entertain you (the reader) with this fictional work of mine.

Episode – 1 – Nights ahoy

It was pouring that night. It felt like the skies wanted to pour out all their sadness. It was dark. But none realized the presence of a darker shadow, which was moving about. He didn’t want anyone to pay attention to him. He wanted to fulfill his urge. All of a sudden, the lights came back on. There was a crowd around him. He was shocked by this turn of events. Then the song started.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU… HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR RAJ… HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU…”

He didn’t know what to say. He dropped the cashew nuts on the floor and had his mouth open. He looked around and started talking. But the words were not coming and everything after that was a blur. Something was not right. It was not his birthday.

------

She hated Sunday nights. Monday mornings were bad. She had to follow the same old routine. She tried telling her parents that she didn’t want to go there. But they never listened to her. She had to wear that dress. She hated wearing it, as it was never been comfortable and lift the bag of books and go in the bus. She hated travelling in that bus. She didn’t have an option but to go through this routine for six days a week. How she would love to come out of this routine. Then she heard a voice.. “Sheetal, go to sleep now otherwise you’ll be late tomorrow”. She loved it much better when she was home till last month. One day her parents got her new clothes, a bag and new books and started telling her that she is now a big girl and has to go to a new place during the day. They call it something that starts with a pre-.

---------

Life has never been the same since he saw her that morning while waiting at the traffic signal. He saw her walking on the footpath, talking to her friends and then the smile and a gentle breeze flowing through her hair. He saw her, but didn’t think she saw him, especially with his helmet on. He never felt like this before. Before he could do something, the signal went green and he had to move. It was a one way and the cops were there and he lost her.

He couldn’t sleep. All he could see was her pretty face. He turned around and saw her lying next to him. He didn’t know whether he was dreaming. He pinched her cheeks and then came a shriek,

“Dude, what are you doing? Can’t you let a guy sleep in peace. I have an exam tomorrow.”

“Hey Charan, what are you doing here?”

“@##!!@#, Who else did you expect? Your grandmother? Did you forget that I live here?”

“Sorry da macha, it was that girl I told you about this morning”

“Shut up and sleep. If you can’t sleep, at least don’t disturb me. I need to clear that exam tomorrow.” Charan paused and saw his face.  “I don’t trust you with that grin on your face. I am out of here.”

Charan turned around and just to play safe, he moved to the next room muttering “Stupid Arjun. Won’t let me sleep in peace.”

Charan put his blanket down and was about to sleep and the fan went off. He started crying. “First it wass Arjun and now it is the electricity. Why the hell don’t they want me to sleep?”

Arjun shut his eyes. But he couldn’t sleep. All he could see was she walking down the road with her smile and the breeze behind her.

------

It has been a tough week for him. Sales were down and he was not making enough money and things were tight at home. And now he has got a warning from his landlord that if he didn’t pay the remaining rent, he will be kicked out of the house. The power has been disconnected. He couldn’t arrange food, let alone other necessities. They were depending on him. It has been raining and the merchandise got wet. He started wondering how he is going to sell them the next morning. He tried covering more ground. He ended up missing customers. He tried staying at a single place, but none turned up there. He had to do something about it. It can’t continue this way. The phone started ringing. He picked up the phone. The voice started on the phone. “Hey Gopi, bad news. There was an accident. A car hit your cart and all the peanuts on the cart fell down into the drain”. Gopi didn’t know how to react. All his investments have literally gone down the drain. He didn’t know what he had to do now.

He got up from his bed, wore his shirt and started from his home.

(To be contd…)

Original one liners

Time for some original one-liners... Please be warned that these might trigger extreme reactions ranging from extreme laughter to extreme banging of your head :-) ...

1. I hate driving this car, but I love driving you crazy

2. If you find that this car is being driven rashly or negligently, then don't come near the car ..

3. If you are reading this, then you are on the wrong side of the road..

4. My heart is not as big as my belly..

5. I want my no-claim bonus. If you want yours, stop reading and start driving…

6. Blackberry alert... Not mine, the cop's..

Arm chair expert - Prelude

Indians are highly opinionated. Everybody has an opinion on every matter. It is so deep that software engineers have opinions on how to improve the quality and quantity of agriculture produce, farmers have opinions on how to win more gold medals in olympics and so on.. Everybody is an arm chair expert. I have noticed this during cricket matches, especially those involving India.. The most common area which is discussed is politics. The current happenings come a close second.. This is hardly noticeable in other developed countries. During the presidential elections in the land of opportunities, I wanted to make small talk with one of the people out there and made the mistake of asking who might win the election. Out came a curt reply that they don't discuss politics and religion.. This incident made me aware of the unique ability of my country men people..

Given that I also share the traits of my fellow citizens, I am starting with a series of posts in my blog  with my opinions on various topics. Will try to cover a topic in each post.

Watch this space for more.

Disclaimer : I am not an expert in any of the topics being discussed in this series. I have tried my level best to be as objective as possible. I am not affiliated to any political party or NGO. The intention here is not to just anybody's sentiments. In case if you feel otherwise, please pardon me.

October 30th

October 30th is a big red letter day in Indian history... This is the day our country comes onto the global map big time..
This is because of the F1 Indian GP happening that day. This has bought Metallica here for a grand performance..

Am seriously looking forward to both of these events..

Jai Ho !!!

KISS

Hmmm.. life.. Sometimes it feels too easy and some times too difficult.. What might be the reason????

The problem is that we think too much and complicate the matters.. I have heard of the term KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) ... Makes a lot of sense.. Everywhere starting from life to software...

Why am I thinking like this.. This is the reason why I haven't blogged for ages.. Thinking too hard to get a topic and by the time I got it, was too tired to blog on it... Anyways I am back (this time hopefully I blog more regularly)..

Till next time Ta Ta!!!!

Safe travel???

Hey everyone, been a long time since I posted on this blog. Loads of things have changed since I last blogged. The year 2009 has gone by in a flash. The world economy has yo-yo'd back from a recession. Least of it all(???), Metalhead is going to lose his bachelor's and (soon to be) Mrs Metalhead will gain her masters in a few weeks time..
So, that sort of explains the absence of Metalhead from the blogosphere. Lack of interesting topics was one of the main reasons Metalhead has been missing from action.
I had read in the newspapers that there was an unsuccessful attempt to blow up a flight on the way to the land of opportunities. The impact of this was huge. On another flight to the same place, a poor guy had a stomach upset. He made quite a few trips to the loo, which was noticed and handed over to the authorities as a possible "suspect". Suspect for what? Being gastronomically challenged!!! ..
Voila!! there comes new rules on the flights in the air space of the land of opportunities..
1. Passengers should not get up from the seat one hour before the flight lands
2. Nothing to be kept on the laps
3. Passengers shouldn't reach their bags.. and etc...
After reading this, my brain started working overtime and came up with some better ideas to improve safety in travel
1. Passengers to declare while checking in, whether they expect temporary illness like stomach upset, vomitting, food poisoning(Chances are bleak, as food is not usually offered in the flight), which requires frequent trips to the loo during flight.
2. Footwear not be worn on foot, rather carried in a transparent plastic bag
3. Passengers should wear diapers similar to the astronauts during flight (This will be available for a nominal fee).. Otherwise, risk being a "suspect".
4. Stainless steel clamps to replace seat belts to hold passengers onto the seats during the complete flight.
5. Only clothes certified "safe" by the authorities to be worn by passengers. This includes undergarments..

Let me know if you guys have some ideas to make our travel safe.. If this continues, I think people will start using horses and mules for transportation, rather go thru all these hassles...
Hmm.. thatz food for thought.. Till next time Ta Ta!!!

Metalhead's tips while travelling..

Life sure is funny... Sometimes funny doesn't make you laugh.. Just like most of jokes, which I crack which are "funny"... I have seen people react to my jokes with more tears than what they usually have after watching King Kahn's movies ... BTW, the spelling mistake is intentional :-P ..

Coming back to my statement.. I say this because it has been some time since I left home to the land of opportunities and when I look back, I was surprised to notice that I have been travelling abroad quite a bit.. So what is a blog without a travelogue? So here is one in this blog...

While most of the people blog about their experience and adventures while travelling.. I thought I will post this based on my (mis)adventures during my travels.. So here comes the list of tips on what not to do while travelling, exclusively from the vaults of Metalhead's wisdom (However minute it may be)..

TIP 1:
Don't look at strangers undergoing extra security check @ the departure gate.. especially if they belong to your country or thereabouts..

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES :
You might have to answer lots of questions to a security officer, whose english is barely understandable.. Better be careful.. especially while answering questions like .. Do you have training in Chemical and Biological weapons... The answer maybe : I am a bio-chemical weapon.. I generate Bio-chemical gases on a regular basis.. Remember this, if you give this answer, you might end up in a cell eating cockroaches.. YUCK!!!

TIP 2 :
Never assume that the gate number printed on your boarding pass is the correct one

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES:
You might end up as Usain Bolt's distant cousin .. especially while running to the right gate.. Running fast with a heavy cabin bag is not fun.. It is not fun for your co-passengers on the plane, as you will be stinking pretty badly after your run :-) ..

TIP 3 :
Sleep in the plane, but not at the departure gate..

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES :
You might miss your plane.. But you might forget your ipod on da seat where you were catching forty winks, while trying to catch the plane..

TIP 4 :
When you are catching a bus to the airport.. Check whether the bus goes to the airport..

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES :
You might end up on the wrong side of the city.. Best case scenario, you might get a chance to run back to the bus station and catch the correct bus... Worst case scenario, you may irritate the driver.. :-) ..

As I continue travelling.. there will be more tips.. Watch this space for more..

Till next time .. Ta Ta ..

Not another review!!!

Looks like an impression is created that good ol' Metalhead has gone soft recently. Well, he has not gone soft. In fact, he is exploring some random thoughts, which are a bit ummm.. err... un-Metalhead-ian.. :-) ..

I guess people might feel that it is high time that Metalhead started reviewing his style.

Oh no!!! not again.. not the R-word again...nope, I am not talking about one of my earlier posts.. In fact this is the word "Review" .. There are quite a lot people who make a fortune on Reviews and lots of people waiting to make a fortune(?????) on reviews...

Whenever I open a book or newspaper, there is a movie review awaiting me.. In case, I visit some music site, they have a link to view Music reviews.. Then comes the book reviews, vehicle reviews, mobile reviews and so on ... aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgh!!! Oh God!! Please save me from the reviews.. Hopefully he will review my prayer... oh oh!! there comes the word again...

How did I come to loathe this word ??? Lemme review the past for your benefit... Sorry people!!! I'm trying my best to remove this word from my vocabulary.. For my convenience and your inconvenience , from now on in this post, I will use the abbreviated form "R*" in place of the word "Review"... Nah!!! After a R* of this post, I think it will be better to use the word, because I don't want to drive the readers away.. he he he

Let us review(formerly, R*) the time before I entered the corporate world, I was a student who did not have any qualm about any reviews, except the ones for my marks... Then I entered into the big bad Reviewing world of software engineers... Then started the reviews in my life ....

It started on tate fateful day during my training in my company. There was a session on Software Engineering principles ..(For the uninitiated, it means how best to develop a project.. All I knew then was that we had to write some code.. This said that we need to do other things, which takes more time than writing code :-).. ) .. this was similar to the title of one of my subjects during my college... But being the guy I am, I don't remember anything beyond that... Looks like I have a long term memory loss problem (akin to Ghajini, Amir Khan and Surya now have a fierce competitor :-P )... Coming back to the training, the instructor introduced a new word.. "Review".. Well it wasn't new.. But it took a new meaning henceforth..

There are different types of review in the Software World... Peer review, Code review, Design Review, Test case review, Estimation review, etc.. and then comes the deadliest of all.. Performance Review..
So basically, everything we do needs to be reviewed.. It is good that we don't have to review other aspects in the Software world like eating, and the aftermath of all the eating..

Initially, when I was the reviewee (the guy whose work always gets reviewed, or in short the fall guy), I used to wonder what the fuss was all about.. Shouldn't the work be done correctly the first time.. Well, as I kept on working up the corporate food chain (For the record ,am still very low on the food chain, my place is very similar to bacteria on the food chain), I understand that work will not be done correctly the first time around.. Oops!! let me not spill the secrets of this business.. let me change my statement.. I meant things "may" not be done correctly the first time around .. so the need to review things..

Even though I was stuck in reviews in office, I felt that reviews will not affect my life.. Then came the revelation.. One of the days, I was planning to go out for lunch with my friends.. I realized how reviews have come to haunt my life.. I was looking out for Restaurant reviews... Aaarghh!!! Didn't realize how much I have come to rely on reviews... How can I end up trusting some person's taste buds..

The people in the place I stay in now rely a lot on the reviews .. Even to the extent of weather reviews.. Ok.. I am exaggerating :-) ..

Instead of meandering meaninglessly over this.. I came to realize over time that reviews are just like our hair.. It is of no use.. But it is pretty difficult to survive without it..

Till next time.. Ta ta :-) ....

Marriage (food) blues

Hello readers.. Been more than a year since I blogged.. It was a combination of factors which didn't let me write a single post during the year of 2008.. Finally I have got a chance to blog something...

Lots of things have happened in my life during this year.. both professionally and personally..

Got promoted in early 2008 and now have more responsibility on my shoulders .. Travelled twice to the land of opportunities(!!!).. At the time of publishing this post.. am still here..

My sibling got married, my best friend got married and am in the dock now...

Looks like there is no escaping fate now..

Lots of my friends have got married and some of them are about to get married..

One real bad thing about living away from home during this phase is that I am missing loads of marriage food.. Hope I do get to return back before all my friends get married...

More than worrying about my marriage (which is very uncertain), I am really worried about missing all the different varieties of food, which will be served in marriages..

On that somber note, I am signing off .. Till next time.. Ta Ta...