A long time ambition got fulfilled when I visited the magnificent Taj Mahal at Agra — considered to be one of the greatest man-made structures of the world. This marble structure is an achievement and a result of a man’s love for his beloved.
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Moving On Finally
This was coming for many months now but today, I finally checked-in to TCS House — the corporate HQ of Tata Consultancy Services Limited, as expected. A heritage building built in 1922, it was formerly known as Rallis House (another Tata-owned company), until the place was bought over by TCS in 2004 [read more]. The interiors of this four storey building have been completely refurbished while leaving the exterior walls untouched due to its historical value. The idea of encompassing modern interiors within an archaic structure, to flawlessly create a contemporary ambience is truly an architectural marvel to see and experience. The place holds significance for its medieval construction and is truly a landmark building in the Fort area of South Mumbai. The renovated structure was formally inaugurated by the honorable chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh on 14th August 2007.
It’s exciting to be here and I hope this transition into a new home re-energises my creativity and design skills.
Indians Bask in Glory after 24 years!
After the celebrations are over, this young Indian team will realize that they have etched their names in the annals of history forever. When the tournament started, nobody — the selectors included, ever thought they could win the inaugural edition of the T20 world cup. It’s a sign of good things to come for the Indian cricket — this young nextgen cricketers have no fear of reputation and just want to consistently perform for their country. We last won a world cup in 1983 in England and today we have done it again after 24 long years. Chak De India!
At one point in time of the match, India seemed to be losing the plot. In the last over though, the pakis needed just 5 runs of the last 3 balls and I had already given up hope. Just then I stared in complete disbelief at my TV screen when Misbah-ul-Haq hit that uneventful shot right into the waiting hands of Sreesanth, when he could have just played a straight bat shot. The commentators went ga-ga over his ” sound cricketing mind” but the Indians held their nerves to pulloff an incredible win. Everytime I went inside my room in complete disbelief, a wicket would fall for the Pakis. Considering this odd coincidence, I have decided to NOT watch cricket when India’s playing, to ensure that they win everytime. Here’s a summary of India’s road to the final victory.
India 'Bowl Out' Pak
India and Pakistan never fail to entertain when they play each other. Be it Hockey or Cricket, their performances are keenly watched and scrutinized on both sides of the border. Yesterday’s match at the World Twenty 20 in Kingsmead, Durban (South Africa) proved to be a nail-biting event unlike all their previous encounters.
First, it looked like India would be bowled out within 15 overs as they were tottering at 36/4 after Mohammed Asif picked up four Indian wickets. However, the Indians managed 141 in their 20 overs thanks to some hard hitting by Robin Uthappa who scored 50. Then defending their modest score, the Indians were gaining some ground early before Agarkar gave away 17 runs in his penultimate over and the match went down to the wire with 1 run required of just 1 ball. Sreesanth then bowled the last over of the match superbly to end the Pakistan innings at 141/7 in their 20 overs and the match was tied — a first for any Twenty20 International. A ‘Bowl out’ method — much similar to the penalty shootouts in Hockey and Soccer — was applied for an outcome despite both teams already qualifying for the Super8s from Group D.
The rules were simple — each team nominates 5 bowlers to bowl at the stumps. The team with the majority hits wins. Sehwag, Bhajji and Uthappa made no mistake to help India win 3-0 and keep its winning record against in world playoffs against Pakistan intact. The young Indian side maintained a characteristically cool head till the last ball which helped them snatch victory from the Pakistanis. The sad reality of going into a big tournament without a regular coach hasn’t come to hassle the Indians and the way they performed yesterday it seems there’s no requirement for one at the moment if they keep winning consistently. Great performance surely and I hope they bring back the world cup and with it the glorious days of Indian cricket.
Who's Children?
A sunny summer morning, as I walk past the trees and the lanes, bypassing the crowds to reach office on time. Droplets of sweat are marching down my face, as I try to stop them helplessly with my handkerchief. I approach a bus stop on my way, when suddenly the morning calm is shattered by a wailing child. As I look around, I find a mother chasing an urchin girl with a stick in her hand. The child, barely 2 years and only in her undies had already received the first blow on her thigh and was crying aloud in pain. She was running away, howling and trying to save her skin from further destruction. The mother was unrepentant though. She was swearing at the poor child and threw the stick at her which missed her narrowly. This chase had to end now unless the child gets brutally crushed under an oncoming bus, I said to myself still walking away from the incident.