Celebrating friendship with 'Hangout'!

 

A decade ago, Dil Chahta Hai (DCH) movie was released. It took the nation by storm. Not that friendship never existed or friends never went to Goa or any other place for that matter, to have fun. But the movie highlighted the importance of Celebrating friendship! Enjoying with people whom you trust the most. So was the craze that DCH became synonymous for friendship. The youth started looking at friendship from all together different perspective!

With Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara… another fine piece of art, this time by sister Zoya Akhtar, importance of celebrating friendship is reinstated. It took the dimension of relationship to the next level. Girlfriends, adventure, foreign trip, emotions, pain, child like fight, ego, money, power and then finally friendship taking all over them. A must watch for the ones who liked DCH.

For me it will always have a special place in my heart because last year, we planned a bachelor party at Goa for one of my closest buddy… bookings were done, train ticket were done, all planning was done, money was paid and in the end...boooom! The friend for whom the party was hosted… couldn’t make it due to his work commitments (he being a surgeon). All three of us were deeply disappointed. We cancelled the trip. We showed our anger to him in his marriage and till date we bully him for that. None of us watched ZNMD movie together but each one messaged the other three when the trio in movie plans for the  bachelor party! That’s the connect. Having said that, out of four of us, two are married now, so we still have two chances to make for what we missed earlier. The thought excites me!

However, somebody has realized that the world is moving with a fast pace and people have become robots in their own life running after making good living. In doing so, they knowingly and un-wanting-ly (I christened this word) are getting drifted away from their close pals. Friends are always a call away but sometimes you want to see them, if not remove the geographical barriers. Sometimes you want to have that Maggi or a Cup of coffee with your friends all together, though at different locations.

‘Hangout’ feature of Google+ gives that option. I have been on Google+ since it created 'buzz' among the masses. People are yet to embrace the site completely. Updates happen at a snail’s place. On last weekend, I was casually surfing and then I decided to try the 'hangout’ feature. Believe me, I jumped out of my seat with my experience of this standout feature – Hangout. I asked few of my friends to come online on G+ to try the feature. I invited four of them. Two couldn’t join due to some errors but the other two joined and Vollaaaa! 

I could see, chat and talk to them - all simultaneously. The multi-chat multi-video functionality is just awesome. I was trying other features also and to my surprise I could play video from youtube site, real time, all in one screen. Jitu signed in from US. He was doing some work at that time. Sarang joined from Mumbai, he was having his lunch and I was chatting with them, simultaneously answering my cell phone. I was delighted that I could see and chat with my close buddies, enjoy watching videos - all sitting at my cozy sofa at home. And yeah not to forget all this for free.

With the fight between Facebook and G+, the users are surely going to win. Some breakthrough technology is going to treat them. The technology which is going to value relationship, personal preference and comfort would move headway towards North.

fOoD fOr ThOuGhT: Friends are lifeline. A relation that gives meaning to life. With technology assisting us in staying connected with friends, I am sure Celebrating Friendship is going to be fun going forward!

Luck by Chance!

With the onset of May month, every year, the speculations of how much rain we are going to receive, starts. The intensity of the discussion keeps increasing with the passage of time. Discussions on rains take centre stage. Be it on television, MET department, politicians or household late night discussion while watching television.

Rains do have regional charms as well. When you say ‘Mumbai Ki baarish’ it is different! When it rains, it rains cats and dogs. The ever bustling city comes to a standstill. The pleasure of roaming in rains on a Marine drive can never be experienced anywhere else in the world. I am short of words in describing the satisfaction and peace you derive after getting drenched in rains sitting close to the sea. On the flip side, you have traffic jams, roads block, buildings collapse, false promises, casual off from work, hassle to catch local trains and the every moody and irritating Autowalahs!

Anuj Gupta, happy go lucky guy was on his way to office early morning with his friend on his friend’s bike. In midway it started raining heavily, suddenly. That’s the beauty of Mumbai rains. It can hit you at any moment without any prior intimation. Anuj got down nearby and asked his friend to carry on as he was wearing raincoat. Anuj told him that he would take an auto and reach office, ignoring the Autowalah murmur that was waiting for him.

After getting down, he saw umpteen numbers of people struggling to convince the passing-by autowalahs. 30 minutes passed. Rains stopped. No auto found.

“I should have asked Kunal to wait for some time. The rain stopped.” he cursed himself.

Lot of people got autos and they moved to their respective destinations. He cursed himself. He observed a girl in her mid twenties also struggling for auto since long. “Where are you going?” asked Anuj. “Andheri” She answered. “Oh then we can pool a cab and share the fare, if you are ok! I am going to the same place.” “Ya, that looks fine” she said in agreement. That’s another aspect of Mumbai. Seldom would you find people saying no, because people here are by and large likeminded. They want to reach office as soon as possible, keeping the fares low, and with minimal hassle.

“What do you do?”Asked Anuj casually as the two were on their way to office in a cab.

“I work at MightyHeart publishers. We are basically into IT books publishing.” She said.

“Interesting”, said Anuj with a nod.

“And how about you?” the girl asked.

“I am working with Elephant Softwares.” he said exuberating confidence.

And he continued, “If you would have been working in Novel publishing house, it would have been a lot more interesting!”

“You write?” she asked.

“Yeah kind of. I am looking for a publisher to publish my first novel” he said with a gentle smile.

“Wow. What is it all about?” she asked showing some excitement.

“It’s a love story. Actually a real one with lot of fiction put into it. It is based on my friend’s real life story” he said.

Silence surfaced for some time. The auto was stuck in heavy traffic.

“Is your work interesting?” Anuj asked taking the conversation further.

“Yeah, very much. Actually I am a project manager and managing projects. Books are our projects!” She said with a smile.

“How is yours?”She asked.

“Well….it is interesting…Actually it is good. From one angle it is mundane and boring however it is also a high profile work…! replied Anuj, scratching his head.

“Are you from Mumbai itself?” She asked.

“No. Jaipur.” “And you?”

“Faridabad.” She smiled.

“By the way, what is your name?”

“Anuj Gupta” he replied.

“I am Shruti Banerjee” She said.

With a pause she continued... “Actually Elephant Softwares happen to be my dream company. I want to get into an MNC.”

Anuj asked her experience and qualification and told her that he can give it a try.

“You can always give it a try, if you want, anyways you have a stable job, if nothing works out!” he said after listening her professional details.

Anuj gave his email id, where she could mail her resume.

Shruti gave her email id, “tapsya.kale@bhppublishers.com”

“But you said you are Shruti?”, asked Anuj hastily. “Yeah I am Shruti and Tapsya happens to be my friend who can help you in taking your novel to the readers!” She smiled.

“Wow… you completed your impromptu project (of taking my book to a publisher or at-least guiding for it) successfully. I am impressed!” Anuj exclaimed.

Today, Shruti is in Elephant softwares living her dream and Anuj is happy to endorse that he has authored a book which is taken well by the readers.

fOoD fOr ThOuGhT: Luck by chance! Yes it was. Life always has mysteries stored in it. We mere mortals always realize it after it becomes past! Life’s good… Keep rolling!